bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Verbal memory declines more in female patients with Parkinson's disease: the importance of gender-corrected normative data
Authors: Fengler S. , Roeske S. , Heber I. , Reetz K. , Schulz J. B. , Riedel O. , Wittchen H.U. , Storch A. , Linse K. , Baudrexel S. , Hilker R. , Mollenhauer B. , Witt K. , Schmidt N. , Balzer-Geldsetzer M. , Dams J. , Dodel R. , Gräber S. , Pilotto A. , Petrelli A. , Fünkele S. , Kassubek J. , Kalbe E.
Published: May 2016

Background

Data on gender-specific profiles of cognitive functions in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are rare and inconsistent, and possible disease-confounding factors have been insufficiently considered.

Method

The LANDSCAPE study on cognition in PD enrolled 656 PD patients (267 without cognitive impairment, 66% male; 292 with mild cognitive impairment, 69% male; 97 with PD dementia, 69% male). Raw values and age-, education-, and gender-correctedZscores of a neuropsychological test battery (CERAD-Plus) were compared between genders. Motor symptoms, disease duration,l-dopa equivalent daily dose, depression - and additionally age and education for the raw value analysis - were taken as covariates.

Results

Raw-score analysis replicated results of previous studies in that female PD patients were superior in verbal memory (word list learning,p= 0.02; recall,p= 0.03), while men outperformed women in visuoconstruction (p= 0.002) and figural memory (p= 0.005). In contrast, gender-correctedZscores showed that men were superior in verbal memory (word list learning,p= 0.02; recall,p= 0.02; recognition,p= 0.04), while no difference was found for visuospatial tests. This picture could be observed both in the overall analysis of PD patients as well as in a differentiated group analysis.

Conclusions

Normative data corrected for gender and other sociodemographic variables are relevant, since they may elucidate a markedly different cognitive profile compared to raw scores. Our study also suggests that verbal memory decline is stronger in women than in men with PD. Future studies are needed to replicate these findings, examine the progression of gender-specific cognitive decline in PD and define different underlying mechanisms of this dysfunction.
Bias in emerging biomarkers for bipolar disorder
Authors: Carvalho A. F. , Köhler C. A. , Fernandes B. S. , Quevedo J. , Miskowiak K. W. , Brunoni A. R. , Machado-Vieira R. , Maes M. , Vieta E. , Berk M.
Published: May 2016

Background

To date no comprehensive evaluation has appraised the likelihood of bias or the strength of the evidence of peripheral biomarkers for bipolar disorder (BD). Here we performed an umbrella review of meta-analyses of peripheral non-genetic biomarkers for BD.

Method

The Pubmed/Medline, EMBASE and PsycInfo electronic databases were searched up to May 2015. Two independent authors conducted searches, examined references for eligibility, and extracted data. Meta-analyses in any language examining peripheral non-genetic biomarkers in participants with BD (across different mood states) compared to unaffected controls were included.

Results

Six references, which examined 13 biomarkers across 20 meta-analyses (5474 BD cases and 4823 healthy controls) met inclusion criteria. Evidence for excess of significance bias (i.e. bias favoring publication of ‘positive’ nominally significant results) was observed in 11 meta-analyses. Heterogeneity was high for (I2 ⩾ 50%) 16 meta-analyses. Only two biomarkers met criteria for suggestive evidence namely the soluble IL-2 receptor and morning cortisol. The median power of included studies, using the effect size of the largest dataset as the plausible true effect size of each meta-analysis, was 15.3%.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that there is an excess of statistically significant results in the literature of peripheral biomarkers for BD. Selective publication of ‘positive’ results and selective reporting of outcomes are possible mechanisms.
Salt effects on the picosecond dynamics of lysozyme hydration water investigated by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and an insight into the Hofmeister series for protein stability and solubility
Authors: Aoki Katsuyoshi , Shiraki Kentaro , Hattori Toshiaki
Published: May 2016

The addition of salts into protein aqueous solutions causes changes in protein solubility and stability, the ability of which is known to be ordered in the Hofmeister series.
Non-equilibrium thermodynamics and collective vibrational modes of liquid water in an inhomogeneous electric field
Authors: Wexler Adam D. , Drusová Sandra , Woisetschläger Jakob , Fuchs Elmar C.
Published: May 2016

Liquid water subject to a high intensity inhomogeneous electric field exhibits enhancement of collective vibrational modes as well as an increase in the local mode energy. The onset of these dynamics is fundamental to electrohydrodynamic processes and may play a critical role in biological systems.
A photoredox catalyzed radical–radical coupling reaction: facile access to multi-substituted nitrogen heterocycles
Authors: Li Weipeng , Duan Yingqian , Zhang Muliang , Cheng Jian , Zhu Chengjian
Published: May 2016

A visible light mediated radical–radical coupling reaction towards the construction of valuable nitrogen heterocycles has been developed. Piperidine, pyrrolidine, indole, and azetidine scaffolds were synthesized in good to excellent yields from simple substrates.
Highly efficient synthesis of functionalized α-oxyketones via Weinreb amides homologation with α-oxygenated organolithiums
Authors: Pace Vittorio , Murgia Irene , Westermayer Sophie , Langer Thierry , Holzer Wolfgang
Published: May 2016

A conceptually simple access to functionalized α-oxygenated methylketones.
Thermally stable J-type phthalocyanine dimers as new non-linear absorbers for low-threshold optical limiters
Authors: Tolbin Alexander Yu. , Savelyev Mikhail S. , Gerasimenko Alexander Yu. , Tomilova Larisa G. , Zefirov Nikolay S.
Published: May 2016

The possibility of developing new advanced optical limiters of laser radiation at 532 nm with low limiting thresholds has been demonstrated on thermally stable phthalocyanine J-type dimeric complexes of Mg, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Co.
Mitigation in the toxicity of graphene oxide nanosheets towards Escherichia coli in the presence of humic acid
Authors: Zhang Xuan , Sui Minghao , Yan Xin , Huang Tiandi , Yuan Zhen
Published: May 2016

Humic acid mitigated the toxicity of graphene oxide nanosheets towards Escherichia coli via a physical barrier and weakening the oxidative stress.
Base-free hydrogenation of CO2 to formic acid in water with an iridium complex bearing a N,N′-diimine ligand
Authors: Lu Sheng-Mei , Wang Zhijun , Li Jun , Xiao Jianliang , Li Can
Published: May 2016

Hydrogenation of CO2 in the absence of a base in water is achieved with high activity using an iridium complex bearing a non-aromatic N,N′-diimine ligand.
Detection and correction of matrix interference in inductively coupled plasma – time of flight mass spectrometry by means of aerosol dispersion
Authors: Cheung Yan , Ray Steven J. , Hieftje Gary M.
Published: May 2016

The time-dependent ratio of two ion signals is used to indicate and correct for mass-dependent matrix interference in inductively coupled plasma-time of flight mass spectrometry.
Mini-pillar array for hydrogel-supported 3D culture and high-content histologic analysis of human tumor spheroids
Authors: Kang Jihoon , Lee Dong Woo , Hwang Hyun Ju , Yeon Sang-Eun , Lee Moo-Yeal , Kuh Hyo-Jeong
Published: May 2016

Three-dimensional (3D) cancer cell culture models mimic the complex 3D organization and microenvironment of human solid tumor tissue and are thus considered as highly predictive models representing avascular tumor regions.
Preparation and enhanced conducting properties of open networks of poly(3-hexylthiophene)/carbon nanotube hybrids
Authors: Sfuncia Gianfranco , Tuccitto Nunzio , Marletta Giovanni
Published: May 2016

The preparation of new high conductivity nanohybrid open networks of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (P3HT/SWNTs) by spin coating deposition is reported.
Correction: Fabrication of a uniaxial cellulose nanocrystal thin film for coassembly of single-walled carbon nanotubes
Authors: Yang Danqin , Lu Zihao , Qi Xiaoqing , Yan Dandan , Gao Qinwei , Zhan Da , Jiang Yuan , Liu Xiang Yang
Published: May 2016

Correction for ‘Fabrication of a uniaxial cellulose nanocrystal thin film for coassembly of single-walled carbon nanotubes’ by Danqin Yang et al., RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 39396–39400.
Blind image watermarking method based on linear canonical wavelet transform and QR decomposition
Authors: Guo Yong , Li Bing‐Zhao
Published: May 2016

Inspired by the fact that wavelet transform can be written as a classical convolution form, a new linear canonical wavelet transform (LCWT) based on generalised convolution theorem associated with linear canonical transform (LCT) is proposed recently. The LCWT not only inherits the advantages of multi‐resolution analysis of wavelet transform (WT), but also has the capability of image representations in the LCT domain. Based on these good properties, the authors propose a novel image watermarking method using LCWT and QR decomposition. Compared with the existing image watermarking methods based on discrete WT or QR, this novel image watermarking method provides more flexibility in the image watermarking. Peak signal‐to‐noise ratio, normalised cross and structural similarity index measure are used to verify the advantages of the proposed method in simulation experiments. The experiment results show that the proposed method is not only feasible, but also robust to some geometry attacks and image processing attacks.
Dynamic voltage restorer employing multilevel cascaded H‐bridge inverter
Authors: Galeshi Soleiman , Iman‐Eini Hossein
Published: May 2016

This study presents design and analysis of a dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) which employs a cascaded multilevel inverter with capacitors as energy sources. The multilevel inverter enables the DVR to connect directly to the medium voltage networks, hence, eliminating the series injection transformer. Using zero energy compensation method, the DVR does not need active energy storage systems, such as batteries. Since the energy storage system only includes capacitors, the control system will face some additional challenges compared with other DVR systems. Controlling the voltage of capacitors around a reference voltage and keeping the balance between them, in standby and compensation period, is one of them. A control scheme is presented in this study that overcomes the challenges. Additionally, a fast three‐phase estimation method is employed to minimise the delay of DVR and to mitigate the voltage sags as fast as possible. Performance of the control scheme and estimation method is assessed using several simulations in PSCAD/EMTDC and MATLAB/SIMULINK environments, and experiments on a 7‐level cascaded H‐bridge converter.
Modeling nitrogen plasmas produced by intense electron beams
Authors: Angus J. R. , Mosher D. , Swanekamp S. B. , Ottinger P. F. , Schumer J. W. , Hinshelwood D. D.
Published: May 2016

A new gas–chemistry model is presented to treat the breakdown of a nitrogen gas with pressures on the order of 1 Torr from intense electron beams with current densities on the order of 10 kA/cm2 and pulse durations on the order of 100 ns. For these parameter regimes, the gas transitions from a weakly ionized molecular state to a strongly ionized atomic state on the time scale of the beam pulse. The model is coupled to a 0D–circuit model using the rigid–beam approximation that can be driven by specifying the time and spatial profiles of the beam pulse. Simulation results are in good agreement with experimental measurements of the line–integrated electron density from experiments done using the Gamble II generator at the Naval Research Laboratory. It is found that the species are mostly in the ground and metastable states during the atomic phase, but that ionization proceeds predominantly through thermal ionization of optically allowed states with excitation energies close to the ionization limit.
LATERAL BRANCHING OXIDOREDUCTASEacts in the final stages of strigolactone biosynthesis inArabidopsis
Authors: Brewer Philip B. , Yoneyama Kaori , Filardo Fiona , Meyers Emma , Scaffidi Adrian , Frickey Tancred , Akiyama Kohki , Seto Yoshiya , Dun Elizabeth A. , Cremer Julia E. , Kerr Stephanie C. , Waters Mark T. , Flematti Gavin R. , Mason Michael G. , Weiller Georg , Yamaguchi Shinjiro , Nomura Takahito , Smith Steven M. , Yoneyama Koichi , Beveridge Christine A.
Published: May 2016

Significance

Strigolactone hormones regulate many plant growth and developmental processes and are particularly important in regulating growth in response to nonoptimal conditions. Plants produce a range of bioactive strigolactone-like compounds, suggesting that the biosynthesis pathway is complex. Despite this complexity, only one type of enzyme, the MORE AXILLARY GROWTH1 (MAX1) cytochrome P450, has been attributed to the diversity of strigolactones. Using transcriptomics and reverse genetics, we discovered a previously uncharacterized gene that encodes a 2-oxoglutarate and Fe(II)-dependent dioxygenase involved in strigolactone production downstream of MAX1. Studies with the corresponding mutant have shown that previously identified strigolactone-type compounds inArabidopsisare not the major strigolactone-type shoot branching hormone in this model species.
Spanish and Portuguese parallels
Authors: Sessarego Sandro , Ferreira Letania
Published: May 2016

This paper investigates variable number agreement phenomena across the Determiner Phrase (DP) of two non-standard varieties of Spanish and Portuguese spoken in Latin America: Afro-Bolivian Spanish (ABS) and Popular Brazilian Portuguese (PBP). In line with recent studies in the field of minimalist syntax (Adger & Smith, 2005; Sessarego, 2014), this article combines sociolinguistic techniques of data collection with generative models of analysis to obtain more fine-grained, empirically testable generalizations. The presence of an impoverished agreement system in these two varieties is studied in light of recent linguistic proposals on the nature of default values (Harley & Ritter, 2002). These findings are generalized to other grammatical constructions, which systematically occur across a number of vernacular dialects.
Attitudes towards lexical Arabisms in sixteenth-century Spanish texts
Authors: Giménez-Eguíbar Patricia
Published: May 2016

This article studies the linguistic attitudes towards Arabisms as reflected in various texts of the sixteenth-century and offers abundant comments from diverse authors that demonstrate their status as linguistic stereotypes. Through an examination of the revision of La Primera parte de una recopilación de algunos nombres arábigos (circa 1593) by Diego de Guadix, the relationship between language and society is demonstrated through the linguistic attitudes evident toward both the Arabic language and Arabisms. Another prominent aspect of the Recopilación is the case of lexical prescription (e.g. almadía, alfayata, zaguera or adarve) that may result during the process of substitution for Arabisms, a topic widely mentioned by many scholars. One of the immediate consequences of these evolving linguistic attitudes was the gradual elimination of Arabisms during the processes of reviewing and editing texts of the period. There are six editions of Gabriel Alonso de Herrera’s Obra de Agricultura, all of them revised by the author. A collation of the editions sheds light on one the most opaque processes in the history of the lexicon: the replacement of Arabisms.
L1-English tense-lax vowel system influence on L2-Arabic
Authors: Lababidi Zafer , Park Hanyong
Published: May 2016

The current study investigates the production and perception of Arabic short and long vowels by two groups of adult L1-English/L2-Arabic learners who differ in their length of exposure to Arabic. An ABX discrimination task and a production task, followed by a native judgment task, were conducted to assess perception and production. The results show that discrimination performance is better than production overall, and also that the learners transfer their L1-English tense-lax phonological system to produce Arabic short-long vowels. We also observe that the transfer involves not only duration, but also spectral aspects of the L1. Lastly, our analyses suggest that more than appropriate durations are involved in pronouncing Arabic short and long vowels correctly.
On the status of derived affricates in Arabic dialects
Authors: Elhija Mahajna Dua'a Abu , Davis Stuart
Published: May 2016

Arabic dialects vary as to the presence of affricates in their phonemic inventory. Many dialects, such as San’ani Arabic, have only the voiced palato-alveolar affricate /d͡ʒ/; others, like Baghdadi have two (/d͡ʒ/ and /t͡ʃ/), and still other dialects, such as Cairene, lack affricate phonemes altogether. Although dialects differ on the presence of underlying affricates, many have derived affricates. These arise when the alveolar stop /t/ and the fricative /ʃ/ come together over a morpheme boundary or as a result of vowel deletion. In this paper we explore the phonological patterning of the derived sequence [t+ʃ] as a single affricated segment or as a bisegmental sequence. We examine the evidence from three dialects. San’ani, Cairene, and Iksal (a Palestinian variety) and show that its patterning differs among the dialects.
(q) as a sociolinguistic variable in the Arabic of Gaza City
Authors: Cotter William
Published: May 2016

This study examines the effect of dialect contact between the indigenous residents of Gaza City and refugees originally from the city of Jaffa. The study offers a quantitative sociolinguistic investigation of the variable (q) in the speech of 22 residents of Gaza City. The sample is divided along the lines of dialect background and gender, and it is separated into three age groups. Analysis of the data has revealed that for (q) a significant correlation exists with dialect background and gender, with female speakers and speakers of a Jaffa dialect background showing the highest tendencies to favor the glottal [ʔ] realization for (q). Male speakers in the sample, regardless of their dialect background, showed a tendency to favor the localized [g] realization of (q).
Introduction
Authors: Howard-Grenville Jennifer , Rerup Claus , Langley Ann , Tsoukas Haridimos
Published: May 2016

Over the past fifteen years, organizational routines increasingly have been investigated from a process perspective to challenge the idea that routines are stable entities that are mindlessly enacted. This chapter summarizes what constitutes a process perspective on organizational routines, and document some of the major areas of recent inquiry, including change in routines, the role of artifacts in routine performances, and emergence of routines. Three other themes emerge from the various chapters that constitute this volume: (1) zooming out to understand routines in larger contexts; (2) zooming in to reveal actor dispositions and skill; and (3) innovation, creativity, and routines in ambiguous contexts. The chapters also inspire future research that can extend a process perspective on routines by further zooming out and in, and by potentially using this metaphor to connect distinct findings by scholars studying routines from different perspectives.
OISTER optical and near-infrared observations of the super-Chandrasekhar supernova candidate SN 2012dn: Dust emission from the circumstellar shell
Authors: Yamanaka Masayuki , Maeda Keiichi , Tanaka Masaomi , Tominaga Nozomu , Kawabata Koji S. , Takaki Katsutoshi , Kawabata Miho , Nakaoka Tatsuya , Ueno Issei , Akitaya Hiroshi , Nagayama Takahiro , Takahashi Jun , Honda Satoshi , Omodaka Toshihiro , Miyanoshita Ryo , Nagao Takashi , Watanabe Makoto , Isogai Mizuki , Arai Akira , Itoh Ryosuke , Ui Takahiro , Uemura Makoto , Yoshida Michitoshi , Hanayama Hidekazu , Kuroda Daisuke , Ukita Nobuharu , Yanagisawa Kenshi , Izumiura Hideyuki , Saito Yoshihiko , Masumoto Kazunari , Ono Rikako , Noguchi Ryo , Matsumoto Katsura , Nogami Daisaku , Morokuma Tomoki , Oasa Yumiko , Sekiguchi Kazuhiro
Published: May 2016

We present extensively dense observations of the super-Chandrasekhar supernova (SC SN) candidate SN 2012dn from −11 to +140 d after the date of its B-band maximum in the optical and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths conducted through the OISTER ToO (Optical and Infrared Synergetic Telescopes for Education and Research Target of Opportunity) program. The NIR light curves and color evolutions up to 35 days after the B-band maximum provided an excellent match with those of another SC SN 2009dc, providing further support to the nature of SN 2012dn as an SC SN. We found that SN 2012dn exhibited strong excesses in the NIR wavelengths from 30 d after the B-band maximum. The H- and Ks-band light curves exhibited much later maximum dates at 40 and 70 d after the B-band maximum, respectively, compared with those of normal SNe Ia. The H- and Ks-band light curves subtracted by those of SN 2009dc displayed plateaued evolutions, indicating an NIR echo from the surrounding dust. The distance to the inner boundary of the dust shell is limited to 4.8–6.4 × 10−2 pc. No emission lines were found in its early phase spectra, suggesting that the ejecta–circumstellar material interaction could not occur. On the other hand, we found no signature that strongly supports the scenario of dust formation. The mass-loss rate of the pre-explosion system is estimated to be 10−6–10−5 M⊙ yr−1, assuming that the wind velocity of the system is 10–100 km s−1, which suggests that the progenitor of SN 2012dn could be a recurrent nova system. We conclude that the progenitor of this SC SN could be explained by the single-degenerate scenario.
Cumulative Risk Impact of RET, SEMA3, and NRG1 Polymorphisms Associated With Hirschsprung Disease in Han Chinese
Authors: Li Qi , Zhang Zhen , Diao Mei , Gan Liang , Cheng Wei , Xiao Ping , Su Lin , Shangguan Shaofang , Jiang Qian , Li Long
Published: May 2016

Objectives:

Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is a congenital aganglionosis of myenteric and submucosal plexuses affecting a variable length of the intestine. The incidence of HSCR is approximately 1 of 5000 live births; however, the risk shows remarkable individual variation caused by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the RET, SEMA3, and NRG1 loci. The present study investigated the effects of these variants on the disease development and phenotype in a Chinese population.

Methods:

In total, 6 SNPs were genotyped in a cohort consisting of 115 patients with HSCR and 117 unaffected controls using a TaqMan genotyping assay. Histological identification of the affected‐segment length (short, long, or total colonic aganglionosis) was performed for all of the samples before DNA extraction.

Results:

Significant genetic risk was imparted by rs2435357 and rs2506030 at RET and by rs12707682 at SEMA3. In addition, the average cumulative risk score in the patients with HSCR was significantly higher than that in the controls. Through the assessment of risk alleles by effect size, individuals were classified into 3 weighted risk score groups: low (⩽3), medium (4), and high (≥5). Individuals in the high group were significantly more susceptible to HSCR than those in the low group with an odds ratio of 7.7 (95% confidence interval 3.7–16.3).

Conclusions:

Cumulative genetic risk varied >35‐fold between newborns with zero and >5 accumulated susceptibility alleles. The SNPs rs2435357, rs2506030, and rs12707682 may be useful for stratifying the Chinese population into distinct risk groups.
Optimizing Effect Sizes With Imaging Enrichment and Outcome Choices for Mild Alzheimer Disease Clinical Trials
Authors: Chang Timothy S. , Teng Edmond , Elashoff David , Grill Joshua D.
Published: May 2016

Recent clinical trials in mild Alzheimer disease (AD) have enriched for amyloid-specific positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and used extended versions of the AD Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) in an effort to increase the sensitivity to detect treatment effects. We used data from mild AD participants in the AD Neuroimaging Initiative to model trial effect sizes for 12- and 24-month trials using 3 versions of the ADAS-Cog and increased standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) cutoffs for amyloid imaging inclusion criteria. For 12-month trials, extended ADAS-Cog versions improved effect sizes. The ADAS-Cog11 elicited larger effect sizes when enriching for SUVR 1.1 only, whereas the ADAS-Cog12 and ADAS-Cog13 were associated with larger effect sizes with higher SUVR thresholds. For 24-month trials, extended ADAS-Cog versions increased effect sizes for trials not enriched for amyloid and trials enriched for SUVR 1.1. Only enriching for higher SUVR thresholds (1.3 and 1.4, not 1.1) increased trial power. We conclude that extended versions of the ADAS-Cog improve mild AD trial effect sizes for both 12- and 24-month long studies, whereas amyloid imaging criteria may be most valuable for 12-month trials.
Early-Onset Dementia
Authors: Konijnenberg Elles , Fereshtehnejad Seyed-Mohammad , Kate Mara ten , Eriksdotter Maria , Scheltens Philip , Johannsen Peter , Waldemar Gunhild , Visser Pieter Jelle
Published: May 2016

Background:

Early-onset dementia (EOD) is a rare condition, with an often atypical clinical presentation, and it may therefore be challenging to diagnose. Specialized memory clinics vary in the type of patients seen, diagnostic procedures applied, and the pharmacological treatment given. The aim of this study was to investigate quality-of-care indicators in subjects with EOD from 3 tertiary memory clinics in 3 European countries.

Methods:

We included 1325 newly diagnosed EOD patients, ages 65 years or younger, between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2013, from the Danish Dementia Registry (Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen), the Swedish Dementia Registry (“SveDem”, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm), and the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort (VU University Medical Center).

Results:

The frequency of EOD among all dementia patients was significantly lower in Copenhagen (410, 20%) and Stockholm (284, 21%) compared with Amsterdam (631, 48%). Not all quality indicator targets were met, such as the time to diagnosis, the mini-mental state examination score available, and the prescription of cholinesterase inhibitors. Cerebrospinal fluid sampling, registered in 2 sites, was performed in over 80% of the subjects.

Conclusions:

In tertiary referral centers in Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Amsterdam, quality indicators were not always met for patients with EOD. Results partly reflect differences in referral pattern, the application of diagnostic criteria, and local best practices. Standardized international procedures for patients with EOD may reduce this variability.
Time-dependent fitness effects can drive bet-hedging populations extinct
Authors: Libby Eric , Ratcliff William
Published: May 2016

To survive unpredictable environmental change, many organisms adopt bet-hedging strategies that trade short-term population growth for long-term fitness benefits. Because the benefits of bet-hedging may manifest over long time intervals, bet-hedging strategies may be out-competed by strategies maximizing short-term fitness. Here, we investigate the interplay between two drivers of selection, environmental fluctuations and competition for limited resources, on different bet-hedging strategies. We consider an environment with frequent disasters that switch between which phenotypes they affect in a temporally-correlated fashion. We determine how organisms that stochastically switch between phenotypes at different rates fare in both competition and survival. When disasters are correlated in time, the best strategy for competition is among the worst for survival. Since the time scales over which the two agents of selection act are significantly different, environmental fluctuations and resource competition act in opposition and lead populations to evolve diversification strategies that ultimately drive them extinct.
PackIO and EphysViewer: software tools for acquisition and analysis of neuroscience data
Authors: Watson Brendon O. , Yuste Rafael , Packer Adam M.
Published: May 2016

We present an open-source synchronization software package, PackIO, that can record and generate voltage signals to enable complex experimental paradigms across multiple devices. This general purpose package is built on National Instruments data acquisition and generation hardware and has temporal precision up to the limit of the hardware. PackIO acts as a flexibly programmable master clock that can record experimental data (e.g. voltage traces), timing data (e.g. event times such as imaging frame times) while generating stimuli (e.g. voltage waveforms, voltage triggers to drive other devices, etc.). PackIO is particularly useful to record from and synchronize multiple devices, for example when simultaneously acquiring electrophysiology while generating and recording imaging timing data. Experimental control is easily enabled by an intuitive graphical user interface. We also release an open-source data visualisation and analysis tool, EphysViewer, written in MATLAB, as well as a module to import data into Python. These flexible and programmable tools allow experimenters to configure and set up customised input and output protocols in a synchronized fashion for controlling, recording, and analysing experiments.
The relative contribution of natural landscapes and human-mediated factors on the connectivity of a noxious invasive weed
Authors: Alvarado-Serrano Diego F. , Van Etten Megan , Chang Shu-Mei , Baucom Regina S.
Published: May 2016

Examining how the landscape may influence gene flow is at the forefront of understanding population differentiation and adaptation. Such understanding is crucial in light of ongoing environmental changes and the elevated risk of ecosystems alteration. In particular, knowledge of how humans may influence the structure of populations is imperative to allow for informed decisions in management and conservation as well as to gain a better understanding of anthropogenic impacts on the interplay between gene flow, genetic drift and selection. Here we use genome-wide molecular markers to characterize the population genetic structure and connectivity ofIpomoea purpurea, a noxious invasive weed. We likewise assess the interaction between natural and human-driven influences on genetic differentiation among populations. Our analyses find that human population density is an important predictor of pairwise population differentiation, suggesting that the agricultural and/or horticultural trade may be involved in maintaining some level of connectivity across distant agricultural fields. Climatic variation appears as an additional predictor of genetic connectivity in this species. We discuss the implications of these results and highlight future research needed to disentangle the mechanistic processes underlying population connectivity of weeds.
Late enrichment maintains accurate recent and remote spatial memory only in aged rats that were unimpaired when middle aged
Authors: Fuchs Fanny , Herbeaux Karine , Aufrere Noémie , Kelche Christian , Mathis Chantal , Barbelivien Alexandra , Majchrzak Monique
Published: May 2016

Exposure of rodents to a stimulating environment has beneficial effects on some cognitive functions that are impaired during physiological aging, and especially spatial reference memory. The present study investigated whether environmental enrichment rescues these functions in already declining subjects and/or protects them from subsequent decline. Subgroups of 17-mo-old female rats with unimpaired versus impaired performance in a spatial reference memory task (Morris water maze) were housed until the age of 24 mo in standard or enriched environment. They were then trained in a second reference memory task, conducted in a different room than the first, and recent (1 d) and remote (10 d) memory were assessed. In unimpaired subgroups, spatial memory declined from 17 to 24 mo in rats housed in standard conditions; an enriched environment during this period allowed maintenance of accurate recent and remote spatial memory. At 24 mo, rats impaired at the age of 17 mo housed in enriched environment learned the task and displayed substantial recent memory, but their performance remained lower than that of unimpaired rats, showing that enrichment failed to rescue spatial memory in already cognitively declining rats. Controls indicated carryover effects of the first water maze training, especially in aged rats housed in standard condition, and confirmed the beneficial effect of enrichment on remote memory of aged rats even if they performed poorly than young adults housed for the same duration in standard or enriched condition.
Reconciliation or polarization in Islamic bank preference? Socio-political, socio-economic and demographic aspects
Authors: Ergec Etem Hakan , Kaytanci Bengül Gülümser , Toprak Metin
Published: May 2016

Purpose

The reasons for Islamic bank preferences have been extensively covered in the literature where religion has been depicted as a strong factor. In the limited number of accounts on this subject in Turkey, it was found that religiosity is a major factor in the selection of Islamic banks.

Design/methodology/approach

This study evaluates the findings of a major field work performed in the period between March and May 2011 in Eskisehir with the participation of Islamic bank customers. In the study, a sample of 500 respondents was used and a semi-structured survey was conducted.

Findings

According to the findings, religiosity is not the most significant and leading factor in Islamic bank preference; instead, it was found as the fourth most important factor. The study finds that recommendation by friends and relatives is the most significant factor for the people in preferring Islamic banks. The nationalist-conservative people make stronger reference to the religiosity as a factor than the secular-modernist and leftist-social democrat people do. Socioeconomic status is not found as a significant factor in the Islamic bank preference. People in advanced age, men, people with lower income and businessmen/artisan rely on the religiosity in Islamic bank preference as a factor stronger than people from other backgrounds.

Practical implications

In conclusion, it could be said that there is a strong relation of substitution between Islamic banks and conventional banks in Turkey and that the Islamic banks play significant role in inclusion of the people staying out of the banking system due to religious concerns and considerations in the financial system.

Originality/value

It is very comprehensive, both politically and economically, to handle the issue of Islamic banking.
Gratitude in service encounters: implications for building loyalty
Authors: Bock Dora Elizabeth , Folse Judith Anne Garretson , Black William C.
Published: May 2016

Purpose

While research on customer gratitude is gaining momentum, there is an absence of a clear conceptualization and operationalization of the construct. This paper aims to provide a grounded theory definition of customer gratitude, develops and validates a gratitude scale to fully capture the comprehensive definition and assesses the scale in a nomological network with antecedents and consequences.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study and four quantitative studies examine customer gratitude within service encounters.

Findings

Results from all five studies support a three-dimensional definition of customer gratitude that includes affective, behavioral and cognitive dimensions. The quantitative findings show that the three-dimensional gratitude scale offers strong predictive ability of loyalty and relationship continuity and that gratitude maintains its effect on these relational outcomes after assessing other mediating mechanisms (e.g. value).

Research limitations/implications

This research offers an expanded conceptual definition and scale of customer gratitude that conforms to theory and the extant literature. The scale maintains construct validity which is supported in a nomological context of theoretically based antecedents and consequences.

Originality/value

This work advances the emerging gratitude literature by clearly delineating the construct’s domain, measurement and impact on relational outcomes.
Communication and Influencing for ED Professionals: A training programme developed in the emergency department for the emergency department
Authors: Rixon Andrew , Rixon Sascha , Addae‐Bosomprah Hansel , Ding Mingshuang , Bell Anthony
Published: May 2016

Objective

The objective of the present study is to develop and pilot a communication and influencing skills training programme that meets ED health professionals' needs at an urban district hospital.

Methods

Qualitative methods within a participatory action research framework were utilised. An interdisciplinary team guided the programme's design and development. A training needs analysis saw team meetings, interviews, focus groups and observations conducted across the ED. Thematic analysis of the data identified health professionals' communication and influencing challenges. The training needs analysis informed the training programme curriculum's development. The pilot programme involved an interdisciplinary group of seven health professionals across 5 × 2 h sessions over 3 months, followed by a post‐training survey.

Results

Five themes of communication and influencing challenges were identified: participating in effective handovers, involving patients in bedside handovers, effectively communicating with interdepartmental colleagues, asking ED colleagues to do tasks and understanding ED colleagues' roles, expectations and assumptions. Based on these challenges, the formulated RESPECT model (which stands for Relationships, Expectations, Styles, Partnerships, Enquiry, Coaching and Teamwork) informed the training curriculum. The peer coaching model used in the training programme was highly regarded by participants.

Conclusions

Communication and Influencing for ED Professionals™ (Babel Fish Group Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) addresses a gap for communication programmes developed in the ED for the ED. Future research will evaluate the programme's impact in this ED.
Targeting CTLA‐4, PD‐L1 and IDO to modulate immune responses in vitiligo
Authors: Speeckaert Reinhart , van Geel Nanja
Published: May 2016

For decades, an extensive debate is continued on the pathophysiology of vitiligo. Numerous hypotheses have been put forward, and many supported by well‐documented arguments. Regardless of the initiating steps, most experts agree that an immune‐based melanocyte destruction is responsible for the final steps leading to epidermal depigmentation. It is remarkable that currently the only therapeutic approach to counter this phenomenon consists of non‐specific local and systemic immunosuppressants. Immunotherapy for melanoma reveals that targeting factors involved in peripheral tolerance are sufficient to break the natural defense mechanisms to develop skin depigmentations. Therapeutically enhancing these immune checkpoints seems therefore a promising long‐term therapy for vitiligo. In this viewpoint, we propose this strategy as a promising therapeutic option for vitiligo. Several approaches are proposed with a focus on cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte‐associated protein 4, programmed death ligand‐1 and indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase.
Effect of finishing instrumentation using NiTi hand files on volume, surface area and uninstrumented surfaces in C‐shaped root canal systems
Authors: Amoroso‐Silva P. , Alcalde M. P. , Hungaro Duarte M. A. , De‐Deus G. , Ordinola‐Zapata R. , Freire L. G. , Cavenago B. C. , De Moraes I. G.
Published: May 2016

Aim

To assess the effect of 90°‐oscillatory instrumentation with hand files on several morphological parameters (volume, surface area and uninstrumented surface) in C‐shaped root canals after instrumentation using a single‐file reciprocation system (Reciproc; VDW, Munich, Germany) and a Self‐Adjusting File System (SAF; ReDent Nova, Ra'anana, Israel).

Methodology

Twenty mandibular second molars with C‐shaped canals and C1 canal configurations were divided into two groups (n = 10) and instrumented with Reciproc and SAF instruments. A size 30 NiTi hand K‐file attached to a 90°‐oscillatory motion handpiece was used as final instrumentation in both groups. The specimens were scanned using micro‐computed tomography after all procedures. Volume, surface area increase and uninstrumented root canal surface were analysed using CTAn software (Bruker‐microCT, Kontich, Belgium). Also, the uninstrumented root canal surface was calculated for each canal third. All values were compared between groups using the Mann–Whitney test and within groups using the Wilcoxon's signed‐rank test.

Results

Instrumentation with Reciproc significantly increased canal volume compared with instrumentation with SAF. Additionally, the canal volumes were significantly increased after 90°‐oscillatory instrumentation (between and within group comparison; (P < 0.05)). Regarding the increase in surface area after all instrumentation protocols, statistical analysis only revealed significant differences in the within groups comparison (P < 0.05). Reciproc and SAF instrumentation yielded an uninstrumented root canal surface of 28% and 34%, respectively, which was not significantly different (P > 0.05). Final oscillatory instrumentation significantly reduced the uninstrumented root canal surface from 28% to 9% (Reciproc) and from 34% to 15% (SAF; P < 0.05). The apical and middle thirds exhibited larger uninstrumented root canal surfaces after the first instrumentation that was significantly reduced after oscillatory instrumentation (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The Reciproc and SAF system were associated with similar morphological parameters after instrumentation of mandibular second molars with C‐shaped canals except for a higher canal volume increase in the Reciproc group compared to the SAF. Furthermore, the final use of 90°‐oscillatory instrumentation using NiTi hand files significantly decreased the uninstrumented canal walls that remained after Reciproc and SAF instrumentation.
Commentary: Objective aids for the assessment of ADHD – further clarification of what FDA approval for marketing means and why NEBA might help clinicians. A response to Arns et al. (2016)
Authors: Stein Mark A. , Snyder Steven M. , Rugino Thomas A. , Hornig Mady
Published: May 2016

Neuropsychiatric EEG‐Based ADHD Assessment Aid (NEBA) is an EEG‐based device designed to aid in the diagnostic process for ADHD by identifying individuals less likely to have ADHD by virtue of a lower theta/beta ratio. In using NEBA as an example, the Arns et al. commentary misstates the purpose of NEBA, which is to widen the differential rather than to make the diagnosis. Arns et al. caution about missing an ADHD diagnosis, but fail to mention the impact of overdiagnosis. If we are to advance our knowledge of the etiology and pathophysiology of ADHD, as well as develop tailored treatments and ultimately improve outcomes for ADHD, then biomarkers and objective assessment aids such as NEBA are needed to improve and refine diagnostic accuracy beyond symptom description and clinical history.
Democracy, Tolerance, Aquinas
Authors: Bowlin John R.
Published: May 2016

Democracy is more than a collection of institutions, laws, and freely contested sources of authority. It is also an ideal. If we think of this ideal in republican terms, in terms of resistance to domination through the practices of mutual accountability, and if we recall that democratic life invariably comes with loss, then those of us who inhabit a democratic political society will need to locate, and then cultivate, responses to loss that do not undermine our commitment to this ideal. Tolerance, one such response, is widely recognized and yet poorly theorized. Thomas Aquinas did not recognize it, but he did praise and endorse its act, toleration, and he does offer resources for bringing the virtue into focus and identifying some of the distinguishing features of its democratic variant.
On the Role of Agent‐based Modeling in the Theory of Development Economics
Authors: Chávez‐Juárez Florian
Published: May 2016

In this article I discuss the potential role of agent‐based modeling techniques in development economics. Development economics has recently seen a strong rise of experimental evidence from the field and the laboratory. At the same time, there is a debate on how theory should adapt to this new approach and its findings. I argue in this paper that the agent‐based modeling approach is a promising complement to the traditional modeling techniques, as it can easily incorporate the non‐standard findings of the experimental literature. Moreover, I emphasize the opportunity of a mutually beneficial interplay between experiment‐based empirical research and agent‐based models.
Teaching Students as Shapers of the Traditions that Shape Them
Authors: Kirkpatrick Shane
Published: May 2016

An undergraduate liberal arts education can help students be not simply shaped by tradition but also shapers of tradition. Specifically, undergraduate theological education, aimed at ministry preparation in a liberal arts setting, can seek to graduate students who are responsible shapers of the traditions that shape them, that is, who are tradents. The work of a tradent involves active engagement that requires skills and capacities well beyond simply passing on the past formulations of a tradition. The pedagogical question, then, is how to engage in undergraduate theological education if this image of the tradent is what we have in mind for our students. Three aspects of this image can serve as pervasive or recurrent themes across the structure of a major or program. One aspect is the interpretive nature of the tradent's work, a second is facility with traditions, and a third is the creative, constructive work of thinking theologically. Whatever particular traditions characterize a department's context, the image of students as tradents can help focus pedagogical reflection on the department's work: teaching students as shapers of the traditions that shape them.
Improved Sensitivity of a Dual-Target HIV-1 Qualitative Test for Plasma and Dried Blood Spots
Authors: Templer Stefanie P. , Seiverth Britta , Baum Paul , Stevens Wendy , Seguin-Devaux Carole , Carmona Sergio
Published: May 2016

The use of nucleic acid detection for HIV type 1 (HIV-1) detection is strongly recommended in infants <18 months of age, in whom serology is unreliable. This study evaluated the Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan HIV-1 Qualitative Test v2.0 (TaqMan HIV-1 Qual Test, v2.0), a dual-target total nucleic acid real-time PCR assay. The limit of detection (LOD) of the new test in plasma and dried blood spots (DBS) was determined with the 2nd International HIV-1 RNA WHO standard. The specificity of the assay was tested with EDTA plasma (
n
= 1,301) and DBS from HIV-negative adults (
n
= 1,000). The sensitivity was determined using HIV-1-positive samples (
n
= 169 adult EDTA plasma,
n
= 172 adult DBS, and
n
= 100 infant DBS) that included group M, subtypes A to H, CRF01_AE, CRF02_AG, and groups O and N. All positive specimens and a subset of the negative specimens were also tested with the Abbott RealTi
m
e HIV-1 Qual assay (RealTi
m
e). The LOD of the TaqMan assay was 20 copies/ml in plasma and 300 copies/ml in DBS, with specificities of 99.8% in plasma and 99.9% in DBS. The TaqMan assay results were 100% concordant with RealTi
m
e results in EDTA plasma samples and in 100 HIV-1-negative adult DBS. Among 172 HIV-1-positive DBS from adults, the TaqMan assay showed positive results for all DBS while RealTi
m
e missed five DBS with low target concentrations. Infant DBS results were 100% concordant. The improved sensitivity of the Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan HIV-1 Qualitative Test, v2.0, compared to current commercially available assays may enable earlier diagnosis and treatment in adults and infants. The dual-target test may ensure HIV-1 detection even if a mutation is present in one of the two target regions. The DBS sample matrix facilitates virological testing in remote areas.