bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Obesity paradox in advanced liver disease: obesity is associated with lower mortality in hospitalized patients with cirrhosis
Authors: Karagozian Raffi , Bhardwaj Gaurav , Wakefield Dorothy B. , Baffy Gyorgy
Published: April 2016

Background & Aims

To investigate how obesity impacts inpatient mortality, length of stay (LOS) and costs in patients with cirrhosis. Obesity is a growing epidemic associated with multiple co‐morbidities, increased morbidity, and a significant economic burden on healthcare. Despite the overall harmful impact of obesity, the ‘obesity paradox’ has been described as decreased mortality among obese vs non‐obese patients in various chronic medical conditions.

Methods

Analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) for 2012, which contains data from 44 states and 4378 hospitals. Data from all cases with primary, secondary or tertiary discharge diagnosis of cirrhosis identified by International Classification of Diseases‐9 code 571.2, 571.5 571.6 were included. Primary outcomes included inpatient mortality, LOS, and hospital charges. Obesity as a predictor of mortality was defined by a predetermined obesity co‐morbidity variable.

Results

A total of 32,605 patients were included. Crude mortality was lower for obese cirrhotic patients (2.7% vs 3.5%, P = 0.02) than for non‐obese cirrhotic patients. In contrast, median LOS was longer (4 vs 3 days, P < 0.001) and median hospital charges were higher for obese cirrhotic patients ($26 803 vs $23 447, P < 0.001) In multivariate logistic regression, obesity was associated with a lower risk of inpatient mortality (OR=0.73, 95%CI: 0.55–0.95, P = 0.02).

Conclusions

In the acute care setting, obese patients with cirrhosis have lower mortality than non‐obese patients with cirrhosis, longer hospitalizations and higher healthcare cost, providing new evidence for the obesity paradox in cirrhosis. Obese cirrhotic patients are more likely to have enhanced nutritional reserve which may play a role in survival during acute illness.
Reefs at the edge: coral community structure around Rapa, southernmost French Polynesia
Authors: Adjeroud Mehdi , Wallace Carden C. , Bosserelle Pauline , Payri Claude , Menou Jean‐Louis , Pichon Michel
Published: April 2016

Rapa (27°36′ S, 144°20′ W) is a small (~40 km2) volcanic island isolated in the Southern Austral Archipelago, where direct anthropogenic stressors are extremely limited. Here, we present the results of the first quantitative survey of coral community structure across habitats and depths around the island. Despite its geographical isolation in the depauperate South Central Pacific, its small size and unfavourable environmental conditions (competition with macroalgae, low sea surface temperatures, reduced reef accretion), the diversity of scleractinian corals at Rapa is particularly high (112 species from 32 genera, including 37 species of Acropora) in comparison to other French Polynesian islands and subtropical Pacific locations. Our results indicate that the abundance (>100 colonies per 10 m2 recorded at nine of the 17 sampling stations) and cover (>40% at four stations) of corals are relatively high for a marginal reef location. Strong spatial heterogeneity was found, with high variation in diversity, abundance, cover and community composition among stations. Variation in community composition was related to habitat types, with distinct assemblages among fringing reefs within bays, reef formations at bay entrances, and those on the submerged platform surrounding the island. On the platform, a depth gradient was detected, with generic richness, abundance and cover generally greater at deeper stations (18–20 m depth) compared with medium‐depth (10–12 m) and shallow (1–3 m) stations. A gradient was also recorded along bays, with increasing coral diversity and abundance from the bay heads to the bay entrances. The coral community at Rapa was characterized by the presence of several taxa not found in other French Polynesian archipelagos and the rarity of others that are common and abundant in the Society and the Tuamotu islands. Another distinctive feature of reef communities at Rapa is the high cover and dominance of macroalgae, particularly in the shallower parts of the surrounding platform, which probably explains the lower densities of coral colonies recorded there. These characteristics of the diversity and biogeographical composition of coral assemblages at Rapa provide considerable ecological grounds for its conservation.
Pressure and judgement within a dichotomous landscape of infant feeding: a grounded theory study to explore why breastfeeding women do not access peer support provision
Authors: Hunt Louise , Thomson Gill
Published: April 2016

Lack of support is reported as a key reason for early breastfeeding cessation. While breastfeeding peer support (BPS) is a recommended intervention to increase breastfeeding rates, a number of studies identify that engagement with BPS is problematic. Due to paucity of research in this area, this study explores why breastfeeding women do not access BPS in South‐West England. Utilising a constructionist grounded theory approach, 33 participants (women (n = 13), health professionals (n = 6) and peer supporters (n = 14)) participated in a semi‐structured interview (n = 22) or focus group (n = 11). Analysis involved open coding, constant comparisons and focussed coding.

One core category and three main themes explicating non‐access were identified. The core category concerns women's experiences of pressure and judgement around their feeding decisions within a dichotomous landscape of infant feeding language and support. Theme one, ‘place and space of support’, describes the contrast between perceived pressure to breastfeed and a lack of adequate and appropriate support. Theme two, ‘one way or no way’, outlines the rules‐based approach to breastfeeding adopted by some health professionals and how women avoided BPS due to anticipating a similar approach. Theme three, ‘it must be me’, concerns how lack of embodied insights could lead to ‘breastfeeding failure’ identities. A background of dichotomised language, pressure and moral judgement, combined with the organisation of post‐natal care and the model of breastfeeding adopted by health professionals, may inhibit women's access to BPS. A socio‐cultural model of breastfeeding support providing clear messages regarding the value and purpose of BPS should be adopted.
Glacial refugia, recolonization patterns and diversification forces in Alpine‐endemic Megabunus harvestmen
Authors: Wachter Gregor A. , Papadopoulou Anna , Muster Christoph , Arthofer Wolfgang , Knowles L. Lacey , Steiner Florian M. , Schlick‐Steiner Birgit C.
Published: April 2016

The Pleistocene climatic fluctuations had a huge impact on all life forms, and various hypotheses regarding the survival of organisms during glacial periods have been postulated. In the European Alps, evidence has been found in support of refugia outside the ice shield (massifs de refuge) acting as sources for postglacial recolonization of inner‐Alpine areas. In contrast, evidence for survival on nunataks, ice‐free areas above the glacier, remains scarce. Here, we combine multivariate genetic analyses with ecological niche models (ENMs) through multiple timescales to elucidate the history of Alpine Megabunus harvestmen throughout the ice ages, a genus that comprises eight high‐altitude endemics. ENMs suggest two types of refugia throughout the last glacial maximum, inner‐Alpine survival on nunataks for four species and peripheral refugia for further four species. In some geographic regions, the patterns of genetic variation are consistent with long‐distance dispersal out of massifs de refuge, repeatedly coupled with geographic parthenogenesis. In other regions, long‐term persistence in nunataks may dominate the patterns of genetic divergence. Overall, our results suggest that glacial cycles contributed to allopatric diversification in Alpine Megabunus, both within and at the margins of the ice shield. These findings exemplify the power of ENM projections coupled with genetic analyses to identify hypotheses about the position and the number of glacial refugia and thus to evaluate the role of Pleistocene glaciations in driving species‐specific responses of recolonization or persistence that may have contributed to observed patterns of biodiversity.
Conservation of sex chromosomes in lacertid lizards
Authors: Rovatsos Michail , Vukić Jasna , Altmanová Marie , Johnson Pokorná Martina , Moravec Jiří , Kratochvíl Lukáš
Published: April 2016

Sex chromosomes are believed to be stable in endotherms, but young and evolutionary unstable in most ectothermic vertebrates. Within lacertids, the widely radiated lizard group, sex chromosomes have been reported to vary in morphology and heterochromatinization, which may suggest turnovers during the evolution of the group. We compared the partial gene content of the Z‐specific part of sex chromosomes across major lineages of lacertids and discovered a strong evolutionary stability of sex chromosomes. We can conclude that the common ancestor of lacertids, living around 70 million years ago (Mya), already had the same highly differentiated sex chromosomes. Molecular data demonstrating an evolutionary conservation of sex chromosomes have also been documented for iguanas and caenophidian snakes. It seems that differences in the evolutionary conservation of sex chromosomes in vertebrates do not reflect the distinction between endotherms and ectotherms, but rather between amniotes and anamniotes, or generally, the differences in the life history of particular lineages.
Escape from the cryptic species trap: lichen evolution on both sides of a cyanobacterial acquisition event
Authors: Schneider Kevin , Resl Philipp , Spribille Toby
Published: April 2016

Large, architecturally complex lichen symbioses arose only a few times in evolution, increasing thallus size by orders of magnitude over those from which they evolved. The innovations that enabled symbiotic assemblages to acquire and maintain large sizes are unknown. We mapped morphometric data against an eight‐locus fungal phylogeny across one of the best‐sampled thallus size transition events, the origins of the Placopsis lichen symbiosis, and used a phylogenetic comparative framework to explore the role of nitrogen‐fixing cyanobacteria in size differences. Thallus thickness increased by >150% and fruiting body core volume increased ninefold on average after acquisition of cyanobacteria. Volume of cyanobacteria‐containing structures (cephalodia), once acquired, correlates with thallus thickness in both phylogenetic generalized least squares and phylogenetic generalized linear mixed‐effects analyses. Our results suggest that the availability of nitrogen is an important factor in the formation of large thalli. Cyanobacterial symbiosis appears to have enabled lichens to overcome size constraints in oligotrophic environments such as acidic, rain‐washed rock surfaces. In the case of the Placopsis fungal symbiont, this has led to an adaptive radiation of more than 60 recognized species from related crustose members of the genus Trapelia. Our data suggest that precyanobacterial symbiotic lineages were constrained to forming a narrow range of phenotypes, so‐called cryptic species, leading systematists until now to recognize only six of the 13 species clusters we identified in Trapelia.
Adaptation to low temperatures in the wild tomato species Solanum chilense
Authors: Nosenko Tetyana , Böndel Katharina B. , Kumpfmüller Gabriele , Stephan Wolfgang
Published: April 2016

Molecular adaptation to abiotic stresses in plants is a complex process based mainly on the modifications of gene transcriptional activity and the alteration of protein–protein interactions. We used a combination of population genetic, comparative transcriptomic and plant physiology approaches to investigate the mechanisms of adaptation to low temperatures in Solanum chilense populations distributed along Andean altitudinal gradients. We found that plants from all populations have high chilling tolerance, which does not correlate with temperatures in their native habitats. In contrast, tolerance to freezing shows a significant association with altitude and temperature variables. We also observed the differences in expression patterns of cold‐response genes between plants from high‐ and low‐altitude populations. These results suggest that genetic adaptations to low temperatures evolved in high‐altitude populations of S. chilense. At the transcriptional level, these adaptations may include high levels of constitutive expression of the genes encoding ICE1, the key transcription factor of the cold signalling pathway, and chloroplast ω‐3 fatty acid desaturase FAD7. At the sequence level, a signature of selection associated with the adaptation to high altitudes was detected at the C‐terminal part of ICE1 encoding the ACT regulatory domain.
What influences the worldwide genetic structure of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus)?
Authors: Alexander Alana , Steel Debbie , Hoekzema Kendra , Mesnick Sarah L. , Engelhaupt Daniel , Kerr Iain , Payne Roger , Baker C. Scott
Published: April 2016

The interplay of natural selection and genetic drift, influenced by geographic isolation, mating systems and population size, determines patterns of genetic diversity within species. The sperm whale provides an interesting example of a long‐lived species with few geographic barriers to dispersal. Worldwide mtDNA diversity is relatively low, but highly structured among geographic regions and social groups, attributed to female philopatry. However, it is unclear whether this female philopatry is due to geographic regions or social groups, or how this might vary on a worldwide scale. To answer these questions, we combined mtDNA information for 1091 previously published samples with 542 newly obtained DNA profiles (394‐bp mtDNA, sex, 13 microsatellites) including the previously unsampled Indian Ocean, and social group information for 541 individuals. We found low mtDNA diversity (π = 0.430%) reflecting an expansion event <80 000 years bp, but strong differentiation by ocean, among regions within some oceans, and among social groups. In comparison, microsatellite differentiation was low at all levels, presumably due to male‐mediated gene flow. A hierarchical amova showed that regions were important for explaining mtDNA variance in the Indian Ocean, but not Pacific, with social group sampling in the Atlantic too limited to include in analyses. Social groups were important in partitioning mtDNA and microsatellite variance within both oceans. Therefore, both geographic philopatry and social philopatry influence genetic structure in the sperm whale, but their relative importance differs by sex and ocean, reflecting breeding behaviour, geographic features and perhaps a more recent origin of sperm whales in the Pacific. By investigating the interplay of evolutionary forces operating at different temporal and geographic scales, we show that sperm whales are perhaps a unique example of a worldwide population expansion followed by rapid assortment due to female social organization.
A large family of anti‐activators accompanying XylS/AraC family regulatory proteins
Authors: Santiago Araceli E. , Yan Michael B. , Tran Minh , Wright Nathan , Luzader Deborah H. , Kendall Melissa M. , Ruiz‐Perez Fernando , Nataro James P.
Published: April 2016

AraC Negative Regulators (ANR) suppress virulence genes by directly down‐regulating AraC/XylS members in Gram‐negative bacteria. In this study, we sought to investigate the distribution and molecular mechanisms of regulatory function for ANRs among different bacterial pathogens. We identified more than 200 ANRs distributed in diverse clinically important gram negative pathogens, including Vibrio spp., Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Yersinia spp., Citrobacter spp., enterotoxigenic (ETEC) and enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), and members of the Pasteurellaceae. By employing a bacterial two hybrid system, pull down assays and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis, we demonstrate that Aar (AggR‐activated regulator), a prototype member of the ANR family in EAEC, binds with high affinity to the central linker domain of AraC‐like member AggR. ANR‐AggR binding disrupted AggR dimerization and prevented AggR‐DNA binding. ANR homologs of Vibrio cholerae, Citrobacter rodentium, Salmonella enterica and ETEC were capable of complementing Aar activity by repressing aggR expression in EAEC strain 042. ANR homologs of ETEC and Vibrio cholerae bound to AggR as well as to other members of the AraC family, including Rns and ToxT. The predicted proteins of all ANR members exhibit three highly conserved predicted α‐helices. Site‐directed mutagenesis studies suggest that at least predicted α‐helices 2 and 3 are required for Aar activity. In sum, our data strongly suggest that members of the novel ANR family act by directly binding to their cognate AraC partners.
An effector of apple proliferation phytoplasma targets TCP transcription factors—a generalized virulence strategy of phytoplasma?
Authors: Janik Katrin , Mithöfer Axel , Raffeiner Margot , Stellmach Hagen , Hause Bettina , Schlink Katja
Published: April 2016

The plant pathogen Candidatus Phytoplasma mali (P. mali) is the causative agent of apple proliferation, a disease of increasing importance in apple‐growing areas within Europe. Despite its economic importance, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of disease manifestation within apple trees. In this study, we identified two TCP (TEOSINTE BRANCHED/CYCLOIDEA/PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR) transcription factors of Malus x domestica as binding partners of the P. mali SAP11‐like effector ATP_00189. Phytohormone analyses revealed an effect of P. mali infection on jasmonates, salicylic acid and abscisic acid levels, showing that P. mali affects phytohormonal levels in apple trees, which is in line with the functions of the effector assumed from its binding to TCP transcription factors. To our knowledge, this is the first characterization of the molecular targets of a P. mali effector and thus provides the basis to better understand symptom development and disease progress during apple proliferation. As SAP11 homologues are found in several Phytoplasma species infecting a broad range of different plants, SAP11‐like proteins seem to be key players in phytoplasmal infection.
Foliage colour influence on seed germination ofBienertia cyclopterain Arabian deserts
Authors: Bhatt Arvind , Pérez‐García F. , Phondani Prakash C.
Published: April 2016

Bienertia cycloptera(Chenopodiaceae) produces two types of leaf foliage colour (reddish and yellowish). In order to determine the role of leaf colour variation in regulating the germination characteristics and salinity tolerance during germination, a study was conducted on seeds collected from plants of both colours. Seeds with and without pulp were germinated under two illumination conditions (12‐h light photoperiod and continuous dark), three alternating temperature regimes (15/25°C, 20/30°C and 25/35°C), and several salinity levels at 20/30°C. Germination percentage was significantly higher for seeds without pulp as compared to the seeds with pulp. The response ofB. cyclopteraseeds to salinity depended on the leaf colour. Thus, the seeds collected from reddish coloured plants were able to tolerate higher salinity compared to those of yellowish coloured plant. The germination recovery results indicate that the seeds from both coloured plants could remain viable in saline condition and they will be able to germinate once the salinity level are decreased by rain. The production of different foliage colours byB. cyclopteraseems to be an adaptative strategy which increases the possibility for establishment in unpredictable environments by producing seeds with different germination requirements and salinity tolerance.
Salvia evadens sp. nov. (Lamiaceae) from Sierra del Halo, Jalisco, Mexico
Authors: González‐Gallegos Jesús Guadalupe , Castro‐Castro Arturo
Published: April 2016

Salvia evadens (Lamiaceae) is described and illustrated as a new species discovered in Sierra del Halo, Jalisco, Mexico. It is similar in vegetative morphology to S. aequidistans. However, it differs from the latter by having less flowers per verticillaster, lanceolate floral bracts, 5‐ or 7‐veined upper calyx lip, ornate connective with an acute tooth at the middle, and larger flowers and mericarps. A table with similarities and differences between both species is provided.
Sensory innervation of the guinea pig colon and rectum compared using retrograde tracing and immunohistochemistry
Authors: Chen B. N. , Olsson C. , Sharrad D. F. , Brookes S. J. H.
Published: April 2016

Background

Neurons in lumbar and sacral dorsal root ganglia (DRG) comprise extrinsic sensory pathways to the distal colon and rectum, but their relative contributions are unclear. In this study, sensory innervation of the rectum and distal colon in the guinea pig was directly compared using retrograde labeling combined with immunohistochemistry.

Methods

The lipophilic tracer, DiI, was injected in either the rectum or distal colon of anesthetized guinea pigs, then DRG (T6 to S5) and nodose ganglia were harvested and labeled using antisera for calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP) and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1(TRPV1).

Key Results

More primary afferent cell bodies were labeled from the rectum than from the distal colon. Vagal sensory neurons, with cell bodies in the nodose ganglia comprised fewer than 0.5% of labeled sensory neurons. Spinal afferents to the distal colon were nearly all located in thoracolumbar DRG, in a skewed unimodal distribution (peak at L2); fewer than 1% were located in sacral ganglia. In contrast, spinal afferents retrogradely labeled from the rectum had a bimodal distribution, with one peak at L3 and another at S2. Fewer than half of all retrogradely labeled spinal afferent neurons were immunoreactive for CGRP or TRPV1 and these included the larger traced neurons, especially in thoracolumbar ganglia.

Conclusions & Inferences

In the guinea pig, both the distal colon and the rectum receive a sensory innervation from thoracolumbar ganglia. Sacral afferents innervate the rectum but not the distal colon. Calcitonin gene‐related peptide immunoreactivity was detectable in fewer than half of afferent neurons in both pathways.
Practical and reproducible estimation of myenteric interstitial cells of Cajal in the bowel for diagnostic purposes
Authors: den Braber‐Ymker M. , Heijker S. , Lammens M. , Nagtegaal I. D.
Published: April 2016

Background

Histological assessment of the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) in the bowel is important for diagnosing patients with gastrointestinal neuromuscular diseases (GINMD). Although the International Working Group on GINMD proposed reporting a decrease in ICC number of more than 50%, quantitative methods used in literature are not practical for daily routine of the pathologist. Consequently, this study presents a straightforward semiquantitative estimation method for myenteric ICCs of the bowel.

Methods

Formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded sections from small bowel (n = 87) and colon (n = 159) were collected to create two control groups and four groups composed of patients with gastrointestinal motility disorders. The control groups included material of resection and autopsy origin, respectively. Samples were stained with CD117 (c‐kit) antibody to estimate the myenteric ICC network. Scores of two observers were compared to analyze inter‐ and intraobserver agreement and reliability.

Key Results

Interobserver reliability was almost perfect for small bowel (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.847; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.774–0.897) and substantial for colon (0.683; 95% CI: 0.591–0.758). Almost perfect intraobserver reliability was found (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.918; 95% CI: 0.874–0.947). The small bowel showed more myenteric ICCs than the colon. Neither significant differences between colonic regions were found nor were there any differences in the orientation of the sections.

Conclusions & Inferences

The proposed estimation method for the myenteric ICC network showed generally good agreement and reliability. As the method is semiquantitative, simple, and capable to differentiate between normal and diseased tissue, it can be used in routine diagnostics of gastrointestinal neuromuscular disorders.
Using codispersion analysis to quantify and understand spatial patterns in species–environment relationships
Authors: Buckley Hannah L. , Case Bradley S. , Zimmerman Jess K. , Thompson Jill , Myers Jonathan A. , Ellison Aaron M.
Published: April 2016

The analysis of spatial patterns in species–environment relationships can provide new insights into the niche requirements and potential co‐occurrence of species, but species abundance and environmental data are routinely collected at different spatial scales. Here, we investigate the use of codispersion analysis to measure and assess the scale, directionality and significance of complex relationships between plants and their environment in large forest plots.

We applied codispersion analysis to both simulated and field data on spatially located tree species basal area and environmental variables. The significance of the observed bivariate spatial associations between the basal area of key species and underlying environmental variables was tested using three null models.

Codispersion analysis reliably detected directionality (anisotropy) in bivariate species–environment relationships and identified relevant scales of effects. Null model‐based significance tests applied to codispersion analyses of forest plot data enabled us to infer the extent to which environmental conditions, tree sizes and/or tree spatial positions underpinned the observed basal area–environment relationships, or whether relationships were a result of other unmeasured factors.

Codispersion analysis, combined with appropriate null models, can be used to infer hypothesized ecological processes from spatial patterns, allowing us to start disentangling the possible drivers of plant species–environment relationships.
Double‐stranded RNAs induce a pattern‐triggered immune signaling pathway in plants
Authors: Niehl Annette , Wyrsch Ines , Boller Thomas , Heinlein Manfred
Published: April 2016

Pattern‐triggered immunity (PTI) is a plant defense response that relies on the perception of conserved microbe‐ or pathogen‐associated molecular patterns (MAMPs or PAMPs, respectively). Recently, it has been recognized that PTI restricts virus infection in plants; however, the nature of the viral or infection‐induced PTI elicitors and the underlying signaling pathways are still unknown.

As double‐stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) are conserved molecular patterns associated with virus replication, we applied dsRNAs or synthetic dsRNA analogs to Arabidopsis thaliana and investigated PTI responses.

We show that in vitro‐generated dsRNAs, dsRNAs purified from virus‐infected plants and the dsRNA analog polyinosinic–polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) induce typical PTI responses dependent on the co‐receptor SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS RECEPTOR‐LIKE KINASE 1 (SERK1), but independent of dicer‐like (DCL) proteins in Arabidopsis. Moreover, dsRNA treatment of Arabidopsis induces SERK1‐dependent antiviral resistance. Screening of Arabidopsis wild accessions demonstrates natural variability in dsRNA sensitivity.

Our findings suggest that dsRNAs represent genuine PAMPs in plants, which induce a signaling cascade involving SERK1 and a specific dsRNA receptor. The dependence of dsRNA‐mediated PTI on SERK1, but not on DCLs, implies that dsRNA‐mediated PTI involves membrane‐associated processes and operates independently of RNA silencing. dsRNA sensitivity may represent a useful trait to increase antiviral resistance in cultivated plants.
Pollinator specialization: from the individual to the community
Authors: Brosi Berry J.
Published: April 2016

Most spermatophytes need conspecific pollen in order to produce seed. This need for specialization seems to conflict with the generalized nature of most plant–pollinator interactions. Specialization and generalization are dynamic – not fixed – and exist simultaneously in multiple states at different levels of biological hierarchy. Over the short term, specialization ensures conspecific pollen transfer, whereas over the long term, generalization improves system‐level robustness. The balance between specialization and generalization at different scales is critical for different kinds of ecological functioning and is an important factor in plant speciation and the evolution of plant mating systems. Community context, including diversity and interaction network structure at different levels of aggregation, is a key driver of specialization dynamics.

Contents

Summary
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I.
Introduction
1190

II.
Simultaneous specialization and generalization in pollination interactions
1191

III.
The role of community context
1191

IV.
Evolutionary considerations
1193

V.
Conclusion
1193

Acknowledgements
1194

References
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Restructuring reward processing with Mindfulness‐Oriented Recovery Enhancement: novel therapeutic mechanisms to remediate hedonic dysregulation in addiction, stress, and pain
Authors: Garland Eric L.
Published: April 2016

Though valuation processes are fundamental to survival of the human species, hedonic dysregulation is at the root of an array of maladies, including addiction, stress, and chronic pain, as evidenced by the allostatic shift in the relative salience of natural reward to drug reward observed among persons with severe substance use disorders. To address this crucial problem, novel interventions are needed to restore hedonic regulatory processes gone awry in persons exhibiting addictive behaviors. This article describes a theoretical rationale and empirical evidence for the effects of one such new intervention, Mindfulness‐Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), on top‐down and bottom‐up mechanisms implicated in cognitive control and hedonic regulation. MORE is innovative and distinct from extant mindfulness‐based interventions in that it unites traditional mindfulness meditation with reappraisal and savoring strategies designed to reverse the downward shift in salience of natural reward relative to drug reward, representing a crucial tipping point to disrupt the progression of addiction—a mechanistic target that no other behavioral intervention has been designed to address. Though additional studies are needed, clinical and biobehavioral data from several completed and ongoing trials suggest that MORE may exert salutary effects on addictive behaviors and the neurobiological processes that underpin them.
Early tooth loss in end‐stage renal disease patients on haemodialysis
Authors: Limeres J , Garcez JF , Marinho JS , Loureiro A , Diniz M , Diz P
Published: April 2016

Objective

This article sets out to evaluate the prevalence and aetiopathogenesis of edentulism in patients on haemodialysis.

Subjects and methods

The study group comprised 44 adult patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) on haemodialysis. A control group was formed of 44 individuals matched for age and sex and with a glomerular filtration rate >90 ml min−1. All participants underwent intra‐oral examination, gathering information on dental and periodontal status, and a saliva sample was taken to determine saliva debit and its biochemical composition.

Results

The average number of missing teeth was higher in ESRD patients than in controls (P = 0.018). Six (13.6%) fully edentulous individuals were detected in the study group and 1 (2.2%) in the control group. Some of the clinical and biochemical variables with statistically significant differences between the study group and the control group showed a significant relationship with the number of missing teeth, but the depth of the periodontal pockets presented the highest coefficient of determination (OR = 3511.1; 95%CI = 82.2–6834.3; P < 0.001; R2 = 0.827).

Conclusions

Premature tooth loss is common in haemodialysis patients. Although the aetiology and pathogenesis of this finding has still not been fully clarified, it appears that severe periodontal disease may play a relevant role.
Inactivation of the spxA1 or spxA2 gene of Streptococcus mutans decreases virulence in the rat caries model
Authors: Galvão L.C.C. , Rosalen P.L. , Rivera‐Ramos I. , Franco G.C.N. , Kajfasz J.K. , Abranches J. , Bueno‐Silva B. , Koo H. , Lemos J.A.
Published: April 2016

In oral biofilms, the major environmental challenges encountered by Streptococcus mutans are acid and oxidative stresses. Previously, we showed that the transcriptional regulators SpxA1 and SpxA2 are involved in general stress survival of S. mutans with SpxA1 playing a primary role in activation of antioxidant and detoxification strategies whereas SpxA2 serves as a back up activator of oxidative stress genes. We have also found that spxA1 mutant strains (∆spxA1 and ∆spxA1∆spxA2) are outcompeted by peroxigenic oral streptococci in vitro and have impaired abilities to colonize the teeth of rats fed a highly cariogenic diet. Here, we show that the Spx proteins can also exert regulatory roles in the expression of additional virulence attributes of S. mutans. Competence activation is significantly impaired in Δspx strains and the production of mutacin IV and V is virtually abolished in ΔspxA1 strains. Unexpectedly, the ∆spxA2 strain showed increased production of glucans from sucrose, without affecting the total amount of bacteria within biofilms when compared with the parent strain. By using the rat caries model, we showed that the capacity of the ΔspxA1 and ΔspxA2 strains to cause caries on smooth tooth surfaces is significantly impaired. The ∆spxA2 strain also formed fewer lesions on sulcal surfaces. This report reveals that global regulation via Spx contributes to the cariogenic potential of S. mutans and highlights that animal models are essential in the characterization of bacterial traits implicated in virulence.
HYBRIDS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITIES: COMPARING UK REFORMS IN HEALTHCARE, BROADCASTING AND POSTAL SERVICES
Authors: TURNER SIMON , LOURENÇO ANA , ALLEN PAULINE
Published: April 2016

Many countries use state‐owned, for‐profit, and third sector organizations to provide public services, generating ‘hybrid’ organizational forms. This article examines how the hybridization of organizations in the public sector is influenced by interaction between regulatory change and professional communities. It presents qualitative data on three areas of the UK public sector that have undergone marketization: healthcare, broadcasting, and postal services. Implementation of market‐based reform in public sector organizations is shaped by sector‐specific differences in professional communities, as these groups interact with reform processes. Sectoral differences in communities include their power to influence reform, their persistence despite reform, and their alignment with the direction of change or innovation. Equally, the dynamics of professional communities can be affected by reform. Policymakers need to take account of the ways that implementation of hybrid forms interacts with professional communities, including risk of disrupting existing relationships based on communities that contribute to learning.
Fossilization of melanosomes via sulfurization
Authors: McNamara Maria E. , van Dongen Bart E. , Lockyer Nick P. , Bull Ian D. , Orr Patrick J.
Published: April 2016

Fossil melanin granules (melanosomes) are an important resource for inferring the evolutionary history of colour and its functions in animals. The taphonomy of melanin and melanosomes, however, is incompletely understood. In particular, the chemical processes responsible for melanosome preservation have not been investigated. As a result, the origins of sulfur‐bearing compounds in fossil melanosomes are difficult to resolve. This has implications for interpretations of original colour in fossils based on potential sulfur‐rich phaeomelanosomes. Here we use pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Py‐GCMS), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) to assess the mode of preservation of fossil microstructures, confirmed as melanosomes based on the presence of melanin, preserved in frogs from the Late Miocene Libros biota (NE Spain). Our results reveal a high abundance of organosulfur compounds and non‐sulfurized fatty acid methyl esters in both the fossil tissues and host sediment; chemical signatures in the fossil tissues are inconsistent with preservation of phaeomelanin. Our results reflect preservation via the diagenetic incorporation of sulfur, i.e. sulfurization (natural vulcanization), and other polymerization processes. Organosulfur compounds and/or elevated concentrations of sulfur have been reported from melanosomes preserved in various invertebrate and vertebrate fossils and depositional settings, suggesting that preservation through sulfurization is likely to be widespread. Future studies of sulfur‐rich fossil melanosomes require that the geochemistry of the host sediment is tested for evidence of sulfurization in order to constrain interpretations of potential phaeomelanosomes and thus of original integumentary colour in fossils.
Endothermic mosasaurs? Possible thermoregulation of Late Cretaceous mosasaurs (Reptilia, Squamata) indicated by stable oxygen isotopes in fossil bioapatite in comparison with coeval marine fish and pelagic seabirds
Authors: Harrell T. Lynn , Pérez‐Huerta Alberto , Suarez Celina A.
Published: April 2016

The thermoregulatory style of Late Cretaceous mosasaurs has become a highly controversial subject in vertebrate palaeontology. These extinct marine reptiles have previously been described as poikilothermic, endothermic or gigantothermic. Here we analyse three genera of mosasaurs from the Mooreville Chalk in Alabama (USA) of differing body mass, and compare their δ18OPO4 derived body temperatures (Tb) with those of coeval poikilothermic fish (Enchodus) and endothermic pelagic seabirds (Ichthyornis). Results show that all mosasaurs, Clidastes (Tb = 33.1°C), Platecarpus (Tb = 36.3°C), and Tylosaurus (Tb = 34.3°C), had elevated average body temperatures in relation to those of the fish (Tb = 28.3°C) and were closer to those of Ichthyornis (Tb = 38.6°C). The temperatures calculated for Enchodus compare well with previously reported temperature estimates for the Mooreville Chalk and the Tb of Ichthyornis compares well with temperatures that have been reported for modern seabirds, suggesting that this method provides accurate results. Finally, although there are small differences of body temperature among mosasaur genera, these are independent of size, and thus inferred body mass, suggesting that mosasaurs were not gigantotherms, but rather endotherms.
Microarray and genetic analysis reveals that csa‐miR159b plays a critical role in abscisic acid‐mediated heat tolerance in grafted cucumber plants
Authors: Li Hao , Wang Yu , Wang Ze , Guo Xie , Wang Feng , Xia Xiao‐Jian , Zhou Jie , Shi Kai , Yu Jing‐Quan , Zhou Yan‐Hong
Published: April 2016

Root‐shoot communication plays a vital role in plant growth, development and adaptation to environmental stimuli. Grafting‐induced stress tolerance is associated with the induction of plentiful stress‐related genes and proteins; the mechanism involved, however, remains obscure. Here, we show that the enhanced tolerance against heat stress in cucumber plants with luffa as rootstock was accompanied with an increased accumulation of abscisic acid (ABA), down‐regulation of a subset of microRNAs (miRNAs) but up‐regulation of their target genes and CsHSP70 accumulation in the shoots. Significantly, luffa rootstock and foliar application of ABA both down‐regulated csa‐miR159b and up‐regulated its target mRNAs CsGAMYB1 and CsMYB29‐like and CsHSP70 accumulation in cucumber, while ectopic expression of csa‐miR159b led to decreased heat tolerance, AtMYB33 transcript and AtHSP70 accumulation in Arabidopsis plants. Taken together, our results suggest that root‐originated signals such as ABA could alter miRNAs in the shoots, which have a major role in the post‐transcriptional regulation of the stress‐responsive genes.
Acclimation of the crucifer Eutrema salsugineum to phosphate limitation is associated with constitutively high expression of phosphate‐starvation genes
Authors: Velasco Vera Marjorie Elauria , Mansbridge John , Bremner Samantha , Carruthers Kimberley , Summers Peter S. , Sung Wilson W.L. , Champigny Marc J. , Weretilnyk Elizabeth A.
Published: April 2016

Eutrema salsugineum, a halophytic relative of Arabidopsis thaliana, was subjected to varying phosphate (Pi) treatments. Arabidopsis seedlings grown on 0.05 mm Pi displayed shortened primary roots, higher lateral root density and reduced shoot biomass allocation relative to those on 0.5 mm Pi, whereas Eutrema seedlings showed no difference in lateral root density and shoot biomass allocation. While a low Fe concentration mitigated the Pi deficiency response for Arabidopsis, Eutrema root architecture was unaltered, but adding NaCl increased Eutrema lateral root density almost 2‐fold. Eutrema and Arabidopsis plants grown on soil without added Pi for 4 weeks had low shoot and root Pi content. Pi‐deprived, soil‐grown Arabidopsis plants were stunted with senescing older leaves, whereas Eutrema plants were visually indistinguishable from 2.5 mm Pi‐supplemented plants. Genes associated with Pi starvation were analysed by RT‐qPCR. EsIPS2, EsPHT1;4 and EsPAP17 showed up‐regulated expression in Pi‐deprived Eutrema plants, while EsPHR1, EsWRKY75 and EsRNS1 showed no induction. Absolute quantification of transcripts indicated that PHR1, WRKY75 and RNS1 were expressed at higher levels in Eutrema plants relative to those in Arabidopsis regardless of external Pi. The low phenotypic plasticity Eutrema displays to Pi supply is consistent with adaptation to chronic Pi deprivation in its extreme natural habitat.
Diagnostic and prognostic factors for acute encephalopathy
Authors: Motojima Yukiko , Nagura Michiaki , Asano Yoshitaka , Arakawa Hiroshi , Takada Eiko , Sakurai Yoshio , Moriwaki Koichi , Tamura Masanori
Published: April 2016

Background

Acute encephalopathy has the possibility of sequelae. While early treatment is required to prevent the development of sequelae, differential diagnosis is of the utmost priority. The aim of this study was therefore to identify parameters that can facilitate early diagnosis and prediction of outcome of acute encephalopathy.

Methods

We reviewed the medical charts of inpatients from 2005 to 2011 and identified 33 patients with febrile status epilepticus. Subjects were classified into an acute encephalopathy group (n = 20) and a febrile convulsion group (n = 13), and the parameters serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), ammonia (NH3), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tau protein, and CSF interleukin‐6 compared between them. Furthermore, the relationship between each parameter and prognosis was investigated in the encephalopathy group.

Results

Significant differences in serum AST, ALT, and LDH were observed between the febrile convulsion and acute encephalopathy group. Moreover, a significant difference in serum LDH was noted between the patients with and without developmental regression at the time of hospital discharge in the encephalopathy group. In particular, CSF tau protein was found to be highly likely to indicate progress, with CSF tau protein >1000 pg/dL associated with poor prognosis leading to developmental regression.

Conclusion

Serum AST, ALT and LDH may be related to early diagnosis and prognosis, and should be carefully investigated in patients with encephalopathy. CSF tau protein could also be used as an indicator of poor prognosis in acute encephalopathy.
Expanded criteria for retinopathy of prematurity screening in moderately preterm infants: Single‐center pilot study
Authors: Yum Sook Kyung , Moon Cheong‐Jun , Youn Young‐Ah , Lee Jung Hyun , Kim So Young , Sung In Kyung
Published: April 2016

Background

While developed countries seek to lower the gestational age and birthweight parameters in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening, older, larger infants still develop ROP in other parts of the world. The aim of this study was therefore to define criteria to identify potential ROP developers who are outliers of the common screening range.

Methods

A retrospective medical record review was performed in 147 inborn moderately preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit during the study period. Univariate and logistic regression analysis was carried out.

Results

Forty‐two infants developed ROP. Gestational age (31.4 ± 1.1 vs 32.4 ± 1.0 weeks, P = 0.000) and birthweight (1607.7 ± 339.4 vs 1846.4 ± 317.2 g, P = 0.000) were lower in those who developed ROP. Respiratory distress syndrome (P = 0.026) and documented sepsis (P = 0.003) were significant comorbidities on univariate analysis. Inotrope need >72 h starting in the first week of life (P = 0.004; OR, 5.181) and more than three transfusions of packed red blood cells (P = 0.028; OR, 3.891) were also significant, both on univariate and multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

In moderately preterm infants, status should be evaluated in order to effectively select candidates for ROP screening without missing potential ROP developers.
Photocatalytic Treatment of Desalination Concentrate Using Optical Fibers Coated With Nanostructured Thin Films: Impact of Water Chemistry and Seasonal Climate Variations
Authors: Lin Lu , Wang Huiyao , Luo Hongmei , Xu Pei
Published: April 2016

Treatment of desalination concentrate can reduce concentrate volume for disposal, increase water recovery and convert waste to resource. However, concentrate treatment is costly and energy intensive due to high concentrations of salt and recalcitrant organic matter in concentrate. Photocatalytic oxidation provides a novel energy neutral technology for concentrate treatment by degrading organic contaminants. Polymer‐assisted hydrothermal deposition method was used to synthesize innovative pure and Fe‐doped TiO2 mixed‐phase nanocomposite thin films on side‐glowing optical fibers (SOFs). The properties of the photocatalysts‐coated SOF were characterized by surface morphology, nanostructure, crystallite size and phase and zeta potential. Photodegradation efficiency and durability of the photocatalysts treating different types of desalination concentrate was studied under natural sunlight. Synthetic solutions and reverse osmosis (RO) concentrates from brackish water and municipal wastewater desalination facilities were tested to elucidate the impact of water chemistry, operating conditions and seasonal climate variations (solar irradiation intensity and temperature) on photocatalytic efficiency. High ionic strength and divalent electrolyte ions in RO concentrate accelerated photocatalytic process, whereas the presence of carbonate species and organic matter hindered photodegradation. Outdoor testing of immobilized continuous‐flow photoreactors suggested that the catalyst‐coated SOFs can utilize a wide spectrum of natural sunlight and achieved durable photocatalytic performance.
Fichte on Conscience
Authors: Ware Owen
Published: April 2016

There is no question that Fichte's theory of conscience is central to his system of ethics. Yet his descriptions of its role in practical deliberation appear inconsistent, if not contradictory. Many scholars have claimed that for Fichte conscience plays a material role by providing the content of our moral obligations—the Material Function View. Some have denied this, however, claiming that conscience only plays a formal role by testing our moral convictions in any given case—the Formal Function View. My aim in this paper is to offer a new contribution to this debate. I begin by supplying further evidence in support of the view that conscience only plays a formal function in Fichte's ethics. Then I call attention to a deeper problem this view faces, namely, that it invites an infinite regress by making one's conviction a matter of higher‐order reflection. The key to overcoming this threat, I argue, lies in Fichte's doctrine of feeling, whereby the criterion of one's conviction lies, not in a cognitive state, but in an affective state. In closing, I discuss the relevance of Fichte's theory for current debates over the nature of moral error and moral deference.