bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unfolded protein response activation compensates endoplasmic reticulum‐associated degradation deficiency inArabidopsis
Authors: Li Qingliang , Wei Hai , Liu Lijing , Yang Xiaoyuan , Zhang Xiansheng , Xie Qi
Published: April 2017

Abiotic stresses often disrupt protein folding and induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. There is a sophisticated ER quality control (ERQC) system to mitigate the effects of malfunctioning proteins and maintain ER homeostasis. The accumulation of misfolded proteins in the ER activates the unfolded protein response (UPR) to enhance ER protein folding and the degradation of misfolded proteins mediate by ER‐associated degradation (ERAD). That ERQC reduces abiotic stress damage has been well studied in mammals and yeast. However, in plants, both ERAD and UPR have been studied separately and found to be critical for plant abiotic stress tolerance. In this study, we discovered that UPR‐associated transcription factors AtbZIP17, AtbZIP28 and AtbZIP60 responded to tunicamycin (TM) and NaCl induced ER stress and subsequently enhancedArabidopsis thalianaabiotic stress tolerance. They regulated the expression level of ER chaperones and the HRD1‐complex components. Moreover, overexpression ofAtbZIP17,AtbZIP28andAtbZIP60could restore stress tolerance via ERAD in the HRD1‐complex mutanthrd3a‐2, which suggested that UPR and ERAD have an interactive mechanism inArabidopsis.
Systematic Review of Gender Differences in Sepsis Management and Outcomes
Authors: Failla Kim Reina , Connelly Cynthia D.
Published: April 2017

Purpose

Contributors to disparities in sepsis management have been attributed to genetic susceptibility, differences in clinical presentation, and healthcare delivery. The influence of gender on survival or mortality of patients with sepsis‐related diagnoses is unclear. The purpose of the current study was to systematically review published research to identify factors and outcomes associated with sepsis management and outcomes based on gender differences.

Methods

Covering a period from 2006 to 2016, a literature search was conducted on four electronic data bases including the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EBSCO, MedlinePlus, and PubMed. Content analysis of each article was performed independently by two authors. The guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) Statement was the method used to assess the quality of evidence of the articles in this review.

Findings

A full review was completed on a total of 452 identified potentially relevant publications, and 7 publications met inclusion criteria. The methodological approaches included prospective and retrospective observational studies, and prospective and historical cohort studies. The aim of these studies was to identify if gender differences exist related to sepsis‐related mortality, completion of Surviving Sepsis Campaign resuscitation bundle elements, sepsis‐related care processes, and sepsis‐related incidence and source.

Conclusions

Clinical sepsis studies evaluating gender and sepsis‐related management and mortality are inconclusive and complex. Three different outcomes exist: no difference, higher risk in females, or higher risk in males. Further studies are needed to support the presence of gender disparities on sepsis‐related healthcare outcomes.

Clinical Relevance

Providers should understand the importance of adhering to sepsis protocols and minimizing treatment disparities including gender differences.
Accuracy of self‐collected human papillomavirus samples from Japanese women with abnormal cervical cytology
Authors: Aiko Kawano‐Yashiro , Yoko Motoki , Saito Oba Mari , Ryoko Asano , Yasuyo Maruyama , Mikiko Asai‐Sato , Takeharu Yamanaka , Fumiki Hirahara , Etsuko Miyagi
Published: April 2017

Aim

The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of self‐collected vaginal samples compared with physician‐collected cervical samples for high‐risk human papillomavirus (HPV) testing in Japanese women with abnormal cervical cytology. We also assessed the acceptability of self‐collected HPV (sHPV) testing using a questionnaire.

Methods

Women aged 20–69 years (n = 136) attending Yokohama City University Hospital because of abnormal cervical cytology between April 2014 and January 2015 were enrolled in this study. Cervical samples for conventional cytology and physician‐collected HPV (pHPV) testing were obtained before colposcopic examination. After this examination, patients were asked to provide a self‐sampled vaginal specimen (sHPV) at home, some time between the following day and the next week and to complete a self‐sampling acceptability questionnaire.

Results

The overall positive rates of HPV detection with pHPV and sHPV testing were 61.0% (83/136) and 40.4% (55/136), respectively (P < 0.001). sHPV testing had a lower sensitivity compared to pHPV for detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)2 or worse (CIN2+: 59.4% vs 100%, P < 0.001; CIN3: 66.7% vs 100%, P = 0.248). There were no statistically significant differences in the sensitivity to detect CIN3 among pHPV testing, sHPV testing, and cytology. The self‐collecting device had good acceptability.

Conclusion

sHPV testing is a possible technique with which to improve poor cervical cancer screening uptake rates in Japan; however, the sensitivity to detect CIN2+ lesions must improve before it can be a substitute for conventional cytology or pHPV testing. Further large‐scale acceptability studies involving non‐responders are also needed before practical application.
Anti‐NMDA‐receptor encephalitis during pregnancy: A case report and literature review
Authors: Xiao Xue , Gui Shunping , Bai Peng , Bai Yi , Shan Dan , Hu Yayi , Bui‐Nguyen Tri M. , Zhou Rong
Published: April 2017

Anti‐N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor (anti‐NMDA‐R) encephalitis is an autoimmune disorder that was first described by Dr Vitaliani in 2005. In 2007, Dalmau et al. found anti‐NMDA‐R antibody expressed both in the hippocampus and prefrontal nerve cell membrane, finally proposing the diagnosis of autoimmune anti‐NMDA‐R encephalitis. Most of the patients are female (91%), with ages ranging from 4 to 76 years. The average age is 23 years, a birth peak age, although anti‐NMDA‐R encephalitis is rare during pregnancy. The disorder is characterized by prominent psychosis, dyskinesias, seizures, autonomic disturbance, and central hypoventilation. We report a 24‐year‐old woman hospitalized at 28 gestational weeks with acute‐onset psychosis. Over the course of 3 weeks, her mental status worsened until she fell into a coma. Both serum and cerebrospinal fluid anti‐NMDA‐R antibodies were found to be positive. At cesarean section, a healthy baby boy was born and a wedge‐shaped bilateral ovarian resection was performed. Treatment with corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, and plasmapheresis can lead to improved outcomes for both mother and baby.
Ethnic Differences in Returning Home: Explanations From a Life Course Perspective
Authors: Kleinepier Tom , Berrington Ann , Stoeldraijer Lenny
Published: April 2017

Ethnic differences in leaving and returning home may reflect varying cultural norms regarding intergenerational coresidence, but also differences in transitions in linked domains, for example, employment and partnership transitions. This study uses Dutch population register data to compare returning home among second‐generation Turks, Moroccans, Surinamese, and Antilleans with native Dutch who had left the parental home between age 16 and 28 in the period 1999 to 2011 (N = 194,020). All second‐generation groups were found to be more likely to return home than native Dutch. A large part of these differences was related to the timing and occurrence of other key events in the life course, such as age at leaving home and partnership dissolution. Although the impact of partnership dissolution on returning home was found to be strong among all origin groups, it was less pronounced among second‐generation youth, particularly Turks and Moroccans, than native Dutch youth. Possible explanations and implications are discussed.
Isolation and Molecular Identification of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Causing Brown Spot Disease of Camellia oleifera in Hainan of China
Authors: Xu Min , He Rui , Peng Yun , Zeng Can‐Bin , Liu Yang , Tang Guang‐Hua , Tang Hua
Published: April 2017

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is an important pathogen that causes widespread brown spot disease on the leaves of the tea‐oil tree (Camellia oleifera) in China. This study was designed to isolate, identify and characterize this fungal pathogen, based on morphology, molecular characteristics and pathogenicity. One pathogenic fungus, named CCG4, was isolated from wild‐type Camellia oleifera of Hainan Province. Colonies were regular circular in shape with 50–60 mm diameter after 5 days of incubation at 28°C on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium, and woolly with a small amount of jacinth pigment; the colony colour changed from white to black during later stages of infection. The mycelium produced was branched and septate. Conidia were cylindrical‐truncate, oblong‐obtuse to doliform, colourless with 1–2 hyaline oil globules and 4.5–5.3 μm × 7.7–17.5 μm. The sporodochia were cushion‐shaped. The pathogen was identified as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on the basis of morphological characteristics and internal transcribed spacer sequence, which showed 100% query cover and 99% similarity to the sequence Colletotrichum gloeosporioides JN887341.1, from a pathogenic fungus known to cause brown spot disease of Camellia oleifera.
Food niche segregation between sympatric golden jackals and red foxes in central Bulgaria
Authors: Tsunoda H. , Raichev E. G. , Newman C. , Masuda R. , Georgiev D. M. , Kaneko Y.
Published: April 2017

In Europe, the range of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) has expanded since the mid‐twentieth century, but little is known about how it interacts with other sympatric carnivores. Among European countries, Bulgaria has the largest population of golden jackals and jackal numbers have increased around two‐fold during the past two decades, particularly in lowland habitats. Larger canids often competitively exclude, or even kill, smaller sympatric ones, especially when guild dynamics are in flux due to population re‐establishment. We therefore investigate whether trophic niche segregation occurs between golden jackals and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in central Bulgaria, where both species are sympatric. Because jackals are more abundant in lowland than in upland Bulgaria, we further investigate whether habitat elevation affects the strength of trophic competition. From the analysis of stomach contents of both species, collected from lowland and upland areas during hunting seasons between 1997 and 2009, we found no significant food niche overlap, and no effect of elevation on trophic interactions. In lowland habitat, golden jackals mainly scavenged carcasses of domestic animals, whereas in upland habitat they consumed mostly carcasses of wild ungulates. In contrast, red foxes predominantly and consistently predated rodents in both habitats. This suggests that trophic segregation facilitates the coexistence of these canids under these prevailing population conditions. Nevertheless, we stress that as golden jackals colonize Eastern Europe, impacts on red foxes, and consequences for ecological communities, should be monitored carefully, especially in regions with less carrion available to support jackals.
Wage Discrimination Against Immigrants in Austria?
Authors: Hofer Helmut , Titelbach Gerlinde , Winter‐Ebmer Rudolf , Ahammer Alexander
Published: April 2017

This paper analyses wage discrimination against immigrants in Austria using combined information from the labour force surveys and administrative social security data. We find that immigrants experience a wage penalty of 15 percentage points compared with natives. However, a substantial part of this gap can be explained by differences in human capital endowment and job position. Decomposition methods using quantile regressions indicate larger discrimination in the upper part of the wage distribution.
Band‐aids for Buchnera and B vitamins for all
Authors: Russell Jacob A. , Oliver Kerry M. , Hansen Allison K.
Published: April 2017

Evolution lacks foresight, and hence, key adaptations may produce major challenges over the long run. The natural world is rife with examples of long‐term ‘side effects’ associated with quick‐fix tinkering, including blind spots in vertebrate eyes. An important question is how nature compensates for imperfections once evolution has set a course. The symbioses associated with sap‐feeding insects present a fascinating opportunity to address this issue. On one hand, the substantial diversity and biomass of sap‐feeding insects are largely due to ancient acquisitions of nutrient‐provisioning bacterial symbionts. Yet, the insularity and small population sizes enforced by intracellular life and strict maternal transfer inevitably result in the degradation of symbiont genomes and, often, the beneficial services that symbionts provide. Stabilization through lateral transfer of bacterial genes into the host nucleus (often from exogenous sources) or replacement of the long‐standing symbiont with a new partner are potential solutions to this evolutionary dilemma (Bennett & Moran ). A third solution is adoption of a cosymbiont that compensates for specific losses in the original resident. Ancient ‘co‐obligate’ symbiont pairs in mealybugs, leafhoppers, cicadas and spittlebugs show colocalization, codiversification, metabolite exchange and generally nonredundant nutrient biosynthesis (Bennett & Moran ). But in this issue, Meseguer et al. () report on a different flavour of cosymbiosis among conifer‐feeding Cinara aphids.
Traumatic stress‐induced persistent changes in DNA methylation regulate neuropeptide Y expression in rat jejunum
Authors: Sagarkar S. , Mahajan S. , Choudhary A. G. , Borkar C. D. , Kokare D. M. , Sakharkar A. J.
Published: April 2017

Background

Stress‐induced chronic neuropsychiatric conditions such as anxiety are often co‐morbid with gastrointestinal malfunctions. While we find enduring anxiety‐like symptoms following minimal traumatic brain injury (MTBI) in rats, gastrointestinal consequences of MTBI remain elusive.

Methods

In this study, we examined the effects of MTBI on a major gut peptide, neuropeptide Y (NPY) and gut motility. DNA methylation was studied as a possible epigenetic mechanism operative in the regulation of NPY expression in the gut.

Key Results

Minimal traumatic brain injury reduced the gut motility 48 hours and 30 days after trauma. The expression of DNA methyltransferase isoforms (DNMT1, DNMT3a, and DNMT3b) was altered in the jejunum 48 hours and 30 days after MTBI. However, the mRNA levels of growth arrest and DNA damage 45 (GADD45) isoforms, GADD45a, and GADD45b, which are believed to be involved in active DNA demethylation, initially decreased at 48 hours but subsequently increased after 30 days of trauma. Similarly, DNA hypomethylation at the NPY promoter region in the jejunum was correlated with the increase in NPY mRNA and protein levels 30 days post‐trauma. On the other hand, DNA hypomethylation at 48 hours was associated with a decline in NPY expression. Treatment with 5‐azacytidine (5‐AzaC), a DNMT inhibitor, retarded DNA methylation and restored the NPY mRNA levels in the jejunum of MTBI‐induced rats.

Conclusions & Inferences

These results suggest that DNA demethylation could be operative as an epigenetic mechanism in the long‐term regulation of NPY gene expression to alter the gut motility during traumatic stress.
Colonic gas homeostasis: Mechanisms of adaptation following HOST‐G904 galactooligosaccharide use in humans
Authors: Mego M. , Accarino A. , Tzortzis G. , Vulevic J. , Gibson G. , Guarner F. , Azpiroz F.
Published: April 2017

Background

We have shown that a galactooligosaccharide prebiotic administration (HOST‐G904) initially increased intestinal gas production and this increase declined back to baseline after 2 week administration. Our aim was to determine the mechanism of microbiota adaptation; i.e., to determine whether the net reduction is due to decreased overall production or increased gas consumption.

Methods

In 10 healthy subjects, intestinal gas production and intraluminal disposal was measured before, at the beginning and after 2 week of HOST‐G904 prebiotic administration. Anal gas was collected for 4 hour after a probe meal. Paired studies were performed without and with high‐rate infusion of exogenous gas (24 mL/min) into the jejunum to wash‐out the endogenous gas produced by bacterial fermentation. The exogenous gas infused was labeled (5% SF6) to calculate the proportion of endogenous gas evacuated.

Key Results

The volume of intestinal gas produced i.e., endogenous gas washed‐out, increased by 37% at the beginning of HOST‐G904 administration (P=.049 vs preadministration) and decreased down to preadministration level after 2 week administration (P=.030 vs early administration). The proportion of gas eliminated from the lumen before reaching the anus tended to increase after 2‐week administration (87±3% vs 78±5% preadministration; P=.098).

Conclusions & Inferences

Adaptation to regular consumption of HOST‐G904 prebiotic involves a shift in microbiota metabolism toward low‐gas producing pathways, with a non‐significant increase in gas‐consuming activity. Hence, regular consumption of HOST‐G904 regulates intestinal gas metabolism: less gas is produced and a somewhat larger proportion of it is consumed.
A signature of tree health? Shifts in the microbiome and the ecological drivers of horse chestnut bleeding canker disease
Authors: Koskella Britt , Meaden Sean , Crowther William J. , Leimu Roosa , Metcalf C. Jessica E.
Published: April 2017

Host susceptibility to pathogens can be shaped by genetic, ecological, and evolutionary factors. The ability to predict the spread of disease therefore requires an integrated understanding of these factors, including effects of pests on pathogen growth and competition between pathogens and commensal microbiota for host resources. We examined interactions between the leaf‐mining moth Cameraria ohridella, the bacterial causal agent of bleeding canker disease Pseudomonas syringae pv aesculi, and the bark‐associated microbiota of horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) trees.

Through surveys of > 900 trees from 60 sites in the UK, we tested for ecological or life history predictors of leaf miner infestation, bleeding canker, or coinfection. Using culture‐independent sequencing, we then compared the bark microbiomes from 46 trees to measure the association between microbiome composition and key ecological variables, including the severity of disease.

Both pest and pathogen were found to respond to tree characteristics, but neither explained damage inflicted by the other. However, we found a clear loss of microbial diversity and associated shift in microbiome composition of trees as a function of disease.

These results show a link between bark‐associated microbiota and tree health that introduces the intriguing possibility that tree microbiota play key roles in the spread of disease.
Explaining the apparent paradox of persistent selection for early flowering
Authors: Austen Emily J. , Rowe Locke , Stinchcombe John R. , Forrest Jessica R. K.
Published: April 2017

Decades of observation in natural plant populations have revealed pervasive phenotypic selection for early flowering onset. This consistent pattern seems at odds with life‐history theory, which predicts stabilizing selection on age and size at reproduction. Why is selection for later flowering rare? Moreover, extensive evidence demonstrates that flowering time can and does evolve. What maintains ongoing directional selection for early flowering? Several non‐mutually exclusive processes can help to reconcile the apparent paradox of selection for early flowering. We outline four: selection through other fitness components may counter observed fecundity selection for early flowering; asymmetry in the flowering‐time–fitness function may make selection for later flowering hard to detect; flowering time and fitness may be condition‐dependent; and selection on flowering duration is largely unaccounted for. In this Viewpoint, we develop these four mechanisms, and highlight areas where further study will improve our understanding of flowering‐time evolution.
In vitro evaluation of the influence of velocity on sliding resistance of stainless steel arch wires in a self‐ligating orthodontic bracket
Authors: Savoldi F. , Visconti L. , Dalessandri D. , Bonetti S. , Tsoi J. K. H. , Matinlinna J. P. , Paganelli C.
Published: April 2017

Structured Abstract

Introduction

Of the variables used by in vitro studies of resistance to sliding (RS) in orthodontics, sliding velocity (SV) of the wire is often the one farthest from its clinical counterpart. We investigated whether velocity influences the RS at values approximating the orthodontic movement.

Methods

A SS self‐ligating bracket with a NiTi clip was fixed onto a custom‐made model. Different shaped orthodontic SS wires of four sizes and two types (round, 0.020″ and 0.022″; rectangular, 0.016″×0.022″ and 0.017″×0.025″) were tested using an Instron® testing machine. Wires were pulled at four velocities (1×10−2 mm/s, 1×10−3 mm/s, 1×10−4 mm/s, 1×10−5 mm/s). Shapiro‐Wilk test was used to evaluate the normal distribution of the data; two‐way ANOVA was performed to compare means in the RS with wire characteristics and SV. Significance level was set at P<.05.

Results

RS was higher for rectangular wires, and for those with larger diameters. Lower SV was associated with lower RS, with wire type and size having an interaction effect. The RS relatively to SV can be represented as: RS ∝ α[ln(SV)]+β, where α and β are constants.

Conclusions

At very low SV and low normal forces, SV influences the RS of SS archwires in orthodontic brackets, and the proportionality is logarithmic. Although respecting these parameters in vitro is challenging, quantitative evaluations of RS should be carried out at clinically relevant velocities if aiming at translational application in the clinical scenario.
Healthcare Costs and Medication Adherence Among Patients with Fibromyalgia: Combination Medication vs. Duloxetine, Milnacipran, Venlafaxine, and Pregabalin Initiators
Authors: Marlow Nicole M. , Simpson Kit N. , Vaughn Ivana A. , Jo Ara , Zoller James S. , Short Edward B.
Published: April 2017

Objective

To examine medication adherence and healthcare costs for combination prescription initiators (duloxetine/milnacipran/venlafaxine with pregabalin) vs. monotherapy initiators (duloxetine, milnacipran, venlafaxine, and pregabalin) among patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS).

Methods

Our retrospective cohort study used claims data for the South Carolina Blue Cross Blue Shield State Health Plan (SHP). Patients with FMS ≥ 18 years of age, with prescription initiation from July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2010, and SHP enrollment for 12 months pre‐ and post‐index periods were included (combination: n = 100; pregabalin: n = 665; duloxetine: n = 713; milnacipran: n = 131; venlafaxine: n = 272). Medication adherence measures included high adherence (medication possession ratio ≥ 80%) and total supply days. Healthcare costs comprised direct medical expenditures. Propensity score methods of inverse probability of treatment weights were used to control for selection bias due to differing pre‐index characteristics.

Results

Odds ratios for high adherence were significantly increased (P < 0.05) among the combination cohort vs. the venlafaxine (2.15), duloxetine (1.39), and pregabalin (2.20) cohorts. Rate ratios for total supply days were significantly higher (P < 0.05) for combination vs. venlafaxine (1.23), duloxetine (1.08), and pregabalin (1.32) cohorts. Expenditures for total health care were significantly higher (P < 0.05) for combination vs. duloxetine ($26,291 vs. $17,190), milnacipran ($33,638 vs. $22,886), and venlafaxine ($26,586 vs. $16,857) cohorts.

Conclusions

Medication adherence was considerably better for combination prescription initiators; however, expenditures for total health care were higher. Still, our findings suggest important clinical benefits with the use of combination prescription therapy, and prospective studies of medication adherence are warranted to examine causal relationships with outcomes not captured by healthcare claims databases.
Defensive High‐Anxious Individuals Demonstrate Difference Responses to Pain Management to Those with Lower Levels of Defensiveness and Anxiety
Authors: Franklin Zoe C. , Fowler Neil. E.
Published: April 2017

Objectives

Few studies have considered the effect of Weinberger et al.'s personality types on the management of pain. The aims of this study were to (1) identify whether the relationships between pain intensity, cognitive factors, and disability at 3 and 6 months postbaseline differ as a result of personality type; and (2) identify whether personality type affects the likelihood of achieving a minimal clinically important change in pain intensity or disability at 3 and 6 months.

Method

Patients completed a set of validated questionnaires assessing personality type, cognitive factors, pain intensity, and disability at 3 and 6 months postbaseline.

Results

A greater proportion of defensive high‐anxious individuals reported improvement for both pain (3 months = 25%; 6 months = 38%) and disability (3 months = 35%; 6 months = 50%) and showed stronger links between improvements in pain and disability and baseline psychological factors than nonextreme individuals.

Conclusions

The high proportion of defensive high‐anxious individuals highlights the need for psychologically based interventions to be delivered earlier in the care process. Stratifying the population, based on personality type, may allow for more targeted interventions, which could be more cost effective and reduce the number of patients remaining in the care system.
Desmoid‐type fibromatosis in a boy with Down syndrome
Authors: Ishida Hisashi , Chayama Kousuke , Kanamitsu Kiichiro , Washio Kana , Tanaka Takehiro , Shimada Akira
Published: April 2017

Patients with Down syndrome (DS) have a markedly higher incidence of childhood leukemia, but a lower incidence of most solid tumors, compared with age‐matched euploid individuals. Trisomy 21 might be protective against tumorigenesis because of several tumor suppressive mechanisms. Desmoid‐type fibromatosis (DF) is a rare monoclonal, fibroblastic proliferation characterized by a variable clinical course. In recent reports, almost all cases of DF involved genomic alterations associated with activation of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway. Here, we report the case of a boy with DS who developed DF without activation of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of DS involving DF.
Provenance effect on carbon assimilation, photochemistry and leaf morphology in Mediterranean Cistus species under chilling stress
Authors: Puglielli G. , Cuevas Román F. J. , Catoni R. , Moreno Rojas J. M. , Gratani L. , Varone L.
Published: April 2017

The potential resilience of shrub species to environmental change deserves attention in those areas threatened by climate change, such as the Mediterranean Basin. We asked if leaves produced under different climate conditions through the winter season to spring can highlight the leaf traits involved in determining potential resilience of three Cistus spp. to changing environmental conditions and to what extent intraspecific differences affect such a response.

We analysed carbon assimilation, maximum quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm) and leaf morphological control of the photosynthetic process in leaves formed through the winter season into spring in C. creticus subsp. eriocephalus (CE), C. salvifolius (CS) and C. monspeliensis (CM) grown from seed of different provenances under common garden conditions.

Intraspecific differences were found in Fv/Fm for CE and CS. Carbon assimilation‐related parameters were not affected by provenance. Moreover, our analysis highlighted that the functional relationships investigated can follow seasonal changes and revealed patterns originating from species‐specific differences in LMA arising during the favourable period.

Cistus spp. have great ability to modify the structure and function of their leaves in the mid‐term in order to cope with changing environmental conditions. The Fv/Fm response to chilling reveals that susceptibility to photoinhibition is a trait under selection in Cistus species. Concerning carbon assimilation, differing ability to control stomatal opening was highlighted between species. Moreover, seasonal changes of the functional relationships investigated can have predictable consequences on species leaf turnover strategies.
Organizing for continuous technology acquisition: the role of R&D geographic dispersion
Authors: Ardito Lorenzo , Natalicchio Angelo , Messeni Petruzzelli Antonio , Garavelli Achille Claudio
Published: April 2017

External technology acquisition has been proved to be an important strategy to enhance firms’ innovation performance. However, previous studies claim that companies acquiring technologies tend to not carry on with this strategy over time, thus limiting their attitude toward continuous technology acquisition. Moreover, the extant literature also highlights that this attitude is strongly influenced by their organizational structure. Therefore, in the present paper, we investigate the relationship between how firms organize R&D activities and continuous technology acquisition. Specifically, given the increasing globalization of technological development, we focus on the role of R&D geographic dispersion, and how its influence is moderated by firms’ technological diversification. We tested our hypotheses on longitudinal data of 303 biotechnology firms that acquired, at least, one USPTO patented technology over the period 1982–2012. Results reveal that R&D geographic dispersion is curvilinearly (inverted U‐shaped) related to continuous technology acquisition, with negative returns occurring earlier in technology‐diversified companies.
Labor Informality: Choice or Sign of Segmentation? A Quantile Regression Approach at the Regional Level for Colombia
Authors: García Gustavo A.
Published: April 2017

The labor market in developing countries is remarkably heterogeneous, with a small productive formal sector characterized by high wages and attractive employment conditions, and a large informal sector characterized by low productivity and volatile wages. The informal sector is particularly diverse. In this paper, we examine the heterogeneity of the informal sector at the regional level in Colombia. In general, our findings suggest that both voluntary and involuntary informal employment co‐exist by choice and as a consequence of labor market segmentation. We also find that there are striking differences in labor market characteristics across cities, particularly with respect to informal employment.
‘Making it Count’: Incentives, Student Effort and Performance
Authors: Chevalier Arnaud , Dolton Peter , Lührmann Melanie
Published: April 2017

The paper examines how incentives to participate in on-line assessments (quizzes) affect students’ effort and performance. Our identification strategy exploits within-student weekly variation in incentives to attempt on-line quizzes. We find that tournament incentives and participation incentives are ineffective in increasing quiz participation. In contrast, making the quiz count towards the final grade substantially increases participation. We find no evidence of displacement of effort between weeks. Using a natural experiment which provides variation in assessment weighting of the quizzes between two cohorts, we find that affected students obtain better examination grades. We estimate the return to 10% assessment weighting to be around 0.27 of a standard deviation in the in-term examination grade. We find no evidence that assessment weighting has unintended consequences, i.e. that increased quiz effort displaces effort over the year, reduces other forms of effort or reduces (effort and thus) performance in other courses. Finally, assessment weighting induced effort increases most for students at and below median ability, resulting in a reduction of the grade gap by 17%.
Understanding intergroup relations through the lens of implicit theories (mindsets) of malleability
Authors: Rattan Aneeta , Georgeac Oriane A.M.
Published: April 2017

This review argues that implicit theories of malleability are essential constructs for the study of intergroup dynamics. As one of people's core meaning‐making tools, mindsets about malleability shed light on the mechanisms behind perceivers' tendency to stereotype and feel prejudiced towards targets, as well as on the mechanisms underlying targets' ability to shield against, and potentially confront, bias. In addition to illuminating cross‐group interaction dynamics between individuals, mindsets contribute to explaining the harmful processes at play in real‐world protracted conflicts and suggest interventions that may help lay the ground for peace processes. This review also aims to highlight areas of research that remain open for further investigation or that have been overlooked to date. We argue that research integrating mindsets and intergroup relations will advance our understanding of intergroup dynamics, as well as possibly offering insights on how to improve them, and that this approach will also further the study of lay theories of malleability.
A psychology of the human brain–gut–microbiome axis
Authors: Allen Andrew P. , Dinan Timothy G. , Clarke Gerard , Cryan John F.
Published: April 2017

In recent years, we have seen increasing research within neuroscience and biopsychology on the interactions between the brain, the gastrointestinal tract, the bacteria within the gastrointestinal tract, and the bidirectional relationship between these systems: the brain–gut–microbiome axis. Although research has demonstrated that the gut microbiota can impact upon cognition and a variety of stress‐related behaviours, including those relevant to anxiety and depression, we still do not know how this occurs. A deeper understanding of how psychological development as well as social and cultural factors impact upon the brain–gut–microbiome axis will contextualise the role of the axis in humans and inform psychological interventions that improve health within the brain–gut–microbiome axis. Interventions ostensibly aimed at ameliorating disorders in one part of the brain–gut–microbiome axis (e.g., psychotherapy for depression) may nonetheless impact upon other parts of the axis (e.g., microbiome composition and function), and functional gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome represent a disorder of the axis, rather than an isolated problem either of psychology or of gastrointestinal function. The discipline of psychology needs to be cognisant of these interactions and can help to inform the future research agenda in this emerging field of research. In this review, we outline the role psychology has to play in understanding the brain–gut–microbiome axis, with a focus on human psychology and the use of research in laboratory animals to model human psychology.
An HLA‐B7‐specific antibody in an HLA‐B*07 positive patient explained by a nonexpressed allele (HLA‐B*07:181N)
Authors: Wenda S. , Faé I. , Fischer G. F.
Published: April 2017

Antibody identification by a bead array assay in a kidney patient revealed several HLA‐specific antibodies including one directed against the HLA‐B7 antigen. Low‐resolution typing of the patient indicated the presence of an
HLA‐B*07 allele. To rule out an HLA‐specific autoantibody the HLA‐typing of the patient was further refined by nucleotide sequencing on a next‐generation sequencing platform and eventually showed an
HLA‐B*39:01:01:03 and
HLA‐B*07:181N
genotype. Thereby the allospecific nature of the antibody was proven. The HLA‐B7‐specific antibody could be explained by an immunization during the first kidney‐transplantation in 1996 with an
HLA‐B*07 positive donor. When assessing the plausibility of antibodies, the presence of nonexpressed alleles should be taken into consideration.
A national survey of screening and management of hypogammaglobulinemia in Canadian transplantation centers
Authors: Bourassa‐Blanchette Samuel , Knoll Greg , Tay Jason , Bredeson Christopher , Cameron Donald W. , Cowan Juthaporn
Published: April 2017

Background

Infection remains one of the most common transplant‐related causes of death in patients undergoing transplantation. Secondary hypogammaglobulinemia (HGG) as a component of immune suppression and deficiency is associated with both solid organ transplantation (SOT) and hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Available data and clinical experience for the supplementation of immunoglobulin (Ig) in these patients is conflicting, and differing clinical opinion accounts for non‐uniform practice in the use of Ig treatment. We aimed to survey lead transplant practitioners for current practice around polyvalent Ig use in post‐transplant recipients across Canada.

Methods

We performed a survey study using short questionnaires to estimate rate of screening of HGG, use of polyvalent Ig, and physician's opinion on Ig treatment and infection prevention. Directors of 24 SOT and 23 HCT centers across Canada were invited to participate in the survey via an electronic mail.

Results

Overall response rate was 63.8%. Twenty percent of SOT programs routinely measured Ig levels pre‐transplant compared to 33% of allogeneic (allo‐) and 21% of autologous (auto‐) HCT programs. Post‐transplant Ig levels were measured in 13%, 75%, and 29% in SOT, allo‐HCT, and auto‐HCT, respectively. The SOT and auto‐HCT groups indicated that they do not prescribe Ig therapy (100% and 86%), contrary to the allo‐HCT group (42%). Of the respondents in the SOT, allo‐HCT, and auto‐HCT groups, 60%, 67%, and 36%, respectively, thought infections could be prevented with intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg). A majority of respondents indicated they would be interested in participating in a randomized controlled trial evaluating the use of IVIg in the SOT and in both HCT groups (100%, 83%, and 57%, respectively).

Conclusions

Our study shows significant variation in practice between SOT and HCT centers with respect to screening and management of HGG. There is willingness to participate in a randomized controlled trial to address whether Ig treatment reduces infection in post‐transplant recipients.
Biofilms of Candida spp. from the ocular conjunctiva of horses with reduced azole susceptibility: a complicating factor for the treatment of keratomycosis?
Authors: Brilhante Raimunda Sâmia Nogueira , Bittencourt Paula Vago , de Souza Collares Castelo‐Branco Débora , de Melo Guedes Glaucia Morgana , de Oliveira Jonathas Sales , Alencar Lucas Pereira , de Aguiar Cordeiro Rossana , Pinheiro Mariana , Nogueira‐Filho Evilázio Fernandes , de Aquino Pereira‐Neto Waldemiro , Sidrim José Júlio Costa , Rocha Marcos Fábio Gadelha
Published: April 2017

Objectives

This study aimed to assess the biofilm‐forming ability of Candida spp. from the ocular conjunctiva of horses and to investigate the antifungal susceptibility of these biofilms.

Procedures

Initially, the biofilm‐forming ability of 15 strains was assessed by crystal violet staining, which reveals the fungal biomass adhered to the polystyrene plates, and scanning electron microscopy. Then, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of amphotericin B, fluconazole, itraconazole, and caspofungin were initially determined against strains in planktonic form. Afterward, antifungal susceptibility of mature biofilms was evaluated by exposing them to 10 × MIC and 50 × MIC of the tested drugs, followed by the assessment of their metabolic activity, using the oxidoreduction indicator XTT. Results were analyzed through ANOVA and Tukey's post‐test, and P‐values below 5% led to significant conclusions.

Results

Eight strains produced biofilms and were classified as strong (1/15), moderate (3/15) and weak (4/15) producers, according to the amount of crystal violet retained by the adhered fungal biomass. Biofilm metabolic activity of one C. tropicalis did not decrease after exposure to the tested antifungals, while biofilm metabolic activity of five strains was reduced by amphotericin B, but not the other drugs. One C. parapsilosis sensu stricto and one C. glabrata showed significant reduction in biofilm metabolic activity after exposure to fluconazole, itraconazole, and caspofungin, but not amphotericin B.

Conclusions

The results demonstrate that Candida from the ocular conjunctiva of horses can pose as a risk to animal health as they are capable of forming biofilms, which are commonly involved in fungal keratitis.
Tensile Mechanical Properties and Dynamic Collagen Fiber Re-Alignment of the Murine Cervix Are Dramatically Altered Throughout Pregnancy
Authors: Barnum Carrie E. , Fey Jennifer L. , Weiss Stephanie N. , Barila Guillermo , Brown Amy G. , Connizzo Brianne K. , Shetye Snehal S. , Elovitz Michal A. , Soslowsky Louis J.
Published: April 2017

The cervix is a unique organ able to dramatically change its shape and function by serving as a physical barrier for the growing fetus and then undergoing dramatic dilation allowing for delivery of a term infant. As a result, the cervix endures changing mechanical forces from the growing fetus. There is an emerging concept that the cervix may change or remodel “early” in many cases of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB). However, the mechanical role of the cervix in both normal and preterm birth remains unclear. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to determine the mechanical and structural responses of murine cervical tissue throughout a normal gestational time course. In this study, both tissue structural and material properties were determined via a quasi-static tensile load-to-failure test, while simultaneously obtaining dynamic collagen fiber re-alignment via cross-polarization imaging. This study demonstrated that the majority of the mechanical properties evaluated decreased at midgestation and not just at term, while collagen fiber re-alignment occurred earlier in the loading curve for cervices at term. This suggests that although structural changes in the cervix occur throughout gestation, the differences in material properties function in combination with collagen fiber re-alignment as mechanical precursors to regulate term gestation. This work lays a foundation for investigating cervical biomechanics and the role of the cervix in preterm birth.
A Method for In Vitro TCPC Compliance Verification
Authors: Tree Mike , Wei Zhenglun Alan , Munz Brady , Maher Kevin , Deshpande Shriprasad , Slesnick Timothy , Yoganathan Ajit
Published: April 2017

The Fontan procedure is a common palliative intervention for sufferers of single ventricle congenital heart defects that results in an anastomosis of the venous return to the pulmonary arteries called the total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC). Local TCPC and global Fontan circulation hemodynamics are studied with in vitro circulatory models because of hemodynamic ties to Fontan patient long-term complications. The majority of in vitro studies, to date, employ a rigid TCPC model. Recently, a few studies have incorporated flexible TCPC models, but provide no justification for the model material properties. The method set forth in this study successfully utilizes patient-specific flow and pressure data from phase contrast magnetic resonance images (PCMRI) (n = 1) and retrospective pulse-pressure data from an age-matched patient cohort (n = 10) to verify the compliance of an in vitro TCPC model. These data were analyzed, and the target compliance was determined as 1.36 ± 0.78 mL/mm Hg. A method of in vitro compliance testing and computational simulations was employed to determine the in vitro flexible TCPC model material properties and then use those material properties to estimate the wall thickness necessary to match the patient-specific target compliance. The resulting in vitro TCPC model compliance was 1.37 ± 0.1 mL/mm Hg—a value within 1% of the patient-specific compliance. The presented method is useful to verify in vitro model accuracy of patient-specific TCPC compliance and thus improve patient-specific hemodynamic modeling.
Investigation of the Transient Characteristics for Laser Cladding Beads Using 420 Stainless Steel Powder
Authors: Saqib S. M. , Urbanic R. J.
Published: April 2017

To understand the different aspects of the laser cladding (LC) process, process models can be of aid. Presently, the correct parameter settings for different manufacturing processes, such as machining and casting, are based on simulation tools that can evaluate the influence of the process parameters for different conditions. However, there are no comprehensive, focused simulation process planning tools available for the LC process. In the past, most of the research has focused on the experimentally based optimization strategies for a process configuration, typically for a single track bead in steady-state conditions. However, an understanding of realistic transient conditions needs to be explored for effective process planning simulation tools and build strategies to be developed. A set of cladding experiments have been performed for single and multiple bead scenarios, and the effects of the transient conditions on the bead geometry for these scenarios have been investigated. It is found that the lead-in and lead-out conditions differ, corner geometry influences the bead height, and when changing the input power levels, the geometry values oscillate differently than the input pulses. Changes in the bead geometry are inherent when depositing material; consequently, real-time adjustments for the process setting are essential. The dynamic, time varying heating and solidification, for multiple layer scenarios, leads to challenging process planning and real-time control strategies.
Indirect Strain Control in Aluminum Stamp Formed Pans
Authors: Emblom William J.
Published: April 2017

A stamp forming die whose flexible blank holder (BH) was designed using finite element (FE) analysis was built. The tooling also included active draw beads, local wrinkling sensors, and local force transducers. Wrinkling was controlled using a proportional–integral–derivative (PID) feedback loop and blank holder force (BHF). Local forces in the tooling were also controlled using blank holder forces in a PID feedback loop. A third closed-loop control system that could be used to control local punch forces (LPF) near draw beads featured an advanced PID controller with a Smith Predictor and Kalman Filter. A Bang–bang controller was also incorporated into that control system in order to prevent control saturation. Fuzzy logic was used to transition from one controller to the other. Once closed-loop control was implemented, tests were performed in order to evaluate the strains in the pans for various forming conditions. These results were compared to open-loop tests and it was found that the strains' paths for closed-loop control tests resulted in convergence and were further from the forming limit than strains from open-loop control tests. Furthermore, it was seen that the strains in critical regions had more uniform strain fields once closed-loop control of local punch forces was implemented. Hence, it was concluded that controlling local punch forces resulted in the indirect control of strains in critical regions.