bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HsfB2b-mediated repression ofPRR7directs abiotic stress responses of the circadian clock
Authors: Kolmos Elsebeth , Chow Brenda Y. , Pruneda-Paz Jose L. , Kay Steve A.
Published: October 2014

Significance

The daily environmental changes in light and dark set the pace of the circadian clock, which at the molecular level is composed of transcription-based feedback loops. It is well known that temperature fluctuations affect the circadian clock, but the molecules involved remain largely undefined. We found that the heat shock transcription factor HsfB2b works in the repression of the morning clock genePRR7. We tested the properties of the circadian clock, and growth behavior, in thehsfB2bmutant and in transgenics with alteredHsfB2bexpression. Our results reveal thatHsfB2bexpression is important for accurate circadian rhythms following elevated temperature and/or salt treatment. Our work provides evidence of a molecular entry point for temperature signaling to the plant circadian clock.
Mutations in the EDR1 Gene Alter the Response of Arabidopsis thaliana to Phytophthora infestans and the Bacterial PAMPs flg22 and elf18
Authors: Geissler Katrin , Eschen-Lippold Lennart , Naumann Kai , Schneeberger Korbinian , Weigel Detlef , Scheel Dierk , Rosahl Sabine , Westphal Lore
Published: October 2014

Mechanistically, nonhost resistance of Arabidopsis thaliana against the oomycete Phytophthora infestans is not well understood. Besides PEN2 and PEN3, which contribute to penetration resistance, no further components have been identified so far. In an ethylmethane sulphonate–mutant screen, we mutagenized pen2-1 and screened for mutants with an altered response to infection by P. infestans. One of the mutants obtained, enhanced response to Phytophthora infestans6 (erp6), was analyzed. Whole-genome sequencing of erp6 revealed a single nucleotide polymorphism in the coding region of the kinase domain of At1g08720, which encodes the putative MAPKKK ENHANCED DISEASE RESISTANCE1 (EDR1). We demonstrate that three independent lines with knock-out alleles of edr1 mount an enhanced response to P. infestans inoculation, mediated by increased salicylic acid signaling and callose deposition. Moreover, we show that the single amino acid substitution in erp6 causes the loss of in vitro autophosphorylation activity of EDR1. Furthermore, growth inhibition experiments suggest a so-far-unknown involvement of EDR1 in the response to the pathogen-associated molecular patterns flg22 and elf18. We conclude that EDR1 contributes to the defense response of A. thaliana against P. infestans. Our data position EDR1 as a negative regulator in postinvasive nonhost resistance.
Endemic and widespread coral reef fishes have similar mitochondrial genetic diversity
Authors: Delrieu-Trottin Erwan , Maynard Jeffrey , Planes Serge
Published: October 2014

Endemic species are frequently assumed to have lower genetic diversity than species with large distributions, even if closely related. This assumption is based on research from the terrestrial environment and theoretical evolutionary modelling. We test this assumption in the marine environment by analysing the mitochondrial genetic diversity of 33 coral reef fish species from five families sampled from Pacific Ocean archipelagos. Surprisingly, haplotype and nucleotide diversity did not differ significantly between endemic and widespread species. The probable explanation is that the effective population size of some widespread fishes locally is similar to that of many of the endemics. Connectivity across parts of the distribution of the widespread species is probably low, so widespread species can operate like endemics at the extreme or isolated parts of their range. Mitochondrial genetic diversity of many endemic reef fish species may not either limit range size or be a source of vulnerability.
Equity or equality? Moral judgments follow the money
Authors: DeScioli Peter , Massenkoff Maxim , Shaw Alex , Petersen Michael Bang , Kurzban Robert
Published: October 2014

Previous research emphasizes people's dispositions as a source of differences in moral views. We investigate another source of moral disagreement, self-interest. In three experiments, participants played a simple economic game in which one player divides money with a partner according to the principle of equality (same payoffs) or the principle of equity (payoffs proportional to effort expended). We find, first, that people's moral judgment of an allocation rule depends on their role in the game. People not only prefer the rule that most benefits them but also judge it to be more fair and moral. Second, we find that participants' views about equality and equity change in a matter of minutes as they learn where their interests lie. Finally, we find limits to self-interest: when the justification for equity is removed, participants no longer show strategic advocacy of the unequal division. We discuss implications for understanding moral debate and disagreement.
Hanstruepera neustonica gen. nov., sp. nov., a zeaxanthin-producing member of the family Flavobacteriaceae isolated from estuarine water, and emendation of Sediminibacter
furfurosus Khan et al. 2007 emend. Kwon et al. 2014, Mangrovimonas yunxiaonensis Li et al. 2013, Antarcticimonas flava Yang et al. 2009 and Hoppeia youngheungensis Kwon et al. 2014
Authors: Hameed Asif , Shahina Mariyam , Lai Wei-An , Lin Shih-Yao , Liu You-Cheng , Hsu Yi-Han , Young Chiu-Chung
Published: October 2014

A Gram-staining-negative, strictly aerobic, yellowish-orange, flexirubin-positive, rod-shaped, non-flagellated, non-spore-forming and non-gliding marine bacterium, designated strain CC-PY-50T, was isolated from estuarine water off Pingtung, Taiwan. The strain produced zeaxanthin as a major carotenoid pigment, and showed highest pairwise 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to

Bizionia hallyeonensis

T-y7T (93.9 %) followed by

Corallibacter vietnamensis

KMM 6217T (93.8 %),

Geojedonia litorea

YCS-16T (93.7 %) and other members of the family

Flavobacteriaceae

(<93.7 %). Strain CC-PY-50T established a distinct phyletic lineage associated with

Mangrovimonas yunxiaonensis

LYYY01T (93.1 % sequence similarity) with poor bootstrap support during neighbour-joining and maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analyses (37 % for each). The polar lipid profile of strain CC-PY-50T was determined to accommodate large numbers of unknown lipids including major amounts of three unidentified aminolipids and two unidentified lipids, and moderate amounts of an unidentified phospholipid, an unidentified glycolipid and an unidentified lipid. In addition, phosphatidylethanolamine was also detected in significant amounts. The major (>5 % of total) fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 1 G, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH, C16 : 0 and C16 : 1ω6c and/or C16 : 1ω7c. The DNA G+C content was 37.1 mol% and menaquinone-6 (MK-6) was the sole respiratory quinone. Based on the phylogenetic evidence and several distinguishing phenotypic and chemotaxonomic features, strain CC-PY-50T is proposed to represent a novel genus and species of the family

Flavobacteriaceae

, for which the name Hanstruepera neustonica gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the type species Hanstruepera neustonica gen. nov., sp. nov. is CC-PY-50T ( = JCM 19743T = BCRC 80747T). Emended descriptions of the species

Sediminibacter furfurosus

,

Mangrovimonas yunxiaonensis

,

Antarcticimonas flava

and

Hoppeia youngheungensis

are also proposed.
Pantanalinema gen. nov. and Alkalinema gen. nov.: novel pseudanabaenacean genera (Cyanobacteria) isolated from saline–alkaline lakes
Authors: Vaz Marcelo Gomes Marçal Vieira , Genuário Diego Bonaldo , Andreote Ana Paula Dini , Malone Camila Francieli Silva , Sant’Anna Célia Leite , Barbiero Laurent , Fiore Marli Fátima
Published: October 2014

The genus

Leptolyngbya

Anagnostidis & Komárek (1988) was described from a set of strains identified as ‘LPP-group B’. The morphology within this group is not particularly informative and underestimates the group’s genetic diversity. In the present study, two new pseudanabaenacean genera related to

Leptolyngbya

morphotypes, Pantanalinema gen. nov. and Alkalinema gen. nov., are described under the provisions of the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi and Plants, based on a polyphasic approach. Pantanalinema gen. nov. (type species Pantanalinema rosaneae sp. nov.) has sheaths and trichomes with slight gliding motility, which distinguish this genus from Alkalinema gen. nov. (type species Alkalinema pantanalense sp. nov.), which possesses trichomes arranged in an ornate (interwoven) pattern. 16S rRNA gene sequences of strains of Pantanalinema and Alkalinema exhibited low identity to each other (≤91.6 %) and to other sequences from known pseudanabaenacean genera (≤94.3 and 93.7 %, respectively). In a phylogenetic reconstruction, six sequences from strains of Pantanalinema and four from strains of Alkalinema formed two separate and robust clades (99 % bootstrap value), with the genera Oculatella and Phormidesmis, respectively, as the closest related groups. 16S–23S rRNA intergenic spacer sequences and secondary structures of strains of Pantanalinema and Alkalinema did not correspond to any previous descriptions. The strains of Pantanalinema and Alkalinema were able to survive and produce biomass at a range of pH (pH 4–11) and were also able to alter the culture medium to pH values ranging from pH 8.4 to 9.9. These data indicate that cyanobacterial communities in underexplored environments, such as the Pantanal wetlands, are promising sources of novel taxa.
A role for vaccinia virus protein C16 in reprogramming cellular energy metabolism
Authors: Mazzon Michela , Castro Cecilia , Roberts Lee D. , Griffin Julian L. , Smith Geoffrey L.
Published: October 2014

Vaccinia virus (VACV) is a large DNA virus that replicates in the cytoplasm and encodes about 200 proteins of which approximately 50 % may be non-essential for viral replication. These proteins enable VACV to suppress transcription and translation of cellular genes, to inhibit the innate immune response, to exploit microtubule- and actin-based transport for virus entry and spread, and to subvert cellular metabolism for the benefit of the virus. VACV strain WR protein C16 induces stabilization of the hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF)-1α by binding to the cellular oxygen sensor prolylhydroxylase domain-containing protein (PHD)2. Stabilization of HIF-1α is induced by several virus groups, but the purpose and consequences are unclear. Here, 1H-NMR spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry are used to investigate the metabolic alterations during VACV infection in HeLa and 2FTGH cells. The role of C16 in such alterations was examined by comparing infection to WT VACV (strain WR) and a derivative virus lacking gene C16L (vΔC16). Compared with uninfected cells, VACV infection caused increased nucleotide and glutamine metabolism. In addition, there were increased concentrations of glutamine derivatives in cells infected with WT VACV compared with vΔC16. This indicates that C16 contributes to enhanced glutamine metabolism and this may help preserve tricarboxylic acid cycle activity. These data show that VACV infection reprogrammes cellular energy metabolism towards increased synthesis of the metabolic precursors utilized during viral replication, and that C16 contributes to this anabolic reprogramming of the cell, probably via the stabilization of HIF-1α.
Developing and testing SCoP – a visual hash scheme
Authors: Maina Olembo M. , Kilian Timo , Stockhardt Simon , Hülsing Andreas , Volkamer Melanie
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study was to develop and test SCoP. Users find comparing long meaningless strings of alphanumeric characters difficult. While visual hashes – where users compare images rather than strings – have been proposed as an alternative, people are unable to sufficiently distinguish more than 30 bits, which does not provide adequate security against collision attacks. Our goal is to improve the situation.

Design/methodology/approach

– A visual hash scheme was developed using shapes, colours, patterns and position parameters. It was evaluated in a series of pilot user studies and improved iteratively, leading to SCoP, which encodes 60 distinguishable bits. We tested SCoP further in two follow-up studies, simulating verifying in remote electronic voting and https certificate validation.

Findings

– Participants attained an average accuracy rate of 97 per cent with SCoP when comparing two visual hash images, one placed above the other. From the follow-up studies, SCoP was seen to be more promising for the https certificate validation use case, with direct image comparison, while a low average accuracy rate in simulating verifiability in remote electronic voting limits its applicability in an image-recall use case.

Research limitations/implications

– Participants achieved high accuracy rates in unrealistic situations, where the images appeared on the screen at the same time and in the same size. Studies in more realistic situations are therefore necessary.

Originality/value

– We identify a visual hash scheme encoding a higher number of distinguishable bits than previously reported in literature, and extend the testing to realistic scenarios.
Gender prejudice in the research world: female researchers in a conflict zone, Kashmir
Authors: Ahmad Kaw Mushtaq , Ahmad Suhail
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The research world is full of women who have explored the scientific world and given their best to humanity. Kashmir, known for its conflict rather than its beauty now, has also given birth to a number of women researchers who have excelled in their respective fields. The study attempts to explore the contributions to the scientific world of women from the University of Kashmir, one of the leading institutions of Kashmir. The research contributions of women from a conflict zone, Kashmir, have been taken into account in the study.

Methodology

– The data related to the women researchers of Kashmir were extracted from the largest citation and abstract database of peer-reviewed literature, Elsevier’s Scopus, which features smart tools that track, analyse and visualise research from varied dimensions.

Findings

– The study reveals the effect of conflict on women in the scientific world. The findings show that there are significant differences by gender in terms of research productivity in a conflict region. Furthermore, in the present context, a changing trend is seen as women researchers also show involvement in the scientific world which, if taken seriously, can help in developing a better and more promising feminist research world.

Practical Implications

– The study can help in laying down the real picture and status of women researchers in a conflict zone. The study urges that governments in conflict zones should take steps to popularise investment in women’s education and research programmes to better equip and motivate women researchers.

Originality/value

– Further research can be carried out to discover the problems faced by women researchers in a conflict zone.
Emerging Web 2.0 applications in open access scholarly journals in the field of agriculture and food sciences
Authors: Gul Sumeer , Ahmad Shah Tariq , Tun Nisa Nahida
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The study aims to focus on the application of Web 2.0 tools in Agriculture and Food Sciences open access journals. The changing trends in scholarly publishing processes have revolutionised the academic world. The shifting of academic journals to open access mode has been on the rise because of the numerous benefits associated with it. The high level of profitability reaped from open access titles has forced them to experiment with new and innovative technologies, including Web 2.0. The new shift in the form of Web 2.0 has sifted in to the open access journal world. Open access journals in the field of Agriculture and Food Sciences are growing and so are the features and functionalities within them. Because of these new innovative tools there is an urgent need to focus on their adoption.

Design/methodology/approach

– Directory of Open Access Journals, being one of the growing open access journal directories, was selected for the purpose of data gathering. The journals selected for the study included those titles which were currently active.

Findings

– The open access journal landscape in the field of Agriculture and Food Sciences is influenced by the Web 2.0 revolution. The degree of experimenting with Web 2.0 in open access journals in Agriculture and Food Sciences is evident and can prove an excellent platform for the dissemination of agricultural information in a more advanced mode.

Researchlimitations/implications

– The study will be helpful for journal administrators who belong to the field of Agriculture and Food Sciences to know the actual status of Web 2.0 adoption by the journals in their field. The study can also be helpful for journal administrators for the adoption of Web 2.0 tools to achieve a better, more innovative and interactive scholarly platform. It will also enable us to know how the new pioneering technology – Web 2.0 – can help to explore new innovative ways of managing information in the scholarly world in general and the Agriculture and Food Sciences discipline in particular.

Originality/value

– The study can be extended to harness the effects of Web 2.0 on the research activities of the scholars associated with various disciplines of Agriculture and Food Sciences. How Agricultural scientists make use of Web 2.0 for sharing and exchange of information for their academic development can also be researched. The impact of Web 2.0 tools on the citation counts of open access journals can also be studied.
The economic theory of the firm as a foundation for international business theory
Authors: Casson Mark
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to argue that management capability is a complement to ownership advantage. Ownership advantage determines the potential of the firm, and management capability governs the fulfilment of this potential through overcoming barriers to growth. The economic theory of the firm is central to the theory of the multinational enterprise (MNE).

Design/methodology/approach

– Multinationals play an important role in coordinating the international division of labour through internal markets. The paper reviews the economic principles that underlie this view. The analysis is applied to a variety of issues, including out-sourcing, geographical dispersion of production and regional specialisation in marketing.

Findings

– The economic theory of the firm is central to the theory of the MNE. Recent literature on multinationals, however, makes only limited reference to the economic theory of the firm. Optimal internalisation equates marginal benefits and costs. The benefits of internalisation stem mainly from the difficulties of licensing proprietary knowledge, reflecting the view that MNEs possess an “ownership” or “firm-specific” advantage. The costs of internalisation, it is argued, reflect managerial capability, and in particular the capability to manage a large firm.

Originality/value

– The paper demonstrates the value of the economic theory of the firm in analysing the strategy, structure and size of multinational firms. It restates classic economic principles and applies them to contemporary issues, including the performance and survival of multinational firms in current times.
Methodological Nationalism, Migration and Political Theory
Authors: Sager Alex
Published: October 2014

The political theory of migration has largely occurred within a paradigm of methodological nationalism and this has led to the neglect of morally salient agents and causes. This article draws on research from the social sciences on the transnationalism, globalization and migration systems theory to show how methodological nationalist assumptions have affected the views of political theorists on membership, culture and distributive justice. In particular, it is contended that methodological nationalism has prevented political theorists of migration from addressing the roles of non-state agents and of transnational economic, social and political structures. These agents and structures contribute to the asymmetrical distribution of goods and opportunities and thus have important implications for debates about migration and distributive justice.
Beautifying the Slum: Cable Car Fetishism in Cazucá, Colombia
Authors: Álvarez Rivadulla María José , Bocarejo Diana
Published: October 2014

The installation of cable cars as part of slum beautification projects has begun to circulate among politicians, planners and residents as a magical solution that offers social and economic integration to historically marginalized urban areas. This paper analyzes the way in which a cable car project became a fetish for the inhabitants, politicians and planners ofCazucá, a very deprived, abandoned and stigmatized area on the outskirts ofBogotá,Colombia. The highly positive value given to the cable car project must be understood within the specific local context without judging its ‘false promises’ a priori. The promise of the cable car inCazucá reveals at least two crucial political reasons for the current potency of such projects: a complex history of political failures and the political value cable cars have acquired nationally and internationally. We analyze how, for both residents and politicians, the mere possibility of a cable car awakened long neglected desires for visibility and created new ones, such as those related to tourism. They see the cable car as an ‘engine for social change’, a way to ensure the commitment of national and international funds, and a venue to brand the city on a global scale.
Spatial Imaginaries of the Dutch–German–Belgian Borderlands: A Multidimensional Analysis of Cross‐Border Regional Governance
Authors: Varró Krisztina
Published: October 2014

Parallel to the proliferation of cross‐border regional cooperation initiatives in the European Union, increasing scholarly attention has been given to conceptualizing cross‐border governance in recent decades. In line with the recognition that cross‐border regions have not undermined the significance of nation‐state spaces but have added to their complexity, conceptual frameworks of analysis have become more and more refined. However, studies still tend to be framed in one spatial grammar, that of territory, scale or network, and fail to consider the ways in which these different dimensions become interlocked. The aim of this article is to address this lack by developing a multidimensional perspective, in order to finally circumvent state‐centric thinking on cross‐border regions and to offer a more nuanced account of whether and how new imaginaries of spatial governance institutionalize. These arguments are demonstrated by means of a case study of cross‐border regional governance in the Dutch–German–Belgian borderlands.
Judging politicians: The role of political attentiveness in shaping how people evaluate the ethical behaviour of their leaders
Authors: Birch Sarah , Allen Nicholas
Published: October 2014

Political theorists have developed well‐defined normative understandings of what constitutes ethical political conduct. Based on democratic theory as well as the demands of practical politics, these understandings prescribe certain types of behaviour and proscribe other types. However, it is unclear to what extent this normative framework has resonance for ordinary citizens. This article demonstrates that attention to politics tends to increase the resonance of this normative framework. The analysis identifies three norms about the holding of public office that are expected to structure citizens' ethical judgments: the avoidance of conflicts of interest; conformity with the law or institutional rules; and the maximisation of the public good. The article assesses the importance of these norms in structuring judgments by means of an experiment embedded in a population survey conducted in Great Britain. The analysis finds that informational cues pertaining to conflict‐of‐interest avoidance only condition responses among the attentive, while information pertaining to law conformity has far wider resonance. This finding has implications for approaches to political ethics focusing on normative considerations that appear to have low salience for much of the general public.
From ‘Tiger’ to ‘PIIGS’: Ireland and the use of heuristics in comparative political economy
Authors: Brazys Samuel , Hardiman Niamh
Published: October 2014

This article analyses the consequences of the narrative construction of the group of countries that has been grouped as ‘PIIGS’ (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain) for their sovereign debt risk rating. Acronyms for groups of countries can provide a useful shorthand to capture emergent similarities in economic profile and prospects. But they can also lead to misleading narratives, since the grounds for use of these terms as heuristic devices are usually not well elaborated. This article examines the process whereby the ‘PIIGS’ group came into being, traces how Ireland became a member of this grouping, and assesses the merits of classifying these countries together. The contention is that the repetition of the acronym in public debate did indeed shape the behaviour of market actors toward these countries. It is argued that this involved a co‐constituting process: similarities in market treatment drives PIIGS usage, which in turn promotes further similarities in market treatment. Evidence is found of Granger causality, such that increased media usage of the term ‘PIIGS’ is followed by increased changes in Irish bond yields. This demonstrates the constitutive role of perceptions and discourse in interpreting the significance of economic fundamentals. The use of acronyms as heuristics has potentially far‐reaching consequences in the financial markets.
Land Tenure, Tenure Security and Farm Efficiency: Panel Evidence from the Philippines
Authors: Michler Jeffrey D. , Shively Gerald E.
Published: October 2014

This article tests the relationships among formalised property rights, land tenure contracts and productive efficiency in farming. Using four rounds of panel data from 230 rice farms in the Philippines, we measure the effects of land tenure arrangements on farm efficiency using a stochastic production frontier model. We test for the allocative efficiency of observed land rental markets. We also test how land tenure security affects farmers' investment decisions. Results suggest that, despite the presence of formalised titles, the rental market remains inefficient at allocating land. In contrast, the unformalised tenure contracts used by farmers appear to provide tenure security.
Subcontracting and competitive bidding on incomplete procurement contracts
Authors: Miller Daniel P.
Published: October 2014

This article examines the impact of incomplete contracts on subcontracting and the design of procurement auctions. I estimate the effect of ex post contract revisions on unit costs for both subcontracted and in‐house performed work items on bridge projects procured by the California Department of Transportation. I model a scoring auction showing how ex post revisions skew bidding decisions and estimate unit costs from bid data using the method of sieve estimation. The results highlight the cost implications of incomplete contracting frictions, subcontracting decisions, and bidding distortions. In conclusion, I propose alternative auction mechanisms that could improve outcomes.
A Nationwide Register‐Based Survey of Baclofen Toxicity
Authors: Kiel Louise Bendix , Hoegberg Lotte Christine Groth , Jansen Tejs , Petersen John Asger , Dalhoff Kim Peder
Published: October 2014

To study the use and misuse (poisonings) of baclofen in the time period of 2007–2012 and to evaluate the severity and clinical symptoms of poisonings including ingested baclofen. The National Patient Register (NPR) was searched for admissions due to baclofen poisonings from 2007 to 2012. The search was conducted with ICD‐10 codes for poisoning, self‐harm and suicide, and coupled with the baclofen ATC code. All enquiries about baclofen to the Danish Poison Information Centre (DPIC) in the same period were evaluated. Demographic and clinical data were extracted, and the poisonings were classified according to the Poison Severity Score. The number of baclofen poisonings did not increase from 2007 to 2012. Thirty‐eight admissions with baclofen poisoning were registered at the NPR; however, only one‐third of the reviewed DPIC cases were registered at the NPR with the correct coding. In the group of severely poisoned patients (PSS 3), three patients had only ingested baclofen (mean 2000 mg; SD 500 mg) and eight patients had ingested baclofen together with alcohol or psychotropic drugs (mean 900 mg; SD 641 mg). All patients presented with deep coma and respiratory depression. Additionally, seizures and cardiovascular events (mild hypo‐ or hypertension and bradycardia) occurred. There is a substantial degree of underreporting of baclofen poisonings in Denmark. Symptoms of baclofen poisoning progress very fast, and toxicity was observed even with doses as low as 150 mg. We therefore recommend that observation and treatment of these patients should be carried out in an intermediate‐ or intensive care unit. The most important treatment is the maintenance of a protected airway and respiration.
Robust meta‐analytic‐predictive priors in clinical trials with historical control information
Authors: Schmidli Heinz , Gsteiger Sandro , Roychoudhury Satrajit , O'Hagan Anthony , Spiegelhalter David , Neuenschwander Beat
Published: October 2014

Historical information is always relevant for clinical trial design. Additionally, if incorporated in the analysis of a new trial, historical data allow to reduce the number of subjects. This decreases costs and trial duration, facilitates recruitment, and may be more ethical. Yet, under prior‐data conflict, a too optimistic use of historical data may be inappropriate. We address this challenge by deriving a Bayesian meta‐analytic‐predictive prior from historical data, which is then combined with the new data. This prospective approach is equivalent to a meta‐analytic‐combined analysis of historical and new data if parameters are exchangeable across trials. The prospective Bayesian version requires a good approximation of the meta‐analytic‐predictive prior, which is not available analytically. We propose two‐ or three‐component mixtures of standard priors, which allow for good approximations and, for the one‐parameter exponential family, straightforward posterior calculations. Moreover, since one of the mixture components is usually vague, mixture priors will often be heavy‐tailed and therefore robust. Further robustness and a more rapid reaction to prior‐data conflicts can be achieved by adding an extra weakly‐informative mixture component. Use of historical prior information is particularly attractive for adaptive trials, as the randomization ratio can then be changed in case of prior‐data conflict. Both frequentist operating characteristics and posterior summaries for various data scenarios show that these designs have desirable properties. We illustrate the methodology for a phase II proof‐of‐concept trial with historical controls from four studies. Robust meta‐analytic‐predictive priors alleviate prior‐data conflicts ' they should encourage better and more frequent use of historical data in clinical trials.
Development and validation of a generic scale for use in transition programmes to measure self‐management skills in adolescents with chronic health conditions: the TRANSITION‐Q
Authors: Klassen A. F. , Grant C. , Barr R. , Brill H. , Kraus de Camargo O. , Ronen G. M. , Samaan M. C. , Mondal T. , Cano S. J. , Schlatman A. , Tsangaris E. , Athale U. , Wickert N. , Gorter J. W.
Published: October 2014

Aim

To develop a generic self‐management skills scale for use with adolescents diagnosed with a chronic health condition who are aged 12 to 18 years.

Background

There is a lack of methodologically sound scales for healthcare teams to use to measure self‐management skills in adolescents with chronic conditions transitioning to adult care.

Methods

Adolescents aged 12 to 18 years with a broad range of chronic health conditions, including neurodevelopmental conditions, were recruited from May to August 2013 from nine outpatient clinics at McMaster Children's Hospital (Canada). Thirty‐two participated in a cognitive interview, and 337 completed a questionnaire booklet. Interviews were used to develop the TRANSITION‐Q. Rasch measurement theory (RMT) analysis was used to identify items that represent the best indicators of self‐management skills. Traditional psychometric tests of measurement performance were also conducted.

Results

The response rate was 92% (32/32 cognitive; 337/371 field test). RMT analysis resulted in a 14‐item scale with three response options. The overall fit of the observed data to that expected by the Rasch model was non‐significant, providing support that this new scale measured a unidimensional construct. Other tests supported the scale as scientifically sound, e.g. Person Separation Index = 0.82; good item fit statistics; no differential item function by age or gender; low residual correlations between items; Cronbach's alpha = 0.85; test‐retest reliability = 0.90; and tests of construct validity that showed, as hypothesized, fewer skills in younger participants and in participants who required assistance to complete the scale. Finally, participants who agreed they are ready to transfer to adult healthcare reported higher TRANSITION‐Q scores than did participants who disagreed.

Conclusions

The TRANSITION‐Q is a short, clinically meaningful and psychometrically sound scale. This generic scale can be used in research and in paediatric and adolescent clinics to help evaluate readiness for transition.
A protocol for eliciting nonmaterial values through a cultural ecosystem services frame
Authors: Gould Rachelle K. , Klain Sarah C. , Ardoin Nicole M. , Satterfield Terre , Woodside Ulalia , Hannahs Neil , Daily Gretchen C. , Chan Kai M.
Published: October 2014

Stakeholders’ nonmaterial desires, needs, and values often critically influence the success of conservation projects. These considerations are challenging to articulate and characterize, resulting in their limited uptake in management and policy. We devised an interview protocol designed to enhance understanding of cultural ecosystem services (CES). The protocol begins with discussion of ecosystem‐related activities (e.g., recreation, hunting) and management and then addresses CES, prompting for values encompassing concepts identified in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) and explored in other CES research. We piloted the protocol in Hawaii and British Columbia. In each location, we interviewed 30 individuals from diverse backgrounds. We analyzed results from the 2 locations to determine the effectiveness of the interview protocol in elucidating nonmaterial values. The qualitative and spatial components of the protocol helped characterize cultural, social, and ethical values associated with ecosystems in multiple ways. Maps and situational, or vignette‐like, questions helped respondents articulate difficult‐to‐discuss values. Open‐ended prompts allowed respondents to express a diversity of ecosystem‐related values and proved sufficiently flexible for interviewees to communicate values for which the protocol did not explicitly probe. Finally, the results suggest that certain values, those mentioned frequently throughout the interview, are particularly salient for particular populations. The protocol can provide efficient, contextual, and place‐based data on the importance of particular ecosystem attributes for human well‐being. Qualitative data are complementary to quantitative and spatial assessments in the comprehensive representation of people's values pertaining to ecosystems, and this protocol may assist in incorporating values frequently overlooked in decision making processes.
Improving supplementary feeding in species conservation
Authors: Ewen John G. , Walker Leila , Canessa Stefano , Groombridge Jim J.
Published: October 2014

Supplementary feeding is often a knee‐jerk reaction to population declines, and its application is not critically evaluated, leading to polarized views among managers on its usefulness. Here, we advocate a more strategic approach to supplementary feeding so that the choice to use it is clearly justified over, or in combination with, other management actions and the predicted consequences are then critically assessed following implementation. We propose combining methods from a set of specialist disciplines that will allow critical evaluation of the need, benefit, and risks of food supplementation. Through the use of nutritional ecology, population ecology, and structured decision making, conservation managers can make better choices about what and how to feed by estimating consequences on population recovery across a range of possible actions. This structured approach also informs targeted monitoring and more clearly allows supplementary feeding to be integrated in recovery plans and reduces the risk of inefficient decisions. In New Zealand, managers of the endangered Hihi (Notiomystis cincta) often rely on supplementary feeding to support reintroduced populations. On Kapiti island the reintroduced Hihi population has responded well to food supplementation, but the logistics of providing an increasing demand recently outstretched management capacity. To decide whether and how the feeding regime should be revised, managers used a structured decision making approach informed by population responses to alternative feeding regimes. The decision was made to reduce the spatial distribution of feeders and invest saved time in increasing volume of food delivered into a smaller core area. The approach used allowed a transparent and defendable management decision in regard to supplementary feeding, reflecting the multiple objectives of managers and their priorities.
Does a Nintendo Wii exercise program provide similar exercise demands as a traditional pulmonary rehabilitation program in adults with COPD?
Authors: LeGear Tyler , LeGear Mark , Preradovic Dejan , Wilson Geoffrey , Kirkham Ashley , Camp Pat G.
Published: October 2014

Background and Aims

The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) population can experience lower activity and fitness levels than the non‐COPD population. The Nintendo Wii may be an appropriate at‐home training device for the COPD population, which could be used as a supplement for a pulmonary rehabilitation program. This study was a randomized, within‐subject, cross‐over study involving 10 adults with COPD previously enrolled in St Paul's Hospital's pulmonary rehabilitation program. This study attempted to determine if specific Wii activities resulted in similar energy expenditures to that of a more traditional pulmonary rehabilitation activity.

Methods

Participants completed two 15‐min exercise interventions in a single session, with a washout period of 30 min in‐between. The interventions were an experimental Wii intervention and a traditional treadmill intervention.

Results

There was no significant difference in total energy expenditure between the two 15‐min exercise interventions [mean difference 36.3 joules; 95% confidence interval (CI): 31.4, 104]. There was no significant difference in heart rate (mean difference −0.167 beats per minute; 95% CI: −4.83, 4.50), rating of perceived exertion (mean difference 0.100; 95% CI: −0.416, 0.616) and Borg dyspnea scale (mean difference 0.267; 95% CI: −0.004, 0.537) between the two 15‐min exercise interventions. There was a significant difference in SpO2 between the two 15‐min exercise interventions (Wii intervention mean difference 2.33% > treadmill intervention; 95% CI: 1.52, 3.15).

Conclusion

Gaming technology can provide an exercise program that has similar cardiovascular demands to traditional pulmonary rehabilitation programs for patients with COPD. Further research is necessary to address feasibility and long‐term adherence.
Outcomes treating stage III non‐small cell lung carcinoma with curative‐intent radiotherapy and concurrent carboplatin‐paclitaxel chemotherapy
Authors: Trinh Hon , Pinkham Mark Blayne , Lehman Margot , Zarate Dannie , Dauth Margaret , McGrath Margaret , McCaffrey Elizabeth , Mai Gang Tao , Horwood Keith
Published: October 2014

Background and Aim

Thoracic radiotherapy administered concurrently with chemotherapy is the standard of care for patients with inoperable stage III non‐small cell lung cancer, but the optimal chemotherapy regimen is not clearly established. The objective of this study was to assess outcomes in a large cohort of patients treated with curative‐intent using carboplatin and paclitaxel.

Methods

Consecutive patients undergoing curative‐intent radiotherapy to 60–66 Gy in 30–33 daily fractions with concurrent weekly carboplatin (AUC = 2) and paclitaxel (45 mg/m2/week) between March 2004 and May 2012 were identified from a prospective database and reviewed individually. A minimum follow‐up of 3 months was required unless death occurred sooner. Response to treatment was defined according to established guidelines on re‐staging computed tomography scan at 3 months. Toxicities were assessed using a standardised scoring system.

Results

One hundred and seven patients were analysed. The median follow‐up was 43.5 months. Three months after treatment, a complete or partial response was observed in 72 patients (68%), and nine patients (8%) had already died. The overall locoregional failure rate was 47%, and failure eventually occurred at any site in 75 patients (70%). Median progression‐free survival, and median survival were 15 and 22 months, respectively. Grade 3–4 neutropaenia, thrombocytopaenia, nephrotoxicity, oesophagitis and pneumonitis were observed in 15%, 1%, 3%, 11% and 9% of patients during treatment, respectively. There was one episode of fatal radiation pneumonitis.

Conclusion

Treatment with thoracic radiotherapy and concurrent carboplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy is feasible. Survival and toxicity outcomes compare favorably to those reported using cisplatin‐based regimens.
Why evolutionary biologists should get seriously involved in ecological monitoring and applied biodiversity assessment programs
Authors: Brodersen Jakob , Seehausen Ole
Published: October 2014

While ecological monitoring and biodiversity assessment programs are widely implemented and relatively well developed to survey and monitor the structure and dynamics of populations and communities in many ecosystems, quantitative assessment and monitoring of genetic and phenotypic diversity that is important to understand evolutionary dynamics is only rarely integrated. As a consequence, monitoring programs often fail to detect changes in these key components of biodiversity until after major loss of diversity has occurred. The extensive efforts in ecological monitoring have generated large data sets of unique value to macro‐scale and long‐term ecological research, but the insights gained from such data sets could be multiplied by the inclusion of evolutionary biological approaches. We argue that the lack of process‐based evolutionary thinking in ecological monitoring means a significant loss of opportunity for research and conservation. Assessment of genetic and phenotypic variation within and between species needs to be fully integrated to safeguard biodiversity and the ecological and evolutionary dynamics in natural ecosystems. We illustrate our case with examples from fishes and conclude with examples of ongoing monitoring programs and provide suggestions on how to improve future quantitative diversity surveys.
Structural mechanisms of inflammasome assembly
Authors: Lu Alvin , Wu Hao
Published: October 2014

Inflammasomes are supramolecular signaling complexes that activate a subset of caspases known as the inflammatory caspases, an example of which is caspase 1. Upon stimulation by microbial and damage‐associated signals, inflammasomes assemble to elicit the first line of host defense via the proteolytic maturation of cytokines interleukin‐1β and interleukin‐18, and by induction of pyroptotic cell death. Inflammasome assembly requires activation of an upstream sensor, a downstream effector and, in most cases, an adaptor molecule such as apoptosis‐associate speck‐like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC). Depending on whether ASC is required, inflammasomes can be categorized into ASC‐dependent and ASC‐independent inflammasomes. Here, we review current understandings of the structures of inflammasomes, as probed using traditional structural methods, as well as biochemical, biophysical and single‐molecule methods. The key structural scaffold for inflammasome assembly is composed of filaments of Pyrin domains and caspase recruitment domains (CARD) in the sensor, adaptor and effector components. Nucleated polymerization appears to govern the ordered assembly process from activation of a Pyrin domain‐containing sensor such as AIM2 by dsDNA or NLRP3 by extracellular particulates, to recruitment of the Pyrin domain and CARD‐containing adaptor ASC, and finally to activation of CARD‐containing caspase 1. The underlying filamentous architecture of inflammasomes and the cooperativity in the assembly may explain the ‘all‐or‐none’ response in inflammasome activation. Inflammasomes are tightly regulated by a number of cytosolic inhibitors, which may change the morphology and assembly kinetics of inflammasomes. Biochemical and cellular studies suggest that Pyrin domain and CARD filaments possess prion‐like properties in propagating inflammasome activation within and between cells.
Sponge cell aggregation: checkpoints in development indicate a high level of organismal complexity
Authors: Eerkes‐Medrano Dafne , Feehan Colette J. , Leys Sally P.
Published: October 2014

Studies of regeneration provide insight across many scales of animal biology from the processes of cellular communication to the ecology of whole populations. Sponges are highly regenerative animals, with studies showing adults can both recover large portions of their body after predation or damage due to storms, and even reform whole individuals, via an aggregation stage, from dissociated tissues. While sponges are clearly highly regenerative, few studies actually show dissociated cells forming functional individuals. As sponges often serve as model organisms for studying the development and function of traits in metazoans, determining the universality and mechanics of their regeneration potential is important. We tested the capacity of members of seven sponge species from temperate freshwater and marine environments, from a range of taxonomic positions, and with different habits, to form functional sponges after dissociation. Development to a functional sponge progressed through a series of checkpoints: the sorting of cells and removal of debris; adhesion to a substrate and differentiation of cells; organization of cells into tissues; and regionalization of tissues. Two of the seven species tested, Spongilla lacustris and Haliclona cf. permollis, progressed through all four checkpoints, while the remaining five species progressed to various levels of development before aggregates disintegrated. Our findings highlight three important conclusions: (1) The ability of aggregates to differentiate into functional sponges is not as widespread as previously thought; (2) The species‐specific ability of aggregates to develop to functional sponges appears to be an adaptive trait; and (3) The progression of development in aggregates through checkpoints, which in later development involves formation of tissues and regionalization of tissues, highlights the complexity of the sponge body plan and suggests fundamental rules in development shared across metazoans.