bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance of fluorescence‐based methods for detecting and quantifying smooth‐surface caries lesions in primary teeth: an in vitro study
Authors: Novaes Tatiane Fernandes , Moriyama Caroline Moraes , De Benedetto Monique Saveriano , Kohara Eduardo Kazuo , Braga Mariana Minatel , Mendes Fausto Medeiros
Published: January 2015

Background

Although smooth‐surface caries can be subjectively assessed by visual inspection, quantitative methods would improve the monitoring of these lesions.

Aim

To evaluate the in vitro performance of laser fluorescence devices, namely DIAGNOdent (LF) and DIAGNOdent pen (LFpen), and a fluorescence camera (VistaProof; FC) in the detection and quantification of smooth‐surface caries in primary teeth.

Design

Two examiners evaluated 99 smooth surfaces of 65 extracted primary molars using FC, LF, and LFpen. As a reference standard, the actual and relative lesion depths were determined using stereomicroscopy and polarized light microscopy. Reproducibilities were assessed, and correlation analyses were performed. The sensitivities, specificities, and accuracies of the methods were calculated and compared.

Results

There was a significant correlation between the values obtained using the fluorescence‐based devices and the actual and relative lesion depths, although the correlation coefficient values were not higher than 0.7 (LF, 0.673; LFpen, 0.646; FC, 0.663). The sensitivities of the devices were similar for the detection of enamel caries, although LFpen was superior in detecting dentin lesions. The reliabilities of all methods were moderate to low, with similar accuracies at all depths.

Conclusion

Although the fluorescence‐based devices showed similar performance in the detection of enamel and dentin lesions, the reliability of these devices and the correlation of their findings with the actual and relative lesion depths were moderate with regard to smooth‐surface caries in primary molars.
Malaria infection status predicts extra‐pair paternity in the blue tit
Authors: Podmokła Edyta , Dubiec Anna , Arct Aneta , Drobniak Szymon M. , Gustafsson Lars , Cichoń Mariusz
Published: January 2015

Extra‐pair matings comprise a common reproductive strategy among socially monogamous bird species. However, it remains unclear why females decide to mate with extra‐pair males. Indirect benefits in terms of improving offspring genetic quality are usually invoked to explain this phenomenon. Parasite resistance genes are often considered as a female target of seeking extra‐pair matings, but the direct test of this hypothesis is generally lacking.

Here, we report on a relationship between the status of infection with malaria parasites (Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) and occurrence of extra‐pair paternity in a wild population of the blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus inhabiting Gotland (Sweden). We found that the probability of extra‐pair paternity is significantly related to the infection status of social parents. Infected males showed higher probability of being cuckolded than uninfected ones. However, this was observed only among males mated to uninfected females. Thus, avian malaria may potentially contribute to explanation of extra‐pair mating behaviour.
Low‐budget ready‐to‐fly unmanned aerial vehicles: an effective tool for evaluating the nesting status of canopy‐breeding bird species
Authors: Weissensteiner M. H. , Poelstra J. W. , Wolf J. B. W.
Published: January 2015

Remotely controlled, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) promise to be of high potential for a variety of applications in ecological and behavioural research. Off‐the‐shelf solutions have recently become available for civil use at steeply decreasing costs. In this study, we explored the utility of an UAV equipped with an on‐board camera (14 megapixel photo and 1920 × 1080 pixel video resolution) in assessing the breeding status, offspring number and age of a canopy‐breeding bird species, the hooded crow Corvus [corone] cornix. We further quantified performance and potential time savings using the UAV versus inspection with alternative approaches (optical instruments, camera on a telescopic rod, tree climbing). Nesting status, number and approximate age of nestlings could be assessed with good success in all 24 attempts using the UAV. Eighty‐five percent of the time required for inspection by climbing could be saved. Disturbance was moderate and lower than caused by climbing or using a camera on a telescopic rod. Additionally, UAV usage avoided tree damage and circumvented health risks associated with tree‐climbing.
Latitudinal variation in resistance and tolerance to herbivory in the perennial herb Lythrum salicaria is related to intensity of herbivory and plant phenology
Authors: Lehndal L. , Ågren J.
Published: January 2015

Both the length of the growing season and the intensity of herbivory often vary along climatic gradients, which may result in divergent selection on plant phenology, and on resistance and tolerance to herbivory. In Sweden, the length of the growing season and the number of insect herbivore species feeding on the perennial herb Lythrum salicaria decrease from south to north. Previous common‐garden experiments have shown that northern L. salicaria populations develop aboveground shoots earlier in the summer and finish growth before southern populations do. We tested the hypotheses that resistance and tolerance to damage vary with latitude in L. salicaria and are positively related to the intensity of herbivory in natural populations. We quantified resistance and tolerance of populations sampled along a latitudinal gradient by scoring damage from natural herbivores and fitness in a common‐garden experiment in the field and by documenting oviposition and feeding preference by specialist leaf beetles in a glasshouse experiment. Plant resistance decreased with latitude of origin, whereas plant tolerance increased. Oviposition and feeding preference in the glasshouse and leaf damage in the common‐garden experiment were negatively related to damage in the source populations. The latitudinal variation in resistance was thus consistent with reduced selection from herbivores towards the northern range margin of L. salicaria. Variation in tolerance may be related to differences in the timing of damage in relation to the seasonal pattern of plant growth, as northern genotypes have developed further than southern have when herbivores emerge in early summer.
Parallel chemical switches underlying pollinator isolation in Asian Mitella
Authors: Okamoto T. , Okuyama Y. , Goto R. , Tokoro M. , Kato M.
Published: January 2015

Floral scents are among the key signals used by pollinators to navigate to specific flowers. Thus, evolutionary changes in scents should have strong impacts on plant diversification, although scent‐mediated plant speciation through pollinator shifts has rarely been demonstrated, despite being likely. To examine whether and how scent‐mediated plant speciation may have occurred, we investigated the Asimitellaria plant lineage using multidisciplinary approaches including pollinator observations, chemical analyses of the floral scents, electroantennographic analyses and behavioural bioassays with the pollinators. We also performed phylogenetically independent contrast analyses of the pollinator/floral scent associations. First, we confirmed that the pairs of the sympatric, cross‐fertile Asimitellaria species in three study sites consistently attract different pollinators, namely long‐tongued and short‐tongued fungus gnats. We also found that a stereoisomeric set of floral volatiles, the lilac aldehydes, could be responsible for the pollinator specificity. This is because the compounds consistently elicited responses in the antennae of the long‐tongued fungus gnats and had contrasting effects on the two pollinators, that is triggering the nectaring behaviour of long‐tongued fungus gnats while repelling short‐tongued fungus gnats in a laboratory experiment. Moreover, we discovered that volatile composition repeatedly switched in Asimitellaria between species adapted to long‐tongued and short‐tongued fungus gnats. Collectively, our results support the idea that recurrent scent‐mediated speciation has taken place in the Asimitellaria–fungus gnat system.
Self‐fertilization and inbreeding limit the scope for sexually antagonistic polymorphism
Authors: Tazzyman S. J. , Abbott J. K.
Published: January 2015

Sexual antagonism occurs when there is a positive intersexual genetic correlation in trait expression but opposite fitness effects of the trait(s) in males and females. As such, it constrains the evolution of sexual dimorphism and may therefore have implications for adaptive evolution. There is currently considerable evidence for the existence of sexually antagonistic genetic variation in laboratory and natural populations, but how sexual antagonism interacts with other evolutionary phenomena is still poorly understood in many cases. Here, we explore how self‐fertilization and inbreeding affect the maintenance of polymorphism for sexually antagonistic loci. We expected a priori that selfing should reduce the region of polymorphism, as inbreeding reduces the frequency of heterozygotes and speeds fixation. This expectation was supported, but although previous results suggest that the more an allele that is deleterious to one sex is dominant in that sex, the smaller the region of parameter space that will admit polymorphism, we found that this effect is weakened by self‐fertilization. However, the effect of inbreeding is not strong enough to completely cancel out the effect of dominance: For a given frequency of inbreeding, it will still be the case that the more dominant the alleles are in their deleterious context, the smaller the region of parameter space in which they can exist at polymorphism.
Does the European Financial Stability Facility Bail Out Sovereigns or Banks? An Event Study
Authors: HORVÁTH BÁLINT L. , HUIZINGA HARRY
Published: January 2015

On May 9, 2010 euro zone countries announced the creation of the European Financial Stability Facility. This paper investigates the impact of this announcement on bank share prices, bank credit default swap (CDS) spreads, and sovereign CDS spreads. The main private beneficiaries were bank creditors. Furthermore, countries with banking systems heavily exposed to southern Europe and Ireland benefited, as evidenced by lower sovereign CDS spreads. The combined gains of bank debt holders and shareholders exceed the increase in the value of their banks’ sovereign debt exposures, suggesting that banks saw their contingent claim on the financial safety net increase in value.
Case series of familial frontal fibrosing alopecia and a review of the literature
Authors: Navarro‐Belmonte María Rogelia , Navarro‐López Vicente , Ramírez‐Boscà Ana , Martínez‐Andrés Mª Asunción , Molina‐Gil Consuelo , González‐Nebreda Miguel , Asín‐Llorca Manuel
Published: January 2015

Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is a distinctive form of scarring alopecia presenting with partial eyebrow loss and frontal temporal parietal recession of the hairline. Its etiology remains unknown, and there is no definitive treatment. Information in familial cases of FFA is scarce. We conducted a retrospective cohort study describing the mean clinical findings, treatment, and also the mean differences between premenopausal and postmenopausal cases of familiar FFA. Data analysis from case was performed on eight patients with a familiar history and diagnosis of FFA seen at the Alicante Aesthetic Dermatology Centre between January 2009 and June 2014. All patients in this cohort were females. Mean age at onset was 65 year (range 60–75) in the postmenopausal patients and 39 year (range 33–47) in the premenopausal women. All menopausal patients were in an advanced stage when the disease had already developed in the frontal and/or temporal parietal hairline region. However, the daughters, all of them premenopausal age, attended the consultation with mild involvement of the eyebrows in all four cases and mild impairment of the frontal hairline in three of them. Specific clinical findings in familial FFA are poorly communicated until nowadays although the number of familial cases arises until 8% in the main case series published in recent years. Early diagnosis in premenopausal stage is frequent in our case series and allows us to begin the protocol treatment in the first stage of the disease, but long‐term progression will remain uncertain until a definitive treatment could be established by multicenter randomized controlled trials.
The Impact of Playworks on Boys' and Girls' Physical Activity During Recess
Authors: Bleeker Martha , Beyler Nicholas , James‐Burdumy Susanne , Fortson Jane
Published: January 2015

BACKGROUND

School‐based programs, such as Playworks, that guide students in organized activities during recess and make improvements to the recess play yard may lead to significant increases in physical activity—especially for girls. This study builds on past research by investigating the impact of Playworks separately for girls and boys.

METHODS

Twenty‐nine schools were randomly assigned to receive Playworks for 1 school year or serve as a control group. Postintervention physical activity data were collected via accelerometers and recess observations. Impacts were estimated separately for girls and boys using regression models.

RESULTS

Girls in Playworks schools had significantly higher accelerometer intensity counts and spent more time in vigorous physical activity than girls in control schools. No significant differences based on accelerometer data were found for boys. A significant impact was also found on the types of activities in which girls engaged during recess; girls in the treatment group were less likely than those in the control group to be sedentary and more likely to engage in jumping, tag, and playground games.

CONCLUSIONS

The current findings suggest that Playworks had a significant impact on some measures of girls' physical activity, but no significant impact on measures of boys' physical activity.
Upregulation of P-glycoprotein expression by ophthalmic drugs in different corneal in-vitro models
Authors: Verstraelen Jessica , Reichl Stephan
Published: January 2015

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to analyse P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression in different human in-vitro cornea models (HCE-T epithelial model and Hemicornea construct) after stimulation with P-gp substrates (rhodamine 123, levofloxacin and acebutolol).

Methods

The influence of P-gp substrates on mRNA expression was analysed using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time PCR. The effect of stimulation on the transporter functionality was estimated with a digoxin efflux assay. The Caco-2 cell line was used as positive control.

Key findings

The reverse transcriptase PCR results showed an increase in band intensity compared with the control medium for all substrates. The real-time PCR for the Caco-2 and HCE-T epithelial model yielded a similar outcome, in which all tested substrates upregulated P-gp. In contrast, the Hemicornea construct showed no significant increase in the mRNA expression after stimulation. Both in-vitro models possessed similar drug transport profiles after stimulation. A significantly increased efflux of digoxin was measured after 24 and 72 h of stimulation with levofloxacin and acebutolol.

Conclusions

The expression and functionality of the P-gp in corneal tissue can be influenced through time exposure with specific substrates. However, the exact mechanism still requires further elucidation.
The modulatory effects of caffeic acid on human monocytes and its involvement in propolis action
Authors: Búfalo Michelle Cristiane , Sforcin José Maurício
Published: January 2015

Objectives

Researchers have been interested in investigating the mechanisms of action of propolis and the compounds involved in its biological activity; however, the effect of its isolated constituents on human immune cells still deserves investigation. Thus, this study aimed to verify the action of caffeic acid on human monocytes in an attempt to verify its effects on the innate immunity, and to analyse its participation in propolis activity.

Methods

Monocytes viability was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method after incubation with caffeic acid. Cell markers expression by monocytes (Toll-like receptors (TLR)-2, TLR-4, human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR and CD80) was analysed by flow cytometry. TNF-α and IL-10 production was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the activity of monocytes against Candida albicans was investigated after incubation with different concentrations of caffeic acid.

Key findings

Caffeic acid downregulated TLR-2 and HLA-DR expression and inhibited cytokine production whereas it upregulated the fungicidal activity of monocytes, without affecting cell viability.

Conclusions

Caffeic acid exerted an immunomodulatory action in human monocytes in the evaluated parameters depending on concentration, with no cytotoxic effects. Moreover, it was partially involved in propolis action.
A quality by design approach to understand formulation and process variability in pharmaceutical melt extrusion processes
Authors: Patwardhan Ketaki , Asgarzadeh Firouz , Dassinger Thomas , Albers Jessica , Repka Michael A
Published: January 2015

Objectives

In this study, the principles of quality by design (QbD) have been uniquely applied to a pharmaceutical melt extrusion process for an immediate release formulation with a low melting model drug, ibuprofen.

Methods

Two qualitative risk assessment tools – Fishbone diagram and failure mode effect analysis – were utilized to strategically narrow down the most influential parameters. Selected variables were further assessed using a Plackett-Burman screening study, which was upgraded to a response surface design consisting of the critical factors to study the interactions between the study variables. In process torque, glass transition temperature (Tg) of the extrudates, assay, dissolution and phase change were measured as responses to evaluate the critical quality attributes (CQAs) of the extrudates. The effect of each study variable on the measured responses was analysed using multiple regression for the screening design and partial least squares for the optimization design.

Key findings

Experimental limits for formulation and process parameters to attain optimum processing have been outlined. A design space plot describing the domain of experimental variables within which the CQAs remained unchanged was developed.

Conclusions

A comprehensive approach for melt extrusion product development based on the QbD methodology has been demonstrated. Drug loading concentrations between 40- 48%w/w and extrusion temperature in the range of 90–130°C were found to be the most optimum.
Social and Healthcare Professionals' Experiences of Giving Support to Families Where the Mother Has an Intellectual Disability: Focus on Children
Authors: Weiber Ingrid , Tengland Per‐Anders , Berglund Johan , Eklund Mona
Published: January 2015

Families where the mother has an intellectual disability need support to counteract possible detrimental life circumstances for the children involved. The aim of this study was to describe social and healthcare professionals' experiences of providing support for families with maternal intellectual disability and specifically focused on if and how they believed the support practices benefited the children. Seven focus group interviews were performed with 29 professional informants. The transcripts were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Three themes were identified: “support practices,” “pedagogical strategies when supporting families with maternal intellectual disability,” and “maintaining the child perspective.” The support practices mainly dealt with parenting skills, which were addressed by a variety of teaching methods and practices, while the children were at risk of not being seen or heard.
Payment and Delivery of Case Management for Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Walker Melissa A.
Published: January 2015

In the United States, Medicaid is the primary source of funding for many services on which individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities depend. Case management, one such service, links individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to community‐based speech and language therapy, adaptive technology, medical care, and other support services. Case management can facilitate navigation in a complex system of care. State and federal concerns about the rising cost of Medicaid and case management have led to changes in payment methodologies. This analysis of one state's case management expenditure during 2007 and 2008 found payment changes were associated with a decrease in the average annual cost per person. Comparing these two years, the largest decrease in cost was found among children and youth, those individuals with less severe disabilities, and persons from ethnic/racial minorities. As such changes could delay early intervention, over time, they could have a negative effect on both cost and outcomes. While this is a case study of a single service in a large urban area of one state, the results may apply to other health and human services and to other locales where fee‐for‐service arrangements are used.
Acoustic radiation force impulse elastography of prostate and testes of healthy dogs: preliminary results
Authors: Feliciano M. A. R. , Maronezi M. C. , Simões A. P. R. , Uscategui R. R. , Maciel G. S. , Carvalho C. F. , Canola J. C. , Vicente W. R. R.
Published: January 2015

OBJECTIVES

To describe the use of acoustic radiation force impulse elastography to evaluate the prostate and testes in healthy dogs and establish reference values for these organs.

METHODS

Thirty dogs were divided into three groups according to their age: juvenile, adult and senior. Echotexture, size, contours and margins of prostate and testes were assessed via ultrasound. The presence of deformities and tissue stiffness (greyscale and homogeneous or heterogeneous) were evaluated by qualitative acoustic radiation force impulse. The shear velocity was evaluated quantitatively.

RESULTS

The B mode findings were normal. The qualitative elastography demonstrated that the testes and prostate tissues were hard, homogeneous and not pliable. The shear velocity values were: left testes – juveniles: 1·28 m/s, adults: 1·23 m/s and seniors: 1·23 m/s; right testes – juveniles: 1·28 m/s, adults: 1·28 m/s and seniors: 1·28 m/s; left prostatic lobe – juveniles: 1·74 m/s, adults: 2·03 m/s and seniors: 1·82 m/s; right prostatic lobe – juvenile: 1·62 m/s, adults: 1·87 m/s and seniors: 1·90 m/s with no significant differences between groups.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Acoustic radiation force impulse elastography of the testes and prostate in dogs was easily implemented. This study provides baseline data for these organs.
Spinal cord injury secondary to electrocution in a dog
Authors: Ros C. , de la Fuente C. , Pumarola M. , Añor S.
Published: January 2015

A 13‐year‐old, female spayed, crossbreed dog of 32 kg was presented for evaluation of peracute onset of non‐ambulatory tetraparesis after chewing an electrical wire. Neurological examination was consistent with a C1‐C5 myelopathy. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a focal intramedullary lesion over the C2‐C3 vertebral bodies, which was confirmed to be an acute focal necrotising poliomyelopathy with subarachnoid and subdural haemorrhages on postmortem examination. This report describes the clinical, imaging and histopathological findings of this unusual type of spinal cord injury, and the effects of electrocution in the central nervous system of dogs.
Treatment Satisfaction of Men and Partners Following Switch from On-Demand Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitor Therapy to Tadalafil 5 mg Once Daily
Authors: Burns Patrick R. , Rosen Raymond C. , Dunn Marian , Baygani Simin K. , Perelman Michael A.
Published: January 2015

Introduction

Treatment satisfaction of men receiving phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (PDE5) for erectile dysfunction (ED) and their partners is essential to successful long-term therapy.

Aim

This study aims to assess treatment satisfaction, in men with a partial response to on-demand (PRN) PDE5 and their female partners, following tadalafil 5 mg once daily or placebo.

Methods

The study was randomized, double-blind, parallel, and placebo-controlled in men primarily with mild to moderate ED. Treatment satisfaction was assessed following a 4-week maximum dose PRN lead-in, 4-week nondrug washout, and treatment through 12 weeks. Men were ≥18 years old with ED for ≥3 months and International Index of Erectile Function Erectile Function score of ≥17 and <26 at screening and <26 following PRN lead-in.

Main Outcome Measures

Treatment satisfaction was assessed using the Treatment Satisfaction Scale (TSS) for patients and partners. TSS domain scores range from 0 to 100, with higher values indicating greater satisfaction. Statistical comparisons were made using analysis of covariance.

Results

Treatment satisfaction was significantly greater with tadalafil once daily vs. placebo across all TSS domains for both patients and their partners (all P < 0.001). For patients, mean scores for the TSS domains Confidence to Complete Sexual Activity and Satisfaction with Orgasm ranged from 53.7 to 57.8 after the PRN lead-in and 26.7 to 31.9 following the nondrug washout. Following randomized treatment, scores for tadalafil and placebo were 55.4 and 32.6, respectively, for Confidence to Complete Sexual Activity and 57.5 and 37.9, respectively, for Satisfaction with Orgasm. Results were comparable for other TSS domains and between men and their partners.

Conclusions

Treatment satisfaction was comparable for tadalafil 5 mg once daily and PRN PDE5 for both patients and female partners, suggesting that tadalafil once daily is a viable therapy option for men with ED who had a partial response to PRN PDE5 therapy.
Associations between sleep parameters and food reward
Authors: McNeil Jessica , Cadieux Sébastien , Finlayson Graham , Blundell John E. , Doucet Éric
Published: January 2015

This study examined the effects of acute, isocaloric aerobic and resistance exercise on different sleep parameters, and whether changes in these sleep parameters between sessions were related to next morning food reward. Fourteen men and women (age: 21.9 ± 2.7 years; body mass index: 22.7 ± 1.9 kg m−²) participated in three randomized crossover sessions: aerobic exercise; resistance exercise; and sedentary control. Target exercise energy expenditure was matched at 4 kcal kg−1 of body weight, and performed at 70% of VO2peak or 70% of 1 repetition‐maximal. Sleep was measured (accelerometry) for 22 h following each session. The ‘wanting’ for visual food cues (validated computer task) was assessed the next morning. There were no differences in sleep parameters and food ‘wanting’ between conditions. Decreases in sleep duration and earlier wake‐times were significantly associated with increased food ‘wanting’ between sessions (P = 0.001). However, these associations were no longer significant after controlling for elapsed time between wake‐time and the food reward task. These findings suggest that shorter sleep durations and earlier wake‐times are associated with increased food reward, but these associations are driven by elapsed time between awakening and completion of the food reward task.
Pork‐Barreling without Reelection? Evidence from the Mexican Congress
Authors: Kerevel Yann P.
Published: January 2015

Previous research on term‐limited legislators suggests they have few incentives to engage in pork‐barreling. Using the case of Mexico, where all legislators are term‐limited, I find legislators participate in federal budget negotiations despite the lack of a reelection incentive. I argue term‐limited legislators are progressively ambitious and use interventions into the budget process to further their careers. I find legislators elected in single‐member districts submit more budget amendments than those elected through proportional representation, conditional on where they intend to pursue future office. I also find governors and gubernatorial elections influence the submission of budget amendments, which is related to gubernatorial influence over political careers.
Cosmogenic radionuclides and mineralogical properties of the Chelyabinsk (LL5) meteorite: What do we learn about the meteoroid?
Authors: Povinec Pavel P. , Laubenstein Matthias , Jull A. J. Timothy , Ferrière Ludovic , Brandstätter Franz , Sýkora Ivan , Masarik Jozef , Beňo Juraj , Kováčik Andrej , Topa Dan , Koeberl Christian
Published: January 2015

On February 15, 2013, after the observation of a brilliant fireball and a spectacular airburst over the southern Ural region (Russia), thousands of stones fell and were rapidly recovered, bringing some extremely fresh material for scientific investigations. We undertook a multidisciplinary study of a dozen stones of the Chelyabinsk meteorite, including petrographic and microprobe investigations to unravel intrinsic characteristics of this meteorite. We also study the short and long‐lived cosmogenic radionuclides to characterize the initial meteoroid size and exposure age. Petrographic observations, as well as the mineral compositions obtained by electron microprobe analyses, allow us to confirm the classification of the Chelyabinsk meteorite as an LL5 chondrite. The fragments studied, a few of which are impact melt rocks, contain abundant shock melt veins and melt pockets. It is likely that the catastrophic explosion and fragmentation of the Chelyabinsk meteoroid into thousands of stones was in part determined by the initial state of the meteoroid. The radionuclide results obtained show a wide range of concentrations of 14C, 22Na, 26Al, 54Mn, 57Co, 58Co, and 60Co, which indicate that the pre‐atmospheric object had a radius >5 m, consistent with other size estimates based on the magnitude of the airburst caused by the atmospheric entry and breakup of the Chelyabinsk meteoroid. Considering the observed 26Al activities of the investigated samples, Monte Carlo simulations, and taking into account the 26Al half‐life (0.717 Myr), the cosmic‐ray exposure age of the Chelyabinsk meteorite is estimated to be 1.2 ± 0.2 Myr. In contrast to the other radionuclides, 14C showed a very large range only consistent with most samples having been exposed to anthropogenic sources of 14C, which we associate with radioactive contamination of the Chelyabinsk region by past nuclear accidents and waste disposal, which has also been confirmed by elevated levels of anthropogenic 137Cs and primordial 40K in some of the Chelyabinsk fragments.
Nation and reproduction: immigrants and their children in population discourse in Italy
Authors: Decimo Francesca
Published: January 2015

Italian society is undergoing significant demographic changes: on one hand, the widespread decrease in birth rates and extended life expectancies lead to a substantial aging of the population; on the other hand, rising immigration rates constitute an important factor behind the renewal and growth of young population segments. According to conventional disciplinary divisions, such changes are the established domain of demography; however, it mainly draws on ethno‐national categories to investigate them. In reference to the Italian context, this article specifically highlights the way national demography employs forecasts and value judgments derived from a qualitative and selective definition of population to address the marked increase in children born to foreign parents. By examining the reproductive behaviours of migrants in Italy, the article thus offers a wide‐ranging reflection on the social boundaries that shape the formation of an ‘other’ generation.
From mycoheterotrophy to mutualism: mycorrhizal specificity and functioning in Ophioglossum vulgatum sporophytes
Authors: Field Katie J. , Leake Jonathan R. , Tille Stefanie , Allinson Kate E. , Rimington William R. , Bidartondo Martin I. , Beerling David J. , Cameron Duncan D.
Published: January 2015

Mycorrhizal functioning in the fern Ophioglossum is complex and poorly understood. It is unknown whether mature O. vulgatum sporophytes form mutualistic associations with fungi of the Glomeromycota and with what specificity. Are green sporophytes able to ‘repay’ fungal carbon (C) invested in them by mycorrhizal partners during the initially heterotrophic gametophyte and early sporophyte stages of the lifecycle?

We identified fungal partners of O. vulgatum sporophytes using molecular techniques and supplied them with 33P‐orthophosphate and O. vulgatum sporophytes with 14CO2. We traced the movement of fungal‐acquired nutrients and plant‐fixed C between symbionts and analysed natural abundance 13C and 15N isotope signatures to assess nutritional interactions.

We found fungal specificity of O. vulgatum sporophytes towards a mycorrhizal fungus closely related to Glomus macrocarpum. Our radioisotope tracers revealed reciprocal C‐for‐phosphorus exchange between fern sporophytes and fungal partners, despite competition from surrounding vegetation. Monocultures of O. vulgatum were enriched in 13C and 15N, providing inconclusive evidence of mycoheterotrophy when experiencing competition from the surrounding plant community.

We show mutualistic and specific symbiosis between a eusporangiate fern and fungi of the Glomeromycota. Our findings suggest a ‘take now, pay later’ strategy of mycorrhizal functioning through the lifecycle O. vulgatum, from mycoheterotrophic gametophyte to mutualistic aboveground sporophyte.
Functional diversity enhances the resistance of ecosystem multifunctionality to aridity in Mediterranean drylands
Authors: Valencia Enrique , Maestre Fernando T. , Le Bagousse‐Pinguet Yoann , Quero José Luis , Tamme Riin , Börger Luca , García‐Gómez Miguel , Gross Nicolas
Published: January 2015

We used a functional trait‐based approach to assess the impacts of aridity and shrub encroachment on the functional structure of Mediterranean dryland communities (functional diversity (FD) and community‐weighted mean trait values (CWM)), and to evaluate how these functional attributes ultimately affect multifunctionality (i.e. the provision of several ecosystem functions simultaneously).

Shrub encroachment (the increase in the abundance/cover of shrubs) is a major land cover change that is taking place in grasslands worldwide. Studies conducted on drylands have reported positive or negative impacts of shrub encroachment depending on the functions and the traits of the sprouting or nonsprouting shrub species considered.

FD and CWM were equally important as drivers of multifunctionality responses to both aridity and shrub encroachment. Size traits (e.g. vegetative height or lateral spread) and leaf traits (e.g. specific leaf area and leaf dry matter content) captured the effect of shrub encroachment on multifunctionality with a relative high accuracy (r2 = 0.63). FD also improved the resistance of multifunctionality along the aridity gradient studied.

Maintaining and enhancing FD in plant communities may help to buffer negative effects of ongoing global environmental change on dryland multifunctionality.
The molecular circuitry of brassinosteroid signaling
Authors: Belkhadir Youssef , Jaillais Yvon
Published: January 2015

Because they are tethered in space, plants have to make the most of their local growth environment. In order to grow in an ever‐changing environment, plants constantly remodel their shapes. This adaptive attribute requires the orchestration of complex environmental signals at the cellular and organismal levels. A battery of small molecules, classically known as phytohormones, allows plants to change their body plan by using highly integrated signaling networks and transcriptional cascades. Amongst these hormones, brassinosteroids (BRs), the polyhydroxylated steroid of plants, influence plant responsiveness to the local environment and exquisitely promote, or interfere with, many aspects of plant development. The molecular circuits that wire steroid signals at the cell surface to the promoters of thousands of genes in the nucleus have been defined in the past decade. This review recapitulates how the transduction of BR signals impacts the temporally unfolding programs of plant growth. First, we summarize the paradigmatic BR signaling pathway acting primarily in cellular expansion. Secondly, we describe the current wiring diagram and the temporal dynamics of the BR signal transduction network. And finally we provide an overview of how key players in BR signaling act as molecular gates to transduce BR signals onto other signaling pathways.

Contents

Summary
522

I.
Introduction
522

II.
Molecular mechanisms of BRI1 signaling
523

III.
BR signaling from the cell surface to the regulation of transcription
529

IV.
Ramification of BR signaling and impacts on plant development
534

V.
Concluding remarks
537

Acknowledgements
537

References
537
The nutrient economy of Lodoicea maldivica, a monodominant palm producing the world's largest seed
Authors: Edwards Peter J. , Fleischer‐Dogley Frauke , Kaiser‐Bunbury Christopher N.
Published: January 2015

The iconic Lodoicea maldivica palm appears to invest heavily in reproduction, with females bearing the world's largest seeds and males producing copious pollen. We asked how these palms, which grow in extremely poor soils, obtain sufficient nutrients to support such high levels of reproductive function.

Our study site was the Vallée de Mai UNESCO Site on Praslin, Seychelles. We measured the trees' allocations of dry matter, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to aboveground growth and reproduction, quantified stemflow and throughfall, and measured availabilities of N and P in the soil.

We show that the nutrient costs of reproduction are very high in male and female plants, and for P far exceed those of vegetative growth. We describe how the palm leaves form a huge funnel that intercepts particulate material, especially pollen, which is flushed to the base of the trunk when it rains. In this way, Lodoicea improves its nutrient supply and that of its dispersal‐limited offspring.

Lodoicea shares many functional characteristics with dominant trees of other monodominant forests in the humid tropics. It also exhibits unique features, including its huge seed, effective funnelling mechanism and diverse community of closely associated animals, suggesting a long evolutionary history under relatively stable conditions.
Plant phosphorus acquisition in a common mycorrhizal network: regulation of phosphate transporter genes of the Pht1 family in sorghum and flax
Authors: Walder Florian , Brulé Daphnée , Koegel Sally , Wiemken Andres , Boller Thomas , Courty Pierre‐Emmanuel
Published: January 2015

In a preceding microcosm study, we found huge differences in phosphorus (P) acquisition in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and flax (Linum usitatissimum) sharing a common mycorrhizal network (CMN). Is the transcriptional regulation of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM)‐induced inorganic orthophosphate (Pi) transporters responsible for these differences?

We characterized and analyzed the expression of Pi transporters of the Pht1 family in both plant species, and identified two new AM‐inducible Pi transporters in flax.

Mycorrhizal Pi acquisition was strongly affected by the combination of plant and AM fungal species. A corresponding change in the expression of two AM‐inducible Pht1 transporters was noticed in both plants (SbPT9, SbPT10, LuPT5 and LuPT8), but the effect was very weak.

Overall, the expression level of these genes did not explain why flax took up more Pi from the CMN than did sorghum. The post‐transcriptional regulation of the transporters and their biochemical properties may be more important for their function than the fine‐tuning of their gene expression.
Appetite control and energy balance: impact of exercise
Authors: Blundell J. E. , Gibbons C. , Caudwell P. , Finlayson G. , Hopkins M.
Published: January 2015

Exercise is widely regarded as one of the most valuable components of behaviour that can influence body weight and therefore help in the prevention and management of obesity. Indeed, long‐term controlled trials show a clear dose‐related effect of exercise on body weight. However, there is a suspicion, particularly fuelled by media reports, that exercise serves to increase hunger and drive up food intake thereby nullifying the energy expended through activity. Not everyone performing regular exercise will lose weight and several investigations have demonstrated a huge individual variability in the response to exercise regimes. What accounts for this heterogeneous response? First, exercise (or physical activity) through the expenditure of energy will influence the energy balance equation with the potential to generate an energy deficit. However, energy expenditure also influences the control of appetite (i.e. the physiological and psychological regulatory processes underpinning feeding) and energy intake. This dynamic interaction means that the prediction of a resultant shift in energy balance, and therefore weight change, will be complicated. In changing energy intake, exercise will impact on the biological mechanisms controlling appetite. It is becoming recognized that the major influences on the expression of appetite arise from fat‐free mass and fat mass, resting metabolic rate, gastric adjustment to ingested food, changes in episodic peptides including insulin, ghrelin, cholecystokinin, glucagon‐like peptide‐1 and Peptide YY, as well as tonic peptides such as leptin. Moreover, there is evidence that exercise will influence all of these components that, in turn, will influence the drive to eat through the modulation of hunger (a conscious sensation reflecting a mental urge to eat) and adjustments in postprandial satiety via an interaction with food composition. The specific actions of exercise on each physiological component will vary in strength from person to person (according to individual physiological characteristics) and with the intensity and duration of exercise. Therefore, individual responses to exercise will be highly variable and difficult to predict.
Cognitive behavioral therapy eases orthodontic pain: EEG states and functional connectivity analysis
Authors: Wang J , Wu D , Shen Y , Zhang Y , Xu Y , Tang X , Wang R
Published: January 2015

Objectives

To assess the effects of CBT on electroencephalogram activity in patients with orthodontic pain.

Methods

We recruited 24 young (18–28 years), healthy individuals with matched baseline characteristics, including pain intensity, anxiety levels, personality traits, and life‐quality scores. Participants were randomly assigned to either the CBT intervention group (n = 12) or the blank control group (n = 12). Multichannel continuous electroencephalogram signals and visual analog scale (VAS) scores were recorded before and after initial archwire placement for 1 week. A 1‐month follow‐up was conducted, when participants’ daily VAS scores were recorded.

Results

The overall EEG spectral power of the CBT group was lower than that of the control group, especially in the theta (4–7 Hz) and beta (14–30 Hz) bands during the treatment period. An enhanced coupling of theta and beta frequencies was observed in frontal and occipital electrodes, respectively. The EEG power in delta and theta bands correlated positively with pain intensity. Network coherence for the CBT group exhibited higher connectivity in the theta band.

Conclusions

Specific cerebral responses to CBT instructions could be detected with continuous electroencephalograms and related to orthodontic pain processing, which may provide a new insight in exploring CBT for orthodontic pain control.
Lack of Correlations between Electrophysiological and Anatomical‐Mechanical Atrial Remodeling in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: MAURY PHILIPPE , THOMSON EMILIE , ROLLIN ANNE , BERRY MATHIEU , COGNET THOMAS , DUPARC ALEXANDRE , MONDOLY PIERRE , GAUTIER MATHIEU , LAIREZ OLIVIER , MÉJEAN SIMON , MASSABUAU PIERRE , CARDIN CHRISTELLE , COMBES STÉPHANE , ALBENQUE JEAN‐PAUL , COMBES NICOLAS
Published: January 2015

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) progressively leads to electrical remodeling (ER) and anatomical‐mechanical remodeling (AR), whose relationships in humans remain poorly known.

Methods

ER and AR were compared in patients undergoing percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) ablation for AF. ER was defined by right and left appendage activation rates as a surrogate for atrial refractory periods. AR was approached by left atrial (LA) diameters and area and left atrial appendage (LAA) area and contractile function (mean emptying flow velocity) (LAAFV) before RF ablation. Mean duration between successive LAA contractions was considered as LAA mechanical rate.

Results

Forty‐one patients (31 men, age: 64 ± 9 years) with paroxysmal (27%), persistent (61%), or long‐persistent AF (12%) were prospectively included (ejection fraction: 44 ± 16%). Parameters exploring AR were highly correlated to each other: LA area (28 ± 7 cm2), LAA area (5.7 ± 2.25 cm2), LA transverse (49 ± 7 mm), and anteroposterior diameter (59 ± 13 mm) or LAAFV (29 ± 13 cm/s; P < 0.05 for each comparison). Parameters exploring ER were also highly correlated: right atrial appendage (RAA; 181 ± 39 ms) and LAA (176 ± 33 ms) activation rates (P < 0.0001). There was no significant correlation between any ER and AR parameter. Only LAA mechanical rate (174 ± 36 ms) was correlated to LAA or RAA activations rates (P ≤ 0.01).

Conclusion

ER and AR are not mutually related, atrial activation rate being not correlated to LA or LAA size or function. Thus, the mechanisms leading to AF‐induced atrial remodeling may differ for anatomical and electrophysiological aspects.
Improved management of childhood atopic dermatitis after individually tailored nurse consultations: A pilot study
Authors: Rolinck‐Werninghaus Claudia , Trentmann Marion , Reich Andreas , Lehmann Christine , Staab Doris
Published: January 2015

Background

For optimal therapy of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children, parent education for treatment strategies that consider the episodic course and multiple triggers is essential. Regular consultations with doctors often cannot appropriately provide this. Therefore, supplemental patient education tools have been established. We evaluate single nurse consultations, assessing their global benefit, parents' self‐confidence, and children's symptoms and sleep disturbance.

Methods

Parents of children with AD were invited for an individually tailored nurse consultation by the doctor initially consulted in cases where difficulties in implementing care recommendations were detected and established therapeutic patient education (TPE) group programmes were impracticable. Parents' estimation of their own self‐confidence, current disease severity and its treatment was assessed by a questionnaire at the consultation and by telephone 14 days later.

Results

Parents of 1628 children (mean age 1.7 yr) attended consultations in 22 centres (317‐6 patients; median 38). At follow‐up parents indicated a significantly increased self‐confidence to handle the recommendations and >90% rated the consultation highly supportive. The frequency of severe symptoms was significantly lower (20% of initial cases), as of moderate symptoms (50%). Median scores for sleep disruption and pruritus decreased by >50%.

Conclusions

Individually tailored single nurse consultations for AD are associated with a significant benefit for the families after 14 days. We recommend these in addition to the usual medical care in cases where participation in TPE programmes is impossible or a short‐time follow‐up is required. To substantiate their effect, studies with a long‐term follow‐up and a control group are warranted.