bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Facilitation by nurse plants regulates community invasibility in harsh environments
Authors: Badano Ernesto I. , Bustamante Ramiro O. , Villarroel Elisa , Marquet Pablo A. , Cavieres Lohengrin A.
Published: February 2015

Question

The biotic resistance hypothesis states that species diversity is a barrier for plant biological invasions because alien species are more likely to find strong competitors as diversity of native plants increases. In stressful environments, however, these negative relationships could be diluted because increased physical harshness might reduce the importance of competition as a structuring force in plant communities. Nevertheless, if nurse plants facilitate other species and create more diverse vegetation patches than those found in their surroundings, the performance of invaders should be negatively related to diversity within these patches. Conversely, diversity would not regulate invasibility in the surroundings of nurses because these habitats are subjected to higher levels of environmental harshness.

Location

A high‐Andean landscape of central Chile, dominated by cushion plants that facilitate native species and field chickweed (Cerastium arvense), an invasive exotic species.

Methods

To test our hypotheses we used observational data taken in two consecutive growing seasons by sampling plant assemblages within and outside cushion‐protected patches. Additionally, a field experiment with artificially assembled plant communities was conducted to assess why the abundance and performance of the invasive species was related to native plant diversity.

Results

Contrary to our expectations, observational data indicated that the abundance of the invader species was positively related to native plant diversity within cushion patches, while negative relationships were found in the surrounding habitat. Similarly, the field experiment indicated that the performance of C. arvense increased with plant diversity within cushion patches but, in this case, neutral relationships were found in the surrounding open areas.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that nurse plants can modulate invasibility–diversity relationships in harsh environments. Overall, the results suggest that the biotic resistance hypothesis may fail to predict the direction of these relationships within nurse‐protected patches. Instead, these results suggest that the alternative biotic acceptance hypothesis could operate at small spatial scales.
Organization of the coelomic system inPhoronis australis(Lophotrochozoa:Phoronida) and consideration of the coelom in the lophophorates
Authors: Temereva E. N.
Published: February 2015

The organization of the phoronid coelomic system has traditionally been regarded as similar to that of the deuterostomians, because both have three coelomic compartments: the proto‐, meso‐ and metacoel. Recent investigations, however, have revealed the presence of two coelomic compartments in specimens from the genusPhoronisand three in specimens from the genusPhoronopsis. The current study aimed to determine which type of coelomic system organization is plesiomorphic for phoronids. The organization of the coelomic system ofPhoronis australis, which is the largest species ofPhoronis, was investigated by transmission electron microscopy and three‐dimensional reconstruction.P. australishas three coelomic compartments. The protocoel is the closed cavity, which is located at the base of the epistome, consists of two lateral branches and a central part, and has its own epithelial lining that is formed by non‐muscular epithelial and myoepithelial cells. According to these features, the protocoel must be regarded as a true coelom. The mesocoel base surrounds the esophagus and gives rise to channels that extend into each tentacle. The mesocoel lining consists of two cell types, non‐muscular epithelial and myoepithelial cells, which alternate and interconnect via desmosomes. The metacoel is subdivided into four chambers by five mesenteries. In the anterior part of the body, the metacoel lining is formed by epithelial cells, which cover the surface of the longitudinal muscles. Coelomic organization was compared in phoronids, brachiopods and bryozoans. Both phoronids and brachiopods exhibit two types of coelomic organization – bipartite and tripartite – while bryozoans have a coelomic organization that is completely different from that in phoronids and brachiopods. The tripartite coelom appears to be the plesiomorphy for theBrachiozoa. In phoronids, the coelomic lining can be organized as a primitive monociliate myoepithelium, as an advanced type with alternation of epithelial and myoepithelial cells, or as a specialized coelothelium.
Optimum Dose of Once‐Daily Oxybutynin Patch in Japanese Patients with Overactive Bladder: A Randomized Double‐Blind Trial Versus Placebo
Authors: YAMAGUCHI Osamu , UCHIDA Eiji , HIGO Naruhito , MINAMI Hidenao , KOBAYASHI Shigeo , SATO Hiroyuki ,   on behalf of the Oxybutynin Patch Study Group
Published: February 2015

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and optimum dose of once‐daily oxybutynin patch for overactive bladder.

Methods

A randomized double‐blind trial was conducted in patients with overactive bladder symptoms for ≥24 weeks, who received an oxybutynin patch (73.5 or 105 mg) or placebo once daily for 8 weeks. The primary endpoint was the change in the daily frequency of micturition from baseline to the end of study.

Results

A total of 579 patients were randomized to the placebo group (n = 164), 73.5 mg oxybutynin patch group (n = 166), and 105 mg oxybutynin patch group (n = 165). The frequency of micturition (mean ± standard deviation) decreased by 1.19 ± 1.80 in the placebo group, 1.87 ± 1.93 in the 73.5 mg group, and 1.80 ± 1.76 in the 105 mg group. Compared with the placebo group, micturition decreased significantly in the 73.5 mg and 105 mg groups (t‐test: P = 0.0025 and 0.0039, respectively), while the decrease was similar in both oxybutynin groups. The oxybutynin groups showed significant improvement of urgency, urge incontinence, incontinence, nocturia, mean voided volume, and five or six domains of the King's Health Questionnaire. Dry mouth was noted in 12.1% of the 73.5 mg group and 13.3% of the 105 mg group. Constipation was comparable between the oxybutynin groups and the placebo group. Application site reactions were less frequent in the 73.5 mg group than the 105 mg group.

Conclusion

The efficacy of oxybutynin patch was confirmed, and the optimum dose for Japanese patients with overactive bladder was 73.5 mg.
Patterns, causes and consequences of defensive microbiome dynamics across multiple scales
Authors: Smith Andrew H. , Łukasik Piotr , O'Connor Michael P. , Lee Amanda , Mayo Garrett , Drott Milton T. , Doll Steven , Tuttle Robert , Disciullo Rachael A. , Messina Andrea , Oliver Kerry M. , Russell Jacob A.
Published: February 2015

The microbiome can significantly impact host phenotypes and serve as an additional source of heritable genetic variation. While patterns across eukaryotes are consistent with a role for symbiotic microbes in host macroevolution, few studies have examined symbiont‐driven host evolution or the ecological implications of a dynamic microbiome across temporal, spatial or ecological scales. The pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, and its eight heritable bacterial endosymbionts have served as a model for studies on symbiosis and its potential contributions to host ecology and evolution. But we know little about the natural dynamics or ecological impacts of the heritable microbiome of this cosmopolitan insect pest. Here we report seasonal shifts in the frequencies of heritable defensive bacteria from natural pea aphid populations across two host races and geographic regions. Microbiome dynamics were consistent with symbiont responses to host‐level selection and findings from one population suggested symbiont‐driven adaptation to seasonally changing parasitoid pressures. Conversely, symbiont levels were negatively correlated with enemy‐driven mortality when measured across host races, suggesting important ecological impacts of host race microbiome divergence. Rapid drops in symbiont frequencies following seasonal peaks suggest microbiome instability in several populations, with potentially large costs of ‘superinfection’ under certain environmental conditions. In summary, the realization of several laboratory‐derived, a priori expectations suggests important natural impacts of defensive symbionts in host‐enemy eco‐evolutionary feedbacks. Yet negative findings and unanticipated correlations suggest complexities within this system may limit or obscure symbiont‐driven contemporary evolution, a finding of broad significance given the widespread nature of defensive microbes across plants and animals.
Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease presenting with recurrent cerebral infarct‐like lesions
Authors: Sasaki Takuya , Hideyama Takuto , Saito Yuko , Shimizu Jun , Maekawa Risa , Shiio Yasushi
Published: February 2015

We report a case of adult‐onset neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease associated with recurrent cerebral infarct‐like lesions. A 65‐year‐old man presented with slowly progressing cognitive impairment and parkinsonism. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed leukoencephalopathy with persistent high‐intensity on diffusion‐weighted imaging in areas including corticomedullary junctions. Nerve conduction studies showed sensorimotor polyneuropathy. Biopsies of the skin, peripheral nerve and skeletal muscle showed eosinophilic hyaline intranuclear inclusions immunopositive for ubiquitin and p62 in various cells included in each specimen, which confirmed the diagnosis of neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease. The patient had repeated small lesions seemingly considered to be acute cerebral infarctions without obvious causes, such as cardiovascular abnormalities or coagulation abnormalities. Infarct‐like lesions recurred even after the antithrombotic therapy. Considering the lack of abnormal findings related to cerebral infarction risk, we suggest that neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease itself might show lesions mimicking cerebral infarctions in this case.
Flammability across the gymnosperm phylogeny: the importance of litter particle size
Authors: Cornwell William K. , Elvira Alba , van Kempen Lute , van Logtestijn Richard S. P. , Aptroot André , Cornelissen J. Hans C.
Published: February 2015

Fire is important to climate, element cycles and plant communities, with many fires spreading via surface litter. The influence of species on the spread of surface fire is mediated by their traits which, after senescence and abscission, have ‘afterlife’ effects on litter flammability.

We hypothesized that differences in litter flammability among gymnosperms are determined by litter particle size effects on litterbed packing. We performed a mesocosm fire experiment comparing 39 phylogenetically wide‐ranging gymnosperms, followed by litter size and shape manipulations on two chemically contrasting species, to isolate the underlying mechanism.

The first‐order control on litter flammability was, indeed, litter particle size in both experiments. Most gymnosperms were highly flammable, but a prominent exception was the non‐Pinus Pinaceae, in which small leaves abscised singly produced dense, non‐flammable litterbeds.

There are two important implications: first, ecosystems dominated by gymnosperms that drop small leaves separately will develop dense litter layers, which will be less prone to and inhibit the spread of surface litter fire. Second, some of the needle‐leaved species previously considered to be flammable in single‐leaf experiments were among the least flammable in litter fuel beds, highlighting the role of the litter traits of species in affecting surface fire regimes.
Doing Foucault: inquiring into nursing knowledge with Foucauldian discourse analysis
Authors: Springer Rusla Anne , Clinton Michael E.
Published: February 2015

Foucauldian discourse analysis (FDA) is a methodology that is well suited to inquiring into nursing knowledge and its organization. It is a critical analytic approach derived from Foucault's histories of science, madness, medicine, incarceration and sexuality, all of which serve to exteriorize or make visible the ‘positive unconscious of knowledge’ penetrating bodies and minds. Foucauldian discourse analysis (FDA) holds the potential to reveal who we are today as nurses and as a profession of nursing by facilitating our ability to identify and trace the effects of the discourses that determine the conditions of possibility for nursing practice that are continuously shaping and (re)shaping the knowledge of nursing and the profession of nursing as we know it. In making visible the chain of knowledge that orders the spaces nurses occupy, no less than their subjectivities, FDA is a powerful methodology for inquiring into nursing knowledge based on its provocation of deep critical reflection on the normalizing power of discourse.
The role of memory for visual search in scenes
Authors: Le‐Hoa Võ Melissa , Wolfe Jeremy M.
Published: February 2015

Many daily activities involve looking for something. The ease with which these searches are performed often allows one to forget that searching represents complex interactions between visual attention and memory. Although a clear understanding exists of how search efficiency will be influenced by visual features of targets and their surrounding distractors or by the number of items in the display, the role of memory in search is less well understood. Contextual cueing studies have shown that implicit memory for repeated item configurations can facilitate search in artificial displays. When searching more naturalistic environments, other forms of memory come into play. For instance, semantic memory provides useful information about which objects are typically found where within a scene, and episodic scene memory provides information about where a particular object was seen the last time a particular scene was viewed. In this paper, we will review work on these topics, with special emphasis on the role of memory in guiding search in organized, real‐world scenes.
Association of BNP and Troponin Levels with Outcome among Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Recipients
Authors: SHALABY ALAA A. , ABRAHAM WILLIAM T. , FONAROW GREGG C. , BERSOHN MALCOLM M. , GORCSAN JOHN , LEE LI‐YIN , HALILOVIC JASMINA , SABA SAMIR , MAISEL ALAN , SINGH JAGMEET P. , SONEL ALI , KADISH ALAN
Published: February 2015

Background

We conducted a prospective multicenter study to assess the prognostic value of combined baseline preimplant plasma levels of the biomarkers cardiac troponin T (TnT) and B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP) among cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with or without defibrillator capability (CRT‐D) recipients.

Methods

At CRT‐D implant, patients were stratified based on detectable TnT (≥0.01 ng/mL) and elevated BNP (predefined as >440 pg/mL) levels. Patients were classified into three groups: high (both detectable TnT and high BNP), intermediate (either detectable TnT or high BNP), or low (nondetectable TnT and low BNP). Patients were followed for 12 months. Survival curves free from mortality or heart failure hospitalizations (HFH) were assessed. To assess the predictive value of biomarker category, we constructed a multivariate Cox regression model, including the covariates of age, New York Heart Association class, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and QRS duration.

Results

A total of 267 patients (age 66 ± 12 years, males 80%, LVEF 25% ± 8%, ischemic cardiomyopathy 52%, QRSd 155 ± 26 ms) were studied. After 1 year, there were 13 deaths and 25 HFH events. A significant difference in event‐free survival among the three groups was observed, with high and intermediate categories having worse survival than low (log‐rank test, P < 0.001). In the multivariate model, risk category was a significant predictor of outcome: hazard ratios were 7.34 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.48–21.69) and 2.50 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04–6.04) for high‐risk and intermediate‐risk groups, respectively (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Among CRT‐D recipients, baseline TnT and BNP values alone or in combination provide significant prognostic value for the outcome of mortality or HFH.
Difficult airway consultation service for children: steps to implement and preliminary results
Authors: Nykiel‐Bailey Sydney M. , McAllister John D. , Schrock Charles R. , Molter David W. , Marsh Jennifer K. , Murray David J.
Published: February 2015

Background

Failed airway management remains one of the most common causes of cardiopulmonary arrest in the pediatric population. Practice guidelines addressing the difficult airway (DAW) in adults provide anesthesiologists a framework for managing the airway during the perioperative period; however, similar consensus guidelines are lacking in the pediatric population. Many of the adverse events associated with difficult pediatric airway management occur outside the perioperative setting and often result in worse outcomes. The lower frequency of DAW management required in children, lesser awareness of pediatric health care professionals about DAW management, and the need for guiding principles led us to develop a DAW consultative service. This report outlines the steps to establish the Difficult Airway Service (DAS) and the initial experiences with this new consultation service.

Methods

The mission of the DAS is to identify children with known or anticipated DAWs, communicate the diagnosis and collaborate with referring medical and surgical services, and to manage children in those settings that airway management might be required in the context of the patient's ongoing medical care.

Results

The initial 3‐month experience confirmed that a majority of pediatric DAW events are associated with congenital or acquired abnormalities. Through appropriate consultation and leadership, the DAS was able to physically and electronically identify pediatric patients with a DAW and provide management. Hospital‐wide participation was instrumental in the success and exponential growth of DAS: planned preoperative tracheostomy in complicated posterior spinal fusion candidates, participation in EXIT procedures, standardization of airway carts, and implementation of education forums.

Conclusion

In developing the DAS, our goal was to provide a more comprehensive approach to caring for a child with a DAW that included their entire hospital stay and follow‐up care. We believe this approach has improved health care professional awareness as well as the safe management of routine and difficult pediatric airway. Additional studies are needed to determine whether measurable changes in morbidity and mortality are observed over time.
The New Public Service Revisited
Authors: Denhardt Janet V. , Denhardt Robert B.
Published: February 2015

The New Public Service describes a set of norms and practices that emphasize democracy and citizenship as the basis for public administration theory and practice. This article revisits some of the core arguments of the New Public Service and examines how they have been practiced and studied over the past 15 years. The authors conclude that neither the principles of the New Public Service nor those of the New Public Management have become a dominant paradigm, but the New Public Service, and ideas and practices consistent with its ideals, have become increasingly evident in public administration scholarship and practice.
Tc17 cells are associated with cigarette smoke‐induced lung inflammation and emphysema
Authors: Zhou Hongbin , Hua Wen , Jin Yan , Zhang Chao , Che Luanqing , Xia Lixia , Zhou Jiesen , Chen Zhihua , Li Wen , Shen Huahao
Published: February 2015

Background and objective

Some types of T lymphocytes, especially cytotoxic T‐cells (Tc1) and T‐helper (Th17) cells, play a pivotal role in cigarette smoke‐induced lung diseases. However, whether Tc17 cells are involved remains largely unknown. We investigated Tc17 involvement using a cigarette smoke‐exposure model.

Methods

Groups of mice were exposed to cigarette smoke or filtered air. At weeks 2, 8, 12 and 24, mice were sacrificed to observe histological changes by HE stain and/or immunohistochemical staining. The frequency of T cell subsets in the lung and spleen were detected by flow cytometry. In addition, the expression levels of T cell‐related factors were measured by real‐time polymerase chain reaction or enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

Cigarette smoke caused substantial inflammatory cell infiltration and led to emphysema. Cigarette smoke exposure promoted the expression of interferon‐gamma (IFN)‐γ and interleukin (IL)‐17A at the messenger ribonucleic acid and protein levels. In addition to Tc1 and Th17 cells, pulmonary and splenic Tc17 cells increased, which was accompanied by the upregulation of cytokines IL‐6, transforming growth factor beta (TGF)‐β) and transcriptional factors Stat3 and RAR‐related orphan receptor gamma. Compared with untreated mice, γH2AX‐positive cells were more frequently observed in mice exposed to cigarette smoke.

Conclusions

Long‐term cigarette smoke exposure induced Tc17 cell expansion both locally and distally, which was associated with emphysema and deoxyribonucleic acid damage. As an important source of IL‐17A, this T cell subset may be a potential target for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease therapy.
Rehabilitation following hospitalization in patients with COPD: Can it reduce readmissions?
Authors: Spencer Lissa M.
Published: February 2015

See article, page 395
Diesel Engine Exhaust and Lung Cancer Mortality: Time‐Related Factors in Exposure and Risk
Authors: Moolgavkar Suresh H. , Chang Ellen T. , Luebeck Georg , Lau Edmund C. , Watson Heather N. , Crump Kenny S. , Boffetta Paolo , McClellan Roger
Published: February 2015

To develop a quantitative exposure‐response relationship between concentrations and durations of inhaled diesel engine exhaust (DEE) and increases in lung cancer risks, we examined the role of temporal factors in modifying the estimated effects of exposure to DEE on lung cancer mortality and characterized risk by mine type in the Diesel Exhaust in Miners Study (DEMS) cohort, which followed 12,315 workers through December 1997. We analyzed the data using parametric functions based on concepts of multistage carcinogenesis to directly estimate the hazard functions associated with estimated exposure to a surrogate marker of DEE, respirable elemental carbon (REC). The REC‐associated risk of lung cancer mortality in DEMS is driven by increased risk in only one of four mine types (limestone), with statistically significant heterogeneity by mine type and no significant exposure‐response relationship after removal of the limestone mine workers. Temporal factors, such as duration of exposure, play an important role in determining the risk of lung cancer mortality following exposure to REC, and the relative risk declines after exposure to REC stops. There is evidence of effect modification of risk by attained age. The modifying impact of temporal factors and effect modification by age should be addressed in any quantitative risk assessment (QRA) of DEE. Until there is a better understanding of why the risk appears to be confined to a single mine type, data from DEMS cannot reliably be used for QRA.
Safety sans Frontières: An International Safety Culture Model
Authors: Reader Tom W. , Noort Mark C. , Shorrock Steven , Kirwan Barry
Published: February 2015

The management of safety culture in international and culturally diverse organizations is a concern for many high‐risk industries. Yet, research has primarily developed models of safety culture within Western countries, and there is a need to extend investigations of safety culture to global environments. We examined (i) whether safety culture can be reliably measured within a single industry operating across different cultural environments, and (ii) if there is an association between safety culture and national culture. The psychometric properties of a safety culture model developed for the air traffic management (ATM) industry were examined in 17 European countries from four culturally distinct regions of Europe (North, East, South, West). Participants were ATM operational staff (n = 5,176) and management staff (n = 1,230). Through employing multigroup confirmatory factor analysis, good psychometric properties of the model were established. This demonstrates, for the first time, that when safety culture models are tailored to a specific industry, they can operate consistently across national boundaries and occupational groups. Additionally, safety culture scores at both regional and national levels were associated with country‐level data on Hofstede's five national culture dimensions (collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, and long‐term orientation). MANOVAs indicated safety culture to be most positive in Northern Europe, less so in Western and Eastern Europe, and least positive in Southern Europe. This indicates that national cultural traits may influence the development of organizational safety culture, with significant implications for safety culture theory and practice.
How Anxiety Leads to Suboptimal Decisions Under Risky Choice Situations
Authors: Yang Zhiyong , Saini Ritesh , Freling Traci
Published: February 2015

The current research proposes that situationally activated anxiety—whether incidental or integral—impairs decision making. In particular, we theorize that anxiety drives decisionmakers to more heavily emphasize subjective anecdotal information in their decision making, at the expense of more factual statistical information—a deleterious heuristic called the anecdotal bias. Four studies provide consistent support for this assertion. Studies 1A and 1B feature field experiments that demonstrate the role of incidental anxiety in enhancing the anecdotal bias in a choice context. Study 2 builds on these findings, manipulating individuals’ incidental anxiety and showing how this affects the anecdotal bias in the context of message evaluations. Study 2 also provides direct evidence that only high‐arousal negative emotions such as anxiety/worry enhance the anecdotal bias, not just any negative emotion (e.g., sadness). While the first three studies examine how incidental anxiety impacts choice, the last study demonstrates the effect of integral anxiety on decision making, manipulating anxiety by intensifying participants’ perceived risk. Our results show that—consistent with findings from our first three studies—the anecdotal bias is enhanced when anxiety is heightened by individuals’ perception of risk.
Ranking Scientific Journals Via Latent Class Models for Polytomous Item Response Data
Authors: Bartolucci Francesco , Dardanoni Valentino , Peracchi Franco
Published: February 2015

We propose a model-based strategy for ranking scientific journals starting from a set of observed bibliometric indicators that represent imperfect measures of the unobserved ‘value’ of a journal. After discretizing the available indicators, we estimate an extended latent class model for polytomous item response data and use the estimated model to cluster journals. We illustrate our approach by using the data from the Italian research evaluation exercise that was carried out for the period 2004–2010, focusing on the set of journals that are considered relevant for the subarea statistics and financial mathematics. Using four bibliometric indicators (IF, IF5, AIS and the h-index), some of which are not available for all journals, and the information contained in a set of covariates, we derive a complete ordering of these journals. We show that the methodology proposed is relatively simple to implement, even when the aim is to cluster journals into a small number of ordered groups of a fixed size. We also analyse the robustness of the obtained ranking with respect to different discretization rules.
Teeth grinding, oral motor performance and maximal bite force in cerebral palsy children
Authors: Botti Rodrigues Santos Maria Teresa , Cristina Duarte Ferreira Maria , de Oliveira Guaré Renata , Sergio Guimarães Antonio , Lira Ortega Adriana
Published: February 2015

Aim:

Identify whether the degree of oral motor performance is related to the presence of teeth grinding and maximal bite force values in children with spastic cerebral palsy.

Methods:

Ninety‐five spastic cerebral palsy children with and without teeth grinding, according to caregivers’ reports, were submitted to a comprehensive oral motor performance evaluation during the feeding process using the Oral Motor Assessment Scale. Maximal bite force was measured using an electronic gnathodynamometer.

Results:

The teeth grinding group (n = 42) was younger, used anticonvulsant drugs, and was more frequently classified within the subfunctional oral motor performance category. Teeth grinding subfunctional spastic cerebral palsy children presented lower values of maximal bite force. The functional groups showing the presence or absence of teeth grinding presented higher values of maximal bite force compared with the subfunctional groups.

Conclusion:

In spastic cerebral palsy children, teeth grinding is associated with the worse oral motor performance.
C‐Terminal Cleavage of Human Foxp3 at a Proprotein Convertase Motif Abrogates its Suppressive Function
Authors: Elhage R. , Cheraï M. , Levacher B. , Darrasse‐Jeze G. , Baillou C. , Zhao X. , Khatib A.‐M. , Piaggio E. , Klatzmann D.
Published: February 2015

Foxp3 plays a critical role in the development and function of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Differences in translational and post‐translational processing of murine and human Foxp3 have been recently reported. Human Foxp3 exists as four isoforms generated by alternative splicing. Mouse Foxp3 only exists as one isoform, but can be proteolytically cleaved by N‐terminal and/or C‐terminal proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexins (PCSKs). Here, we show by transcriptome analysis that the proprotein convertases PCSK7, PCSK5 and Furin are present in human CD4+ T cells with different expression patterns. Notably, after in vitro activation, only PCSK7 and Furin are expressed in Tregs and T effector cells (Teffs), with overexpression of PCSK7 in Tregs compared to Teffs. Human Foxp3 protein displays specific motifs that can be potentially cleaved by convertases. Consequently, we transduced human CD4+ cells with Foxp3‐expressing lentiviral vectors and assessed the generation of proteolytically cleaved Foxp3 forms by Western blot. Three different Foxp3 forms were detected, indicating that human Foxp3 can also be subjected to proteolytic cleavage at the N‐terminal and C‐terminal ends. These results prompted us to assess the suppressive activity associated with each forms. We observed that full length and N‐cleaved Foxp3‐transduced CD4+ T cells similarly suppressed the in vitro proliferation of Teffs. However, the C‐cleaved or N&C‐cleaved Foxp3 forms afforded almost no suppressive function, indicating a crucial role of the human Foxp3 C‐terminal region in Tregs suppressive activity, in marked contrast with the report of a superior suppressive activity for the C‐cleaved murine Foxp3 compared to the full length.
Eighteen‐month‐olds’ memory for short movies of simple stories
Authors: Kingo Osman S. , Krøjgaard Peter
Published: February 2015

This study investigated twenty four 18‐month‐olds’ memory for dynamic visual stimuli. During the first visit participants saw one of two brief movies (30 seconds) with a simple storyline displayed in four iterations. After 2 weeks, memory was tested in the visual paired comparison paradigm in which the familiar and the novel movie were contrasted simultaneously and displayed in two iterations for a total of 60 seconds. Eye‐tracking revealed that participants fixated the familiar movie significantly more than the novel movie, thus indicating memory for the familiar movie. Furthermore, time‐dependent analysis of the data revealed that individual differences in the looking‐patterns for the first and second iteration of the movies were related to individual differences in productive vocabulary. We suggest that infants’ vocabulary may be indicative of their ability to understand and remember the storyline of the movies, thereby affecting their subsequent memory.
Effects of hip and head position on ankle range of motion, ankle passive torque, and passive gastrocnemius tension
Authors: Andrade R. J. , Lacourpaille L. , Freitas S. R. , McNair P. J. , Nordez A.
Published: February 2015

Ankle joint range of motion (ROM) is notably influenced by the position of the hip joint. However, this result remains unexplained. Thus, the aim of this study was to test if the ankle passive torque and gastrocnemius muscle tension are affected by the hip and the head positions. The torque and the muscle shear elastic modulus (measured by elastography to estimate muscle tension) were collected in nine participants during passive ankle dorsiflexions performed in four conditions (by combining hip flexion at 90 or 150°, and head flexed or neutral). Ankle maximum dorsiflexion angle significantly decreased by flexing the hip from 150 to 90° (P < 0.001; mean difference 17.7 ± 2.5°), but no effect of the head position was observed (P > 0.05). Maximal passive torque and shear elastic modulus were higher with the hip flexed at 90° (P < 0.001). During submaximal ROM, no effects of the head and hip positioning (P > 0.05) were found for both torque and shear elastic modulus at a given common ankle angle among conditions. Shifts in maximal ankle angle due to hip angle manipulation are not related neither to changes in passive torque nor tension of the gastrocnemius. Further studies should be addressed to better understand the functional role of peripheral nerves and fasciae in the ankle ROM limits.
Low‐dose short‐term hepatitis B immunoglobulin with high genetic barrier antivirals: the ideal post‐transplant hepatitis B virus prophylaxis?
Authors: Choudhary N.S. , Saraf N. , Saigal S. , Mohanka R. , Rastogi A. , Goja S. , Menon P.B. , Soin A.S.
Published: February 2015

Background

Low‐dose hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) and nucleos(t)ides analogs (lamivudine/adefovir) used for the prevention of hepatitis B virus (HBV) recurrence after liver transplantation (LT) are associated with some risk of HBV recurrence and antiviral resistance.

Methods

The study cohort included 176 patients (at least >12 months follow‐up) with HBV cirrhosis/hepatocellular carcinoma who received secondary prophylaxis with indefinite entecavir/tenofovir after living‐donor LT (LDLT). All patients received 10,000 IU intravenous HBIG in anhepatic phase followed by 600–1000 IU intramuscularly daily for 7 days, weekly for 3 weeks, and then monthly, to keep antiHBs levels >100 mIU/mL for 1 year. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and HBV DNA were tested every 6 months.

Results

The study cohort is composed of 157 men and 19 women, mean age 47.9 ± 10.1 years, all HBsAg positive, 35 (19.8%) had HBV DNA >2000 IU/mL before LT. After LT, patients received entecavir (n = 126, 71.5%), tenofovir (n = 20, 11.3%), or a combination of entecavir and tenofovir (n = 30, 17% for 3 months), followed by entecavir alone. During follow‐up of 43 (12–117) months, 2 patients (including 1 with non‐compliance) had HBV recurrence.

Conclusion

In a large cohort of LDLT recipients for HBV‐related liver disease, use of low‐dose short‐term HBIG with high genetic barrier drugs results in a substantially lower incidence of HBV recurrence, even in high‐risk patients.
Ultrastructural Morphometry Points to a New Role for LAMTOR2 in Regulating the Endo/Lysosomal System
Authors: Vogel Georg F. , Ebner Hannes L. , de Araujo Mariana E. G. , Schmiedinger Thomas , Eiter Oliver , Pircher Haymo , Gutleben Karin , Witting Barbara , Teis David , Huber Lukas A. , Hess Michael W.
Published: February 2015

The late endosomal adaptor protein LAMTOR2/p14 is essential for tissue homeostasis by controlling MAPK and mTOR signaling, which in turn regulate cell growth and proliferation, migration and spreading. Moreover, LAMTOR2 critically controls architecture and function of the endocytic system, including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) degradation in lysosomes, positioning of late endosomes and defense against intracellular pathogens. Here we describe the multifaceted ultrastructural phenotype of the endo/lysosomal system of LAMTOR2‐deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Quantitative (immuno‐)electron microscopy of cryo‐fixed samples revealed significantly reduced numbers of recycling tubules emanating from maturing multivesicular bodies (MVB). Instead, a distinct halo of vesicles surrounded MVB, tentatively interpreted as detached, jammed recycling tubules. These morphological changes in LAMTOR2‐deficient cells correlated with the presence of growth factors (e.g. EGF), but were similarly induced in control cells by inactivating mTOR. Furthermore, proper transferrin receptor trafficking and recycling were apparently dependent on an intact LAMTOR complex. Finally, a severe imbalance in the relative proportions of endo/lysosomes was found in LAMTOR2‐deficient cells, resulting from increased amounts of mature MVB and (autophago)lysosomes. These observations suggest that the LAMTOR/Ragulator complex is required not only for maintaining the homeostasis of endo/lysosomal subpopulations but also contributes to the proper formation of MVB‐recycling tubules, and regulation of membrane/cargo recycling from MVB.
Review: Clinical and histological manifestations of canine atopic dermatitis
Authors: Bizikova Petra , Santoro Domenico , Marsella Rosanna , Nuttall Tim , Eisenschenk Melissa N. C. , Pucheu‐Haston Cherie M.
Published: February 2015

Background

Many studies focusing on clinical and histological signs of canine atopic dermatitis (AD) have been published since its early descriptions decades ago. Findings of these studies contributed to our current knowledge about the disease pathogenesis and allowed establishment of diagnostic criteria used by clinicians and researchers.

Objectives

This review serves as an update on the clinical and histological features of canine AD published by the American College of Veterinary Dermatology Task Force on Canine Atopic Dermatitis in 2001 and summarizes the recent discoveries in these fields.

Results

The overall findings of studies focusing on clinical features mirrored those published by the Task Force in 2001. The novelty was the larger number of animals included in these studies, which allowed establishment of a new set of diagnostic criteria that exceeded the sensitivity and specificity of the previous criteria. The same study uncovered some clinical differences between dogs with food‐induced and nonfood‐induced AD; however, the authors concluded that these two entities cannot be distinguished based on clinical signs only. Another study demonstrated some major breed‐specific phenotypes. Several publications addressed the histological features of canine AD skin lesions in experimental models of AD, but none of those addressed naturally occurring lesions. Nevertheless, the histopathological description of the skin reactions was generally similar to that published by the Task Force in 2001.

Conclusions

Considerable work has been done in recent years to provide a better definition of the clinical appearance and histopathology of canine AD. New sets of diagnostic criteria have been developed, and additional breed‐associated differences in phenotypes have been demonstrated.
From horticulture and biofuel to invasion: the spread of Miscanthus taxa in the USA and Europe
Authors: Schnitzler A , Essl F
Published: February 2015

Species of the genus Miscanthus (Poaceae) have recently become widely planted for ornamental and industrial uses. Yet these large perennial grasses have several traits that suggest a high invasion potential. To inform the debate on the benefits and risks of introducing these new biofuel crops, this publication summarises the invasion of Miscanthus species in Europe and the USA. Databases from North America were interrogated, and occurrence data from a variety of European sources were examined. In both continents, M. sinensis and M. sacchariflorus have recently spread rapidly, although invasion started earlier in the USA and both species are more widespread there. Both species mostly colonise grasslands and ruderal habitats. In addition, some escapes of the hybrid M. × giganteus, which has a particularly strong invasion potential because of its vigorous growth and greater capacity to establish in cool climates, have already been recorded. We conclude that the invasion potential of Miscanthus species needs to be thoroughly tested, the incipient invasions in Europe and the USA monitored and, if required, planting restrictions should be adopted.
Xenotransplantation and Hepatitis E virus
Authors: Denner Joachim
Published: February 2015

Xenotransplantation using pig cells, tissues and organs may be associated with the transmission of porcine microorganisms to the human recipient. Some of these microorganisms may induce a zoonosis, that is an infectious disease induced by microorganisms transmitted from another species. With exception of the porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs), which are integrated in the genome of all pigs, the transmission of all other microorganisms can be prevented by specified or designated pathogen‐free (spf or dpf, respectively) production of the animals. However, it is becoming clear in the last years that the hepatitis E virus (HEV) is one of the viruses which are difficult to eliminate. It is important to note that there are differences between HEV of genotypes (gt) 1 and gt2 on one hand and HEV of gt3 and gt4 on the other. HEV gt1 and gt2 are human viruses, and they induce hepatitis and in the worst case fatal infections in pregnant women. In contrast, HEV gt3 and gt4 are viruses of pigs, and they may infect humans, induce commonly only mild diseases, if any, and are harmless for pregnant women. The goal of this review was to evaluate the risk posed by HEV gt3 and gt4 for xenotransplantation and to indicate ways of their elimination from pigs in order to prevent transmission to the human recipient.
ANDREW DICKSON WHITE AND THE HISTORY OF A RELIGIOUS FUTURE
Authors: Schaefer Richard
Published: February 2015

Andrew Dickson White played a pivotal role in constructing the image of a necessary, and even violent, confrontation between religion and science that persists to this day. Though scholars have long acknowledged that his position is more complex, given that White claimed to be saving religion from theology, there has been no attempt to explore what this means in light of his overwhelming attack on existing religions. This essay draws attention to how White's role as a historian was decisive in allowing him to posit a future for religion purified of dogma by science. It argues, furthermore, that this effort is better understood as religious innovation, rather than a plea for strictly secular science. In so doing it hopes to lay the foundation for a more fruitful historical treatment of White, and a range of other figures whose devotion to science has otherwise been difficult to grasp.
“FILL AND SUBDUE”? IMAGING GOD IN NEW SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL CONTEXTS
Authors: Roberts Jason P.
Published: February 2015

While the social and ecological landscape of the twenty‐first century is worlds away from the historical‐cultural context in which the biblical myth‐symbols of the image of God and the knowledge of good and evil first emerged, Philip Hefner's understanding that Homo sapiens image God as created co‐creators presents a plausible starting point for constructing a second naïveté interpretation of biblical anthropology and a fruitful concept for envisioning and enacting our human future.
WHY RELIGION MATTERS AND THE PURPOSES OF HIGHER EDUCATION: A DIALOGUE WITH HUSTON SMITH
Authors: Kenney Garrett
Published: February 2015

This article examines Huston Smith's critique of and remedy for modernity from the perspective of a college professor who adopted “Why Religion Matters” (2001) as required reading for undergraduates. Smith's heartfelt plea to consider, if not embrace, the common wisdom of traditional religious worldviews deserves a hearing. But Smith's approach is also in need of qualification, supplementation, and critique. This article, ironically, finds the needed qualification, supplementation, and critique in Huston Smith's much earlier publication,The Purposes of Higher Education(1955). This article provides the dialogue.
GLOCALIZATION: RELIGION AND SCIENCE AROUND THE WORLD
Authors: Drees Willem B.
Published: February 2015

This essay explains the rationale behind a series of reviews on interactions between knowledge and values, science and religion, in different countries or regions around the world. The series will run in Zygon for the whole of 2015 and beyond. In the literature, it may seem that discussions in the United States and to a lesser extent the United Kingdom are typical of the issues, but they need not be. David Livingstone showed that the reception of evolution differed, even among Calvinists in different countries. Thus, rather than an export model, we should take time to learn from scholars rooted in different contexts how in their situation issues on knowledge and values arise and are dealt with. In this interplay of global processes and local contexts, indicated with the term glocalization, we should be alert to the migration of concepts and the transformations that ideas undergo.
NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS AND SCIENCE: RAEL'S PROGRESSIVE PATRONIZING PARASITISM
Authors: Bigliardi Stefano
Published: February 2015

The article examines the concoction of religion and “science” contained in the revelation that substantiates a new religion: Raelianism, founded and led by the prophet Claude Vorilhon/Rael after having received a revelation in 1974. After a detailed examination both of Rael's prophetic message and his/the Raelians’ interpretative practices, an ad hoc model is presented to describe such concoction (“progressive patronizing parasitism”), and it is compared to other models. It is in particular claimed that Rael, while seemingly talking about “science,” is actually constructing a science‐fictional and even pseudoscientific narrative. The article finally raises the question whether the discussion of the science–religion interaction from the viewpoint of traditional religions can be considered to be immune to the usage of such rhetorical devices.
Spherical subgroups in simple algebraic groups
Authors: Knop Friedrich , Röhrle Gerhard
Published: February 2015

Let $G$ be a simple algebraic group. A closed subgroup $H$ of $G$ is said to be spherical if it has a dense orbit on the flag variety $G/B$ of $G$. Reductive spherical subgroups of simple Lie groups were classified by Krämer in 1979. In 1997, Brundan showed that each example from Krämer’s list also gives rise to a spherical subgroup in the corresponding simple algebraic group in any positive characteristic. Nevertheless, up to now there has been no classification of all such instances in positive characteristic. The goal of this paper is to complete this classification. It turns out that there is only one additional instance (up to isogeny) in characteristic 2 which has no counterpart in Krämer’s classification. As one of our key tools, we prove a general deformation result for subgroup schemes that allows us to deduce the sphericality of subgroups in positive characteristic from the same property for subgroups in characteristic zero.