bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An exploration of individuals’ preferences for nutrition care from Australian primary care health professionals
Authors: Ball Lauren , Desbrow Ben , Leveritt Michael
Published: May 2013

This qualitative study explored individuals’ preferences regarding the provision of nutrition care from Australian health professionals and the factors influencing their preferences. Thirty-eight individuals aged 53 ± 8 years, living with a lifestyle-related chronic disease or risk factor for lifestyle-related chronic disease, participated in a semi-structured telephone interview. Participants were asked questions regarding their perceptions of which Australian health professionals provide nutrition care, their preferences for this care and the factors influencing their preferences. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically using a constant-comparison approach. General practitioners were the most recognised health professional that provided nutrition care to patients, followed by dietitians. General practitioners were regarded by most participants as the preferred provider of nutrition care because they were perceived to provide trustworthy and personalised nutrition care. Participants reported confusion regarding the professional differences between dietitians and nutritionists, and appealed for more information to be available to individuals that are considering consulting an Australian health professional for nutrition care. The findings of this study suggest that general practitioners are the preferred providers of nutrition care for many individuals living with a lifestyle-related chronic disease. Considering the increasing presentation of patients with lifestyle-related chronic disease in general practice, it is anticipated that the demand on general practitioners to provide nutrition care to patients will increase in the future.
Evaluation of the uterine environment early in pregnancy establishment to characterise cows with a potentially superior ability to support conceptus survival
Authors: Ledgard A. M. , Meier S. , Peterson A. J.
Published: May 2013

During previous investigations, the capacity of the cow to secrete prostaglandin in response to oxytocin has been linked with pregnancy outcome. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the predictive value of prostaglandin release to identify groups of cows as potentially superior (SR, low prostaglandin release) or inferior (IR, high prostaglandin release) for pregnancy outcome and to utilise these cows to investigate factors that contribute to optimum uterine conditions for early pregnancy. Animals were synchronised and received an in vitro-derived blastocyst on Day 7 post-oestrus. Tissues (trophoblast and endometrial) and uterine luminal fluid (ULF) were recovered 10 days later. Pregnancy rates were 94 and 78% for SR and IR cows, respectively. Of the pregnant SR cows, 69% had larged conceptuses (>24 cm) in contrast to 43% IR of cows. IR cows with small conceptuses (<12 cm) had significantly lower mean Day 3 and 5 post-oestrous progesterone concentrations than cows with large conceptuses. The expression of factors involved in the prostaglandin pathway, pregnancy and conceptus development were analysed via quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Investigation of 16 endometrial gene transcripts indicated no differences between IR and SR cows except for osteopontin expression which, in uteri with large conceptuses, was 2-fold greater in SR than IR cows (P = 0.02). There was greater expression of CTGF, OXTR, PGES, PGHS2 and UTMP mRNA in uteri of SR and IR cows that had large compared with small conceptuses (P < 0.05). More IFNT protein was recovered in SR compared with IR ULF (P < 0.03). SR cows with large conceptuses had less TIMP2 and legumain protein in their gravid, compared with their non-gravid horns (P ≤ 0.02) whereas IR cows did not. The predictive value of prostaglandin release in response to oxytocin challenge does not appear to be an effective indicator of subsequent pregnancy rates in cows. Differences between the two groups appear to be associated with subtle differences in progesterone and uterine protein concentrations that may be related to differences in conceptus size.
Anion and cation leaching through large undisturbed soil cores under different flow regimes. 2 Simulation results
Authors: White R. E. , Heng L. K. , Tillman R. W.
Published: May 2013

In the first part of this study, the movement of anions and cations during
sequential leaching of CaSO4 and KBr solutions under
different flow regimes in 2 large undisturbed cores was simulated using a
mobile?immobile convection?dispersion model (MIM). By using
parameters from the literature or independently measured, and with 75%
of the adsorption/exchange sites allocated to the immobile water volume,
the model was able to simulate the leaching of bromide and sulfate in both
cores, even when flow rates differed by more than 2 orders of magnitude. The
leaching of cations (Ca2+ and
K+) in the slow flow core, where cation exchange
occurred, was also simulated reasonably well. But the simulation of cation
leaching in the fast flow core, where the surface-applied solutes appeared
very rapidly in the effluent, was poor. Sensitivity analysis of the model
output showed the most critical parameters were the mobile water volume
θm, the fraction of the adsorption sites associated with the mobile water
f s, and the mobile?immobile transfer coefficient
?. Caution is needed when choosing these parameters for modelling
purposes. The values used here gave good simulations of cation and anion
leaching at flow rates of 3?20 mm/h, but were not satisfactory at
very high flow rates (350 mm/h).
Can correlated population trends among forest bird species be predicted by similarity in traits?
Authors: Hoare Joanne M. , Monks Adrian , O'Donnell Colin F. J.
Published: May 2013

Context
Many conservation decisions rely on the assumption that multiple populations will respond similarly to management. However, few attempts have been made to evaluate correlated population responses to management or to identify traits that could be used to predict correlations. These assumptions are central to the use of the ‘population indicator-species concept’ (the idea that population trends of one species can be used as an index of trends in other species) for measuring the effects of key ecological drivers.

Aims
We investigated correlations among bird population trends in a mixed podocarp–hardwood forest in New Zealand in which introduced mammalian pests are controlled. We analysed trends in the abundance of 18 bird species (primarily passerines) over a 10-year period, using data from 5-min bird counts.

Methods
We used a Bayesian modelling approach to identify short-term correlations in population trends among species and to investigate whether ecological traits can be used to predict these correlated trends.

Key results
Population increases were detected in 9 of the 18 bird species over the 10-year period of the study. Population trends were correlated for 10% of species pairs (of which 81% were positive correlations). Correlations among seven of the nine species that increased in abundance were always positive; these species form a potential indicator pool. However, traits were not useful for predicting correlated population trends.

Conclusions
Bird species affected by a shared ecological driver (predation) can exhibit correlated population trends when introduced predators are controlled, but correlations cannot be predicted by similarity in ecological traits.

Implications
We advocate for testing consistency of correlations at multiple sites so as to validate the evidence-based use of the population indicator-species concept as a cost-effective alternative to monitoring whole communities.
Assessment of bias in US waterfowl harvest estimates
Authors: Padding Paul I. , Royle J. Andrew
Published: May 2013

Context
North American waterfowl managers have long suspected that waterfowl harvest estimates derived from national harvest surveys in the USA are biased high. Survey bias can be evaluated by comparing survey results with like estimates from independent sources.

Aims
We used band-recovery data to assess the magnitude of apparent bias in duck and goose harvest estimates, using mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and Canada geese (Branta canadensis) as representatives of ducks and geese, respectively.

Methods
We compared the number of reported mallard and Canada goose band recoveries, adjusted for band reporting rates, with the estimated harvests of banded mallards and Canada geese from the national harvest surveys. We used the results of those comparisons to develop correction factors that can be applied to annual duck and goose harvest estimates of the national harvest survey.

Key results
National harvest survey estimates of banded mallards harvested annually averaged 1.37 times greater than those calculated from band-recovery data, whereas Canada goose harvest estimates averaged 1.50 or 1.63 times greater than comparable band-recovery estimates, depending on the harvest survey methodology used.

Conclusions
Duck harvest estimates produced by the national harvest survey from 1971 to 2010 should be reduced by a factor of 0.73 (95% CI = 0.71–0.75) to correct for apparent bias. Survey-specific correction factors of 0.67 (95% CI = 0.65–0.69) and 0.61 (95% CI = 0.59–0.64) should be applied to the goose harvest estimates for 1971–2001 (duck stamp-based survey) and 1999–2010 (HIP-based survey), respectively.

Implications
Although this apparent bias likely has not influenced waterfowl harvest management policy in the USA, it does have negative impacts on some applications of harvest estimates, such as indirect estimation of population size. For those types of analyses, we recommend applying the appropriate correction factor to harvest estimates.
Male-biased movement in pygmy bluetongue lizards: implications for conservation
Authors: Schofield Julie A. , Fenner Aaron L. , Pelgrim Kelly , Bull C. Michael
Published: May 2013

Context
Translocation has become an increasingly common tool in the conservation of species. Understanding the movement patterns of some species can be important to minimise loss of individuals from the translocation release site.

Aims
To describe seasonal and sex-biased movements within populations of an endangered Australian lizard.

Methods
We monitored seasonal movement in the endangered pygmy bluetongue lizard (Tiliqua adelaidensis) by using pitfall trapping, with a total of 49 440 trap-nights from three sites over 2 years. Other studies have shown that individual pygmy bluetongue lizards normally remained closely associated with their spider burrow refuges, with very little movement. Thus, we interpreted any captures detected through pitfall trapping as out of burrow movements. We investigated whether there was any seasonal, age or sex bias in moving individuals.

Key results
We found that male pygmy bluetongue lizards were more likely to move than were females. After adults, neonates were the second-most captured age class. Spring was the peak movement time for adults, whereas movement of neonates occurred in autumn.

Key conclusions
The majority of movement can be attributed to males in the breeding season, whereas females move very little.

Implications
The present study provides some baseline data that would allow more informed decisions about the most appropriate individuals in a population to choose for a translocation program and the times to conduct translocations to allow the maximum chance for establishment.
An eDNA approach to detect eastern hellbenders (Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis) using samples of water
Authors: Olson Zachary H. , Briggler Jeffrey T. , Williams Rod N.
Published: May 2013

Context
Environmental DNA, or eDNA, methods are a novel application of non-invasive genetic sampling in which DNA from organisms is detected via sampling of water or soil, typically for the purposes of determining the presence or absence of an organism. eDNA methods have the potential to revolutionise the study of rare or endangered taxa.

Aims
We evaluated the efficacy of eDNA sampling to detect populations of an amphibian of conservation concern, the eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis), indirectly from their aquatic environments.

Methods
We developed species-specific primers, validated their specificity and sensitivity, and assessed the utility of our methods in silico and in laboratory trials. In the field, we collected water samples from three sites with known densities of hellbenders, and from one site where hellbenders do not occur. We filtered water samples, extracted DNA from filters, and assayed the extraction products for hellbender DNA by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gel electrophoresis.

Key results
Our methods detected hellbenders at densities approaching the lowest of reported natural densities. The low-density site (0.16 hellbenders per 100 m2) yielded two positive amplifications, the medium-density site (0.38 hellbenders per 100 m2) yielded eight positive amplifications, and the high-density site (0.88 hellbenders per 100 m2) yielded 10 positive amplifications. The apparent relationship between density and detection was obfuscated when river discharge was considered. There was no amplification in any negative control.

Conclusion
eDNA methods may represent a cost-effective means by which to establish broad-scale patterns of occupancy for hellbenders.

Implications
eDNA can be considered a valuable tool for detecting many species that are otherwise difficult to study.
Facilitated movement over major roads is required to minimise extinction risk in an urban metapopulation of a gliding mammal
Authors: Taylor Brendan D. , Goldingay Ross L.
Published: May 2013

Context
Urbanisation is recognised as a primary cause of biodiversity loss. Roads are an inherent element of this, creating partial or complete barriers to animal movement. Urban landscapes of eastern Australia are typified by a dense road network interspersed with remnant patches of bushland. Inter-patch movement by tree-dependent gliding mammals may be halted and, consequently, population viability threatened, when canopy gaps over roads exceed gliding ability.

Aims
We test the notion that a metapopulation of the squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) in southern Brisbane can persist within a highly fragmented urban landscape with large road canopy gaps.

Methods
We used the population modelling software VORTEX to investigate the influence of inter-patch movement (dispersal) and wildfire on the probability of extinction. Wildfire is an inherent characteristic of this landscape.

Key results
Our modelling suggests that a lack of inter-patch movement as a result of road barriers, in tandem with wildfire, is associated with a high probability of local extinction. However, a small rate of inter-patch movement can substantially reduce the likelihood of extinction.

Conclusions
Road-crossing structures are the most plausible means available to link remnants to enable inter-patch movement for squirrel gliders in this landscape because of inadequate road-side tree height. Simulation studies such as the present study that test population viability are critical to convince land managers that action must be taken.

Implications
The need to conserve urban biodiversity will increase over time, so land managers must consider the likely benefits to population persistence conferred by installing wildlife crossing structures into existing roads.
Fictions of Adolescent Carnality
Authors: Kokkola Lydia
Published: May 2013

Fictions of Adolescent Carnality considers one of the most controversial topics related to adolescents: their experience of desire. In fiction for adolescents, carnal desire is variously presented as a source of angst, an overwhelming experience over which one has no control, bestial, disgusting and, just occasionally, a source of pleasure. The on-set of desire, within the Anglophone tradition, has been closely associated with the loss of innocence and the end of childhood. Drawing on a corpus of 200 narratives of adolescent desire, Kokkola examines the connections between sociological accounts of teenagers’ sexual behaviour, adult fears for and about their off-spring and fictional representations of adolescents exploring their sexuality. Taking up topics such as adolescent pregnancy and parenthood, queer sexualities, animal-human connections and sexual abuse, Kokkola provides wide-ranging insights into how Anglophone literature responds to adolescents’ carnal desires, and contributes to on-going debates on the construction of adolescence and the ideology of innocence.
Modelling Language
Authors: Cardey Sylviane
Published: May 2013

In response to the need for reliable results from natural language processing, this book presents an original way of decomposing a language(s) in a microscopic manner by means of intra/inter‑language norms and divergences, going progressively from languages as systems to the linguistic, mathematical and computational models, which being based on a constructive approach are inherently traceable. Languages are described with their elements aggregating or repelling each other to form viable interrelated micro‑systems. The abstract model, which contrary to the current state of the art works in intension, is exploitable for all sorts of applications where only the elements which are useful are assembled in the micro‑systems needed to solve the problem in hand. Numerous definitions, schemata and examples involving many languages make the book accessible to students as well as academics and industrial researchers looking for new theories and methodologies for representations and problem solving wherever language and quality meet.
Twine: display and analysis of cis-regulatory modules
Authors: Pearson Joseph C. , Crews Stephen T.
Published: May 2013

Summary: Many algorithms analyze enhancers for overrepresentation of known and novel motifs, with the goal of identifying binding sites for direct regulators of gene expression. Twine is a Java GUI with multiple graphical representations (‘Views’) of enhancer alignments that displays motifs, as IUPAC consensus sequences or position frequency matrices, in the context of phylogenetic conservation to facilitate cis-regulatory element discovery. Thresholds of phylogenetic conservation and motif stringency can be altered dynamically to facilitate detailed analysis of enhancer architecture. Views can be exported to vector graphics programs to generate high-quality figures for publication. Twine can be extended via Java plugins to manipulate alignments and analyze sequences.

Availability: Twine is freely available as a compiled Java .jar package or Java source code at http://labs.bio.unc.edu/crews/twine/.

Contact:  steve_crews@unc.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
A scaling relation for disc galaxies: circular-velocity gradient versus central surface brightness
Authors: Lelli Federico , Fraternali Filippo , Verheijen Marc
Published: May 2013

For disc galaxies, a close relation exists between the distribution of light and the shape of the rotation curve. We quantify this relation by measuring the inner circular-velocity gradient dRV(0) for spiral and irregular galaxies with high-quality rotation curves. We find that dRV(0) correlates with the central surface brightness μ0 over more than two orders of magnitude in dRV(0) and four orders of magnitudes in μ0. This is a scaling relation for disc galaxies. It shows that the central stellar density of a galaxy closely relates to the inner shape of the potential well, also for low-luminosity and low-surface-brightness galaxies that are expected to be dominated by dark matter.
The Succinoglycan Endoglycanase Encoded by exoK Is Required for Efficient Symbiosis of Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021 with the Host Plants Medicago truncatula and Medicago sativa (Alfalfa)
Authors: Mendis Hajeewaka C. , Queiroux Clothilde , Brewer Tess E. , Davis Olivia M. , Washburn Brian K. , Jones Kathryn M.
Published: May 2013

The acidic polysaccharide succinoglycan produced by the nitrogen-fixing rhizobial symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021 is required for this bacterium to invade the host plant Medicago truncatula and to efficiently invade the host plant M. sativa (alfalfa). The β-glucanase enzyme encoded by exoK has previously been demonstrated to cleave succinoglycan and participate in producing the low molecular weight form of this polysaccharide. Here, we show that exoK is required for efficient S. meliloti invasion of both M. truncatula and alfalfa. Deletion mutants of exoK have a substantial reduction in symbiotic productivity on both of these plant hosts. Insertion mutants of exoK have an even less productive symbiosis than the deletion mutants with the host M. truncatula that is caused by a secondary effect of the insertion itself, and may be due to a polar effect on the expression of the downstream exoLAMON genes.
Expression Analysis of Aquaporins from Desert Truffle Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Reveals a Fine-Tuned Regulation Under Drought
Authors: Navarro-Ródenas Alfonso , Bárzana Gloria , Nicolás Emilio , Carra Andrea , Schubert Andrea , Morte Asunción
Published: May 2013

We have performed the isolation, functional characterization, and expression analysis of aquaporins in roots and leaves of Helianthemum almeriense, in order to evaluate their roles in tolerance to water deficit. Five cDNAs, named HaPIP1;1, HaPIP1;2, HaPIP2;1, HaPIP2;2, and HaTIP1;1, were isolated from H. almeriense. A phylogenetic analysis of deduced proteins confirmed that they belong to the water channel proteins family. The HaPIP1;1, HaPIP2;1, and HaTIP1;1 genes encode functional water channel proteins, as indicated by expression assays in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, showing divergent roles in the transport of water, CO2, and NH3. The expression patterns of the genes isolated from H. almeriense and of a previously described gene from Terfezia claveryi (TcAQP1) were analyzed in mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal plants cultivated under well-watered or drought-stress conditions. Some of the studied aquaporins were subjected to fine-tuned expression only under drought-stress conditions. A beneficial effect on plant physiological parameters was observed in mycorrhizal plants with respect to nonmycorrhizal ones. Moreover, stress induced a change in the mycorrhizal type formed, which was more intracellular under drought stress. The combination of a high intracellular colonization, together with the fine-tuned expression of aquaporins could result in a morphophysiological adaptation of this symbiosis to drought conditions.
Common Bean: Experimental Indicator Plant for Citrus leprosis virus C and Some Other Cytoplasmic-Type Brevipalpus-Transmitted Viruses
Authors: Garita L. C. , Tassi A. D. , Calegario R. F. , Kitajima E. W. , Carbonell S. A. M. , Freitas-Astúa J.
Published: May 2013

Citrus leprosis (CL) caused by Citrus leprosis virus C (CiLV-C) is present in Latin America from Mexico to Argentina, where citrus plants are grown. CiLV-C is transmitted by the tenuipalpid mite, Brevipalpus phoenicis, causing localized lesions on citrus leaves, fruit, and stems. One limitation to study of the virus–vector–host relationship in this pathosystem is the lack of a suitable assay plant. On Citrus spp. used as susceptible hosts, symptoms may take weeks or months to appear after experimental inoculation by viruliferous mites. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) was found to respond with localized necrotic lesions after inoculation with viruliferous B. phoenicis in 5 days. Thus far, 113 tested common bean varieties and lines and some recent accessions of varied genetic background behaved in a similar way. Black bean ‘IAC Una’ was adopted as a standard test variety. When inoculated leaves were left at 28 to 30°C, the period for the lesion appearance was reduced to only 2 days. Confirmation that the lesions on common bean leaves are caused by CiLV-C were made by transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction specific for CiLV-C. Common bean plants mite-inoculated with some other cytoplasmic-type Brevipalpus-transmitted viruses (BrTVs) (Passion fruit green spot virus, Solanum violaefolium ringspot virus, Ligustrum ringspot virus, and Hibiscus green spot virus) also responded with necrotic local lesions and may serve as test plants for these viruses. Two nuclear types of BrTV (Coffee ringspot virus and Clerodendrum chlorotic spot virus) were unable to produce symptoms on common bean.
Association of a DNA Virus with Grapevines Affected by Red Blotch Disease in California
Authors: Rwahnih Maher Al , Dave Ashita , Anderson Michael M. , Rowhani Adib , Uyemoto Jerry K. , Sudarshana Mysore R.
Published: May 2013

In the Napa Valley of California, vineyards of ‘Cabernet Franc’ (CF) clone 214, ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ clone 337, and ‘Zinfandel’ clone 1A (Z1A) with grapevines exhibiting foliar symptoms of red blotches, marginal reddening, and red veins that were accompanied by reduced sugar accumulation in fruit at harvest were initially suspected to be infected with leafroll-associated viruses. However, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were negative for all known leafroll-associated viruses, with the exception of Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 2 in Z1A. Metagenomic analysis of cDNA libraries obtained from double-stranded RNA enriched nucleic acid (NA) preparations from bark scrapings of dormant canes on an Illumina platform revealed sequences having a distant relationship with members of the family Geminiviridae. Sequencing of products obtained by PCR assays using overlapping primers and rolling circle amplification (RCA) confirmed the presence of a single circular genome of 3,206 nucleotides which was nearly identical to the genome of a recently reported Grapevine cabernet franc-associated virus found in declining grapevines in New York. We propose to call this virus “Grapevine red blotch-associated virus” (GRBaV) to describe its association with grapevine red blotch disease. Primers specific to GRBaV amplified a product of expected size (557 bp) from NA preparations obtained from petioles of several diseased source vines. Chip bud inoculations successfully transmitted GRBaV to test plants of CF, as confirmed by PCR analysis. This is the first report of a DNA virus associated with red blotch disease of grapevines in California.
Anthelmintic treatment alters the parasite community in a wild mouse host
Authors: Pedersen Amy B. , Antonovics Janis
Published: May 2013

Individuals are often co-infected with several parasite species, yet the consequences of drug treatment on the dynamics of parasite communities in wild populations have rarely been measured. Here, we experimentally reduced nematode infection in a wild mouse population and measured the effects on other non-target parasites. A single oral dose of the anthelmintic, ivermectin, significantly reduced nematode infection, but resulted in a reciprocal increase in other gastrointestinal parasites, specifically coccidial protozoans and cestodes. These results highlight the possibility that drug therapy may have unintended consequences for non-target parasites and that host–parasite dynamics cannot always be fully understood in the framework of single host–parasite interactions.
Extremely high frequency sensitivity in a ‘simple’ ear
Authors: Moir Hannah M. , Jackson Joseph C. , Windmill James F. C.
Published: May 2013

An evolutionary war is being played out between the bat, which uses ultrasonic calls to locate insect prey, and the moth, which uses microscale ears to listen for the approaching bat. While the highest known frequency of bat echolocation calls is 212 kHz, the upper limit of moth hearing is considered much lower. Here, we show that the greater wax moth,
Galleria mellonella
, is capable of hearing ultrasonic frequencies approaching 300 kHz; the highest frequency sensitivity of any animal. With auditory frequency sensitivity that is unprecedented in the animal kingdom, the greater wax moth is ready and armed for any echolocation call adaptations made by the bat in the on-going bat–moth evolutionary war.
Ancient DNA complements microfossil record in deep-sea subsurface sediments
Authors: Lejzerowicz Franck , Esling Philippe , Majewski Wojciech , Szczuciński Witold , Decelle Johan , Obadia Cyril , Arbizu Pedro Martinez , Pawlowski Jan
Published: May 2013

Deep-sea subsurface sediments are the most important archives of marine biodiversity. Until now, these archives were studied mainly using the microfossil record, disregarding large amounts of DNA accumulated on the deep-sea floor. Accessing ancient DNA (aDNA) molecules preserved down-core would offer unique insights into the history of marine biodiversity, including both fossilized and non-fossilized taxa. Here, we recover aDNA of eukaryotic origin across four cores collected at abyssal depths in the South Atlantic, in up to 32.5 thousand-year-old sediment layers. Our study focuses on Foraminifera and Radiolaria, two major groups of marine microfossils also comprising diverse non-fossilized taxa. We describe their assemblages in down-core sediment layers applying both micropalaeontological and environmental DNA sequencing approaches. Short fragments of the foraminiferal and radiolarian small subunit rRNA gene recovered from sedimentary DNA extracts provide evidence that eukaryotic aDNA is preserved in deep-sea sediments encompassing the last glacial maximum. Most aDNA were assigned to non-fossilized taxa that also dominate in molecular studies of modern environments. Our study reveals the potential of aDNA to better document the evolution of past marine ecosystems and opens new horizons for the development of deep-sea palaeogenomics.
Cooperation during cultural group formation promotes trust towards members of out-groups
Authors: Pan Xiaofei Sophia , Houser Daniel
Published: May 2013

People often cooperate with members of their own group, and discriminate against members of other groups. Previous research establishes that cultural groups can form endogenously, and that these groups demonstrate in-group favouritism. Given the presence of cultural groups, the previous literature argues that cultural evolution selects for groups that exhibit parochial altruism. The source of initial variation in these traits, however, remains uninformed. We show here that a group's economic production environment may substantially influence parochial tendencies, with groups formed around more cooperative production (CP) displaying less parochialism than groups formed around more independent production (IP) processes. Participants randomized into CP and IP production tasks formed cultural groups, and subsequently played hidden-action trust games with in-group and out-group trustees. We found CP to be associated with significantly greater sharing and exchanging behaviours than IP. In trust games, significant parochial altruism (in-group favouritism combined with out-group discrimination) was displayed by members of IP groups. By contrast, members of CP groups did not engage in either in-group favouritism or out-group discrimination. Further, we found the absence of out-group discrimination in CP to persist even following ‘betrayal’. Finally, belief data suggest that members of CP are not more intrinsically generous than IP members, but rather more likely to believe that out-group trustees will positively reciprocate. Our results have important implications for anyone interested in building cooperative teams, and shed new light on connections between culture and cooperation.
Plant genotypic diversity reduces the rate of consumer resource utilization
Authors: McArt Scott H. , Thaler Jennifer S.
Published: May 2013

While plant species diversity can reduce herbivore densities and herbivory, little is known regarding how plant genotypic diversity alters resource utilization by herbivores. Here, we show that an invasive folivore—the Japanese beetle (
Popillia japonica
)—increases 28 per cent in abundance, but consumes 24 per cent less foliage in genotypic polycultures compared with monocultures of the common evening primrose (
Oenothera biennis
). We found strong complementarity for reduced herbivore damage among plant genotypes growing in polycultures and a weak dominance effect of particularly resistant genotypes. Sequential feeding by
P. japonica
on different genotypes from polycultures resulted in reduced consumption compared with feeding on different plants of the same genotype from monocultures. Thus, diet mixing among plant genotypes reduced herbivore consumption efficiency. Despite positive complementarity driving an increase in fruit production in polycultures, we observed a trade-off between complementarity for increased plant productivity and resistance to herbivory, suggesting costs in the complementary use of resources by plant genotypes may manifest across trophic levels. These results elucidate mechanisms for how plant genotypic diversity simultaneously alters resource utilization by both producers and consumers, and show that population genotypic diversity can increase the resistance of a native plant to an invasive herbivore.
Genes versus environment: geography and phylogenetic relationships shape the chemical profiles of stingless bees on a global scale
Authors: Leonhardt Sara D. , Rasmussen Claus , Schmitt Thomas
Published: May 2013

Chemical compounds are highly important in the ecology of animals. In social insects, compounds on the body surface represent a particularly interesting trait, because they comprise different compound classes that are involved in different functions, such as communication, recognition and protection, all of which can be differentially affected by evolutionary processes. Here, we investigate the widely unknown and possibly antagonistic influence of phylogenetic and environmental factors on the composition of the cuticular chemistry of tropical stingless bees. We chose stingless bees because some species are unique in expressing not only self-produced compounds, but also compounds that are taken up from the environment. By relating the cuticular chemistry of 40 bee species from all over the world to their molecular phylogeny and geographical occurrence, we found that distribution patterns of different groups of compounds were differentially affected by genetic relatedness and biogeography. The ability to acquire environmental compounds was, for example, highly correlated with the bees' phylogeny and predominated in evolutionarily derived species. Owing to the presence of environmentally derived compounds, those species further expressed a higher chemical and thus functional diversity. In Old World species, chemical similarity of both environmentally derived and self-produced compounds was particularly high among sympatric species, even when they were less related to each other than to allopatric species, revealing a strong environmental effect even on largely genetically determined compounds. Thus, our findings do not only reveal an unexpectedly strong influence of the environment on the cuticular chemistry of stingless bees, but also demonstrate that even within one morphological trait (an insect's cuticular profile), different components (compound classes) can be differentially affected by different drivers (relatedness and biogeography), depending on the functional context.
Evaluation of the Cobas TaqMan MTB real-time PCR assay for direct detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in respiratory specimens
Authors: Lee Meng-Rui , Chung Kuei-Pin , Wang Hao-Chien , Lin Chih-Bin , Yu Chong-Jen , Lee Jen-Jyh , Hsueh Po-Ren
Published: May 2013

The Cobas TaqMan MTB assay is a real-time PCR (qPCR) kit for rapid detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from clinical specimens. There are, however, limited studies validating its performance. We performed a prospective study in two hospitals in Taiwan on 586 respiratory specimens. By using culture as the reference method, the sensitivity and specificity of the Cobas TaqMan MTB assay were found to be 82.7 and 96.5 %, respectively. The sensitivity of the Cobas TaqMan MTB assay in acid-fast stain-negative respiratory specimens was only 34.9 %. Five specimens from five patients were positive for M. tuberculosis by the Cobas TaqMan MTB assay but were negative for M. tuberculosis by conventional culture methods. A diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) was made based on clinical and radiological findings as well as the response to anti-TB treatment in these five patients. Addition of data from these five specimens with discrepant results (PCR vs culture) from patients with symptoms clinically compatible with TB increased the sensitivity of the Cobas TaqMan MTB assay to 83.1 %. The Cobas TaqMan MTB assay is a rapid identification tool with a high degree of specificity for the direct detection of M. tuberculosis in respiratory specimens. The sensitivity for detecting acid-fast smear-negative respiratory specimens, however, is low.
Proteolytic processing of the Yersinia pestis YapG autotransporter by the omptin protease Pla and the contribution of YapG to murine plague pathogenesis
Authors: Lane M. Chelsea , Lenz Jonathan D. , Miller Virginia L.
Published: May 2013

Autotransporter protein secretion represents one of the simplest forms of secretion across Gram-negative bacterial membranes. Once secreted, autotransporter proteins either remain tethered to the bacterial surface or are released following proteolytic cleavage. Autotransporters possess a diverse array of virulence-associated functions such as motility, cytotoxicity, adherence and autoaggregation. To better understand the role of autotransporters in disease, our research focused on the autotransporters of Yersinia pestis, the aetiological agent of plague. Y. pestis strain CO92 has nine functional conventional autotransporters, referred to as Yaps for
Yersinia
autotransporter proteins. Three Yaps have been directly implicated in virulence using established mouse models of plague infection (YapE, YapJ and YapK). Whilst previous studies from our laboratory have shown that most of the CO92 Yaps are cell associated, YapE and YapG are processed and released by the omptin protease Pla. In this study, we identified the Pla cleavage sites in YapG that result in many released forms of YapG in Y. pestis, but not in the evolutionarily related gastrointestinal pathogen, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, which lacks Pla. Furthermore, we showed that YapG does not contribute to Y. pestis virulence in established mouse models of bubonic and pneumonic infection. As Y. pestis has a complex life cycle involving a wide range of mammalian hosts and a flea vector for transmission, it remains to be elucidated whether YapG has a measurable role in any other stage of plague disease.
oiwa, a Female Gametophytic Mutant Impaired in a Mitochondrial Manganese-Superoxide Dismutase, Reveals Crucial Roles for Reactive Oxygen Species during Embryo Sac Development and Fertilization in Arabidopsis
Authors: Martin María Victoria , Fiol Diego Fernando , Sundaresan Venkatesan , Zabaleta Eduardo Julián , Pagnussat Gabriela Carolina
Published: May 2013

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can function as signaling molecules, regulating key aspects of plant development, or as toxic compounds leading to oxidative damage. In this article, we show that the regulation of ROS production during megagametogenesis is largely dependent on MSD1, a mitochondrial Mn-superoxide dismutase. Wild-type mature embryo sacs show ROS exclusively in the central cell, which appears to be the main source of ROS before pollination. Accordingly, MSD1 shows a complementary expression pattern. MSD1 expression is elevated in the egg apparatus at maturity but is downregulated in the central cell. The oiwa mutants are characterized by high levels of ROS detectable in both the central cell and the micropylar cells. Remarkably, egg apparatus cells in oiwa show central cell features, indicating that high levels of ROS result in the expression of central cell characteristic genes. Notably, ROS are detected in synergid cells after pollination. This ROS burst depends on stigma pollination but precedes fertilization, suggesting that embryo sacs sense the imminent arrival of pollen tubes and respond by generating an oxidative environment. Altogether, we show that ROS play a crucial role during female gametogenesis and fertilization. MSD1 activity seems critical for maintaining ROS localization and important for embryo sac patterning.
Deciphering the Diploid Ancestral Genome of the MesohexaploidBrassica rapa
Authors: Cheng Feng , Mandáková Terezie , Wu Jian , Xie Qi , Lysak Martin A. , Wang Xiaowu
Published: May 2013

The genus Brassica includes several important agricultural and horticultural crops. Their current genome structures were shaped by whole-genome triplication followed by extensive diploidization. The availability of several crucifer genome sequences, especially that of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa), enables study of the evolution of the mesohexaploid Brassica genomes from their diploid progenitors. We reconstructed three ancestral subgenomes of B. rapa (n = 10) by comparing its whole-genome sequence to ancestral and extant Brassicaceae genomes. All three B. rapa paleogenomes apparently consisted of seven chromosomes, similar to the ancestral translocation Proto-Calepineae Karyotype (tPCK; n = 7), which is the evolutionarily younger variant of the Proto-Calepineae Karyotype (n = 7). Based on comparative analysis of genome sequences or linkage maps of Brassica oleracea, Brassica nigra, radish (Raphanus sativus), and other closely related species, we propose a two-step merging of three tPCK-like genomes to form the hexaploid ancestor of the tribe Brassiceae with 42 chromosomes. Subsequent diversification of the Brassiceae was marked by extensive genome reshuffling and chromosome number reduction mediated by translocation events and followed by loss and/or inactivation of centromeres. Furthermore, via interspecies genome comparison, we refined intervals for seven of the genomic blocks of the Ancestral Crucifer Karyotype (n = 8), thus revising the key reference genome for evolutionary genomics of crucifers.
A novel hexairon cluster with one disulfide and two Ph2PCS3−ligands
Authors: Shi Yao-Cheng , Cheng Huan-Ren , Cheng Da-Cong
Published: May 2013

The title compound, hexadecacarbonylbis{μ3-[(diphenylphosphanyl)methanediidyl]sulfanido}-μ4-disulfido(2−)-hexairon(4Fe—Fe), [Fe6(C13H10PS)2(S2)(CO)16], contains two inversion-related [Fe3(Ph2PCS)(CO)8] subclusters linked by an equatorial disulfide bond [S—S = 2.1490 (9) Å]. Each Ph2PCS3−ligand is coordinated to a triiron core in a μ3-κP:κ2C:κ2Sfashion.
Chlorido(dimethyl 2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-dicarboxylate-κ2N,N′)(η5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)rhodium(III) chloride 1-hydroxypyrrolidine-2,5-dione disolvate
Authors: Sivanesan Dharmalingam , Kim Hyung Min , Sungho Yoon
Published: May 2013

The title complex, [Rh(C10H15)Cl(C14H12N2O4)]Cl·2C4H5NO3, has been synthesized by a substitution reaction of the precursor [bis(2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl) 2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-dicarboxylate]chlorido(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)rhodium(III) chloride with NaOCH3. The RhIIIcation is located in an RhC5N2Cl eight-coordinated environment. In the crystal, 1-hydroxypyrrolidine-2,5-dione (NHS) solvent molecules form strong hydrogen bonds with the Cl−counter-anions in the lattice and weak hydrogen bonds with the pentamethylcyclopentadienyl (Cp*) ligands. Hydrogen bonding between the Cp* ligands, the NHS solvent molecules and the Cl−counter-anions form links in a V-shaped chain of RhIIIcomplex cations along thecaxis. Weak hydrogen bonds between the dimethyl 2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-dicarboxylate ligands and the Cl−counter-anions connect the components into a supramolecular three-dimensional network. The synthetic route to the dimethyl 2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-dicarboxylate-containing rhodium complex from the [bis(2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl) 2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-dicarboxylate]rhodium(III) precursor may be applied to link Rh catalysts to the surface of electrodes.
On joint‐programs in China – development, challenges and suggestions
Authors: Cuiming Gao , Feng Yuhong , Henderson Fiona
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Since the 1980s, and especially after China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1991, international educational collaborations have developed in China. Spurred by economic, cultural and educational factors, joint programs have become an essential supplement to Chinese education. Despite the obvious and diverse benefits brought about by joint programs, various challenges arise. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the benefits and challenges generally and then in a more targeted way through the lens of one Sino‐Australian partnership.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a case study of one joint Australia‐China program to explore the development, benefits and challenges of joint programs in China and suggest how to improve the overall quality of the joint programs which will further international collaboration of educational institutions in China.

Findings

Joint programs are a strategic component of the expansion and globalization objectives of the Chinese government. They offer more opportunities for Chinese students to receive an overseas education, enhance the research profile of Chinese universities and promote new ways of teaching and learning. For the Australian government, transnational education and the model of joint programs are helping to build Australia's research reputation, develop alternative teaching and learning ideas and promote global citizenship. Challenges include linguistic issues, financial problems, inefficient management, program assessment, qualifications, skills of teaching staff and different ways of thinking.

Practical implications

Enhancing pedagogical quality within a business paradigm is a unifying imperative.

Originality/value

The paper presents a new case study analysis for joint program educators and decision makers.
The academy: hiding behind pay walls?
Authors: Abeles Tom
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The article's aim is to explore the issues of capturing knowledge behind a pay wall of an institution of higher learning.

Design/methodology/approach

This is an opinion piece.

Findings

Post secondary institutions will have to adopt alternative models for economic survival, as will knowledge seekers entering these institutions.

Social Implications

Knowledge providers and knowledge seekers will restructure their relationships.

Originality/value

The article challenges the existing model to undergo radical change as opposed to patchwork alternatives.