bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A quantitative review of pollination syndromes: do floral traits predict effective pollinators?
Authors: Rosas‐Guerrero Víctor , Aguilar Ramiro , Martén‐Rodríguez Silvana , Ashworth Lorena , Lopezaraiza‐Mikel Martha , Bastida Jesús M. , Quesada Mauricio
Published: January 2014

The idea of pollination syndromes has been largely discussed but no formal quantitative evaluation has yet been conducted across angiosperms. We present the first systematic review of pollination syndromes that quantitatively tests whether the most effective pollinators for a species can be inferred from suites of floral traits for 417 plant species. Our results support the syndrome concept, indicating that convergent floral evolution is driven by adaptation to the most effective pollinator group. The predictability of pollination syndromes is greater in pollinator‐dependent species and in plants from tropical regions. Many plant species also have secondary pollinators that generally correspond to the ancestral pollinators documented in evolutionary studies. We discuss the utility and limitations of pollination syndromes and the role of secondary pollinators to understand floral ecology and evolution.
Bet hedging in desert winter annual plants: optimal germination strategies in a variable environment
Authors: Gremer Jennifer R. , Venable D. Lawrence
Published: January 2014

In bet hedging, organisms sacrifice short‐term success to reduce the long‐term variance in success. Delayed germination is the classic example of bet hedging, in which a fraction of seeds remain dormant as a hedge against the risk of complete reproductive failure. Here, we investigate the adaptive nature of delayed germination as a bet hedging strategy using long‐term demographic data on Sonoran Desert winter annual plants. Using stochastic population models, we estimate fitness as a function of delayed germination and identify evolutionarily stable strategies for 12 abundant species in the community. Results indicate that delayed germination meets the criteria as a bet hedging strategy for all species. Density‐dependent models, but not density‐independent ones, predicted optimal germination strategies that correspond remarkably well with observed patterns. By incorporating naturally occurring variation in seed and seedling dynamics, our results present a rigorous test of bet hedging theory within the relevant environmental context.
Functional diversity of leaf nitrogen concentrations drives grassland carbon fluxes
Authors: Milcu Alexandru , Roscher Christiane , Gessler Arthur , Bachmann Dörte , Gockele Annette , Guderle Markus , Landais Damien , Piel Clément , Escape Christophe , Devidal Sebastien , Ravel Olivier , Buchmann Nina , Gleixner Gerd , Hildebrandt Anke , Roy Jacques
Published: January 2014

Little is known about the role of plant functional diversity for ecosystem‐level carbon (C) fluxes. To fill this knowledge gap, we translocated monoliths hosting communities with four and 16 sown species from a long‐term grassland biodiversity experiment (‘The Jena Experiment’) into a controlled environment facility for ecosystem research (Ecotron). This allowed quantifying the effects of plant diversity on ecosystem C fluxes as well as three parameters of C uptake efficiency (water and nitrogen use efficiencies and apparent quantum yield). By combining data on ecosystem C fluxes with vegetation structure and functional trait‐based predictors, we found that increasing plant species and functional diversity led to higher gross and net ecosystem C uptake rates. Path analyses and light response curves unravelled the diversity of leaf nitrogen concentration in the canopy as a key functional predictor of C fluxes, either directly or indirectly via LAI and aboveground biomass.
Biodiversity of Cetoniinae beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in introduced and native habitats in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Authors: Puker Anderson , Ad'Vincula Henrique L. , Korasaki Vanesca , Ferreira Felipe N. F. , Orozco Jesús
Published: January 2014

The ecology of the beetles of the subfamily Cetoniinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is relatively poorly known worldwide. In the neotropics in particular, there are far less studies than in other biogeographic regions. In part due to this lack of knowledge, cetoniines are not considered indicators of habitat quality in the Neotropical region. In this study, we compare the abundance, diversity, and species composition of cetoniines in three different habitats in Brazil: two exotic (Brachiaria pasturelands and eucalyptus plantation) and one native (Brazilian Atlantic Forest). We also provide diagnostic images of both sexes and of the genitalia of males of all species to facilitate species identification in further studies. The beetles were collected weekly from September to December 2012 with traps baited with fermented fruit, in five eucalyptus plantations (Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden), five exotic pasturelands (Brachiaria spp.), and five patches of Brazilian Atlantic Forest. The abundance and diversity of cetoniines was found to be lower in the eucalyptus plantations and about the same in the forest and pasturelands. The low diversity found and the little information available on the ecology of Neotropical Cetoniinae is insufficient to propose these beetles as candidates for the habitat evaluation in Brazil.
External Actors, State‐Building, and Service Provision in Areas of Limited Statehood: Introduction
Authors: Krasner Stephen D. , Risse Thomas
Published: January 2014

This article introduces the themes and arguments of the special issue. While virtually all polities enjoy uncontested international legal sovereignty, there are wide variations in statehood, that is, the monopoly over the means of violence and the ability of the state to make and implement policies. Areas of limited statehood are not, however, ungoverned spaces where anarchy and chaos prevail. The provision of collective goods and services is possible even under extremely adverse conditions of fragile or failed statehood. We specify the conditions under which external efforts at state‐building and service provision by state and nonstate actors can achieve their goals. We focus on the extent to which external actors enhance the capacity (statehood) of authority structures in weak states, or directly contribute to the provision of collective goods and services, such as public health, clean environment, social security, and infrastructure. We argue that three factors determine success: legitimacy, task complexity, and institutionalization, including the provision of adequate resources.
External Actors and the Provision of Public Health Services in Somalia
Authors: Schäferhoff Marco
Published: January 2014

Concentrating on the health sector, this article argues that the provision of collective goods through external actors depends on the level of state capacity and the complexity of the service that external actors intend to provide. It shows that external actors can contribute most effectively to collective good provision when the service is simple, and that simple services can even be provided under conditions of failed statehood. Effectively delivering complex services requires greater levels of state capacity. The article also indicates that legitimacy is a key factor to explain variance in health service delivery. To demonstrate this, the article assesses health projects in Somalia. It shows that simple services—malaria prevention and tuberculosis control—are provided effectively in all three Somali regions, including the war‐torn South‐Central region. In contrast, the HIV/AIDS project only achieved substantial results in Somaliland, the only region with a comparatively higher level of state capacity, and failed in the South‐Central region and Puntland.
Complication of diagnostic pleural aspiration: Is it of value in hemodialysis patients?
Authors: Corbett Richard W. , Ashby Damien R.
Published: January 2014

Pleural effusions are common in hemodialysis patients and are associated with significant morbidity. Diagnostic pleural aspiration and subsequent biochemical analysis can be used to differentiate exudates and transudates. In particular, Light's criteria have been validated in the general population although their efficacy in hemodialysis patients is unclear. Furthermore, aspiration is not without risk; we report the case of a life‐threatening thoracic bleed as a complication of diagnostic thoracocentesis in a hemodialysis patient, in whom a transudative effusion was misclassified according to Light's criteria. Retrospective examination of a further 22 aspirations in hemodialysis patients suggests that biochemical analysis of pleural fluid in this group is of limited value. Careful clinical and radiological assessment may be of greater value in determining individuals who may benefit from formal drainage, rather than diagnostic aspiration with its attendant risks.
Characterization of pulmonary cysts in Birt–Hogg–Dubé syndrome: histopathological and morphometric analysis of 229 pulmonary cysts from 50 unrelated patients
Authors: Kumasaka Toshio , Hayashi Takuo , Mitani Keiko , Kataoka Hideyuki , Kikkawa Mika , Tobino Kazunori , Kobayashi Etsuko , Gunji Yoko , Kunogi Makiko , Kurihara Masatoshi , Seyama Kuniaki
Published: January 2014

Aims

To characterize the pathological features of pulmonary cysts, and to elucidate the possible mechanism of cyst formation in the lungs of patients with Birt–Hogg–Dubé syndrome (BHDS), a tumour suppressor gene syndrome, using histological and morphometric analyses.

Methods and results

We evaluated 229 lung cysts from 50 patients with BHDS and 117 from 34 patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) for their number, size, location and absence or presence of inflammation. The BHDS cysts abutted on interlobular septa (88.2%) and had intracystic septa (13.6%) or protruding venules (39.5%) without cell proliferation or inflammation. The frequencies of these histological characteristics differed significantly from those seen in the lungs of patients with PSP (P < 0.05). Although the intrapulmonary BHDS cysts were smaller than the subpleural BHDS cysts (P < 0.001), there was no difference in size between them when there was no inflammation. The number of cysts diminished logarithmically and the proportion of cysts with inflammation increased as their individual sizes became greater (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

These results imply that the BHDS cysts are likely to develop in the periacinar region, an anatomically weak site in a primary lobule, where alveoli attach to connective tissue septa. We hypothesize that the BHDS cysts possibly expand in size as the alveolar walls disappear at the alveolar‐septal junction, and grow even larger when several cysts fuse.
Adhesion of resin‐based sealers to dentine: an atomic force microscopy study
Authors: do Prado M. , de Assis D. F. , Gomes B. P. F. A. , Simão R. A.
Published: January 2014

Aim

To evaluate the effect of several final irrigants on the adhesion force (Fad) between dentine and resin‐based sealers by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Methodology

Twelve distal roots of mandibular molars were used. The roots were smoothened and cut to obtain 36 specimens. During chemomechanical preparation of the root canals, 5.25% NaOCl was used as the irrigant. The specimens were then divided into six groups according to the final irrigant used: control group – immersed in distilled water (DW) for 1 min; chlorhexidine (CHX) group – in 2% CHX for 1 min; NaOCl group – in 5.25% NaOCl for 1 min; EDTA group – in 17% EDTA for 5 min, EDTA/CHX group – in EDTA, followed by intermediate flushing with DW and then immersed in CHX; EDTA/NaOCl group – in EDTA, followed by intermediate flushing with DW and then immersed in NaOCl. After the treatments, all groups were washed with DW to remove all traces of the irrigants. Afterwards, the samples were dried and attached to a glass base. AFM tips containing AH Plus and Real Seal SE sealers were used to obtain force–distance curves with regard to dentine‐treated surfaces. Data were analysed statistically using nonparametric tests with the significance level set at P < 0.05.

Results

In the groups with smear layer, a final flush with CHX and NaOCl resulted in significantly higher Fad values than the control group for both sealers (P < 0.001). When smear layer was removed, the highest Fad values associated with AH Plus occurred with a final flush of NaOCl, whilst in Real Seal SE, the highest values were found with a final flush of CHX (all results significant at P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Irrigants had a positive effect on the adhesion of the resin‐based sealers, AH Plus and Real Seal SE, to dentine.
Effectiveness of an oral health program for mothers and their infants
Authors: Medeiros Patrícia B. V. , Otero Simone A. M. , Frencken Jo E. , Bronkhorst Ewald M. , Leal Soraya C.
Published: January 2014

Background

The baby oral health program (bOHP) provides pregnant women and their future babies with oral care.

Aim

To assess the bOHP effectiveness by comparing caries prevalence in infants enrolled and not enrolled in the oral health program (OHP).

Design

Mothers who had been invited to participate in the bOHP from 2006 to 2009 were contacted. Two groups were formed: 87 pairs of mothers and infants who effectively participated in the OHP (G1) and 107 pairs who did not (G2). Mothers and infants were given a dental examination. Socio‐economic status (SES) and education level (EL) questionnaires were completed. t‐tests and multivariate logistic regression were used in analyzing data.

Results

Statistically significant differences were observed in the mean age of mothers (G1 = 33.8 years; G2 = 35.6 years; P = 0.015) and mean decayed, missed and filled surface (DMFS) score (G1 = 24.71; G2 = 32.58; P < 0.001), not in SES (P = 0.758) and EL (P = 0.109). Mean age and mean dmfs scores of G1 and G2 children were 4.2 and 4.4 years (P = 0.068), and 0.25 and 4.12 (P < 0.001), respectively. The odds ratio (OR) for children in G2 to develop dentine lesions, as opposed to those in G1, was 48.56.

Conclusion

The bOHP was effective in preventing caries in infants enrolled in the program.
A New Blue‐Emitting Phosphor of Ce3+‐Activated Fluorosilicate Apatite Ba2Y3[SiO4]3F
Authors: Yu Ruijin , Li Hongjuan , Ma Hailong , Wang Caifeng , Wang Huan
Published: January 2014

Blue‐emitting phosphor of Ce3+‐activated fluorosilicate apatite Ba2Y3[SiO4]3F was prepared via conventional solid‐state reaction method. The X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence (PL) excitation and emission spectra, and the decay curves (lifetimes) were applied to characterize the phosphors. The effects of Ce3+ activator concentration on the luminescence properties were investigated. Ba2Y2.85Ce0.15[SiO4]3F exhibits the brightest blue emission with CIE coordinates of (x = 0.231, y = 0.301). The crystallographic site of Ce3+ ions in Ba2Y3[SiO4]3F lattices was identified. Two kinds of crystallographic Ce3+ occupying MI and MII sites in Ba2Y3[SiO4]3F lattices result in two distinct emission centers. The internal PL quantum efficiency, the temperature‐dependent luminescence, and the activation energy of thermal quenching were investigated to evaluate the potential application. This is a new kind of blue‐emitting phosphor based on apatite structure.
The People AgainstEurope: The Eurosceptic Challenge to theUnitedKingdom's Coalition Government
Authors: Gifford Chris
Published: January 2014

This article approachesEuroscepticism as central to a contemporary dynamic of government and opposition. PopulistEurosceptic mobilizations exemplify opposition to depoliticized forms of political rule and demonstrate the tight political coupling of the national and theEuropean. In the case of theUnitedKingdom, a depoliticized post‐imperial governing approach to European integration has proved highly contested. From this perspective, the article examines the recent politics ofEurope under the coalition government (from 2010 to 2013) as a period ofEurosceptic mobilization that successfully challengesEuropean policy. What on the surface appears to be a problem of party management for theConservative leadership is more accurately understood as a broader conflict between government and a populistEurosceptic opposition. The outcome of this conflict is to further embed hardEuroscepticism withinBritish politics to the point where maintaining governing autonomy onEurope is severely constrained, if not unfeasible.
Non‐invasive in vivo imaging by confocal laser scanning microscopy of gingival tissues following natural plaque deposition
Authors: Eberhard Jörg , Loewen Hendrik , Krüger Alexander , Donner Sabine , Stumpp Nico , Patzlaff Mandy , Stachs Oliver , Reichard Maria , Ripken Tammo , Heisterkamp Alexander , Stiesch Meike
Published: January 2014

Aim

Imaging with Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) generates high‐resolution images and may be well suited for basic research in Periodontology and Implant Dentistry. The present study was aimed to explore the in vivo application of CLSM in experimentally induced gingivitis.

Materials and Methods

Ten subjects were recruited and were advised to stop any oral hygiene of the upper front teeth for 7 days. The gingival tissues were observed using a Heidelberg Retina Tomograph combined with a Rostock Cornea Module at baseline and day 7. The system used a laser of 670 nm and the contrast was given by backscattering from different tissues. Each examination created 800–1200 images that were descriptively analysed.

Results

After 7 days of abandoned oral hygiene, plaque scores and bleeding frequencies increased. By using CLSM images tooth hard substances, cells and plaque deposits were distinguishable. Increased epithelial cell irregularities, the apical migration of the sulcular epithelium, cellular infiltrates within the sulcus and plaque deposits were observed at day 7.

Conclusions

The present study showed for the first time that CLSM is suitable for in vivo imaging of the gingival sulcus and adjacent tissues.
Outcomes of autotransplanted teeth with complete root formation: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Chung Wen‐Chen , Tu Yu‐Kang , Lin Yi‐Hung , Lu Hsein‐Kun
Published: January 2014

Aim

In this review, we assessed clinical outcomes of autotransplanted teeth with complete root formation and the effects of various influencing factors.

Materials and Methods

Pubmed, Scopus, Google scholar and a hand search were used to identify prospective and retrospective cohort studies and case series till February 2013. Using multilevel Poisson regression, the annual failure rate (FR), 1‐year and 5‐year survival rates (SRs), infection‐related root resorption rate (RR), ankylosis rate (AR), the influences of systemic antibiotics (SAs), endodontic and splinting modalities and donor tooth morphology were analysed. Failure was defined as a transplant being lost during follow‐up.

Results

Twenty‐six studies were included. The estimated FR, RR, AR, 1‐ and 5‐year SRs were 2.0%, 2.1%, 1.2%, 98.0% and 90.5%, respectively. The estimated FR was higher in the absence of SA, suture splinting, wire splinting ≤14 days and posterior donors. The estimated RR was higher in the absence of SA, endodontic treatment within post‐operative 14 days and anterior/premolar donors. The estimated AR was higher with wire splinting and premolar donors.

Conclusions

Tooth autotransplantation with complete root formation is a favourable treatment with rare FR, RR and AR. However, SAs, endodontic and splinting modalities and tooth morphology seemed to influence the outcomes.
Secukinumab improves hand, foot and nail lesions in moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis: subanalysis of a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, regimen‐finding phase 2 trial
Authors: Paul C. , Reich K. , Gottlieb A.B. , Mrowietz U. , Philipp S. , Nakayama J. , Harfst E. , Guettner A. , Papavassilis C. ,   the CAIN457A2211 study group
Published: January 2014

Background

Psoriasis affecting sites such as the hands, feet and nails can be particularly difficult to treat. There are limited data on the efficacy of biological agents to treat these specific localizations.

Objective

This analysis of a phase 2 regimen‐finding study evaluated the efficacy of secukinumab in subjects with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis and non‐pustular involvement of the hands, feet and/or nails.

Methods

Subjects were randomized (1 : 2 : 2 : 1) to one of three subcutaneous secukinumab 150‐mg induction regimens [Single (Week 0), Monthly (Weeks 0, 4, 8), Early (Weeks 0, 1, 2, 4)] or placebo. In the subgroup (n = 131) with hand and/or foot psoriasis [baseline 5‐point hand/foot Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) score ≥2], efficacy was assessed as percentage of subjects achieving an IGA response [a score of 0 (clear) or 1 (minimal) and an improvement of ≥2 points on the 5‐point hand/foot scale vs. baseline] at Week 12. In the subgroup (n = 304) with fingernail psoriasis (baseline composite score ≥1), efficacy was assessed as mean percentage change from baseline to Week 12 in a composite score.

Results

At Week 12, a markedly higher percentage of subjects with hand and/or foot psoriasis achieved an IGA response with the Early regimen vs. placebo (54.3% vs. 19.2%, P = 0.005). The composite fingernail score improved with the Early and Monthly regimens, but worsened with placebo [percentage mean change from baseline (SE): −19.1% (6.12) and −10.6% (7.06) vs. 14.4% (11.92); P = 0.010 vs. placebo for Early, P = 0.027 for Monthly). Secukinumab was well tolerated.

Conclusion

Secukinumab demonstrated a beneficial effect on psoriasis of the hands/feet/nails in this short‐term assessment.
Payments and Participation: The Incentives to Join Cooperative Standard Setting Efforts
Authors: Layne‐Farrar Anne , Llobet Gerard , Padilla Jorge
Published: January 2014

Formal, cooperative standard setting continues to grow in importance for the global economy. And as standards become more pervasive, the stakes rise for all participants. It is not surprising then that many standards are covered by intellectual property rights, that battles over the licensing of those rights have reached a fevered pitch in several industries, and that competition agencies around the globe are seriously weighing whether and how to intervene in the standard setting process. One suggestion for such an intervention is the imposition of a licensing cap, referred to as the incremental value rule. We evaluate this proposal and find that even in contexts where this rule is efficient from an ex‐post point of view, it induces important distortions in the decisions of firms to innovate and participate in standard setting organizations (SSO). Such a rule reduces the R&D investment that a firm makes in relevant technologies and lowers the probability that it will join the SSO. We characterize a variation of the incremental value rule for defining fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory that accounts for both investment and participation incentives.
Strategic Alliances: Trading Ownership for Capabilities
Authors: Haeussler Carolin , Higgins Matthew J.
Published: January 2014

Increases in alliance activity between research‐intensive firms and incumbents is puzzling because it is challenging to contract upon highly uncertain R&D activities. Our paper extends prior research by exploring the relationship between firm capabilities and gains from trading ownership rights. This link is important because the allocation of ownership rights has been shown to influence alliance outcomes. Using data based on a survey of biotechnology firms, we find that both current and future capabilities provide strong explanatory power for understanding firm valuation of ownership rights. These ownership rights are ultimately allocated across firms in order to maximize their gains from trade.
Artificial diets used in mass production of the New World screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax
Authors: Chen H. , Chaudhury M. F. , Sagel A. , Phillips P. L. , Skoda S. R.
Published: January 2014

The New World screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), has been eradicated from North and Central America using the sterile insect technique. This success has been based on mass production of high‐quality screwworms using artificial diets since 1958. Many diet formulations for both larvae and adults have been developed, mainly driven by cost efficiency and material supply. However, only four larval and two adult diet formulations have been applied in the six sterile fly mass production plants in the USA, Mexico and Panama. Herein, we briefly review the history of screwworm diet research and development, introduce the diet formulations used in mass rearing and discuss their advantages and disadvantages in terms of plant application. Finally, we propose future research on screwworm nutrition, potential protein sources, feeding stimulants, further optimization of screwworm formulations and possible methods to reduce the negative qualities of waste generated during the mass production.
Drosophila suzukii in Michigan vineyards, and the first report of Zaprionus indianus from this region
Authors: Van Timmeren S. , Isaacs R.
Published: January 2014

Drosophila suzukii is a new invasive pest that in recent years has become established in the Great Lakes region of the United States. Understanding the level of infestation in potentially susceptible crops is an important first step for planning appropriate management responses. This study was conducted in 2010–2012 to determine the infestation potential of this pest in native Vitis labrusca, French hybrid and V. vinifera grape cultivars grown in Michigan vineyards. Drosophila suzukii adults were reared out of collected grape samples in all 3 years, comprising a low proportion of all emerged drosophilids in each of the years. This trend was also found in vacuum sampling, conducted in 2011, with the majority of flies collected being non‐D. suzukii drosophilids. Another recently introduced invasive fly species, Zaprionus indianus, was also reared out of grape samples collected in 2012. While the results of this study indicate no immediate threats to commercial grape production from D. suzukii, further research is needed to elucidate possible secondary effects that this species may have on vineyards, such as the introduction of diseases to the fruit.
Transport, signaling, and homeostasis of potassium and sodium in plants
Authors: Adams Eri , Shin Ryoung
Published: January 2014

Potassium (K+) is an essential macronutrient in plants and a lack of K+ significantly reduces the potential for plant growth and development. By contrast, sodium (Na+), while beneficial to some extent, at high concentrations it disturbs and inhibits various physiological processes and plant growth. Due to their chemical similarities, some functions of K+ can be undertaken by Na+ but K+ homeostasis is severely affected by salt stress, on the other hand. Recent advances have highlighted the fascinating regulatory mechanisms of K+ and Na+ transport and signaling in plants. This review summarizes three major topics: (i) the transport mechanisms of K+ and Na+ from the soil to the shoot and to the cellular compartments; (ii) the mechanisms through which plants sense and respond to K+ and Na+ availability; and (iii) the components involved in maintenance of K+/Na+ homeostasis in plants under salt stress.
Spontaneous and experimental malignancies in non‐human primates
Authors: Lapin Boris A. , Yakovleva Lelita A.
Published: January 2014

Contrary to earlier established opinion that tumors in monkeys are found rarely, now the large material confirms that monkey tumors are frequent phenomenon. Tumor incidence clearly increases with age. Frequencies of benign and malignant tumors of various locations and histogenesis are slightly different. Tumors of hematopoietic system are the most frequent. Sporadic cases and enzootic outbreaks of lymphomas are described for different kinds of monkeys, including apes, and probably are caused by viruses. Two viruses were isolated by us from sick monkeys – the retrovirus C‐type STLV‐1 and the herpes virus papio HVP. Inoculation of virus cultures into monkeys and rabbits induces neoplasms. Monkey neoplasms can be induced by exposure to various chemical agents, and by oncogenic and non‐oncogenic viruses. There is no strict species specificity of tumor viruses. The role of polyoma viruses in neoplasms etiology is discussed.
Mentoring, coaching and action learning: interventions in a national clinical leadership development programme
Authors: McNamara Martin S , Fealy Gerard M , Casey Mary , O'Connor Tom , Patton Declan , Doyle Louise , Quinlan Christina
Published: January 2014

Aims and objectives

To evaluate mentoring, coaching and action learning interventions used to develop nurses' and midwives' clinical leadership competencies and to describe the programme participants' experiences of the interventions.

Background

Mentoring, coaching and action learning are effective interventions in clinical leadership development and were used in a new national clinical leadership development programme, introduced in Ireland in 2011. An evaluation of the programme focused on how participants experienced the interventions.

Design

A qualitative design, using multiple data sources and multiple data collection methods.

Methods

Methods used to generate data on participant experiences of individual interventions included focus groups, individual interviews and nonparticipant observation. Seventy participants, including 50 programme participants and those providing the interventions, contributed to the data collection.

Results

Mentoring, coaching and action learning were positively experienced by participants and contributed to the development of clinical leadership competencies, as attested to by the programme participants and intervention facilitators.

Conclusions

The use of interventions that are action‐oriented and focused on service development, such as mentoring, coaching and action learning, should be supported in clinical leadership development programmes. Being quite different to short attendance courses, these interventions require longer‐term commitment on the part of both individuals and their organisations.

Relevance to clinical practice

In using mentoring, coaching and action learning interventions, the focus should be on each participant's current role and everyday practice and on helping the participant to develop and demonstrate clinical leadership skills in these contexts.
Timing interventions in relation to temporomandibular joint closed lock duration: a systematic review of ‘locking duration’
Authors: Al‐Baghdadi M. , Durham J. , Steele J.
Published: January 2014

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ‘closed lock’ (CL) is a clinical condition causing TMJ pain and limited mouth opening (painful locking) that is mostly attributed to disc displacement without reduction (DDwoR), or less commonly to anchored disc phenomenon (ADP). Both conditions are described clinically as CL that can be ‘acute’ or ‘chronic’ depending on the duration of locking. There is, however, no consensus about the duration of locking that defines the acute state and its effect on the success of interventions. This review paper, therefore, aims to provide: (i) a narrative review of the pathophysiological need for early intervention in DDwoR and the clinical implications of acute/chronic CL stages on the management pathway; (ii) a systematic review investigating the effects of locking duration on the success of interventions for CL management. Electronic and manual searches until mid‐August 2013 were conducted for English‐language studies of any design investigating the effects of non‐surgical and surgical interventions for acute or chronic CL (DDwoR or ADP). A total of 626 records were identified, and 113 studies were included. Data extraction and quality assessment were completed for all included studies. Included studies were, however, heterogeneous and mostly of poor‐quality leading to contradictory and inconsistent evidence on the effect of the duration of locking on treatment outcomes. Future high‐quality trials investigating the effect of CL duration on treatment outcome are needed. At present, early intervention by ‘unlock’ mandibular manipulation seems to be the most practical and realistic approach that can be attempted first in every CL patient as an initial diagnostic/therapeutic approach.
Th1 and Th2 polymorphisms in Sjögren's syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: de Souza Thayse Rodrigues , de Albuquerque Tavares Carvalho Alessandra , Duarte Ângela Pinto , Porter Stephen R. , Leão Jair C. , Gueiros Luiz Alcino
Published: January 2014

Background

Sjogren's syndrome is characterized by T‐cell infiltration of exocrine glands leading to parenchymal destruction and impaired glandular function. This process is orchestrated by cytokines, whose secretion can be regulated by genetic polymorphisms.

Materials and Methods

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of interleukin‐6 ‐174G/C, interleukin‐10 ‐1082G/A, tumor necrosis factor‐α ‐308G/A, interferon‐γ +874A/T gene polymorphisms in (RA) and secondary Sjögren's syndrome (sSS). A study sample that comprised of 138 Brazilian patients was divided into three groups: RA (n = 66), sSS (n = 20), and healthy controls – C (n = 52). Patients were subjected to Schirmer's test, unstimulated salivary flow rate, biopsy of minor salivary glands, and serological tests for diagnosing SS. Genomic DNA was obtained from saliva samples and submitted to genotyping. The association between genotypes/alelle frequency and SS susceptibility was tested, as well as their association with clinical features of SS.

Results

Tumor necrosis factorα (TNFα)‐308GA polymorphisms differed significantly between AR, SS, and C patients (P = 0.008). IL‐6 overall G carriers and TNFα A carriers had a higher risk of presenting SS (P = 0.021). IL‐6 polymorphism distribution was also distinctive regarding lymphocytic infiltration at the minor salivary glands (P = 0.026) and Schirmer's test (P = 0.035).

Conclusion

These results suggest that IL‐6 ‐174GC and TNFα‐308GA gene polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to SS. Additionally, IL‐6 polymorphism could influence lymphocytic infiltration of salivary glands and diminish lachrymal gland function.
Extending Color Psychology to the Personality Realm: Interpersonal Hostility Varies by Red Preferences and Perceptual Biases
Authors: Fetterman Adam K. , Liu Tianwei , Robinson Michael D.
Published: January 2014

The color psychology literature has made a convincing case that color is not just about aesthetics, but also about meaning. This work has involved situational manipulations of color, rendering it uncertain as to whether color‐meaning associations can be used to characterize how people differ from each other. The present research focuses on the idea that the color red is linked to, or associated with, individual differences in interpersonal hostility. Across four studies (N = 376 undergraduates), red preferences and perceptual biases were measured along with individual differences in interpersonal hostility. It was found that (a) a preference for the color red was higher as interpersonal hostility increased, (b) hostile people were biased to see the color red more frequently than nonhostile people, and (c) there was a relationship between a preference for the color red and hostile social decision making. These studies represent an important extension of the color psychology literature, highlighting the need to attend to person‐based, as well as situation‐based, factors.
Protective effect of tomatine against hydrogen peroxide-induced neurotoxicity in neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells
Authors: Huang Shao-lan , He Hai-bo , Zou Kun , Bai Cai-hong , Xue Yan-hong , Wang Jun-zhi , Chen Jian-feng
Published: January 2014

Objectives

Reactive oxygen species can induce cell apoptosis, and oxidative stress has been implicated in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. Tomatine, which is a naturally occurring steroidal glycoalkaloid isolated from Solanum cathayanum, has shown potent anti-oxidant properties.

Methods

In this study, we used the SH-SY5Y cell line as an in vitro model and investigated the protective effect of tomatine against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells.

Key findings

Tomatine might inhibit the release of cellular lactate dehydrogenase, increase anti-oxidant enzyme activity and glutathione content, reverse the downregulated protein expression of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), inhibit expression of Bax and activations of caspase-3 and caspase-9 in H2O2-induced SH-SY5Y cells.

Conclusions

Tomatine exerted beneficially neuroprotective effect on H2O2-induced SH-SY5Y cells, mainly enhancing intracellular anti-oxidant enzyme activity and BDNF expression, inhibiting H2O2-induced oxidative stress as well as expression of Bax and activations of caspase-3 and caspase-9, alleviating H2O2-induced SH-SY5Y cell injury and cell death.
Interactions between valproic acid and quetiapine/olanzapine in the treatment of bipolar disorder and the role of therapeutic drug monitoring
Authors: Vella Thomas , Mifsud Janet
Published: January 2014

Objectives

The anticonvulsant valproic acid and the atypical antipsychotics olanzapine and quetiapine provide synergistic mood-stabilising, antidepressant and antipsychotic activities in the treatment of bipolar and schizoaffective disorders. Existing literature shows that pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics drug–drug interactions (DDIs) possibly occur with the use of such a combination. Clinical reports of a possible interaction between the drugs leading to an increased risk of adverse drug reactions have also emerged. The main objective of this paper is to review the incidence of DDIs between the anticonvulsant and the antipsychotics, to postulate the possible mechanisms of the interaction and to establish whether certain target populations are at an increased susceptibility to such interactions. The usefulness of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of the antipsychotics to monitor for an interaction was also assessed. A systematic database search was carried out using the search engine provided by PubMed using the following key words: olanzapine, quetiapine, valproic acid, pharmacokinetic drug–drug interaction, bipolar disorder, therapeutic drug monitoring.

Key findings

Evidence of a possible clinically relevant DDI between valproic acid and both antipsychotics has been uncovered. A possible mechanism for the interactions has been postulated, and the importance of TDM has been discussed.

Further research is required to determine whether DDIs occur with the concurrent use of valproic acid and olanzapine or quetiapine, and to investigate the potential of TDM as a clinical tool in improving pharmacotherapy and preventing toxicity.
Performance, serum amino acid concentrations and expression of selected genes in pair‐fed growing pigs exposed to high ambient temperatures
Authors: Morales A. , Grageola F. , García H. , Arce N. , Araiza B. , Yáñez J. , Cervantes M.
Published: January 2014

Heat stress (HS) depresses pig performance mainly because of appetite reduction, although other factors involved in the cellular availability of nutrients may also contribute to that depression. An experiment was conducted with twelve pair‐fed pigs (30.3 ± 2.7 kg BW) to examine the effect of severe HS (up to 45 °C) on the expression of genes coding for two cationic amino acid (AA) transporters (b0,+AT and CAT‐1), leptin, heat‐shock protein (Hsp‐90) and myosin in several tissues; serum concentrations (SC) of AA; and performance. There were two treatments: Comfort, pigs housed at an average temperature of 22 (±2) °C; and HS, pigs housed in a similar room with no climate control, where temperature was raised up to 45 °C. All pigs received the same wheat–soybean meal diet and had similar daily feed intake. Comfort pigs had a higher daily gain and better gain/feed ratio than HS pigs (p < 0.05). The expression of b0,+AT in jejunum and liver, that of myosin in the Semitendinosus muscle, and leptin in adipose tissue was lower, but CAT‐1 in jejunum and liver, and Hsp‐90 in liver was higher in HS pigs. The SC of Lys and Met in HS pigs were around 55% and 20%, respectively, of that in Comfort pigs (p < 0.05). In conclusion, HS affects the expression of cationic AA transporters, myosin, Hsp‐90, leptin; the SC of Lys and Met; and the performance of pair‐fed pigs. These results suggest that HS‐related changes in gene expression affect the performance of pigs beyond the effect caused by the reduction in voluntary feed intake.
Rediscovery ofCystoathyrium chinenseChing (Cystopteridaceae): Phylogenetic placement of the critically endangered fern species endemic to China
Authors: WEI Ran , ZHANG Xian‐Chun
Published: January 2014

Cystoathyrium chinenseChing, the sole representative ofCystoathyrium, is a critically endangered species endemic to China with no more than 40 extant individuals. Until now, its systematic position and relationships among leptosporangiate ferns remained unknown. The present study assessed the phylogenetic relationships ofCystoathyrium chinensewith potential relatives densely sampled using three chloroplast DNA markers (matK,rbcL, andtrnG‐Rintergenic spacer). Our results support the inclusion ofCystoathyriuminCystopteris. A hybrid origin hypothesis ofCystoathyrium chinenseis neither supported nor rejected by the present study. According to our ancestral area reconstruction analysis, the disjunct distribution ofCystoathyriumand its closely related North American taxa may be attributed to the long‐distance dispersal by way of Beringia. Consequently, a new combination (Cystopteris chinensiscomb. nov.) is made, and the description is supplemented based on our new observations in the field.
Postmodern Chinoiserie in Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese
Authors: Smith Philip
Published: January 2014

This paper offers a synthesis and critique of the existing academic literature on Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese and an overview of Asian American alternative comics. It examines the range of literary and linguistic sources which Yang draws upon in his collage of Chinoiserie and Japonism. It presents the argument that existing criticism has failed to take into account the rising presence of Asian and Asian American characters and creators in American comics.
Re‐visioning the Colonial City: Local Autonomy versus the Aesthetics of Intermixtures in the Age of Circulating Print Culture
Authors: Sen Sambudha
Published: January 2014

This essay engages critically with the theoretical investment that the eminent Indian historian Ranajit Guha makes in his reading of an early prose classic of Bengali literature – Hootum Pyanchar Naksha. For Guha, Hootum exemplifies the contrasting ways in which time was experienced in metropolitan London and in colonial Calcutta. I, on the other hand, work with the reference that Hootum makes to the subtitle of Charles Dickens's first published work to prise open certain visual traditions of articulating the city that developed in England through the 18th and 19th centuries. Focusing, thus, on the history of genres, I break out of the conventional postcolonial binaries and try to conceptualize the relationship between visual and literary representations of the metropolitan and colonial city as a complex process of multiple negotiations: of borrowings and erasures, and displacements and citations – that unfold within a single developing and always mutating field.
A perspective on the role of the pectoralis major flap in oral and maxillofacial oncology surgery
Authors: Avery C.
Published: January 2014

In general, the pedicled pectoralis major (PPM) flap has become a secondary choice for reconstruction in the developed world while remaining popular within the developing world. The pectoralis major flap is utilised in varying proportions as either the preferred reconstruction or for salvage reconstruction following free flap failure, further disease or complications. Refinements in surgical technique and an experienced surgeon may yield high total flap success rates with modest levels of wound complications. The pectoralis major flap is particularly useful with serious or multiple comorbidities, advanced disease, and previous surgery and/or chemoradiotherapy. It has primarily been used for reconstruction of extended radical neck dissection, posterolateral mandible, large glossectomy and oropharyngeal defects, and occasionally together with a free flap. A second free flap has increasingly been used after initial failure, particularly in the larger centres, but the PPM flap probably remains the most commonly used salvage option. The needs of the local population vary, survival outcomes are improving and patient choice may become an increasing factor in flap selection.
From the Flos Substantiae to the Vortex: A Shift in Leibniz's Early Philosophy
Authors: De Tommaso Emilio Maria
Published: January 2014

In February 1676, one of Leibniz's main concerns is with the problem of the seat of the soul and its relationship with the body, to which, in two very short papers, he provides two different solutions: the doctrine of the flos substantiae and the vortex theory. By analyzing the former, I suggest that, despite what other scholars claim, it is far from being an earlier exposition of the notion of monad. I argue that this doctrine is entertained by Leibniz only for a period, but is rejected later on and excluded from the final monadic system. This hypothesis seems to be supported by the shift to the notion of a vortex, which – despite having some evident pantheistic and monistic implications – offers a different solution to the problem of mind‐body union, by identifying the soul as the only cement of matter. In this article, by following the progress of such a shift, we discover some fascinating nuances in the young Leibniz's development.
The development of specific SNP markers for chromosome 14 in cotton using next‐generation sequencing
Authors: Chen Wei , Yao Jinbo , Chu Li , Li Yan , Guo Xiangmo , Zhang Yongshan
Published: January 2014

Lacking of reference genome sequence for the development of stable molecular markers for specific chromosomes (intervals) remains to be a challenge in cotton, which was a necessary step in fine mapping of gene (QTL). In this study, the feasibility of development of single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers between CS‐B14Sh (a substitution line for short arm of Chromosome 14) and TM‐1 (the recurrent parent) was explored using next‐generation sequencing (NGS) based on reduced representation libraries (RRLs). High‐quality genome sequences, representing about 7.1%, 8.8% and 10.4% of the tetraploid cotton genome, were generated for TM‐1, 3‐79 (the donor parent) and CS‐B14Sh, respectively. A total of 397 putative SNP markers were detected between CS‐B14Sh and TM‐1, and most (358) of them were also detected between TM‐1 and 3‐79. Allele‐specific PCR method was used for validation of 40 SNP markers, and 27 of them showed polymorphism between TM‐1 and CS‐B14Sh, and a linkage group comprising of 25 SNP markers and five SSR markers was constructed. The order of SNP markers agreed well with the position of them on Chr05 of D genome, which further approved the truth of SNPs detected. The results suggested that the development of SNP markers in specific genome region using NGS was efficient in substitution or near‐isogenic lines.