bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impacts of environmental variability on desiccation rate, plastic responses and population dynamics ofGlossina pallidipes
Authors: Kleynhans E. , Clusella‐Trullas S. , Terblanche J. S.
Published: January 2014

Physiological responses to transient conditions may result in costly responses with little fitness benefits, and therefore, a trade‐off must exist between the speed of response and the duration of exposure to new conditions. Here, using the puparia of an important insect disease vector,Glossina pallidipes, we examine this potential trade‐off using a novel combination of an experimental approach and a population dynamics model. Specifically, we explore and dissect the interactions between plastic physiological responses, treatment‐duration and ‐intensity using an experimental approach. We then integrate these experimental results from organismal water‐balance data and their plastic responses into a population dynamics model to examine the potential relative fitness effects of simulated transient weather conditions on population growth rates. The results show evidence for the predicted trade‐off for plasticity of water loss rate (WLR) and the duration of new environmental conditions. When altered environmental conditions lasted for longer durations, physiological responses could match the new environmental conditions, and this resulted in a lowerWLRand lower rates of population decline. At shorter time‐scales however, a mismatch between acclimation duration and physiological responses was reflected by reduced overall population growth rates. This may indicate a potential fitness cost due to insufficient time for physiological adjustments to take place. The outcomes of this work therefore suggest plastic water balance responses have both costs and benefits, and these depend on the time‐scale and magnitude of variation in environmental conditions. These results are significant for understanding the evolution of plastic physiological responses and changes in population abundance in the context of environmental variability.
Information Management and Incentives
Authors: Nafziger Julia , Schumacher Heiner
Published: January 2014

We ask how the incentives of an agent are affected by an information management system that lets the agent receive information about the performance of a colleague before (“transparent firm”) rather than after he provides effort (“nontransparent firm”). Transparency is detrimental for incentives if the performance of the colleague provides information on the relative impact of the agent’s effort on his success probability. The findings imply that firms in which comparisons between employees play a minor role for compensation are transparent. Firms in which they play a major role sometimes choose to be nontransparent despite the flexibility gains transparency provides.
Synthesis and Evaluation of Microstructure of Phosphorylated Chestnut Starch
Authors: Hu Na , Gu Xin , Li Luning , Ouyang Jie , Wang Fengjun , Wang Jianzhong , Fan Zhiyong
Published: January 2014

Phosphorylated chestnut starch was produced by a semidry process, in which chestnut starch and sodium dihydrogen phosphate dihydrate (NaH2PO4·2H2O) were used as a raw material and an esterifying agent, respectively. Single‐factor test and response surface analysis were performed in this study. The optimized synthesis of phosphorylated chestnut starch and its microstructure were studied. The optimum preparation conditions were listed as follows: NaH2PO4·2H2O concentration of 7%, reaction temperature of 146C, reaction time of 140 min and pH 6. The average experimental apparent viscosity under the optimum conditions was found to be 33.69 ± 0.33 Pa·s, with an increase of 208.99% higher than that of native chestnut starch. Fourier transform infrared spectrum analysis revealed that some of hydroxyl groups were replaced by phosphate groups during phosphorylation. Scanning electron microscopy showed that a part of the modified chestnut starch granules sagged and revealed damaged traces. X‐ray diffraction analysis indicated that the crystalline type of phosphorylated chestnut starch was type C. The crystalline area was slightly damaged and esterification mainly occurred in the amorphous area of starch molecules.

Practical Applications

Phosphorylated starch has much more transparent starch paste, better stability and higher water retention compared with the native starch, and phosphorylated starch can be widely used in various fields of the industrial production. However, there is little information on the preparation process and physicochemical properties of phosphorylated chestnut starch till now. In the present study, Box–Behnken design as well as canonical and ridge analyses were used to optimize these process parameters of phosphorylated chestnut starch, and its microstructure were studied. The results of this study showed that response surface methodology proved to be fairly accurate in predictive modeling and optimization of conditions for the synthesis of phosphorylated chestnut starch. Optimization of process could be considered as a sustainable alternative method to achieve simplified handling and improve the quantity of targeted products. We believe that starch industry can utilize the results of this study in their applications.
Diet quality of Australian breast cancer survivors: a cross‐sectional analysis from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health
Authors: Potter J. L. , Collins C. E. , Brown L. J. , Hure A. J.
Published: January 2014

Background

Evidence supports strong associations between healthful eating patterns and maintaining a healthy weight with favourable health outcomes for breast cancer survivors (BCS). The present study aimed to evaluate the diet quality of Australian BCS and to determine whether diet quality differed between BCS and age‐matched healthy controls (HC) or by geographical location.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study included 281 BCS and 4069 HC from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health mid‐aged cohort completing Survey 3 in 2001. Data from the Dietary Questionnaire for Epidemiological Studies food frequency questionnaire were used to calculate the Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS), a validated summary estimate of diet quality based on adherence to the Australian dietary guidelines.

Results

The mean (SD) ARFS of the BCS group was 33.2 (9.4) out of a maximum of 74. Mean (SD) total ARFS and component scores of BCS did not differ from the HC group [32.9 (8.7)] and no differences were found in ARFS between urban and rural BCS.

Conclusions

This is the first study dedicated exclusively to describing the diet quality of Australian BCS. Although no difference was found when comparisons were made with a HC group, there is considerable room for improvement in the diet quality of Australian BCS. Given research suggesting higher risk of chronic conditions such as obesity amongst BCS, and the recognition of optimising diet quality as a key factor in health promotion for all population groups, data from the present study suggest the need for research targeting the feasibility and impact of improving diet quality of Australian BCS.
A case–control study of current psychological well‐being and weight‐teasing history in young adults with and without bowel conditions
Authors: Quick V. , McWilliams R. , Byrd‐Bredbenner C.
Published: January 2014

Background

The present study aimed to determine whether psychological well‐being and weight‐teasing history of young adults with bowel conditions (i.e. coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel diseases and irritable bowel syndrome) differed from those without bowel conditions.

Methods

Young adults (aged 18–26 years) completed an online survey that collected demographic information and assessed psychological well‐being (mentally and physically unhealthy days, self‐esteem, and depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder severity) and weight‐teasing history (Perception of Teasing Scale). Each bowel condition participant (cases = 135) was matched to four healthy participants (controls = 504) based on sex and body mass index (BMI) (±0.50 BMI units). Conditional logistic regression analyses were conducted and odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were presented for all measures and demographics.

Results

Cases were significantly more likely to have poorer overall psychological well‐being. Specifically, cases were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) more likely to have more mentally and physical unhealthy days, depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms than controls. Cases were also significantly more likely to recall being weight teased as a child (P = 0.02, OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.04–1.53) and being more upset from the weight‐teasing insults (P = 0.006, OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.05–1.35) than controls. Cases were also more than 1.5 times more likely to be made fun of (P = 0.03, OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.09–2.43) or laughed at (P = 0.01, OR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.15–2.73) because of their weight than controls.

Conclusions

The findings of the present study suggest that healthcare providers should monitor the psychological well‐being of young adults with bowel conditions and incorporate opportunities for them to develop skills and strategies for coping.
Complement selectively elicits glutamate release from nerve endings in different regions of mammal central nervous system
Authors: Merega Elisa , Prisco Silvia Di , Lanfranco Massimiliano , Severi Paolo , Pittaluga Anna
Published: January 2014

Our study was aimed at investigating whether complement, a complex of soluble and membrane‐associated serum proteins, could, in addition to its well‐documented post‐synaptic activity, also pre‐synaptically affect the release of classic neurotransmitters in central nervous system (CNS). Complement (dilution 1 : 10 to 1 : 10000) elicited the release of preloaded [3H]‐d‐aspartate ([3H]d‐ASP) and endogenous glutamate from mouse cortical synaptosomes in a dilution‐dependent manner. It also evoked [3H]d‐ASP release from mouse hippocampal, cerebellar, and spinal cord synaptosomes, as well as from rat and human cortical nerve endings, but left unaltered the release of GABA, [3H]noradrenaline or [3H]acetylcholine. Lowering external Na+ (from 140 to 40 mM) or Ca2+ (from 1.2 to 0.1 mM) ions prevented the 1 : 300 complement‐evoked [3H]d‐ASP release from mouse cortical synaptosomes. Complement‐induced releasing effect was unaltered in synaptosomes entrapped with the Ca2+ ions chelator 1,2‐bis‐(2‐aminophenoxy) ethane‐N,N,N’,N’, tetra‐acetic acid or with pertussis toxin. Nifedipine,/ω‐conotoxin GVIA/ω‐conotoxin MVIIC mixture as well as the vesicular ATPase blocker bafilomycin A1 were also inefficacious. The excitatory amino acid transporter blocker DL‐threo‐ß‐benzyloxyaspartic acid, on the contrary, reduced the complement‐evoked releasing effect in a concentration‐dependent manner. We concluded that complement‐induced releasing activity is restricted to glutamatergic nerve endings, where it was accounted for by carrier‐mediated release. Our observations afford new insights into the molecular events accounting for immune and CNS crosstalk.

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We investigated whether complement, a complex of soluble and membrane‐associated serum proteins, could pre‐synaptically affect the release of classic neurotransmitters in the central nervous system (CNS). Our data provide evidence that complement‐induced releasing activity is restricted to glutamatergic nerve endings, where it was accounted for by carrier‐mediated release. Our observations add new insights to the knowledge of the molecular events accounting for immune and CNS crosstalk. EAAT = excitatory amino acid transporter.
Distribution of the hematopoietic growth factor G‐CSF and its receptor in the adult human brain with specific reference to Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Ridwan Sami , Bauer Henrike , Frauenknecht Katrin , Hefti Kyra , von Pein Harald , Sommer Clemens J.
Published: January 2014

The granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF), being a member of the hematopoietic growth factor family, is also critically involved in controlling proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells. Treatment with G‐CSF has been shown to result in substantial neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects in various experimental models of acute and chronic diseases of the central nervous system. Although G‐CSF has been tested in a clinical study for treatment of acute ischemic stroke, there is only fragmentary data on the distribution of this cytokine and its receptor in the human brain. Therefore, the present study was focused on the immunohistochemical analysis of the protein expression of G‐CSF and its receptor (G‐CSF R) in the adult human brain. Since G‐CSF has been shown not only to exert neuroprotective effects in animal models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) but also to be a candidate for clinical treatment, we have also placed an emphasis on the regulation of these molecules in this neurodegenerative disease. One major finding is that both G‐CSF and G‐CSF R were ubiquitously but not uniformly expressed in neurons throughout the CNS. Protein expression of G‐CSF and G‐CSF R was not restricted to neurons but was also detectable in astrocytes, ependymal cells, and choroid plexus cells. However, the distribution of G‐CSF and G‐CSF R did not substantially differ between AD brains and control, even in the hippocampus, where early neurodegenerative changes typically occur.
Management of a Fractured Implant Abutment Screw: A Clinical Report
Authors: Canpolat Ceyhun , Özkurt‐Kayahan Zeynep , Kazazoğlu Ender
Published: January 2014

In an abutment screw fracture, it is generally a challenge for the clinician to remove fractured fragments. In some cases, the screw cannot be removed, and alternative solutions should be considered. This clinical report describes the replacement of a ball attachment with a fractured screw, which was impossible to retrieve, with a cast dowel with ball attachment. The patient who presented to the Department of Prosthodontics, Yeditepe University, Faculty of Dentistry was a 65‐year‐old woman, wearing a mandibular complete denture supported by two implants for 4 years. She complained about the loss of retention of the denture because of the fractured abutment screw, and it was found that another dentist had previously tried to retrieve the fractured screw with no success. It was decided to construct a cast dowel with ball attachment to improve retention without sacrificing the implant. The interior of the implant and the fractured screw were machined with a rotating instrument. An impression was taken with a metal strip and silicone‐based materials. In the laboratory, a stone die was generated from the impression, and a custom‐made cast dowel with ball attachment was constructed. It was then cemented with glass ionomer cement and connected to the denture with the direct method. The alternative procedure described in this clinical report was successful for the removal of the fractured abutment screw and use of the existing denture.
Full‐Mouth Rehabilitation of a Patient with Severe Deep Bite: A Clinical Report
Authors: Ergun Gulfem , Yucel Ayse Seda
Published: January 2014

Increasing the vertical dimension is essential to resolving problems associated with deep bite. Restorative dentistry, orthodontia, and oral surgery are the three disciplines that can help to gain the vertical dimension necessary in these patients. This clinical report presents the results of increasing vertical dimension with a full‐mouth restorative treatment procedure for a 40‐year‐old male patient who exhibited severe deep bite. After clinical evaluation, extraoral examination showed a reduction of the lower facial height and protuberant lips, wrinkles, drooping, and overclosed commissures. In addition, intraoral examination showed a severe anterior deep‐bite articulation, and upper incisors were in contact with the lower incisor labial tissue. A removable partial denture was made at increased occlusal vertical dimension (OVD) to use in the first stage of rehabilitation. Diagnostic wax‐up was performed at the increased vertical dimension. Then, provisional crowns were fabricated according to this increased vertical dimension. Interim prostheses were used for 3 months as a guide for preparing the definitive restorations. The adaptation of the patient to the increased OVD was evaluated. During this period, he was asymptomatic. Following the evaluation period, definitive restorations were completed, and routine clinical assessments were made after 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months, then after 1 and 2 years with visual and radiographic examinations.
The metabolic profile of growing lambs fed diets rich in unsaturated fatty acids
Authors: Steppa R. , Szkudelska K. , Wójtowski J. , Stanisz M. , Szumacher‐Strabel M. , Czyżak‐Runowska G. , Cieślak A. , Markiewicz‐Kęszycka M. , Pietrzak M.
Published: January 2014

The effect of two diets enriched with unsaturated fatty acids – one containing the addition of dried distillers grains with solubles (DGS) and the other the addition of false flax – Camelina sativa cake (CS) – on some metabolic parameters and hormone concentration in growing lambs was determined in this experiment. A total of 21 ram lambs of the Polish Whiteheaded mutton sheep were divided into three groups (the control, receiving DGS and CS). The diets were administered to animals for 6 weeks. During the experiment, peripheral blood was collected. Glucose (GL), total cholesterol (CH), triglycerides (TG), free fatty acids (FFA), insulin (IN), leptin (LE), triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) were assayed in serum. The age‐dependent reduction in CH and TG limited by both experimental diets were observed. A significant increase in FFA concentration was observed in samples collected in the last, that is, third, time period. This was most probably caused by a 12‐h pre‐slaughter fasting period. A significantly lower dynamic of FFA increase in that experimental period was found in animals receiving the experimental feed. Insulin concentration in DGS‐receiving lambs was increased, in contrast to the CS‐receiving lambs, in which it was lower when compared to the control. LE concentration was decreased by both experimental diets, more markedly in the DGS‐receiving animals. No differences between the experimental groups and the control were observed in T3 and T4 concentrations. The effect of 12‐h pre‐slaughter fasting was statistically highly significant for the levels of examined blood markers and hormones, except for TG and IN in the group of lambs receiving the experimental diet with CS.
The effect of dietary vitamin E level on selenium status in rats
Authors: Fujihara T. , Orden E. A.
Published: January 2014

The effect of varying levels of dietary vitamin E on selenium status was determined using 40 Wistar rats with similar initial body weight. The rats were equally divided into four groups and fed the following dietary treatments (mg vitamin E/kg DM): 18 (control; C‐diet), 0 (0E‐diet), 9 (0.5E‐diet) and 36 (2E‐diet) for either 4‐week (Phase 1) or 8‐week (Phase 2) period. At the end of experiment, animals were slaughtered to measure vitamin E and selenium levels in the brain, liver, spleen, kidney, muscles and blood tissues. Dietary vitamin E levels did not affect feed and water intake and body weight. But whole‐blood selenium concentration in rats fed 0E‐diet was higher than in rats fed 2E‐diet after 4 weeks. Selenium level in muscle, spleen and brain was also higher (p < 0.05) in rats fed the 0E‐diet than in rats fed C‐diet after 4 weeks of feeding. On the other hand, selenium level in the muscle was lower (p < 0.05) in rats fed 0.5E‐diet than in those fed 0E‐diet after 4 weeks of feeding, but not after 8 weeks of feeding. Increasing dietary vitamin E level directly influenced selenium content of the spleen and brain after 8 weeks of feeding 2E‐diet. Moreover, the twofold increase in vitamin E intake resulted in a tendency to reduce whole‐blood selenium level and total selenium in the liver and kidney after 4 and 8 weeks. The results showed that the increasing dietary vitamin E level resulted in a tendency to reduce Se contents in some vital organs of the body such as the liver and kidney, suggesting their close compensatory interrelationship. Therefore, dietary vitamin E level directly influenced selenium metabolism in the animal body.
Circulating gamma‐glutamyltransferase fractions in cirrhosis
Authors: Elawdi Hassan A. , Franzini Maria , Paolicchi Aldo , Emdin Michele , Fornaciari Irene , Fierabracci Vanna , De Simone Paolo , Carrai Paola , Filipponi Franco
Published: January 2014

Background & Aims

Four gamma‐gultamyltransferases (GGT) fractions (b‐, m‐, s‐, and f‐GGT) have been identified in human plasma and their concentrations and ratios vary in different pathological conditions. To assess the behaviour of fractional GGT in cirrhotic patients evaluated for liver transplantation.

Methods

This was a single‐centre, cross‐sectional study; GGT fractions were determined by gel‐filtration chromatography.

Results

264 cirrhotic patients (215 males; median age 54.5 years) were included and compared against a group of 200 healthy individuals (100 males; median age 41.5). Median (25th–75th percentile) total and fractional GGT were higher in cirrhotics, with s‐GGT showing the greatest increase [36.6 U/L (21.0–81.4) vs. 5.6 U/L (3.2–10.2), P < 0.0001], while the median b‐GGT/s‐GGT ratio was lower in cirrhotics than in healthy controls [0.06 (0.04–0.10)] vs. 0.28 (0.20–0.40), P < 0.0001]. The ratio showed higher diagnostic accuracy (ROC‐AUC, 95% CI: 0.951, 0.927–0.969) then either s‐GGT (0.924, 0.897–0.947; P < 0.05) or total GGT (0.900, 0.869–0.925; P < 0.001). The diagnostic accuracy of the ratio was maintained (0.940, 0.907–0.963) in cirrhotic patients (n = 113) with total GGT values within the reference range. The s‐GGT fraction consisted of two components, with one (s2‐GGT) showing a significant positive correlation with serum aspartate aminotransferases, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenases (LDH), alkaline phosphatases and bilirubin, and negative with albumin. The b‐GGT fraction showed a positive correlation with albumin, fibrinogen, and platelet counts, and negative with international normalized ratio, bilirubin and LDH.

Conclusions

The ratio performs as a sensitive biomarker of the liver parenchymal rearrangement, irrespective of aetiology of cirrhosis and presence of hepatocellular carcinoma, even in patients with total GGT values within the reference range.
International Arbitration and Judicial Politics in Authoritarian States
Authors: Massoud Mark Fathi
Published: January 2014

This article uses the case of Sudan to show how authoritarian regimes benefit from embracing international arbitration, allowing them to maintain domestic control and attract foreign investment. International arbitration ensures that foreign‐investment disputes are resolved outside of domestic purview, obviating the need for nondemocratic states to create independent courts. Research on judicial politics in authoritarian regimes has largely overlooked those private and extra‐judicial pathways—international arbitration tribunals—that illiberal regimes have been taking. Similarly, research in international commercial law has neglected domestic politics, overlooking arbitration's consequences for domestic stakeholders. Promoting international arbitration without paying heed to its side effects can unwittingly help illiberal regimes, particularly in weak states, to continue to repress their judiciaries and curtail the development of domestic legal institutions and the rule of law.
Encounters in Cancer Treatment: Intersubjective Configurations of a Need for Rehabilitation
Authors: Høybye Mette Terp , Tjørnhøj‐Thomsen Tine
Published: January 2014

Based on extensive ethnographic material from in‐depth interviews with Danish cancer patients after treatment, this study analyzes their stories to explore how interactions with the physician configures and situates a need for rehabilitation. We identify three themes in the illness stories: (1) attentiveness and care; (2) fragmentation and objectification; and (3) mistrust and dehumanization. These are all closely tied to the concept of recognition, showing how the themes are configured by the social interaction between the patient and the physician and how the need for rehabilitation is shaped by this encounter. The significance of the social encounters in cancer treatment is elucidated through this analysis, and we demonstrate how the need for recognition of the complex effects of cancer on one's life is central to counter experiences of objectification and dehumanization.
Environmental harshness, latitude and incipient speciation
Authors: Weir Jason T.
Published: January 2014

Are rates of evolution and speciation fastest where diversity is greatest – the tropics? A commonly accepted theory links the latitudinal diversity gradient to a speciation pump model whereby the tropics produce species at a faster rate than extra‐tropical regions. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Botero et al. () test the speciation pump model using subspecies richness patterns for more than 9000 species of birds and mammals as a proxy for incipient speciation opportunity. Rather than using latitudinal centroids, the authors investigate the role of various environmental correlates of latitude as drivers of subspecies richness. Their key finding points to environmental harshness as a positive predictor of subspecies richness. The authors link high subspecies richness in environmental harsh areas to increased opportunities for geographic range fragmentation and/or faster rates of trait evolution as drivers of incipient speciation. Because environmental harshness generally increases with latitude, these results suggest that opportunity for incipient speciation is lowest where species richness is highest. The authors interpret this finding as incompatible with the view of the tropics as a cradle of diversity. Their results are consistent with a growing body of evidence that reproductive isolation and speciation occur fastest at high latitudes.
Thermal limits in young northern fur seals, Callorhinus ursinus
Authors: Rosen David A. S. , Trites Andrew W.
Published: January 2014

The thermoregulatory abilities of northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) during their first two years in the frigid waters of the North Pacific Ocean may limit their geographic distribution and alter the costs for exploiting different species of prey. We determined the thermoneutral zone of six young northern fur seals by measuring their metabolism in ambient air and controlled water temperatures (0°C–12°C) from ages 8 to 24 mo. We found that the ambient air temperatures within our study (overall 1.5°C–23.9°C) did not affect resting metabolic rates. Calculated lower critical temperatures in water varied between 3.9°C and 8.0°C, while an upper critical temperature in water was only discernible during a single set of trials. These thermal responses provide insight into the possible physiological constraints on foraging ecology in young northern fur seals, as well as the potential energetic consequences of ocean climate change and altered prey distributions.
Normal values for high‐resolution anorectal manometry/topography in a healthy Korean population and the effects of gender and body mass index
Authors: Lee H. J. , Jung K. W. , Han S. , Kim J. W. , Park S.‐K. , Yoon I. J. , Koo H. S. , Seo S. Y. , Yang D.‐H. , Kim K.‐J. , Ye B. D. , Byeon J.‐S. , Yang S.‐K. , Kim J.‐H. , Myung S.‐J.
Published: January 2014

Background

High‐resolution manometry (HRM) based on spatiotemporal plots is increasingly being used. The aim this study was to evaluate, for the first time, the influence of gender, with adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI), and vaginal delivery, on anorectal functions in asymptomatic adults.

Methods

Fifty‐four asymptomatic healthy subjects (M : F = 27 : 27; age = 20–67 years) who were matched by age and gender were enrolled prospectively. We evaluated anorectal pressures, rectal sensation using a HRM probe, and balloon expulsion time. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to identify the independent effects of each factor.

Key Results

Anal resting pressure (median [IQR]; 32 [18] vs 46 [17] mmHg, p < 0.001), anal squeeze pressure (75 [28] vs 178 [72] mmHg, p < 0.001), rectal pressure (33 [16] vs 53 [46] mmHg, p = 0.009) and anal pressure (16 [17] vs 30 [36] mmHg, p = 0.019) during simulated evacuation with rectal distention, and the threshold for the desire to defecate (60 [20] vs 80 [60] mL, p = 0.020) were significantly lower in women than in men. BMI was positively correlated with anal resting pressure (95% CI: 0.598–2.947) and negatively correlated with the threshold for first sensation (95% CI: −0.099 to −0.015). Vaginal delivery did not affect any of the anorectal HRM parameters.

Conclusions & Inferences

HRM parameters may be associated with gender and BMI. Therefore, gender and BMI should be taken into consideration when interpreting HRM results.
Mutualistic ants as an indirect defence against leaf pathogens
Authors: González‐Teuber Marcia , Kaltenpoth Martin , Boland Wilhelm
Published: January 2014

Mutualistic ants are commonly considered as an efficient indirect defence against herbivores. Nevertheless, their indirect protective role against plant pathogens has been scarcely investigated.

We compared the protective role against pathogens of two different ant partners, a mutualistic and a parasitic ant, on the host plant Acacia hindsii (Fabaceae). The epiphytic bacterial community on leaves was evaluated in the presence and absence of both ant partners by cultivation and by 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene.

Pathogen‐inflicted leaf damage, epiphytic bacterial abundance (colony‐forming units) and number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were significantly higher in plants inhabited by parasitic ants than in plants inhabited by mutualistic ants. Unifrac unweighted and weighted principal component analyses showed that the bacterial community composition on leaves changed significantly when mutualistic ants were removed from plants or when plants were inhabited by parasitic ants. Direct mechanisms provided by ant‐associated bacteria would contribute to the protective role against pathogens.

The results suggest that the indirect defence of mutualistic ants also covers the protection from bacterial plant pathogens. Our findings highlight the importance of considering bacterial partners in ant–plant defensive mutualisms, which can contribute significantly to ant‐mediated protection from plant pathogens.
Defining esophageal landmarks, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and Barrett's esophagus
Authors: DeVault Kenneth , McMahon Barry P. , Celebi Altay , Costamagna Guido , Marchese Michele , Clarke John O. , Hejazi Reza A. , McCallum Richard W. , Savarino Vincenzo , Zentilin Patrizia , Savarino Edoardo , Thomson Mike , Souza Rhonda F. , Donohoe Claire L. , O'Farrell Naoimh J. , Reynolds John V.
Published: January 2014

The following paper on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and Barrett's esophagus (BE) includes commentaries on defining esophageal landmarks; new techniques for evaluating upper esophageal sphincter (UES) tone; differential diagnosis of GERD, BE, and hiatal hernia (HH); the use of high‐resolution manometry for evaluation of reflux; the role of fundic relaxation in reflux; the use of 24‐h esophageal pH–impedance testing in differentiating acid from nonacid reflux and its potential inclusion in future Rome criteria; classification of endoscopic findings in GERD; the search for the cell origin that generates BE; and the relationship between BE, Barrett's carcinoma, and obesity.
Transgenerational effects of caloric restriction on appetite: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Lagisz M. , Blair H. , Kenyon P. , Uller T. , Raubenheimer D. , Nakagawa S.
Published: January 2014

Maternal undernutrition can result in significant alterations to the post‐natal offspring phenotype, including body size and behaviour. For example, maternal food restriction has been implicated in offspring hyperphagia, potentially causing increased weight gain and fat accumulation. This could result in obesity and other adverse long‐term health effects in offspring. We investigated the link between maternal caloric restriction during gestation and offspring appetite by conducting the first meta‐analysis on this topic using experimental data from mammalian laboratory models (i.e. rats and mice). We collected 89 effect sizes from 35 studies, together with relevant moderators. Our analysis revealed weak and statistically non‐significant overall effect on offspring's appetite. However, we found that lower protein content of restricted diets is associated with higher food intake in female offspring. Importantly, we show that a main source of variation among studies arises from whether, and how, food intake was adjusted for body mass. This probably explains many of the contradictory results in the field. Based on our results, we recommend using allometric scaling of food intake to body mass in future studies.
The first species of Sinopa (Hyaenodontida, Mammalia) from outside of North America: implications for the history of the genus in the Eocene of Asia and North America
Authors: Morlo Michael , Bastl Katharina , Wenhao Wu , Schaal Stephan F. K.
Published: January 2014

The first Sinopa species, S. jilinia sp. nov., from outside of North America is described. It comes from the Huadian Formation, locality Gonglangtou, Jilin Province, north‐east China. The new species represents the northernmost and one of the latest and most complete Asian Prototomus‐like hyaenodontidans known. It also represents one of the youngest specimens of Sinopa, because the age of the Huadian Formation is correlated to the later Uintan and only one doubtful citation of North American Sinopa younger than the early Uintan exists. S. jilinia sp. nov. is characterized by having m3 clearly smaller than m1, very strong and extended labial molar cingulids, backward leaning protoconids in all molars and its m3 cristid obliquum joining the postvallid very labially. With S. jilina, Sinopa is the first hyaenodontidan genus known to be present on two continents during the time interval between the earliest Eocene (c. 55.0 Ma) and latest middle Eocene (40 Ma). Its occurrence in the Huadian Formation supports the idea of a faunal exchange between North America and Asia in the early middle Eocene, a hypothesis formerly based mainly on the presence of the omomyid primate Asiomomys in the Huadian Formation, on a small radiation of East Asian trogosine tillodonts and on a couple of perissodactyl genera shared between the middle Eocene of North America and the Irdinmanhan of East Asia. As with the new Sinopa species, these Asian taxa had their closest relatives in North America.
The use of indirect or proxy markers in plant physiology
Authors: JONES HAMLYN G.
Published: January 2014

This article comments on: A biomarker based on gene expression indicates plant water status in controlled and natural environments
Differential proteomics of dehydration and rehydration in bryophytes: evidence towards a common desiccation tolerance mechanism
Authors: CRUZ DE CARVALHO RICARDO , BERNARDES DA SILVA ANABELA , SOARES RENATA , ALMEIDA ANDRÉ M. , COELHO ANA VARELA , MARQUES DA SILVA JORGE , BRANQUINHO CRISTINA
Published: January 2014

All bryophytes evolved desiccation tolerance (DT) mechanisms during the invasion of terrestrial habitats by early land plants. Are these DT mechanisms still present in bryophytes that colonize aquatic habitats? The aquatic bryophyte Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw. was subjected to two drying regimes and alterations in protein profiles and sucrose accumulation during dehydration and rehydration were investigated. Results show that during fast dehydration, there is very little variation in protein profiles, and upon rehydration proteins are leaked. On the other hand, slow dehydration induces changes in both dehydration and rehydration protein profiles, being similar to the protein profiles displayed by the terrestrial bryophytes Physcomitrella patens (Hedw.) Bruch and Schimp. and, to what is comparable with Syntrichia ruralis (Hedw.) F. Weber and D. Mohr. During dehydration there was a reduction in proteins associated with photosynthesis and the cytoskeleton, and an associated accumulation of proteins involved in sugar metabolism and plant defence mechanisms. Upon rehydration, protein accumulation patterns return to control values for both photosynthesis and cytoskeleton whereas proteins associated with sugar metabolism and defence proteins remain high. The current results suggest that bryophytes from different ecological adaptations may share common DT mechanisms.
Ascorbate deficiency influences the leaf cell wall glycoproteome in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: SULTANA NIGHAT , FLORANCE HANNAH V. , JOHNS ALEX , SMIRNOFF NICHOLAS
Published: January 2014

The cell wall forms the first line of interaction between the plant and the external environment. Based on the observation that ascorbate‐deficient vtc mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana have increased cell wall peroxidase activity, the cell wall glycoproteome of vtc2‐2 was investigated. Glycoproteins were purified from fully expanded leaves by Concanavalin A affinity chromatography and analysed by liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. This procedure identified 63 proteins with predicted glycosylation sites and cell wall localization. Of these, 11 proteins were differentially expressed between vtc2‐2 and wild type. In particular, PRX33/34 were identified as contributing to increased peroxidase activity in response to ascorbate deficiency. This is the same peroxidase previously shown to contribute to hydrogen peroxide generation and pathogen resistance. Three fasciclin‐like arabinogalactan proteins (FLA1, 2 and 8) had lower abundance in vtc2‐2. Inspection of published microarray data shows that these also have lower gene expression in vtc1 and vtc2‐1 and are decreased in expression by pathogen challenge and oxidative stresses. Ascorbate deficiency therefore impacts expression of cell wall proteins involved in pathogen responses and these presumably contribute to the increased resistance of vtc mutants to biotrophic pathogens.
Contingent Punishment as a Double‐Edged Sword: A Dual‐Pathway Model from a Sense‐Making Perspective
Authors: Deng Hong , Leung Kwok
Published: January 2014

A sense‐making perspective is adopted to explore how and when contingent punishment is related to job performance. Results from Study 1 support the prediction that contingent punishment is positively related to job performance through affective commitment and negatively related to job performance through self‐regulation impairment. Interpersonal justice on the part of supervisors strengthens the positive pathway, such that contingent punishment is more related to affective commitment when interpersonal justice is high. Core self‐evaluation of employees weakens the negative pathway, such that contingent punishment is less related to self‐regulation impairment when core self‐evaluation is high. Moderated mediation effects also show that the positive indirect effect of contingent punishment on job performance through affective commitment exists only when interpersonal justice is high and that the negative indirect effect of contingent punishment on job performance through self‐regulation impairment occurs only when core self‐evaluation is low. The results associated with the novel pathway mediated by self‐regulation impairment are replicated in Study 2.
Deeds that Help and Words that Hurt: Helping and Gossip as Moderators of the Relationship Between Leader–Member Exchange and Advice Network Centrality
Authors: Erdogan Berrin , Bauer Talya N. , Walter Jorge
Published: January 2014

We examine the relationship between leader–member exchange (LMX) quality and advice network centrality using multisource data from a sample of 250 retail employees and their respective managers in Turkey to test our hypothesized model of value and costs of being sought out for advice. Drawing upon the tenets of network generation theory (Nebus, ), we predict that the tendency of focal actors to help others and their own tendency to gossip would be behavioral moderators of the relationship between LMX quality and their advice network centrality. Consistent with network generation theory, our results reveal that LMX quality is positively related to centrality only for those actors with a high tendency to help coworkers and a low tendency to gossip about coworkers, suggesting that behaviors indicating helpfulness and discretion are necessary for high LMX members to maintain a central position in their work group's advice network. Implications and future research directions are discussed.
Experimental Pragmatics: An Introduction for Philosophers
Authors: Phelan Mark
Published: January 2014

In the past several decades, psychologists and linguists have begun experimentally investigating linguistic pragmatic phenomena. They share the assumption that the best way to study the use of language in context incorporates an experimental methodology, here understood to comprise controlled studies and careful field observations. This article surveys some key projects in experimental pragmatics and relates these projects to ongoing philosophical discussions.
Some Early‐Modern Discussions of Vagueness: Locke, Leibniz, Kant
Authors: Tester Steven
Published: January 2014

There has recently been a growing interest in the topic of vagueness and indeterminacy in contemporary metaphysics, with two views taking center stage. The semantic view holds that indeterminacy is due to vagueness in the extension of concepts, while the ontological view holds that indeterminacy is due to the vagueness of certain objects. There has, however, been little research on discussions of vagueness and indeterminacy in early‐modern philosophy despite the relevance of vagueness and indeterminacy for issues such as real and nominal definitions, clear and distinct ideas, and the principle of complete determination. In this paper, I survey discussions of vagueness in Locke, Leibniz, and Kant and point to ways in which the problem of vagueness and indeterminacy touches on broader issues in their respective philosophies. Although Locke, Leibniz, and Kant all suggest that vagueness is a semantic phenomenon, Kant also appears to countenance an ontological view according to which objects as appearances may sometimes be indeterminate.
Philosophy of Sex
Authors: Marino Patricia
Published: January 2014

Sex raises fundamental philosophical questions about topics such as personal identity and well‐being, the relationship between emotion and reason, the nature of autonomy and consent, and the dual nature of persons as individuals but also social beings. This article serves as an overview of the philosophy of sex in the English‐speaking philosophical tradition and explicates philosophical debate in several specific areas: sexual objectification, rape and consent, sex work, sexual identities and queer theory, the medicalization of sexuality, and polyamory. It situates these topics in a framework of shifting cultural attitudes and argues for the importance of the philosophy of sex. It ends with some suggestions about future research, particularly with regard to the changing nature of pornography and sexual justice in legal theory.
Student Nurses' Risk Perceptions of Home Environmental Hazards
Authors: Polivka Barbara J. , Wills Celia
Published: January 2014

Objective

This study described nursing students' perceptions of home health risks.

Design and Sample

Nursing students (N = 254) at two large urban universities completed a cross‐sectional survey during the 2011–2013 academic years.

Measures

From a list of 22 common home health hazards, students identified what they perceived as the three: (a) most dangerous hazards, (b) most common hazards in their state, (c) hazards most likely to be present in their current home, and (d) hazards they would most afraid to find in their home. Students also rated perceived dangerousness of the hazards, how healthy they perceived their home to be, and the perceived effect of their home on their own health.

Results

Tobacco smoke, asbestos, and cleaning products were the most commonly identified home hazards. Individual characteristics, hazard experiences in personal homes, and university geographic location (state) were associated with perceptions of home hazards. Students who identified hazards in their own homes were more likely to identify them as hazards in general and for their own state.

Conclusions

These results fill a foundational knowledge gap by describing the risk perceptions of near‐future health care providers about home environmental hazards.
Maternal Stress and Psychological Status and Sleep in Minority Preschool Children
Authors: Caldwell Barbara A. , Redeker Nancy S.
Published: January 2014

Objectives

Minority women living in inner city environments may be at more risk for psychological distress. Maternal stress, anxiety, depression, and psychological trauma can influence the preschool child's behavior and may have a negative impact on the preschool child's sleep patterns. The purpose of the study was to: (a) examine objective and subjective preschool children sleep patterns and (b) explore the relationship between objective and subjective sleep patterns in preschool children and maternal psychological status.

Design and Sample

A cross‐sectional observational design was used. Descriptive analyses and correlations were conducted to examine the data. Twenty‐one minority women were recruited from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Program.

Measures

Preschool children wore wrist actigraphs, and their sleep efficiency, time in bed, and sleep periods were analyzed. Mothers completed measures on depression, anxiety, stress, and psychological trauma.

Results

Mothers' self‐report of their children's sleep habits indicated at risk scores for sleep problems. Life stress in the mothers was statistically significant and negatively related to preschool child's sleep duration. Mild to severe symptoms of depression and mild anxiety were reported and criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder were found in 12 of the 21 mothers. The results of the study indicate that parent education on sleep and the minority preschool child should be part of community interventions and screening preschool parents for psychological distress should be considered with referrals for support services.
Domestic drivers of transgovernmental regulatory cooperation
Authors: Bach David , Newman Abraham
Published: January 2014

Transgovernmental cooperation among domestic regulators has generated considerable interest among scholars and policymakers. While previous research has focused on describing such regulatory networks, we know very little about what drives individual jurisdictions to join them. The question of membership is important because it determines the reach of rules and standards promulgated by a given network, and because it is logically prior to understanding the rulemaking dynamic within a network. We develop a set of hypotheses that highlight the role of domestic political factors in shaping network membership. Our empirical analysis, using an original data set for transgovernmental cooperation in securities and insurance regulation, finds that the institutional form of domestic market regulation, as well as the relative domestic weight of the industry, are closely correlated with membership. All else equal, jurisdictions with independent regulatory agencies and those where the industry in question represents a large share of gross domestic product are much more likely to join the respective network than jurisdictions without these characteristics. The paper underscores the important interactions between domestic and international factors for informal cooperation, an issue that has become increasingly central to global governance.