bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toxicity of Lavandula angustifolia oil constituents and spray formulations to insecticide‐susceptible and pyrethroid‐resistant Plutella xylostella and its endoparasitoid Cotesia glomerata
Authors: Yi Chang Geun , Hieu Tran Trung , Lee Si Hyeock , Choi Byeoung‐Ryeol , Kwon Min , Ahn Young‐Joon
Published: September 2015

BACKGROUND

Plutella xylostella is one of the most serious insect pests of cruciferous crops. This study was conducted to determine the toxicity of 21 constituents from Lavandula angustifolia essential oil (LA‐EO) and another 16 previously known LA‐EO constituents and the toxicity of six experimental spray formulations containing the oil (1–6 g L−1 sprays) to susceptible KS‐PX and pyrethroid‐resistant JJ‐PX P. xylostella larvae, as well as to its endoparasitoid Cotesia glomerata adults.

RESULTS

Linalool and linalool oxide (LC50 = 0.016 mg cm−3) were the most toxic fumigant compounds and were 10.7‐fold less toxic than dichlorvos to KS‐PX larvae. Either residual or fumigant toxicity of these compounds was almost identical against larvae from either of the two strains. Against C. glomerata, dichlorvos (LC50 = 7 × 10−6 mg cm−3) was the most toxic insecticide. LA‐EO was ∼1430 times less toxic than dichlorvos. The oil applied as 6 g L−1 spray and emamectin benzoate 21.5 g L−1 emulsifiable concentrate provided 100% mortality against larvae from either of the two strains.

CONCLUSION

Reasonable P. xylostella control in greenhouses can be achieved by a spray formulation containing the 6 g L−1 oil as potential contact‐action fumigant. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Bayesian adaptive dose‐escalation procedures for binary and continuous responses utilizing a gain function
Authors: Yeung Wai Yin , Whitehead John , Reigner Bruno , Beyer Ulrich , Diack Cheikh , Jaki Thomas
Published: September 2015

One of the main aims of early phase clinical trials is to identify a safe dose with an indication of therapeutic benefit to administer to subjects in further studies. Ideally therefore, dose‐limiting events (DLEs) and responses indicative of efficacy should be considered in the dose‐escalation procedure. Several methods have been suggested for incorporating both DLEs and efficacy responses in early phase dose‐escalation trials. In this paper, we describe and evaluate a Bayesian adaptive approach based on one binary response (occurrence of a DLE) and one continuous response (a measure of potential efficacy) per subject. A logistic regression and a linear log‐log relationship are used respectively to model the binary DLEs and the continuous efficacy responses. A gain function concerning both the DLEs and efficacy responses is used to determine the dose to administer to the next cohort of subjects. Stopping rules are proposed to enable efficient decision making. Simulation results shows that our approach performs better than taking account of DLE responses alone. To assess the robustness of the approach, scenarios where the efficacy responses of subjects are generated from an Emax model, but modelled by the linear log–log model are also considered. This evaluation shows that the simpler log–log model leads to robust recommendations even under this model showing that it is a useful approximation to the difficulty in estimating Emax model. Additionally, we find comparable performance to alternative approaches using efficacy and safety for dose‐finding. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparing Short‐ and Long‐Term Learning Effects Between Stereoscopic and Two‐Dimensional Film at a Planetarium
Authors: PRICE C. AARON , LEE HEE‐SUN , SUBBARAO MARK , KASAL EVAN , AGUILERA JULIETA
Published: September 2015

Science centers such as museums and planetariums have used stereoscopic (“three‐dimensional”) films to draw interest from and educate their visitors for decades. Despite the fact that most adults who are finished with their formal education get their science knowledge from such free‐choice learning settings very little is known about the effect of stereoscopic film presentation on their science learning. We explored this issue by designing a quasi‐experimental field trial with a short film about the shape of the Milky Way galaxy. The film was produced based on a set of stereoscopic design principles derived from spatial cognition and cognitive load literature with the goal of lowering the audience's extraneous cognitive load. The film was randomly shown in either two‐dimensional (2D) or stereoscopic format to 498 adults who visited a large, urban planetarium. To investigate the extent of audience's change related to galaxy‐related spatial concepts, an identical set of questions was asked on iPads before and after the film was shown. A delayed posttest was given to 123 of those adults approximately 6 months later. Test performances were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of covariances (ANCOVAs) with demographic and spatial visualization ability measures as covariates. Results show identical short‐term learning gains in both the 2D and stereoscopic groups. However, only the stereoscopic group exhibited long‐term learning gains. Findings were interpreted through the lenses of cognitive load theory and the limited capacity model of mediated message processing.
Pruned nodes in ternary key tree during batch rekeying in group key agreement for cognitive radio ad hoc networks
Authors: Renugadevi N , Mala C
Published: September 2015

Cognitive radio networks need stringent and secure group communication as nodes dynamically access the free portions of radio frequency spectrum to solve the spectrum scarcity in wireless networks. The cognitive radio ad hoc networks can use group key agreement to achieve security in group communication and tree topology to organize the group members in order to reduce the complexity of group operations. This paper proposes a ternary key tree model for tree‐based group key agreement in cognitive radio ad hoc networks, and it considers batch rekeying scheme. The range of ids for member, non‐member and pruned nodes in the ternary key tree are analysed in this paper. This paper proposes the analysis of two types of leave operations in the key tree, and the concept of subtree structure is used to analyse the total number of internal nodes that are pruned during leave operations in the key tree through mathematical expressions. This pruned nodes analysis can be used in finding the total number of renewed nodes in the key tree during rekeying process to measure the communication complexity of tree‐based group key agreement protocol. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cell Adhesion Molecules and Stem Cell-Niche-Interactions in the Limbal Stem Cell Niche
Authors: Polisetti Naresh , Zenkel Matthias , Menzel-Severing Johannes , Kruse Friedrich E. , Schlötzer-Schrehardt Ursula
Published: September 2015

Interactions between stem cells and their microenvironment are critical for regulation and maintenance of stem cell function. To elucidate the molecular interactions within the human limbal epithelial stem/progenitor cell (LEPC) niche, which is essential for maintaining corneal transparency and vision, we performed a comprehensive expression analysis of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) using custom-made quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) arrays and laser capture-microdissected LEPC clusters, comprising LEPCs, melanocytes, mesenchymal cells, and transmigrating immune cells. We show that LEPCs are anchored to their supporting basement membrane by the laminin receptors α3β1 and α6β4 integrin and the dystroglycan complex, while intercellular contacts between LEPCs and melanocytes are mediated by N-, P-, and E-cadherin together with L1-CAM, a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily (Ig)CAMs. In addition to the LEPC-associated heparan sulfate proteoglycans syndecan-2, glypican-3, and glypican-4, the IgCAM members ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were found to be variably expressed on LEPCs and associated niche cells and to be dynamically regulated in response to chemokines such as interferon-γ to enhance interactions with immune cells. Moreover, junctional adhesion molecule JAM-C accumulating in the subepithelial limbal matrix, appeared to be involved in recruitment of immune cells, while mesenchymal stromal cells appeared to use the nephronectin receptor integrin α8 for approaching the limbal basement membrane. In summary, we identified a novel combination of cell surface receptors that may regulate both stable and dynamic cell-matrix and cell–cell interactions within the limbal niche. The findings provide a solid foundation for further functional studies and for advancement of our current therapeutic strategies for ocular surface reconstruction.
Obesity, International Food and Beverage Industries, and Self‐Regulation: The Fragmentation of Information Strategies
Authors: Jensen Jørgen Dejgård , Ronit Karsten
Published: September 2015

This article explores how large international companies in the breakfast cereal, snack, and beverage industries address the issue of obesity, and how their strategies are governed by various forms of self‐regulation. In a first step, we study websites of ten companies and identify five different dimensions: (i) mission statements, (ii) educational commitment statements, (iii) nutrition labeling, (iv) marketing code of conduct, and (v) education initiatives aimed at professionals. Based on a coding of these activities, we conducted hierarchical cluster analysis and selected five case companies for in‐depth investigation. This analysis reveals different types of self‐regulation strategies, reflecting differences in levels of commitment and instrumentation. Some companies pursue defensive strategies, some with an element of “blame‐control,” whereas others adopt offensive strategies to promote their products. Differences in market communication strategies can be attributed to variations in product portfolio and market orientation, and can also be seen as attempts to forestall public regulation.
The Role of Vegetables and Legumes in Assuring Food, Nutrition, and Income Security for Vulnerable Groups in Sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Ojiewo Chris , Keatinge Dyno J. D. H. , Hughes Jaqueline , Tenkouano Abdou , Nair Ramakrishnan , Varshney Rajeev , Siambi Moses , Monyo Emmanuel , Ganga‐Rao NVPR , Silim Said
Published: September 2015

Rising food and nutritional insecurity threatens the livelihoods of millions of poor people, particularly in sub‐Saharan Africa. Vegetable and legume production and consumption are a potent mechanism for small‐scale, disadvantaged farmers to obtain the required nutrients in their diets and to generate much‐needed income through trade. Vegetables and legumes are key sources of nutrients and health‐promoting phytochemicals, providing higher micronutrient contents and a wider spectrum of essential compounds to meet nutritional and health needs than other food sources. Diversifying diets with vegetables and legumes is a cheaper, surer, and more sustainable way to supply a range of nutrients to the body and combat malnutrition and associated health problems than other approaches that target only a single or a few nutritional factors. Furthermore, vegetables and legumes often accompany staple crops in meals, and most staple crops are less palatable without vegetable or legume accompaniments. As a growing world population demands more and higher quality foods, and as environmental problems such as soil degradation, water scarcity, biodiversity loss, and climate change become more acute, the need for innovative vegetable and legume research solutions to improve food and nutritional security cannot be overemphasized.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Crystal Structure of a Polymeric Copper(II) Complex Derived from 2‐(5‐Chloro‐2‐hydroxybenzylideneamino)‐2‐ethylpropane‐1,3‐diol with Catalytic Oxidation Property
Authors: Wang Ning
Published: September 2015

The copper(II) complex [Cu2L2(μ1,3‐NCS)2]n·nMeOH [HL = 2‐(5‐chloro‐2‐hydroxybenzylideneamino)‐2‐ethylpropane‐1,3‐diol] was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, as well as FT‐IR, and UV/Vis spectroscopy. The structures of the ligand and the complex were confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analyses. The Schiff base ligand coordinates to the copper atoms through the phenolate oxygen and imino nitrogen atoms, and one hydroxyl oxygen atom. The copper atoms are in octahedral coordination. The complex is an active catalyst for the oxidation of cyclooctene and styrene with tert‐butylhydroperoxide as the oxidant under mild conditions.
Improved Synthesis and Detailed Characterization of a Hybrid Pyrazole‐TACN Dinucleating Ligand
Authors: Dalle Kristian Erwin , Dechert Sebastian , Meyer Franc
Published: September 2015

An improved synthetic procedure is reported for the hybrid ligand HL, composed of two TACN macrocycles bridged by a central pyrazole moiety. Detailed NMR spectroscopic characterization showed that asymmetry in this dinucleating organic scaffold can be induced at room temperature through the use of anhydrous conditions, owing to pyrazole‐NH prototropy. Thermally induced line broadening allowed for an estimation of the thermodynamic parameters for this proton exchange reaction, giving ΔH‡ = 46.7 kJ·mol–1 and ΔS‡ = –74.2 J·mol–1·K–1. Crystallization of a key intermediate is a crucial aspect of the synthetic improvement, characterization of which revealed an intramolecular hydrogen bond between a sidearm heteroatom and the pyrazole‐NH proton. Protonation of the macrocyclic sidearms in [H3L](BF4)2 allowed for exploration of the influence that this interaction has on the tautomerism, which may in turn potentially be exploited to produce heterobimetallic systems. Structural characterization of the corresponding sodium salt NaL gave further insights into the general coordination behavior of HL.
Qualitative and quantitative analysis of solar hydrogen generation literature from 2001 to 2014
Authors: Maghami Mohammad Reza , asl Shahin navabi , Rezadad Mohammad esmaeil , Ale Ebrahim Nader , Gomes Chandima
Published: September 2015

Solar hydrogen generation is one of the new topics in the field of renewable energy. Recently, the rate of investigation about hydrogen generation is growing dramatically in many countries. Many studies have been done about hydrogen generation from natural resources such as wind, solar, coal etc. In this work we evaluated global scientific production of solar hydrogen generation papers from 2001 to 2014 in any journal of all the subject categories of the Science Citation Index compiled by Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), Philadelphia, USA. Solar hydrogen generation was used as keywords to search the parts of titles, abstracts, or keywords. The published output analysis showed that hydrogen generation from the sun research steadily increased over the past 14 years and the annual paper production in 2013 was about three times 2010-paper production. The number of papers considered in this research is 141 which have been published from 2001 to this date. There are clear distinctions among author keywords used in publications from the five most high-publishing countries such as USA, China, Australia, Germany and India in solar hydrogen studies. In order to evaluate this work quantitative and qualitative analysis methods were used to the development of global scientific production in a specific research field. The analytical results eventually provide several key findings and consider the overview hydrogen production according to the solar hydrogen generation.
General practitioner reported incidence of Lyme carditis in the Netherlands
Authors: Hofhuis A. , Arend S.M. , Davids C.J. , Tukkie R. , van Pelt W.
Published: September 2015

Background

Between 1994 and 2009, incidence rates of general practitioner (GP) consultations for tick bites and erythema migrans, the most common early manifestation of Lyme borreliosis, have increased substantially in the Netherlands. The current article aims to estimate and validate the incidence of GP-reported Lyme carditis in the Netherlands.

Methods

We sent a questionnaire to all GPs in the Netherlands on clinical diagnoses of Lyme borreliosis in 2009 and 2010. To validate and adjust the obtained incidence rate, medical records of cases of Lyme carditis reported by GPs in this incidence survey were reviewed and categorised according to likelihood of the diagnosis of Lyme carditis.

Results

Lyme carditis occurred in 0.2 % of all patients with GP-reported Lyme borreliosis. The adjusted annual incidence was six GP-reported cases of Lyme carditis per 10 million inhabitants, i.e. approximately ten cases per year in 2009 and 2010.

Conclusions

We report the first incidence estimate for Lyme carditis in the Netherlands, validated by a systematic review of the medical records. Although Lyme carditis is an uncommon manifestation of Lyme borreliosis, physicians need to be aware of this diagnosis, in particular in countries where the incidence of Lyme borreliosis has increased during the past decades.
Is dissection the only way to learn anatomy? Thoughts from students at a non-dissecting based medical school
Authors: Patel Salil B. , Mauro Daniel , Fenn James , Sharkey Dermot R. , Jones Conor
Published: September 2015

Anatomical teaching has been centred around dissection for centuries. Generations of doctors have been initiated into the medical profession by cutting into their first cadavers. With the number of donor cadavers available decreasing and medical student numbers increasing, the emphasis placed on dissection has changed dramatically over the past 15 years. However, a solid appreciation of human anatomy is still a necessary part of understanding pathology and treatments. Therefore in light of these changes we ask, is dissection the only option? Or are there other options which students can undertake to develop anatomical knowledge?
Performance of the Visual-Motor Integration of Preschool Children in Hong Kong
Authors: Ng Miranda , Chui Mandy , Lin Lenzs , Fong Anita , Chan Donna
Published: September 2015

Objective/Background

The Beery–-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI) is an important assessment tool used by occupational therapists working with children. The aims of this study were (a) to identify performance differences in the VMI between Hong Kong preschool children and their counterparts in the United States; (b) to develop local references for the VMI (fifth edition) for the preschool children in Hong Kong; and (c) to examine the dimensionality and the hierarchical ordering of the VMI items using the Rasch Measurement Model (RMM).

Methods

A total of 288 healthy children aged between 3 years and 6 months and 5 years and 11 months were recruited from 54 local preschools in Hong Kong using the multistage sampling method. VMI was administered to the children individually at their preschools.

Results

Hong Kong preschool children were significantly better than those in the United States in VMI performance (p < .001). The results of the RMM showed that the VMI fell within the acceptable levels of unidimensionality. Most items were found to be hierarchically ordered, although a few items were found to have the same level of difficulty.

Conclusion

The local reference developed in this study yielded additional insights for occupational therapists and psychologists with regard to the application of the VMI (fifth edition) for Hong Kong children aged between 3 years and 6 months and 5 years and 11 months.
Delays and barriers to care in Colombia among women obtaining legal first‐ and second‐trimester abortion
Authors: Baum Sarah , DePiñeres Teresa , Grossman Daniel
Published: September 2015

Objective

To evaluate delays before first‐ or second‐trimester legal abortion and barriers to care in Colombia.

Methods

A secondary analysis was undertaken of data from a prospective cohort study of women undergoing first‐trimester (< 12 weeks) and second‐trimester (12–15 weeks) abortion between February and July 2012. Participants (aged ≥ 18 years with access to a telephone) reported key dates in their abortion process and barriers to care. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed.

Results

Overall, 100 women in the first trimester and 200 in the second trimester were included. Second‐trimester clients experienced longer delays in each step of the abortion process than did first‐trimester clients (P < 0.001 for all three intervals examined), with the largest delay being time to suspicion of pregnancy (37 days vs 17 days). Difficulty accessing care was associated with the second trimester (odds ratio 5.1, 95% CI 2.9–9.1) and low socioeconomic status (odds ratio 2.3, 95% CI 1.2–4.3). Financial barriers were the most common (30 [30.0%] first‐trimester clients; 86 [43.0%] second‐trimester clients).

Conclusion

Despite partial decriminalization of abortion in 2006, Colombian women still face barriers to legal services that probably contribute to late presentation. Interventions promoting early pregnancy recognition and information about how to access legal abortion could reduce the need for second‐trimester services.
Trajectories of decline in cognition and daily functioning in preclinical dementia
Authors: Verlinden Vincentius J.A. , van der Geest Jos N. , de Bruijn Renée F.A.G. , Hofman Albert , Koudstaal Peter J. , Ikram M. Arfan
Published: September 2015

Introduction

Although preclinical dementia is characterized by decline in cognition and daily functioning, little is known on their temporal sequence. We investigated trajectories of cognition and daily functioning in preclinical dementia, during 18 years of follow‐up.

Methods

In 856 dementia cases and 1712 controls, we repetitively assessed cognition and daily functioning with memory complaints, mini‐mental state examination (MMSE), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and basic activities of daily living (BADL).

Results

Dementia cases first reported memory complaints 16 years before diagnosis, followed by decline in MMSE, IADL, and finally BADL. Vascular dementia related to earlier decline in daily functioning but later in cognition, compared with Alzheimer's disease. Higher education related to larger preclinical cognitive decline, whereas apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 carriers declined less in daily functioning.

Discussion

These results emphasize the long hierarchical preclinical trajectory of functional decline in dementia. Furthermore, they show that various pathologic, environmental, and genetic factors may influence these trajectories of decline.
CAPITAL TAXES, LABOR TAXES AND THE HOUSEHOLD
Authors: Oikonomou Rigas , Siegel Christian
Published: September 2015

We study the impact of capital and labor taxation in an economy where couples bargain over the intrahousehold allocation under limited commitment. In this framework more wealth improves commitment and gives rise to insurance gains within the household. Our theory motivates these gains by the empirical observation that wealth, in contrast to labor income, is a commonly held resource within households. Based on this observation we study whether eliminating capital taxes from the economy, and raising labor taxes to balance the government’s budget, may generate welfare gains to married households. We illustrate that the quantitative effects from this reform are rather small. We attribute the small effects to the life cycle pattern of wealth accumulation and to the impact of labor income taxes on household risk sharing: In particular, we show that higher labor taxes may make the limited commitment friction more severe, even though they may make the distribution of labor income more equitable within the household.
Fair Revaluation of Wine as an Investment
Authors: Bocart Fabian Y.R.P. , Hafner Christian M.
Published: September 2015

The price of wine is a key topic among market participants interested in valuing their stock, including dealers and restaurants, and consumers who may be interested in optimizing their purchases. A closely related issue, revaluation is the need to regularly update the value of a stock. This need is especially acute in the growing industry of wine as an investment. In this case, fair-value measurement is compulsory by law. We briefly review methods available to funds and introduce a new quantitative method aimed at achieving compliance with IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standard) 13 for fair valuation. Using auction data on 26,640 lots, we apply this method to compute the current fair value of a basket of 232 different wines. (JEL Classifications: C14, C43, Z11)
‘Chronophilia’: Entries of Erotic Age Preference into Descriptive Psychopathology
Authors: Janssen Diederik F.
Published: September 2015

A scientific nomenclature oferotic age preferencesinformed the mid- through late nineteenth century joint appearance of homosexuality and sexual abuse of minors on the medico-legal scene. Yet, even in the twenty-first century, legal, psychiatric and culture-critical dimensions of related terms are rarely cleanly distinguished. Review of primary sources shows the ongoing Western suspension of notions of ‘sick desire’, alongside and beyond the medicalisation of homosexuality, between metaphor, legal interdiction and postulated psychopathology. Virtually all early attention to erotic age preference occurred in the context of emergent attention to erotic gender preference. Age of attraction and age difference centrally animate modern homosexuality’s pre-modern past; its earliest psychiatric nomenclature and typologies (1844–69); its early aetiologies stipulating degrees of sexual differentiation (1890s); its concomitant sub-classification (1896–1914); its earliest psychophysiological tests (1950s); and, finally, its post-psychiatric, social scientific typologies (1980s). Several identifications of ‘paedophilia’ were seen throughout the 1890s but as a trope it gained cultural momentum only during, and as a seemingly intriguing corollary of, the progressive depsychiatricisation of homosexuality across the Anglo-European world (late 1950s through 1980s). Early twentieth century sources varied in having it denote (1) a distinct perversion, thus possible ‘complication’ of sexual inversion (2) a discrete corollary of psychosexual differentiation akin to gender preference (3) a distinct subtype of fetishism, thus a likely imprint of early seduction (4) a more intricate expression of erotic symbolism or psychosexual complex or (5) a taste answering to culture, a lack of it, or a libertine disregard for it.
The History of Mental Health Services in Modern England: Practitioner Memories and the Direction of Future Research
Authors: Turner John , Hayward Rhodri , Angel Katherine , Fulford Bill , Hall John , Millard Chris , Thomson Mathew
Published: September 2015

Writing the recent history of mental health services requires a conscious departure from the historiographical tropes of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries which have emphasised the experience of those identified (and legally defined) as lunatics and the social, cultural, political, medical and institutional context of their treatment. A historical narrative structured around rights (to health and liberty) is now complicated by the rise of new organising categories such as ‘costs’, ‘risks’, ‘needs’ and ‘values’. This paper, drawing on insights from a series of witness seminars attended by historians, clinicians and policymakers, proposes a programme of research to place modern mental health services in England and Wales in a richer historical context. Historians should recognise the fragmentation of the concepts of mental illness and mental health need, acknowledge the relationship between critiques of psychiatry and developments in other intellectual spheres, place the experience of the service user in the context of wider socio-economic and political change, understand the impacts of the social perception of ‘risk’ and of moral panic on mental health policy, relate the politics of mental health policy and resources to the general determinants of institutional change in British central and local government, and explore the sociological and institutional complexity of the evolving mental health professions and their relationships with each other and with their clients. While this is no small challenge, it is perhaps the only way to avoid the perpetuation of ‘single-issue mythologies’ in describing and accounting for change.
Comparative validity of vitamin C and carotenoids as indicators of fruit and vegetable intake: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Pennant Mary , Steur Marinka , Moore Carmel , Butterworth Adam , Johnson Laura
Published: September 2015

Circulating vitamin C and carotenoids are used as biomarkers of fruit and vegetable intake in research, but their comparative validity has never been meta-analysed. PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL and Web of Science were systematically searched up to December 2013 for randomised trials of different amounts of fruit and vegetable provision on changes in blood concentrations of carotenoids or vitamin C. Reporting followed PRISMA guidelines. Evidence quality was assessed using the GRADE system. Random effects meta-analysis combined estimates and meta-regression tested for sub-group differences. In all, nineteen fruit and vegetable trials (n1382) measured at least one biomarker, of which nine (n667) included five common carotenoids and vitamin C. Evidence quality was low and between-trial heterogeneity (I2) ranged from 74 % for vitamin C to 94 % forα-carotene. Groups provided with more fruit and vegetables had increased blood concentrations of vitamin C,α-carotene,β-carotene,β-cryptoxanthin and lutein but not lycopene. However, no clear dose–response effect was observed. Vitamin C showed the largest between-group difference in standardised mean change from the pre-intervention to the post-intervention period (smd0·94; 95 % CI 0·66, 1·22), followed by lutein (smd0·70; 95 % CI 0·37, 1·03) andα-carotene (smd0·63; 95 % CI 0·25, 1·01), but all CI were overlapping, suggesting that none of the biomarkers responded more than the others. Therefore, until further evidence identifies a particular biomarker to be superior, group-level compliance to fruit and vegetable interventions can be indicated equally well by vitamin C or a range of carotenoids. High heterogeneity and a lack of dose–response suggest that individual-level biomarker responses to fruit and vegetables are highly variable.
Soyabean glycinin depresses intestinal growth and function in juvenile Jian carp (Cyprinus carpiovar Jian): protective effects of glutamine
Authors: Jiang Wei-Dan , Hu Kai , Zhang Jin-Xiu , Liu Yang , Jiang Jun , Wu Pei , Zhao Juan , Kuang Sheng-Yao , Tang Ling , Tang Wu-Neng , Zhang Yong-An , Zhou Xiao-Qiu , Feng Lin
Published: September 2015

This study investigated the effects of glycinin on the growth, intestinal oxidative status, tight junction components, cytokines and apoptosis signalling factors of fish. The results showed that an 80 g/kg diet of glycinin exposure for 42 d caused poor growth performance and depressed intestinal growth and function of juvenile Jian carp (Cyprinus carpiovar. Jian). Meanwhile, dietary glycinin exposure induced increases in lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation; it caused reductions in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities; and it increasedMnSOD, CuZnSOD, GPx1b and GPx4amRNA levels, suggesting an adaptive mechanism against stress in the intestines of fish. However, dietary glycinin exposure decreased both the activity and mRNA levels of nine isoforms of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) (α,μ,π,ρ,θ,κ,mGST1,mGST2andmGST3), indicating toxicity to this enzyme activity and corresponding isoform gene expressions. In addition, glycinin exposure caused partial disruption of intestinal cell–cell tight junction components, disturbances of cytokines and induced apoptosis signalling in the distal intestines>mid intestines>proximal intestines of fish. Glycinin exposure also disturbed the mRNA levels of intestinal-related signalling factorsNrf2,Keap1a,Keap1b, eleven isoforms of protein kinase C and target of rapamycin/4E-BP. Interestingly, glutamine was observed to partially block those negative influences. In conclusion, this study indicates that dietary glycinin exposure causes intestinal oxidative damage and disruption of intestinal physical barriers and functions and reduces fish growth, but glutamine can reverse those negative effects in fish. This study provides some information on the mechanism of glycinin-induced negative effects.
Neurobiological mechanisms of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in depression: a systematic review
Authors: Noda Y. , Silverstein W. K. , Barr M. S. , Vila-Rodriguez F. , Downar J. , Rajji T. K. , Fitzgerald P. B. , Mulsant B. H. , Vigod S. N. , Daskalakis Z. J. , Blumberger D. M.
Published: September 2015

Depression is one of the most prevalent mental illnesses worldwide and a leading cause of disability, especially in the setting of treatment resistance. In recent years, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has emerged as a promising alternative strategy for treatment-resistant depression and its clinical efficacy has been investigated intensively across the world. However, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of the antidepressant effect of rTMS are still not fully understood. This review aims to systematically synthesize the literature on the neurobiological mechanisms of treatment response to rTMS in patients with depression. Medline (1996–2014), Embase (1980–2014) and PsycINFO (1806–2014) were searched under set terms. Three authors reviewed each article and came to consensus on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. All eligible studies were reviewed, duplicates were removed, and data were extracted individually. Of 1647 articles identified, 66 studies met both inclusion and exclusion criteria. rTMS affects various biological factors that can be measured by current biological techniques. Although a number of studies have explored the neurobiological mechanisms of rTMS, a large variety of rTMS protocols and parameters limits the ability to synthesize these findings into a coherent understanding. However, a convergence of findings suggest that rTMS exerts its therapeutic effects by altering levels of various neurochemicals, electrophysiology as well as blood flow and activity in the brain in a frequency-dependent manner. More research is needed to delineate the neurobiological mechanisms of the antidepressant effect of rTMS. The incorporation of biological assessments into future rTMS clinical trials will help in this regard.
QTIPs: Questionable theoretical and interpretive practices in social psychology
Authors: Brandt Mark J. , Proulx Travis
Published: September 2015

One possible consequence of ideological homogeneity is the misinterpretation of data collected with otherwise solid methods. To help identify these issues outside of politically relevant research, we name and give broad descriptions to three questionable interpretive practices described by Duarte et al. and introduce three additional questionable theoretical practices that also reduce the theoretical power and paradigmatic scope of psychology.
Welcoming conservatives to the field
Authors: Nisbett Richard
Published: September 2015

More conservatives would provide advantages, and social psychologists may not be as opposed to increasing the number of conservatives as Duarte et al. think. Recruitment problems concern primarily self-selection and biases in undergraduate instruction. Social psychologists should welcome having conservatives in the field to serve as a conduit for our theories and methods to conservative intellectuals and policy makers.
Political orientations do not cancel out, and politics is not about truth
Authors: Pfister Hans-Rüdiger , Böhm Gisela
Published: September 2015

Duarte et al. propose that divergent political biases cancel each other out such that increasing political diversity will improve scientific validity. We argue that this idea is misguided. Their recommendations for improving political diversity in academia bear the danger of imposing political interests on science. Scientific scrutiny and criticism are the only viable remedies for bad science.
When theory trumps ideology: Lessons from evolutionary psychology
Authors: Tybur Joshua M. , Navarrete Carlos David
Published: September 2015

Evolutionary psychologists are personally liberal, just as social psychologists are. Yet their research has rarely been perceived as liberally biased – if anything, it has been erroneously perceived as motivated by conservative political agendas. Taking a closer look at evolutionary psychologists might offer the broader social psychology community guidance in neutralizing some of the biases Duarte et al. discuss.
Meta-ethical pluralism: A cautionary tale about cohesive moral communities
Authors: Wright Jennifer Cole
Published: September 2015

Meta-ethical pluralism gives us additional insight into how moral communities become cohesive and why this can be problematic (even dangerous) – and in this way provides support for the worries raised by the target article. At the same time, it offers several reasons to be concerned about the proposed initiative, the most important of which is that it could seriously backfire.
A conservative's social psychology
Authors: McCauley Clark
Published: September 2015

I suggest that social psychologists should stick to studying positive and negative attitudes and give up stigmatizing some attitudes as “prejudice.” I recommend that we avoid assuming that race and ethnicity have no biological foundations, in order to avoid a collision course with modern biology. And I wonder how much difference the target article recommendations can make in the context of hiring a social psychologist for an academic position.
It may be harder than we thought, but political diversity will (still) improve social psychological science
Authors: Crawford Jarret T. , Duarte José L. , Haidt Jonathan , Jussim Lee , Stern Charlotta , Tetlock Philip E.
Published: September 2015

In our target article, we made four claims: (1) Social psychology is now politically homogeneous; (2) this homogeneity sometimes harms the science; (3) increasing political diversity would reduce this damage; and (4) some portion of the homogeneity is due to a hostile climate and outright discrimination against non-liberals. In this response, we review these claims in light of the arguments made by a diverse group of commentators. We were surprised to find near-universal agreement with our first two claims, and we note that few challenged our fourth claim. Most of the disagreements came in response to our claim that increasing political diversity would be beneficial. We agree with our critics that increasing political diversity may be harder than we had thought, but we explain why we still believe that it is possible and desirable to do so. We conclude with a revised list of 12 recommendations for improving political diversity in social psychology, as well as in other areas of the academy.
‘What I Came to Say’: Raymond Williams, the Sociology of Culture and the Politics of (Performance) Scholarship
Authors: REINELT JANELLE
Published: September 2015

This essay seeks to reconsider and appropriate the cultural politics of Raymond Williams for the project of formulating a critique of current ideas about politics and theatre. The residual values of cultural materialism as theorized by Williams, based on a concept of culture as productive, processual and egalitarian, have become less influential under the pressures of post-structuralism and neo-liberalism. The current attraction to Rancière, for example, emphasizes dissensus over consensus and singularity over collectivity. Post-dramatic theatre rejects direct engagement with political discourse altogether. While recognizing that these emerging theoretical ideas continue the historical romance of avant-garde theatre with rupture and dissent, Williams can remind us of still-powerful strategies that are rooted in identifying shared experiences, relating cultural production to its sociopolitical context, and the value of collective struggles.
Towards a Civic Contract of Performance: Pitfalls of Decolonizing the Exhibitionary Complex at Brett Bailey'sExhibit B
Authors: SIEG KATRIN
Published: September 2015

The performance installationExhibit AandBby South African theatre artist Brett Bailey has been touring Europe since 2010. Its twelvetableaux vivantsprovide a selective survey of European racial histories interspersed with displays of contemporary African refugees. It has increasingly provoked opposition by antiracist activists who compare the show to a ‘human zoo’ that objectifies black performers, facilitates emotional release for white European audiences, and benefits only the white director. In London, protests led to the cancellation of the show. This article examines these charges and sets them in the context of Afro-German theatre and activism. It advances an alternative reading ofExhibit Bas a two-pronged intervention in European discourses of security on the one side, and in the restructuring of European museums on the other.
Reduction in cytoplasmic lipid content in bovine embryos cultured in vitro with linoleic acid in semi-defined medium is correlated with increases in cryotolerance
Authors: Accorsi Mônica F. , Leão Beatriz Caetano da Silva , Rocha-Frigoni Nathália Alves de Souza , Perri Silvia Helena Venturoli , Mingoti Gisele Zoccal
Published: September 2015

We examined whether culturing embryos with linoleic acid (LA) in semi-defined medium reduces lipid accumulation and improves cryosurvival after vitrification. Embryos were cultured with LA (100 μM) and a semi-defined medium was used during in vitro culture (IVC), in which the fetal calf serum was substituted by bovine serum albumin (BSA). There was a reduction (P < 0.05) in the embryonic development rate (Control: 25.8% versus LA: 18.5%), but the proposed system was effective in promoting the decrease (P = 0.0130) in the intracellular lipid content (Control: 27.3 ± 0.7 versus LA: 24.6 ± 0.7 arbitrary fluorescence units of embryos stained with the fluorescent dye Nile Red), consequently increasing (P = 0.0490) the embryo survival after 24h of culture post-warming (Control: 50.0% versus LA: 71.7%). The results question the criteria used to evaluate the efficiency of an in vitro production system specifically with relation to the maximum number of blastocysts produced and suggest that might be more appropriate to improve the desired characteristics of embryos generated in accordance with the specific purpose of in vitro embryo production, commercial or scientific. In conclusion, supplying LA to serum-free culture medium was found to adversely affect the rates of embryo development to the blastocyst stage, but significantly reduced embryo lipid accumulation and improved cryopreservation survival.
Oogenesis inLaetacara araguaiae(Ottoni and Costa, 2009) (Labriformes: Cichlidae)
Authors: dos Santos-Silva Amanda Pereira , de Siqueira-Silva Diógenes Henrique , Ninhaus-Silveira Alexandre , Veríssimo-Silveira Rosicleire
Published: September 2015

We aimed to analyze the oogenesis of adult females of the cichlid fishLaetacara araguaiae. The specimens’ gonads were removed and processed for light and transmission electron microscopy. Oogenesis inL. araguaiaeshowed the following characteristics: a germinal epithelium with three types of oogonia (A-undifferentiated, A-differentiated and B-oogonia), oocytes at meiotic prophase stage and ovarian follicle formation. Oocytes showing primary growth with pre-vitellogenic and cortical alveolus were observed. Similar to data for other cichlids, oocytes in secondary growth or vitellogenesis were characterized by the initial deposition of yolk microgranules. The event that characterizes the maturation stage is nucleolus migration, also called the germinal vesicle, to the oocyte periphery in the direction of the micropyle. The follicular complex undergoes several changes throughout the oocyte stages. To the best of our knowledge this study is the first to describeL. araguaiaeoogenesis. Moreover, this study is the first step to better understand the reproductive biology of this species, which shows great potential for use as an ornamental fish.
Effect of elevated temperature on fecundity and reproductive timing in the coral Acropora digitifera
Authors: Paxton Camille W. , Baria Maria Vanessa B. , Weis Virginia M. , Harii Saki
Published: September 2015

The synchrony of spawning is of paramount importance to successful coral reproduction. The precise timing of spawning is thought to be controlled by a set of interacting environmental factors, including regional wind field patterns, timing of the sunset, and sea surface temperatures (SST). Climate change is resulting in increased SST, which is causing physiological stress in corals and could also be altering spawning synchrony and timing. In this study, we examined the effect of increasing seawater temperature by 2°C for 1 month prior to the predicted spawning time on reproduction in the coral Acropora digitifera. This short period of elevated temperature caused spawning to advance by 1 day. In animals incubated at elevated temperature, egg number per egg bundle did not change, however, egg volume significantly decreased as did sperm number. Our results indicate that temperature is acting both as a proximate cue to accelerate timing and as a stressor on gametogenesis to reduce fecundity. This finding suggests that increasing SSTs could play a dramatic role in altering reproductive timing and the success of corals in an era of climate change.
Connective use in the narratives of bilingual children and monolingual children with SLI
Authors: TRIBUSHININA ELENA , MAK WILLEM M. , ANDREIUSHINA ELIZAVETA , DUBINKINA ELENA , SANDERS TED
Published: September 2015

Differences between monolinguals and bilinguals are often attributed to crosslinguistic influence. This paper compares production of discourse connectives by Dutch–Russian bilinguals (Dutch-dominant), typically-developing Dutch/Russian monolinguals and Russian-speaking children with SLI. If non-target-like production in bilinguals is due to crosslinguistic influence, bilinguals should perform differently from both impaired and unimpaired monolinguals. However, if differences between bilinguals and monolinguals are due to other factors (e.g., input quantity, processing capacities), bilinguals’ language production might be similar to that of children with SLI. The results demonstrate that language dominance determines the direction of crosslinguistic influence. In terms of frequency distributions of Russian connectives across pragmatic contexts, the bilingual group performed differently from both monolingual groups and the differences were compatible with the structural properties of Dutch. However, based on error rates and types bilinguals could not be distinguished from the SLI group, suggesting that factors other than crosslinguistic influence may also be at play.