bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chrysopogon zizanioides (vetiver grass) as a potential plant for landslide bioengineering at Atok, Benguet, Philippines
Authors: Balangcod Kryssa D. , Wong Freda M. , Balangcod Teodora D.
Published: June 2015

Chrysopogon zizanioides, more commonly known as vetiver grass, is being used extensively for bioengineering in several countries, to stabilise soil. This species has a fast growth rate and can hold soil through its ability to grow on steep slopes. The use of vetiver grass for bioengineering has not yet been explored in the northern Philippines, an area prone to landslides owing to steep slopes, exacerbated by an intense rain fall regime and typhoons. The aim of this study was to validate the use of vetiver grass for stabilisation of an experimental landslide area in Atok, Benguet, northern Philippines, and to monitor its growth performance under nursery conditions. A nursery has been established in Atok for the propagation of vetiver grass and other plant species, with potential for use in stabilising landslides. Three sample plots were chosen randomly. The number of new shoots and shoot length were measured every month from planting. The results show that during the early stages of growth, vetiver grass was able to develop new shoots. The longest shoot increment measured in the nursery was 65 cm and the average number of new shoots was three per pot. During the rain season, the vetiver grass was transplanted to the experimental site. The transplanted vetiver plants were monitored there and, after 2 months, the plants had shown growth and were able to produce more and longer shoots. To assess the capability of the roots to stabilise the soil, a force gauge was used on three vetiver plants and other revegetation species, to measure how strongly the roots can hold soil. The results showed that vetiver grass has a strong soil-aggregation capacity and that the roots were able to establish in the landslide within 2 months.
Identification of peanut seed prolamins with an antifungal role by 2D-GE and drought treatment
Authors: Senakoon Waraluk , Nuchadomrong Suporn , Chiou Robin Y-Y , Senawong Gulsiri , Jogloy Sanun , Songsri Patcharin , Patanothai Aran
Published: June 2015

This work revealed peanut seed prolamins likely displaying a defensive role besides the known nitrogen storage. Drought stress and proteomic approaches were used in varieties of peanuts to explore the prolamin member in association with a test against Aspergillus flavus spore germination. The stress effect was showed by aerial biomass, leaf content of malondialdehyde, and seed contamination by A. flavus. Sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis profiles were not informative for the antifungal polypeptides. From two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, the suspected polypeptides were those with pI 5.45–5.75 and sizes of 22.0–30.5 kDa specifically in Spanish-type peanuts. Regarding to the drought effect in most of these peanuts, the spot peak volume analysis deduced three novel prolamin-related antifungal polypeptides at pI 5.75–5.8 with 30.5, 27.5–28.5, and 22.0–22.5 kDa, which was confirmed after isoelectric purification at pH 5.60. The data could not yet conclude their correlation with resistance to drought and to seed infection by A. flavus.
Evolving meanings of “the social” in the international development agenda
Authors: Kabeer Naila
Published: June 2015

This paper argues that while social policy as an explicit aspect of policy discourse has relatively recent origins within the international development agenda, concerns with “the social” have featured from its very early days seeking to challenge the conflation between growth and development. The paper focuses on key international conferences and policy documents to analyse contestations over the meanings of “the social” within development policy discourse and their efforts to rethink its boundaries with “the economic”. It suggests that these contestations have helped to spell out the basic outlines of an alternative policy agenda in which concerns with “the social” have come to define both the means and ends of development.
Explicit examples of equivalence relations and II₁ factors with prescribed fundamental group and outer automorphism group
Authors: Deprez Steven
Published: June 2015

In this paper we give a number of explicit constructions for II

1

_1

factors and II

1

_1

equivalence relations that have prescribed fundamental group and outer automorphism group. We construct factors and relations that have uncountable fundamental group different from

R

+

∗

\mathbb {R}_{+}^{\ast }

. In fact, given any II

1

_1

equivalence relation, we construct a II

1

_1

factor with the same fundamental group. Given any locally compact unimodular second countable group

G
G

, our construction gives a II

1

_1

equivalence relation

R

\mathcal {R}

whose outer automorphism group is

G
G

. The same construction does not give a II

1

_1

factor with

G
G

as outer automorphism group, but when

G
G

is a compact group or if
<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper G equals normal upper S normal upper L Subscript n Superscript plus-or-minus Baseline double-struck upper R equals left-brace g element-of normal upper G normal upper L Subscript n Baseline double-struck upper R bar det left-parenthesis g right-parenthesis equals plus-or-minus 1 right-brace">

G
=

S
L

n

±

R

=
{
g
∈

G
L

n

R

∣
det
(
g
)
=
±
1
}

G=\mathrm {SL}^{\pm }_n\mathbb {R}=\{g\in \mathrm {GL}_n\mathbb {R}\mid \det (g)=\pm 1\}

, then we still find a type II

1

_1

factor whose outer automorphism group is

G
G

.
Dephosphorylation of Iqg1 by Cdc14 regulates cytokinesis in budding yeast
Authors: Miller Daniel P. , Hall Hana , Chaparian Ryan , Mara Madison , Mueller Alison , Hall Mark C. , Shannon Katie B.
Published: June 2015

Cytokinesis separates cells by contraction of a ring composed of filamentous actin (F-actin) and type II myosin. Iqg1, an IQGAP family member, is an essential protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae required for assembly and contraction of the actomyosin ring. Localization of F-actin to the ring occurs only after anaphase and is mediated by the calponin homology domain (CHD) of Iqg1, but the regulatory mechanisms that temporally restrict actin ring assembly are not well defined. We tested the hypothesis that dephosphorylation of four perfect cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) sites flanking the CHD promotes actin ring formation, using site-specific alanine mutants. Cells expressing the nonphosphorylatable iqg1-4A allele formed actin rings before anaphase and exhibited defects in myosin contraction and cytokinesis. The Cdc14 phosphatase is required for normal cytokinesis and acts on specific Cdk phosphorylation sites. Overexpression of Cdc14 resulted in premature actin ring assembly, whereas inhibition of Cdc14 function prevented actin ring formation. Cdc14 associated with Iqg1, dependent on several CHD-flanking Cdk sites, and efficiently dephosphorylated these sites in vitro. Of importance, the iqg1-4A mutant rescued the inability of cdc14-1 cells to form actin rings. Our data support a model in which dephosphorylation of Cdk sites around the Iqg1 CHD by Cdc14 is both necessary and sufficient to promote actin ring formation. Temporal control of actin ring assembly by Cdk and Cdc14 may help to ensure that cytokinesis onset occurs after nuclear division is complete.
"Something Dreadful and Grand"
Authors: Watt Stephen
Published: June 2015

This book traces the often uncanny relationships between Irish- and Jewish-Americans, arguing for the centrality of these diasporic groups to the development of American popular music, fiction, and especially drama. The book reads such cultural forms as tenement fiction, Tin Pan Alley music, and melodrama as part of a larger “circum–North Atlantic” world in which texts and performers from Ireland, Europe, and America were involved in a continuous cultural exchange within which stereotypes and performances of Jewishness and Irishness took center stage. For this reason, such Irish writers as James Joyce, Bernard Shaw, and Sean O’Casey played pivotal roles in the development of modern American culture, particularly as they influenced and interacted with writers like Elmer Rice, Clifford Odets, Henry Roth, and many others. Such Irish-American writers as Eugene O’Neill were similarly influenced by their interactions with Jewish-American writers like Michael Gold and Edward Dahlberg. While focusing on the modern period, this project traces a genealogy of modern drama and fiction to the nineteenth-century stage in which Irish and Jewish melodrama—and the appearances of international stars in such roles as Shylock and Leah, the Forsaken—shaped the often contradictory and excessive dimensions of ethnicity that are both allo-Semitic and allo-Hibernian. It also explores the larger dimensions of an Irish-Jewish unconscious underlying cultural production in America. The closing chapter considers more recent representations of Irish-Jewish interactions by John Banville, Brendan Behan, Norman Mailer, and Harold Pinter; and examples from a newer immigrant literature bring this discussion into the present.
Aiming for Global Accounting Standards
Authors: Camfferman Kees , Zeff Stephen A.
Published: June 2015

This book provides a historical study of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) from 2001 to 2011. During this period, the IASB and its International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) acquired a central position in the practice and regulation of financial reporting around the world. As a unique instance of a private-sector body setting standards with legal force in many jurisdictions, the IASB’s rise to prominence has been accompanied by vivid political debates about its governance and accountability. Similarly, the IASB’s often innovative attempts to change the face of financial reporting have made it the centre of numerous controversies. The book traces the history of the IASB from its foundation as successor to the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), and discusses its operation, changing membership and leadership, the development of its standards, and their reception in jurisdictions around the world. The book gives particular attention to the IASB’s relationships with the European Union, the United States, and Japan, as well as to the impact of the financial crisis on the IASB’s work.
Setting Up the IASB
Authors: Camfferman Kees , Zeff Stephen A.
Published: June 2015

This chapter discusses the appointment of the initial trustees of the IASC Foundation, including their chairman Paul Volcker, and the trustees’ decisions and activities to bring the new IASB into being. The most vital of these decisions were the selection of the first chairman of the IASB and the other initial Board members. Once appointed, the initial Board chairman, Sir David Tweedie, played an active role in setting up the IASB. Other aspects of the IASB’s initial organization covered in this chapter include the creation of a Standards Advisory Council (SAC) and an International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC), the building of a technical staff, and the soliciting of a sufficient amount of voluntary contributions to fund the new organization.
The First Wave of Jurisdictional Adoptions of IFRSs
Authors: Camfferman Kees , Zeff Stephen A.
Published: June 2015

The announcement by the European Union in 2000 of the required use of IFRSs in the consolidated financial statements of European listed companies, beginning in 2005, marked a turning point in the acceptance of IFRSs. Following the European example, other jurisdictions, including Australia and New Zealand also announced a mandatory transition to IFRSs. Meanwhile, some jurisdictions that had already adopted a policy of convergence with International Accounting Standards in the 1990s, particularly Hong Kong and South Africa, decided to move towards full adoption of IFRSs. Yet, there was little evidence of enthusiasm for IFRSs in Japan. In the United States, Enron and other accounting scandals helped to spark an interest in IFRSs. In 2002 the IASB and the FASB announced their so-called Norwalk Agreement aimed at converging their standards.
The IASC Foundation’s First Constitution Review
Authors: Camfferman Kees , Zeff Stephen A.
Published: June 2015

The tensions over IAS 39 and controversy over some of the IASB’s other projects, turned the first five-yearly review of the IASC Foundation Constitution into a debate on how to square the IASB’s identity as an independent technical expert group with demands for oversight and control from jurisdictions where IFRSs had the status of law. Key questions discussed included the appointment process of trustees and board members, control over the IASB’s agenda, and ensuring constituents’ right to a proper hearing by the IASB. In the end, the trustees made only minor adjustments to the Constitution. Yet, it was recognized that the trustees should be more active in overseeing the IASB, that the Board should enhance its procedures for consultation and feedback, and that establishing some form of accountability still required attention.
The IASB Survives the Financial Crisis
Authors: Camfferman Kees , Zeff Stephen A.
Published: June 2015

During the initial stages of the financial crisis, the IASB came under pressure to revise its guidance on fair value measurement for financial instruments traded in inactive markets. As the crisis intensified, the role of accounting standards in exacerbating financial instability became a matter of debate at the highest political level. In October 2008, the IASB was forced to amend IAS 39 without due process in order to avoid the loss of its franchise to set accounting standards for the EU. The IASB and the FASB sought to coordinate their attempts to develop a new financial instruments standard, but drifted apart as each faced its own political pressures. When the IASB produced a revised standard, IFRS 9, the European Commission declined to propose its endorsement for use in the EU.
The IASB and the FASB Rush to Complete the Convergence Programme
Authors: Camfferman Kees , Zeff Stephen A.
Published: June 2015

Until June 2011, the IASB and the FASB worked at a frantic pace to complete the convergence work programme included in their Memorandum of Understanding. Much of the drive came from the IASB, which did not wish to jeopardize the still existing possibility that the US SEC would decide in favour of IFRSs. The review of technical projects in this chapter highlights the challenges posed by the inherent complexity of the issues and the difficulties of achieving convergence by two boards with different priorities and constituencies. Despite several decisions to reduce the scope of the convergence agenda, the final record was mixed. Some projects were successfully completed, but four major projects remained unfinished by June 2011 when David Tweedie and the other remaining members of the initial Board retired.
libRoadRunner: a high performance SBML simulation and analysis library
Authors: Somogyi Endre T. , Bouteiller Jean-Marie , Glazier James A. , König Matthias , Medley J. Kyle , Swat Maciej H. , Sauro Herbert M.
Published: June 2015

Motivation: This article presents libRoadRunner, an extensible, high-performance, cross-platform, open-source software library for the simulation and analysis of models expressed using Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML). SBML is the most widely used standard for representing dynamic networks, especially biochemical networks. libRoadRunner is fast enough to support large-scale problems such as tissue models, studies that require large numbers of repeated runs and interactive simulations.

Results: libRoadRunner is a self-contained library, able to run both as a component inside other tools via its C++ and C bindings, and interactively through its Python interface. Its Python Application Programming Interface (API) is similar to the APIs of MATLAB (www.mathworks.com) and SciPy (http://www.scipy.org/), making it fast and easy to learn. libRoadRunner uses a custom Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler built on the widely used LLVM JIT compiler framework. It compiles SBML-specified models directly into native machine code for a variety of processors, making it appropriate for solving extremely large models or repeated runs. libRoadRunner is flexible, supporting the bulk of the SBML specification (except for delay and non-linear algebraic equations) including several SBML extensions (composition and distributions). It offers multiple deterministic and stochastic integrators, as well as tools for steady-state analysis, stability analysis and structural analysis of the stoichiometric matrix.

Availability and implementation: libRoadRunner binary distributions are available for Mac OS X, Linux and Windows. The library is licensed under Apache License Version 2.0. libRoadRunner is also available for ARM-based computers such as the Raspberry Pi. http://www.libroadrunner.org provides online documentation, full build instructions, binaries and a git source repository.

Contacts:  hsauro@u.washington.edu or somogyie@indiana.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Biographika: rich interactive data visualizations on the web for the research community
Authors: Pareja-Tobes Pablo , Pareja-Tobes Eduardo , Manrique Marina , Pareja Eduardo , Tobes Raquel
Published: June 2015

When visualizing scientific data one of the current bottlenecks is the lack of interactivity. There already exist many options to build static data visualizations such as R, Matlab or Microsoft Excel among others. On the other hand, we can also find many different pieces of software with a broader or more specific aim that however must be installed locally. There is therefore a gap that is not covered by any of these latter two worlds. Here is where Biographika comes in handy since it provides scientists in general, and more specifically bioinformaticians, with a way of being able to use interactive rich visualizations on the web as part of their daily research. This first version of Biographika includes a set of charts combining diverse approaches that are thought to give users different perspectives of their research data. For the sake of interoperability and expressivity among other reasons we are using D3.js [1], the de facto standard visualization JavaScript library for manipulating documents based on data. But not only that, we incorporate new approaches as the fact of having fully interactive 3D charts that can be easily integrated with the rest of visualizations; providing the possibility of analyzing multidimensional data in a way that could otherwise be difficult to tackle. For that we use X3DOM[2], an open-source framework and runtime for 3D graphics on the Web that eases the integration of HTML5 and declarative 3D content. And last but not least, Biographika is also conceived as an effort to provide the data visualization layer for Bio4j [3] that researchers have been lacking in the past few years.
The Extreme Conditions Beamline P02.2 and the Extreme Conditions Science Infrastructure at PETRA III
Authors: Liermann H.-P. , Konôpková Z. , Morgenroth W. , Glazyrin K. , Bednarčik J. , McBride E. E. , Petitgirard S. , Delitz J. T. , Wendt M. , Bican Y. , Ehnes A. , Schwark I. , Rothkirch A. , Tischer M. , Heuer J. , Schulte-Schrepping H. , Kracht T. , Franz H.
Published: June 2015

A detailed description is presented of the Extreme Conditions Beamline P02.2 for micro X-ray diffraction studies of matter at simultaneous high pressure and high/low temperatures at PETRA III, in Hamburg, Germany. This includes performance of the X-ray optics and instrumental resolution as well as an overview of the different sample environments available for high-pressure studies in the diamond anvil cell. Particularly emphasized are the high-brilliance and high-energy X-ray diffraction capabilities of the beamline in conjunction with the use of fast area detectors to conduct time-resolved compression studies in the millisecond time regime. Finally, the current capability of the Extreme Conditions Science Infrastructure to support high-pressure research at the Extreme Conditions Beamline and other PETRA III beamlines is described.
Crystal structure of oxadiargyl
Authors: Kang Gihaeng , Kim Jineun , Park Hyunjin , Kim Tae Ho
Published: June 2015

In the title compound {systematic name: 5-tert-butyl-3-[2,4-dichloro-5-(prop-2-ynyloxy)phenyl]-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2(3H)-one}, C15H14Cl2N2O3, which is an oxadiazolone herbicide, the dihedral angle between the planes of the oxadiazolone and benzene rings is 65.84 (6)°. In the crystal, weak intermolecular Cl...Cl [3.3600 (7) Å] short contacts link adjacent molecules, forming chains along theb-axis direction. These chains are linked by C—H...O, C—H...N and C—H...Cl hydrogen bonds, generating a three-dimensional network. Weak C—H...π interactions are also present.
Crystal structure of (E)-1-{[(3,5-dimethylphenyl)imino]methyl}naphthalen-2-ol
Authors: Abu-Dief Ahmed M. , Abdelbaky Mohammed S. M. , Garcia-Granda Santiago
Published: June 2015

The title compound, C19H17NO, has anEconformation about the N=C bond. The molecule is relatively planar, with the benzene ring and naphthalene ring plane being inclined to one another by 4.28 (10)°. There is an intramolecular O—H...N hydrogen bond generating anS(6) ring motif. In the crystal, molecules are linkedviaC—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming chains propagating along [100]. Within the chains there are π–π interactions involving the benzene ring and the naphthalene ring system of an adjacent molecule [inter-centroid distance = 3.6405 (14) Å].
Crystal structure of (E)-4,4′-(but-2-ene-1,4-diyl)bis(2-methoxyphenol)
Authors: Knight Kyle S. , Carey Patrick J.
Published: June 2015

The title compound, C18H20O4, was synthesizedviathe ruthenium-catalyzed alkene methathesis dimerization of eugenol. The whole molecule is generated by inversion symmetry; the center of inversion being located at the mid-point of thetransC=C bond. The phenol ring is inclined to the mean plane of the central C—C=C—C unit (r.m.s. deviation = 0.014 Å) by 68.83 (16)°. In the crystal, molecules are linkedviaO—H...O hydrogen bonds, involving the hydroxy and methoxy groups, forming undulating sheets parallel to (010).
The Portuguese corporate tax reform and international trends: an assessment
Authors: Martins António
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is, first, to discuss if the Portuguese corporate tax reform, implemented in 2014, moved the system towards international trends. Second is to analyse in what areas the similarities and disparities are more pronounced when assessing the Portuguese reform against the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base, the Mirrlees Review or other relevant international guidelines. Finally, it assesses how a European country under a bailout could significantly reform the corporate tax.

Design/methodology/approach

– The methodology employed is based on a mix of the legal research method and case study analysis. The legal method will be applied under comparative income taxation, and the case study will draw on the Portuguese reform to broaden the discussion about critical issues like the participation exemption regime and its place in the taxation of international income flows. The paper will analyse core issues in international income taxation, the present state of corporate tax harmonization in the European Union, discuss the main issues that were dealt by the Portuguese tax reform and offer a critical assessment of tax policy choices that underpinned the reform.

Findings

– During the past decades, Portugal was increasingly out of line with international trends in corporate taxation. The bailout asked for the Portuguese Government in 2011 placed a heavy burden in public finances, with an apparent lack of room to follow international trends of corporate tax reform. However, it can be concluded that, after convincing the troika that investment and growth were paramount to overcome the severe economic and social crisis that fell upon the country, the corporate tax was seen as an important policy tool to promote these goals. The reform was thus possible even in the context of a restrictive public finance situation, and followed most guidelines put forward in highly regarded international reports.

Practical implications

– A broad corporate tax reform, including rate reduction, a participation exemption regime, a more flexible rule on cost acceptance, an extension of loss carry over period, to name a few, was possible in a very constrained public finance situation. By placing the emphasis on moving the system towards international trends and promoting measures to enhance investment and growth, international creditors could accept such a reform. Also, a consensus with the main opposition party was a very important factor in securing much needed political support.

Originality/value

– The findings from what can be considered as an experiment in corporate tax reform in tough economic and social times can be useful to policymakers, tax authorities and international bodies dealing with tax reform processes. The impact on managerial decisions such as investment and financing is also relevant.
Local and landscape‐level floral resources explain effects of wildflower strips on wild bees across four European countries
Authors: Scheper Jeroen , Bommarco Riccardo , Holzschuh Andrea , Potts Simon G. , Riedinger Verena , Roberts Stuart P. M. , Rundlöf Maj , Smith Henrik G. , Steffan‐Dewenter Ingolf , Wickens Jennifer B. , Wickens Victoria J. , Kleijn David
Published: June 2015

Growing evidence for declines in wild bees calls for the development and implementation of effective mitigation measures. Enhancing floral resources is a widely accepted measure for promoting bees in agricultural landscapes, but effectiveness varies considerably between landscapes and regions. We hypothesize that this variation is mainly driven by a combination of the direct effects of measures on local floral resources and the availability of floral resources in the surrounding landscape.

To test this, we established wildflower strips in four European countries, using the same seed mixture of forage plants specifically targeted at bees. We used a before–after control–impact approach to analyse the impacts of wildflower strips on bumblebees, solitary bees and Red List species and examined to what extent effects were affected by local and landscape‐wide floral resource availability, land‐use intensity and landscape complexity.

Wildflower strips generally enhanced local bee abundance and richness, including Red‐listed species. Effectiveness of the wildflower strips increased with the local contrast in flower richness created by the strips and furthermore depended on the availability of floral resources in the surrounding landscape, with different patterns for solitary bees and bumblebees. Effects on solitary bees appeared to decrease with increasing amount of late‐season alternative floral resources in the landscape, whereas effects on bumblebees increased with increasing early‐season landscape‐wide floral resource availability.

Synthesis and applications. Our study shows that the effects of wildflower strips on bees are largely driven by the extent to which local flower richness is increased. The effectiveness of this measure could therefore be enhanced by maximizing the number of bee forage species in seed mixtures, and by management regimes that effectively maintain flower richness in the strips through the years. In addition, for bumblebees specifically, our study highlights the importance of a continuous supply of food resources throughout the season. Measures that enhance early‐season landscape‐wide floral resource availability, such as the cultivation of oilseed rape, can benefit bumblebees by providing the essential resources for colony establishment and growth in spring. Further research is required to determine whether, and under what conditions, wildflower strips result in actual population‐level effects.
Multiple stressors and stream ecosystem functioning: climate warming and agricultural stressors interact to affect processing of organic matter
Authors: Piggott Jeremy J. , Niyogi Dev K. , Townsend Colin R. , Matthaei Christoph D.
Published: June 2015

Measures of organic matter processing have been proposed as indices of stream ecosystem function to complement structural measures (water quality, taxonomic composition) in stream health monitoring. However, to be meaningful for ecosystem management, functional responses must be informed by knowledge of multiple stressors in the face of global change.

We manipulated nutrient concentrations (two levels), fine sediment (two levels) and water temperature (eight levels, 0–6 °C above ambient) in 128 streamside mesocosms to determine the individual and combined effects of these stressors on decomposition rates of fresh and pre‐dried leaf packs and cotton strips.

Raised temperature affected all seven studied decomposition measures. Leaf biomass loss rates were linearly positively affected, while strength loss rates of leaves and cotton strips showed nonlinear, weakly unimodal responses. Respiration of fresh leaves was positively affected by warming, but respiration of dried leaves showed the opposite pattern. Nutrient enrichment enhanced dried leaf biomass loss and respiration, and cotton tensile strength loss. Sediment addition increased loss of fresh leaf strength and biomass, but decreased dried leaf respiration.

Interactions among stressors occurred in three cases. The positive effect of raised temperature on biomass loss of dried leaves was weaker in mesocosms with added sediment, the negative effect of sediment on dried leaf respiration annulled the positive effect of nutrients, and cotton strength loss increased strongly under enriched nutrients but less so when sediment was added.

Synthesis and applications. Sediment greatly increased decay rates of fresh (living) leaves, but not of dried leaves or cotton strips. Leaf condition can strongly affect decomposition processes, with important consequences for streams that naturally receive freshly fallen leaves and have high sediment loads. Nonlinear responses of decomposition to rising temperature highlight how a warming climate may alter organic matter processing in complex ways. Our finding that dried leaf biomass loss responded positively to nutrient enrichment but not sediment addition, while fresh leaf biomass loss responded positively to sediment addition but not nutrient enrichment, suggests the two measures may offer complementary information in the functional assessment of multiple stressors in streams.
Accentuate The Regional
Authors: Soja Edward
Published: June 2015

We are witnessing an unprecedented period in which the urban and the regional, formerly quite distinct from one another, are blending together to define something new and different. Never before have regional approaches been more important in urban research, and urban emphases more influential in regional development theory and planning. As one of the only forums that explicitly combines the urban and the regional, IJURR has a rare opportunity to take the lead in defining and expanding critical urban/regional studies. This essay identifies eight challenging themes for innovative critical and comparative regional research.
Consanguineous marriage, prepregnancy maternal characteristics and stillbirth risk: a population‐based case–control study
Authors: Maghsoudlou Siavash , Cnattingius Sven , Aarabi Mohsen , Montgomery Scott M. , Semnani Shahriar , Stephansson Olof , Wikström Anna‐Karin , Bahmanyar Shahram
Published: June 2015

Introduction

Consanguineous marriage is associated with increased risks for congenital anomalies, low birthweight, and other adverse perinatal outcomes. In this population‐based, case–control study we investigated the association between consanguineous marriage (first‐cousin marriage) and stillbirth risk, using prospectively collected information from prepregnancy visits.

Material and methods

From 2007 to 2009, we identified 283 stillbirths (cases) and 2088 randomly selected live control births through prepregnancy visits in rural Golestan, Iran. The associations between consanguinity and prepregnancy maternal characteristics and stillbirth risk were examined using multivariate logistic regression.

Results

The rate of consanguineous marriage was 19.4% among cases and 13.6% among controls. Consanguinity was associated with increased stillbirth risk [odds ratio (OR) 1.53; 95% CI 1.10–2.14]. The association was significantly increased for preterm stillbirth (< 37 gestational weeks) (OR 2.43; 95% CI 1.46–4.04) but not for term stillbirth (≥ 37 weeks) (OR 1.14; 95% CI 0.75–1.74). Low and high maternal age, underweight, obesity, nulliparity, a history of infertility or miscarriage, previous obstetric complications (preeclampsia, preterm delivery, and stillbirth in previous pregnancies) were also associated with increased stillbirth risks.

Conclusions

Consanguineous marriage is associated with increased risk of stillbirth, particularly preterm stillbirth. Findings for other maternal risk factors for stillbirth in rural Iran are consistent with previously reported findings from high‐income countries.
CSNK1A1 mutations and gene expression analysis in myelodysplastic syndromes with del(5q)
Authors: Bello Erica , Pellagatti Andrea , Shaw Jacqueline , Mecucci Cristina , Kušec Rajko , Killick Sally , Giagounidis Aristoteles , Raynaud Sophie , Calasanz María J. , Fenaux Pierre , Boultwood Jacqueline
Published: June 2015

Mutations of CSNK1A1, a gene mapping to the commonly deleted region of the 5q‐ syndrome, have been recently described in patients with del(5q) myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Haploinsufficiency of Csnk1a1 in mice has been shown to result in β‐catenin activation and expansion of haematopoietic stem cells (HSC). We have screened a large cohort of 104 del(5q) MDS patients and have identified mutations of CSNK1A1 in five cases (approximately 5%). We have shown up‐regulation of β‐catenin target genes in the HSC of patients with del(5q) MDS. Our data further support a central role of CSNK1A1 in the pathogenesis of MDS with del(5q).
Low testosterone level is an independent risk factor for high‐grade prostate cancer detection at biopsy
Authors: Park Juhyun , Cho Sung Yong , Jeong Seung‐hwan , Lee Seung Bae , Son Hwancheol , Jeong Hyeon
Published: June 2015

Objective

To investigate the relationship between low testosterone levels and prostate cancer detection risk in a biopsy population.

Patients and Methods

In all, 681 men who underwent initial 12‐core transrectal prostate biopsy at our institution were included in this retrospective study. Patients were divided into groups with low (<300 ng/dL) and normal testosterone levels (≥300 ng/dL). Clinical and pathological data were analysed.

Results

Among 681 men, 86 men (12.6%) had low testosterone levels, 143 (32.7%) had a positive biopsy, and 99 (14.5%) had high‐grade prostate cancer. The mean age, prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level, PSA density, body mass index (BMI), number of abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE) findings, and diabetes mellitus (DM) history were significantly different between the low and normal level testosterone groups. A low testosterone level was significantly associated with a higher risk of detection of overall prostate cancer than a normal testosterone level in univariate analysis (odds ratio [OR] 2.545, P = 0.001), but not in multivariate analysis adjusting for parameters such as age, PSA, prostate volume, BMI, abnormal DRE findings and DM (OR 1.583, P = 0.277). Meanwhile, a low testosterone level was significantly related to a higher rate of high‐grade prostate cancer compared with a normal testosterone level in univariate (OR 3.324, P < 0.001) and multivariate analysis adjusting for other parameters (OR 2.138, P = 0.035).

Conclusion

Low testosterone level is an independent risk factor for high‐grade prostate cancer detection at biopsy. Therefore, checking testosterone levels could help to determine whether prostate biopsy should be carried out.
Long‐term clinical, technical, and esthetic outcomes of all‐ceramic vs. titanium abutments on implant supporting single‐tooth reconstructions after at least 5 years
Authors: Fenner Nadine , Hämmerle Christoph H. F. , Sailer Irena , Jung Ronald E.
Published: June 2015

Aim

The aim of this prospective cohort study was to evaluate clinical, radiographic, technical, esthetic, and patient‐centered outcomes of implants using two different restoration materials after 5–9 years.

Materials and Methods

The study included 28 patients (test group: 13 patients with all‐ceramic crowns on aluminum oxide‐based abutments; control group: 15 patients with metal abutments on porcelain‐fused‐to‐metal crowns). Evaluation of patient satisfaction, clinical (periodontal probing depth, bleeding on probing, plaque index, mucosal recession, and width of keratinized mucosa), esthetical (papilla index, clinical crown length), technical (loss of retention, marginal adaptation, chipping of ceramic, anatomical shape, occlusal wear, color match), and radiological parameters were assessed. The statistical analyses included comparison of all‐ceramic vs. metal abutments and between the groups using Mann–Whitney U‐tests. For esthetic parameters, changes over time were assessed using Friedman test and post hoc Wilcoxon test of all complete cases.

Results

The survival rate of the restoration was 100% in both groups. Patient's satisfaction revealed 9.7 on the visual analog scale. A low satisfaction correlated with low ratings in color or anatomical shape. The mucosal recession in the test group was less than that in the control group. An increase in distal papilla height in the year 0 to 1, and a decrease from year 1 to 8, was detected. Sites, which received a soft tissue graft, revealed stable papillae over the observation period. Clinical crown length showed higher values in the control group.

Conclusions

Within the limitations of the study, it can be concluded that all‐ceramic restorations reveal a high survival rate of 100% and show no difference to metal after a mean observation period of 7.2 years.
Jurisdictional differences in opioid use, other licit and illicit drug use, and harms associated with substance use among people who tamper with pharmaceutical opioids
Authors: Peacock Amy , Bruno Raimondo , Cama Elena , Kihas Ivana , Larance Briony , Lintzeris Nick , Hordern Antonia , White Nancy , Ali Robert , Degenhardt Louisa
Published: June 2015

Introduction and Aims

The harms associated with non‐medical use of pharmaceutical opioid analgesics are well established; however, less is known about the characteristics and drug‐use patterns of the growing and hidden populations of people using pharmaceutical opioids illicitly, including the frequency of pharmaceutical opioid injection. This paper aimed to undertake a detailed examination of jurisdictional differences in patterns of opioid use among a cohort of people who regularly tamper with pharmaceutical opioids in Australia.

Design and Methods

Data were drawn from the National Opioid Medications Abuse Deterrence study. The cohort was recruited from New South Wales (NSW; n = 303), South Australia (SA; n = 150) and Tasmania (TAS; n = 153) to participate in face‐to‐face structured interviews collecting data on use of pharmaceutical opioids, benzodiazepines, other sedative drugs and illicit substances, as well as the harms associated with substance use.

Results

TAS participants reported greater use and injection of certain pharmaceutical opioids (particularly morphine and methadone tablets), and limited heroin use, with lower rates of engagement in opioid substitution treatment, compared with NSW participants. NSW participants were more socially disadvantaged and more likely to report risky injecting behaviours and injecting‐related injuries and diseases compared with SA and TAS participants. SA participants reported greater rates of pain conditions, greater use of pain‐based services, as well as broader use of pharmaceutical opioids in regards to forms and route of administration, compared with NSW participants.

Discussion and Conclusions

Distinct jurisdictional profiles were evident for people who tamper with pharmaceutical opioids, potentially reflecting jurisdictional differences in prescribing regulatory mechanisms and addiction treatment models [Peacock A, Bruno R, Cama E, Kihas I, Larance B, Lintzeris N, Hordern A, White N, Ali R, Degenhardt L. Jurisdictional differences in opioid use, other licit and illicit drug use, and harms associated with substance use among people who tamper with pharmaceutical opioids. Drug Alcohol Rev 2015;34:611–22]
Sexual identity and its relationship to injecting in a sample of disadvantaged young drug users
Authors: Wilson Hannah , Bryant Joanne , Ellard Jeanne , Howard John , Treloar Carla
Published: June 2015

Introduction and aims

People who are new to injecting are at the highest risk of acquiring blood‐borne viruses, and certain other characteristics, such as sexual identity, have been known to further heighten this risk. We investigate whether disadvantaged drug‐using young people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or who identify as other sexual identity (GLBO) are more likely to have ever injected drugs compared with their heterosexual peers.

Design and Methods

Convenience sampling was employed across 15 youth services in metropolitan Sydney. Respondents were required to be 16–24 years of age, to have used an illicit drug, to have been exposed to injecting through social networks and been socially disadvantaged in the past 12 months. Participants self‐completed a survey using touch screen laptops.

Results

In a sample of 250 young people, GLBO participants more commonly reported ever injecting drugs [37.1%, confidence interval (CI) 21.5–55.1% vs. 12.3%, CI 8.1–17.4%] or injecting drugs in the past 12 months [31.4%, CI 16.9–49.3% vs. 5.7%, CI 2.9–9.6%] compared with participants who identified as heterosexual.

Discussion and Conclusions

The higher rates of injecting among GLBO young people found in this sample advocates for the development of targeted prevention strategies for this group. Utilising existing networks in GLBO communities could be one strategy to limit the transition to injecting drug use and reduce the risk of drug‐related harms among this group. [Wilson H, Bryant J, Ellard J, Howard J, Treloar C. Sexual identity and its relationship to injecting in a sample of disadvantaged young drug users. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:218–22]
Treatment satisfaction in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with once‐weekly dulaglutide: data from the AWARD‐1 and AWARD‐3 clinical trials
Authors: Reaney M. , Yu M. , Lakshmanan M. , Pechtner V. , van Brunt K.
Published: June 2015

Aims

To compare treatment satisfaction among people with type 2 diabetes receiving dulaglutide 1.5 mg and dulaglutide 0.75 mg (a once‐weekly, long‐acting, glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist) with those receiving either exenatide or placebo (AWARD‐1 study) or metformin (AWARD‐3 study) over 52 weeks.

Methods

The Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire status version (DTSQs) and change version (DTSQc) were used to evaluate total treatment satisfaction and perceived frequency of hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia.

Results

In the AWARD‐1 study, significant improvements from baseline were observed in total DTSQs score for both dulaglutide doses (26 and 52 weeks) and exenatide (26 weeks). The improvement was significantly greater with both dulaglutide doses compared with placebo (26 weeks) and exenatide (26 and 52 weeks). The perceived frequency of hyperglycaemia was lower for all groups at 26 and 52 weeks compared with baseline. The improvement was greater with both dulaglutide doses and exenatide compared with placebo at 26 weeks, and was also greater with both dulaglutide doses compared with exenatide at 26 and 52 weeks. The exenatide group had an increase in perceived frequency of hypoglycaemia at 26 and 52 weeks. In the AWARD‐3 study, significant improvements from baseline were observed for total DTSQs scores in all groups at 26 and 52 weeks. Perceived frequency of hyperglycaemia was lower for all groups at 26 and 52 weeks compared with baseline, and this improvement was greater with both dulaglutide doses compared with metformin at 52 weeks.

Conclusions

Dulaglutide was associated with improvements in treatment satisfaction and a decrease in perceived frequency of hyperglycaemia.
Sponge erosion under acidification and warming scenarios: differential impacts on living and dead coral
Authors: Stubler Amber D. , Furman Bradley T. , Peterson Bradley J.
Published: June 2015

Ocean acidification will disproportionately impact the growth of calcifying organisms in coral reef ecosystems. Simultaneously, sponge bioerosion rates have been shown to increase as seawater pH decreases. We conducted a 20‐week experiment that included a 4‐week acclimation period with a high number of replicate tanks and a fully orthogonal design with two levels of temperature (ambient and +1 °C), three levels of pH (8.1, 7.8, and 7.6), and two levels of boring sponge (Cliona varians, present and absent) to account for differences in sponge attachment and carbonate change for both living and dead coral substrate (Porites furcata). Net coral calcification, net dissolution/bioerosion, coral and sponge survival, sponge attachment, and sponge symbiont health were evaluated. Additionally, we used the empirical data from the experiment to develop a stochastic simulation of carbonate change for small coral clusters (i.e., simulated reefs). Our findings suggest differential impacts of temperature, pH and sponge presence for living and dead corals. Net coral calcification (mg CaCO3 cm−2 day−1) was significantly reduced in treatments with increased temperature (+1 °C) and when sponges were present; acidification had no significant effect on coral calcification. Net dissolution of dead coral was primarily driven by pH, regardless of sponge presence or seawater temperature. A reevaluation of the current paradigm of coral carbonate change under future acidification and warming scenarios should include ecologically relevant timescales, species interactions, and community organization to more accurately predict ecosystem‐level response to future conditions.
FBXO21 mediates the ubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation of EID1
Authors: Watanabe Koki , Yumimoto Kanae , Nakayama Keiichi I.
Published: June 2015

Although identification of substrates for ubiquitin ligase (E3) is important for understanding its biological functions, detection of the interaction between an E3 and its substrates has remained challenging. We recently developed a new approach, termed differential proteomics‐based identification of ubiquitylation substrates (DiPIUS), for the discovery of substrates of a given E3 ligase. We have now applied this approach to an uncharacterized human F‐box protein, FBXO21, which serves as the substrate‐recognition subunit of a SKP1‐CUL1‐F‐box protein (SCF)‐type E3, thereby identifying EID1 (EP300‐interacting inhibitor of differentiation 1) as a candidate substrate. The central and COOH‐terminal portion of FBXO21 was found to interact with the COOH‐terminal region of EID1 in transfected cells. Over‐expression of FBXO21 resulted in the down‐regulation of EID1, whereas disruption of the FBXO21 gene with the CRISPR/Cas9 system stabilized EID1 and led to its accumulation in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. An in vitro ubiquitylation assay showed that EID1 is a direct substrate of SCFFBXO21. Collectively, our results suggest that EID1 is a bona fide substrate of FBXO21 and that the control of EID1 abundance by SCFFBXO21 might affect the transcriptional repression activity of EID1.