bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A meta‐ethnography of the facilitators and barriers to successful implementation of patient complaints processes in health‐care settings
Authors: Scott David A. H. , Grant Suzanne M.
Published: November 2017

Objective

To synthesize experiences of the patient complaints process for patients and health‐care professionals to identify facilitators and barriers in the successful implementation of patient complaints processes. This will assist the development of cultural change programmes, enabling complaints managers to incorporate stakeholder perspectives into future care.

Design

Systematic literature search and meta‐ethnography, comprising reciprocal syntheses of “patient” and “professional” qualitative studies, combined to form a “line‐of‐argument” embodying both perspectives.

Data sources

MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycINFO (database inception to April 2015) were searched to identify international literature in primary and secondary health‐care settings, involving qualitative data collection and analysis. Further studies were identified from hand‐searching relevant journals, contacting authors, article reference lists and Google Scholar.

Results

A total of 13 papers, reporting 9 studies from the United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand, were included in the synthesis. Facilitators and barriers to the successful implementation of patient complaints processes were identified across the perspectives of both patients and health‐care professionals. Patients sought to individualize the complaints process by targeting specific professionals who engaged in practices that undermined the identity of patients. In contrast, professionals obscured their own individualism through maintaining a collective identity and withholding personal judgement in relation to patient complaints.

Conclusions

Complainants recognized health‐care professionals as bearers of individual accountability for unsatisfactory care, in opposition to the stance of collective responsibility endorsed by professionals. Implementation of patient complaints processes must reconcile the need for individualized resolution, whilst striving to improve the future provision of health care through a collaborative approach between patients and professionals.
Effects of increased apical enlargement on the amount of unprepared areas and coronal dentine removal: a micro‐computed tomography study
Authors: Pérez A. R. , Alves F. R. F. , Marceliano‐Alves M. F. , Provenzano J. C. , Gonçalves L. S. , Neves A. A. , Siqueira J. F.
Published: November 2017

Aim

To evaluate the effects of progressive apical enlargement on the amount of unprepared root canal surface area and remaining dentine thickness.

Methodology

The root canals of 30 extracted mandibular incisors with Vertucci′s type I configuration were instrumented with rotary HyFlex CM instruments (Coltene‐Whaledent, Altstätten, Switzerland) up to 4 instruments larger than the first one that bound at the working length (WL). Teeth were scanned in a micro‐computed tomography (micro‐CT) device before canal preparation and after instrumentation with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th larger instruments. The amount of unprepared surface area in the full canal or in the apical 4 mm as well as the remaining dentine thickness at 10 mm from the WL were calculated and compared. The general linear model for repeated measures adjusted by Bonferroni's post hoc test was used for statistic analysis.

Results

There was a significant reduction in the amount of unprepared areas after each increase in preparation size (P < 0.01). This was observed for both the full canal length and the 4‐mm apical segment. The amount of remaining dentine was also significantly reduced after each file size (P < 0.01). However, dentine thickness always remained greater than 1 mm, even after using the largest instrument.

Conclusion

Apical preparations up to 4 instruments larger than the first one to bind at the WL caused a significant progressive reduction in the unprepared canal area.
Shelf life and quality of probiotic yogurt produced with Lactobacillus acidophilus and Gobdin
Authors: Ertem Hatice , Çakmakçı Songül
Published: November 2017

This study evaluated the effect of dry white mulberry and walnut paste (Gobdin, a traditional Turkish food) in probiotic yogurt on the survival of Lactobacillus acidophilus and yogurt properties. Six different yogurts were produced with 0%, 5% and 10% Gobdin using Lactobacillus bulgaricus + Streptococcus thermophilus and with 0%, 5% and 10% Gobdin using L. bulgaricus + S. thermophilus + L. acidophilus. The physical, chemical, microbiological and sensorial properties of the yogurts were evaluated based on storage at 4 ± 1 °C. Probiotic shelf life and the most suitable combinations were determined. The highest L. acidophilus count (8.65 log cfu g−1) was found in the 5% Gobdin‐supplemented yogurt on the 7th day of storage, while the lowest count (8.11 log cfu g−1) was found in the probiotic control yogurt on the 21st day. Although the L. acidophilus counts in the probiotic yogurts declined during storage, all values found throughout the 21‐day storage period were >8 log cfu g−1. This is above the level necessary to provide the desired therapeutic effect in probiotic products (106–107 cfu g−1). The highest overall acceptability score was obtained on the first day from the yogurt with 5% Gobdin. However, all yogurt samples had general acceptability scores between 7 and 8 points from a 9‐point maximum. Thus, this study determined that a new functional yogurt can be produced using L. acidophilus with 5% Gobdin.
The impact of early Quaternary climate change on the diversification and population dynamics of a South American cactus species
Authors: Silva Gislaine Angélica Rodrigues , Antonelli Alexandre , Lendel Anita , Moraes Evandro de Marsola , Manfrin Maura Helena
Published: November 2017

Aim

Climatic oscillations have been suggested to promote speciation and changes in species distributions, mostly in connection with the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). However, the LGM is just the most recent of the 20+ glacial‐interglacial periods that characterise the Quaternary. Here, we investigate the role of climatic changes and geomorphological features in shaping the evolution, distribution and population dynamics of the South American cactus Cereus hildmannianus.

Location

South‐eastern South America.

Methods

We built a large fossil‐calibrated phylogeny for cacti (family Cactaceae), comprising 128 species distributed in all subfamilies, using a Bayesian relaxed clock. We used the results to derive a secondary calibration for a population‐level phylogeny in C. hildmannianus. We amplified two plastid (trnQ‐5′rps16 and psbJ‐petA) and one nuclear marker (PhyC) for 24 populations. We estimated population dynamics, ancestral areas, and species distribution models to infer the clade's evolutionary history in time and space.

Results

Our results show a major population divergence of C. hildmannianus at c. 2.60 Ma, which is strikingly coincident with the transition of the Pliocene–Pleistocene and onset of Quaternary glaciations. This was followed by a complex phylogeographic scenario involving population expansions across ecologically diverse regions.

Main conclusions

Contrary to the dominant research focus on the LGM, our study indicates a major impact of the first Quaternary glaciation on the distribution and population divergence of a South American plant species. Further intraspecific events seem related to successive climatic changes and geomorphology, including the development of the coastal plain and its peculiar diversity. We propose that the first Quaternary glaciation acted as a major evolutionary bottleneck, whereby many warm‐adapted lineages succumbed, while those that survived could diversify and better cope with subsequent climatic oscillations.
Complex inter‐island colonization and peripatric founder speciation promote diversification of flightless Pachyrhynchus weevils in the Taiwan–Luzon volcanic belt
Authors: Tseng Hui‐Yun , Huang Wen‐San , Jeng Ming‐Luen , Villanueva Reagan Joseph T. , Nuñeza Olga M. , Lin Chung‐Ping
Published: November 2017

Aim

We investigated the spatial and temporal patterns of diversification among colourful and flightless weevils, the Pachyrhynchus orbifer complex, to test the stepping‐stone hypothesis of colonization across the Taiwan–Luzon volcanic belt.

Location

Southeast Asia.

Methods

The phylogeny of the P. orbifer complex was reconstructed from a multi‐locus data set of mitochondrial and nuclear genes using maximum likelihood in RAxML and Bayesian inference in MRBAYES. Likelihood‐based tests in CONSEL were used to evaluate alternative tree topologies. Divergence times were estimated in beast based on a range of mutation rates. Ancestral range and biogeographical history were reconstructed using Bayesian binary MCMC (BBM) methods in RASP and in BioGeoBEARS. Demographic histories were inferred using the extended Bayesian skyline plot (EBSP). Species boundaries were tested using BPP.

Results

The phylogeny of the P. orbifer complex indicated strong support for seven reciprocally monophyletic lineages grouped by current island boundaries (Camiguin, Fuga, Dalupiri, Calayan, Babuyan, Orchid and Yaeyama Islands), except for a sister Green + Itbayat lineage. Complex and stochastic colonization of P. orbifer was inferred to have involved both northward and southward directions with short‐ and long‐distance dispersal events, which are strongly inconsistent with the strict stepping‐stone hypothesis. Divergence time estimates for all extant island lineages (<1 Myr of Middle Pleistocene) are much more recent than the geological ages (22.4–1.7 Myr) and subaerial existence (c. 3 Myr) of the islands. The statistically delimited seven cryptic species imply that the diversity of Pachyrhynchus from small peripheral islands continues to be largely under‐estimated.

Main conclusions

The non‐linear, more complex spatial and temporal settings of the archipelago and stochastic dispersal were probable key factors shaping the colonization history of the P. orbifer complex. Speciation of the P. orbifer complex may have occurred only between islands, indicating that peripatric speciation through the founders of stochastic dispersals was the major evolutionary driver.
Contrasting phylogeography of two Western Palaearctic fish parasites despite similar life cycles
Authors: Perrot‐Minnot Marie‐Jeanne , Špakulová Marta , Wattier Rémi , Kotlík Petr , Düşen Serdar , Aydoğdu Ali , Tougard Christelle
Published: November 2017

Aim

We used comparative phylogeography of two intestinal parasites of freshwater fish to test whether similarity in life cycle translates into concordant phylogeographical history. The thorny‐headed wormsPomphorhynchus laevisandP. tereticollis(Acanthocephala) were formerly considered as a single species with a broad geographical and host range within the Western Palaearctic.

Location

Central and eastern parts of Northern Mediterranean area, Western and Central Europe, Ponto‐Caspian Europe.

Methods

A mitochondrial marker (COI) was sequenced for 111P. laevisand 50P. tereticollisindividuals and nuclearITS1 andITS2 sequences were obtained for 37P. laevisand 21P. tereticollis. Genetic divergence, phylogenetic relationships and divergence time were estimated for various lineages within each species, and their phylogeographical patterns were compared to known palaeogeographical events in Western Palaearctic. Biogeographical histories of each species were inferred.

Results

The two species show very different phylogeographical patterns. Five lineages were identified inP. laevis, partially matching several major biogeographical regions defined in the European riverine fish fauna. The early stages ofP. laevisdiversification occurred in the peri‐Mediterranean area, during the Late Miocene. Subsequent expansion across Western Europe and Russia was shaped by dispersal and vicariant events, from Middle Pliocene to Middle Pleistocene. By contrast,P. tereticollishas differentiated more recently within the Western and Central parts of Europe, and shows weak geographical and genetic structuring.

Conclusion

Our study highlights weak to moderate similarity in the phylogeographical pattern of these acanthocephalan parasites compared to their amphipod and fish hosts. The observed differences in the timing of dispersion and migration routes taken may reflect the use of a range of final hosts with different ecologies and dispersal capabilities. By using a group underrepresented in phylogeographical studies, our study is a valuable contribution to revealing the biogeography of host–parasite interactions in continental freshwaters.
Spatial patterns of genetic diversity among Australian alpine flora communities revealed by comparative phylogenomics
Authors: Bell Nicholas , Griffin Philippa C. , Hoffmann Ary A. , Miller Adam D.
Published: November 2017

Aim

The alpine region of mainland Australia is one of the world's 187 biodiversity hotspots. Genetic analyses of Australian alpine fauna indicate high levels of endemism on fine spatial scales, unlike Northern Hemisphere alpine systems where shallow genetic differentiation is typically observed among populations. These discrepancies have been attributed to differences in elevation and influence from glacial activity, and point to a unique phylogeographic history affecting Australian alpine biodiversity. To test generality of these findings across Australian alpine biota, we assessed patterns of genetic structure across plant species.

Location

The Australian Alps, Victoria, eastern Australia.

Methods

We used an economical pooled genotyping‐by‐sequencing (GBS) approach to examine patterns of genetic diversity among seven widespread species including shrubs and forbs from 16 mountain summits in the Australian Alpine National Park. Patterns of genetic structure among summit populations for each species were inferred from an average of 2,778 independentSNPloci using Bayesian phylogenomic inference and clustering approaches.

Results

SNPresults were consistent across species in identifying deep evolutionary splits among summit communities from the Northern and Central Victorian Alpine regions. These patterns of genetic structure are also consistent with those previously reported for invertebrate and mammal taxa. However, local genetic structure was less pronounced in the plants, supporting the notion that population connectivity tends to be higher in plant species.

Main conclusion

There is deep lineage diversification between the North and Central Victorian Alpine regions, reflecting a high level of endemism. These findings differ from those reported for alpine biodiversity from New South Wales and much of the Northern Hemisphere, and support the notion that genetic diversity is typically greatest in areas least affected by historical ice sheet formation. We discuss the implications of our findings in the context of conservation planning, and highlight the benefits of this rapid and cost‐effective genome scan approach for characterizing evolutionary processes at multispecies and landscape scales.
The Politics of Citations at the ECJ—Policy Preferences of E.U. Member State Governments and the Citation Behavior of Judges at the European Court of Justice
Authors: Frankenreiter Jens
Published: November 2017

This article investigates the relationship between the political preferences of E.U. Member States and the behavior of judges at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) by analyzing their citation behavior. It shows that judges at the ECJ are more likely to cite judgments authored by judges appointed by Member State governments with similar preferences regarding European integration. Analogous with the context of U.S. courts, nonrandom opinion assignment potentially threatens the validity of these results. To overcome this problem, I exploit the unique institutional setting at the ECJ to develop an improved identification strategy that builds on comparing the citations in two documents produced in the same case (i.e., the judgment and the opinion of the Advocate General). The findings in this article provide evidence for the hypothesis that the political preferences of Member State governments are reflected in the behavior of the members of the ECJ.
A Heuristic Screening Aid for Consequential Life Cycle Assessment
Authors: Rajagopal Deepak
Published: November 2017

Consequential life cycle assessment (CLCA) is envisioned as a framework that combines the technological richness of attributional life cycle assessment (ALCA) with basic economic intuition to assess the potential environmental impact of an innovation. However, despite a growing literature, CLCA still lacks general guidelines for system boundary definition. Toward filling this gap, this article invents a new index of vulnerability of the life cycle impact of a product (or activity) to emissions arising from the impact of its large‐scale adoption on market prices. Using corn ethanol as an example, it is illustrated how such an index might aid in the selection of a small set of affected activities for formal consideration in a CLCA. The application to corn ethanol reveals that in addition to land‐cover change, there exist other sources of vulnerability that have not received attention in the context of biofuels. A general procedure for utilizing the vulnerability index as a screening aid for CLCA is outlined. The utility of the vulnerability index is independent of the type of modeling framework (such as multimarket partial equilibrium or computable general equilibrium) that might be employed for a formal CLCA. Finally, this work illustrates how the vulnerability index approach bridges ALCA and CLCA.
The Profession of Couple, Marital, and Family Therapy (CMFT): Defining Ourselves and Moving Forward
Authors: Wampler Karen S. , Blow Adrian J. , McWey Lenore M. , Miller Richard B. , Wampler Richard S.
Published: November 2017

The field of Couple, Marital, and Family Therapy (CMFT) has evolved and strengthened, but we still have work to do when it comes to identity, comprehensive scholarly resources, empirical support, and name brand recognition. We explore the reasons for these challenges and propose ways to address them: embracing the interdisciplinary nature of the field, consistently organizing treatment effectiveness by problem rather than by intervention model, continuing innovation in theory development, and utilizing more diverse and meaningful research methods. This approach provides a more accurate representation of the scope of practice of CMFTs, the range of mental and physical health problems we address, and the depth and extent of the existing research on the effectiveness of relational therapies.
Amelogenesis imperfecta in the dentition of a wild chimpanzee
Authors: Towle Ian , Irish Joel D. , De Groote Isabelle
Published: November 2017

This report describes a case of amelogenesis imperfecta in the dentition of a female chimpanzee. Amelogenesis imperfecta is a group of rare genetic conditions that create severe enamel defects, which, although well researched in humans, has not yet been investigated in wild non‐human primates.
Incidence and cost of hospitalisation of children with injuries from playground equipment falls in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Bierbaum Mia , Curtis Kate , Mitchell Rebecca
Published: November 2017

Aims

To describe the epidemiological profile and cost of hospitalised injuries caused by playground equipment falls of children aged 0–14 years, in New South Wales, Australia.

Methods

Linked New South Wales hospitalisation data from 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2014 were used to describe the incidence of hospitalisation for playground falls, the age‐standardised rate of hospitalisation per year, age group and gender, the characteristics of the injured children and the injury incident. Health outcomes, such as length of stay in hospital, and the hospital costs associated with the injuries were examined by age group. Negative binomial regression assessed the trend in hospitalisation rates over time.

Results

There were 7795 hospitalisations of children for playground fall injuries. The highest hospitalisation rate was for the 5–9 year olds (220.7 per 100 000 population) and was higher in males than females (234.2 and 206.3 per 100 000 population, respectively). The majority of these injuries occurred in schools (17.1%) and homes (14.6%), and were as a result of falls from trampolines (34.3%) and climbing apparatuses (28.2%). Over half the playground falls led to fractures of the elbow and wrist (54.7%). The total hospital cost of playground fall‐related injuries was $18 million.

Conclusion

Rates of hospitalisation of children for playground fall injuries remain high despite implementation of national playground safety standards in Australia. This research highlights where interventions should be targeted to reduce the incidence and burden of injuries following falls from playground equipment.
Laughing Seizures and Precocious Puberty
Authors: PENFOLD J. L. , MANSON J. I. , CALDICOTT W. M.
Published: November 2017

Penfold, J. L, Manson, J. I. and Caldicott, W. M. (1978). Aust. Paediatr. J., 14, 185–190. Laughing seizures and precocious puberty. (Case report and review of the literature.) A girl with laughing seizures and precocious puberty is presented in detail. She appears unique in having a congenital cardiac lesion in addition to a hypothalamic hamartomatous malformation. Nine other children with laughing seizures and sexual precocity have been reported previously and their clinical features and investigations are summarised. Relevant findings of the series include a very young age of onset of precocity, difficulty in localising a cerebral lesion in almost a third of the children, high incidence of mental retardation and poor response to anticonvulsant therapy. Psychosexual problems were surprisingly minimal. Cyproterone acetate appears to be the most promising drug in suppressing premature hypothalamic‐pituitary activity.
Intrapatient viral diversity and treatment outcome in patients with genotype 3a hepatitis C virus infection on sofosbuvir‐containing regimens
Authors: Bhardwaj N. , Ragonnet‐Cronin M. , Murrell B. , Chodavarapu K. , Martin R. , Chang S. , Miller M. D. , Feld J. J. , Sulkowski M. , Mangia A. , Wertheim J. O. , Osinusi A. , McNally J. , Brainard D. , Mo H. , Svarovskaia E. S.
Published: November 2017

Treatment with the direct‐acting antiviral agent (DAA) sofosbuvir (SOF), an NS5B inhibitor, and velpatasvir (VEL), an NS5A inhibitor, demonstrates viral cure rates of ≥95% in hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes (GT) 1‐6. Here, we investigated intrapatient HCV diversity in NS5A and NS5B using Shannon entropy to examine the relationship between viral diversity and treatment outcome. At baseline, HCV diversity was lowest in patients infected with HCV GT3 as compared to the other GTs, and viral diversity was greater in NS5A than NS5B (P < .0001). Treatment outcome with SOF/VEL or the comparator regimen of SOF with ribavirin (RBV) was not correlated with baseline diversity. However, among persons treated with SOF/VEL, a decrease in diversity from baseline was observed at relapse in the majority virologic failures, consistent with a viral bottleneck event at relapse. In contrast, an increase in diversity was observed in 27% of SOF+RBV virologic failures. We investigated whether the increase in diversity was due to an increase in the transition rate, one mode of potential RBV‐mediated mutagenesis; however, we found no evidence of this mechanism. Overall, we did not observe that viral diversity at baseline influenced treatment outcome, but the diversity changes observed at relapse can improve our understanding of RBV viral suppression in vivo.
Antifungals discovery: an insight into new strategies to combat antifungal resistance
Authors: Fuentefria A.M. , Pippi B. , Dalla Lana D.F. , Donato K.K. , de Andrade S.F.
Published: November 2017

Undeniably, new antifungal treatments are necessary against pathogenic fungi. Fungal infections have significantly increased in recent decades, being highlighted as important causes of morbidity and mortality, particularly in immunocompromised patients. Five main antifungal classes are used: (i) azoles, (ii) echinocandins, (iii) polyenes, (iv) allylamines and (v) pyrimidine analogues. Moreover, the treatment of mycoses has several limitations, such as undesirable side effects, narrow activity spectrum, a small number of targets and fungal resistance, which are still of major concern in clinical practice. The discovery of new antifungals is mostly achieved by the screening of natural or synthetic/semisynthetic chemical compounds. The most recent discoveries in drug resistance mechanism and their avoidance were explored in a review, focusing on different antifungal targets, as well as new agents or strategies, such as combination therapy, that could improve antifungal therapy.

Significance and Impact of the Study

The failure to respond to antifungal therapy is complex and is associated with microbiological resistance and increased expression of virulence in fungal pathogens. Thus, this review offers an overview of current challenges in the treatment of fungal infections associated with increased antifungal drug resistance and the formation of biofilms in these opportunistic pathogens. Furthermore, the most recent and potential strategies to combat fungal pathogens are explored here, focusing on new agents as well as innovative approaches, such as combination therapy between antifungal drugs or with natural compounds.
Transcriptional profile and differential fitness in a specialist milkweed insect across host plants varying in toxicity
Authors: Birnbaum Stephanie S. L. , Rinker David C. , Gerardo Nicole M. , Abbot Patrick
Published: November 2017

Interactions between plants and herbivorous insects have been models for theories of specialization and co‐evolution for over a century. Phytochemicals govern many aspects of these interactions and have fostered the evolution of adaptations by insects to tolerate or even specialize on plant defensive chemistry. While genomic approaches are providing new insights into the genes and mechanisms insect specialists employ to tolerate plant secondary metabolites, open questions remain about the evolution and conservation of insect counterdefences, how insects respond to the diversity defences mounted by their host plants, and the costs and benefits of resistance and tolerance to plant defences in natural ecological communities. Using a milkweed‐specialist aphid (Aphis nerii) model, we test the effects of host plant species with increased toxicity, likely driven primarily by increased secondary metabolites, on aphid life history traits and whole‐body gene expression. We show that more toxic plant species have a negative effect on aphid development and lifetime fecundity. When feeding on more toxic host plants with higher levels of secondary metabolites, aphids regulate a narrow, targeted set of genes, including those involved in canonical detoxification processes (e.g., cytochrome P450s, hydrolases, UDP‐glucuronosyltransferases and ABC transporters). These results indicate that A. nerii marshal a variety of metabolic detoxification mechanisms to circumvent milkweed toxicity and facilitate host plant specialization, yet, despite these detoxification mechanisms, aphids experience reduced fitness when feeding on more toxic host plants. Disentangling how specialist insects respond to challenging host plants is a pivotal step in understanding the evolution of specialized diet breadths.
Temporal variation in brain transcriptome is associated with the expression of female mimicry as a sequential male alternative reproductive tactic in fish
Authors: Cardoso Sara D. , Gonçalves David , Goesmann Alexander , Canário Adelino V. M. , Oliveira Rui F.
Published: November 2017

Distinct patterns of gene expression often underlie intra‐ and intersexual differences, and the study of this set of coregulated genes is essential to understand the emergence of complex behavioural phenotypes. Here, we describe the development of a de novo transcriptome and brain gene expression profiles of wild‐caught peacock blenny, Salaria pavo, an intertidal fish with sex‐role reversal in courtship behaviour (i.e., females are the courting sex) and sequential alternative reproductive tactics in males (i.e., larger and older nest‐holder males and smaller and younger sneaker males occur). Sneakers mimic both female's courtship behaviour and nuptial coloration to get access to nests and sneak fertilizations, and later in life transition into nest‐holder males. Thus, this species offers the unique opportunity to study how the regulation of gene expression can contribute to intersex phenotypes and to the sequential expression of male and female behavioural phenotypes by the same individual. We found that at the whole brain level, expression of the sneaker tactic was paralleled by broader and divergent gene expression when compared to either females or nest‐holder males, which were more similar between themselves. When looking at sex‐biased transcripts, sneaker males are intersex rather than being either nest‐holder or female‐like, and their transcriptome is simultaneously demasculinized for nest‐holder‐biased transcripts and feminized for female‐biased transcripts. These results indicate that evolutionary changes in reproductive plasticity can be achieved through regulation of gene expression, and in particular by varying the magnitude of expression of sex‐biased genes, throughout the lifetime of the same individual.
Metatranscriptomic data reveal the effect of different community properties on multifunctional redundancy
Authors: Beier Sara , Shen Dandan , Schott Thomas , Jürgens Klaus
Published: November 2017

The assessment of functional redundancy (FR) is essential to understand community structure‐function relationships because FR buffers the functional performance of communities against changes in community composition. We introduce a novel metatranscriptome‐based approach to quantify FR, which permits multifunctional aspects to be addressed. FR among prokaryotes was ranked in water samples after exposure to changing salinity. FR was higher for functional categories with mostly broad functions shared among many taxa than for functional categories containing many narrow functions. Furthermore, community characteristics had a higher impact on FR than environmental conditions. The metric also allows FR to be estimated between selected groups of taxa, and FR was high between more closely related organisms if communities were grown in similar environmental conditions. Overall, our data revealed a pronounced influence of functional diversity on the one hand but also the characteristics of individual community members on FR, which was specifically high in those communities whose members were more sensitive to salinity changes.
Subfamily‐dependent alternative reproductive strategies in worker honeybees
Authors: Yagound Boris , Duncan Michael , Chapman Nadine C. , Oldroyd Benjamin P.
Published: November 2017

Functional worker sterility is the defining feature of insect societies. Yet, workers are sometimes found reproducing in their own or foreign colonies. The proximate mechanisms underlying these alternative reproductive phenotypes are keys to understanding how reproductive altruism and selfishness are balanced in eusocial insects. In this study, we show that in honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies, the social environment of a worker, that is, the presence and relatedness of the queens in a worker's natal colony and in surrounding colonies, significantly influences her fertility and drifting behaviour. Furthermore, subfamilies vary in the frequency of worker ovarian activation, propensity to drift and the kind of host colony that is targeted for reproductive parasitism. Our results show that there is an interplay between a worker's subfamily, reproductive state and social environment that substantially affects her reproductive phenotype. Our study further indicates that honeybee populations show substantial genetic variance for worker reproductive strategies, suggesting that no one strategy is optimal under all the circumstances that a typical worker may encounter.
Coronary microvascular Kv1 channels as regulatory sensors of intracellular pyridine nucleotide redox potential
Authors: Dwenger Marc M. , Ohanyan Vahagn , Navedo Manuel F. , Nystoriak Matthew A.
Published: November 2017

Smooth muscle voltage‐gated potassium (Kv) channels are important regulators of microvascular tone and tissue perfusion. Recent studies indicate that Kv1 channels represent a key component of the physiological coupling between coronary blood flow and myocardial oxygen demand. While the mechanisms by which metabolic changes in the heart are transduced to alter coronary Kv1 channel gating and promote vasodilation are unclear, a growing body of evidence underscores a pivotal role of Kv1 channels in sensing the cellular redox status. Here, we discuss current knowledge of mechanisms of Kv channel redox regulation with respect to pyridine nucleotide modulation of Kv1 function via ancillary Kvβ proteins as well as direct modulation of channel activity via reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. We identify areas of additional research to address the integration of regulatory processes under altered physiological and pathophysiological conditions that may reveal insights into novel treatment strategies for conditions in which the matching of coronary blood supply and myocardial oxygen demand is compromised.
Peptidase inhibitors in tick physiology
Authors: PARIZI L. F. , ALI A. , TIRLONI L. , OLDIGES D. P. , SABADIN G. A. , COUTINHO M. L. , SEIXAS A. , LOGULLO C. , TERMIGNONI C. , DA SILVA VAZ I.
Published: November 2017

Peptidase inhibitors regulate a wide range of physiological processes involved in the interaction between hematophagous parasites and their hosts, including tissue remodeling, the immune response and blood coagulation. In tick physiology, peptidase inhibitors have a crucial role in adaptation to improve parasitism mechanisms, facilitating blood feeding by interfering with defense‐related host peptidases. Recently, a larger number of studies on this topic led to the description of several new tick inhibitors displaying interesting novel features, for example a role in pathogen transmission to the host. A comprehensive review discussing these emerging concepts can therefore shed light on peptidase inhibitor functions, their relevance to tick physiology and their potential applications. Here, we summarize and examine the general characteristics, functional diversity and action of tick peptidase inhibitors with known physiological roles in the tick−host−pathogen interaction.
Paradoxical implications of personal social media use for work
Authors: van Zoonen Ward , Rice Ronald E.
Published: November 2017

New information and communication technologies can have paradoxical implications: they may be liberating and constraining at the same time. This field study examines the direct implications of personal social media use for work on employees’ autonomy and work pressure, and the indirect effects on exhaustion and work engagement. A total of 364 employees of three large multinationals responded to a web‐based survey. Results demonstrate the presence of a paradox, as social media for work is associated positively with both autonomy and work pressure. SNS use has indirect effects on exhaustion and engagement through autonomy, and on exhaustion through work pressure, but not on engagement through work pressure. Furthermore, one's responsiveness to colleagues’ communication decreases the relation between use and autonomy, although not between use and work pressure. Overall, employees seem more likely to be burdened by the use of social media for work than benefit from it, but managing one's responsiveness can help.
De novo assembly of the zucchini genome reveals a whole‐genome duplication associated with the origin of the Cucurbita genus
Authors: Montero‐Pau Javier , Blanca José , Bombarely Aureliano , Ziarsolo Peio , Esteras Cristina , Martí‐Gómez Carlos , Ferriol María , Gómez Pedro , Jamilena Manuel , Mueller Lukas , Picó Belén , Cañizares Joaquín
Published: November 2017

The Cucurbita genus (squashes, pumpkins and gourds) includes important domesticated species such as C. pepo, C. maxima and C. moschata. In this study, we present a high‐quality draft of the zucchini (C. pepo) genome. The assembly has a size of 263 Mb, a scaffold N50 of 1.8 Mb and 34 240 gene models. It includes 92% of the conserved BUSCO core gene set, and it is estimated to cover 93.0% of the genome. The genome is organized in 20 pseudomolecules that represent 81.4% of the assembly, and it is integrated with a genetic map of 7718 SNPs. Despite the small genome size, three independent lines of evidence support that the C. pepo genome is the result of a whole‐genome duplication: the topology of the gene family phylogenies, the karyotype organization and the distribution of 4DTv distances. Additionally, 40 transcriptomes of 12 species of the genus were assembled and analysed together with all the other published genomes of the Cucurbitaceae family. The duplication was detected in all the Cucurbita species analysed, including C. maxima and C. moschata, but not in the more distant cucurbits belonging to the Cucumis and Citrullus genera, and it is likely to have occurred 30 ± 4 Mya in the ancestral species that gave rise to the genus.
MEF2C mRNA expression and cognitive function in Japanese patients with Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Sao Tomoko , Yoshino Yuta , Yamazaki Kiyohiro , Ozaki Yuki , Mori Yoko , Ochi Shinichiro , Yoshida Taku , Mori Takaaki , Iga Jun‐ichi , Ueno Shu‐ichi
Published: November 2017

Aim

Despite continuing research into Alzheimer's disease (AD), its pathological mechanisms and modulating factors remain unknown. Several genes influence AD pathogenesis by affecting inflammatory pathways. Myocyte‐enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) is one such candidate gene for AD.

Methods

We examined MEF2C mRNA expression levels and methylation rates of CpG on its promoter region in peripheral leukocytes from Japanese AD patients compared with age‐ and sex‐matched control subjects.

Results

In peripheral leukocytes, MEF2C mRNA expression levels in AD subjects were significantly lower than those in control subjects (0.86 ± 0.25 vs 0.99 ± 0.27, respectively, P = 0.007) and were correlated with the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (r = −0.345, P = 0.049) and the Mini Mental State Examination (r = 0.324, P = 0.02). No significant differences were found in methylation rates between AD and control subjects.

Conclusion

MEF2C mRNA expression in leukocytes may be a biological marker for cognitive decline in AD.
Renal glucosuria in schoolchildren: Clinical characteristics
Authors: Urakami Tatsuhiko , Yoda Midori , Yoshida Kei , Mine Yusuke , Aoki Masako , Suzuki Junichi
Published: November 2017

Background

We conducted an annual urine glucose screening program at schools, and diagnosed schoolchildren with diabetes at an early stage of the disease. We also identified some cases of renal glucosuria (RG), based on positive urine glucose with normal glucose tolerance.

Methods

During 2000–2015, 3 309 631 schoolchildren participated in the screening program. The positive rate for glucosuria in the first test was approximately 0.1%, whereas on repeat urine test it was approximately 0.05%. In total 350 schoolchildren were positive for glucosuria on detailed examination. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was also used to evaluate glucose intolerance.

Results

One hundred and two schoolchildren (29.7%) were diagnosed with diabetes, whereas RG was identified in 246 (70.3%) with normal glucose metabolism. In regard to the characteristics of RG, the percentage of boys was 50.3%, and the mean age at diagnosis was 11.2 ± 2.4 years. Twenty‐eight children (11.4%) were overweight (body mass index standard deviation score [BMI‐SDS] > +2.0 SD), whereas five (2.0%) were underweight (BMI‐SDS < −2.0 SD). First‐degree family history was suspected in 176 cases (71.5%). All RG subjects had normal glucose tolerance in the absence of insulin resistance and decreased insulin secretion (homeostasis model assessment for β‐cell function, 78.8 ± 59.5%) on OGTT.

Conclusions

RG is not rare in Japanese schoolchildren with glucosuria. This disorder seems to have a strong genetic background, and to involve less growth retardation and weight loss than expected despite continuous excretion of glucose in urine.
Long‐term Genoprotection Effect of Sechium edule Fruit Extract Against UVA Irradiation in Keratinocytes
Authors: Metral Elodie , Rachidi Walid , Damour Odile , Demarne Frédéric , Bechetoille Nicolas
Published: November 2017

Photoprotection is essential to prevent the long‐term deleterious effects of ultraviolet (UV), including skin cancer and photoaging. So far, there has been an increase in the use of natural bioactive phytochemicals for the development of more effective skin photoprotective agents. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the photochemoprotection activity of such compounds remain largely unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a Sechium edule fruit extract (SEE) in terms of photoprotection against UVA in primary human keratinocytes. We found that SEE protected keratinocytes against UVA‐induced cytotoxicity, decreased the intracellular amounts of reactive oxygen species, and reduced oxidatively induced DNA lesions after UVA exposure. Furthermore, SEE decreased the induction of CPD lesions in UVA‐irradiated keratinocytes and exhibited increased DNA repair of such photoproducts at 24 h postexposure. Finally, using DNA repair biochips, we demonstrated that SEE‐treated keratinocytes had DNA enzymatic repair activities more efficient for abasic sites, CPD and thymine glycols. Therefore, the benefits of SEE against UVA could be explained by a combination of antioxidant activity, the reduction in DNA damage, and the enhancement of DNA repair capacities.
Wellington Playgrounds Uncovered: An Examination of Solar Ultraviolet Radiation and Shade Protection in New Zealand
Authors: Gage Ryan , O'Toole Chris , Robinson Andrew , Reeder Anthony , Signal Louise , Mackay Christina
Published: November 2017

Providing effective shade in summer recreation spaces can reduce children's risk of skin cancer. This study explored the quantity and protective quality of shade in Wellington, New Zealand playgrounds. Two researchers visited 50 randomly selected playgrounds during peak ultraviolet radiation (UVR) hours in summer and recorded the mean shade cover of playground equipment, seats, tables and open areas. A solar meter was used to calculate the proportion of UVR blocked by each built structure and tree. The results found that 95% of playground equipment and 64% of sitting and eating areas had no shade protection. Trees blocked a mean of 80.1% (95% CI: 66.0–94.1) of direct solar UVR, but mostly covered open areas, not playground equipment, seats and tables. The findings demonstrate that Wellington playgrounds have insufficient shade available. Increased shade in Wellington playgrounds is urgently needed to protect children from harmful UVR exposure, particularly through planting trees with heavy foliage and building structures with large, protective roofing. This may well be the case for other regions of NZ and for other countries where UVR exposure is dangerous. The method used in this study provides a reliable means to evaluate shade.
Prominent alterations of wild barley leaf transcriptome in response to individual and combined drought acclimation and heat shock conditions
Authors: Ashoub Ahmed , Müller Niels , Jiménez‐Gómez José M. , Brüggemann Wolfgang
Published: November 2017

Under field conditions, drought and heat stress typically happen simultaneously and their negative impact on the agricultural production is expected to increase worldwide under the climate change scenario. In this study, we performed RNA‐sequencing analysis on leaves of wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum) originated from the northern coastal region of Egypt following individual drought acclimation (DA) and heat shock (HS) treatments and their combination (CS, combined stresses) to distinguish the unique and shared differentially expressed genes (DEG). Results indicated that the number of unique genes that were differentially expressed following HS treatment exceeded the number of those expressed following DA. In addition, the number of genes that were uniquely differentially expressed in response to CS treatment exceeded the number of those of shared responses to individual DA and HS treatments. These results indicate a better adaptation of the Mediterranean wild barley to drought conditions when compared with heat stress. It also manifests that the wild barley response to CS tends to be unique rather than common. Annotation of DEG showed that metabolic processes were the most influenced biological function in response to the applied stresses.
Evaporative cooling in late gestation heat‐stressed Murrah buffaloes increases efficiency of next reproductive cycle
Authors: Aarif O , Aggarwal A , Sheikh AA
Published: November 2017

Contents

Evaporative cooling during late gestation period improves post‐partum reproductive performance in Murrah buffaloes. To prove this hypothesis, sixteen pregnant dry Murrah buffaloes at sixty days pre‐partum were selected and divided into two groups of eight animals each. Group 1 of buffaloes (Cooled/CL) was managed under fan and mist cooling during dry period, whereas second group of buffaloes (non‐cooled/NCL) remained without the provision of cooling. After parturition, all the animals were managed under evaporative cooling till the end of experimental period. Reproductive performance in cooled (CL) and non‐cooled (NCL) groups, respectively, viz. 1st and 2nd ovulation from calving (48.63 ± 2.41, 69.25 ± 2.34 days and 57.75 ± 3.35, 93.63 ± 2.84 days); calving to conception interval (117.88 ± 4.21 days and 117.88± 4.21 days); conception rate (87.5% ± 2.16% and 57% ± 2.26%); and follicular diameter at the time of 1st and 2nd ovulation (14.84 ± 0.16, 15.75 ± 0.13 mm and 12.65 ± 0.13, 13.35 ± 0.11 mm) varied significantly (p < .05). Total peak oestrogen concentration was significantly (p < .05) higher in cooled (26.7 ± 1.32 pg/ml) relative to non‐cooled (20.7 ± 1.22 pg/ml) buffaloes. Time from onset of oestrus to ovulation varied significantly (p < .05) in cooled (32 ± 2.22 hr) and non‐cooled (40 ± 2.86 hr) buffaloes. The peak progesterone concentration reached to (4.25 ng/ml) in cooled group and (4.16 ng/ml) in non‐cooled group after first ovulation.