bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Are life-history strategies of Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) and house mice (Mus musculus) dependent on environmental characteristics?
Authors: Vadell M. V. , Villafañe I. E. Gómez , Cavia R.
Published: August 2014

Context Life-history theory attempts to explain the way in which an organism is adapted to its environment as well as explaining the differences in life-history strategies among and within species. Aims The aim of this paper was to compare life-history traits of the Norway rat and the house mouse living in different habitats and geographic regions so as to find patterns related to environmental characteristics on the basis of published ecological studies conducted before 2011. Methods The environments where rodent populations lived were characterised according to climate type, occurrence of freezing temperatures and frost, degree of anthropisation and trapping location. Four demographic characteristics were analysed. A canonical correspondence analysis was performed to explain the effects of environmental variables on the demographic characteristics of rodents. Information was gathered from 35 articles published between 1945 and 2010. Key results Most populations of both species showed differences in abundance throughout the year, but no defined pattern was common among populations. The pregnancy rate of Norway rat was highest during spring and autumn in urban environments, during spring and winter in rural environments and during summer in sylvan habitats. House mouse populations were most frequently reported to experience high pregnancy rates during summer. Contrary to urban and rural populations, in sylvan environments the occurrence of a reproductive break was the most commonly reported pattern for both species. Litter size of Norway rat depended on the degree of anthropisation and the occurrence of freezing temperatures and frost. Litter size was greater in rural environments and in areas without freezing temperatures and frost. House mouse did not show differences in litter size resulting from any of the environmental characteristics analysed. Conclusions Both species are able to modify their reproductive strategies according to environmental characteristics, especially according to the degree of anthropisation of the environment. In sylvan areas, where animals are more exposed to seasonal changes in weather conditions, changes in reproductive investment are more evident. Implications Regarding the implications for rodent control, the best time to apply control measures could be winter in sylvan and urban environments. In rural environments, the best time for conducting control efforts is less clear, although cold seasons seem also to be the best.
Buzz Baum: The art of cell shape
Authors: Sedwick Caitlin
Published: August 2014

Baum studies how cell shape affects tissue development, homeostasis, and cancer.
An extension of the Crouzeix–Raviart space to general meshes with application to quasi-incompressible linear elasticity and Stokes flow
Authors: Di Pietro Daniele , Lemaire Simon
Published: August 2014

In this work we introduce a discrete functional space on general polygonal or polyhedral meshes which mimics two important properties of the standard Crouzeix–Raviart space, namely the continuity of mean values at interfaces and the existence of an interpolator which preserves the mean value of the gradient inside each element. The construction borrows ideas from both Cell Centered Galerkin and Hybrid Finite Volume methods. The discrete function space is defined from cell and face unknowns by introducing a suitable piecewise affine reconstruction on a (fictitious) pyramidal subdivision of the original mesh. Two applications are considered in which the discrete space plays an important role, namely \inparaenum[(i)]

the design of a locking-free primal (as opposed to mixed) method for quasi-incompressible planar elasticity on general polygonal meshes;

the design of an inf-sup stable method for the Stokes equations on general polygonal or polyhedral meshes. In this context, we also propose a general modification, applicable to any suitable discretization, which guarantees that the velocity approximation is unaffected by the presence of large irrotational body forces provided a Helmholtz decomposition of the right-hand side is available. \endinparaenum The relation between the proposed methods and classical finite volume and finite element schemes on standard meshes is investigated. Finally, similar ideas are exploited to mimic key properties of the lowest-order Raviart–Thomas space on general polygonal or polyhedral meshes.
Academic Achievement
Authors: Steinmayr Ricarda , Meißner Anja , Weidinger Anne F. , Wirthwein Linda
Published: August 2014

Academic achievement represents performance outcomes that indicate the extent to which a person has accomplished specific goals that were the focus of activities in instructional environments, specifically in school, college, and university. School systems mostly define cognitive goals that either apply across multiple subject areas (e.g., critical thinking) or include the acquisition of knowledge and understanding in a specific intellectual domain (e.g., numeracy, literacy, science, history). Therefore, academic achievement should be considered to be a multifaceted construct that comprises different domains of learning. Because the field of academic achievement is very wide-ranging and covers a broad variety of educational outcomes, the definition of academic achievement depends on the indicators used to measure it. Among the many criteria that indicate academic achievement, there are very general indicators such as procedural and declarative knowledge acquired in an educational system, more curricular-based criteria such as grades or performance on an educational achievement test, and cumulative indicators of academic achievement such as educational degrees and certificates. All criteria have in common that they represent intellectual endeavors and thus, more or less, mirror the intellectual capacity of a person. In developed societies, academic achievement plays an important role in every person’s life. Academic achievement as measured by the GPA (grade point average) or by standardized assessments designed for selection purpose such as the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) determines whether a student will have the opportunity to continue his or her education (e.g., to attend a university). Therefore, academic achievement defines whether one can take part in higher education, and based on the educational degrees one attains, influences one’s vocational career after education. Besides the relevance for an individual, academic achievement is of utmost importance for the wealth of a nation and its prosperity. The strong association between a society’s level of academic achievement and positive socioeconomic development is one reason for conducting international studies on academic achievement, such as PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment), administered by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). The results of these studies provide information about different indicators of a nation’s academic achievement; such information is used to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of a nation’s educational system and to guide educational policy decisions. Given the individual and societal importance of academic achievement, it is not surprising that academic achievement is the research focus of many scientists; for example, in psychology or educational disciplines. This article focuses on the explanation, determination, enhancement, and assessment of academic achievement as investigated by educational psychologists.
Journalism Ethics
Authors: Matheson Donald
Published: August 2014

There has been a normative turn in journalism studies and, more generally, communication theory, which has led to renewed and wider academic interest in the ethics of journalism. The longstanding focus of liberal theories on autonomy and the focus of applied ethics theories on professional duty and the consequences of actions have been pushed wider since the early 2000s. Journalism ethics has become imagined as much more of a social achievement, negotiated with communities and motivated by ideas of living well together and quality public discourse. As a consequence, some of the big questions are now about virtue, justice, caring for others, and dialogue. There has been a flowering of thinking about what good journalists do and what contribution they make to public life, which is providing both practitioners and those who watch them with further resources to reflect on journalism’s role in society. This new thinking is partly a response to the many crises in journalism and public life, which direct attention to the legitimacy of Western media and political institutions. But it goes deeper. The Enlightenment imaginary of free and rational individuals is no longer held sufficient by most journalism ethicists as a guide to good practice. Ethics has also become better connected, through theories of community, public life, and social justice, with critical sociology and cultural studies. The old sociological critique that ethics is a form of professional self-justification of power or is marginal alongside structural concerns about the media has shifted to a concern about how the institutions and texts of the media position people in relation to each other. The sections on the Media and Moral Publics and on Globalized Media Ethics are testament to the field’s reach well beyond questions of individual professional decision-making. These concerns also give communication ethics greater relevance to wider thinking about justice, democracy, and social change.
Legal History of New Spain, 16th-17th Centuries
Authors: Menegus Margarita Bornemann
Published: August 2014

The legal history of New Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries has been studied from three perspectives: that of the legal historians, from an institutional viewpoint, and finally with regard to the social history. The historians of Derecho indiano qualify the law of the 16th and 17th centuries as casuistic in nature. That is to say that orders are given for specific situations; there is no general legislation. On the one hand, during the first century under Spanish domination, the governmental institutions were undergoing their construction and thus throughout the 16th century were experiencing constant change. Víctor Tau Anzoátegui proposed that there were three types of norms applied in America: (1) those issued by the Council of the Indies, (2) those taken from the registration books (cedularios) and from what became the Recopilación de leyes de Indias in 1690, and (3) those from the set of rules emanating from the viceroy, the Audience, the governors, and other representatives of the king in those dominions. The name of Derecho indiano is given to this set of normatives. On the other hand, it must be understood that the colonial society was a society integrated by corporations and that each corporation was ruled by its own laws, by way of Ordenanzas or Estatutos. That said, the legal history of New Spain in the 16th and 17th centuries is, in reality, the history of a multiplicity of institutions that were transferred from Castile and underwent important modifications during their establishment on American soil. Furthermore, it is important to note that—given the Mesoamerican cultural diversity—the institutions, both transferred and created locally, behaved differently according to the local cultural and regional conditions. Therefore, the historiography of New Spain is characterized by case studies, and the works of a general character, in reality, cover the history of the most-important institutions, such as the Council of the Indies, the encomienda, and the tribute, or the history of the diverse tribunals. Moreover, we find works that reflect upon the actions of the Spanish monarchy in America. It is important to note that in this article the themes registered cover both the royal and ecclesiastical fields. Legal historians have concentrated their efforts on the study of Derecho indiano and on the major legal controversies during the first few years after the discovery of the Americas. Meanwhile, institutional historians have concentrated on the study of the incorporation of the Castilian institutions into the indigenous and Creole world, as well as on general institutional history. And, finally, social historians have focused on observing the application of the law by way of case studies, including their regional and temporal variants.
Copula
Authors: Citko Barbara
Published: August 2014

Copulas and copular clauses are interesting for a variety of reasons: morphological, syntactic, semantic, historical, pragmatic, and sociolinguistic ones. It is thus not surprising that they have inspired (and continue to inspire) a lot of research and have been at the core of quite a few debates in linguistic literature. This introduction outlines the core questions surrounding copulas and copula constructions. Perhaps the most fundamental one concerns the taxonomy of copula elements: how many copula elements do we need to posit? The question arises both for languages with one copula and multiple copulas. In the former case, it simply becomes a question about the ambiguity of this single copula. Related to this question is the question concerning types of copular clauses and the relationship between them. For example, is the copula used in predicational copular clauses (e.g., Mary is smart/a student/at home) the same as the copula used in specificational (e.g., The best student is Mary), identity (e.g., Dr. Jekyll is Mr. Hyde), or existential clauses (e.g., There is a book on the table). We might also wonder about other types of copular clauses, such as identificational copular clauses (e.g., That man is John) or various types of clefts constructions. Another important question concerns the structure of copular constructions. If there are different types of copulas or different types copular constructions, the question is whether these different types involve distinct structures, are related via movement, or involve different copulas. This relates to the semantic contribution of the copula itself; some sources treat it as a grammatical formative or linker, while others endow it with more semantic prowess and derive the differences between different copular sentences from the ambiguity of the copula itself. The existence of languages and dialects with multiple copulas (verbal copulas, so-called pronominal copulas or zero copulas) adds plausibility to the latter view. For these types, the factors that determine the choice between the various forms of the copula are also a fruitful venue for research.
Unilateral Acts
Authors: Jiménez García Francisco
Published: August 2014

May the representatives of states undertake commitments unilaterally and thus limit their freedom to act? Are unilateral acts as an independent source of international obligations possible in a legal system based on consensualism and in the principle of pacta sunt servanda? Are the subjects of the decentralized international community entitled to rely on such unilateral declarations and to require that such obligations be respected under the principles of good faith and legitimate expectations? What should be the requirements and conditions necessary to affirm the existence of such acts? How would such statements have to be interpreted, and can they be revoked or modified? These would be the main questions of the debate about the legal effects of unilateral acts and their consequences, and the dispute between those who confirm its legal validity and those who question it or deny its autonomous nature in the face of other regulatory processes. In order to define the scope of study, we must differentiate between those unilateral declarations or acts involved in the various regulatory processes (conventional, customary, and institutional) and those unilateral acts that have enough capacity to create, autonomously and independently, legal obligations to their authors and rights to third parties or to the international community as a whole, depending on the principles of good faith and legitimate expectations. The criterion of material autonomy becomes the defining element of such acts because the (potential) legality of the unilateral act is justified in itself and does not depend on its adequacy or conformity with other international enabling norms or rules. Unilateral acts do not create international norms for themselves, but they can have sufficient capacity to create legal obligations if this is the clear and unequivocal will of the state in this regard. Such acts represent an exception to the established principle of pacta sunt servanda and to the conception of the international regulatory system as a result of a process or consensus to become a unilateral procedure for the creation of international obligations (acta sunt servanda). For this reason, unilateral acts in a strict sense differ from unilateral acts subject to the general system of the law of treaties (acts of authentication and manifestation of consent to be bound by a treaty, reserves, interpretative declarations, treaty denunciation or withdrawal, etc.), from the executive acts of binding or generally accepted international rules (maritime delimitations, for example), and from various unilateral acts that can integrate the regulatory process of a customary norm as precedent or evidence of the opinio iuris. Despite the existence of previous case law, practice, and doctrine, the judgments delivered in the cases concerning nuclear tests and resolved by the International Court of Justice on 20 December 1974 are used as the point of reference for the production of the general doctrine of unilateral acts. This case law was reiterated by the Court of The Hague and other international jurisdictions.
First Report of Pine Wilt in Colorado, USA
Authors: Blunt Tamla D. , Jacobi William R. , Appel Jon A. , Tisserat Ned , Todd Tim C.
Published: August 2014

Although the numbers of confirmed cases of pine wilt in Colorado are still small, its potential impact in the Rocky Mountain region is considerable. Approximately 75% of pines planted in urban areas in Colorado are Austrian pine, and a continuing trend toward higher average June and July temperatures could increase the prevalence of pine wilt in this region.

Accepted for publication 20 May 2014. Published 22 July 2014.
Puccinia subnitens: An Obscure Rust Pathogen Little-Known for More than a Century
Authors: Harveson Robert M.
Published: August 2014

Sugar beet seedling rust, caused by Puccinia subnitens, is a rarely occurring but essentially harmless disease in sugar beet production. However, it has caused substantial but sporadic losses to commercial spinach growers. It has the typically complex life cycle of a macrocyclic rust pathogen, but is also unusual because it is one of the few documented heteroecious rust diseases where the early spore stages (pycnial and aecial) occur on the economic host while the normally damaging, repeating, uredial stage is found on the feral, noneconomic host. Most significantly, it was one of the first heteroecious rust diseases recognized to have the ability to infect numerous, distinct host species with the aecial stage while maintaining a relatively narrow host range for its uredial and telial stages.

Accepted 6 June 2014. Published 25 July 2014.
Interatrial Septum Motion but Not Doppler Assessment Predicts Elevated Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Haji Darsim L. , Ali Mohamed M. , Royse Alistair , Canty David J. , Clarke Sandy , Royse Colin F.
Published: August 2014

Background:

Left atrial pressure and its surrogate, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), are important for determining diastolic function. The role of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in assessing diastolic function is well established in awake subjects. The objective was to assess the accuracy of predicting PCWP by TTE and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) during coronary artery surgery.

Methods:

In 27 adult patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery surgery, simultaneous echocardiographic and hemodynamic measurements were obtained immediately before anesthesia (TTE), after anesthesia and mechanical ventilation (TTE and TEE), during conduit harvest (TEE), and after separation from cardiopulmonary bypass (TEE).

Results:

Twenty patients had an ejection fraction (EF) of 0.5 or greater. With the exception of E/e′ and S/D ratios, echocardiographic values changed over the echocardiographic studies. In patients with low EF, E velocity, deceleration time, pulmonary vein D, S/D, and E/e′ ratios correlated well with PCWP before anesthesia. After induction of anesthesia using TTE or TEE, correlations were poor. In normal EF patients, correlations were poor for both TEE and TTE at all five stages. The sensitivity and specificity of echocardiographic values were not high enough to predict raised PCWP except for a fixed curve pattern of interatrial septum (area under the curve 0.89 for PCWP ≥17, and 0.98 for ≥18 mmHg) and S/D less than 1 (area under the curve 0.74 for PCWP ≥17, and 0.78 for ≥18 mmHg).

Conclusion:

Doppler assessment of PCWP was neither sensitive nor specific enough to be clinically useful in anesthetized patients with mechanical ventilation. The fixed curve pattern of the interatrial septum was the best predictor of raised PCWP.
Computer-assisted Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion May Be Better Than Open Surgery for Treating Degenerative Lumbar Disease
Authors: Tian Wei , Xu Yun-Feng , Liu Bo , Liu Ya-Jun , He Da , Yuan Qiang , Lang Zhao , Han Xiao-Guang
Published: August 2014

Study Design:

This study was a retrospective review of prospectively collected clinical data.

Objective:

To evaluate the clinical and radiologic outcomes of computer-assisted minimally invasive spine surgery transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (CAMISS-TLIF) and open TLIF for the treatment of 1-level degenerative lumbar disease.

Summary of Background Data:

Minimally invasive TLIF is becoming increasingly popular; however, the limited space and high rate of hardware complications associated with this method are challenging to surgeons. Computer-assisted navigation has the potential to dynamically show the fine anatomic structures, which could theoretically facilitate minimally invasive spine procedures.

Methods:

Sixty-one patients underwent 1-level TLIF procedures (30, CAMISS-TLIF; 31, open TLIF). The computer-assisted navigation system was used for CAMISS-TLIF, whereas conventional fluoroscopy was used for open TLIF. Demographic, operative, visual analog scale, and Oswestry disability index data were collected. Screw insertion was assessed by computed tomography, and radiologic fusion based on Bridwell grading was evaluated 2 years after surgery by independent investigators.

Results:

The CAMISS-TLIF group had significantly less blood loss, postoperative drain, need for transfusion, and initial postoperative back pain; earlier rehabilitation; and shorter postoperative hospitalization than the open TLIF group, whereas CAMISS-TLIF took longer surgical time than open TLIF. However, no significant differences between the 2 groups in visual analog scale scores and Oswestry disability index were observed at 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively. A total of 93.33% and 73.39% of screws in the CAMISS and open groups, respectively, had no pedicle perforation (P=0.016), and the fusion rate was similar in both groups (P=0.787).

Conclusions:

Computer-assisted navigation facilitated minimally invasive spine surgery-TLIF. CAMISS-TLIF was superior to open TLIF for treating 1-level degenerative lumbar disease, although it required longer operation time in the initial stage. CAMISS-TLIF showed several benefits compared with open TLIF, including less intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage, and pain; earlier rehabilitation; and shorter postoperative hospitalization.
High-Throughput Measurement of the Ca2+-Dependent ATPase Activity in COS Microsomes
Authors: Vandecaetsbeek Ilse , Holemans Tine , Wuytack Frank , Vangheluwe Peter
Published: August 2014

We provide a detailed procedure to determine the Ca2+-dependent ATPase activity in COS or HEK293 cells overexpressing a Ca2+ pump. The ATPase activity is determined by the Baginsky method, which allows measurement of the steady-state production of inorganic phosphate (Pi). We have adapted this widely applied method into a sensitive, fast, and semi-high-throughput protocol suitable for use in a 96-well plate format.
Identification of Active Caspases Using Affinity-Based Probes
Authors: McStay Gavin P. , Green Douglas R.
Published: August 2014

Small-molecule inhibitors of caspases can be modified with moieties such as biotin or fluorescent molecules. After the inhibitor molecule has bound to an active caspase, the caspase itself becomes labeled and can be isolated using affinity purification. This protocol describes the use of the biotinylated pan-caspase inhibitor VAD-FMK and streptavidin beads to isolate active caspases. These caspases are then separated by gel electrophoresis and identified with caspase-specific antibodies using western blotting techniques. Other caspase inhibitors bound with biotin or other labels can be substituted in this assay; labeled inhibitors are available commercially as either pan-caspase or caspase-specific probes.
Verification of a Putative Caspase Substrate
Authors: McStay Gavin P. , Green Douglas R.
Published: August 2014

Proteomic approaches have been adopted to survey the degradome of caspases during apoptosis. These approaches provide a comprehensive list of substrates and give clues to which pathways are altered during apoptosis by activated caspases. However, substrates identified by large-scale proteomic screening need to be validated as bona fide caspase targets. This ensures that conclusions derived from the screen are based on real substrates and not on artifacts of the proteomic screen. The validation method described in this protocol uses radiolabeled versions of the putative substrates synthesized using in vitro transcription/translation methods. These are incubated with purified caspases to determine whether they are genuine caspase substrates.
Purification and Culture of Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons
Authors: Zuchero J. Bradley
Published: August 2014

Dorsal root ganglion neurons (DRGs) are sensory neurons that reside in ganglions on the dorsal root of the spinal cord. Here we introduce a method for the acute, prospective purification and culture of DRGs from rodents in a serum-free, defined medium, in the absence of glial cells. This immunopanning-based method facilitates the study of DRG biology and function.
Expanding our view of genomic diversity in Candidatus Accumulibacter clades
Authors: Skennerton Connor T. , Barr Jeremy J. , Slater Frances R. , Bond Philip L. , Tyson Gene W.
Published: August 2014

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) is an important industrial wastewater treatment process mediated by polyphosphate‐accumulating organisms (PAOs). Members of the genus Candidatus Accumulibacter are one of the most extensively studied PAO as they are commonly enriched in lab‐scale EBPR reactors. Members of different Accumulibacter clades are often enriched through changes in reactor process conditions; however, the two currently sequenced Accumulibacter genomes show extensive metabolic similarity. Here, we expand our understanding of Accumulibacter genomic diversity through recovery of eight population genomes using deep metagenomics, including seven from phylogenetic clades with no previously sequenced representative. Comparative genomic analysis revealed a core of shared genes involved primarily in carbon and phosphorus metabolism; however, each Accumulibacter genome also encoded a substantial number of unique genes (> 700 genes). A major difference between the Accumulibacter clades was the type of nitrate reductase encoded and the capacity to perform subsequent steps in denitrification. The Accumulibacter clade IIF genomes also contained acetaldehyde dehydrogenase that may allow ethanol to be used as carbon source. These differences in metabolism between Accumulibacter genomes provide a molecular basis for niche differentiation observed in lab‐scale reactors and may offer new opportunities for process optimization.
Genomic analysis reveals versatile heterotrophic capacity of a potentially symbiotic sulfur‐oxidizing bacterium in sponge
Authors: Tian Ren‐Mao , Wang Yong , Bougouffa Salim , Gao Zhao‐Ming , Cai Lin , Bajic Vladimir , Qian Pei‐Yuan
Published: August 2014

Sulfur‐reducing bacteria (SRB) and sulfur‐oxidizing bacteria (SOB) play essential roles in marine sponges. However, the detailed characteristics and physiology of the bacteria are largely unknown. Here, we present and analyse the first genome of sponge‐associated SOB using a recently developed metagenomic binning strategy. The loss of transposase and virulence‐associated genes and the maintenance of the ancient polyphosphate glucokinase gene suggested a stabilized SOB genome that might have coevolved with the ancient host during establishment of their association. Exclusive distribution in sponge, bacterial detoxification for the host (sulfide oxidation) and the enrichment for symbiotic characteristics (genes‐encoding ankyrin) in the SOB genome supported the bacterial role as an intercellular symbiont. Despite possessing complete autotrophic sulfur oxidation pathways, the bacterium developed a much more versatile capacity for carbohydrate uptake and metabolism, in comparison with its closest relatives (Thioalkalivibrio) and to other representative autotrophs from the same order (Chromatiales). The ability to perform both autotrophic and heterotrophic metabolism likely results from the unstable supply of reduced sulfur in the sponge and is considered critical for the sponge–SOB consortium. Our study provides insights into SOB of sponge‐specific clade with thioautotrophic and versatile heterotrophic metabolism relevant to its roles in the micro‐environment of the sponge body.
The risk of uterine rupture is not increased with single‐ compared with double‐layer closure: a Swedish cohort study
Authors: Hesselman S , Högberg U , Ekholm‐Selling K , Råssjö E‐B , Jonsson M
Published: August 2014

Objective

To compare single‐ with double‐layer closure of the uterus for the risk of uterine rupture in women attempting vaginal birth after one prior caesarean delivery.

Design

Cohort study.

Setting

Sweden.

Population

From a total of 19 604 nulliparous women delivered by caesarean section in the years 2001–2007, 7683 women attempting vaginal birth in their second delivery were analysed.

Methods

Data from population‐based registers were linked to hospital‐based registers that held data from maternity and delivery records. Logistic regression was used to estimate the risk of uterine rupture after single‐ or double‐layer closure of the uterus. Results are presented as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).

Main outcome measure

Uterine rupture.

Results

Uterine rupture during labour occurred in 103 (1.3%) women. There was no increased risk of uterine rupture when single‐ was compared with double‐layer closure of the uterus (OR 1.17; 95% CI 0.78–1.76). Maternal factors associated with uterine rupture were: age ≥35 years and height ≤160 cm. Factors from the first delivery associated with uterine rupture in a subsequent delivery were: infection and giving birth to an infant large for gestational age. Risk factors from the second delivery were induction of labour, use of epidural analgesia, and a birthweight of ≥4500 g.

Conclusions

There was no significant difference in the rate of uterine rupture when single‐layer closure was compared with double ‐layer closure of the uterus.
Interpreting the Effects of Burning on Pre‐incineration Saw Marks in Bone
Authors: Robbins Samantha C. , Fairgrieve Scott I. , Oost Tracy S.
Published: August 2014

This study examined the effects of fire on the features associated with saw marks in bone. Both class and individual characteristics were examined using stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Twenty‐four semifleshedSus scrofaL. tibiae were sawed into three sections with the middle section having deep and shallow false starts. Twelve saw blades of varying age and type were each used to cut two tibiae. In each case, the first tibia was burned in an outdoor open fire to the point of partial calcination. The second tibia, our control, was macerated using a heated enzyme solution. Controls and burned specimens were examined for the following characteristics: breakaway spur, tooth hop, false start, exit chipping, tooth imprint, breakaway notch, pull out striae, kerf flare, and blade drift. In general, there was parity in the observed characteristics in the burned samples using theSEMand the stereomicroscope.SEMobservation, however, provided enhanced images, with the addition of observing individual tooth imprints, previously not visible. Therefore, this study recommends using anSEMfor the examination of saw cuts in burnt bone.
Histone Acetylation in the Nucleus Accumbens Shell Modulates Ethanol‐Induced Locomotor Activity inDBA/2JMice
Authors: Sprow Gretchen M. , Rinker Jennifer A. , Thiele Todd E.
Published: August 2014

Background

A growing body of literature suggests that epigenetic mechanisms, including histone acetylation, may play key roles in drug abuse and the development of addiction. Experiments in this study were designed to investigate the role of histone acetylation in ethanol (EtOH)‐induced locomotor sensitization.

Methods

Immunohistochemical, Western blotting, and site‐directed pharmacological techniques were used to explore the roles of histone acetylation at histone H3 (acH3K9) in both the expression of and acquisition of EtOH‐induced locomotor sensitization. A commonly used sensitization protocol, in which animals were exposed to repeated injections of a low dose of EtOHwhile in their home cage, was used to examine this behavioral phenomenon. Additionally, site‐directed administration of the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) Trichostatin A (TSA), in the absence of repeated EtOHinjections, was used to examine the role of hyperacetylation in the nucleus accumbens (NAC) shell in EtOH‐induced locomotor sensitization.

Results

Sensitized mice displayed elevated acH3K9 immunoreactivity (IR) localized to the shell of theNAC. This augmentation in acH3K9IRwas confirmed, in a separate experiment, using Western blot analyses. Next, repeated intra‐accumbal infusions ofTSA, in the absence of repeated EtOHinjections, were sufficient to induce an augmented locomotor response to a later injection of a low dose (2.0 g/kg, intraperitoneally) of EtOH, indicative of cross‐sensitization to this locomotor stimulation betweenTSAand EtOH. Finally, a local infusion ofTSAinto the shell of the accumbens was also associated with a significant increase in acH3K9IRwithin this region.

Conclusions

Together, the present observations suggest that histone acetylation, particularly within the shell of theNAC, is important for the development and expression of EtOH‐induced locomotor sensitization.
The importance of olfactory and visual cues in developing better monitoring tools forSirex noctilio(Hymenoptera: Siricidae)
Authors: Sarvary Mark A. , Cooperband Miriam F. , Hajek Ann E.
Published: August 2014

To improve the monitoring of the invasive European woodwasp, both sexes ofSirex noctiliowere studied in a walk‐in wind tunnel. We evaluated three trap types: unbaited traps, traps baited with a three‐component pheromone lure and traps baited with a commercialSirexkairomone lure and ultraviolet light.

When no lure was present, the black intercept trap caught more females than the clear jar trap. The increase in pheromone concentration from 0.1 to 1 mg increased the capture of females, and not males, in the black intercept panel trap. Both of these findings suggest that the visual cues provided by the black intercept trap play an important role in attraction for females.

Capture rates between unbaited clear versus black intercept traps did not differ but the addition of aultravioletlight increased trap efficacy. Intercept traps baited with light were more attractive than the commercial kairomone lure.

Both olfactory and visual cues were found to play important roles in the response ofS. noctilioto traps. A black trap may enhance the capture of females, whereas the addition ofultravioletlight could enhance capture for both sexes. Integrating these different components may help in developing an improved species‐specific trap forS. noctilio.
Enhanced steroid dosing reduces seizures during antiparasitic treatment for cysticercosis and early after
Authors: Garcia Hector H. , Gonzales Isidro , Lescano Andres G. , Bustos Javier A. , Pretell E. Javier , Saavedra Herbert , Nash Theodore E. ,   The Cysticercosis Working Group in Peru
Published: August 2014

Objective

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a major cause of seizures and epilepsy in endemic countries. Antiparasitic treatment of brain cysts leads to seizures due to the host's inflammatory reaction, requiring concomitant steroids. We hypothesized that increased steroid dosing will reduce treatment‐associated seizures.

Methods

Open‐label randomized trial comparing 6 mg/day dexamethasone for 10 days (conventional) with 8 mg/day for 28 days followed by a 2‐week taper (enhanced) in patients with NCC receiving albendazole. Follow‐up included active seizure surveillance and brain imaging. Study outcomes were seizure days and patients with seizures, both measured in days 11–42. Additional analyses compared days 1–10, 11–21, 22–32, 33–42, 43–60, and 61–180.

Results

Thirty‐two individuals were randomized into each study arm; two did not complete follow‐up. From days 11 to 42, 59 partial and 6 generalized seizure days occurred in 20 individuals, nonsignificantly fewer in the enhanced arm (12 vs. 49, p = 0.114). The numbers of patients with seizures in this period showed similar nonsignificant differences. In the enhanced steroid arm there were significantly fewer days and individuals with seizures during antiparasitic treatment (days 1–10: 4 vs. 17, p = 0.004, and 1 vs. 10, p = 0.003, number needed to treat [NNT] 4.6, relative risk [RR] 0.1013, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01–0.74) and early after dexamethasone cessation (days 11–21: 6 vs. 27, p = 0.014, and 4 vs. 12, p = 0.021, NNT 4.0, RR 0.33, 95% CI 0.12–0.92) but not after day 21. There were no significant differences in antiparasitic efficacy or relevant adverse events.

Significance

Increased dexamethasone dosing results in fewer seizures for the first 21 days during and early after antiparasitic treatment for viable parenchymal NCC but not during the first 11–42 days, which was the primary predetermined time of analysis.
Outcome in Patients Admitted outside Regular Hospital Working Hours: Does Time until Regular Working Hours Matter?
Authors: Nakajima Makoto , Inatomi Yuichiro , Yonehara Toshiro , Watanabe Masaki , Ando Yukio
Published: August 2014

Aims

The aim of this study was to investigate whether stratifying patients according to the time period from admission to the start of regular working hours would help detect a weekend effect in acute stroke patients.

Methods

Ischemic stroke patients admitted between October 2002 and March 2012 were analyzed. Working hours were defined as 9:00–17:00 on weekdays. Patients were divided into those admitted during working hours (no-wait group) and three other groups according to the time from admission to working hours: ⩽24 h (short-wait group), 24–48 h (medium-wait group), and >48 h (long-wait group). The modified Rankin Scale score and mortality at three-months were compared among the groups.

Results

Of 5625 patients, 3323 (59%) were admitted outside working hours. The proportion of patients with an mRS score 0–1 at three-months showed a decreasing trend with the time period before working hours: 47% (no-wait group), 42% (short-wait group), 42% (medium-wait group), and 38% (long-wait group), respectively ( P < 0·001). When the no-wait group was used as a reference, the odds ratio for modified Rankin Scale score 0–1 was 0·88 (95% confidence interval, 0·75–1·04) in the short-wait group, 0·86 (0·69–1·07) in the medium-wait group, and 0·67 (0·53–0·85) in the long-wait group after adjusting for sex, age, premorbid mRS score, previous morbidity, stroke severity, and vascular risk factors. Mortality at three-months was not different between the no-wait group and the other groups.

Conclusion

A weekend effect might be evident if patients were stratified according to the time period from admission until working hours.
Effects of Root Water Uptake Efficiency on Soil Water Utilization in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under Severe Drought Environments
Authors: Kashiwagi J. , Morito Y. , Jitsuyama Y. , An P. , Inoue T. , Inagaki M.
Published: August 2014

Improving wheat production in drought‐prone areas is the key to meet the increasing global demand. The importance of root traits, especially, the structural traits such as root volume and rooting depth, has been well recognized to confer drought tolerance in wheat. However, generation of knowledge on root water uptake efficiency and its application in drought adaptation breeding had lagged behind. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the relevance of the root water uptake efficiency to biomass production under acute soil water deficit in six wheat genotypes. Pot experiments were conducted under polythene rainout shelters at Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan, in 2010 and 2011. Under drought that was measured as smaller critical fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW), the root systems with less reduction water uptake efficiency were found to postpone the relative transpiration decline. This study also showed the existence of substantial genotypic variation on the root water uptake efficiency among the wheat genotypes. The expression of hydrophobic root morphology under drought environments, however, did not explain the results obtained on the relative root water uptake efficiency, indicating other regulative mechanisms in operation for the regulation of transverse water flow in the roots. These findings provide new understanding of drought adaptation in wheat through variations in the root water uptake efficiency.
Experimental and Numerical Evaluation on Optical Properties of Al‐Doped ZnO Film Materials
Authors: Yang Ping , Deng Lin , Zhang Liqiang , Yang Haiying
Published: August 2014

The aim of this article is to provide a systematic method to perform numerical and experimental evaluation on the optical properties of Al‐doped ZnO nano thin films. Some different doping density samples are deposited for testing the transmittance. The results show that the transmittance of Al‐doped ZnO has a nonlinear relation with the optical constants and Al‐doped quantity. The optical band gap of the Al‐doped ZnO decreases with the Al doping quantity increasing. Meanwhile, the Maxwell‐Garnett (MG) theory is used to investigate the optical properties of Al‐doped ZnO nano thin films in visible range. The comparison can illustrate the validity of both test and design method. It implies a potential design and evaluation method for developing a new type of ceramic nano thin film in engineering.
Hydrophobicity of Thin Films of Compounds of Low‐Electronegativity Metals
Authors: Zenkin Sergei , Kos Šimon , Musil Jindřich
Published: August 2014

Hydrophobic materials capable of withstanding harsh conditions are required for various applications. Here, we show that oxides and nitrides of various low‐electronegativity metals are hydrophobic hard ceramics. We attribute their hydrophobicity to low Lewis acidity of the low‐electronegativity cations implying a low ability of the cations on the surface to form coordinate bonds with water oxygen anions. Furthermore, we observe a systematically stronger hydrophobic behavior of nitrides compared with the corresponding oxides, which we attribute to nitrogen being a poorer Lewis base than oxygen due to a reduced number of lone pairs of electrons, implying a lower ability of nitrogen anions on the surface to form hydrogen bonds with water hydrogen cations. Most of the oxides and nitrides investigated exhibit high values of hardness. Therefore, oxides and nitrides of low‐electronegativity metals should find application as hydrophobic materials in harsh conditions.
Structure, Ferroelectric, Piezoelectric, and Ferromagnetic Properties of BiFeO3‐BaTiO3‐Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 Lead‐Free Multiferroic Ceramics
Authors: Li Ying , Jiang Na , Lam Kwok Ho , Guo Yongquan , Zheng Qiaoji , Li Qiang , Zhou Wei , Wan Yang , Lin Dunmin
Published: August 2014

Lead‐free multiferroic ceramics of BiFeO3‐BaTiO3‐Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 have been prepared by a conventional ceramic technique. The microstructure, multiferroic, and piezoelectric properties of the ceramics have been studied. The ceramics sintered at 1000°C for 2 h possess a pure perovskite structure and a morphotropic phase boundary of rhombohedral and tetragonal phases is formed at x = 0.02. After the addition of Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3, two dielectric anomalies are observed at high temperatures (Tm ~ 510°C–570°C and T2 ~ 720°C). The phase transition around Tm becomes wider gradually with increasing x. The ferroelectricity, piezoelectricity, and ferromagnetism of the ceramics are significantly improved after the addition of Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3. High resistivity (~1.3 × 109 Ω·cm), strong ferroelectricity (Pr = 27.4 μC/cm2), good piezoelectricity (d33 =140 pC/N, kp = 31.4%), and weak magnetic properties (Mr =0.19 emu/g) are observed.
Comparative phylogeography of alpine invertebrates indicates deep lineage diversification and historical refugia in the Australian Alps
Authors: Endo Yoshinori , Nash Michael , Hoffmann Ary A. , Slatyer Rachel , Miller Adam D.
Published: August 2014

Aim

Comparative phylogeographic analyses of alpine biota from the Northern Hemisphere have linked patterns of genetic diversification to glacial expansion and contraction events in the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Furthermore, the extent of diversification across species groups appears to be associated with vagility. In this study we test whether these patterns apply to a geologically stable system from eastern Australia with comparatively shallow elevational gradients and minimal influence from historical glacial activity.

Location

The Australian Alps, Victoria, eastern Australia.

Methods

We considered phylogeographic patterns across five alpine invertebrate species based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data. Bayesian inference methods were used to estimate species phylogenies and divergence times among lineages. GIS tools were used to map interpopulation genetic divergence and intrapopulation genetic diversity estimates and to visualize spatial patterns across species, providing insights into patterns of endemism and demographic history.

Results

Phylogeographic patterns and the timing of lineage diversification were consistent across taxonomic groups. Mountain summits harbour highly differentiated haplogroups, including summits connected by high‐elevational plateaus, pointing to diversifications being maintained since the early to mid‐Pleistocene. These findings are consistent with previous studies of alpine mammals and reptiles, demonstrating a high degree of endemism in this region, regardless of species vagility.

Main conclusions

The fine spatial scales at which deep genetic differentiation among alpine communities was observed in this study are unprecedented. This suggests that glacial periods have had less of an impact on species distributions and genetic diversity than they have in alpine systems in the Northern Hemisphere. Historical gene flow among sky‐island populations has been limited despite connecting snowlines during glacial periods, suggesting that factors other than snow cover have influenced patterns of gene flow in this region. These findings emphasize the unique phylogeographic history affecting Victorian alpine biodiversity, and the importance of conserving biodiversity from multiple mountain summits in this region of high endemism.