bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Eleutheroside B and Eleutheroside E on activity of cytochrome P450 in rat liver microsomes
Authors: Guo Sixun , Liu Yan , Lin Zhiping , Tai Sheng , Yin Shuo , Liu Gaofeng
Published: January 2014

Background

Chemicals of herbal products may cause unexpected toxicity or adverse effect by the potential for alteration of the activity of CYP450 when co-administered with other drugs.Eleutherococcus senticosus(ES), has been widely used as a traditional herbal medicine and popular herbal dietary supplements, and often co-administered with many other drugs. The main bioactive constituents of ES were considered to be eleutherosides including eleutheroside B (EB) and eleutheroside E (EE). This study was to investigate the effects of EB and EE on CYP2C9, CYP2D6, CYP2E1 and CYP3A4 in rat liver microsomesin vitro.

Method

Probe drugs of tolbutamide (TB), dextromethorphan (DM), chlorzoxazone (CLZ) and testosterone (TS) as well as eleutherosides of different concentrations were added to incubation systems of rat liver microsomesin vitro. After incubation, validated HPLC methods were used to quantify relevant metabolites.

Results

The results suggested that EB and EE exhibited weak inhibition against the activity of CYP2C9 and CYP2E1, but no effects on CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 activity. The IC50values for EB and EE were calculated to be 193.20 μM and 188.36 μM for CYP2E1, 595.66 μM and 261.82 μM for CYP2C9, respectively. Kinetic analysis showed that inhibitions of CYP2E1 by EB and EE were best fit to mixed-type with Ki value of 183.95 μM and 171.63 μM, respectively.

Conclusions

These results indicate that EB and EE may inhibit the metabolism of drugs metabolized via CYP2C9 and CYP2E1, and have the potential to increase the toxicity of the drugs.
The twisted Daehee numbers and polynomials
Authors: Park Jin-Woo , Rim Seog-Hoon , Kwon Jongkyum
Published: January 2014

We consider the Witt-type formula for the n th twisted Daehee numbers and polynomials and investigate some properties of those numbers and polynomials. In particular, the n th twisted Daehee numbers are closely related to higher-order Bernoulli numbers and Bernoulli numbers of the second kind.
Uniformly asymptotic stability of almost periodic solutions for a competitive system with impulsive perturbations
Authors: Tan Ronghua , Liu Weifang , Wang Qinglong , Liu Zhijun
Published: January 2014

Impulsive differential models play an important role in modeling population systems. In this article, we consider an almost periodic competitive model subject to impulsive perturbations and establish sufficient conditions for the uniformly asymptotic stability of a unique positive almost periodic solution for the system. The example and its numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate the feasibility of our main results.
Tuberculous peritonitis in pregnancy: a case report
Authors: Lahbabi Mounia , Brini Jihane , Massaoudi Khalid
Published: January 2014

Introduction

Tuberculous peritonitis is one of the least common forms of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. In the literature, few cases in pregnancy have been previously published. Tuberculous peritonitis in pregnancy is a diagnostic challenge, especially in the absence of lung involvement. It mimics other diseases and clinical presentation is usually non-specific, which may lead to diagnostic delay and development of complications.

Case presentation

We report here a new case of tuberculous peritonitis that occurred in a 31-year-old Caucasian pregnant woman at 22 weeks' gestation. She was complaining of abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. These symptoms appeared 6 months prior to presentation. Initially, they were attributed to pregnancy, but they progressively became more severe during subsequent weeks. A laparoscopy showed the presence of yellow-white nodules on the peritoneal surface and a biopsy demonstrated caseous necrotic granuloma. She made a good physical recovery after being placed on antituberculous chemotherapy and gave birth to a healthy male neonate of 3100g at 37 weeks' gestation by vaginal delivery.

Conclusions

Extreme vigilance should be used when dealing with unexplained abdominal symptoms to ensure timely diagnosis of tuberculous peritonitis. Diagnosis often requires a histopathological examination. In these patients early diagnosis with early antituberculous therapy are essential to prevent obstetrical and neonatal morbidity.
Multiple gene-to-gene interactions in children with sepsis: a combination of five gene variants predicts outcome of life-threatening sepsis
Authors: Jabandziev Petr , Smerek Michal , Michalek Jaroslav , Fedora Michal , Kosinova Lucie , Hubacek Jaroslav A , Michalek Jaroslav
Published: January 2014

Introduction

The aim of the study was to identify the dependency structure of genetic variants that can influence the outcome for paediatric patients with sepsis.

Methods

We evaluated the role of single nucleotide polymorphisms for five genes: bactericidal permeability increasing protein (BPI; rs5743507), lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP; rs2232618), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4; rs4986790), heat shock protein 70 (HSP 70; rs2227956), and interleukin 6 (IL-6; rs1800795) in 598 children aged 0 to 19 years that were admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit with fever, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, sepsis, severe sepsis, septic shock, or multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. A control group of 529 healthy individuals was included. Multi-way contingency tables were constructed and statistically evaluated using log-linear models. Typical gene combinations were found for both study groups.

Results

Detailed analyses of the five studied gene profiles revealed significant differences in sepsis survival. Stratification into high-risk, intermediate-risk, and low-risk groups of paediatric patients can predict the severity of sepsis.

Conclusions

Analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms for five genes can be used as a predictor of sepsis outcome in children.
Editorial: The emerging specificities of interleukin-34
Authors: Solary Eric , Droin Nathalie
Published: January 2014

Discussion on IL-34's role in inducing the maturation of monocytes that promotes B-cell proliferation.
Communicating with people with intellectual disabilities: a guide for general psychiatrists
Authors: Boardman Liz , Bernal Jane , Hollins Sheila
Published: January 2014

Good communication is central to psychiatric consultation. It informs assessment, diagnosis and treatment, and is an important part of empowering people to take more control of their own mental health. But active listening and personally tailored explanations may require additional skills and may need to be practised in the context of ethical and legal frameworks. In this article we consider the additional impairments that occur in people with intellectual disabilities who use psychiatric services and describe practical steps that can be taken by clinicians and service providers to overcome these impairments, to make reasonable adjustments and to ensure that patients obtain maximum benefit from services.
Interprofessional education in mental health services: learning together for better team working
Authors: Kinnair Daniel , Anderson Elizabeth , van Diepen Henderikus , Poyser Cath
Published: January 2014

Interprofessional education, learning which brings together different professional groups, helps to prepare practitioners for effective team-based collaborative practice and is now included in all undergraduate training programmes in the health professions. We explore the merits of team-based interprofessional learning, drawing on learning theory and mental health policy. We endorse the use of a practice-based interprofessional education model involving patients in which students experience the complexity of team working and the clinical team gain a more detailed analysis of team processes, which can enhance the quality of patient care. The model has been replicated for undergraduate education in mental healthcare and could easily be used for postgraduate staff. Interprofessional education at postgraduate level could foster the ongoing team-based reflective learning needed to enable mental health services in the UK to adapt to the dramatic changes both in their organisation and in the roles and responsibilities of individual professions.
Callosal morphology in schizophrenia: what can shape tell us about function and illness?
Authors: Walterfang Mark , Velakoulis Dennis
Published: January 2014

Examination of the corpus callosum provides a window to cortical brain change in brain disorders. Combining volumetric with microstructural analysis allows a greater understanding of the biology underpinning change, and examining callosal structure alongside the structure of the cortical regions it interconnects may allow us to understand the true significance of callosal change in psychiatric disorders.
Uncovering the complexity of Tourette syndrome, little by little
Authors: Gorman Daniel A. , Abi-Jaoude Elia
Published: January 2014

The aetiology of Tourette syndrome is highly complex and still poorly understood. In this issue, using data from a large, prospective, population-based cohort of children, Mathews et al examine associations of pre- and perinatal exposures with Tourette syndrome and other chronic tic disorders. Their work illustrates the importance of environmental factors in the aetiology of neuropsychiatric conditions and the value of replication in science.
Observers, Commentators, and Persuaders: British Interwar Economists as Public Intellectuals
Authors: Godden Chris
Published: January 2014

Many interwar British economists actively engaged in public economic discourse. Any investigation into these popular economic writings forces the historian to appreciate the frailty, novelty, and, most importantly, sheer extent of the material available. Such popular (nonacademic) economic material captured much of the energy and immediacy of contemporary economic forces. This essay focuses on the role that such popular publications played in defining these economists as public intellectuals. Writing against a backdrop of mass unemployment and industrial transformation, many British economists brought the public to the fore of their discussions and adopted the roles of observers, commentators, and persuaders. As a consequence of this, the social purpose that underpinned the public pronouncements of this body of public (economic) intellectuals came to embody two interconnected themes: first, a desire to influence the economic behavior of society, and second, a defense of established economic doctrine against the attacks of spurious, ill-advised, pseudo-economic myths that festered within the public consciousness.
Walter Lippmann: The Making of a Public Economist
Authors: Goodwin Craufurd
Published: January 2014

Walter Lippmann was the most respected American journalist of the twentieth century. During the Great Depression and World War II he devoted most of his thrice-weekly columns in the New York Herald Tribune to exploring the causes of recession and the economics of war. He was a student of George Santayana and William James, as well as of Frank Taussig and Thomas Nixon Carver at Harvard, and his heart was in literature and the arts as much as in the social sciences and current events. He spanned the academic world, where he made distinguished contributions, publishing a book on public opinion, serving in government where he was involved at the highest levels, and working in the private sector in which he had close friends. He adopted the macroeconomics of his close friend John Maynard Keynes, and he became best known for his warning against the dangers in the spread of monopoly and economic planning in The Good Society.
Private Intellectuals and Public Perplexity: The Economics Profession and the Economic Crisis
Authors: Mirowski Philip , Nik-Khah Edward
Published: January 2014

We explore recent arguments that economists may not serve to enlighten their publics so much as foster surplus confusion and doubt concerning controversies in their areas of expertise, particularly with regard to the recent worldwide economic crisis. After describing agnotology, the new area of the history of science that studies such phenomena, we recount two instances of these activities: the role of market designers in the framing and justification of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, and the manufacture of the now-widespread impression that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were a primary cause of the crisis.
Investment Banks' Entry into New IPO Markets and IPO Underpricing
Authors: Fung Simon Yu Kit , Gul Ferdinand A. , Radhakrishnan Suresh
Published: January 2014

We examine the relationship between investment banks' initial public offering (IPO) market shares and their prior IPO underpricing in the new IPO market for China-based companies on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. To gain expertise in Chinese business practices, investment banks have the incentive to obtain business in this new IPO market by providing high offer prices to the issuer, leading to less underpricing and less money on the table. We hypothesize and find that the less an investment bank underprices China-based company IPOs, the greater its subsequent market share of China-based company IPOs in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Furthermore, this relationship is driven by a bank's initial China-based company IPO deals. These results suggest that in new IPO markets, investment banks' initial market shares, obtained through lower underpricing, help them grow their market shares in later periods, possibly through the expertise gained in the initial business.

This paper was accepted by Mary Barth, accounting.
Against ethnomusicology: Language performance and the social impact of ritual performance in Islam
Authors: Frishkopf Michael
Published: January 2014

This article argues that ‘music’ is unsatisfactory to reference sounds of ritual performance in Islam, not only because the term has been controversial for Muslims, but especially due to its unremovable pre-existing semantic load centred on non-referential aesthetic sound, resulting in drawing of arbitrary boundaries, incompatibility with local ontologies and under-emphasis on the referential language lying at the core of nearly all Islamic ritual. From the standpoint of the human sciences, this study is interested in the understanding of such rituals as combining metaphysical and social impact. Use of ‘music’ tends to distort and even preclude holistic ritual analysis capable of producing such understanding. As a result, ethnomusicology is misdirected. Theoretically and methodologically, this article develops an alternative concept, ‘language performance’ (LP), including four aspects – syntactic, semantic, sonic and pragmatic – especially designed for Islamic ritual performance. Applying a linguistic theory of communication developed by Jakobson, it shows how LP can be developed as a comprehensive, descriptive framework for comparative ritual analysis, akin to Lomax’s global Cantometrics, but avoiding its flaws through a more flexible design and modest scope, enabling systematic, comparative investigations of performance in Islamic ritual. The article closes with an example of such analysis centred on Sufi rituals in contemporary Egypt.
(Re-)presenting Islam: A comparative study of groups of comedians in the United States of America and France
Authors: Ervine Jonathan
Published: January 2014

Over the last few years, humour has provided many Muslims with a means of seeking to establish a positive sense of self-identity, as well as a means of challenging misconceptions and fears of Islam in a wide variety of countries on both sides of the Atlantic. This article brings together two interviews with performers who use comedy to engage with perceptions of Islam and (re-)present Muslims in a generally non-threatening and everyday context. It compares and contrasts atrio of American stand-up comedians who tour under the name ‘Allah Made Me Funny’ and the two French performers who created ‘À part ça tout va bien’/‘Apart from that everything’s fine’, a humorous web series in France. The interviews provide an insight into processes of identity negotiation and (re)presentation by performers based in countries with very differing approaches to multiculturalism and diversity.
Modified Homotopy Perturbation Transform Method: A Paradigm for Nonlinear Boundary Layer Problems
Authors: Khan Yasir , Usman Muhammad
Published: January 2014

This paper suggests a novel modified homotopy perturbation transform method (MHPTM) for a nonlinear boundary layer problem by suitable choice of an initial solution. The steady Navier–Stokes equations are reduced to nonlinear ordinary differential equations by using similarity variables. The governing nonlinear differential equations are solved by means of MHPTM. The equations are Laplace transformed and the nonlinear terms represented by He's polynomials. The series solution of the nonlinear boundary layer problem is obtained. For such a boundary layer problem, the second derivative at zero is an important point of function, so we have computed f″(0) and compared it with other results. An excellent agreement between the MHPTM and HPM is achieved. Such flow analysis is even not available yet for the hydrodynamic fluid. The series solution for MHD boundary layer problem with slip condition by means of MHPTM is yet not available in the literature
Nonisothermal crystallization kinetics of polybutene-1 containing nucleating agent with acid amides structure
Authors: Zhao Yongxian , Chen Junyi , Han Lei , Zhao Le
Published: January 2014

The nonisothermal crystallization behaviors of virgin isotactic polybutene-1 (iPB-1) and iPBn (iPB-1 containing a nucleating agent that owns acid amides structure; iPB/Mult920=100/0.5, mass ratio) were studied by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Modified Avrami theories (Ozawa method) and Mo method were used to analyze the DSC date. The results show that both methods are suitable to describe the crystallization process of iPB-1 and iPBn. Addition of 0.5% (mass ratio) nucleating agent can give rise to the nucleation effect, which increases the crystallization temperature (Tc) and the rate of crystallization of iPB-1, decreases the activation energy of crystallization (ΔE), and increases the crystallization rate of iPB-1 under the actual conditions.
Appropriateness of Testing for Serious Bacterial Infection in Children Hospitalized With Bronchiolitis
Authors: Librizzi Jamie , McCulloh Russell , Koehn Kristin , Alverson Brian
Published: January 2014

Objective:

The goal of this study was to evaluate provider practice patterns for evaluation of serious bacterial infection (SBI) in patients hospitalized with bronchiolitis and to assess the association of SBI testing with length of stay and antibiotic use.

Design:

This was a retrospective chart review of hospitalized patients <24 months of age with a discharge diagnosis of bronchiolitis from 2 separate study sites during 2004 to 2008. Patient characteristics, laboratory testing, antibiotic use, and clinical outcomes were assessed in relation to SBI testing.

Results:

A total of 1233 charts met inclusion criteria. The incidence of urinary tract infections in patients who underwent urine testing was 2.3%. Of the 367 patients undergoing blood culture testing, all 13 positive-result blood cultures were contaminated specimens. There were no cases of meningitis. In total, 64.5% of patients tested for SBI had a blood culture obtained, 45.0% had an urinalysis or urine culture, and 16.3% had a cerebral spinal fluid culture obtained. Of those patients who underwent SBI testing, 53.8% received antibiotics versus 19.1% who did not (P < .0001). Length of stay for patients undergoing SBI testing was 3.4 days versus 2.3 days for those without SBI testing (P < .0001). There was no significant difference in readmission rates.

Conclusions:

SBI is uncommon in children hospitalized for bronchiolitis, and urinary tract infection is the most common diagnosis. In the evaluation of SBI in bronchiolitis, providers more frequently obtain blood cultures than urinalysis and/or urine cultures. Evaluation for SBI is associated with increased antibiotic use and increased LOS.
Noninvasive Prenatal Testing: An Update on Prenatal Screening and Testing Options
Authors: Harris Sarah C. , Vora Neeta L.
Published: January 2014

The landmark discovery that cell-free fetal DNA was present in maternal plasma paved the way for significant changes in prenatal screening and diagnosis. Although traditional screening approaches relied on measuring maternal serum markers and ultrasound findings, analyzing cell-free fetal DNA held the promise of increasing the sensitivity and specificity of prenatal screening. Nearly 15 years after the initial discovery, this testing finally became a reality with the publication of several large clinical trials that validated its use for aneuploidy screening. We review several approaches for noninvasive prenatal testing that are currently available, including whole genome massively parallel shotgun sequencing, targeted sequencing, and analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms. Although noninvasive prenatal testing holds great promise, it is important that patients receive adequate counseling of its benefits and limitations. It is anticipated that this field will continue to experience rapid growth, and the ability to test for smaller genomic changes and single gene disorders by using this noninvasive testing will likely follow.
Heritability, Fecundity, and Sexual Size Dimorphism in Four Species of Bark Beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)
Authors: Foelker C J , Hofstetter R W
Published: January 2014

Body size is a key biological trait frequently used to assess fitness. Variation in body size stems from genetic and environmental factors and can have strong affects on reproduction. Here, we quantify narrow-sense heritability of size, fecundity, and sexual size dimorphism in four bark beetle species across two genera: Ips pini (Say), Ips lecontei Swaine, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann, and Dendroctonus brevicomis LeConte. For each species, we conducted rearing experiments pairing parents of large or small size classes and measuring body length of all progeny. There was significant narrow-sense heritability of body size in Ips, but not Dendroctonus. Male parent size in I. pini, I. lecontei, and D. frontalis was positively correlated with progeny production and female parent size was positively correlated with gallery length in I. pini, D. frontalis, and D. brevicomis. All species exhibited sexual size dimorphism (SSD), with males being larger than females (male-biased SSD) in Ips and females larger than males (female-biased SSD) in Dendroctonus. Although mean differences in body length between sexes was small, ≈l–2% for Ips and 2–4% for Dendroctonus, the pioneer sex (first colonizer) was statistically larger than the nonpioneer sex in all species. In addition, the pioneer sex displayed greater phenotypic variation in body length than the nonpioneer sex, and Dendroctonus exhibited greater phenotypic variation in body length than Ips. Differing selection pressures within species and even between sexes likely affect body size and heritability patterns exhibited by bark beetles.
Molecular Cloning of Five β-Glucosidases from Four Species of Higher Termites (Blattodea: Termitidae)
Authors: Bujang Nurmastini Sufina , Harrison Nigel A , Su Nan-Yao
Published: January 2014

Cellulose is the most abundant polymer in the biosphere, and termites are one of the most important metazoan cellulose processors. Termites are a rich source of digestive enzymes such as endo- β-1,4-glucanases, β-glucosidases, xylanases, amylases, pectinases, and laccases, regardless of whether they are termite derived or of microbiotic origin. Molecular identification of the termite's digestive enzyme is a critical initial step toward using termites as bioresources for industrial applications. Here, we report five β-glucosidase sequences obtained from four species of higher termites (Anoplotermes schwarzi Banks, Macrotermes carbonarius (Hagen), Rhynchotermes bulbinasus Scheffrahn, Sphaerotermes sphaerothorax (Sjoestedt)) with differing nutritional biologies. The deduced amino acid sequences indicated that they were most similar to β-glucosidases in the glycosyl hydrolase family 1 (GHF1). All complete coding sequences are 490 amino acids long and contain conserved motifs involved in substrate binding and catalysis. Each sequence was also predicted to be glycosylated at two sites.
Effect of Egg Rearing Temperature and Storage Time on the Biological Characteristics of the Predatory Stink BugPodisus nigrispinus(Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)
Authors: Vacari Alessandra M , Goulart Roberto M , Volpe Haroldo X L , Bortoli Sergio A De
Published: January 2014

In this study, we investigated the effect of egg rearing temperature and storage time on biological characteristics of the predatory stink bug Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas). In a preliminary experiment, eggs were incubated at 5, 10, 15, and 20°C to examine the effect of rearing temperature on egg development. From this, we found that 15°C was the optimal temperature for egg storage. To examine the effect of storage period on biological characteristics, eggs were stored at 15 ± 1°C for 0 (control), 1, 5, 9, 13, or 17 d, and then maintained at 25°C, allowing us to determine the effect of storage period on incubation period and egg viability. Once nymphs reached the second instar, they were kept in individual petri dishes, and we examined the effect of storage period on stadial length, nymphal viability, and weight of fifth-instar nymphs. Finally, when the nymphs reached the adult phase, we measured the effect of storage period on adult longevity, neonate adult weight, fecundity, and egg hatching success. Our results showed that the storage of eggs at 15 ± 1°C for periods of up to 17 d did not significantly affect most of the biological characteristics analyzed.
Trapping Techniques for Siricids and their Parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Siricidae and Ibaliidae) in the Southeastern United States
Authors: Barnes Brittany F , Meeker James R , Johnson Wood , Asaro Christopher , Miller Daniel R , Gandhi Kamal J K
Published: January 2014

The recent introduction of Sirex noctilio F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) into North America has raised interest in native siricids and their parasitoids to better understand the potential impact of S. noctilio. In the southeastern United States, we assessed various techniques to capture native siricids and their parasitoids using traps, lures, and trap trees. During 2009–2011, in total, 2,434 wasps were caught including Eriotremex formosanus (Matsumura), Sirex nigricornis (F.), Tremex columba (L.), and Urocerus cressoni (Norton) (Siricidae), and Ibalia leucospoides ensiger Norton (Hymenoptera: Ibaliidae). Traps and trap trees, respectively, captured 14 and 86% of total siricids and hymenopteran parasitoids. Majority of siricids (76%) were caught in Louisiana, where 486 I. l. ensiger (28% parasitism rate) were also reared from trap trees. The Sirex lure alone and Sirex lure with ethanol captured two to five times greater numbers of siricids than unbaited traps. Trap types had no effect on catches of siricids. Fewer siricids were caught in traps baited with ethanol alone than in those baited with other lures in Georgia. We caught three to four times greater numbers of S. nigricornis in traps with fresh pine billets (with foliage) as a lure than traps baited with Sirex lure in Louisiana. More S. nigricornis and I. l. ensiger emerged from cut and felled trap trees created in early rather than late November; these trees also had 14 times greater emergence than those treated with Dicamba. Our results indicate that use of host material and timing may be important for monitoring populations and communities of siricids and their parasitoid species in southern pine forests.
NativeEctobius(Blattaria: Ectobiidae) from the Early Eocene Green River Formation of Colorado and Its Reintroduction to North America 49 Million Years Later
Authors: Vršanský P , Oružinský R , Barna P , Vidlička L' , Labandeira C C
Published: January 2014

Ectobius kohlsi sp. n. and three undetermined species of the common Eurasian cockroach genus EctobiusStephens, 1835 are reported from the lower middle Eocene of North America. This species indicates a cosmopolitan distribution of the genus during the mid Paleogene, and supports its current relict distribution in modern north-temperate and African ecosystems. When compared with the living species, E. kohlsi was either neutral or plesiomorphic in all characters, but exhibited a close relationship to the extant Ectobius kraussianusRamme, 1923 Species Group in the identical structure of the pronotum. E. kohlsi also was similar to extant Ectobius ticinusBohn, 2004, in the character of its wing venation (see Bohn 2004), in particular the forewing vein M, and to extant Ectobius vittiventris (Costa 1847) in details of forewing coloration. These latter two species are members of the Ectobius sylvestris Species Group (Bohn 1989). Ectobius balticusGermar et Berendt, 1856 —a conspicuously dominant cockroach from mid-Eocene Baltic amber—also appears plesiomorphic in all characters despite being a few million years younger than E. kohlsi. One reason for the complete disappearance of this dominant genus from North America is the peculiar consequence that, after 49 million years, a cool-adapted Ectobius lapponicus (L.) was capable of being reintroduced to a significantly cooler North America than that its antecedents which inhabited North America during a warmer European Eocene. Modern E. lapponicus is synanthropic in North America, even though no synanthropism is recorded for this species in its native habitat throughout Europe.
Brachypterizing Effect of High Density and Its Relationship with Body Injury in Cricket Species Velarifictorus micado (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)
Authors: Wu H J , Zhu D H , Zeng Y , Zhao L Q , Sun G X
Published: January 2014

In wing dimorphic cricket Velarifictorus micado Saussure, group rearing could induce macropters, but rearing density had a nonlinear effect on the incidence of macroptery. Frequency of macropters increased along with rearing density under low-density conditions, but it decreased gradually under high densities, especially for the females. This result indicates that flight ability is required to escape from crowded conditions, but there is a factor that would suppress wing development under high-population density in V. micado. Investigation of body injury showed that incidence of body injury increased along with rearing density, especially for the antenna. Removal of antennas or hindlegs in the penultimate nymphal stage exerted a strong micropterizing effect. These results suggest that brachypterizing effect of high density may be related with body injury. Removed antennas at different instars, brachypterizing effect was only significant in sixth instar (penultimate instar) for males, and sixth and seventh instar (last instar) for females, which suggests that penultimate and last instars may be sensitive stages in winglength development to the effect of body injury in V. micado
Context-Dependent Mating Success in Murgantia histrionica (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)
Authors: Helmey-Hartman W L , Miller C W
Published: January 2014

Animals must find and select mates in environments that naturally vary in both space and time. Of particular importance for many species are the availability and phenology of host plants for feeding and oviposition sites. Here, we used Murgantia histrionica (Hahn) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), a herbivorous insect, to determine mating preferences and success using mating assays and preferences based on odor cues.Wemanipulated the natal and encounter contexts using two different host plants, mustard and broccoli. We found that both the natal host plant and the host plant where insects encountered potential mates significantly affected mating success in this insect. Broccolireared individuals were more likely to mate in general; however, all individuals were more likely to mate when placed in an encounter context of mustard. Using a separate assay, we also found that the natal host plant affected female preference based on odor cues; females preferred the odors of males from the same natal environment that the females experienced as nymphs. In addition, we examined color and body size for host plant effects as both size and color are important factors for many species during mate choice. We found that individuals reared on mustard were larger than those reared on broccoli. However, the proportion of orange color on the dorsum of insects was not significantly affected by the natal host plant. In summary, these results suggest that changes in host plants, as commonly occurs seasonally, may have implications for sexual selection via mate choice.
Life History, Diagnosis, and Parasitoids ofZale phaeograpta(Lepidoptera: Erebidae)
Authors: Vázquez Yadira-Maibeth , Martínez Ana-Mabel , Valdez Jorge-Manuel , Figueroa José-Isaac , Rebollar Ángel , Chavarrieta Juan Manuel , Sánchez José-Antonio , Viñuela Elisa , Pineda Samuel
Published: January 2014

Lepidopteran erebid Zale phaeograpta (Hampson) has recently been found feeding on blackberry leaves (Rubus sp., cultivar “Tupi”) in two sites of Michoacan, Mexico. The life cycle and several life parameters of this insect, including parasitism, were examined in the laboratory. The egg, larva (seven instars), prepupa, pupa, and adult stages lasted 4.1, 35.9, 3.1, 14.5, and 29.1 d, respectively. Eggs are turquoise blue. The prolegs of first-instar larvae have an enlarged dark area that runs laterally. From second instar onwards, a whitish longitudinal dorsal band is observed along the entire body. Third-instar larvae wear a pair of dorsal protuberances in abdominal segment VIII. The fourth- and fifth-instar larvae are cream-colored, whereas sixth instars are entirely creamy. Pupa is covered with a waxy bloom. The apical margin of the forewings in males has two silvery bands, whereas in females, a dark band is present. Female and male pupae had the same weight (0.5 g) and measured 2.21 and 2.25 cm, respectively. The adult sex ratio of females to males was 1.1:1. The cumulative number of eggs laid by female during her lifetime was 281, with preoviposition and oviposition periods of 9.9 and 7.3 d, respectively. Maximum oviposition occurred 3.9 d after the start of oviposition (87.7 eggs per female). Larvae of Z. phaeograpta were parasitized by Microplitis sp. (Braconidae) (33%) and a currently unidentified Ichneumonidae species (9%), and pupae were parasitized by Brachymeria comitator (Walker) and another unidentified Brachymeria sp. (Chalcididae).
Interspecific Variation in Size, Diapause Intensity, and Moisture Responses of First-InstarSpeyeria(Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) Larvae
Authors: Sims Steven R , Shapiro Arthur M
Published: January 2014

Egg weights of Speyeria (Nymphalidae) species from California were measured to estimate relative sizes of first-instar larvae. First-instar larvae were compared for diapause intensity and for their physiological and behavioral responses to atmospheric humidity and free water. Diapause intensity, measured by number of days between first instar and molt to second instar, ranged from 7.6 d (Speyeria nokomis) to 40.7 d (Speyeria callippe). Among species, diapause intensity was uncorrelated with egg weight, but within three species (S. nokomis, Speyeria mormonia, and Speyeria zerene), diapause intensity was positively correlated to egg weight. There was significant interspecific variability in the desiccation tolerance of diapause larvae to low (11% RH) humidity. The least and most desiccation-tolerant species, respectively, were S. nokomis (LT50= 1.9 d) and S. callippe (LT50 = 13.6 d). Interspecific desiccation tolerance was uncorrelated with egg weight. Larvae of S. nokomis moved from lower to higher humidity within a humidity gradient, whereas larvae of S. callippe did not move toward higher humidity. Desiccated larvae of S. callippe and S. zerene rehydrated by imbibing free water. Exposure of S. callippe and S. zerene larvae to 100% RH in the absence of free water did not result in a body weight increase, but high humidity conditions reduced the rate of water loss.
Egg Morphology of Key Stored-Product Insect Pests of the United States
Authors: Gautam S G , Opit G P , Margosan D , Tebbets J S , Walse S
Published: January 2014

Eggs of Carpophilus hemipterus (L.) (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), Lasioderma serricorne (F.) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae), Ephestia elutella (Hiibner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), and Amyelois transitella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) were imaged using scanning electron microscopy to explore how respiratory openings on the chorion surface may affect the relative efficacy of fumigation. Each C. hemipterus egg had two aeropyles and no micropyles; A. transitella and L. serricorne eggs had many aeropyles and several micropyles; and each E. elutella egg had many aeropyles and a single micropyle. Our data suggest that gases, including fumigants, differentially diffuse into the eggs of these species, with penetration through aeropyles and micropyles likely occurring to a greater extent in L. serricorne, E. elutella, and A. transitella than in C. hemipterus. Although confirmatory measurements of fumigant diffusion into eggs are needed, these findings suggest that species-specific ovicidal efficacies are related, at least in part, to the surface morphology of eggs and that chorionic respiratory structures differentially affect fumigant penetration and/or uptake.
The Effect of the Gall-Forming Aphid Schlechtendalia chinensis (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Leaf Wing Ontogenesis in Rhus chinensis (Sapindales: Anacardiaceae)
Authors: Liu P , Yang Z X , Chen X M , Foottit R G
Published: January 2014

The aphid Schlechtendalia chinensis (Bell) induces large single-chamber galls, called horned galls, on the leaf wings (an extending part of the rachis) of Rhus chinensis Miller. Horned galls are initiated when the fundatrix of S. chinensis feeds on the adaxial surface of the leaf wings. We compared the histology of intact versus galled leaf wings during various developmental stages by observing their histomorphology during their chronological development. We found that at the initiation phase, the outer epidermis and opening zone of the galls had many glandular trichomes and that pallisade tissue was replaced by parenchyma cells. The number of glandular trichomes on the outer epidermis was reduced as galls matured. The latex ducts and vascular elements became denser in the inner gall layer, and closer to the gall cavity. Stomata were found on outer epidermis in all gall developmental stages excluding the initiation phase. The effect of the gall-forming aphid on leaf wing ontogenesis is discussed.
Controls on niche stability in geologic time: congruent responses to biotic and abiotic environmental changes among Cincinnatian (Late Ordovician) marine invertebrates
Authors: Brame Hannah-Maria R. , Stigall Alycia L.
Published: January 2014

The set of environmental conditions under which a taxon can survive and maintain viable populations, known as the ecological niche, is a fundamental determinant of a taxon's distribution. Because of the central importance of ecological niches, they have been assumed to remain relatively stable during intervals of morphological stasis. However, the assumption of niche stability has rarely been tested directly with fossil data spanning multiple temporal intervals. Thus, the conditions under which this assumption is likely to be accurate are not well understood. In this study, we use ecological niche modeling (ENM) to reconstruct the ecological niche for 11 genera of marine benthos (crinoids, trilobites, molluscs, bryozoans, and corals) from the Type Cincinnatian Series (Late Ordovician, Katian Stage) across nine temporal intervals spanning approximately three million years. This interval includes both abiotic environmental change (gradual sea-level fall) and biotic change (rapid pulses of the Richmondian Invasion), thus allowing the relative effect of different environmental perturbations to be constrained. A previous symmetrical analysis of niche stability of brachiopod species recovered an increase in niche evolution following the Richmondian Invasion. Herein we test the generality of the brachiopod pattern within the community. Niche stability was evaluated in geographic space, ecological space, and niche parameter space. Niche stability varied through time; during the Pre-Invasion interval, taxa exhibited niche stability during gradual shallowing of sea level in the basin, whereas niche evolution became more common during the Richmondian Invasion. Taxa adjusted to the increased competition by altering aspects of their niche. Notably, surviving taxa contracted their niche into a subset of their previous niche parameters. This represents an adaptive response to increased competition for resources with the newly established invader taxa, and it was employed most successfully by generalist taxa. Patterns of niche evolution were congruent between clades, among feeding styles, and across taxonomic levels.
An Integrative Research Review of Instruments Measuring Religious Involvement: Implications for Nursing Research With African Americans
Authors: Mokel Melissa Jennifer , Shellman Juliette M.
Published: January 2014

Background and Purpose: Many instruments in which religious involvement is measured often (a) contain unclear, poorly developed constructs; (b) lack methodological rigor in scale development; and (c) contain language and content culturally incongruent with the religious experiences of diverse ethnic groups. The primary aims of this review were to (a) synthesize the research on instruments designed to measure religious involvement, (b) evaluate the methodological quality of instruments that measure religious involvement, and (c) examine these instruments for conceptual congruency with African American religious involvement. Methods: An updated integrative research review method guided the process (Whittemore & Knafl, 2005). Results: 152 articles were reviewed and 23 articles retrieved. Only 3 retained instruments were developed under methodologically rigorous conditions. All 3 instruments were congruent with a conceptual model of African American religious involvement. Conclusions: The Fetzer Multidimensional Measure of Religious Involvement and Spirituality (FMMRS; Idler et al., 2003) was found to have favorable characteristics. Further examination and psychometric testing is warranted to determine its acceptability, readability, and cultural sensitivity in an African American population.
Development of a Spiritual Self-Care Practice Scale
Authors: White Mary L. , Schim Stephanie Myers
Published: January 2014

Background and Purpose: Development of a valid, reliable instrument to measure spiritual self-care practices of patients with heart failure. Methods: African American patients (N = 142) with heart failure participated in the study. Spiritual advisors from several religious groups reviewed the Spiritual Self-Care Practices Scale (SSCPS) for content validity. Construct validity was determined using a principal components factor analysis. Reliability was established using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients. Results: Religious advisors provided suggestions to improve content validity. Four factors consistent with spiritual practices (personal spiritual practices, spiritual practices, physical spiritual practices, and interpersonal spiritual practices) emerged from the factor analysis. The alpha coefficient was moderate at 0.64. Conclusions: Results indicated the SSCPS was reliable and valid for measuring spiritual self-care practices among African Americans with heart failure. Additional testing is needed to confirm results in other patient groups with chronic illnesses.
Copper and Zinc Fractionation in Apple Orchard Soil in the Village of Bukevje (Croatia) Using the Revised Four-Step BCR Extraction Procedure
Authors: Medunić Gordana , Juranović Cindrić Iva , Lovrenčić Mikelić Ivanka , Tomašić Nenad , Balen Dražen , Oreščanin Višnja , Kampić Štefica , Ivković Ivana
Published: January 2014

The aim of this study was to establish the fractionation of copper and zinc in a small apple orchard using the revised (four-step) Bureau Communautaire de Reference (BCR) sequential extraction procedure and assess their potential mobility in soil. Soil samples were collected at the depth of 10 cm to 25 cm, sixteen from the orchard and five control samples from a meadow located some 200 m away from the orchard. As the distribution of trace-element concentrations in the control samples was normal, they were used for comparison as background levels. We also determined soil mineralogical composition, carbonate content, soil pH, cation exchange capacity, and soil organic matter. The extraction yields of Cu and Zn from the control soil were lower than from the orchard soil (25 % vs. 34 % and 47 % vs. 52 %, respectively), which pointed to natural processes behind metal bonding in the control soil and greater influence of man-made activities in the orchard soil. Compared to control, the orchard soil had significantly higher concentrations of total Cu (P=0.0009), possibly due to the application of Cu-based fungicides. This assumption was further supported by greater speciation variability of Cu than of zinc, which points to different origins of the two, Cu from pesticides and Zn from the parent bedrock. Copper levels significantly better (P=0.01) correlated with the oxidisable fraction of the orchard soil than of control soil. Residual and organically bound copper and zinc constituted the most important fractions in the studied soils. However, the use of Cu-based fungicides in the apple orchard did not impose environmental and health risk from Cu exposure.
Histological and Cytological Examination of Rat Reproductive Tissue After Short-Time Intermittent Radiofrequency Exposure
Authors: Trošić Ivančica , Mataušić-Pišl Mirjana , Pavičić Ivan , Marjanović Ana Marija
Published: January 2014

The unfavourable outcomes of mobile phone use on male fertility have still not been fully elaborated. To establish the potentially adverse effects of everyday exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RF) on humans, we performed a controlled animal study that aimed to investigate the influence of RF radiation on rat testis histology as well as the amount, mobility, and structure of epididymal free sperm cell population. Eighteen adult male rats were divided into two groups of nine. One group comprised sham-exposed control animals, while the other group endured total body irradiation for an hour daily during two weeks. A 915 MHz RF field, power density of 2.4 W m-2 and strength of 30 V m-1 was generated in a Gigahertz Transversal Electromagnetic chamber. The specific absorption rate (SAR) was 0.6 W kg-1. Body mass and temperature were measured before and after each exposure treatment. Immediately after the last exposure, the animals were sacrificed and testes removed and prepared for histological analysis. The free sperm cells were collected from the cauda epididymis and their quantity, quality, and morphology were microscopically determined using a haemocytometer. No statistically significant alteration in any of the endpoints was observed. This study found no evidence of an unfavourable effect of the applied RF radiation on testicular function or structure. Based on these results, we can conclude that short-time intermittent exposure to RF radiation does not represent a significant risk factor for rat reproductive functions.
Comparison of Two Methods for the Estimation of Stability of Copper(II) Bis-Complexes with Aromatic Ligands Relevant to Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Miličević Ante , Raos Nenad
Published: January 2014

In order to compare the density functional theory (DFT) and the method with the molecular valence connectivity index of the 3rd order (3χv) in the estimation of stability constants log β2, we used copper(II) complexes with thioflavin-based intercalation compounds designed for application in Alzheimer’s disease. Correlation of ten log β2 values calculated by DFT with 3χv yielded r=0.988 and S.E.=0.85. The correlations of indices ING, HOMA and 3χv with log β2, and the intercorrelations between the indices revealed the crucial influence of 3χv on the prediction of the stability of these complexes.