bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decoupled diversity dynamics in green and brown webs during primary succession in a saltmarsh
Authors: Schrama Maarten , van der Plas Fons , Berg Matty P. , Olff Han
Published: October 2016

Terrestrial ecosystems are characterized by a strong functional connection between the green (plant–herbivore‐based) and brown (detritus–detritivore‐based) parts of the food web, which both develop over successional time. However, the interlinked changes in green and brown food web diversity patterns in relation to key ecosystem processes are rarely studied.

Here, we demonstrate changes in species richness, diversity and evenness over a wide range of invertebrate green and brown trophic groups during 100 years of primary succession in a saltmarsh ecosystem, using a well‐calibrated chronosequence.

We contrast two hypotheses on the relationship between green and brown food web diversity across succession: (i) ‘coupled diversity hypothesis’, which predicts that all trophic groups covary similarly with the main drivers of successional ecosystem assembly vs. (ii) the ‘decoupled diversity hypothesis’, where green and brown trophic groups diversity respond to different drivers during succession.

We found that, while species richness for plants and invertebrate herbivores (green web groups) both peaked at intermediate productivity and successional age, the diversity of macrodetritivores, microarthropod microbivores and secondary consumers (brown web groups) continuously increased towards the latest successional stages. These results suggest that green web trophic groups are mainly driven by vegetation parameters, such as the amount of bare soil, vegetation biomass production and vegetation height, while brown web trophic groups are mostly driven by the production and standing stock of dead organic material and soil development.

Our results show that plant diversity cannot simply be used as a proxy for the diversity of all other species groups that drive ecosystem functioning, as brown and green diversity components in our ecosystem responded differently to successional gradients.
Protective Effect of Dietary Ghrelin‐Containing Salmon Stomach Extract on Mortality and Cardiotoxicity in Doxorubicin‐Induced Mouse Model of Heart Failure
Authors: Kihara Minoru , Kaiya Hiroyuki , Win Zin Phyu , Kitajima Yuta , Nishikawa Masazumi
Published: October 2016

Ghrelin exhibits a cardioprotective effect. We examined whether orally administered ghrelin‐containing salmon stomach extract (sSE) instead of chemically synthesized ghrelin protects against doxorubicin (DOX)‐induced cardiotoxicity in mice. Mice were divided into four groups: (i) the control, (ii) DOX groups were fed a control diet (AIN‐93G), (iii) the sSE, and (iv) DOX + sSE groups were fed a 10% sSE diet (AIN‐93G + 10% sSE). After a 4‐week pretreatment of sSE, DOX or saline was administered to the corresponding groups by intraperitoneal injection. The groups fed the 10% sSE diet consumed significantly more food than the groups fed the control diet before the DOX injection. No mortality was observed in the DOX + sSE group, whereas 40% (2 of 5) mortality was observed in the DOX group. Compared with the DOX group, levels of ascites and plasma cardiac troponin I improved in the DOX + sSE group. Significantly lesser DOX‐induced collagen accumulation was observed in the left heart ventricle of the DOX group than in that of the DOX + sSE group. These results suggest that the dietary ghrelin contained in sSE mimics synthetic ghrelin in cardioprotective effect. Ghrelin in sSE (45 pmol/g) and the food intake‐stimulating effect of sSE may explain, at least in part, the protective effect of orally administered teleost ghrelin.
Cholesterol‐Lowering Effects and Mechanisms in View of Bile Acid Pathway of Resveratrol and Resveratrol Glucuronides
Authors: Shao Dongyan , Wang Yilin , Huang Qingsheng , Shi Junling , Yang Hui , Pan Zhongli , Jin Mingliang , Zhao Haobin , Xu Xiaoguang
Published: October 2016

Resveratrol (Res) was previously reported to be capable of lowering plasma TC and LDL‐C. The mechanism behind Res is not clearly understood, although it is presumed to have an effect on bile acid metabolism in the liver: a significant way in eliminating cholesterol from the body. As one of the major metabolites of Res in the liver, resveratrol glucuronides (Gres) is suspected to also contribute to the overall cholestrol‐lowering activity of Res, which needs to be studied. In this research, when HepG2 steatosis hepatic cells were treated with Res and Gres at different concentration levels, Res and Gres showed similar activity in lowering cellular TC content. The presence of Res and Gres caused a significant increase in hepatic CYP7A1 and BSEP, indicating the increase in the synthesis and efflux of bile acids, respectively. The reduction of HMG‐CoAR tied to a decrease in de novo synthesis of cholesterol and the increase of ABCG5 suggested the increase of direct efflux of cholesterol. All above variations reduced the hepatic cholesterol level, which triggered the significant enhancement of LDLR, illustrating the improvement of clearance of LDL‐C from the plasma and prevention of atherosclerosis. Overall, this study demonstrated both Res and Gres might have capabilities in lowering hepatic cholesterol through increasing in the synthesis and efflux of bile acids, and decreasing in synthesis and increasing in the efflux of cholesterol. Gres would have preferred potential than Res because of its lower cytotoxicity, which indicated that the action of the metabolites should also be considered in the future studies.
Observation Status or Inpatient Admission: Impact of Patient Disposition on Outcomes and Utilization Among Emergency Department Patients With Chest Pain
Authors: Bellolio M. Fernanda , Sangaralingham Lindsey R. , Schilz Stephanie R. , Noel‐Miller Claire M. , Lind Keith D. , Morin Pamela E. , Noseworthy Peter A. , Shah Nilay D. , Hess Erik P.
Published: October 2016

Objectives

to compare healthcare utilization including coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), rehospitalization, and rate of subsequent acute myocardial infarction (AMI) within 30 days, among patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain admitted as short‐term inpatient (≤2 days) versus observation (in‐ED observation units combined with in‐hospital observation).

Methods

We identified adults diagnosed with acute chest pain in the ED from 2010 to 2014 using administrative claims from privately insured and Medicare Advantage. Patients having AMI during the index visit were excluded. One‐to‐one propensity‐score matching and logistic regression were used. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported.

Results

A total of 774,017 chest pain visits were included. After matching, healthcare utilization was lower among observation versus short inpatient, with 10.9% versus 24.4% (OR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.36 to 0.39) undergoing cardiac catheterization and 1.8% versus 7.6% (OR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.21 to 0.24) having PCI. The incidence of subsequent AMI within the following 30 days was similar in patients admitted as observation versus short inpatient (0.23% vs. 0.21%; OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 0.84 to 1.42).

Conclusions

There were higher rates of cardiac catheterization and PCI among those admitted as a short inpatient compared to observation, while the incidence of subsequent AMI within 30 days was similar.
Does market discipline impact bank charter value? The case for Australia and Canada
Authors: Haq Mamiza , Avkiran Necmi K. , Tarazi Amine
Published: October 2016

This study analyses the relation between market discipline and bank charter value using a panel data set of publicly listed domestic banks in Australia and Canada over the period of 1995–2011, with a focus on the 2007–2008 global financial crisis (GFC). Overall, the results show a positive relation between market discipline and bank charter value, but this relation is weaker in the post‐GFC period. Our findings reveal that in the presence of market discipline, bank capital, contingent liabilities and non‐interest income are important sources of charter value. These findings have important policy implications related to bank stability. The results are robust to several model specifications.
Switching between endocrine therapies for primary breast cancer: Frequency and timing in Australian clinical practice
Authors: Kemp‐Casey Anna , Roughead Elizabeth E. , Saunders Christobel , Boyle Frances , Bulsara Max , Preen David B.
Published: October 2016

Aims

To determine the frequency, timing and patterns of endocrine therapy switching in Australian practice for postmenopausal women with primary breast cancer.

Methods

We identified postmenopausal women in a population‐based cohort commencing endocrine therapy for invasive primary breast cancer between December 2005 and December 2008 (n = 645). Individual‐level administrative health records and self‐report data were used to determine women's demographic and clinical characteristics, including preexisting and newly‐treated comorbidities, and switches in endocrine therapy. Time to therapy switching was calculated. Chi‐square tests compared the characteristics of women who did and did not switch, and those switching within 2 years or after 2 years of commencing therapy.

Results

Twenty‐eight percent of women switched from their initial endocrine therapy, most commonly from tamoxifen to anastrozole, or the converse. A small number of anastrozole‐to‐exemestane and letrozole‐to‐exemestane switches were observed (n = 19). Most women (>80%) who switched therapies did not have newly‐treated comorbidities. Few women (<5%) switched before completing 2 years of therapy, but these women were significantly more likely to have preexisting antidepressant use than women switching later (43% vs 23%, P = 0.048) and remained on the subsequent therapy for less time (6 months vs 2.7 years, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Approximately one‐quarter of postmenopausal women with primary breast cancer switched endocrine therapies. The findings suggest that the majority of switching in Australian practice was planned; occurring after 2–3 years of, not precipitated by comorbidity, and in a sequence supported by trial evidence. Early switching, however, was associated with preexisting depression and appeared to be a marker of poor persistence.
Territories of Struggle: Social Centres in Northern Italy Opposing Mega‐Events
Authors: Casaglia Anna
Published: October 2016

The article takes into consideration the spatialised action of self‐managed Social Centres in Northern Italy over the last 20 years. Considering Genoa, Turin and Milan, we outline the passage from the Fordist era to the post‐industrial cities reconversion, which gave the space—both physical and political—for the emergence of Social Centres. The changes that occurred in the three cities in the following years introduced new features in urban space configuration and organisation. In this frame, we focus on three case studies that serve the purpose of illustrating the role of Social Centres contesting unfair space transformations: Genoa's Expo Colombiane in 1992, Turin's Winter Olympic Games in 2006 and Milan's Expo in 2015. The opposition to these “mega‐events” allows us to analyse the changes related to the forms of conflict put into practice by urban social movements throughout time, and the learning process they underwent.
Performance of mRNA‐ and DNA‐based high‐risk human papillomavirus assays in detection of high‐grade cervical lesions
Authors: Virtanen Elina , Kalliala Ilkka , Dyba Tadeusz , Nieminen Pekka , Auvinen Eeva
Published: October 2016

Introduction

The aim was to assess the performance of two commercial assays for the detection of high‐risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV): Aptima HPV Assay (Hologic, Inc., Marlborough, MA, USA) which detects mRNA of 14 different hrHPV types, and Hybrid Capture 2 HPV DNA test (HC2; Qiagen, Gaithersburg, MD, USA), which detects the DNA of 13 different hrHPV types. Test performance was compared in the settings of a standard colposcopy clinic, among the regular patient flow.

Material and methods

Two separate cervical cell samples for Aptima and HC2 testing were collected from women referred to colposcopy or a cervical follow‐up visit. Altogether, 481 paired samples were analyzed and all positive samples were also tested using the Aptima HPV 16 18/45 Genotype Assay. Results from the two assays were compared directly and with stratification by histology and cytology from the same sampling visit.

Results

The overall agreement between HC2 and Aptima assays was 92.9% (Kappa coefficient of 0.855). The sensitivity and specificity of the assays in detecting CIN2+ were 92.5 and 58.2% for HC2, and 94.0 and 59.3% for Aptima, respectively. No significant differences between the assays were found (p‐values >0.5). Both assays detected all CIN3 (n = 30) and carcinoma (n = 2) cases.

Conclusions

The mRNA‐based Aptima assay and the extensively studied DNA‐based HC2 test performed equally well in detecting high‐grade cervical lesions. Our data contribute to the growing evidence base indicating that the mRNA‐based Aptima assay could be used for the triage of patients with HPV‐associated cervical disease.
Non‐Newtonian Blood Flow Simulation of Diastolic Phase in Bileaflet Mechanical Heart Valve Implanted in a Realistic Aortic Root Containing Coronary Arteries
Authors: Hanafizadeh Pedram , Mirkhani Nima , Davoudi Mohammad Reza , Masouminia Mahtab , Sadeghy Keyvan
Published: October 2016

Coronary arteries, which are branched from the sinuses, have tangible effects on the hemodynamic performance of the bileaflet mechanical heart valve (BMHV), especially in the diastolic phase. To better understand this issue, a computer model of ascending aorta including realistic sinus shapes and coronary arteries has been generated in this study in order to investigate the BMHV performance during diastole. Three‐dimensional transient numerical analysis is conducted to simulate the diastolic blood flow through the hinges and in coronary arteries under the assumption of non‐Newtonian behavior. Results indicate that as blood flows to the coronary arteries mainly during diastole, leakage flow from the hinge and other gaps will change considering the influence of coronary arteries. In addition, BMHV in the case of aortic replacement will increase blood flow rate into the coronary arteries about 100% as the mechanical valve resistance is higher than a native heart valve. Also, it will change the wall shear stress (WSS) distribution and increase coronary artery disease (CAD) potential. It is found out that although less leakage flow reduces the velocity magnitudes through the gaps, the shear stress acting on blood elements with non‐Newtonian assumption will be detrimental in the hinge corner at the ventricular side. High WSS of 1800 Pa is observed at beginning of diastole at this region.
Paediatric tuberculosis cases increased in Stockholm from 1971 to 2015 following the rising number of children with immigrant backgrounds
Authors: Bennet Rutger , Eriksson Margareta
Published: October 2016

Aim

This study described the epidemiology and clinical features of childhood tuberculosis (TB) in Stockholm over a 45‐year period, when there was a resurge of tuberculosis concomitant with increased immigration.

Methods

We describe 220 children up to the age of 16 years with active TB, seen at the Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital from 1971 to 2015. The study period was divided into three 15‐year periods.

Results

Cases increased from ten children in 1971–1985 to 76 in 1986–2000 and 134 in 2001–2015, with overall incidence increasing from <1 to four per 100 000. From 2001 to 2015, 79% of cases, or at least one parent, were born in high‐incidence countries. The incidence in this group was 35 per 100 000, but remained at 0.9 per 100 000 in other children. After 2000, most cases were detected by active contact tracing and immigrant screening. The most common manifestation was from the lungs. Meningitis and miliary tuberculosis were found in 7%, with two deaths. Antimicrobial resistance was an increasing problem.

Conclusion

The increasing incidence of TB in Stockholm was largely limited to children with a background in high‐incidence countries. Most children today have subclinical forms of TB. Although preventive measures are effective, severe cases still occur, especially among adolescent immigrants.
African trypanosomes and brain infection – the unsolved question
Authors: Mogk Stefan , Boßelmann Christian M. , Mudogo Celestin N. , Stein Jasmin , Wolburg Hartwig , Duszenko Michael
Published: October 2016

African trypanosomes induce sleeping sickness. The parasites are transmitted during the blood meal of a tsetse fly and appear primarily in blood and lymph vessels, before they enter the central nervous system. During the latter stage, trypanosomes induce a deregulation of sleep–wake cycles and some additional neurological disorders. Historically, it was assumed that trypanosomes cross the blood–brain barrier and settle somewhere between the brain cells. The brain, however, is a strictly controlled and immune‐privileged area that is completely surrounded by a dense barrier that covers the blood vessels: this is the blood–brain barrier. It is known that some immune cells are able to cross this barrier, but this requires a sophisticated mechanism and highly specific cell–cell interactions that have not been observed for trypanosomes within the mammalian host. Interestingly, trypanosomes injected directly into the brain parenchyma did not induce an infection. Likewise, after an intraperitoneal infection of rats, Trypanosoma brucei brucei was not observed within the brain, but appeared readily within the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the meninges. Therefore, the parasite did not cross the blood–brain barrier, but the blood–CSF barrier, which is formed by the choroid plexus, i.e. the part of the ventricles where CSF is produced from blood. While there is no question that trypanosomes are able to invade the brain to induce a deadly encephalopathy, controversy exists about the pathway involved. This review lists experimental results that support crossing of the blood–brain barrier and of the blood–CSF barrier and discuss the implications that either pathway would have on infection progress and on the survival strategy of the parasite. For reasons discussed below, we prefer the latter pathway and suggest the existence of an additional distinct meningeal stage, from which trypanosomes could invade the brain via the Virchow–Robin space thereby bypassing the blood–brain barrier. We also consider healthy carriers, i.e. people living symptomless with the disease for up to several decades, and discuss implications the proposed meningeal stage would have for new anti‐trypanosomal drug development. Considering the re‐infection of blood, a process called relapse, we discuss the likely involvement of the newly described glymphatic connection between the meningeal space and the lymphatic system, that seems also be important for other infectious diseases.
Computed insight into a peptide inhibitor preventing the induced fit mechanism of MurA enzyme from Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Lima Anderson H. , dos Santos Alberto M. , Alves Cláudio Nahum , Lameira Jerônimo
Published: October 2016

UDP‐N‐acetylglucosamine enolpyruvyl transferase (MurA) is one of the key enzymes involved in peptidoglycan biosynthesis. The peptide HESFWYLPHQSY (called PEP 1354) is an inhibitor of MurA with an IC50 value of 200 μm. In this article, we have used the FlexPepDock ab‐initio protocol from the Rosetta program homology modeling and molecular dynamics simulations to analyze, for the first time, the interaction of the PEP 1354 peptide with MurA enzyme from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MurA‐PA). Our modeling results suggest that the peptide binds to the same active site as the natural substrate UDP‐N‐acetylglucosamine (UNAG). Additionally, the MurA–peptide complex revealed that the peptide seems to prevent the closure of the Pro114‐123 loop and, consequently, the open–closed transition of the MurA structure.
The Signature of Maternal Social Rank in Placenta Deoxyribonucleic Acid Methylation Profiles in Rhesus Monkeys
Authors: Massart Renaud , Suderman Matthew J. , Nemoda Zsofia , Sutti Sheila , Ruggiero Angela M. , Dettmer Amanda M. , Suomi Stephen J. , Szyf Moshe
Published: October 2016

The effects of social status on human health can be modeled in captive cohorts of nonhuman primates. This study shows that maternal social rank is associated with broad changes in DNA methylation in placentae of rhesus monkeys (N = 10). Differentially methylated genes between social ranks are enriched in signaling pathways playing major roles in placenta physiology. Moreover, the authors found significant overlaps with genes whose expression was previously associated with social rank in adult rhesus monkeys (Tung et al., 2012) and whose methylation was associated with perinatal stress in newborn humans and rhesus monkeys (Nieratschker et al., 2014). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that system‐wide epigenetic changes in multiple tissues are involved in long‐term adaptations to the social environment.
Gonadal tumour risk in 292 phenotypic female patients with disorders of sex development containing Y chromosome or Y‐derived sequence
Authors: Huang He , Wang Chunqing , Tian Qinjie
Published: October 2016

Objective

Phenotypic female disorders of sex development (DSD) patients with Y chromosome or Y‐derived sequence have an increased risk of gonadal germ cell tumours (GCTs). The objective of the study was to evaluate tumour risk of DSD, summarize the clinical characteristics of patients with GCTs and propose management suggestions.

Methods

Medical records of 292 patients diagnosed DSD and undergoing bilateral gonadectomy at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 1996 to March 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Tumour histopathological types, risks and clinical characteristics were evaluated.

Results

The tumours in DSD included gonadoblastoma, seminoma, dysgerminoma, Sertoli cell tumour, yolk sac tumour and choriocarcinoma. The overall GCTs risk was 15·41% and 46, XY pure gonadal dysgenesis (46, XY PGD) carried the highest risk up to 23·33%, followed by complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS). The risk of mixed gonadal dysgenesis (GD) or 46, XY 17 alpha‐hydroxylase/17, 20‐lyase deficiency (46, XY 17 OHD) was <10%, and no tumour was found in five testis regression patients. The ages (years) of tumour diagnosed ranged from 11 to 29 [18 (15, 21) years]. The median age of androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) with tumours was comparatively late [19 (18, 24) years], while GCTs occurred during adolescence in 46, XY PGD [17 (15, 20) years] and mixed GD [15 (15, 17) years]. Sex hormone levels were generally unaffected by gonadal GCTs. The positive tumour marker rate before surgery was 58·82% (10/17). Elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was observed in six cases with dysgerminoma/seminoma. Remarkably elevated α‐fetoprotein (AFP) or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was seen in cases with yolk sac tumour or choriocarcinoma, respectively. Mild hyperandrogenism was observed in seven cases with GCTs. Fourteen of 17 pelvic masses found before operation was later proved malignant.

Conclusion

Disorders of sex development patients with Y chromosome materials have a significantly increased risk of GCTs. Gonadoblastoma and dysgerminoma/seminoma are the most prevalent GCTs and 46, XY PGD carries the highest tumour presence and malignancy risk. AIS could postpone bilateral gonadectomy until or after adolescence, while others with streak gonads should undergo surgery as soon as diagnosis. Specific serum tumour markers could be used in predicting GCTs and monitoring. Optimal care and close follow‐up are required.
Contact between birth parents and children in kinship care in a sample from Spain
Authors: León Esperanza , Jiménez‐Morago Jesús M. , Muñoz‐Silva Alicia
Published: October 2016

Within the context of kinship care, the main objectives of this work are to study the characteristics of contact between foster children and their birth parents, and their relationship with key variables of fostering, the children and their kinship caregivers. The sample included 189 children from Spain and their kinship families. A semi‐structured placement interview and two scales relating to the child–caregiver relationship and child's psychological adjustment were used with the kinship families. The results revealed a significant percentage of foster children who had no family contact. Various visit types, frequencies and durations were described. Kinship care with contact, compared with placements without contact, was frequently characterized by the absence of professional supervision, and an affectionate child–caregiver relationship; moreover, children with contact were perceived to have fewer serious behaviour and socio‐emotional problems and a greater probability of family reunification. The regression analysis showed that the main predictors for how caregivers assessed contact were the children's emotional reaction during visits and the quality of the relationship between the kinship families and the birth parents. These results suggest the need for further research about contact, which will certainly have a major impact on professional intervention with these families.
A novel gain‐of‐function mutation in ORAI1 causes late‐onset tubular aggregate myopathy and congenital miosis
Authors: Garibaldi M. , Fattori F. , Riva B. , Labasse C. , Brochier G. , Ottaviani P. , Sacconi S. , Vizzaccaro E. , Laschena F. , Romero N.B. , Genazzani A. , Bertini E. , Antonini G.
Published: October 2016

We present three members of an Italian family affected by tubular aggregate myopathy (TAM) and congenital miosis harboring a novel missense mutation in ORAI1. All patients had a mild, late onset TAM revealed by asymptomatic creatine kinase (CK) elevation and congenital miosis consistent with a Stormorken‐like Syndrome, in the absence of thrombocytopathy. Muscle biopsies showed classical histological findings but ultrastructural analysis revealed atypical tubular aggregates (TAs). The whole body muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a similar pattern of muscle involvement that correlated with clinical severity. The lower limbs were more severely affected than the scapular girdle, and thighs were more affected than legs. Molecular analysis revealed a novel c.290C>G (p.S97C) mutation in ORAI1 in all affected patients. Functional assays in both human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells and myotubes showed an increased rate of Ca2+ entry due to a constitutive activation of the CRAC channel, consistent with a ‘gain‐of‐function’ mutation. In conclusion, we describe an Italian family harboring a novel heterozygous c.290C>G (p.S97C) mutation in ORAI1 causing a mild‐ and late‐onset TAM and congenital miosis via constitutive activation of the CRAC channel. Our findings extend the clinical and genetic spectrum of the ORAI1‐related TAM.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: INCOME AND WEALTH INEQUALITY—EVIDENCE AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Authors: Saez Emmanuel
Published: October 2016

(moderated by David Card)
Financing Education in Europe: The Globalization Perspective
Authors: Ozkok Zeynep
Published: October 2016

This paper examines the role of globalization on public spending on education in Europe. With the implementation of the Bologna process, the changes taking place in the educational structure in Europe have highlighted the importance of public education expenditures. Taking into account the effects of trade, income, and socio‐demographic factors, we study the impact of globalization on public education expenditure at preprimary, primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions using a panel data model for 25 EU countries for the 1998–2010 period. Our findings with different indices of globalization depict a positive effect on education financing. The use of legal and institutional variables, the inclusion of the crisis and euro dummies, and further control variables do not alter our main findings. The Bologna dummy variable is not found to have a significant effect on public education financing, indicating that the integration goals under this process have not translated into increasing levels of public expenditure for education.
Jean Baudrillard and the Limits of Critical Media Literacy
Authors: Kline Kip
Published: October 2016

Marxian education scholars have successfully established critical media literacy as a specific response to concerns about contemporary media's problems and possibilities with regard to youth. This development has made a significant contribution to the intersection of media, critical theory, and pedagogy. Yet, the theoretical foundations of critical media literacy limit its capacity to confront the trajectory of contemporary media and communication technologies. Here, Kip Kline offers Jean Baudrillard's media theory as a possible corrective to the undertheorization of media at the level of form that contributes to the inefficacy of critical media literacy.
Restriction spectrum imaging reveals decreased neurite density in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy
Authors: Loi Richard Q. , Leyden Kelly M. , Balachandra Akshara , Uttarwar Vedang , Hagler Donald J. , Paul Brianna M. , Dale Anders M. , White Nathan S. , McDonald Carrie R.
Published: October 2016

Objective

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has become a popular tool for delineating the location and extent of white matter injury in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). However, DTI yields nonspecific measures that are confounded by changes occurring within both the intracellular and extracellular environments. This study investigated whether an advanced diffusion method, restriction spectrum imaging (RSI) could provide a more robust measure of white matter injury in TLE relative to DTI due to RSI's ability to separate intraaxonal diffusion (i.e., neurite density; ND) from diffusion associated with extraaxonal factors (e.g., inflammation; crossing fibers).

Methods

RSI and DTI scans were obtained on 21 patients with TLE and 11 age‐matched controls. RSI‐derived maps of ND, isotropic‐hindered (IH) and isotropic‐free (IF) water, and crossing fibers (CFs) were compared to DTI‐derived fractional anisotropy (FA) maps. Voxelwise and tract‐based analyses were performed comparing patients with TLE to controls on each diffusion metric.

Results

Reductions in FA were seen primarily in frontotemporal white matter in TLE, and they were most pronounced proximal to the seizure focus. Reductions in ND corresponded to those seen in the FA maps; however, ND reductions were greater in magnitude, more lateralized to the epileptogenic hemisphere, and showed a broader pattern. Increases in IF/IH and effects from CFs also contributed to reduced FA in the ipsilateral parahippocampal cingulum and fornix, with decreases in IH extending into extratemporal regions. Reduced ND of the uncinate fasciculus was associated with longer disease duration, whereas FA was not associated with any clinical variables.

Significance

RSI may provide a more specific measure of white matter pathology in TLE, distinguishing regions primarily affected by axonal/myelin loss from those where CFs and increases in extracellular water also play a role. By providing a more specific measure of axonal/myelin loss, RSI‐derived ND may better reflect overall white matter burden in epilepsy.
Rhodobacter sphaeroides CryB is a bacterial cryptochrome with (6–4) photolyase activity
Authors: von Zadow Andrea , Ignatz Elisabeth , Pokorny Richard , Essen Lars‐Oliver , Klug Gabriele
Published: October 2016

Photolyases are efficient DNA repair enzymes that specifically repair either cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers or (6–4) photoproducts in a light‐dependent cleavage reaction. The closely related classical cryptochrome blue light photoreceptors do not repair DNA lesions; instead they are involved in regulatory processes. CryB of Rhodobacter sphaeroides was until now described as a cryptochrome that affects light‐dependent and singlet oxygen‐dependent gene expression and is unusual in terms of its cofactor composition. Here we present evidence for a repair activity of (6–4) photoproducts by CryB and suggest a dual character combining the functions of cryptochromes and photolyases. We investigated the effects of crucial amino acids involved in cofactor or DNA lesion binding on the light‐dependent recovery of cells after UV light exposure (in vivo photoreactivation). Remarkably, impairment of one of the two light absorbing cofactors, FAD or 6,7‐dimethyl‐8‐ribityllumazine, only marginally affected the final survival rate but strongly decelerated photoreactivation kinetics. The impairment of both of them together through mutagenesis decreased CryB‐dependent photoreactivation to the level of the ∆cryB knockout strain. The third cofactor, a [4Fe4S] iron–sulfur cluster, is indispensable for the structural integrity of the protein. The reduction of FAD via the conserved tryptophan W338, which is crucial for in vitro reduction and consequently DNA repair, is not required for in vivo photoreactivation, suggesting that this reduction pathway to FAD is dispensable in the cellular environment. This demonstrates that in vitro experiments give only limited information on in vivo photolyase activity.
Will phenotypic plasticity affecting flowering phenology keep pace with climate change?
Authors: Richardson Bryce A. , Chaney Lindsay , Shaw Nancy L. , Still Shannon M.
Published: October 2016

Rising temperatures have begun to shift flowering time, but it is unclear whether phenotypic plasticity can accommodate projected temperature change for this century. Evaluating clines in phenological traits and the extent and variation in plasticity can provide key information on assessing risk of maladaptation and developing strategies to mitigate climate change. In this study, flower phenology was examined in 52 populations of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) growing in three common gardens. Flowering date (anthesis) varied 91 days from late July to late November among gardens. Mixed‐effects modeling explained 79% of variation in flowering date, of which 46% could be assigned to plasticity and genetic variation in plasticity and 33% to genetics (conditional R2 = 0.79, marginal R2 = 0.33). Two environmental variables that explained the genetic variation were photoperiod and the onset of spring, the Julian date of accumulating degree‐days >5 °C reaching 100. The genetic variation was mapped for contemporary and future climates (decades 2060 and 2090), showing flower date change varies considerably across the landscape. Plasticity was estimated to accommodate, on average, a ±13‐day change in flowering date. However, the examination of genetic variation in plasticity suggests that the magnitude of plasticity could be affected by variation in the sensitivity to photoperiod and temperature. In a warmer common garden, lower‐latitude populations have greater plasticity (+16 days) compared to higher‐latitude populations (+10 days). Mapped climatypes of flowering date for contemporary and future climates illustrate the wide breadth of plasticity and large geographic overlap. Our research highlights the importance of integrating information on genetic variation, phenotypic plasticity and climatic niche modeling to evaluate plant responses and elucidate vulnerabilities to climate change.
Responses of herbage P, Ca, K and Mg content and Ca/P and K/(Ca + Mg) ratios to long‐term continuous and discontinued cattle grazing on a rough fescue grassland
Authors: Gao X. , Hao X. , Marchbank D. H. , Beck R. , Willms W. D. , Zhao M.
Published: October 2016

Herbage minerals affect performance of grazing cattle. We investigated the response of herbage P, K, Ca and Mg contents and Ca/P and K/(Ca + Mg) ratios to long‐term stocking rate, continuous vs. discontinued grazing practice, and sampling year. Cattle had been stocked at 2·4 and 4·8 animal unit months ha−1 since 1949. Exclosures were installed in April 1998. Herbage samples were collected near peak herbage mass in 2001, 2003, 2008 and 2012 and analysed for mineral content. Mineral contents were similar between the two stocking rates, but were lower (P < 0·05) under discontinued than continuous stocking, with the exception of similar P contents. The content of P and K in herbage was higher and the content of Ca and Mg was lower (P < 0·05) in years with greater precipitation and lower temperatures. Herbage mineral content, with the exception of P, exceeded minimum recommended levels for cattle. Given the low P content in herbage (0·74–1·19 g kg−1) and high Ca/P ratios during the dry and hot year (of 2001), a dietary P supplement should be considered for cattle grazing rough fescue grassland in drought years. The low K/(Ca + Mg) ratios (<2·2) suggest there is little risk of grass tetany in cattle grazing on this grassland.
Corporations and Business Associations from the Commercial Revolution to the Age of Discovery: Trade, Jurisdiction and the State, 1200–1600
Authors: Cavanagh Edward
Published: October 2016

Corporations changed the face of Christendom and then proceeded to change the face of the world. This article, focusing principally upon the late medieval period, will explore the extent to which the early modern expansion of European people and ideas during the ‘age of discovery’ occurred as a result of the development of human associationism. Corporations, associations, syndicates, guilds and companies laid many of the institutional platforms of Western imperialism. Before that could happen, the imperfect extension of jurisdiction over the domestic and foreign activities of these entities demanded new judicial and legislative innovations across late medieval Europe. In response to recent economic and historical interest in the early modern trading company, this article explores some of the legal and political conditions of the Middle Ages that allowed for the expansion of Europe during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and in the process offers an introductory way to perceive of empire, trade and jurisdiction without the state.
At Her Majesty's Pleasure: Criminal Insanity in 19th‐Century Britain
Authors: Evans Catherine L.
Published: October 2016

Criminal insanity cases tried in common law courts in the 19th century attracted the sustained attention of doctors, lawyers, government officials and members of the public. This intense interest was due, in part, to the drama of these cases. However, criminal insanity and the criminally insane also prompted experts and others to contemplate intractable, metaphysical questions about the limits of sanity, the existence of free will and the justification of judicial punishment. This essay argues that, while scholars working in the field of what might be called ‘forensic psychiatry studies’ are acutely conscious of the many ways in which the history of criminal insanity intersects with broader histories of the mind sciences, law and the self, criminal insanity remains largely, and regrettably, tangential to these broader literatures. The essay describes some new directions in the scholarship on criminal insanity that promise to enrich forensic psychiatry studies and also, it is hoped, related fields.
Grey zone lymphoma with features intermediate between diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma and classical Hodgkin lymphoma: a clinicopathological study of 14 Epstein–Barr virus‐positive cases
Authors: Elsayed Ahmed A , Satou Akira , Eladl Ahmed E , Kato Seiichi , Nakamura Shigeo , Asano Naoko
Published: October 2016

Aims

To investigate the clinicopathological features of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)‐positive grey zone lymphoma (GZL) with features intermediate between diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and classical Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL).

Methods and results

We investigated the clinicopathological features of 14 cases of EBV‐positive GZL in Japan. The control group included 173 cases of EBV‐positive CHL and 64 cases of EBV‐positive DLBCL of the elderly (polymorphous type). The patients were 10 men and four women with a median age of 62 years. Twelve patients (86%) had advanced clinical stage, 11 (79%) had B‐symptoms, eight (57%) had mediastinal disease, 10 (71%) had elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, and five (36%) had thrombocytopenia. All cases had CHL‐like morphology but strongly expressed at least one B‐cell marker. The neoplastic cells were Hodgkin and Reed–Sternberg‐like cells, but with a large number of mononuclear variants. EBV‐positive GZL patients were more significantly more likely than EBV‐positive CHL patients to have advanced clinical stage (P = 0.023), presence of B‐symptoms (P = 0.011), elevated serum LDH levels (P = 0.047), thrombocytopenia (P = 0.042), and mediastinal involvement (P = 0.023). The progression‐free survival (PFS) of EBV‐positive GZL patients was significantly poorer than that of EBV‐positive CHL patients (P = 0.043) but no difference from EBV‐positive DLBCL patients was observed (P = 0.367).

Conclusions

EBV‐positive GZL patients have significantly worse PFS than EBV‐positive CHL patients, and are significantly more likely to have adverse clinical parameters such as advanced clinical stage, presence of B‐symptoms, and thrombocytopenia. Further studies are needed to better characterize this entity, which may require the development of innovative therapeutic strategies.
Status signalling in male but not in female Eurasian Tree Sparrows Passer montanus
Authors: Mónus Ferenc , Liker András , Pénzes Zsolt , Barta Zoltán
Published: October 2016

Male ornaments, such as plumage coloration, frequently serve as signals. The signalling function of similar ornaments in females has, however, received much less attention despite the fact that conspicuousness of their ornaments is often comparable to those of males. In this study we tested the signalling function of a plumage trait present in both sexes in the Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus. The black throat patch has been repeatedly found to have a signal function in the closely related House Sparrow Passer domesticus, where only males bear the ornamental trait. However, the function of the black throat patch in the females of Passer species that have sexually monomorphic ornament expression has never, to our knowledge, been considered. We investigated the outcomes of aggressive encounters in foraging flocks of free‐living Tree Sparrows, and assessed whether throat patch size and measurements of body size predicted fighting success in these flocks. We found that male throat patch size predicted fighting success against both male and female opponents. However, female throat patch size did not correlate with fighting success against either sex. Among the morphological traits studied, wing length was the best predictor of fighting success in females. Our findings suggest a status signalling function of throat patch size in males but not in females, although further experimental studies are necessary to corroborate these correlative results.
Biophenol extracts from olive oil mill wastewaters by membrane separation and adsorption resin
Authors: Savarese Maria , De Marco Elena , Falco Salvatore , D'Antuoni Isabella , Sacchi Raffaele
Published: October 2016

The disposal of olive oil mill wastewater, the main effluent resulting from the production of olive oil, presents technical difficulties which are still unsolved. Several techniques have been proposed for the treatment of this effluent, but only a few processes have been applied at pilot or industrial scale and, nowadays, the management of olive oil mill wastewaters represents an environmental problem in the olive oil‐producing countries. Tests were carried out at pilot scale, by means of a plant with 1 m3 h−1 capacity; a process for the treatment and valorisation of olive mill wastewaters was reported. By this process, it was possible to produce starting from olive mill wastewaters resulting from a three‐phase milling system, 62% of purified water, which could be reused in the industrial processes, and a concentrated phenolic extract (9.5% total phenols), which could be used in food, cosmetic or animal feed industry.
Whole grains and resistant starch rich, reduced‐calorie biscuit diet as a hypoglycaemic, hypolipidaemic and insulin stimulator in streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats
Authors: Aggarwal Dipesh , Sabikhi Latha , Lamba Heena , Chaudhary Neha , Kapila Rajeev
Published: October 2016

A fibre‐enriched, reduced‐calorie biscuit [formulated biscuit (FB)] was evaluated for its antidiabetic and antilipidaemic potential in streptozotocin‐induced diabetes in Wistar rats against control biscuit (CB) having high calorie and low fibre content. Animals were allocated into five groups: a control group fed with synthetic diet, two diabetes‐induced groups (CBD and FBD) and two nondiabetic groups (CBND and FBND). CBD and CBND were fed with synthetic diet + CB while FBD and FBND were fed with synthetic diet + FB. After 6 weeks of feeding, the change in weight of nondiabetic group fed with FB (+16.20%) was nonsignificantly lower compared to control (+33.01%) and CB‐fed (+34.55%) group. Nonsignificant loss in body weight was observed among diabetic group fed with FB (−11.76%) or CB (−36.88%). Feeding of FB led to a significant decrease in fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL‐C, VLDL‐C and atherosclerotic index and increase the HDL‐C. Histological examination showed that feeding of FB was able to partially recover the destroyed β‐cell in STZ‐induced diabetic rats.
Sustained Engagement to Create Resilient Communities: How a Collaborative Design Approach can Broker and Mobilise Practitioner–Participant Interaction
Authors: McAra Marianne
Published: October 2016

When conducting research with young people, studies consistently cite the need to establish trust and rapport with participants. However, what frequently goes unreported is how to evolve these often highly fragile research relationships, and the subtle tensions and negotiations that can occur. In this article I reflect on my experience of collaborating with a group of young people, identified by their school teachers as vulnerable and at risk of falling through the educational net post compulsory schooling. Through a reflexive approach, this article explores how the use of a participatory filmmaking method enabled and sustained a research relationship between the participants and myself, outlining how trust and rapport gradually emerged. Drawing on relational ethics, I describe the catalysing and democratising role creativity played in gaining insights into group dynamics and the implicit strategies adopted by the young people in the search for social self‐empowerment.
Prophetic Nomadism: An Art School Sustainability‐Oriented Educational Aim?
Authors: Gunn Vicky
Published: October 2016

This discursive article proposes that the learning and teaching regimes provided within art school are uniquely placed within higher education to foster nomads. It suggests, however, that nomadism is not enough. Rather it emphasises that to reconcile art and design education with sustainability, such nomadism needs both to be prophetic and collaboratively based. Prophetic nomads are defined here as mobile, social influencers able to change perspectives through calling forward uncomfortable awakenings. They achieve this by creatively reframing what is at stake if we continue to act and be as we are. The presentation will explore the similarities between key concepts in the literacy of sustainability and the elements of prophetic nomadism. It will challenge us to reconsider these in the light of their potential generation through three ingredients of learning within art and design: reason, aesthetics and making. It will finish by declaring that as educators we should have the courage to more formally craft our pedagogies to call forth (evoke) and push‐out (provoke) sustainability‐oriented creativity through these domains.