bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AIDS Presenting as Granulomatous Amebic Encephalitis: PET and MR Imaging correlation
Authors: Dowell Joshua D. , Mukherjee Sugoto , Raghavan Prashant , Rehm Patrice K.
Published: February 2015

Granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE) is a rare and oftentimes fatal disease in immune compromised patients caused by free living amebae Acanthamoeba and Balamuthia. We report a patient in whom GAE secondary to Acanthamoeba was the initial presentation of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in a 41‐year‐old male, and discuss the FDG positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging findings that preceded the pathological diagnosis. The PET results provided complementary information when coupled with the MR brain findings. Improved understanding of the clinical and imaging findings of this deadly disease is the best hope for early diagnosis and treatment of this uncommon but deadly disease.
Uncaria tomentosa Gel against Denture Stomatitis: Clinical Report
Authors: Tay Lidia Y. , dos Santos Fabio A. , Jorge Janaina H.
Published: February 2015

The objective of this study is to report the clinical use of 2% Uncaria tomentosa gel against denture stomatitis (DS) as an alternative treatment. The patient was a 65‐year‐old, denture‐wearing woman. At the clinical examination, her palate showed hyperplasic and erythematous mucosa indicating DS type II. DS is a chronic oral disease that affects denture wearers. It occurs as an inflammatory reaction in denture‐wearing patients under maxillary prostheses. Candida albicans has been reported as the principal etiological agent. An alternative treatment, the topical application of a gel of 2% U. tomentosa three times a day for 1 week was given to the patient. After 1 week of this treatment, she had significantly reduced signs of the disease. Despite the existence of a great number of antifungal agents, treatment failure is observed frequently. Phytotherapy is becoming more popular worldwide. Currently, the most promising medicinal Amazonian herb is U. tomentosa (Willd.) DC., known as Cat's Claw. Studies of the chemical and pharmacological properties of this medicinal plant have allowed researchers to develop indications for its use. This report demonstrates the effectiveness of U. tomentosa against DS.
Trait Mindfulness Predicts Efficient Top‐Down Attention to and Discrimination of Facial Expressions
Authors: Quaglia Jordan T. , Goodman Robert J. , Brown Kirk Warren
Published: February 2015

In social situations, skillful regulation of emotion and behavior depends on efficiently discerning others' emotions. Identifying factors that promote timely and accurate discernment of facial expressions can therefore advance understanding of social emotion regulation and behavior. The present research examined whether trait mindfulness predicts neural and behavioral markers of early top‐down attention to, and efficient discrimination of, socioemotional stimuli. Attention‐based event‐related potentials (ERPs) and behavioral responses were recorded while participants (N = 62; White; 67% female; Mage = 19.09 years, SD = 2.14 years) completed an emotional go/no‐go task involving happy, neutral, and fearful facial expressions. Mindfulness predicted larger (more negative) N100 and N200 ERP amplitudes to both go and no‐go stimuli. Mindfulness also predicted faster response time that was not attributable to a speed‐accuracy trade‐off. Significant relations held after accounting for attentional control or social anxiety. This study adds neurophysiological support for foundational accounts that mindfulness entails moment‐to‐moment attention with lower tendencies toward habitual patterns of responding. Mindfulness may enhance the quality of social behavior in socioemotional contexts by promoting efficient top‐down attention to and discrimination of others' emotions, alongside greater monitoring and inhibition of automatic response tendencies.
The determination of crystal structures of active pharmaceutical ingredients from X-ray powder diffraction data: a brief, practical introduction, with fexofenadine hydrochloride as example
Authors: Brüning Jürgen , Schmidt Martin U
Published: February 2015

Objectives

This study describes the general method for the determination of the crystal structures of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) from powder diffraction data and demonstrates its use to determine the hitherto unknown crystal structure of fexofenadine hydrochloride, a third-generation antihistamine drug.

Methods

Fexofenadine hydrochloride was subjected to a series of crystallisation experiments using re-crystallisation from solvents, gas diffusion, layering with an antisolvent and gel crystallisation. Powder diffraction patterns of all samples were recorded and inspected for polymorphism and for crystallinity.

Key findings

All samples corresponded to the same polymorph. The crystal structure was determined from an X-ray powder diffraction pattern using a real-space method with subsequent Rietveld refinement. The structure exhibits a two-dimensional hydrogen bond network.

Conclusion

Crystal structures of API can be determined from X-ray powder diffraction data with good reliability. Fexofenadine exhibits only one polymorphic form, which is stabilised in the crystal by strong hydrogen bonds of the type +N–H···Cl–, O–H···Cl–, and between COOH groups.
Use of Response Surface Methodology to Describe the Combined Effect of Temperature and Fiber on the Rheological Properties of Orange Juice
Authors: Siche Raúl , Falguera Víctor , Ibarz Albert
Published: February 2015

The rheological properties of orange juice were studied by means of the response surface methodology (RSM). The influence of both fiber concentration (0–12.5% [w/w]) and temperature (0–40C) on the parameters of the Herschel–Bulkley model were evaluated using a composed central rotatable design. The flow behavior of the juice at 20C changed due to the addition of fiber, from Newtonian to pseudoplastic when this content exceeded 2.5% (w/w) and from this to Herschel–Bulkley when contained fiber exceeded 9% (w/w). The increase in fiber content resulted in a progressive increase in the consistency index (k) and a decrease in the flow behavior index (n), both of which were well fitted by polynomial models (R2 > 0.95).

Practical Applications

Response surface methodology allows obtaining one single equation for each response variable (even with better predictive results) instead of several equations by using the traditional way.
Analysis of the Effect of High‐Pressure Homogenization (HPH) on the Settling Velocity of Particles in an Alcoholic Rice Beverage Using Video Recording, Turbidity and Computational Fluid Dynamic Simulation
Authors: Moon Ji Hoon , Yoon Won Byong
Published: February 2015

High‐pressure homogenization (HPH) was applied to an alcoholic rice beverage (ARB). The effects of pressure (48–172 MPa) and the number of passes (1–3) on the fluid properties of the ARB, such as particle size, viscosity, turbidity and settling velocity, were investigated. Mean diameters continuously decreased with increasing homogenization pressure (P) and pass number (PN) until it reached a saturated condition (172 MPa with PN = 2). The viscosity and volume fraction of ARBs proportionally increased with increasing P and PN. The turbidity of HPH‐treated samples had stable characteristic until approximately 40 min. The settling velocities estimated by three different methods, including video recording, computational fluid dynamics simulation and analytic solutions (free and hindered flow). The free and hindered settling velocity of nonhomogenized and HPH‐treated samples were in the range of 1.2 × 10−4 to 1.7 × 10−4 and 0.3 × 10−7 to 4.3 × 10−7 m/s, respectively.

Practical Application

For alcoholic rice beverages (ARB), the unique translucent milky color differentiates ARB from distilled alcoholic beverage. The translucency is mainly due to the solid particles in the ARB, which could not be completely separated by the coarse filtration. Settling of solid particles caused a phase separation of ARB during storage or even serving in the glass. Our study showed that the high‐pressure homogenization (HPH) dramatically reduced the particle size of the ARB. Consequently, the settling velocity of HPH‐treated samples were significantly lower than that of nonhomogenized (NH) sample. The phase separation of ARB was delayed significantly after HPH.
Preparation and Characterization of Xanthan‐Modified Konjac Gel
Authors: Ding Baomiao , Xu Yanchun , Xiong Honglu , Xu Zhenming , Tian Zhihong
Published: February 2015

Xanthan‐modified konjac gel was successfully prepared using the synergistic effect between the two polysaccharides konjac glucomannan (KGM) and xanthan gum (XG). The effects of XG‐to‐KGM ratio, total polysaccharide concentration, Na2CO3 concentration, stirring time and KCl concentration on the properties of konjac gel were investigated by single factor experiment. The xanthan‐modified konjac gel was characterized, and the gel strength, gel elasticity and gel water‐holding capacity were used as the indicators. The properties of konjac gel were significantly improved by the addition of XG because of the synergistic effect between KGM and XG. The result showed that the high‐quality konjac gel could be obtained under the conditions of XG‐to‐KGM ratio, 1:5; total polysaccharide concentration, 3%; Na2CO3 concentration, 1.5%; stirring time, 90 min; and KCl concentration, 0.6%. The results indicate that XG could be used to effectively modify and improve the quality of konjac gel, and it may expand the konjac gel application in food field.

Practical Applications

As a water‐soluble neutral heteropolysaccharide, konjac glucomannan (KGM) is regarded as a non‐caloric food and a high‐quality dietary fiber in East Asia, the role of which has been displayed in blood cholesterol and sugar reduction, weight loss, promote intestinal activity and immune function, etc. In the current study, the properties of KGM gel were modified by xanthan gel using the synergistic effect between KGM gel and xanthan gum. Then, the gel quality of KGM gel was improved, and the water‐holding capacity was enhanced, and the alkali odor and bitter would be decreased, respectively. Xanthan‐modified KGM gel could be used to improve and obtain products with the desired texture, and it could also be used in functional foods and dietary or health product.
Gendering the Burden of Care: Health Reform and the Paradox of Community Participation in Western Belize
Authors: Uzwiak Beth A. , Curran Siobhan
Published: February 2015

Belizean health policy supports a primary health care (PHC) strategy of universal access, community participation, and multisectoral collaboration. The principals of PHC were a key part of Belize's emergent national identity and built on existing community‐based health strategies.

Ethnographic research in western Belize, however, reveals that ongoing health reform is removing providers from participatory arenas. In this article, we foreground a particular moment in Belizean health history—the rise and demise of multisectoral collaboration—to question what can constitute meaningful community participation in the midst of health reform. Many allied health providers continue to believe in the potential of PHC to alleviate the structural causations of poor health and to invest in PHC despite a lack of state support. This means that providers, the majority women, are palliating the consequences of neoliberal reform; it also means that they provide spaces of contestation to the consumer “logic” of this reform.
Novel evidence suggests that a ‘Rickettsia felis‐like’ organism is an endosymbiont of the desert flea, Xenopsylla ramesis
Authors: Rzotkiewicz Sabine , Gutiérrez Ricardo , Krasnov Boris R. , Morick Danny , Khokhlova Irina S. , Nachum‐Biala Yaarit , Baneth Gad , Harrus Shimon
Published: February 2015

Fleas are acknowledged vectors and reservoirs of various bacteria that present a wide range of pathogenicity. In this study, fleas collected from wild rodents from the Negev desert in southern Israel were tested for RickettsiaDNA by targeting the 16S rRNA (rrs) gene. Thirty‐eight Xenopsylla ramesis, 91 Synosternus cleopatrae and 15 Leptopsylla flea pools (a total of 568 fleas) were screened. RickettsiaDNA was detected in 100% of the X. ramesis and in one S. cleopatrae flea pools. None of L. algira flea pools was found positive. All positive flea pools were further characterized by sequencing of five additional genetic loci (gltA, ompB, ompA, htrA and fusA). The molecular identification of the positive samples showed all sequences to be closely related to the ‘Rickettsia felis‐like’ organisms (99–100% similarities in the six loci). To further investigate the association between ‘R. felis‐like’ and X. ramesis fleas, ten additional single X. ramesis adult fleas collected from the wild and five laboratory‐maintained X. ramesis imago, five larva pools (2–18 larvae per pool) and two egg pools (18 eggs per pool) were tested for the presence of ‘R. felis‐like’ DNA. All samples were found positive by a specific ompAPCR assay, confirming the close association of this Rickettsia species with X. ramesis in all its life stages. These results suggest a symbiotic association between ‘Rickettsia felis‐like’ and X. ramesis fleas.
The evolution of phylogeographic data sets
Authors: Garrick Ryan C. , Bonatelli Isabel A. S. , Hyseni Chaz , Morales Ariadna , Pelletier Tara A. , Perez Manolo F. , Rice Edwin , Satler Jordan D. , Symula Rebecca E. , Thomé Maria Tereza C. , Carstens Bryan C.
Published: February 2015

Empirical phylogeographic studies have progressively sampled greater numbers of loci over time, in part motivated by theoretical papers showing that estimates of key demographic parameters improve as the number of loci increases. Recently, next‐generation sequencing has been applied to questions about organismal history, with the promise of revolutionizing the field. However, no systematic assessment of how phylogeographic data sets have changed over time with respect to overall size and information content has been performed. Here, we quantify the changing nature of these genetic data sets over the past 20 years, focusing on papers published in Molecular Ecology. We found that the number of independent loci, the total number of alleles sampled and the total number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) per data set has improved over time, with particularly dramatic increases within the past 5 years. Interestingly, uniparentally inherited organellar markers (e.g. animal mitochondrial and plant chloroplast DNA) continue to represent an important component of phylogeographic data. Single‐species studies (cf. comparative studies) that focus on vertebrates (particularly fish and to some extent, birds) represent the gold standard of phylogeographic data collection. Based on the current trajectory seen in our survey data, forecast modelling indicates that the median number of SNPs per data set for studies published by the end of the year 2016 may approach ~20 000. This survey provides baseline information for understanding the evolution of phylogeographic data sets and underscores the fact that development of analytical methods for handling very large genetic data sets will be critical for facilitating growth of the field.
Coupling Response Surface and Differential Evolution for Parameter Identification Problems
Authors: Vincenzi Loris , Savoia Marco
Published: February 2015

In the present article, a new surrogate‐assisted evolutionary algorithm for dynamic identification problems with unknown parameters is presented. It is based on the combination of the response surface (RS) approach (the surrogate model) with differential evolution algorithm for global search. Differential evolution (DE) is an evolutionary algorithm where N different vectors collecting the parameters of the system are chosen randomly or by adding weighted differences between vectors obtained from two populations. In the proposed algorithm (called DE‐Q), the RS is introduced in the mutation operation. The new parameter vector is defined as the one minimizing the second‐order polynomial function (RS), approximating the objective function. The performances in terms of speed rate are improved by introducing the second‐order approximation; nevertheless, robustness of DE algorithm for global minimum search of objective function is preserved, because multiple search points are used simultaneously. Numerical examples are presented, concerning: search of the global minimum of analytical benchmark functions; parameter identification of a damaged beam; parameter identification of mechanical properties (masses and member stiffnesses) of a truss‐girder steel bridge starting from frequencies and eigenvectors obtained from an experimental field test.
The role of thionins in rice defence against root pathogens
Authors: Ji Hongli , Gheysen Godelieve , Ullah Chhana , Verbeek Ruben , Shang Chenjing , De Vleesschauwer David , Höfte Monica , Kyndt Tina
Published: February 2015

Thionins are antimicrobial peptides that are involved in plant defence. Here, we present an in‐depth analysis of the role of rice thionin genes in defence responses against two root pathogens: the root‐knot nematodeMeloidogyne graminicolaand the oomycetePythium graminicola. The expression of rice thionin genes was observed to be differentially regulated by defence‐related hormones, whereas all analysed genes were consistently down‐regulated inM. graminicola‐induced galls, at least until 7 days post‐inoculation (dpi). Transgenic lines ofOryza sativacv. Nipponbare overproducingOsTHI7revealed decreased susceptibility toM. graminicolainfection andP. graminicolacolonization. Taken together, these results demonstrate the role of rice thionin genes in defence against two of the most damaging root pathogens attacking rice.
A PCR assay for the quantification of growth of the oomycete pathogen Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Anderson Ryan G. , McDowell John M.
Published: February 2015

The accurate quantification of disease severity is important for the assessment of host–pathogen interactions in laboratory or field settings. The interaction between Arabidopsis thaliana and its naturally occurring downy mildew pathogen, Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis (Hpa), is a widely used reference pathosystem for plant–oomycete interactions. Current methods for the assessment of disease severity in the Arabidopsis–Hpa interaction rely on measurements at the terminal stage of pathogen development; namely, visual counts of spore‐producing structures or the quantification of spore production with a haemocytometer. These assays are useful, but do not offer sensitivity for the robust quantification of small changes in virulence or the accurate quantification of pathogen growth prior to the reproductive stage. Here, we describe a quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay for the monitoring of Hpa growth in planta. The protocol is rapid, inexpensive and can robustly distinguish small changes in virulence. We used this assay to investigate the dynamics of early Hpa mycelial growth and to demonstrate the proof of concept that this assay could be used in screens for novel oomycete growth inhibitors.
Analysis of the nasal vestibule mycobiome in patients with allergic rhinitis
Authors: Jung Won Hee , Croll Daniel , Cho Jae Hoon , Kim Yu Ri , Lee Yang Won
Published: February 2015

Advances in culture‐independent sequencing methods have been utilised in recent studies to understand the phylogenetic composition of the human microbiome of healthy and diseased skin. Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an inflammatory condition of the nasal cavity caused by environmental allergens. Although nasal microbial communities have been considered important contributors in human health, no studies to date have comprehensively compared fungal communities (mycobiome) of the nasal vestibule using the culture‐independent pyrosequencing method. This study aimed to investigate how fungal communities of the nasal vestibule skin surface are influenced by AR. The phylogenetic composition of the nasal vestibule mycobiome of patients with AR was analysed by culture‐independent pyrosequencing methods and compared with healthy individuals. A total of 69 fungal genera were identified from both AR samples and healthy controls, and the genus Malassezia predominated in the nasal vestibule. Species‐level analysis classified eight different Malassezia species including M. pachydermatis and M. cuniculi, which were normally isolated from animals, and revealed M. restricta to be the most abundant species in the nasal vestibule. Although high interpersonal variation was observed, some of the AR samples displayed significantly higher diversities than healthy controls at both the genus and species level.
Hxt1, a monosaccharide transporter and sensor required for virulence of the maize pathogen Ustilago maydis
Authors: Schuler David , Wahl Ramon , Wippel Kathrin , Vranes Miroslav , Münsterkötter Martin , Sauer Norbert , Kämper Jörg
Published: February 2015

The smut Ustilago maydis, a ubiquitous pest of corn, is highly adapted to its host to parasitize on its organic carbon sources. We have identified a hexose transporter, Hxt1, as important for fungal development during both the saprophytic and the pathogenic stage of the fungus.

Hxt1 was characterized as a high‐affinity transporter for glucose, fructose, and mannose; ∆hxt1 strains show significantly reduced growth on these substrates, setting Hxt1 as the main hexose transporter during saprophytic growth.

After plant infection, ∆hxt1 strains show decreased symptom development. However, expression of a Hxt1 protein with a mutation leading to constitutively active signaling in the yeast glucose sensors Snf3p and Rgt2p results in completely apathogenic strains. Fungal development is stalled immediately after plant penetration, implying a dual function of Hxt1 as transporter and sensor.

As glucose sensors are only known for yeasts, ‘transceptor’ as Hxt1 may constitute a general mechanism for sensing of glucose in fungi. In U. maydis, Hxt1 links a nutrient‐dependent environmental signal to the developmental program during pathogenic development.
The fasciclin‐like arabinogalactan protein family of Eucalyptus grandis contains members that impact wood biology and biomechanics
Authors: MacMillan Colleen P. , Taylor Lynette , Bi Yingdong , Southerton Simon G. , Evans Rob , Spokevicius Antanas
Published: February 2015

Fasciclin‐like arabinogalactan protein (FLA) families have been identified and characterised in key plant species, with some members exhibiting functional specialization. Here we identify the FLA family of Eucalyptus grandis, and investigate the roles of three single‐FAS domain FLAs, with particular focus on secondary cell‐wall formation and wood properties.

We use various in‐silico approaches to identify and characterise E. grandis genome FLAs, and perform phylogenetic comparisons with other species. For three key FLAs, we perform functional testing including promoter‐reporter and overexpression transgenic approaches using eucalypts, poplar and tobacco.

Of the 18 eucalypt FLAs identified, several were specifically and highly expressed in stems. The specificity to stem xylem vessel and fibre development was demonstrated with EniFLA1promoter:GUS studies in several species. Testing of select eucalypt FLAs resulted in altered wood development and properties, for example 35S:EgrFLA2 led to a 3 degree reduction in cellulose microfibril angle in eucalypt xylem fibres, and 35S:EgrFLA3 to a reduction in tobacco stem flexural strength.

These results indicate that the eucalypt FLA family contains diverse members, and particular members with single FAS domains that are functionally specialized for secondary cell wall growth and properties.
Aboveground insect infestation attenuates belowground Agrobacterium‐mediated genetic transformation
Authors: Song Geun Cheol , Lee Soohyun , Hong Jaehwa , Choi Hye Kyung , Hong Gun Hyong , Bae Dong‐Won , Mysore Kirankumar S. , Park Yong‐Soon , Ryu Choong‐Min
Published: February 2015

Agrobacterium tumefaciens causes crown gall disease. Although Agrobacterium can be popularly used for genetic engineering, the influence of aboveground insect infestation on Agrobacterium induced gall formation has not been investigated.

Nicotiana benthamiana leaves were exposed to a sucking insect (whitefly) infestation and benzothiadiazole (BTH) for 7 d, and these exposed plants were inoculated with a tumorigenic Agrobacterium strain. We evaluated, both in planta and in vitro, how whitefly infestation affects crown gall disease.

Whitefly‐infested plants exhibited at least a two‐fold reduction in gall formation on both stem and crown root. Silencing of isochorismate synthase 1 (ICS1), required for salicylic acid (SA) synthesis, compromised gall formation indicating an involvement of SA in whitefly‐derived plant defence against Agrobacterium. Endogenous SA content was augmented in whitefly‐infested plants upon Agrobacterium inoculation. In addition, SA concentration was three times higher in root exudates from whitefly‐infested plants. As a consequence, Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation of roots of whitefly‐infested plants was clearly inhibited when compared to control plants. These results suggest that aboveground whitefly infestation elicits systemic defence responses throughout the plant.

Our findings provide new insights into insect‐mediated leaf–root intra‐communication and a framework to understand interactions between three organisms: whitefly, N. benthamiana and Agrobacterium.
Low regional cerebral blood flow in burning mouth syndrome patients with depression
Authors: Liu B‐L , Yao H , Zheng X‐J , Du G‐H , Shen X‐M , Zhou Y‐M , Tang G‐Y
Published: February 2015

Objectives

The main aims of this study were to (i) investigate the emotional disorder status of patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS) and (ii) detect regional cerebral blood flow in BMS patients with the application of combined single‐photon emission computed tomography and computed tomography (SPECT/CT).

Subjects and Methods

The degree of pain was measured using the visual analysis scale, and emotional disorder with the self‐rating anxiety scale, self‐rating depression scale, and Hamilton depression rating scale in 29 patients with BMS and 10 healthy controls. SPECT/CT was performed in 29 patients with BMS and 10 healthy controls, and statistical parametric mapping method was used for between‐group analyses.

Results

The incidence rate of depression in patients with BMS was 31.0%. Compared to the control group, patients with BMS displayed significantly different depression and anxiety scales (P < 0.05). Significantly lower regional cerebral blood flow in the left parietal and left temporal lobes was recorded for BMS patients with depression (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Patients with BMS experience more depression and anxious emotion. Moreover, depression in patients with BMS may be associated with lower regional cerebral blood flow in the left temporal and left parietal lobes.
An integrated population model for a long‐lived ungulate: more efficient data use with Bayesian methods
Authors: Lee Aline M. , Bjørkvoll Eirin M. , Hansen Brage B. , Albon Steve D. , Stien Audun , Sæther Bernt‐Erik , Engen Steinar , Veiberg Vebjørn , Loe Leif E. , Grøtan Vidar
Published: February 2015

We develop an integrated population model for Svalbard reindeerRangifer tarandus platyrhynchus, and demonstrate how this type of model can be used to extract more information from the data and separate different sources of variability in population estimates. Our model combines individual mark–recapture data with population counts and harvesting data within a Bayesian model framework, and accounts for observation error, environmental and demographic stochasticity, and age structure. From this model we obtain annual estimates of age‐specific population size, survival and fecundity. The model provides estimates of age structure at a finer scale than that found in the census data, and enables us to estimate survival for the period before calves are first caught and marked, i.e. before they enter the individual mark–recapture data. The modeling framework provides an improved approach to studying age‐structured populations that are imperfectly censused and where the demography of only a sample of individuals is known. We use data from independent censuses of the same population to evaluate population estimates obtained from the model, and show that it is successful at correcting for different types of observation error. Based on our model results, we suggest that allocating resources to the collection of supplementary mark–recapture data could improve the reliability of population projections more than making regular population censuses as exhaustive as possible. Our work demonstrates how integrated Bayesian population modeling can be used to increase the amount of information extracted from collections of data, identifying and disentangling sources of variation in individual performance and population size. This represents an important step towards increasing the predictive ability of population growth models for long‐lived species experiencing changes in environmental conditions and harvesting regimes.
Latitudinal variation in herbivory: influences of climatic drivers, herbivore identity and natural enemies
Authors: Moreira Xoaquín , Abdala‐Roberts Luis , Parra‐Tabla Víctor , Mooney Kailen A.
Published: February 2015

Although a number of investigations have concluded that lower latitudes are associated with increases in herbivore abundance and plant damage, the generality of this pattern is still under debate. Multiple factors may explain the lack of consistency in latitude–herbivory relationships. For instance, latitudinal variation in herbivore pressure may be shaped entirely or not by climatic variables, or vary among herbivore guilds with differing life‐history traits. Additionally, the strength of top–down effects from natural enemies on herbivores might also vary geographically and influence latitude–herbivory patterns. We carried out a field study where we investigated the effects of latitude and climate on herbivory by a seed‐eating caterpillar and leaf chewers, as well as parasitism associated to the former across 30 populations of the perennial herb Ruellia nudiflora (Acanthaceae). These populations were distributed along a 5° latitudinal gradient from northern Yucatan (Mexico) to southern Belize, representing one‐third of the species' latitudinal distribution and the entirety and one‐third of the precipitation and temperature gradient of this species' distribution (respectively). We found opposing latitudinal gradients of seed herbivory and leaf herbivory, and this difference appeared to be mediated by contrasting effects of climate on each guild. Specifically, univariate regressions showed that seed herbivory increased at higher latitudes and with colder temperatures, while leaf herbivory increased toward the equator and with wetter conditions. Multiple regressions including temperature, precipitation and latitude only found significant effects of temperature for seed herbivory and latitude for leaf herbivory. Accordingly, that latitudinal variation in seed herbivory appears to be driven predominantly by variation in temperature whereas latitudinal variation in leaf herbivory was apparently driven by other unexplored correlates of latitude. Parasitism did not exhibit variation with latitude or climatic factors. Overall, these findings underscore that the factors driving latitudinal clines in herbivory might vary even among herbivore species coexisting on the same host plant.
The early evolution of ray‐finned fishes
Authors: Friedman Matt
Published: February 2015

Ray‐finned fishes (Actinopterygii) constitute approximately half of all living vertebrate species. A stable hypothesis of relationships among major modern lineages has emerged over the past decade, supported by both anatomy and molecules. Diversity is unevenly partitioned across the actinopterygian tree, with most species concentrated within a handful of geologically young (i.e. Cretaceous) teleost clades. Extant non‐teleost groups are portrayed as ‘living fossils’, but this moniker should not be taken as evidence of especially primitive structure: each of these lineages is characterized by profound specializations. Attribution of fossils to the crowns and apical stems of Cladistia, Chondrostei and Neopterygii is uncontroversial, but placements of Palaeozoic taxa along deeper branches of actinopterygian phylogeny are less secure. Despite these limitations, some major outlines of actinopterygian diversification seem reasonably clear from the fossil record: low richness and disparity in the Devonian; elevated morphological variety, linked to increases in taxonomic dominance, in the early Carboniferous; and further gains in taxonomic dominance in the Early Triassic associated with earliest appearance of trophically diverse crown neopterygians.
Heterozygote to homozygote related living donor liver transplantation in maple syrup urine disease: A case report
Authors: Patel N. , Loveland J. , Zuckerman M. , Moshesh P. , Britz R. , Botha J.
Published: February 2015

Liver transplantation is an accepted treatment modality in the management of MSUD. To our knowledge, ours is only the second successful case to date of a patient with MSUD receiving an allograft from an RLD who is a heterozygous carrier for the disease. In view of the worldwide shortage of available organs for transplantation, heterozygote to homozygote transplantation in the setting of MSUD may provide a viable alternative for those awaiting transplantation. We report on the case of a two‐yr‐old infant with MSUD, who received a left lateral segment (segments II and III) liver transplant from his mother, a heterozygote carrier of one of the three abnormal genes implicated in MSUD. Post‐operative BCAA levels normalized in our patient and remained so on an unrestricted protein diet and during times of physiological stress. To date, this is only the second case of a successful RLD liver transplant in a child with MSUD. Preliminary results indicate that RLD liver transplants are at least equivalent to deceased donor liver transplants in the treatment of MSUD, although longer term follow‐up is required. Heterozygote to homozygote RLD transplant in patients with MSUD presents a new pool of potential liver donors.
Paying Attention to Politics: Public Responsiveness and Welfare Policy Change
Authors: Bendz Anna
Published: February 2015

In order for the democratic process to work properly, it is vital that the public pays attention to politics and signals its opinions and preferences back to its representatives; if this is not the case, representatives have less incentive to represent. This article deals with the question of whether and how the public responds to welfare policy change. The thermostatic model departs from the assumption that the public responds to policy change with negative feedback, in relation to its preferred level of policy. The empirical analysis tests this model on public responses following the implementation of a consumer's choice model in Swedish primary health care. Did the reform trigger a thermostatic response from the public, and how should this be interpreted? A contribution in relation to previous research is the inclusion of ideological orientation and proximity, variables which, I argue, condition the nature and direction of public responsiveness. The study was designed as a natural experiment in which preferences of privatization of health care were measured before and after the health care reform of 2009/2010. The results provide partial support for the thermostatic model: preferences for further privatization decrease after the reform, but primarily within one subgroup. Additionally, public responses are demonstrated to vary according to ideological orientation, where the right‐oriented react thermostatically and the left‐oriented do not. The article contributes to a further understanding of the relation between policymaking and public opinion and to the expansion of thermostatic theory.
How Presidents Shape Their Party's Reputation and Prospects: New Evidence
Authors: Jacobson Gary C.
Published: February 2015

Previous work has demonstrated presidents have a powerful influence on their party's popularity, reputation for competence, perceived ideological leanings, and attractiveness as an object of personal identification. This article extends the analysis by examining (1) how presidents shape popular opinions of congressional parties and leaders, (2) how evaluations of the president's handling of specific policy areas affect his party's reputation for effectiveness in handing these domains, (3) how presidents affect perceptions of their party's sympathy for ordinary people, (4) how presidents influence generic preferences for House candidates and party control of Congress as measured in surveys between elections, and (5) how presidents affect the partisan leanings of the generation that comes of political age during their administrations. The evidence confirms that popular reactions to presidents have both immediate and longer‐term consequences for how his party and, to a lesser extent, the rival party are regarded by the American people.
“Captive of a Scientific‐Technological Elite”: Eisenhower and the Nuclear Test Ban
Authors: Greene Benjamin P.
Published: February 2015

This analysis of Dwight D. Eisenhower's pursuit of a nuclear test‐ban agreement assesses the role of science advice in his decision making. It argues that a “scientific‐technological elite” within the administration monopolized the technical conclusions in policy questions, inhibiting the president's inclination to pursue an accord with the Soviet Union for the first half of his presidency. This episode has important implications for understanding Eisenhower's record on nuclear arms control and assessments of his presidential leadership.
The Illustrated Four Freedoms: FDR, Rockwell, and the Margins of the Rhetorical Presidency
Authors: Kimble James J.
Published: February 2015

This article examines the rhetorical failure and eventual resurrection of Franklin D. Roosevelt's (FDR's) Four Freedoms and the implications of this transformation for conceptualizing the rhetorical presidency. By charting the phrase's initial flop and the related troubles of the administration's official Four Freedoms pamphlet, the essay argues that FDR's ideal was restrained by the government's reliance on adiegeticapproach to propaganda. The appearance of Norman Rockwell'sFour Freedomsseries in, in contrast, embraced amimeticapproach. I conclude that Rockwell's paintings and their attendant publicity blitz dramatized and personalized the president's Four Freedoms, fostering a surge of identification on the home front and ultimately launching the ideal on its ascendant course into rhetorical history.
Reassessing the Assumptions behind the Evolution of Popular Presidential Communication
Authors: Pluta Anne C.
Published: February 2015

Most scholars agree that the presidency underwent an important evolution in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. However, the causes of these changes continue to be subject to rigorous debate. Using a multimethod approach, I find that the political opportunities and incentives that presented themselves in the nineteenth and early twentieth century shaped presidential rhetorical behavior rather than the president's personal or partisan ideology.
Who Is Responsible, the Incumbent or the Former President? Motivated Reasoning in Responsibility Attributions
Authors: Nawara Steven P.
Published: February 2015

This article establishes that transitions of power from one presidential administration to the next can act as a source of uncertainty regarding whom citizens view as responsible for national conditions. I argue that citizens confront this ambiguity in a partisan manner when making responsibility attributions of credit and blame. Using the economy and the Iraq War as examples, ordinary partisans frequently ascribe responsibility using motivated reasoning by crediting the president of their own political party for perceived successes and blaming the president of the opposite party for perceived failures.
The Law: Jefferson and the Burr Conspiracy: Executive Power against the Law
Authors: Fisher Louis
Published: February 2015

In a message submitted to Congress on January 22, 1807, President Jefferson called attention to activities by a combination of private individuals who had endangered the nation. Admitting that a mixture of rumors and suspicions made it difficult to determine the actual facts, he nevertheless chose to identify Aaron Burr as the principal actor “whose guilt is placed beyond question.” In advance of a trial, submission and evaluation of evidence, and final verdict by a court, Jefferson publicly found Burr guilty of treasonous conduct punishable by hanging. What prompted Jefferson to make this accusation and what constitutional and legal violations occurred in his pursuit of Burr?
The Contemporary Presidency: Stretching the 2001 AUMF: A History of Two Presidencies
Authors: Murray Shoon Kathleen
Published: February 2015

In a hasty response to the 9/11 attacks, Congress authorized the “war” against al‐Qaeda in a statute known as the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF). It was meant to be a temporary grant of powers to allow the president to fight the perpetrators of the attack. This article analyzes how two very different presidents have used the 2001 AUMF to justify controversial policies in ways unforeseen by its congressional makers, resulting in an accruement of power to the executive branch that could become long term, if not permanent.
High‐Performance Human Resource Practices and Employee Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Public Service Motivation
Authors: Mostafa Ahmed Mohammed Sayed , Gould‐Williams Julian Seymour , Bottomley Paul
Published: February 2015

This article responds to recent calls for research examining the mechanisms through which high‐performance human resource practices (HPHRPs) affect employee outcomes. Using the theoretical lens of social exchange and process theories, the authors examine one such mechanism, public service motivation, through whichHPHRPsinfluence employees’ affective commitment and organizational citizenship behaviors in public sector organizations. A sample of professionals in the Egyptian health and higher education sectors was used to test a partial mediation model using structural equation modeling. Findings show that public service motivation partially mediated the relationship betweenHPHRPsand employees’ affective commitment and organizational citizenship behaviors. Similar results were achieved when the system ofHPHRPswas disaggregated to consider the individual effects of five human resource practices.
Reconstructing 4000 years of mass movement and tsunami history in a deep peri‐Alpine lake (Lake Geneva, France‐Switzerland)
Authors: Kremer Katrina , Hilbe Michael , Simpson Guy , Decrouy Laurent , Wildi Walter , Girardclos Stephanie
Published: February 2015

The study of mass movements in lake sediments provides insights into past natural hazards at historic and prehistoric timescales. Sediments from the deep basin of Lake Geneva reveal a succession of six large‐scale (volumes of 22 × 106 to 250 × 106 m3) mass‐transport deposits, associated with five mass‐movement events within 2600 years (4000 cal bp to 563 ad). The mass‐transport deposits result from: (i) lateral slope failures (mass‐transport deposit B at 3895 ± 225 cal bp and mass‐transport deposits A and C at 3683 ± 128 cal bp); and (ii) Rhône delta collapses (mass‐transport deposits D to G dated at 2650 ± 150 cal bp, 2185 ± 85 cal bp, 1920 ± 120 cal bp and 563 ad, respectively). Mass‐transport deposits A and C were most probably triggered by an earthquake, whereas the Rhône delta collapses were likely to be due to sediment overload with a rockfall as the external trigger (mass‐transport deposit G, the Tauredunum event in 563 ad known from historical records), an earthquake (mass‐transport deposit E) or unknown external triggers (mass‐transport deposits D and F). Independent of their origin and trigger mechanisms, numerical simulations show that all of these recorded mass‐transport deposits are large enough to have generated at least metre‐scale tsunamis during mass movement initiation. Since the Tauredunum event in 563 ad, two small‐scale (volumes of 1 to 2 × 106 m3) mass‐transport deposits (H and I) are present in the seismic record, both of which are associated with small lateral slope failures. Mass‐transport deposits H and I might be related to earthquakes in Lausanne/Geneva (possibly) 1322 ad and Aigle 1584 ad, respectively. The sedimentary record of the deep basin of Lake Geneva, in combination with the historical record, show that during the past 3695 years, at least six tsunamis were generated by mass movements, indicating that the tsunami hazard in the Lake Geneva region should not be neglected, although such events are not frequent with a recurrence time of 0·0016 yr−1.
Still a “Stalled Revolution”? Work/Family Experiences, Hegemonic Masculinity, and Moving Toward Gender Equality
Authors: Friedman Sarah
Published: February 2015

Hochschild described the “stalled revolution” in the late 1980s: women made great gains in labor force opportunities, particularly in stereotypically “masculine” fields, yet men did not move comparably into “feminine” roles. This article examines the current “stalls” in the gender equality movement regarding gendered experiences at work and home, including occupations, the gender wage gap, career trajectories, and the division of household labor. This article also discusses efforts to “unstall” the gender revolution. Pop culture solutions on the individual‐level and academic research on structural/cultural barriers often focus on women's access to historically “masculine” roles (e.g. representation in STEM fields). There is far less emphasis on men's involvement in historically “feminine” roles. Gender scholars examine hegemonic masculinity as the narrowly constrained expectations for men's “appropriate” behavior. While efforts to “unstall” the gender revolution focus largely on expanding women's opportunities, this article addresses why the gender revolution will remain incomplete and “stalled” without redefining hegemonic masculinity. Cross‐national research demonstrates that changing views of masculinity are critical for greater gender equality at work and home.
Masculinity and Meat Consumption: An Analysis Through the Theoretical Lens of Hegemonic Masculinity and Alternative Masculinity Theories
Authors: Sumpter Kristen C.
Published: February 2015

Research has found that men are more likely to choose to eat meat, particularly red meat, when compared to fruits and vegetables. This study examines the theory of hegemonic masculinity and discusses how the consumption of meat assists in the production of a masculine identity. Specifically, eating meat allows one to be seen as masculine, and the avoidance of meat permits one to be viewed as feminine. This narrow depiction of gender pushes alternative masculinities and unique eating habits to the sideline, ignoring the agency individuals possess when deciding the fate of their perceived gender. This paper seeks to discover if men, who participate in alternative eating practices, have the ability to define a new variation of masculinity. Four alternative theories will challenge hegemonic masculinity: multiple masculinities, natural masculinity, protest masculinity, and hybrid masculinities. Three examples will display the way marginalized men consume meat: historical upper‐class male fasting, meat consumption within men's ministries, and the vegetarian practices among men. Overall, this paper analyzes the basic concepts of hegemonic masculinity, the gendered consumption of meat, and questions if marginalized men are redefining the way others perceive their masculinity or if they are, in fact, striving to become exemplars of hegemonic masculinity.