bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantifying the extent of protected‐area downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement in Australia
Authors: Cook Carly N. , Valkan Rebecca S. , Mascia Michael B. , McGeoch Melodie A.
Published: February 2017

The use of total area protected as the predominant indicator of progress in building protected area (PA) networks is receiving growing criticism. Documenting the full dynamics of PA networks, both in terms of the gains and losses in protection, provides a much more informative approach to tracking progress. To this end, documentation of PA downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement (PADDD) has increased. Studies of PADDD events generally fail to place these losses in the context of gains in protection; therefore, they omit important elements of PA network dynamics. To address this limitation, we used a spatially explicit approach to identify every parcel of land added to and excised from the Australian terrestrial PA network and PAs that had their level of protection changed over 17 years (1997–2014). By quantifying changes in the spatial configuration of the PA network with time‐series data (spatial layers for nine separate time steps), ours is the first assessment of the dynamics (increases and decreases in area and level of protection) of a PA network and the first comprehensive assessment of PADDD in a developed country. We found that the Australian network was highly dynamic; there were 5233 changes in area or level of protection over 17 years. Against a background of enormous increases in area protected, we identified over 1500 PADDD events, which affected over one‐third of the network, which were largely the result of widespread downgrading of protection. We believe our approach provides a mechanism for robust tracking of trends in the world's PAs through the use of data from the World Database on Protected Areas. However, this will require greater transparency and improved data standards in reporting changes to PAs.
Habitat as a mediator of mesopredator‐driven mammal extinction
Authors: McDonald Peter J. , Nano Catherine E. M. , Ward Simon J. , Stewart Alistair , Pavey Chris R. , Luck Gary W. , Dickman Chris R.
Published: February 2017

A prevailing view in dryland systems is that mammals are constrained by the scarcity of fertile soils and primary productivity. An alternative view is that predation is a primary driver of mammal assemblages, especially in Australia, where 2 introduced mesopredators—feral cat (Felis catus) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes)—are responsible for severe declines of dryland mammals. We evaluated productivity and predation as drivers of native mammal assemblage structure in dryland Australia. We used new data from 90 sites to examine the divers of extant mammal species richness and reconstructed historic mammal assemblages to determine proportional loss of mammal species across broad habitat types (landform and vegetation communities). Predation was supported as a major driver of extant mammal richness, but its effect was strongly mediated by habitat. Areas that were rugged or had dense grass cover supported more mammal species than the more productive and topographically simple areas. Twelve species in the critical weight range (CWR) (35–5500 g) that is most vulnerable to mesopredator predation were extirpated from the continent's central region, and the severity of loss of species correlated negatively with ruggedness and positively with productivity. Based on previous studies, we expect that habitat mediates predation from red foxes and feral cats because it affects these species’ densities and foraging efficiency. Large areas of rugged terrain provided vital refuge for Australian dryland mammals, and we predict such areas will support the persistence of CWR species in the face of ongoing mammal declines elsewhere in Australia.
Regulation of adipose‐tissue‐derived stromal cell orientation and motility in 2D‐ and 3D‐cultures by direct‐current electrical field
Authors: Yang Gang , Long Haiyan , Ren Xiaomei , Ma Kunlong , Xiao Zhenghua , Wang Ying , Guo Yingqiang
Published: February 2017

Cell alignment and motility play a critical role in a variety of cell behaviors, including cytoskeleton reorganization, membrane‐protein relocation, nuclear gene expression, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Direct current electric field (EF) in vitro can direct many types of cells to align vertically to EF vector. In this work, we investigated the effects of EF stimulation on rat adipose‐tissue‐derived stromal cells (ADSCs) in 2D‐culture on plastic culture dishes and in 3D‐culture on various scaffold materials, including collagen hydrogels, chitosan hydrogels and poly(L‐lactic acid)/gelatin electrospinning fibers. Rat ADSCs were exposed to various physiological‐strength EFs in a homemade EF‐bioreactor. Changes of morphology and movements of cells affected by applied EFs were evaluated by time‐lapse microphotography, and cell survival rates and intracellular calcium oscillations were also detected. Results showed that EF facilitated ADSC morphological changes, under 6 V/cm EF strength, and that ADSCs in 2D‐culture aligned vertically to EF vector and kept a good cell survival rate. In 3D‐culture, cell galvanotaxis responses were subject to the synergistic effect of applied EF and scaffold materials. Fast cell movement and intracellular calcium activities were observed in the cells of 3D‐culture. We believe our research will provide some experimental references for the future study in cell galvanotaxis behaviors.
Reproducibility and experience dependence of echocardiographic indices of left ventricular function: Side‐by‐side comparison of global longitudinal strain and ejection fraction
Authors: Medvedofsky Diego , Kebed Kalie , Laffin Luke , Stone Jeremy , Addetia Karima , Lang Roberto M. , Mor‐Avi Victor
Published: February 2017

Background

Although left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) are recommended by the current echocardiographic chamber quantification guidelines, these measurements are not performed routinely. Because EF measurements rely on manual tracing of LV boundaries, and are subject to inter‐reader variability and experience dependence, we hypothesized that semiautomated GLS measurements using speckle tracking would be more reproducible and less experience‐dependent.

Methods

Images from 30 patients were analyzed to obtain biplane EF using manual tracing. GLS was measured in three long‐axis views using EchoInsight software (Epsilon Imaging) that automatically detects LV endocardial boundary, which is edited manually as necessary and is then automatically tracked throughout the cardiac cycle. All measurements were performed by an expert echocardiographer and three first‐year cardiology fellows.

Results

Semiautomated GLS analysis showed excellent correlation (r=.98) and small bias (−1.0±13% of measured value) between the experienced and less experienced readers, superior to EF (r=.91, bias 7.3±16%). Also, in repeated measurements, GLS showed higher intra‐class correlation (ICC=.98) than EF (ICC=.89). Additionally, GLS analysis required ~1 minute per patient, while biplane EF measurements took twice as long.

Conclusions

Semiautomated GLS measurements are fast, less experience‐dependent, and more reproducible than conventional EF measurements. This is probably because, irrespective of experience, the readers' choice of boundary position varies less when asked to refine the automated detection than to draw borders without initial clues. This technique may facilitate the workflow of a busy laboratory and make a step forward toward incorporating quantitative analysis into everyday echocardiography practice.
The group II metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist LY354740 and the D2 receptor antagonist haloperidol reduce locomotor hyperactivity but fail to rescue spatial working memory in GluA1 knockout mice
Authors: Boerner Thomas , Bygrave Alexei M. , Chen Jingkai , Fernando Anushka , Jackson Stephanie , Barkus Chris , Sprengel Rolf , Seeburg Peter H. , Harrison Paul J. , Gilmour Gary , Bannerman David M. , Sanderson David J.
Published: February 2017

Group II metabotropic glutamate receptor agonists have been suggested as potential anti‐psychotics, at least in part, based on the observation that the agonist LY354740 appeared to rescue the cognitive deficits caused by non‐competitive N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonists, including spatial working memory deficits in rodents. Here, we tested the ability of LY354740 to rescue spatial working memory performance in mice that lack the GluA1 subunit of the AMPA glutamate receptor, encoded by Gria1, a gene recently implicated in schizophrenia by genome‐wide association studies. We found that LY354740 failed to rescue the spatial working memory deficit in Gria1−/− mice during rewarded alternation performance in the T‐maze. In contrast, LY354740 did reduce the locomotor hyperactivity in these animals to a level that was similar to controls. A similar pattern was found with the dopamine receptor antagonist haloperidol, with no amelioration of the spatial working memory deficit in Gria1−/− mice, even though the same dose of haloperidol reduced their locomotor hyperactivity. These results with LY354740 contrast with the rescue of spatial working memory in models of glutamatergic hypofunction using non‐competitive NMDAR antagonists. Future studies should determine whether group II mGluR agonists can rescue spatial working memory deficits with other NMDAR manipulations, including genetic models and other pharmacological manipulations of NMDAR function.
Preliminary recovery of coastal sharks in the south‐east United States
Authors: Peterson Cassidy D , Belcher Carolyn N , Bethea Dana M , Driggers William B , Frazier Bryan S , Latour Robert J
Published: February 2017

Relative abundance of many shark species in the Atlantic is assessed by compiling data from several independently conducted, but somewhat spatially limited surveys. Although these localized surveys annually sample the same populations, resulting trends in yearly indices often conflict with one another, thereby hindering interpretation of abundance patterns at broad spatial scales. We used delta‐lognormal generalized linear models (GLMs) to generate indices of abundance for seven Atlantic coastal shark species from six fishery‐independent surveys along the US east coast and Gulf of Mexico from 1975 to 2014. These indices were further analysed using dynamic factor analysis (DFA) to produce simplified, broad‐scale common trends in relative abundance over the entire sampled distribution. Effects of drivers including the North Atlantic Oscillation index, the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation index, annually averaged sea surface temperature and species landings were evaluated within theDFAmodel. The two decadal oscillations and species landings were shown to affect shark distribution along south‐east US coast. Estimated common trends of relative abundance for all large coastal shark species showed similar decreasing patterns into the early 1990s, periods of sustained low index values thereafter and recent indications of recovery. Small coastal shark species exhibited more regional variability in their estimated common trends, such that two common trends were required to adequately describe patterns in relative abundance throughout the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic. Overall, all species’ (except the Gulf of Mexico blacknose shark) time series concluded with an increasing trend, suggestive of initial recovery from past exploitation.
Testosterone supplementation, glucocorticoid milieu and bone homeostasis in the ageing male
Authors: Ajdžanović Vladimir Z. , Filipović Branko R. , Šošić Jurjević Branka T. , Milošević Verica Lj.
Published: February 2017

Male ageing is entwined with a continuous fall in free testosterone levels, which contributes to the pathogenesis of bone loss. Glucocorticoid excess, either dependent on the ageing process or iatrogenically induced, was found to additionally impair the bone structure and metabolism. Cautious testosterone supplementation in this respect may positively affect the glucocorticoid milieu and bone homeostasis, while testosterone‐induced changes in the glucocorticoid output could serve as a determinant of bone‐related therapeutic outcome. Namely, bone mineral content/density, the parameters of trabecular bone structure as well as bone strength are enhanced, serum calcitonin levels tend to increase, while serum osteocalcin, serum parathyroid hormone and urinary calcium decrease, all upon testosterone administration to the ageing male. In parallel, testosterone application decreases glucocorticoid secretion in the animal models of male ageing, while clinical data in this field are still inconsistent. Importantly, a physiological link exists between testosterone‐induced changes in glucocorticoid levels and the tendency of bone status improvement in the ageing male. We believe that the assessment of circulating adrenocorticotropic hormone concentrations together with glucocorticoid levels, reflecting the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis feedback loop operativeness during testosterone supplementation, represents a well‐balanced bone‐related therapeutic update.
Dexmedetomidine enhances human lung fluid clearance through improving alveolar sodium transport
Authors: Cui Yong , Ding Yan , Chen Lei , Li Yue , Li Yan Chun , Nie Hongguang
Published: February 2017

Accumulating evidence shows that dexmedetomidine can attenuate lung edema with acute lung injury in experimental mouse and rat models, but the mechanisms of dexmedetomidine on human alveolar fluid transport are still unknown. We measured the effects of dexmedetomidine on alveolar fluid clearance in human lung lobes ex vivo. Moreover, we measured the regulation of transepithelial Na+ transport by dexmedetomidine in H441 cells by electrophysiological technique and Western blot method. Our results showed that intratracheal instillation of dexmedetomidine markedly increased the reabsorption of 5% bovine serum albumin instillate (19.8 ± 1.4%, P < 0.01 vs. Control, n = 5). Further studies suggested that dexmedetomidine increased amiloride‐sensitive short‐circuit currents in permeabilized H441 monolayers and whole cell amiloride‐sensitive Na+ currents in a dose‐dependent fashion. Real‐time PCR and Western blot results showed that dexmedetomidine could enhance the mRNA and protein expression of α‐ENaC subunit, while inhibiting the phosphorylation of ERK1/2. These data demonstrate that dexmedetomidine could improve human lung fluid clearance and lung epithelial Na+ channel activity, and these effects may be mediated through the enhancement of α‐ENaC expression and inhibition of ERK1/2 pathway.
Low and high‐cycle fatigue properties of an ultrahigh‐strength TRIP bainitic steel
Authors: Benedetti M. , Fontanari V. , Barozzi M. , Gabellone D. , Tedesco M. M. , Plano S.
Published: February 2017

The scope of this study is to characterize the mechanical properties of a novel Transformation‐Induced Plasticity bainitic steel grade TBC700Y980T. For this purpose, tensile tests are carried out with loading direction 0, 45 and 90° with respect to the L rolling direction. Yield stress is found to be higher than 700 MPa, ultimate tensile strength larger than 1050 MPa and total elongation higher than 15%. Low‐cycle fatigue (LCF) tests are carried out under fully reverse axial strain exploring fatigue lives comprised between 102 and 105 fatigue cycles. The data are used to determine the parameters of the Coffin–Manson as well as the cyclic stress–strain curve. No significant stress‐induced austenite transformation is detected. The high‐cycle fatigue (HCF) behaviour is investigated through load controlled axial tests exploring fatigue tests up to 5 × 106 fatigue cycles at two loading ratios, namely R = −1 and R = 0. At fatigue lives longer than 2 × 105 cycles, the strain life curve determined from LCF tests tends to greatly underestimate the HCF resistance of the material. Apparently, the HCF behaviour of this material cannot be extrapolated from LCF tests, as different damage, cyclic hardening mechanisms and microstructural conditions are involved. In particular, in the HCF regime, the predominant damage mechanism is nucleation of fatigue cracks in the vicinity of oxide inclusions, whereby mean value and scatter in fatigue limit are directly correlated to the dimension of these inclusions.
Estimating the ability of plants to plastically track temperature‐mediated shifts in the spring phenological optimum
Authors: Tansey Christine J. , Hadfield Jarrod D. , Phillimore Albert B.
Published: February 2017

One consequence of rising spring temperatures is that the optimum timing of key life‐history events may advance. Where this is the case, a population's fate may depend on the degree to which it is able to track a change in the optimum timing either via plasticity or via adaptation. Estimating the effect that temperature change will have on optimum timing using standard approaches is logistically challenging, with the result that very few estimates of this important parameter exist. Here we adopt an alternative statistical method that substitutes space for time to estimate the temperature sensitivity of the optimum timing of 22 plant species based on >200 000 spatiotemporal phenological observations from across the United Kingdom. We find that first leafing and flowering dates are sensitive to forcing (spring) temperatures, with optimum timing advancing by an average of 3 days °C−1 and plastic responses to forcing between −3 and −8 days °C−1. Chilling (autumn/winter) temperatures and photoperiod tend to be important cues for species with early and late phenology, respectively. For most species, we find that plasticity is adaptive, and for seven species, plasticity is sufficient to track geographic variation in the optimum phenology. For four species, we find that plasticity is significantly steeper than the optimum slope that we estimate between forcing temperature and phenology, and we examine possible explanations for this countergradient pattern, including local adaptation.
Vulnerability of European freshwater catchments to climate change
Authors: Markovic Danijela , Carrizo Savrina F. , Kärcher Oskar , Walz Ariane , David Jonathan N. W.
Published: February 2017

Climate change is expected to exacerbate the current threats to freshwater ecosystems, yet multifaceted studies on the potential impacts of climate change on freshwater biodiversity at scales that inform management planning are lacking. The aim of this study was to fill this void through the development of a novel framework for assessing climate change vulnerability tailored to freshwater ecosystems. The three dimensions of climate change vulnerability are as follows: (i) exposure to climate change, (ii) sensitivity to altered environmental conditions and (iii) resilience potential. Our vulnerability framework includes 1685 freshwater species of plants, fishes, molluscs, odonates, amphibians, crayfish and turtles alongside key features within and between catchments, such as topography and connectivity. Several methodologies were used to combine these dimensions across a variety of future climate change models and scenarios. The resulting indices were overlaid to assess the vulnerability of European freshwater ecosystems at the catchment scale (18 783 catchments). The Balkan Lakes Ohrid and Prespa and Mediterranean islands emerge as most vulnerable to climate change. For the 2030s, we showed a consensus among the applied methods whereby up to 573 lake and river catchments are highly vulnerable to climate change. The anthropogenic disruption of hydrological habitat connectivity by dams is the major factor reducing climate change resilience. A gap analysis demonstrated that the current European protected area network covers <25% of the most vulnerable catchments. Practical steps need to be taken to ensure the persistence of freshwater biodiversity under climate change. Priority should be placed on enhancing stakeholder cooperation at the major basin scale towards preventing further degradation of freshwater ecosystems and maintaining connectivity among catchments. The catchments identified as most vulnerable to climate change provide preliminary targets for development of climate change conservation management and mitigation strategies.
The post 2008 Chilean Salmon industry: an example of an enclave economy
Authors: Bustos‐Gallardo Beatriz
Published: February 2017

The salmon industry in Chile experienced large and rapid growth over the past three decades and by 2008 Chile was the second largest producer of salmon in the world after Norway. However, the industry was affected by a sanitary crisis that impacted on its growth and forced a change in production strategies. This paper argues that the post‐crisis scenario shows the deepening of an enclave economy in Los Lagos region that is changing the way in which the industry participates in rural development. Starting with a literature review on enclave and extractive economies I characterise the salmon industry as an enclave, and then examine evidence from the field to identify local effects in rural communities of this new form of relationship. I conclude by calling for a revitalisation of the geographical debates on enclave economies from a political ecology perspective to better understand communities’ interaction with extractive economies.
Ric‐8A, an activator protein of Gαi, controls mammalian epithelial cell polarity for tight junction assembly and cystogenesis
Authors: Chishiki Kanako , Kamakura Sachiko , Hayase Junya , Sumimoto Hideki
Published: February 2017

Correct cyst morphogenesis of epithelial cells requires apical–basal polarization, which is partly regulated by mitotic spindle orientation, a process dependent on the heterotrimeric G protein subunit Gαi and its binding protein LGN. Here, we show that in three‐dimensional culture of mammalian epithelial Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells, the Gαi‐activating protein Ric‐8A is crucial for orientation of the mitotic spindle and formation of normal cysts that comprise a single layer of polarized cells with their apical surfaces lining an inner lumen. Consistent with the involvement of LGN, cystogenesis can be well organized by ADP‐ribosylated Gαi, retaining the ability to interact with LGN, but not by the interaction‐defective mutant protein Gαi2 (N150I). In monolayer culture of MDCK cells, functional tight junction (TJ) assembly, a process associated with epithelial cell polarization, is significantly delayed in Ric‐8A‐depleted cells as well as in Gαi‐depleted cells in a mitosis‐independent manner. Ric‐8A knockdown results in a delayed cortical delivery of Gαi and the apical membrane protein gp135, and an increased formation of intercellular lumens surrounded by membranes rich in Gαi3 and gp135. TJ development also involves LGN and its related protein AGS3. Thus, Ric‐8A regulates mammalian epithelial cell polarity for TJ assembly and cystogenesis probably in concert with Gαi and LGN/AGS3.
Family Impact of Migraine: Development of the Impact of Migraine on Partners and Adolescent Children (IMPAC) Scale
Authors: Lipton Richard B. , Buse Dawn C. , Adams Aubrey Manack , Varon Sepideh F. , Fanning Kristina M. , Reed Michael L.
Published: February 2017

Objective

To describe the development of the Impact of Migraine on Partners and Adolescent Children (IMPAC) scale.

Background

Although existing data and clinical experience suggest that the impact of migraine is pervasive and extends beyond the individual with migraine, no validated tools exist for assessing the impact of migraine on the family.

Methods

The Chronic Migraine Epidemiology and Outcomes (CaMEO) Study is a longitudinal study of people with migraine in the United States. The Family Burden Module (FBM) of the CaMEO Study contained an item pool of 53 questions derived through literature review, clinician input, and patient focus groups pertaining to the following concepts: impact of migraine on family interpersonal relationships, activities, well‐being, finances, and health‐related quality of life. Respondents with migraine (ie, probands) were categorized into 4 groups based on household composition: migraine probands with partners/spouses and children (M‐PC), migraine probands with partners/spouses only (M‐P), migraine probands with child(ren) only (M‐C), and migraine probands without a partner/spouse or child(ren) (M‐O). The IMPAC scale was developed in 3 steps: (1) exploratory factor analysis and item reduction, (2) bifactor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and scoring, and (3) reliability and construct validity analyses.

Results

The analysis of data from 13,064 respondents to the FBM meeting criteria for migraine yielded a 12‐item IMPAC scale, with 4 items applying to all of the groups, 4 more items applying to the groups with partners (M‐P and M‐PC), and 4 additional items to the groups with children (M‐C and M‐PC). Item responses can be summed and converted into a scoring system assessing mild (<0.5 SD below mean; IMPAC scale Grade I), moderate (0.5 SD below to <0.5 SD above mean; Grade II), severe (0.5‐<1.5 SD above mean; Grade III), and very severe (≥0.5 SD above mean; Grade IV) family impact. Test information curves relating to the IMPAC scale for each household type indicated adequate reliability across a large range of family burden severity (from ∼1 SD below to ∼3 SD above mean) and IMPAC scores showed moderate‐to‐large correlations with other validated tools (range, ± 0.38‐0.52), providing support for construct validity.

Conclusions

We developed a questionnaire to assess family burden attributed to migraine that is brief, robust, and psychometrically sound, with a simple scoring algorithm that can be applied to various household compositions. This questionnaire may be valuable in research settings to provide quantifiable data on the impact of migraine on family dynamics and in clinical settings to facilitate conversations about family burden as a target and a motivation for better treatment.
Circular RNAs: Biogenesis, properties, roles, and their relationships with liver diseases
Authors: Yao Ting , Chen Qingqing , Fu Liyun , Guo Junming
Published: February 2017

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of new‐found RNA molecules that have a special covalent loop structure without a 5′ cap and 3′ tail. Researchers have found that circRNAs may be generated by intron‐pairing‐driven or lariat‐driven circularization. They are cleared up by way of extracellular vesicles. They have some advantages such as stability, conservation, and tissue specificity. By serving as sponges of microRNAs, interacting with long non‐coding RNAs, mRNA, or proteins, circRNAs regulate gene expression at transcriptional and post‐transcriptional levels and contribute to carcinogenesis. In recent years, circRNAs have been found to be correlated with many cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma, one of the most common cancers with high mortality. This article will first introduce the biogenesis, properties, and functions of circRNAs. Then we focus on the molecular mechanisms underlying some circRNAs, including hsa_circ_0001649, hsa_circ_0005075, and cerebellar degeneration‐related protein 1 antisense, on hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis.
Mechanism of impairment on liver regeneration in elderly patients: Role of hepatic stellate cell function
Authors: Saito Yu , Morine Yuji , Shimada Mitsuo
Published: February 2017

Japan, along with most other countries in the world, is facing an increasingly aging population with a prolonged life expectancy. Concurrently, the need for medical intervention, including hepatectomy, has also increased for the elderly. Although surgical outcomes for older patients are reported to be comparable with those for younger patients, additional care in the selection of older patients for hepatectomy is considered necessary. Although the effect of aging on human liver regeneration is not fully understood, the regeneration of liver tissue after hepatectomy in elderly patients is shown to be generally worse than in younger patients and, to date, the mechanisms involved in the impairment of liver regeneration have not been fully clarified.

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are liver‐specific mesenchymal cells that play critical roles in liver physiology and fibrogenesis. Recent studies in liver regeneration have increasingly focused on HSCs rather than on hepatocytes, Kupffer cells, endothelial cells, or infiltrating immune cells and suggest that HSCs might play a critical role in liver regeneration. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms involved in the impairment of liver regeneration in elderly patients, especially focusing on HSCs. We also discuss how HSCs contribute to the impairment of liver regeneration.
Six Years' Experience in Treatment of Chromomycosis with 5‐Fluorocytosine
Authors: Lopes Cid F. , Alvarenga Roberto J. , Cisalpino Eduardo O. , Resende M. Aparecida , Oliveira L. Gonzaga
Published: February 2017

Twenty‐three patients with chromomycosis were treated with oral 5‐fluorocytosine for periods ranging from 2 to 67 months. Sixteen were considered cured, after 3 consecutive monthly controls showing healing of the lesions and absence of fungi in mycologic and histopathologic examinations of biopsy specimens. Seven, in spite of initial clinical improvement, showed resistance to treatment. Associated treatment with amphotericin B, calciferol or thiabendazole failed to help patients resistant to 5‐fluorocytosine. Resistance seems to occur especially in those with long‐standing lesions or widespread involvement.
Topical Agents in the Treatment of Superficial Fungal Infections
Authors: Winfield John L.
Published: February 2017

Such newer topical antifungal agents as tolnaftate, haloprogin, clotrimazole and miconazole are effective in the treatment of most superficial fungal infections.
Zinc Therapy of Acrodermatitis Enteropathica
Authors: Ruiz-Maldonado Ramon , Tamayo Lourdes
Published: February 2017

An 8‐year‐old girl had excellent treatment results for acrodermatitis enteropathica with an initial dose of 100 mg zinc sulphate given daily and followed by 50 mg daily maintenance.
Basal Cell Epithelioma in a Vaccination Scar
Authors: Hazelrigg Donald E.
Published: February 2017

A 42‐year‐old woman developed a superficial basal cell epithelioma in a smallpox vaccination scar. After reviewing similar reports in the English literature, I believe any unusual change occurring in a vaccination scar, either simultaneously or years later, should be viewed as a possible malignancy and treated accordingly.
Topical Mechlorethamine For Psoriasis
Authors: Price Norman M.
Published: February 2017

The topical application of mechlorethamine is associated with a high incidence of irritant contact dermatitis. An attempt was made to avoid this complication by the use of a topical tolerogenic schedule. Seven of ten patients developed contact dermatitis to the medication after they had completed the schedule. The use of this medication in its present form is unlikely to be of practical value in the treatment of psoriasis.
Basal Cell Nevus Syndrome and Adenocarcinoma of the Colon
Authors: Stone Stephen P.
Published: February 2017

A patient with basal cell nevus syndrome was found to have an adenocarcinoma of the colon. This association, probably fortuitous, made it possible to study the effect of intravenous 5‐fluorouracil on the cutaneous basal cell tumors. There was no reaction to this treatment. Subsequently, all visible basal cell tumors were satisfactorily eradicated with topical 5‐fluorouracil.
Beyond urban form: How Masahisa Fujita shapes us
Authors: Berliant Marcus , Mori Tomoya
Published: February 2017

Literature from several phases of the career of Masahisa Fujita is surveyed chronologically, with a view toward future contributions in these areas. First we address the economic structure of the interior of a city with mobile consumers, adding production. Next we provide a critical discussion of the new economic geography, in particular distinguishing between recent approaches employing two regions and more than two regions, both in theory and in application to data. Finally, we discuss knowledge creation in groups and briefly touch on his current work in artificial intelligence.
Endogenous labor supply and international trade
Authors: Ago Takanori , Morita Tadashi , Tabuchi Takatoshi , Yamamoto Kazuhiro
Published: February 2017

We construct an international trade model with an elastic labor supply and analyze the impacts of technological progress on the equilibrium outcomes of working hours and economic welfare. We show that the labor supply is inverted U‐shaped with respect to technological progress. We also show that welfare is U‐shaped with respect to trade costs whereas welfare and technological progress are positively related. We then show that working hours in developed countries are longer in the first stages of development, but shorter in the second stages of development.
Decision making with intuitionistic linguistic preference relations
Authors: Meng Fanyong , Tang Jie , An Qingxian , Chen Xiaohong
Published: February 2017

To address the preferred and nonpreferred degrees of linguistic variables, this paper introduces intuitionistic linguistic preference relations (ILPRs) that apply intuitionistic linguistic variables (ILVs) to denote the decision makers’ preferences. To judge the consistency of ILPRs, a consistent concept is introduced, and a consistency index is defined. When ILPRs are unacceptably inconsistent, a method to improve the consistency is introduced. Then, an approach to rank ILVs is introduced. In some situations where ILPRs might be incomplete, the consistency‐based linear programming model is constructed to evaluate the missing values. Considering group decision making, a group consensus index is defined, and its several desirable properties are discussed. Meanwhile, an acceptability‐based consistency and consensus approach is developed, and the associated example is offered to show the efficiency of the proposed procedure.
Variation in laying date in relation to spring temperature in three species of tits (Paridae) and pied flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca in southernmost Sweden
Authors: Källander Hans , Hasselquist Dennis , Hedenström Anders , Nord Andreas , Smith Henrik G. , Nilsson Jan‐Åke
Published: February 2017

This study documents the advancement of laying dates in three species of tits (Paridae) in southernmost Sweden during recent decades, and the absence of a similar response in the pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca. It is based on several different nestbox studies; the oldest one starting in 1969. During 1969 to 2012, mean spring temperatures in the study area increased by between 0.06 and 0.08°C per year, depending on the period considered. Great tits Parus major, blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus and marsh tits Poecile palustris, which generally start egg laying between the last week of April and the first week of May, all advanced laying date at a similar rate during the study period (0.25 d yr–1). This indicates that these species were similarly affected by increasing temperatures. When accounting for mean spring temperature variation, we still found an advancement of laying date over the study period, mostly due to such relationships among marsh and blue tits. This result could reflect ongoing microevolution favouring earlier laying, but could also be a result of other factors such as increased intra‐ or inter‐specific competition for early breeding. Pied flycatchers, which generally lay during the third week of May, did not significantly advance the date of egg laying despite that the long‐term trend in the increase in ambient temperature during the 30‐d period preceding the start of egg laying was similar for pied flycatchers compared to the tit species.
Magnetic compass orientation research with migratory songbirds at Stensoffa Ecological Field Station in southern Sweden: why is it so difficult to obtain seasonally appropriate orientation?
Authors: Muheim Rachel , Åkesson Susanne , Bäckman Johan , Sjöberg Sissel
Published: February 2017

More than three decades ago, Thomas Alerstam initiated the study of orientation and navigation of migratory songbirds in southern Sweden. Stensoffa Ecological Field Station, located approx. 20 km east of Lund, has since been a primary location for orientation experiments. However, it has often been difficult to record well‐oriented behaviour in the seasonal appropriate migratory directions, in particular in magnetic orientation experiments under simulated overcast or indoors. Here, we summarise all available experiments testing magnetic compass orientation in migratory songbirds in southern Sweden, and review possible explanations for the poor magnetic compass orientation found in many studies. Most of the factors proposed can be essentially excluded, such as difficulties to extract magnetic compass information at high latitudes, methodological or experimenter biases, holding duration and repeated testing of individual birds, effects of magnetic anomalies and temporal variations of the ambient magnetic field, as well as anthropogenic electromagnetic disturbances. Possibly, the geographic location of southern Sweden where many birds captured and/or tested at coastal sites are confronted with the sea, might explain some of the variation that we see in the orientation behaviour of birds. Still, further investigations are needed to conclusively identify the factors responsible for why birds are not better oriented in the seasonal appropriate migratory direction at Stensoffa.
Extreme migration and the individual quality spectrum
Authors: Conklin Jesse R. , Senner Nathan R. , Battley Philip F. , Piersma Theunis
Published: February 2017

Costs of migration, in terms of time, energy, and mortality risk, have a strong theoretical and empirical foundation in the study of birds. We expect these costs to be most severe for extreme long‐distance migratory landbirds, whose demanding annual routines (e.g. non‐stop flights > 8000 km and return journeys > 30 000 km) may approach their maximum physiological capabilities. To explore whether this is true, we review evidence in long‐jump migratory shorebirds (Scolopacidae), focusing most on the prototypical example, the Alaska‐breeding bar‐tailed godwit Limosa lapponica baueri. Contrary to expectations, these and similar birds demonstrate high adult survival, little evidence for elevated mortality during migration, no apparent minimisation of non‐stop flight distances, and low inter‐ and intra‐individual variation in migration performance. Two key aspects of extreme migrants may explain these findings: 1) a counter‐intuitively conservative annual‐cycle strategy, which minimises risks and enables dissipation of carry‐over effects before fitness consequences arise; and 2) selection pressure during early life, which quickly removes low‐performing individuals from the population. We hypothesise that these two factors, applicable to extreme strategies in a wide range of taxa, act to truncate the range of individual quality in a population, and decrease the prevalence and detectability of carry‐over effects. Testing these hypotheses is challenging, as it requires comparative studies of demography and individual quality spectra along a continuum of extremeness. However, it has important potential implications for interpreting individual variation, designing studies of cross‐seasonal interactions or costs of migration, and recognising early‐warning signs of population decline. For example, the most extreme shorebird migrations rely on abundant but difficult‐to‐access resources; the high minimum individual performance required for survival predicts that degradation of these resource hot‐spots will propel rapid population collapse, rather than incremental declines in condition or performance. Therefore, in extreme migrants, we may paradoxically view populations as operating close to the edge, even while individuals are not.
Eligibility of Pacemaker Patients for Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators
Authors: IP JAMES E. , WU MICHAEL S. , KENNEL PETER J. , THOMAS GEORGE , LIU CHRISTOPHER F. , CHEUNG JIM W. , MARKOWITZ STEVEN M. , LERMAN BRUCE B.
Published: February 2017

S‐ICD Candidacy Among Ventricularly Paced Patients

Introduction

The subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) has emerged as a viable therapeutic option for patients who are deemed high risk for sudden cardiac death. Previous studies have shown that 7–15% of patients are not candidates for the S‐ICD based on their intrinsic QRS/T‐wave morphology. Presently, it is not known if the S‐ICD can be considered as supplementary therapy in patients who are ventricularly paced. We sought to determine the proportion of ventricularly paced patients who would qualify for an S‐ICD.

Methods and Results

We evaluated 100 patients with transvenous pacemakers/ICDs, including 25 biventricular devices to determine S‐ICD candidacy during right ventricular (RV) pacing and biventricular pacing based on the recommended QRS:T‐wave ratio screening template. Fifty‐eight percent of patients qualified for an S‐ICD based on their QRS morphology during ventricular pacing. More patients during biventricular pacing met criteria compared to during RV pacing alone (80% vs. 46%, P <0.01). Patients that were paced from the RV septum were more likely to qualify compared to those paced from the RV apex (67% vs. 37%, respectively, P <0.01).

Conclusion

While S‐ICD implantation may be considered as supplemental therapy in select patients with preexisting transvenous devices, relatively fewer candidates who are paced from the RV apex qualify. QRS morphologies generated from biventricular pacing as well as from septal RV pacing are more likely to screen in based on the recommended S‐ICD template.
Income within context: relative income matters for adolescent social satisfaction and mental health
Authors: Sorhagen Nicole S. , Wurster Tabitha J.
Published: February 2017

Background

Previous research has shown that a mismatch between one's own socioeconomic status (SES) and the SES of the surrounding context can lead to maladaptive outcomes, such as increased social stigma and low levels of belongingness (Johnson, Richeson, & Finkel, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100, 2011, 838; Ostrove, The Journal of Social Issues, 59, 2003, 771). This study examines an adolescent population, as contextual comparisons should be especially salient at this time.

Methods

Participants included over 900 adolescents at age 15 involved in a multisite longitudinal study.

Results

Results showed that lower relative income status predicted increased social dissatisfaction, internalizing and externalizing problems, after controlling for family SES. Moreover, the effect of relative income was indirectly related to these problems through social dissatisfaction. Exploratory multigroup analyses by gender suggested that the adolescent girls may be driving the effects of relative income.

Conclusions

Findings are discussed in regard to adolescent socioemotional functioning, as well as the implications for gender differences related to relative income status.
Protein deprivation decreases male survival and the intensity of sexual antagonism in southern field crickets Gryllus bimaculatus
Authors: Han C. S. , Dingemanse N. J.
Published: February 2017

Recent theory predicts that the magnitude of sexual antagonism should depend on how well populations are adapted to their environment. We tested this idea experimentally by comparing intersexual genetic correlations for adult survival in pedigreed populations of southern field crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) raised on naturally balanced (free‐choice) vs. imbalanced (protein‐deprived) diets. We tested for (1) sex differences in nutritional intake and preference, (2) sex‐specific effects of protein deprivation on survival and (3) diet dependence of the level of sexual antagonism. Adult males and females consumed a similar amount of protein, but protein deprivation decreased male survival but not female survival. Protein deprivation appeared to decrease the degree of sexual antagonism as intersexual genetic correlations were significantly lower than 1 only for the complementary free‐choice diet group but close to 1 for the protein‐deficient diet group. Our findings thereby implied that variation in nutritional environments can alter the magnitude of sexual antagonism. This research represents an important step towards understanding the relationship between sexual antagonism and adaptation in heterogeneous environments.
Maintenance of polygenic sex determination in a fluctuating environment: an individual‐based model
Authors: Bateman A. W. , Anholt B. R.
Published: February 2017

R. A. Fisher predicted that individuals should invest equally in offspring of both sexes, and that the proportion of males and females produced (the primary sex ratio) should evolve towards 1:1 when unconstrained. For many species, sex determination is dependent on sex chromosomes, creating a strong tendency for balanced sex ratios, but in other cases, multiple autosomal genes interact to determine sex. In such cases, the maintenance of multiple sex‐determining alleles at multiple loci and the consequent among‐family variability in sex ratios presents a puzzle, as theory predicts that such systems should be unstable. Theory also predicts that environmental influences on sex can complicate outcomes of genetic sex determination, and that population structure may play a role. Tigriopus californicus, a copepod that lives in splash‐pool metapopulations and exhibits polygenic and environment‐dependent sex determination, presents a test case for relevant theory. We use this species as a model for parameterizing an individual‐based simulation to investigate conditions that could maintain polygenic sex determination. We find that metapopulation structure can delay the degradation of polygenic sex determination and that periods of alternating frequency‐dependent selection, imposed by seasonal fluctuations in environmental conditions, can maintain polygenic sex determination indefinitely.
Molecular Phylogeny and Ultrastructure of Aphelidium desmodesmi, a New Species in Aphelida (Opisthosporidia)
Authors: Letcher Peter M. , Powell Martha J. , Lee Philip A. , Lopez Salvador , Burnett Micheal
Published: February 2017

Aphelids are a diverse group of intracellular parasitoids of algae and diatoms, and are sister to true fungi. Included in four genera, the 14 described species utilize phagocytosis as their mode of nutrition, and the life cycles of these taxa are remarkably similar. However, their putative specificity of host, morphological and ultrastructural features, and genetic divergence have been considered in taxon delineation. Here, we examine the host specificity, morphology, ultrastructure, and molecular 18S gene sequence of a new species in Aphelida, Aphelidium desmodesmi sp. nov. This taxon is in a well‐supported clade with two other species of Aphelidium, and this lineage is sister to Amoeboaphelidium and Paraphelidium. Of interest, the mitochondrial structure of Aph. desmodesmi is more like that of Paraphelidium than that of Aphelidium aff. melosirae, the only other species of Aphelidium to have been examined ultrastructurally. This research examines and expands our understanding of host range, morphological diversity, and genetic divergence of the aphelids.