bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adaptive maternal plasticity in response to perceptions of larval competition
Authors: Buser Claudia C. , Ward Paul I. , Bussière Luc F.
Published: October 2013

Because the developmental performance of a genotype can vary substantially depending on the conditions to which it is exposed, mothers are known to exercise strong choice concerning oviposition sites. Females potentially adjust the provisioning or paternity of offspring by responding to multiple environmental factors, but how those factors interact in the context of female assessment has been under investigated and remains poorly understood.

In this study, we examine how female perceptions of the larval environment affect the size, fitness and paternity of her brood. We mated female yellow dung flies, Scathophaga stercoraria, with two different males each, manipulated female perception of larval competition levels, and subsequently split clutches across high and low‐competition conditions.

We found that females (especially large females) laid more eggs when they perceived low levels of competition for their brood. Females further adjusted brood size depending on the size of their last mate (who typically sires most offspring), increasing brood size for large second mates when perceiving low levels of competition, and for small second mates when they perceived competition to be high. Larval survival was highest for females who perceived the same larval conditions that their larvae experienced, and whose last mate was well suited to such conditions (e.g. small for competitive conditions, or large in the absence of competition). In contrast, the effects of competition on paternity did not depend on maternal perceptions of larval competition, as would be expected if females exercise adaptive cryptic choice to favour alternate male phenotypes depending on the intensity of larval competition.

Our experimental approach supports complex and sophisticated changes in female behaviour in response to cues of larval fitness. Our results further emphasize that most plasticity in maternal behaviour serves to improve larval fitness directly, providing valuable empirical support for theoretical assertions of the primacy of material benefits over good‐genes.
The point process use‐availability or presence‐only likelihood and comments on analysis
Authors: McDonald Trent L.
Published: October 2013

Use‐availability and presence‐only analyses are synonyms. Both require two samples (one containing known locations, one containing potential locations), both estimate the same parameters, and both use the same fundamental likelihood.

Use‐availability and presence‐only designs compare characteristics of points where an organism was located to those where the organism could have been located. These designs can be generalized to estimate the relative probability that any event occurred at a set of locations.

This article generalizes the use‐availability likelihood given in Johnson et al. (Resource selection functions based on use‐availability data: theoretical motivation and evaluation methods, Journal of Wildlife Management, 2006) to point locations. This derivation arrives at the same likelihood as Fithian & Hastie (Statistical Models for Presence‐Only Data: Finite‐Sample Equivalence and Addressing Observer Bias, 2012) but uses a different technique and allows a more general link function. Fithian & Hastie (2012) use a case–control argument and Bayes theorem to derive the likelihood. This article uses Lagrangian multipliers to maximize the two‐sample likelihood.

Resource selection functions (RSF) defined here are ratios of density functions. RSFs must be positive and unbounded. Proper link functions must provide proportionality over their entire range. Given these conditions, the exponential link is the most logical and appropriate link function for RSFs. These conditions exclude the logistic link.

This article affirms that estimation of a RSF does not involve ‘running logistic regression’. By assigning 0 and 1 (pseudo‐)responses to vectors of covariates associated with locations in the used and available sample, it is possible to ‘trick’ logistic regression software into maximizing the use‐availability likelihood. Representing the analysis as ‘logistic regression’ is misleading because that implies use of the logistic link, which is inappropriate for RSF's. It is more accurate to state that the ‘use‐availability likelihood was maximized’.

RSFs are more general, intuitive and useful than resource selection probability functions (RSPF). RSPFs depend heavily on sampling mechanisms and the number of used and available locations selected. Consequently, the objective of estimation in use‐availability studies should be the RSF, not the RSPF.

Two simple examples and R code in the Supporting Information illustrate computations. These examples maximize the general log likelihood without the aid of logistic regression software.
A trade‐off between quantity and quality of offspring in haematophagous ectoparasites: the effect of the level of specialization
Authors: Khokhlova Irina S. , Pilosof Shai , Fielden Laura J. , Degen A. Allan , Krasnov Boris R.
Published: October 2013

Theory predicts an adaptive trade‐off between quantity and quality of offspring if mothers can reliably predict the offspring environment.

We studied egg production and quality of offspring in two flea species (host‐specialist Parapulex chephrenis and host‐generalist Xenopsylla ramesis) exploiting eight rodent species. We evaluated quality of new imagoes via their developmental time, size (length of a femur as a proxy) and resistance to starvation without a blood meal.

We predicted that the offspring quality would increase with (i) a decrease in the number of eggs produced by mothers and (ii) an increase in phylogenetic distance between maternal host and principal host of a flea. We also predicted that negative relationships between offspring quality and either maternal egg production effort or phylogenetic distance between maternal host and the principal host or both would be manifested stronger in host‐opportunistic than in host‐specific fleas.

The highest number of eggs produced per female flea was accompanied by the longest duration of development and the smallest offspring in X. ramesis, while P. chephrenis that hatched from larger clutches survived for less time under starvation. Although there was no significant effect of host species on any dependent variable, association between offspring quality and phylogenetic distance of the maternal host from the principal host of a flea was found in X. ramesis (but not P. chephrenis) with new imagoes being larger if their maternal hosts were phylogenetically distant from the principal host.

Our results demonstrated stronger trade‐off between quantity and quality of offspring in a generalist than in a specialist flea, supporting the association between life‐history plasticity and generalist feeding strategy.
Phylogeography and population structure of the biologically invasive phytopathogen Erwinia amylovora inferred using minisatellites
Authors: Bühlmann Andreas , Dreo Tanja , Rezzonico Fabio , Pothier Joël F. , Smits Theo H. M. , Ravnikar Maja , Frey Jürg E. , Duffy Brion
Published: October 2013

Erwinia amylovora causes a major disease of pome fruit trees worldwide, and is regulated as a quarantine organism in many countries. While some diversity of isolates has been observed, molecular epidemiology of this bacterium is hindered by a lack of simple molecular typing techniques with sufficiently high resolution. We report a molecular typing system of E. amylovora based on variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) analysis. Repeats in the E. amylovora genome were identified with comparative genomic tools, and VNTR markers were developed and validated. A Multiple‐Locus VNTR Analysis (MLVA) was applied to E. amylovora isolates from bacterial collections representing global and regional distribution of the pathogen. Based on six repeats, MLVA allowed the distinction of 227 haplotypes among a collection of 833 isolates of worldwide origin. Three geographically separated groups were recognized among global isolates using Bayesian clustering methods. Analysis of regional outbreaks confirmed presence of diverse haplotypes but also high representation of certain haplotypes during outbreaks. MLVA analysis is a practical method for epidemiological studies of E. amylovora, identifying previously unresolved population structure within outbreaks. Knowledge of such structure can increase our understanding on how plant diseases emerge and spread over a given geographical region.
SIDIER: substitution and indel distances to infer evolutionary relationships
Authors: Muñoz‐Pajares Antonio Jesús
Published: October 2013

The amount of evolutionary information in phylogeographic studies is usually limited due to the low divergence between closely related organisms. Consequently, obtaining the maximum evolutionary information contained in sequence alignments would be of great importance to infer phylogeographic relationships.

SIDIER is a software package that allows inferring evolutionary relationships from gapped alignments using information contained in both substitutions and insertions/deletions (indels).

SIDIER estimates the number of indel events that occurred during sequence evolution to obtain a distance matrix. This indel distance matrix may be combined with the substitution distance matrix calculated separately from the same data set.

Using this software, the inferred evolutionary events can be represented by means of percolation networks.

SIDIER is written in the open source R language and is freely available through the Comprehensive R Archive Network (http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/sidier/index.html).
The last mile(s) in modern input distribution: Pricing, profitability, and adoption
Authors: Minten Bart , Koru Bethlehem , Stifel David
Published: October 2013

Increasing adoption of modern inputs remains one of the best hopes for greater agricultural production in developing countries. Based on unique data from northwestern Ethiopia, this study examines the “last mile(s)”—from the input distribution center to the farmer—in the chemical fertilizer and improved seed distribution system. We find that increasing transaction and transportation costs over a 35 km distance, along a route mainly accessible to only foot traffic, lead to a 50% increase of the price of chemical fertilizer and to a 75% reduction in its use. Farmers who live about 10 km from the distribution center face per unit transaction and transportation costs as high as the costs needed to bring the fertilizer from the international port to the input distribution center (about 1,000 km). Tackling the “last mile(s)” costs should thus be a priority to improve modern input adoption and use in these settings.
Resection of Huge Retrosternal Goiter Through a Novel Combined Cervical and Robot‐Assisted Approach
Authors: Wang Shumin , Xu Shiguang , Liu Bo
Published: October 2013

A 53‐year‐old man was referred to our department with a history of cough, especially at night, for 3 months. He was found to have a huge retrosternal goiter. We applied a novel combined cervical and robot‐assisted approach to resect this difficult goiter. Using the da Vinci robot system, the intrathoracic part of the goiter was dissected and mobilized completely from the mediastinum to the inlet of the thorax. The dissected part of the goiter was left in the thorax. A right cervical half‐collar incision about 6 cm was then performed. The goiter was finally removed from the neck incision. Histopathologic examination reported a multinodular goiter. By the method shown in the case, resection of huge retrosternal goiters through a combined cervical and robot‐assisted approach is feasible and safe. This method provides an alternative option to the more invasive traditional approaches.
Linguistic analysis of extended examination answers: Differences between on‐screen and paper‐based, high‐ and low‐scoring answers
Authors: Charman Melody
Published: October 2013

This small‐scale pilot study aimed to establish how the mode of response in an examination affects candidates' performances on items that require an extended answer. The sample comprised 46 17‐year‐old students from two classes (one in a state secondary school and one in a state sixth‐form college), who sat a mock A‐level English Literature examination. The analysis compared writing produced on screen and on paper to try to uncover any systematic differences between the two modes of delivery. The study considered the linguistic features of the texts produced in each mode, the marks achieved and the views of the participants regarding the use of computers in essay‐based examinations. The study found that the response mode had a small effect on the length of essay produced, in that students using a computer wrote more, and on the type of language used, in that students writing on paper used denser but less varied language. There was very little effect on the marks achieved. Participants expressed a variety of concerns about computer‐based examinations, such as noisy keyboards, assessment of spelling, and unfairness towards those who are less comfortable with the technology.
Central nesfatin‐1 influences the excitability of ghrelin‐responsive gastric distension neurons in the arcuate nucleus and reduces gastric motility in rats
Authors: Li Zhi‐ling , Xu Luo , Sun Xiang‐rong , Guo Fei‐fei , Gong Yan‐ling , Gao Sheng‐li
Published: October 2013

Although the novel satiety peptide nesfatin‐1 has been shown to regulate gastric motility, the underlying mechanisms have yet to be elucidated. The study aimed to explore the effects of nesfatin‐1 on ghrelin‐responsive gastric distension (GD) neurons in the arcuate nucleus (Arc), and potential regulation mechanisms of gastric motility by the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Single‐unit discharges in the Arc were recorded extracellularly, and gastric motility in conscious rats was monitored during the administration of nesfatin‐1 to the Arc or electrical stimulation of the PVN. Retrograde tracing and fluo‐immunohistochemistry staining were used to determine NUCB2/nesfatin‐1 neuronal projections. Nesfatin‐1 inhibited most of the ghrelin‐responsive GD‐excitatory neurons, but excited ghrelin‐responsive GD‐inhibitory neurons in the Arc. Gastric motility was significantly reduced by nesfatin‐1 administration to the Arc in a dose‐dependent manner. The firing activity in the Arc and changes to gastric motility were partly reduced by SHU9119, an antagonist of melanocortin 3/4 receptors. Electrical stimulation of PVN excited most of the ghrelin‐responsive GD neurons in the Arc and promoted gastric motility. Nonetheless, pretreatment with an anti‐NUCB2/nesfatin‐1 antibody in the Arc further increased the firing rate of most of the ghrelin‐responsive GD‐excitatory neurons and decreased the ghrelin‐responsive GD‐inhibitory neurons following electrical stimulation of the PVN. Gastric motility was enhanced by pretreatment with an anti‐NUCB2/nesfatin‐1 antibody in the Arc following PVN stimulation. Furthermore, NUCB2/nesfatin‐1/fluorogold double‐labeled neurons were detected in the PVN. These results suggest that nesfatin‐1 could serve as an inhibitory factor in the Arc to regulate gastric motility via the melanocortin pathway. The PVN could be involved in the regulation of the Arc in gastric activity.
Modeling seizure self‐prediction: An e‐diary study
Authors: Haut Sheryl R. , Hall Charles B. , Borkowski Thomas , Tennen Howard , Lipton Richard B.
Published: October 2013

Purpose

A subset of patients with epilepsy successfully self‐predicted seizures in a paper diary study. We conducted an e‐diary study to ensure that prediction precedes seizures, and to characterize the prodromal features and time windows that underlie self‐prediction.

Methods

Subjects 18 or older with localization‐related epilepsy (LRE) and ≥3 seizures per month maintained an e‐diary, reporting a.m./p.m. data daily, including mood, premonitory symptoms, and all seizures. Self‐prediction was rated by, “How likely are you to experience a seizure (time frame)?” Five choices ranged from almost certain (>95% chance) to very unlikely. Relative odds of seizure (odds ratio, OR) within time frames was examined using Poisson models with log normal random effects to adjust for multiple observations.

Key Findings

Nineteen subjects reported 244 eligible seizures. OR for prediction choices within 6 h was as high as 9.31 (CI 1.92–45.23) for “almost certain.” Prediction was most robust within 6 h of diary entry, and remained significant up to 12 h. For nine best predictors, average sensitivity was 50%. Older age contributed to successful self‐prediction, and self‐prediction appeared to be driven by mood and premonitory symptoms. In multivariate modeling of seizure occurrence, self‐prediction (2.84; CI 1.68–4.81), favorable change in mood (0.82; CI 0.67–0.99), and number of premonitory symptoms (1.11; CI 1.00–1.24) were significant.

Significance

Some persons with epilepsy can self‐predict seizures. In these individuals, the odds of a seizure following a positive prediction are high. Predictions were robust, not attributable to recall bias, and were related to self‐awareness of mood and premonitory features. The 6‐h prediction window is suitable for the development of preemptive therapy.
Extracting signal from noise: kinetic mechanisms from a Michaelis–Menten‐like expression for enzymatic fluctuations
Authors: Moffitt Jeffrey R. , Bustamante Carlos
Published: October 2013

Enzyme‐catalyzed reactions are naturally stochastic, and precision measurements of these fluctuations, made possible by single‐molecule methods, promise to provide fundamentally new constraints on the possible mechanisms underlying these reactions. We review some aspects of statistical kinetics: a new field with the goal of extracting mechanistic information from statistical measures of fluctuations in chemical reactions. We focus on a widespread and important statistical measure known as the randomness parameter. This parameter is remarkably simple in that it is the squared coefficient of variation of the cycle completion times, although it places significant limits on the minimal complexity of possible enzymatic mechanisms. Recently, a general expression has been introduced for the substrate dependence of the randomness parameter that is for rate fluctuations what the Michaelis–Menten expression is for the mean rate of product generation. We discuss the information provided by the new kinetic parameters introduced by this expression and demonstrate that this expression can simplify the vast majority of published models.
Establishment and characterization of a mutagenized cell line exhibiting the ‘cell‐in‐cell’ phenotype at a high frequency
Authors: Kahyo Tomoaki , Sugimura Haruhiko
Published: October 2013

Cell‐in‐cell structures represent live cell events in which one cell internalizes another. Because formation of cell‐in‐cell structures is a rare event in most cell types and the event is associated with cell death, there has been limited clarification of this phenomenon, and its physiological role and molecular mechanism are yet to be precisely elucidated. In this study, we established a mutagenized cell line that exhibited cell‐in‐cell structures at a more than 10‐fold higher frequency as compared to the parent cells. Interestingly, both engulfment and invasion were increased in the mutagenized cell line as compared with that in the parent cell line in the suspension culture condition. This finding indicates that this mutagenized cell line showed an interchangeable status in terms of its ability to form cell‐in‐cell structures, and the system described here could be useful for elucidation of the mechanisms regulating the formation of cell‐in‐cell structures, including engulfment and invasion, in a given cellular environment. Further studies using this cell line are warranted to understand the mechanism of formation and biological significance of the cell‐in‐cell formation.
Understanding the medicines information‐seeking behaviour and information needs of South African long‐term patients with limited literacy skills
Authors: Patel Sonal , Dowse Ros
Published: October 2013

Background

Although much health information‐seeking behaviour (HISB) research has been reported in patients with good literacy skills, little is known about HISB in patients with limited literacy skills served by under‐resourced health‐care systems.

Objective

To investigate medicine information‐seeking behaviour and information needs in patients with limited literacy.

Methods

Using a question guide, four focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted to explore themes related to information needs, information‐seeking practices and awareness of and ability to utilize information sources. Twenty‐two isiXhosa‐speaking long‐term patients with limited formal education were recruited from a primary health‐care clinic in South Africa. Discussions were audio‐recorded and transcribed verbatim. NVivo® was used for initial coding of transcripts. Codes were analysed, and potential themes and subthemes in the entire data set were identified and refined.

Findings

The results of this study reflect a passive, disempowered patient. Poor awareness of information sources, lack of health‐related knowledge and stigma contributed to a lack of information‐seeking practice, thus potentially adversely influencing patient–provider interactions. Patients neither asked questions nor were encouraged to ask questions. All expressed an unmet need for information and a desire for receiving the illustrated written medicines‐related information displayed in the FGDs. The main sources of information were health‐care professionals, followed by family and friends.

Conclusion

The significant level of patient disempowerment and passivity reported amongst patients underpinned their inability to actively seek information. Neither sources of information nor types of appropriate medicines information could be identified. Unmet information needs and a desire for information were reported.
Engaging employers in workplace training – lessons from the English Train to Gain programme
Authors: Mazenod Anna
Published: October 2013

Despite the ambition of an employer‐led vocational education and training system, a lack of employer engagement in workplace training continues to be reported in England. There seems to be a mismatch between national policy level expectations of how employers should be engaging in workplace training and the practicalities of employer engagement at the local level. This paper presents findings from insider research on employer engagement in Train to Gain, the recent UK government flagship workplace training programme. The study draws on interviews with training providers and government contract managers in one local area to examine the impact of programme structures and funding arrangements on employer engagement and to identify lessons to be learnt. In their interview accounts, training providers identified rigidity and instability in government funding and management system structures as having constrained employer engagement in Train to Gain at the local level. The findings have implications for workplace training policy by suggesting that programmes with stable funding and local flexibility enable more effective employer engagement.
Phase I study of injectable, depot naltrexone for the relapse prevention treatment of opioid dependence
Authors: Xuyi Wang , Juelu Wang , Xiaojun Xiang , Haiyan Li , Zheyuan Liu , Zhehui Gong , Guoming Dong , Gang Liu , Jin Li , Wei Hao
Published: October 2013

Background and Objectives

We tested long‐acting injectable depot naltrexone for its tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and safety in Phase I.

Methods

The Phase I trial enrolled 36 healthy participants in two panels (A, B). In Panel A, 24 subjects were randomly assigned to the high‐dosage group (400 mg naltrexone, n = 6; placebo, n = 6) or low‐dosage group (200 mg naltrexone, n = 6; placebo, n = 6). In Panel B, 12 subjects were randomized to take six doses of monthly injectable naltrexone (400 mg) or placebo.

Results

After a single injection of naltrexone 200 and 400 mg, means (SD) of naltrexone plasma concentrations were .57 (.28) ng/ml and 1.5 (.8) ng/ml 30 days post‐injection. There was no effect of accumulation after multiple dosing. Eleven of 30 subjects (36.67%) who were administered injectable depot naltrexone reported a total of 12 adverse events (AEs). Seven of these 11 AEs were coded as possibly related with study medication. All treatment‐related AEs were mild in severity. No serious treatment‐related AEs occurred.

Discussion and Conclusions

This long‐acting formulation of injectable depot naltrexone is well tolerated, results in constant plasma concentration of naltrexone for at least 1 month.

Scientific Significance

The tolerability and safety of long‐acting injectable depot naltrexone are good. (Am J Addict 2014;23:162–169)
Phylogenetic imputation of plant functional trait databases
Authors: Swenson Nathan G.
Published: October 2013

Continental‐scale maps of plant functional diversity are a fundamental piece of data of interest to ecosystem modelers and ecologists, yet such maps have been exceedingly hard to generate. The large effort to compile global plant functional trait databases largely for the purpose of mapping and analyzing the spatial distribution of function has resulted in very sparse data matrices thereby limiting progress. Identifying robust methodologies to gap fill or impute trait values in these databases is an important objective. Here I argue that existing statistical tools from phylogenetic comparative methods can be used to rapidly impute values into global plant functional trait databases due to the large amount of phylogenetic signal often in trait data. In particular, statistical models of phylogenetic signal in traits can be generated from existing data and used to predict missing values of closely related species often with a high degree of accuracy thereby facilitating the continental‐scale mapping of plant function. Despite the promise of this approach, I also discuss potential pitfalls and future challenges that will need to be addressed.
Modelling direct and indirect impacts of browser consumption on woody plant growth: moving beyond biomass
Authors: Moncrieff Glenn R. , Chamaillé‐Jammes Simon , Bond William J.
Published: October 2013

Models and experimental studies of the impact of mammalian browsing on plant populations typically use biomass to quantify resource pools and herbivore impacts. For many woody plant populations, however, plant height is a better measure of fitness than biomass. We describe a function that links browsing to shoot and height growth by considering both the direct impact of biomass consumption and the effect of bud‐loss. The relative importance of direct consumption and bud‐loss for height and shoot growth is tested through experimental clipping. Experimental results are used to parameterize and compare the performance of our function. We show that the impacts of bud‐loss are indeed significant for both shoot and height growth and may cause the responses of biomass and height to diverge. We also show that our function results in an improved fit to experimental results when compared with a linear function only describing the direct impact of consumption. These results suggest that the demographic impacts of browsing may diverge from the responses expected for biomass based on herbivore consumption alone. Particularly, height growth can be drastically reduced at low and intermediate levels of consumption if the impacts of bud‐loss on shoot growth are high.
Chaunanthus torulosus sp. nov. (Brassicaceae) from Puebla (Mexico) and a synopsis of the genus
Authors: Al‐Shehbaz Ihsan A.
Published: October 2013

Chaunanthus torulosus Al‐Shehbaz sp. nov. is described and illustrated. Its relationships and distinguishing characters from its nearest relatives are discussed. An expanded generic description, key, and synopsis of the four species of Chaunanthus are presented.
Impedance Spectroscopy and Dielectric Properties of Flash Versus Conventionally Sintered Yttria‐Doped Zirconia Electroceramics Viewed at the Microstructural Level
Authors: M'Peko J.‐C. , Francis J. S. C. , Raj Rishi
Published: October 2013

The defect chemistry‐modulated dielectric properties of dense yttria‐doped zirconia ceramics prepared by conventional sintering (at 1350°C–1500°C) and electric field‐assisted flash sintering (55 V/cm at 900°C) were studied by impedance spectroscopy. While the bulk dielectric properties from both sets of samples showed only small and insignificant changes in conductivity and permittivity, respectively, a huge increase of these properties was measured for the grain boundaries in the flash sintered specimens. A close analysis of these results suggests that flash sintering reduced grain‐boundary thickness (by about 30%), while increasing the concentration of oxygen vacancies near these interfaces (by about 49%). The underlying mechanism proposed is electric field‐assisted generation and accommodation of defects in the space‐charge layers adjacent to the grain surface. The changes in measured permittivity are attributed to the boundary thickness effect on capacitance, while conductivity involved variations in its defect density‐dependent intrinsic value, accounting for changes also observed in grain‐boundary relaxation frequencies. Therefore, in terms of modifications to the specific dielectric properties of these materials, the overall consequence of flash sintering was to considerably lower the semi‐blocking character of the grain boundaries.
The Effect of Electric Poling on the Performance of Lead‐Free (1−x)Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3–x(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 Piezoceramics
Authors: Ehmke Matthias C. , Glaum Julia , Hoffman Mark , Blendell John E. , Bowman Keith J.
Published: October 2013

The effect of increasing poling fields on the properties of (1−x)BZT–xBCT compositions across the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) is studied using large signal polarization and strain, small signal permittivity and piezoelectric coefficient, and XRD measurements. Successive poling causes charge carrier migration inducing an internal bias field, which becomes large with respect to the coercive field resulting in biased ferroelectric and ferroelastic switching. Improvements in piezoelectric coefficient of 9% are significantly smaller in the tetragonal 60BCT composition compared with the improvement of approximately 50% in the rhombohedral 40BCT and MPB 50BCT compositions. While the properties continue to change with increased poling fields, the remnant ferroelastic domain texture parallel to the field direction, as observed from XRD, stays approximately constant. The improvement in overall domain alignment leading to largely enhanced intrinsic piezoelectricity originates from the alignment of 180° domains and possibly non‐180° domains in grains with orientations inclined to the electric field. As a result, poling is most effective in BZT–BCT materials that have low coercive fields, show low distortions and possess more polarization orientations, such as compositions in the rhombohedral phase field or near the MPB.
PESTonFARM – stochastic model of on‐farm insect behaviour and their response to IPM interventions
Authors: Lux S. A.
Published: October 2013

PESTonFARM is an agent‐based pattern‐oriented model with elements of cellular automata, developed to simulate insect behaviour within seasonally changing mosaic of farming landscapes, under the challenge of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) actions. The model is based on a software construct (‘virtual insect’), acting according to a pre‐defined set of behavioural rules. Each ‘virtual insect’ acts independently, developing its individually unique behavioural sequence and life history. The local on‐farm conditions and the planned IPM interventions can be represented through user‐defined spatial and temporal parameters. Incompatibility among IPM treatments, for example, pesticide vs. biological control, also could be taken into account. Unit costs of IPM interventions and crop values can be specified to obtain cost/benefit assessments for each IPM scenario. The model emulates the behaviour of a pest population during a virtual IPM experiment, and each run generates stochastically equivalent but unique sets of results, which functionally correspond to a replication of an on‐farm experiment. By taking into account the local farm structures and their spatiotemporal variations the model alludes to the concept of ‘precision agriculture’. Once customized to the local conditions and validated, the model can support site‐specific forecasting, decision‐making and training, serving as a component of the ‘precision IPM’ toolbox. To demonstrate the concept, an example of the model application in management of the cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cherasi, is briefly presented and discussed.
Disease resistance and immune‐relevant gene expression in golden mandarin fish, Siniperca scherzeri Steindachner, infected with infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus‐like agent
Authors: Shin G W , White S L , Dahms H U , Jeong H D , Kim J H
Published: October 2013

Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV), family Iridoviridae, genus Megalocytivirus, may cause high mortality rates such as those seen in mandarin fish, Siniperca chuatsi. ISKNV has attracted much attention due to the possible environmental threat and economic losses it poses on both cultured and wild populations. We have investigated the pathogenicity of ISKNV‐like agent Megalocytivirus, isolated from infected pearl gourami, in golden mandarin fish, Siniperca scherzeri – a member of the Percichthyidae family – and in another Percichthyidae species, S. chuatsi. Fish were challenged with four different doses of ISKNV‐like agent Megalocytivirus (1, 10, 100 or 1000 μg per fish) over a 30‐day period, and cumulative fish mortalities were calculated for each group. No significant mortality was observed for fish challenged with the lowest dose (1 μg per fish) relative to a control group. However, all other challenged groups showed 100% mortality over a 30‐day period in proportion to the challenge dose. Quantitative real‐time PCR was performed to measure mRNA expression levels for six immune‐related genes in golden mandarin fish following ISKNV‐like agent challenge. mRNA expression levels for IRF1, Mx, viperin and interleukin 8 significantly increased, while mRNA levels for IRF2 and IRF7 remained constant or declined during the challenge period.
Multidrug‐Resistant stx1 Harboring Escherichia coli from Meat Shop and Fast Food
Authors: Pavithra M , Ghosh Asit Ranjan
Published: October 2013

Escherichia coli have public health impact on humans by causing gastroenteritis including hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. A total of 215 samples collected from fast foods, swabs from meat shops and fish markets were examined. Thirty‐six samples (16.74%) were identified as E. coli with various serogroups like O8, O19, O22, O41, O60, O101, O116 and O147, respectively. Only nine (25%) E. coli possessed the gene encoding shiga toxin (stx 1). Isolated E. coli were multidrug‐resistant with complete resistance to fluroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, and lomefloxacin respectively). Isolation of stx 1 bearing E. coli with multidrug resistance from fast food and meat sources is a clear indication of environmental contamination and is a matter of public health concern.

Practical Application

Detection of diarrheogenic serogroups of stx 1 harboring Escherichia coli with multidrug resistance in fast foods and meat shops is applicable in creating awareness among public about the unhygienic practices followed in the fast food centers and retail meat shops and also the improper disposal of fecal and antibiotic wastes, which is the cause for such contaminations. This study also insists the need of health education and hygienic practice for the food handlers.
Rapid Effects of Oestrogen on Synaptic Plasticity: Interactions with Actin and Its Signalling Proteins
Authors: Babayan A. H. , Kramár E. A.
Published: October 2013

Oestrogen rapidly enhances fast excitatory postsynaptic potentials, facilitates long‐term potentiation (LTP) and increases spine numbers. Each effect likely contributes to the influence of the steroid on cognition and memory. In the present review, we first describe a model for the substrates of LTP that includes an outline of the synaptic events occurring during induction, expression and consolidation. Briefly, critical signalling pathways involving the small GTPases RhoA and Rac/Cdc42 are activated by theta burst‐induced calcium influx and initiate actin filament assembly via phosphorylation (inactivation) of cofilin. Reorganisation of the actin cytoskeleton changes spine and synapse morphology, resulting in increased concentrations of AMPA receptors at stimulated contacts. We then use the synaptic model to develop a specific hypothesis about how oestrogen affects both baseline transmission and plasticity. Brief infusions of 17β‐oestradiol (E2) reversibly stimulate the RhoA, cofilin phosphorylation and actin polymerisation cascade of the LTP machinery; blocking this eliminates the effects of the steroid on transmission. We accordingly propose that E2 induces a weak form of LTP and thereby increases synaptic responses, a hypothesis that also accounts for how it markedly enhances theta burst induced potentiation. Although the effects of E2 on the cytoskeleton could be a result of the direct activation of small GTPases by oestrogen receptors on the synaptic membrane, the hormone also activates tropomyosin‐related kinase B receptors for brain‐derived neurotrophic factor, a neurotrophin that engages the RhoA‐cofilin sequence and promotes LTP. The latter observations raise the possibility that E2 produces its effects on synaptic physiology via transactivation of neighbouring receptors that have prominent roles in the management of spine actin, synaptic physiology and plasticity.
Frequency and Duration of Nursing Care Related to Older Patient Mobility
Authors: Doherty‐King Barbara , Yoon Ju Young , Pecanac Kristen , Brown Roger , Mahoney Jane
Published: October 2013

Purpose

To evaluate the frequency and duration of nursing care activity related to mobilizing older patients in acute care settings and determining who initiates the mobility event (patient or nurse).

Methods

This was an observation study using time and motion. Observers shadowed 15 registered nurses (RNs) each for two to three 8‐hr periods using hand‐held computer tablets to collect data on frequency and duration of six mobility events (standing, transferring, walking to and from the patient bathroom, walking in the patient room, and walking in the hallway) that occurred in the nurse's presence. Chart reviews were conducted on 47 adult patients (> 65 years of age) who were cared for by the nurses during the observation periods. Descriptive statistics (mean, median, standard deviation, frequency, and proportion) were used to describe the occurrence of mobility events among all 47 patients and among a subgroup of 16 patients identified as dependent (needing human assistance of another to ambulate) at the time of admission.

Results

Thirty‐two percent of older patients were not engaged by an RN in any mobility event during an 8‐hr period. For all patients, standing and transferring were the most frequent mobility activity. Mean duration for ambulation was less than 2 min per observation period. Patients who were dependent had fewer mobility events with no events related to ambulation initiated by nurses. The majority of mobility events were initiated by patients.

Conclusions

Nurses infrequently initiated mobility events for hospitalized older patients and most often engaged patients in low‐level activity (standing and transferring).

Clinical Relevance

Limited mobility (standing and transferring only) is an independent predictor of negative outcomes for hospitalized older patients. Nurses are in a key position to improve outcomes for hospitalized older patients by engaging them in mobility activity, particularly ambulation, but further research is needed to determine how best to engage nurses in these activities.
Characterization of freshwater benthic biofilm‐forming Hydrocoryne (Cyanobacteria) isolates from Antarctica
Authors: Genuário Diego Bonaldo , Corrêa Débora Machado , Komárek Jiří , Fiore Marli Fátima
Published: October 2013

The aims of this work were to study cyanobacterial isolates resembling the genus Hydrocoryne using a combination of morphology and phylogeny of 16S rRNA and nifH sequences and to investigate genes involved in cyanotoxin and protease inhibitor production. Four new cyanobacterial strains, isolated from biofilm samples collected from King George Island, Antarctica, were studied. In terms of morphology, these new strains share traits similar to true Anabaena morphotypes (benthic ones), whereas phylogenetic analysis of their 16S rRNA gene sequences grouped them with the sequence of the type species Hydrocoryne spongiosa (H. Schwabe ex Bornet and Flahault 1886–1888), but not with sequences of the type species from the genus Anabaena. This cluster is the sister group of Anabaena morphotypes isolated only from the Gulf of Finland. In addition, this cluster is related to two other clusters formed by sequences of Anabaena isolated from different sites. Partial nifH genes were sequenced from two strains and the phylogenetic tree revealed that the Antarctic nifH sequences clustered with sequences from Anabaena. Furthermore, two strains were tested, using PCR with specific primers, for the presence of genes involved in cyanotoxins (microcystin and saxitoxin) and protease inhibitor (aeruginosin, and cyanopeptolin). Only cyanopeptolin was amplified using PCR. These four Hydrocoryne strains are the first to be isolated and sequenced from Antarctica, which improves our knowledge on this poorly defined cyanobacterial genus.
A Double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled study to assess the safety, antiviral activity and pharmacokinetics of GSK2336805 when given as monotherapy and in combination with peginterferon alfa‐2a and ribavirin in hepatitis C virus genotype 1‐infected treatment‐naive subjects
Authors: Gardner Stephen , Cutrell Amy , Elko‐Simms Cindy , Adkison Kimberly , Hamatake Robert , Walker Jill , Rodriguez‐Torres Maribel , Hong Zhi
Published: October 2013

Background & Aims

GSK2336805 is a HCV NS5A inhibitor for chronic hepatitis C (CHC). In a prior Phase I study, GSK2336805 was well tolerated and had an antiviral and pharmacokinetic profile suitable for once‐daily administration. This 28‐day, double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled study evaluated once daily GSK2336805 60 mg alone or in combination with peginterferon alfa‐2a (180 μg per week) and ribavirin (1000–1200 mg daily) (PEG/RIBA) in treatment‐naive genotype 1 CHC subjects.

Methods

Five centres enrolled 16 subjects in the USA and Puerto Rico who received GSK2336805 + PEG/RIBA or placebo + PEG/RIBA.

Results

Following a single monotherapy dose of GSK2336805 on day 1, median reduction from baseline in HCV RNA was −2.96 log10 (N = 11) vs. −0.13 log10 (N = 4) for placebo. With the addition of PEG/RIBA on day 2, subjects receiving GSK2336805 exhibited greater decreases in viral load over the 28‐day treatment period as compared with placebo. At day 28, median reduction from baseline was −4.86 log10 (N = 9) in the GSK2336805 + PEG/RIBA group as compared with −1.98 log10 (N = 4) in the placebo + PEG/RIBA group. At day 28, rapid virological response (RVR) occurred in 8/11 (73%) of the GSK2336805 + PEG/RIBA subjects as compared with 1/4 (25%) of the placebo + PEG/RIBA subjects. Adverse events were consistent with those reported in clinical trials of peginterferon and ribavirin, and no unique adverse events appeared to be associated with GSK2336805.

Conclusions

GSK2336805 is a potent NS5A inhibitor that showed a substantial antiviral effect as a monotherapy and in combination with peginterferon and ribavirin.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01439373.
Nature's inordinate fondness for metabolic enzymes: why metabolic enzyme loci are so frequently targets of selection
Authors: Marden James H.
Published: October 2013

Metabolic enzyme loci were some of the first genes accessible for molecular evolution and ecology research. New technologies now make the whole genome, transcriptome or proteome readily accessible, allowing unbiased scans for loci exhibiting significant differences in allele frequency or expression level and associated with phenotypes and/or responses to natural selection. With surprising frequency and in many cases in proportions greater than chance relative to other genes, glycolysis andTCAcycle enzyme loci appear among the genes with significant associations in these studies. Hence, there is an ongoing need to understand the basis for fitness effects of metabolic enzyme polymorphisms. Allele‐specific effects on the binding affinity and catalytic rate of individual enzymes are well known, but often of uncertain significance because metabolic control theory andin vivostudies indicate that many individual metabolic enzymes do not affect pathway flux rate. I review research, so far little used in evolutionary biology, showing that metabolic enzyme substrates affect signalling pathways that regulate cell and organismal biology, and that these enzymes have moonlighting functions. To date there is little knowledge of how alleles in natural populations affect these phenotypes. I discuss an example in which alleles of aTCAenzyme locus associate with differences in a signalling pathway and development, organismal performance, and ecological dynamics. Ultimately, understanding how metabolic enzyme polymorphisms map to phenotypes and fitness remains a compelling and ongoing need for gaining robust knowledge of ecological and evolutionary processes.
A model for the development of Erysiphe necator chasmothecia in vineyards
Authors: Legler S. E. , Caffi T. , Rossi V.
Published: October 2013

A temperature‐driven, mechanistic model predicting the development of Erysiphe necator chasmothecia in vineyards was developed and validated in 38 vineyards in the Po Valley (northern Italy), Baden‐Württemberg (Germany), and South Australia between 2005 and 2011. The model, which begins operating when the first ascocarp initials are formed, predicts on a daily basis the proportions of chasmothecia at the yellow, brown and black maturity stage. The initialization date was estimated with an iterative procedure that minimized the residuals of predicted versus observed values. In all vineyards, a drop to more favourable temperatures for ascocarp production over 2–4 days in the week or in the 2 weeks before the model initialization date probably triggered chasmothecia production. Model predictions provided a good fit of observed data (coefficients of determination, model accuracy, efficacy and efficiency were all ≥0·90), with some overestimation. When predicted production of black chasmothecia (on leaves) was compared with observed dispersal of chasmothecia from vines, lack of splashing rain was probably the main cause of overestimation. When observed numbers of yellow, brown or black chasmothecia on leaves were compared with model predictions, removal of the developing chasmothecia by rainfall was probably the main cause of overestimation. Inclusion of the effect of rainfall on the removal of immature and mature chasmothecia from the powdery mildew colonies could improve the model. The model could be used to time the application of fungicides or biocontrol agents for reducing ascocarp formation and reducing primary inoculum in the following season.