bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of dosing regimen of custirsen, an antisense oligonucleotide, on safety, tolerability and cardiac repolarization in healthy subjects
Authors: Rabinovich‐Guilatt Laura , Elgart Anna , Erisson Lavi , Willsie Sandra K. , Tessler Shoshi , Barnett‐Griness Ofra , Pande Amitkumar , Spiegelstein Ofer
Published: March 2015

Aims

Custirsen (OGX‐011/TV‐1011), a second‐generation antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) that reduces clusterin production, is under investigation with chemotherapy in patients with solid tumours. Custirsen is associated with constitutional symptoms (CS) that may interfere with clinical pharmacology investigations, such as QT interval studies. Experience with other ASOs suggests NSAID premedication may ameliorate CS, but we observed suboptimal outcomes in healthy subjects given custirsen and NSAIDs. We sought to establish a custirsen regimen for future clinical pharmacology studies in healthy subjects.

Methods

Subjects received custirsen (640 mg intravenously over 120 min) with dexamethasone premedication or increasing doses (320, 480, 640 mg over 6 days) of custirsen with dexamethasone premedication, then one full custirsen dose without premedication on day 8. Incidence/severity of adverse events (AEs) and extensive electrocardiogram readings were evaluated. Pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated.

Results

AEs included CS, elevated transaminases and prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) that were predominantly grade 1/2. Administration of increasing custirsen doses and dexamethasone premedication reduced the incidence of CS associated with full dose custirsen. Transaminase elevation showed a dose‐dependent effect (0% at days 2, 4, 27% at day 6) with the highest custirsen doses. Increasing doses of custirsen may have mitigated the severity but not incidence of aPTT prolongation. Neither regimen was associated with cardiac repolarization changes in QT values or concentration–effect analyses. The custirsen pharmacokinetic profile was consistent with previous experience.

Conclusion

Escalation of custirsen dose combined with dexamethasone premedication reduced CS associated with full dose custirsen and should be considered in future clinical pharmacology studies of custirsen.
Influence of learning styles on social structures in online learning environments
Authors: Cela Karina , Sicilia Miguel‐Ángel , Sánchez‐Alonso Salvador
Published: March 2015

In e‐learning settings, the interactions of students with one another, with the course content and with the instructors generate a considerable amount of information that may be useful for understanding how people learn online. The objective of the present research was to use social network analysis to explore the social structure of an e‐learning environment and analyse how the structure depends on user learning style. Applying Felder and Silverman's inventory of learning styles to an online course with 214 adult graduate‐level participants, we found that some styles occupied more central positions than others. These findings may help designers improve learning activities by tailoring them to the learning styles of the participants.
Regulatory focus moderates the social performance of individuals who conceal a stigmatized identity
Authors: Newheiser Anna‐Kaisa , Barreto Manuela , Ellemers Naomi , Derks Belle , Scheepers Daan
Published: March 2015

People often choose to hide a stigmatized identity to avoid bias. However, hiding stigma can disrupt social interactions. We considered whether regulatory focus qualifies the social effects of hiding stigma by examining interactions in which stigmatized participants concealed a devalued identity from non‐stigmatized partners. In the Prevention Focus condition, stigmatized participants were instructed to prevent a negative impression by concealing the identity; in the Promotion Focus condition, they were instructed to promote a positive impression by concealing the identity; in the Control condition, they were simply asked to conceal the identity. Both non‐stigmatized partners and independent raters rated the interactions more positively in the Promotion Focus condition. Thus, promotion focus is interpersonally beneficial for individuals who conceal a devalued identity.
Multicentre prospective evaluation of the learning curve of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP)
Authors: Robert Grégoire , Cornu Jean‐Nicolas , Fourmarier Marc , Saussine Christian , Descazeaud Aurélien , Azzouzi Abdel‐Rahmène , Vicaut Eric , Lukacs Bertrand
Published: March 2015

Objectives

To describe the step‐by‐step learning curve of the holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) surgical technique.

Subjects/patients and methods

A prospective, multicentre observational study was conducted, involving surgeons experienced in transurethral resection of the prostate and open prostatectomy but never having performed HoLEP. The main judgment criterion was the ability of the surgeon to perform four consecutive successful procedures, defined by the following: complete enucleation and morcellation within <90 min, without any conversion to standard transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), with acceptable stress, and with acceptable difficulty (evaluated by Likert scales). Each surgeon included 20 consecutive cases.

Results

Of nine centres, three abandoned HoLEP before the end of the study due to complications, and one was excluded for treating patients off protocol. Only one centre achieved the main judgment criterion of four consecutive successful HoLEP procedures. Overall, the procedures were successfully performed in 43.6% of cases. Reasons for unsuccessful procedures were mainly operative time >90 min (n = 51), followed by conversion to TURP (n = 14), incomplete morcellation (n = 8), significant stress (n = 9), or difficulty (n = 14) during HoLEP. Ignoring operating time, 64% of procedures were successful and four out of five centres did four consecutive successful cases. Of the five centres that completed the study, four chose to continue HoLEP.

Conclusion

Even in a prospective training structure, HoLEP has a steep learning curve exceeding 20 cases, with almost half of our centres choosing to abandon or not to continue with the technique. Operating time and difficulty of the enucleation seem the most important problems for a beginner. A more intensely mentored and structured mentorship programme might allow safer adoption of the procedure.
The Hesperides basin: a continental‐scale upper Palaeozoic to Triassic basin in southern Gondwana
Authors: Pángaro Francisco , Ramos Víctor A. , Pazos Pablo J.
Published: March 2015

The late Palaeozoic to Triassic sedimentary record of the central Argentinean offshore was analysed through the integration of data from exploratory wells and 2D seismic lines. Our interpretations were combined with existing ones in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and South Africa for their analysis in the late Palaeozoic south‐western Gondwana context. The mapped upper Palaeozoic‐Lower Triassic stratigraphic record offshore Argentina bears a thickness of +7000 m south of the Colorado basin and encompasses the time span between Pennsylvanian and Lower Triassic; this means that it triples that of the Sierras de la Ventana of Argentina and involves a far larger time span. On the basis of seismic stratigraphic interpretations in localities near the coast, we interpret that a strong denudation process removed a great portion of the stratigraphic record in the Sierras de la Ventana, the surrounding plains and the Tandilia system of Buenos Aires. The seismic stratigraphic configuration of the late Palaeozoic succession shows continuous and parallel reflections in a wide sediment wedge extending for more than 1000 km between the Gondwanides orogen core to the south and offshore Uruguay to the north. Two salient aspects of this sedimentary wedge are that no flexural depocentre was observed at the Ventania fold belt front, and that deformation in the orogenic front is post‐Lower Triassic. The original westwards extent of the basin is interpreted to have encompassed the whole of Buenos Aires province in continuity with the Chacoparaná basin; to the east continuity and a straightforward correlation with the Karoo basin was interpreted. The name of Hespérides Basin is proposed herein to refer to a Pennsylvanian to Lower Triassic basin mainly controlled by dynamic subsidence that encompasses and exceeds the area of the Sauce Grande and Colorado basins and the Claromecó fore‐deep in Argentina. The Hespérides basin is interpreted to have been in lateral continuity with the Kalahari, Karoo and Chacoparaná basins of Africa and South America forming a +3 000 000 sq. km depocentre.
Screening Feature Genes of Venous Thromboembolism with DNA Microarray
Authors: Zhou Tao , Zhang Yudong , Wu Peng , Sun Qiang , Guo Yanan
Published: March 2015

We aimed to explore the potential genes or pathways related to venous thromboembolism (VTE) and expected our findings could contribute to the development of new target drugs for VTE. The gene expression profile of GSE19151 was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The bioinformatics methods were applied to screen the feature genes and pathways related with VTE. A total of 115 DEGs were identified, including 25 downregulated genes and 90 upregulated genes. Function enrichment analysis showed that upregulated genes of VTE were mainly enriched in ribosome and translation‐related pathways, while downregulated genes were mainly enriched in cytoskeletal protein binding and non‐membrane‐bounded organelle‐related pathways. MCL1, TP53, and RERE were three outstanding genes involved in the interaction network. The most significant pathways enriched by module genes were ribosome and oxidative phosphorylation. Moreover, all the products of the 18 genes enriched in ribosome (hsa03010) were ribosomal proteins. Ribosome, translation, actin binding, and non‐membrane‐bounded organelle pathways were closely related to the development of VTE. Moreover, MCL1, TP53, and RERE might play key roles in the process of VTE.
The Developing Social Context of Infant Helping in Two U.S. Samples
Authors: Dahl Audun
Published: March 2015

Theories about the development of helping make different assumptions about infants’ everyday experiences. Yet little research has investigated early helping at home. Two studies investigated the presence, encouragement, and social reinforcement of helping in 11‐ to 25‐month‐old infants in U.S. middle‐class families. In Study 1, 76 mothers provided descriptions of infant helping. Study 2 involved videotaping of naturalistic interactions in 51 families. From around the first birthday, most infants helped at home. Instances of helping were frequently accompanied by encouragement, thanking, or praising. Longitudinal and cross‐sectional findings were consistent with the view that family members’ involvement contributes to infant helping, although the role of family members may depend on infant age. These findings have implications for theories and research about infant helping.
Immediate Loaded Implants in Split‐Crest Procedure
Authors: Crespi Roberto , Bruschi Giovanni B. , Gastaldi Giorgio , Capparé Paolo , Gherlone Enrico F.
Published: March 2015

Background

The aim of this study was to assess survival rate of immediate loading implants placed after split‐crest technique.

Methods

Thirty‐six patients were enrolled in the study. They underwent placement of 93 dental implants in edentulous region after split‐crest ridge expansion procedure. Implants followed an immediate loading procedure. Crestal bone levels were measured at baseline, at temporary prosthesis placement, at 1 year, and at 2 years from implant placement.

Results

For dental implants, a survival rate of 98.92% was reported at 2‐year follow‐up, with a mean value bone loss of −1.02 ± 0.48.

Conclusion

This study assessed immediate loading implant placement after split‐crest procedure at 2‐year follow‐up.
In Vitro Implant Impression Accuracy Using a New Photopolymerizing SDR Splinting Material
Authors: Di Fiore Adolfo , Meneghello Roberto , Savio Gianpaolo , Sivolella Stefano , Katsoulis Joannis , Stellini Edoardo
Published: March 2015

Purpose

The study aims to evaluate three‐dimensionally (3D) the accuracy of implant impressions using a new resin splinting material, “Smart Dentin Replacement” (SDR).

Materials and Methods

A titanium model of an edentulous mandible with six implant analogues was used as a master model and its dimensions measured with a coordinate measuring machine. Before the total 60 impressions were taken (open tray, screw‐retained abutments, vinyl polysiloxane), they were divided in four groups: A (test): copings pick‐up splinted with dental floss and fotopolymerizing SDR; B (test): see A, additionally sectioned and splinted again with SDR; C (control): copings pick‐up splinted with dental floss and autopolymerizing Duralay® (Reliance Dental Mfg. Co., Alsip, IL, USA) acrylic resin; and D (control): see C, additionally sectioned and splinted again with Duralay. The impressions were measured directly with an optomechanical coordinate measuring machine and analyzed with a computer‐aided design (CAD) geometric modeling software. The Wilcoxon matched‐pair signed‐rank test was used to compare groups.

Results

While there was no difference (p = .430) between the mean 3D deviations of the test groups A (17.5 μm) and B (17.4 μm), they both showed statistically significant differences (p < .003) compared with both control groups (C 25.0 μm, D 19.1 μm).

Conclusions

Conventional impression techniques for edentulous jaws with multiple implants are highly accurate using the new fotopolymerizing splinting material SDR. Sectioning and rejoining of the SDR splinting had no impact on the impression accuracy.
Evolution of Multidisciplinary Translational Teams (MTTs): Insights for Accelerating Translational Innovations
Authors: Wooten Kevin C. , Calhoun William J. , Bhavnani Suresh , Rose Robert M. , Ameredes Bill , Brasier Allan R.
Published: March 2015

There is growing consensus about the factors critical for development and productivity of multidisciplinary teams, but few studies have evaluated their longitudinal changes. We present a longitudinal study of 10 multidisciplinary translational teams (MTTs), based on team process and outcome measures, evaluated before and after 3 years of CTSA collaboration. Using a mixed methods approach, an expert panel of five judges (familiar with the progress of the teams) independently rated team performance based on four process and four outcome measures, and achieved a rating consensus. Although all teams made progress in translational domains, other process and outcome measures were highly variable. The trajectory profiles identified four categories of team performance. Objective bibliometric analysis of CTSA‐supported MTTs with positive growth in process scores showed that these teams tended to have enhanced scientific outcomes and published in new scientific domains, indicating the conduct of innovative science. Case exemplars revealed that MTTs that experienced growth in both process and outcome evaluative criteria also experienced greater innovation, defined as publications in different areas of science. Of the eight evaluative criteria, leadership‐related behaviors were the most resistant to the interventions introduced. Well‐managed MTTs demonstrate objective productivity and facilitate innovation.
Empathetic Computers: The Problem of Confusing Persons and Things
Authors: Herzfeld Noreen
Published: March 2015

As computers become both more intelligent and ubiquitous we increasingly rely on them for forms of companionship. We are relational beings, instinctively drawn to those who relate back to us, an instinct that is rooted in our creation in the image of a triune, and thus relational, God. Relationships with computers, which necessarily displace relationships with other humans, have so far been shown to be dissatisfying. This dissatisfaction arises because a computer cannot be truly empathetic. It cannot feel emotion due to its lack of a body; it can only simulate emotion. This makes relationship with a computer similar to relationship with a sociopath and can isolate us from both others and our true selves.
Freedom is Not Free?: Posthumanist, Ecological Reflections on Christian Freedom and Responsibility
Authors: Rowe Terra S.
Published: March 2015

Philosophers aligned with a kind of posthumanism emphasize the modern, modern human's freedom and ethics are founded on a break from all ties to animality and materiality. Highlighting the posthumanist work of Jacques Derrida, Donna Haraway, and Karen Barad, this article aligns key insights of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's work, such as his pervasive concept of “sociality,” with the call for a more ecologically embedded humanity. The resulting reconstruction of Christian freedom is profoundly Christological and sacramental: freedom‐for the other comes in, with, and through—not apart from—both the divine and created other.
From Olaf to Omar: Pedagogy of Place at a Lutheran University
Authors: Llewellyn Ihssen Brenda
Published: March 2015

This article reflects on the range of environmental and institutional layers that support pedagogical composition and student learning at a Lutheran University affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in the Pacific Northwest. After reflection on layers that include geographic location, institutional affiliation and denominational affiliation, the author traces the way in which she incorporates these elements into the content and methods of assessment in a religion class on Islam.
Erythropoietin: a novel therapy for hypoxic–ischaemic encephalopathy?
Authors: Wu Yvonne W , Gonzalez Fernando F
Published: March 2015

Perinatal hypoxic–ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) occurs in 1 to 3 per 1000 term births. HIE is not preventable in most cases, and therapies are limited. Hypothermia improves outcomes and is the current standard of care. Yet, clinical trials suggest that 44–53% of infants who receive hypothermia will die or suffer moderate to severe neurological disability. In this article, we review the preclinical and clinical evidence for erythropoietin (EPO) as a potential novel neuroprotective agent for the treatment of HIE. EPO is a novel neuroprotective agent, with remarkable neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects in animals. Rodent and primate models of neonatal brain injury support the safety and efficacy of multiple EPO doses for improving histological and functional outcomes after hypoxia‐ischaemia. Small clinical trials of EPO in neonates with HIE have also provided evidence supporting safety and preliminary efficacy in humans. There is currently insufficient evidence to support the use of high‐dose EPO in newborns with HIE. However, several on‐going trials will provide much needed data regarding the safety and efficacy of this potential new therapy when given in conjunction with hypothermia for HIE. Novel neuroprotective therapies are needed to further reduce the rate and severity of neurodevelopmental disabilities resulting from HIE. High‐dose EPO is a promising therapy that can be administered in conjunction with hypothermia. However, additional data are needed to determine the safety and efficacy of this adjuvant therapy for HIE.
Healthcare utilization of people with Type 2 diabetes in Germany: an analysis based on health insurance data
Authors: Müller N. , Heller T. , Freitag M. H. , Gerste B. , Haupt C. M. , Wolf G. , Müller U. A.
Published: March 2015

Aims

This population‐based study assesses the healthcare utilization of people with Type 2 diabetes by analysing routine data from Allgemeine Orts‐Krankenkasse (AOK), the largest statutory health insurance provider in Germany.

Methods

Anonymized billing data from all AOK‐insured persons with at least one day of insurance during the evaluation year 2010 were analysed. Treatment and cost data from all areas of inpatient and outpatient care were available, as was information regarding patient age and sex. International Classification of Diseases (ICD–10) diagnosis and Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification were used to identify 2.7 million insured persons with diabetes.

Results

The age‐ and sex‐standardized prevalence of Type 2 diabetes was 9.8%. Of those patients identified, 33.9% had at least one diabetes‐related complication and 83.0% had a diagnosis of hypertension. Almost two‐thirds (63.1%) received antihyperglycaemic medication. Metformin and sulfonylurea were prescribed most often; medications without proof of benefit in endpoint studies were prescribed much less frequently. People without diabetes were admitted to hospital only half as often as those with Type 2 diabetes. The projected total expenditure in Germany for all people with Type 2 diabetes amounted to approximately €33.3 billion in 2010.

Conclusions

This study shows an increase in both the prevalence of diabetes and treatment costs. The majority of people with Type 2 diabetes were aged 70 years or older. One third of this group has diabetes‐related complications. Antihyperglycaemic medications without proof of benefit in endpoint studies were prescribed much less frequently than drugs with proof of benefit.
Heightened Condition Dependence of a Sexually Selected Signal in MalePolistes dominulusPaper Wasps
Authors: Izzo Amanda , Tibbetts Elizabeth A.
Published: March 2015

Sexually selected signals are theoretically expected to exhibit heightened condition dependence compared to non‐signaling traits. This link to condition enables sexual signals to provide information regarding individual quality and also provides a mechanism that allows animals to develop signals that accurately reflect their abilities. Most previous work on sexual signal condition dependence has focused on signals that have clear developmental costs, while less is known about the development of other types of quality signals. MalePolistes dominuluspaper wasps have yellow‐on‐black abdominal spots that are important signals during female choice and male–male competition. These signals lack obvious production costs, as males are covered in yellow and black patterns composed of the same pigments. Here, we assess signal condition dependence by testing whether larval diet has a stronger influence on the development of male spots than on the development of control traits composed of the same pigments. Males reared onad libitumdiets developed elliptical spots similar to those seen on dominant, attractive males, while males reared on restricted diets developed irregularly shaped spots similar to those seen on subordinate, unattractive males. Remarkably, the development of a control trait composed of the same yellow and black pigments was not influenced by larval diet. Therefore, sexually selected signals can be developmentally decoupled from traits comprised of the same pigments. Condition dependence of sexually selected signals is likely to be a widespread solution to the challenge of developing sexually selected signals that accurately convey information about individual quality.
Conservative management of cystorrhexis in four adult horses
Authors: Peitzmeier M. D. , Mc Nally T. P. , Slone D. E. , Lynch T. M.
Published: March 2015

Rupture of the urinary bladder is rare in adult horses with various standing or recumbent surgical repair techniques historically reported as the treatments of choice. This case series describes the successful conservative management of cystorrhexis in 4 adult horses. Conservative management is therefore a potentially viable treatment option which forgoes the risks of general anaesthesia and may reduce the post operative complications associated with surgery of the bladder.
Differentiation of equine induced pluripotent stem cells into a keratinocyte lineage
Authors: Aguiar C. , Therrien J. , Lemire P. , Segura M. , Smith L. C. , Theoret C. L.
Published: March 2015

Reasons for performing study

Skin trauma in horses often leads to the development of chronic nonhealing wounds that lack a keratinocyte cover, vital for healing. Reports in mouse and man confirm the possibility of generating functional keratinocytes from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), thus presenting myriad potential applications for wound management or treatment of skin disease. Similarly, differentiation of equine iPSC (eiPSC) into a keratinocyte lineage should provide opportunities for the advancement of veterinary regenerative medicine.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to develop an efficient method for the differentiation of eiPSC into a keratinocyte lineage. It was hypothesised that eiPSC can form differentiated keratinocytes (eiPSC‐KC) comparable with primary equine keratinocytes (PEK) in their morphological and functional characteristics.

Study design

Experimental in vitro study.

Methods

Equine iPSC established using a nonviral system were treated for 30 days with retinoic acid and bone morphogenetic protein‐4 to induce directed differentiation into iPSC‐KC. Temporospatial gene and protein expression by eiPSC‐KC was measured at weekly intervals of differentiation and in response to calcium switch. Proliferative and migratory capacities of eiPSC‐KC were compared with those of PEK.

Results

Equine iPSC, upon directed differentiation, showed loss of pluripotency genes and progressive increase in pancytokeratin expression indicating ectodermal specification into keratinocytes. High differentiation efficiency was achieved, with 82.5% of eiPSC expressing keratin 14, a marker of epidermal‐specific basal stem cells, after 30 days of directed differentiation. Moreover, the proliferative capacity of eiPSC‐KC was superior, while the migratory capacity (measured as the ability to epithelise in vitro wounds) was comparable with that of PEK.

Conclusions

This proof of concept study suggests that eiPSC can successfully be differentiated into equine keratinocytes (eiPSC‐KC) with features that are promising to the development of a stem cell‐based skin construct, with the potential to regenerate lost or damaged skin.
Aggressive primary cutaneous B‐cell lymphomas show increased Angiopoietin‐2‐induced angiogenesis
Authors: Teichert Martin , Stumpf Christine , Booken Nina , Wobser Marion , Nashan Dorothee , Hallermann Christian , Mogler Carolin , Müller Cornelia S. L. , Becker Jürgen C. , Moritz Rose K. C. , Andrulis Mindaugas , Nicolay Jan P. , Goerdt Sergij , Thomas Markus , Klemke Claus‐Detlev , Augustin Hellmut G. , Felcht Moritz
Published: March 2015

Primary cutaneous large B‐cell lymphomas, leg type (PCLBCL/LT) are primary cutaneous B‐cell lymphoma (PCBCL) with an intermediate prognosis. Therefore, antracycline‐based polychemotherapy combined with rituximab has been recommended as first‐line treatment. Yet, despite this regimen, the 5‐year survival rate remains 50–66% only. Angiogenesis, the formation of a vascular network, is essential for the pathogenesis of nodal lymphomas. So far, no study has analysed angiogenesis and its key factors in PCLBCL/LT. The present study was aimed at characterizing angiogenesis in PCLBCL/LT to identify the angiogenic molecules as potential therapeutic targets. The intra‐tumoral microvessel density (MVD) was assessed by immunohistochemical studies of CD20 and CD31. The MVD was higher in PCLBCL/LT compared with indolent PCBCL. Analyses of open‐source microarray data showed correlation between the angiogenic molecule angiopoietin‐2 (Ang‐2) and pan‐endothelial cell markers. ELISA studies determined a shift between Ang‐2 and Ang‐1 towards Ang‐2 in the peripheral blood of PCLBCL/LT patients. Immunofluorescence costainings against the Ang receptor Tie2/angiogenic integrins/CD34 revealed that the vasculature in both aggressive and indolent PCBCL tumors harbours an endothelial cell subpopulation with reduced expression of Tie2. In contrast, the alternative Ang‐2 binding partners, angiogenic integrins, are strongly expressed in PCBCL. In line with these findings, downstream targets of Ang‐2‐integrin signalling, that is phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase at Tyr397, and sprouting angiogenesis are enhanced in PCLBCL/LT. Our data present Ang‐2 as a promising therapeutic target and anti‐angiogenic therapy as a new line in treatment of PCLBCL/LT as a hitherto intractable disease.
Aspects of Vocabulary Knowledge in German Textbooks
Authors: Neary‐Sundquist Colleen A.
Published: March 2015

Previous research on second language vocabulary acquisition has shown that learning to use a new word is not a simple matter of making a form–meaning connection. Knowing a word instead requires mastery of as many as nine different aspects of vocabulary knowledge (Nation, 2001). The current study uses data from five beginning‐level textbooks of German as a foreign language that are widely used at American universities to examine which of these aspects of vocabulary knowledge are addressed in textbook activities. The results show that activities in lower‐level German textbooks focus overwhelmingly on form–meaning connections and grammatical functions while ignoring other aspects, such as collocations, word parts, and concept and referents. A pedagogical approach that takes the entire classroom ecology into account is suggested.
Stromatolitic knobs in Storr's Lake (San Salvador, Bahamas): a model system for formation and alteration of laminae
Authors: Dupraz C. , Fowler A. , Tobias C. , Visscher P. T.
Published: March 2015

The initial lamination in young, metabolically active Scytonema knobs developing in Storr's Lake (Bahamas) results from the iterative succession of two different stages of microbial growth at the top of this microbialite. Stage 1 is dominated by vertically oriented cyanobacterial filaments and is characterized by a high porosity of the fabric. Stage 2 shows a higher microbial density with the filaments oriented horizontally and with higher carbonate content. The more developed, dense microbial community associated with Stage 2 of the Scytonema knobs rapidly degrades extracellular organic matter (EOM) and coupled to this, precipitates carbonate. The initial nucleation forms high‐Mg calcite nanospheroids that progressively replace the EOM. No precipitation is observed within the thick sheath of the Scytonema filaments, possibly because of strong cross‐linking of calcium and EOM (forming EOM‐Ca‐EOM complexes), which renders Ca unavailable for carbonate nucleation (inhibition process). Eventually, organominerals precipitate and form an initial lamina through physicochemical and microbial processes, including high rates of photosynthetic activity that lead to 13C‐enriched DIC available for initial nucleation. As this lamina moves downward by the iterative production of new laminae at the top of the microbialite, increased heterotrophic activity further alters the initial mineral product at depth. Although some rare relic preservation of ‘Stage 1–Stage 2’ laminae in subfossil knobs exists, the very fine primary lamination is considerably altered and almost completely lost when the knobs develop into larger and more complex morphologies due to the increased accommodation space and related physicochemical and/or biological alteration. Despite considerable differences in microstructure, the emerging ecological model of community succession leading to laminae formation described here for the Scytonema knobs can be applied to the formation of coarse‐grained, open marine stromatolites. Therefore, both fine‐ and coarse‐grained extant stromatolites can be used as model systems to understand the formation of microbialites in the fossil record.
Multi level ecological fitting: indirect life cycles are not a barrier to host switching and invasion
Authors: Malcicka Miriama , Agosta Salvatore J. , Harvey Jeffrey A.
Published: March 2015

Many invasive species are able to escape from coevolved enemies and thus enjoy a competitive advantage over native species. However, during the invasion phase, non‐native species must overcome many ecological and/or physiological hurdles before they become established and spread in their new habitats. This may explain why most introduced species either fail to establish or remain as rare interstitials in their new ranges. Studies focusing on invasive species have been based on plants or animals where establishment requires the possession of preadapted traits from their native ranges that enables them to establish and spread in their new habitats. The possession of preadapted traits that facilitate the exploitation of novel resources or to colonize novel habitats is known as ‘ecological fitting’. Some species have evolved traits and life histories that reflect highly intimate associations with very specific types of habitats or niches. For these species, their phenological windows are narrow, and thus the ability to colonize non‐native habitats requires that a number of conditions need to be met in accordance with their more specialized life histories. Some of the strongest examples of more complex ecological fitting involve invasive parasites that require different animal hosts to complete their life cycles. For instance, the giant liver fluke, Fascioloides magna, is a major parasite of several species of ungulates in North America. The species exhibits a life cycle whereby newly hatched larvae must find suitable intermediate hosts (freshwater snails) and mature larvae, definitive hosts (ungulates). Intermediate and definitive host ranges of F. magna in its native range are low in number, yet this parasite has been successfully introduced into Europe where it has become a parasite of native European snails and deer. We discuss how the ability of these parasites to overcome multiple ecophysiological barriers represents an excellent example of ‘multiple‐level ecological fitting’.
On mitigating emissions leakage under biofuel policies
Authors: Rajagopal Deepak
Published: March 2015

A reason for much pessimism about the environmental benefits of today's biofuels, essentially corn and sugarcane ethanol, is the so‐called indirect land‐use change (ILUC) emissions associated with expanding biofuel production. While there exist several simulation‐based estimates of indirect emissions, the empirical basis underlying key input parameters to such simulations is not beyond doubt, while empirical verification of indirect emissions is hard. Regardless, regulators have adopted global warming intensity ratings for biofuels based on those simulations and in some case are holding regulated firms accountable for (some forms of) leakage. Suffice to say that both the estimates of and the approach to regulating leakage are controversial. The objective of this study is therefore to review a wider economic in order to identify a broader set of policy options for mitigating emissions leakage. We find that controlling leakage by affixing responsibility to regulated firms lacks support in the broader literature, which emphasizes alternative approaches.
Masculinity and Non‐Traditional Occupations: Men's Talk in Women's Work
Authors: McDowell Joanne
Published: March 2015

Occupation segregation is a persistent aspect of the labour market, and scholars have often researched what happens when women and men enter into what are seen to be ‘non‐traditional’ work roles for their sex. Research on men within women's roles has concentrated mainly on the challenges to a masculine identity, while research on workplace language has focused on women's linguistic behaviour in masculine occupations. To date, there has been relatively little research into the linguistic behaviour of men working in occupations seen as women's work (e.g., nursing, primary school teaching). To address this gap, this article focuses on men's discursive behaviour and identity construction within the feminized occupation of nursing. Empirical data collected by three male nurses in a hospital in Northern Ireland is explored using discourse analysis and the Community of Practice paradigm. This paper discusses how the participants linguistically present themselves as nurses by performing relational work and creating an in‐group with their nurse colleagues by actively using an inherently ‘feminine’ discourse style.
Bird movements at rotor heights measured continuously with vertical radar at a Dutch offshore wind farm
Authors: Fijn Ruben C. , Krijgsveld Karen L. , Poot Martin J. M. , Dirksen Sjoerd
Published: March 2015

Assessing the impacts of avian collisions with wind turbines requires reliable estimates of avian flight intensities and altitudes, to enable accurate estimation of collision rates, avoidance rates and related effects on populations. At sea, obtaining such estimates visually is limited not only by weather conditions but, more importantly, because a high proportion of birds fly at night and at heights above the range of visual observation. We used vertical radar with automated bird‐tracking software to overcome these limitations and obtain data on the magnitude, timing and altitude of local bird movements and seasonal migration measured continuously at a Dutch offshore wind farm. An estimated 1.6 million radar echoes representing individual birds or flocks were recorded crossing the wind farm annually at altitudes between 25 and 115 m (the rotor‐swept zone). The majority of these fluxes consisted of gull species during the day and migrating passerines at night. We demonstrate daily, monthly and seasonal patterns in fluxes at rotor heights and the influence of wind direction on flight intensity. These data are among the first to show the magnitude and variation of low‐altitude flight activity across the North Sea, and are valuable for assessing the consequences of developments such as offshore wind farms for birds.
The potential for birds to disperse the seeds of Acacia cyclops, an invasive alien plant in South Africa
Authors: Mokotjomela Thabiso M. , Hoffmann John H. , Downs Colleen T.
Published: March 2015

Rooikrans Acacia cyclops is an aggressive invasive tree that threatens natural resources in South Africa. The seeds of A. cyclops have a prominent aril which attracts birds that ingest the seeds and disperse them endozoochorously. Two biological control agents, a Seed Weevil Melanterius servulus and a Flower‐galling Midge Dasineura dielsi, were released on A. cyclops in 1991 and 2002, respectively. Together these agents have substantially reduced seed production and generally far lower numbers of seeds are now available to birds. A consequence of this transition from historically bounteous quantities of seeds to scanty seed availability is that birds may no longer associate with the trees and seed dispersal may be disproportionately reduced. To assess whether this has happened, seed attrition was measured by comparing the amount of seeds that disappeared from two groups of branches, one available to birds and the other enclosed in bird netting. Other types of granivores (mainly field mice) were excluded from both groups of branches with a plastic funnel placed around the stems. Mature seeds were also harvested and fed to caged bird species to determine gut retention times and germination rates of ingested seeds. Attrition rates of seeds showed that birds continue to remove seeds but that only a proportion of the crop is taken. Only two frugivorous species (Knysna Turaco Tauraco corythaix and Red‐winged Starling Onychognathus morio) and two granivorous species (Red‐eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata and Laughing Dove Streptopelia sengalensis) ingested A. cyclops seeds during feeding trials. Ingestion by birds enhanced seed germination except for those ingested by Laughing Doves. There were no apparent effects of length of gut passage time and avian body size on seed germination rates. Despite the diminished seed resource due to biological control agents, birds continue to disperse A. cyclops seeds.
Clinical use of conditioned media of adipose tissue‐derived stem cells in female pattern hair loss: a retrospective case series study
Authors: Shin Hyoseung , Ryu Hyeong Ho , Kwon Ohsang , Park Byung‐Soon , Jo Seong Jin
Published: March 2015

Background

Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is a common disorder but presents severe psychosocial problems in many female patients. Adipose tissue‐derived stem cells (ADSCs) and conditioned media of ADSCs (ADSC‐CM) are reported to promote hair growth in vitro. However, there are no clinical reports on the treatment of alopecia using ADSC‐CM.

Objectives

This study evaluates our clinical experience in the use of ADSC‐CM for the treatment of FPHL.

Methods

A retrospective, observational study of outcomes in 27 patients with FPHL treated with ADSC‐CM was performed. To evaluate the efficacy of the treatment, patients’ medical records and phototrichographic images were analyzed.

Results

The application of ADSC‐CM showed efficacy in treating FPHL after 12 weeks of therapy. Hair density increased from 105.4 to 122.7 hairs/cm2 (P < 0.001). Hair thickness increased from 57.5 μm to 64.0 μm (P < 0.001). None of the patients reported severe adverse reactions.

Conclusions

The application of ADSC‐CM is a potential treatment option for FPHL.
Effects of fermentation by Bifidobacterium bifidum on the rheology and physical properties of ice cream mixes made with cow and vegetable milks
Authors: Aboulfazli Fatemeh , Baba Ahmad Salihin , Misran Misni
Published: March 2015

Fermented and nonfermented probiotic ice creams were made by incubating Bifidobacterium bifidum (Bb‐12) culture in ice cream mixes with cow, soya, coconut and composite milks (combinations of coconut or cow milks with soya milk). The changes in ice cream‐eating qualities and physical properties (melting rate, apparent viscosity, hysteresis, fat globule size, zeta potential, microscopic structure and freezing behaviour) were evaluated. In general, fermentation decreased the melting rate and total acceptability of ice creams but increased the apparent viscosity, hysteresis, particle size and freezable water. For fermented ice creams containing composite milk, those containing cow milk showed a higher percentage change than those containing coconut milk in respect of hysteresis, particle size and freezable water; however, the apparent viscosity was not affected.
Three‐dimensional parallel frequency‐domain visco‐acoustic wave modelling based on a hybrid direct/iterative solver
Authors: Sourbier Florent , Haidar Azzam , Giraud Luc , Ben‐Hadj‐Ali Hafedh , Operto Stéphane , Virieux Jean
Published: March 2015

We present a parallel domain decomposition method based on a hybrid direct‐iterative solver for 3D frequency‐domain modelling of visco‐acoustic waves. The method is developed as a modelling engine for frequency‐domain full waveform inversion. Frequency‐domain seismic modelling reduces to the solution of a large and sparse system of linear equations, resulting from the discretization of the heterogeneous Helmholtz equation. Our approach to the high‐performance, scalable solution of large sparse linear systems is to combine direct and iterative methods. Such a hybrid approach exploits the advantages of both direct and iterative methods. The iterative component uses a small amount of memory and provides a natural way for parallelization. The direct part has favourable numerical properties for multiple right‐hand side modelling. The domain decomposition is based upon the algebraic Schur complement method, which allows for the iterative solution of a reduced system, the solution of which is the wavefield at the interfaces between the subdomains. Once the interface unknowns have been computed, the wavefield at the interior of each subdomain is efficiently computed by local substitutions. The reduced Schur complement system is solved with the generalized minimum residual method and is preconditioned by an algebraic additive Schwarz preconditioner. A direct solver is used to factorize local impedance matrices defined on each subdomain. Theoretical analysis shows that the time complexity of the hybrid solver is the same as that of iterative solver and time‐domain approaches for single frequency modelling. Simulations are performed in the SEG/EAGE overthrust and the salt models for frequencies up to 12.5 Hz. The number of iterations increases linearly with the number of subdomains for a given computational domain but the elapsed time of the iterative resolution remains almost constant. The number of iterations also increases linearly with frequencies, when the grid interval is adapted to the frequencies and the size of the subdomains is kept constant over frequency. These results make the cost of the hybrid solver of the same order as that of finite‐difference time‐domain modeling for one‐frequency modelling. Although the hybrid approach allows one to tackle larger problems than the direct‐solver approach, further improvements are needed to mitigate the computational burden of the iterative component in the context of multisource modelling. On the numerical side, the use of block iterative solvers and of incremental two‐level deflating preconditioners and on the parallel implementation side, the use of two levels of parallelism in the domain decomposition method should mitigate this computational burden.
A review of the spectral, pseudo‐spectral, finite‐difference and finite‐element modelling techniques for geophysical imaging
Authors: Virieux Jean , Calandra Henri , Plessix René‐Édouard
Published: March 2015

Modelling methods are nowadays at the heart of any geophysical interpretation approach. These are heavily relied upon by imaging techniques in elastodynamics and electromagnetism, where they are crucial for the extraction of subsurface characteristics from ever larger and denser datasets. While high‐frequency or one‐way approximations are very powerful and efficient, they reach their limits when complex geological settings and solutions of full equations are required at finite frequencies. A review of three important formulations is carried out here: the spectral method, which is very efficient and accurate but generally restricted to simple earth structures and often layered earth structures; the pseudo‐spectral, finite‐difference and finite‐volume methods based on strong formulation of the partial differential equations, which are easy to implement and currently represent a good compromise between accuracy, efficiency and flexibility and the continuous or discontinuous Galerkin finite‐element methods that are based on the weak formulation, which lead to more accurate earth representations and therefore to more accurate solutions, although with higher computational costs and more complex use. The choice between these different approaches is still difficult and depends on the applications. Guidelines are given here through discussion of the requirements for imaging/inversion.
Origin of the white shark Carcharodon (Lamniformes: Lamnidae) based on recalibration of the Upper Neogene Pisco Formation of Peru
Authors: EHRET DANA J. , MACFADDEN BRUCE J. , JONES DOUGLAS S. , DEVRIES THOMAS J. , FOSTER DAVID A. , SALAS‐GISMONDI RODOLFO
Published: March 2015

Abstract:  The taxonomic origin of the white shark, Carcharodon, is a highly debated subject. New fossil evidence presented in this study suggests that the genus is derived from the broad‐toothed ‘mako’, Carcharodon (Cosmopolitodus) hastalis, and includes the new species C. hubbelli sp. nov. – a taxon that demonstrates a transition between C. hastalis and Carcharodon carcharias. Specimens from the Pisco Formation clearly demonstrate an evolutionary mosaic of characters of both recent C. carcharias and fossil C. hastalis. Characters diagnostic to C. carcharias include the presence tooth serrations and a symmetrical first upper anterior tooth that is the largest in the tooth row, while those indicative of C. hastalis include a mesially slanted third anterior (intermediate) tooth. We also provide a recalibration of critical fossil horizons within the Pisco Formation, Peru using zircon U‐Pb dating and strontium‐ratio isotopic analysis. The recalibration of the absolute dates suggests that Carcharodon hubbelli sp. nov. is Late Miocene (6–8 Ma) in age. This research revises and elucidates lamnid shark evolution based on the calibration of the Neogene Pisco Formation.