bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evidence for mega‐landslides as drivers of island colonization
Authors: García‐Olivares Víctor , López Heriberto , Patiño Jairo , Alvarez Nadir , Machado Antonio , Carracedo Juan Carlos , Soler Vicente , Emerson Brent C.
Published: February 2017

Aim

How non‐dispersive taxa colonize islands is generalized as being by wind, or rafting, with the implicit assumption that such events involve one (wind) or a few (rafting) individuals. However, because of the evolutionary time‐scale for colonization events, the fit of individual species to a conceptual model of wind or rafting is difficult to assess. Here, we describe an alternative testable geological model for inter‐island colonization that can result in larger effective founding population sizes than traditionally accepted colonization mechanisms. We then test for the fit of genetic data to this model using weevils from the Laparocerus tessellatus species complex.

Location

Canary Islands.

Methods

Using a combination of geological data for the Canary Islands, and mtDNA data from a weevil radiation within the Canary Islands, we test three species‐level predictions for mega‐landslides as drivers of oceanic rafting between islands and subsequent speciation: (1) colonization should involve multiple female lineages, (2) founding lineages should have a common geographical origin, consistent with a mega‐landslide event, and (3) colonization direction should be consistent with ocean currents.

Results

Both individual‐level and population‐level analyses support a mega‐landslide event as the driver of colonization from the island of Tenerife to La Palma. At least four female lineages colonized La Palma from Tenerife, with the geographical range of ancestral sequences to these four lineages describing the limits of the La Orotava mega‐landslide in Tenerife.

Main conclusions

In the context of island biogeographical theory, mega‐landslides may be an important driver of colonization, and subsequent lineage diversification. They provide a framework for hypothesis testing using genetic data from species, or closely related species, with ranges that encompass landslides and potential areas of colonization.
HMGB1 contributes to glomerular endothelial cell injury in ANCA‐associated vasculitis through enhancing endothelium–neutrophil interactions
Authors: Wang Chen , Chang Dong‐Yuan , Chen Min , Zhao Ming‐Hui
Published: February 2017

Our previous studies demonstrated that high mobility group box‐1 (HMGB1), a typical damage‐associated molecular pattern (DAMP) protein, is associated with the disease activity of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)‐associated vasculitis (AAV). Moreover, HMGB1 participates in ANCA‐induced neutrophil activation. The current study aimed to investigate whether HMGB1 regulated the interaction between neutrophils and glomerular endothelial cells (GEnC) in the presence of ANCA. Correlation analysis on HMGB1 levels in AAV patients and soluble intercellular cell adhesion molecule‐1 (sICAM‐1) levels or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels, which are markers of endothelial cell activation, was performed. The effect of HMGB1 on neutrophil migration towards GEnC, respiratory burst and degranulation of neutrophils in coculture conditions with GEnC was measured. The activation of neutrophils, the activation and injury of GEnC, and the consequent pathogenic role of injured GEnC were evaluated. Plasma levels of HMGB1 correlated with sICAM‐1 and VEGF (r = 0.73, P < 0.01; r = 0.41, P = 0.04) in AAV patients. HMGB1 increased neutrophil migration towards GEnC, as well as respiratory burst and degranulation of neutrophils in the presence of ANCA in the coculture system. In the presence of robust neutrophil activation, GEnC were further activated and injured in the coculture system of GEnC and neutrophils. In addition, injured GEnC could produce TF‐positive leuco‐endothelial microparticles and endothelin‐1 (ET‐1), while NF‐κB was phosphorylated (S529) in the injured GEnC. Plasma levels of HMGB1 correlated with endothelial cell activation in AAV patients. HMGB1 amplified neutrophil activation and the activation and injury of GEnC in the presence of ANCA.
Genetic basis of between‐individual and within‐individual variance of docility
Authors: Martin J. G. A. , Pirotta E. , Petelle M. B. , Blumstein D. T.
Published: February 2017

Between‐individual variation in phenotypes within a population is the basis of evolution. However, evolutionary and behavioural ecologists have mainly focused on estimating between‐individual variance in mean trait and neglected variation in within‐individual variance, or predictability of a trait. In fact, an important assumption of mixed‐effects models used to estimate between‐individual variance in mean traits is that within‐individual residual variance (predictability) is identical across individuals. Individual heterogeneity in the predictability of behaviours is a potentially important effect but rarely estimated and accounted for. We used 11 389 measures of docility behaviour from 1576 yellow‐bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) to estimate between‐individual variation in both mean docility and its predictability. We then implemented a double hierarchical animal model to decompose the variances of both mean trait and predictability into their environmental and genetic components. We found that individuals differed both in their docility and in their predictability of docility with a negative phenotypic covariance. We also found significant genetic variance for both mean docility and its predictability but no genetic covariance between the two. This analysis is one of the first to estimate the genetic basis of both mean trait and within‐individual variance in a wild population. Our results indicate that equal within‐individual variance should not be assumed. We demonstrate the evolutionary importance of the variation in the predictability of docility and illustrate potential bias in models ignoring variation in predictability. We conclude that the variability in the predictability of a trait should not be ignored, and present a coherent approach for its quantification.
Reproduction of the duck catfish Ageneiosus ucayalensis in a ria river system
Authors: Oliveira V. A. , Ferreira M. A. P. , Rocha R. M. , Montag L. F. A.
Published: February 2017

A total of 1006 duck catfish Ageneiosus ucayalensis were collected from a ria river system of eastern Amazonia, of which 733 were females and 273 males, a sex ratio 2·69:1. Condition factors of males were higher than those of females and size at first sexual maturity (L50) was 12·8 cm for females and 11·8 cm for males. The relative frequency of mature specimens and gonad condition indices indicate that the breeding season is short and coincides with the rainy season.
Taxonomic revision of the South American catfish genus Ageneiosus (Siluriformes: Auchenipteridae) with the description of four new species
Authors: Ribeiro F. R. V. , Rapp Py‐Daniel L. H. , Walsh S. J.
Published: February 2017

The catfish genus Ageneiosus in the exclusively Neotropical family Auchenipteridae is revised. Species of Ageneiosus are widely distributed in all major South American continental drainages except the São Francisco River basin and small rivers along the Brazilian east coast. The taxonomic revision was based on examination of available type specimens, additional museum material and comparisons of original descriptions. A suite of morphometric, meristic and qualitative characters of internal and external anatomy were used to diagnose valid species and determine synonyms. Thirteen valid species are recognized in the genus Ageneiosus, some of which are widely distributed across South America. Ageneiosus pardalis is the only trans‐Andean species in the genus. Ageneiosus polystictus and Ageneiosus uranophthalmus are more widely distributed than previously reported. Ageneiosus marmoratus is a junior synonym of Ageneiosus inermis. Ageneiosus dentatus is a valid species and its name is removed from the synonymy of Ageneiosus ucayalensis. Four new species are described: Ageneiosus akamai, Ageneiosus apiaka, Ageneiosus intrusus and Ageneiosus lineatus, all from the Amazon River basin. A dichotomous key for all 13 valid species of Ageneiosus species is provided.
Mechanism of motor coordination of masseter and temporalis muscles for increased masticatory efficiency in mice
Authors: Yoshimi T. , Koga Y. , Nakamura A. , Fujishita A. , Kohara H. , Moriuchi E. , Yoshimi K. , Tsai C.Y. , Yoshida N.
Published: February 2017

The demand for the use of mice as animal models for elucidating the pathophysiologies and pathogeneses of oral motor disorders has been increasing in recent years, as more and more kinds of genetically modified mice that express functional disorders of the stomatognathic system become available. However, the fundamental characteristics of mouse jaw movements during mastication have yet to be fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles of the masseter and temporalis muscles, and the mechanisms of motor coordination of these muscles for increasing masticatory efficiency in the closing phase in mice. Twenty‐two male Jcl:ICR mice were divided into control (n = 8), masseter‐hypofunction (n = 7) and temporalis‐hypofunction groups (n = 7). Botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT⁄A) was used to induce muscle hypofunction. The masticatory movement path in the horizontal direction during the occlusal phase became unstable after BoNT⁄A injection into the masseter muscle. BoNT⁄A injection into the temporalis muscle decreased antero‐posterior excursion of the late‐closing phase corresponding to the power phase of the chewing cycle. These results suggest that the masseter plays an important role in stabilizing the grinding path, where the food bolus is ground by sliding the posterior teeth from back to front during the occlusal phase. The temporalis plays a major role in retracting the mandible more posteriorly in the early phase of closing, extending the grinding path. Masticatory efficiency is thus increased based on the coordination of activities by the masseter and temporalis muscles.
Hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA homeostasis is independent of the lymphotoxin pathway during chronic HBV infection
Authors: Meier M.‐A. , Suslov A. , Ketterer S. , Heim M. H. , Wieland S. F.
Published: February 2017

Current treatment options for patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are not curative as they are not effective in eliminating covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). cccDNA is a stable template for HBV transcription in the nucleus of hepatocytes and is thought to be one of the main factors responsible for HBV persistence. Recently, activation of the lymphotoxin beta receptor (LTβR) has been shown to trigger degradation of cccDNA through induction of cytidine deaminases of the APOBEC3 family in HBV cell culture model systems. To assess the presence and relevance of such mechanisms in the liver of chronically HBV‐infected patients, we compared intrahepatic cccDNA levels with the expression levels of lymphotoxins and some of their target genes (eg APOBEC deaminases) in liver biopsy tissue. Our results confirm elevated gene expression levels of components of the lymphotoxin pathway including lymphotoxin alpha (LTα), lymphotoxin beta (LTβ), APOBEC3B (A3B) and APOBEC3G (A3G) in the chronically HBV‐infected liver compared to uninfected liver. Furthermore, expression levels of the genes of the APOBEC deaminase family were correlated with those of LTα and LTβ gene expression, consistent with lymphotoxin‐mediated upregulation of APOBEC gene expression. However, intrahepatic cccDNA and HBV replication levels were not correlated with LTα, LTβ and APOBEC gene expression. In conclusion, these results suggest that although the lymphotoxin pathway is activated in the chronically HBV‐infected liver, it has no major impact on HBV cccDNA metabolism in chronic HBV infection.
Molecular and structural changes related to hepatitis E virus antigen and its expression in testis inducing apoptosis in Mongolian gerbil model
Authors: Soomro M. H. , Shi R. , She R. , Yang Y. , Wang T. , Wu Q. , Li H. , Hao W.
Published: February 2017

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection has been associated with a wide range of extrahepatic manifestations, so this study was designed to examine the effect and role of HEV on structural and molecular changes in the testicular tissues of Mongolian gerbils experimentally infected with swine HEV. HEV RNA was first detected in testis at 14 days post‐inoculation and reached a peak between 28 and 42 days later with viral load between 3.12 and 6.23 logs/g by PCR assays. Changes including vacuolation, sloughing of germ cells, formation of multinuclear giant cells, degeneration, necrosis of tubules and damaged blood‐testis barrier were observed through transmission electron microscopy. HEV ORF2 antigen was detected in the sperm cell cytoplasm along with decrease in relative protein of zonula occludens‐1 through immunohistochemistry. HEV ORF3 antigen and ZO‐1 protein were detectable by Western blotting. Lower (P<.05) serum testosterone and higher (P<.05) blood urea nitrogen level was observed in inoculated Mongolian gerbils. Likewise, increased (P<.05) germ cell apoptosis rate was detected with significant increased expression of Fas‐L and Fas in HEV‐inoculated groups at each time points. Up‐regulation (P<.05 or P<.01) in mRNA level of Fas‐L, Fas, Bax, Bcl‐2 and caspase‐3 was observed in HEV RNA‐positive testes. Our study demonstrated that after experimental inoculation, HEV can be detected in testis tissues and viral proteins produce structural and molecular changes that in turn disrupt the blood‐testis barrier and induce germ cell apoptosis.
Plant functional traits and canopy structure control the relationship between photosynthetic CO2 uptake and far‐red sun‐induced fluorescence in a Mediterranean grassland under different nutrient availability
Authors: Migliavacca Mirco , Perez‐Priego Oscar , Rossini Micol , El‐Madany Tarek S. , Moreno Gerardo , van der Tol Christiaan , Rascher Uwe , Berninger Anna , Bessenbacher Verena , Burkart Andreas , Carrara Arnaud , Fava Francesco , Guan Jin‐Hong , Hammer Tiana W. , Henkel Kathrin , Juarez‐Alcalde Enrique , Julitta Tommaso , Kolle Olaf , Martín M. Pilar , Musavi Talie , Pacheco‐Labrador Javier , Pérez‐Burgueño Andrea , Wutzler Thomas , Zaehle Sönke , Reichstein Markus
Published: February 2017

Sun‐induced fluorescence (SIF) in the far‐red region provides a new noninvasive measurement approach that has the potential to quantify dynamic changes in light‐use efficiency and gross primary production (GPP). However, the mechanistic link between GPP and SIF is not completely understood.

We analyzed the structural and functional factors controlling the emission of SIF at 760 nm (F760) in a Mediterranean grassland manipulated with nutrient addition of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) or nitrogen–phosphorous (NP). Using the soil–canopy observation of photosynthesis and energy (SCOPE) model, we investigated how nutrient‐induced changes in canopy structure (i.e. changes in plant forms abundance that influence leaf inclination distribution function, LIDF) and functional traits (e.g. N content in dry mass of leaves, N%, Chlorophyll a+b concentration (Cab) and maximum carboxylation capacity (Vcmax)) affected the observed linear relationship between F760 and GPP.

We conclude that the addition of nutrients imposed a change in the abundance of different plant forms and biochemistry of the canopy that controls F760. Changes in canopy structure mainly control the GPP–F760 relationship, with a secondary effect of Cab and Vcmax.

In order to exploit F760 data to model GPP at the global/regional scale, canopy structural variability, biodiversity and functional traits are important factors that have to be considered.
Tree species diversity affects decomposition through modified micro‐environmental conditions across European forests
Authors: Joly François‐Xavier , Milcu Alexandru , Scherer‐Lorenzen Michael , Jean Loreline‐Katia , Bussotti Filippo , Dawud Seid Muhie , Müller Sandra , Pollastrini Martina , Raulund‐Rasmussen Karsten , Vesterdal Lars , Hättenschwiler Stephan
Published: February 2017

Different tree species influence litter decomposition directly through species‐specific litter traits, and indirectly through distinct modifications of the local decomposition environment. Whether these indirect effects on decomposition are influenced by tree species diversity is presently not clear.

We addressed this question by studying the decomposition of two common substrates, cellulose paper and wood sticks, in a total of 209 forest stands of varying tree species diversity across six major forest types at the scale of Europe.

Tree species richness showed a weak but positive correlation with the decomposition of cellulose but not with that of wood. Surprisingly, macroclimate had only a minor effect on cellulose decomposition and no effect on wood decomposition despite the wide range in climatic conditions among sites from Mediterranean to boreal forests. Instead, forest canopy density and stand‐specific litter traits affected the decomposition of both substrates, with a particularly clear negative effect of the proportion of evergreen tree litter.

Our study suggests that species richness and composition of tree canopies modify decomposition indirectly through changes in microenvironmental conditions. These canopy‐induced differences in the local decomposition environment control decomposition to a greater extent than continental‐scale differences in macroclimatic conditions.
Bajaichthys elegans from the Eocene of Bolca (Italy) and the overlooked morphological diversity of Zeiformes (Teleostei, Acanthomorpha)
Authors: Davesne Donald , Carnevale Giorgio , Friedman Matt
Published: February 2017

The Eocene (Ypresian) fauna of Bolca, Italy yields a famous assemblage of marine tropical teleosts. One of the most anatomically distinctive teleosts from Bolca is the enigmatic †Bajaichthys elegans, generally interpreted as a member of Lampridiformes (oarfishes and their allies). Re‐examination of the type and only specimen of †Bajaichthys contradicts this attribution, and we propose that its original description as a member of Zeiformes (dories) was in fact correct. †Bajaichthys bears numerous derived features of zeiforms not found in lampridiforms, including: a pelvic spine, a first vertebra closely associated with the neurocranium, and a reduced metapterygoid not contacting the quadrate. Lampridiform‐like attributes, including a greatly elongated ascending process of the premaxilla, are known to be convergent between this group and Zeiformes. Using a combination of morphological and molecular data, we confirm this revised interpretation and resolve the position of †Bajaichthys within zeiform phylogeny. In terms of overall shape, the very elongate †Bajaichthys contrasts with deep‐bodied Zeiformes and probably had distinctive ecological habits. Our inferred placement of †Bajaichthys and other fossil taxa with extended caudal peduncles (e.g. †Archaeozeus) suggests that the elongate morphotype is ancestral for Zeiformes as a whole, and that the deep‐bodied geometry typical of extant taxa probably appeared several times independently. However, these inferences must be considered preliminary due to low support for patterns of relationships within Zeiformes. The systematic reattribution of †Bajaichthys expands the taxonomic diversity of the Bolca fauna as well as the morphological and ecological diversity of the zeiform clade.
General anesthesia with a native airway for patients with mucopolysaccharidosis type III
Authors: Kamata Mineto , McKee Christopher , Truxal Kristen V. , Flanigan Kevin M. , McBride Kim L. , Aylward Shawn C. , Tobias Joseph D. , Corridore Marco
Published: February 2017

Background

Mucopolysaccharidosis type III is a progressive disease with worsening airway, pulmonary, and cardiac involvement that may complicate anesthetic care.

Aim

To prospectively evaluate the incidence of airway issues and complications during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and lumbar puncture (LP) during general anesthesia with a native airway for patients with mucopolysaccharidosis type III.

Method

The study was a part of the natural history study. Anesthesia was induced with sevoflurane, which was discontinued after intravenous access was obtained. General anesthesia with a native airway was provided by dexmedetomidine and propofol. Dexmedetomidine (0.5 μg·kg−1) was administered over 5 min followed by a continuous infusion at 0.5 μg·kg−1·h−1. A continuous infusion of propofol was started at 150 μg·kg−1·min−1. A bolus dose of propofol (1 mg·kg−1) was administered and the propofol infusion was increased as needed. Airway management and vital signs were recorded for the entire procedure until discharge.

Results

Twenty‐five patients (6.9 ± 3.1 years) received total of 43 MRI and LP procedures in the cohort. No patient failed sedation. Although mask induction with sevoflurane was not clinically problematic, upper airway obstruction was noted during 14 procedures (33%). This required the application of continuous positive airway pressure, temporary oral airway placement, jaw thrust, or shoulder roll. Airway dynamics improved once the anesthesia was transitioned to intravenous anesthetic agents. Although a small shoulder roll was needed to improve airway patency for 11 cases (26%), a large shoulder roll tended to make the upper airway obstruction worse. Oxygen desaturation (≤90%) was noted during MRI in three cases (7%).

Conclusion

A combination of dexmedetomidine and propofol provided effective general anesthesia with a native airway during the procedures. Although upper airway obstruction was noted, it resolved with simple airway maneuvers without further airway intervention.
Homothallism in Pseudoperonospora humuli
Authors: Gent D. H. , Cohen Y. , Runge F.
Published: February 2017

The downy mildew pathogen, Pseudoperonospora humuli, forms oospores abundantly in diseased hop tissue. Diverse monosporangial isolates of P. humuli derived from samples collected in Japan, Germany and the USA readily formed oospores within hop leaves when inoculated singly, suggesting homothallism. Single zoospore isolates also readily formed oospores within hop leaves, further supporting the homothallic nature of this oomycete. The majority of oospores were deemed viable based on cytoplasm characteristics and plasmolysis assays. However, disease symptoms failed to develop when hop leaves were inoculated with newly formed oospores, even when oospore conditioning was attempted with treatment with potassium permanganate or β‐glucuronidase/arylsulphatase, brief exposure to freezing temperature, or passage through an earthworm. Oospores derived from a monosporangial isolate of P. humuli that overwintered outdoors in infested leaves buried in soil also failed to cause downy mildew. Pseudoperonospora humuli is homothallic and oospores of the organism appear to require as yet unknown conditions to stimulate their germination and/or infection.
Administration of exogenous hormones in ovulatory and embryonic response in Pelibuey sheep
Authors: García‐Salas A , Cortez‐Romero C , Salazar‐Ortiz J , Arroyo‐Ledezma J , Ruíz‐Vera VM , Vaquera‐Huerta H , Gallegos‐Sánchez J
Published: February 2017

Contents

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of two sources of commercial porcine pituitary‐derived follicle‐stimulating hormone (pFSH) and pFSH—porcine Luteinizing Hormone (pLH), including equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG), in ovulatory and embryonic response in Pelibuey sheep. Twenty‐four Pelibuey sheep were used and were assigned randomly to four treatments (n = 6): (T1; 200 mg pFSH‐Folltropin®); (T2; 200 mg pFSH + 300 UI eCG‐Folligon®); (T3; 250 UI pFSH/pLH‐Pluset®) and (T4; 250 UI pFSH/pLH + 300 UI eCG). The interval of hours from withdrawal of the device to the beginning of oestrus (BO) was lower (p < .05) in sheep treated with eCG (T2 = 8.0 ± 1.4 and T4 = 10.0 ± 2.8) than in those without eCG (T1 = 12.6 ± 0.6 and T3 = 20.6 ± 2.4). The ovulatory rate (OR) was higher (p < .05) in T1 = 15.5 ± 2.8 and T2 = 15.6 ± 1.4, compared to T3 = 8.1 ± 3.2 and T4 = 11.8 ± 2.8; a significant difference was not shown between them (T1 vs. T2 and T3 vs. T4) when including eCG. The number of non‐fertilized oocytes (NFO) was lower (p ˂ .05) in T1 = 0.8 ± 0.4 and T3 = 1.8 ± 1.8, compared to those that included eCG (T2 = 6.3 ± 2.4 and T4 = 2.1 ± 1.2). The number of transferable embryos (TE) was higher (p < .05) when FSH was applied (T1 = 5.8 ± 1.1), compared with (T2 = 2.6 ± 1.1, T3 = 2.3 ± 1.4 and T4 = 2.8 ± 1.5). The commercial treatments (pFSH or pFSH‐pLH) in combination with eCG did not improve OR, NFO and TE. However, the exclusive pFSH (Folltropin) treatment presented a higher OR, lower number of NFO and higher number of TE.
Protein and mRNA expression of follicle‐stimulating hormone receptor and luteinizing hormone receptor during the oestrus in the yak (Bos grunniens)
Authors: Huo S‐d , Chen S‐e , Long R‐j , Yang J‐t , Lu J‐x , Zang R‐x , Zhang T‐j , Abudureyimu A. , Liu J‐l , Zhang G‐h , Zhao Y‐q , Ma Z‐r
Published: February 2017

Contents

Follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) have a central role in follicle growth, maturation and oestrus, but no clear pathway in the seasonal oestrus of yak (Bos grunniens) has been found. To better understand the role of FSH and LH in seasonal oestrus in the yak, six yaks were slaughtered while in oestrus, and the pineal gland, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and gonads were collected. Using real‐time PCR and immunohistochemical assays, we determined the mRNA and protein expression of the FSH and LH receptors (FSHR and LHR) in these organs. The analysis showed that the FSHR mRNA expression level was higher in the pituitary gland tissue compared with LHR (p < .01) during oestrus. By contrast, there was low expression of FSHR and LHR mRNA in the pineal gland and hypothalamus. FSHR mRNA expression was higher than that of LHR (p < .05) in the ovary, whereas LHR mRNA expression was higher than that of FSHR (p < .01) in the uterus. FSHR and LHR proteins were located in the pinealocyte, synaptic ribbon and synaptic spherules of the pineal gland and that FSH and LH interact via nerve fibres. In the hypothalamus, FSHR and LHR proteins were located in the magnocellular neurons and parvocellular neurons. FSHR and LHR proteins were localized in acidophilic cells and basophilic cells in the pituitary gland, and in surface epithelium, stromal cell and gland epithelium in the uterus. In the ovary, FSHR and LHR protein were present in the ovarian follicle. Thus, we concluded that FSHR and LHR are located in the pineal gland, hypothalamus, pituitary and gonad during oestrus in the yak. However, FSHR was mainly expressed in the pituitary gland and ovaries, whereas LHR was mainly expressed in the pituitary gland and uterus.
Sources of Bias in Teenagers' College Expectations
Authors: Cowan Benjamin W.
Published: February 2017

Objective

Though many studies have found that teenagers overestimate their chances of college completion, the sources of this bias are still not well understood.

Methods

This article compares individuals' college expectations as teenagers with their subsequent college outcomes using data from the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97). I analyze how a rich set of youth characteristics correlate with the discrepancy between expectations and realizations.

Results

Teenagers' expectations are highly predictive of future college completion, but they are also systematically positively biased (overly optimistic). I find that scholastic aptitude—as proxied by youths' AFQT scores—is highly negatively correlated with expectation bias. Once test scores are accounted for, family income, parental education, race/ethnicity, and sex have little or no effect on bias in teenagers' college expectations.

Conclusions

The relationship between scholastic aptitude and college success may not be well understood by some youths, contributing to inflated expectations among those with lower test scores.
Public Support for Campaign Finance Reform: The Role of Policy Narratives, Cultural Predispositions, and Political Knowledge in Collective Policy Preference Formation
Authors: Jorgensen Paul D. , Song Geoboo , Jones Michael D.
Published: February 2017

Objective

We use the variation in public support for campaign finance reform (CFR) to determine factors important to collective policy preference formation.

Methods

Using a national survey, we factor analyze the latent dimensions of various reforms, and rely on an experimental design to explain the role policy narratives, cultural theory (CT), and political knowledge play in preference formation.

Results

The reform debate groups along three dimensions: (1) strengthening limitations and regulations, (2) deregulating campaign finance, or (3) ending the dependence on private money altogether. We show policy narratives are most influential, and CT has more explanatory value, among those with higher levels of political knowledge. Certain policy narratives tend to increase support for CFR across all cultural types, including those who most oppose reforms that seek to end the dependence on private money.

Conclusion

As awareness of campaign finance increases, and as particular narratives become salient, we would expect increasing support for public financing, free media time, and/or public matching funds among those with higher levels of general political knowledge.
School Architecture: An Analysis of the Role of the State in the (Re)Configuration of the Profession
Authors: Veloso Luísa , Marques Joana S.
Published: February 2017

Objectives

This article aims at discussing the relationship between a specific public policy and the professional field of architecture through the analysis of the Portuguese Secondary School Modernization Program (SSMP).

Methods

The study was conducted in a set of 13 schools renovated within the SSMP, based on qualitative and quantitative methods, and in this article particular emphasis is given to the content analysis of the interviews conducted with architects.

Results

The analysis shows how the SSMP has had an impact on the architects’ profession in Portugal, discussing: (i) the extent to which the program calls into question the architects’ autonomy in the exercise of their profession; and (ii) how it contributes to the transformation of architectural knowledge and to the (re)configuration of the profession in the domain of school architecture.

Conclusions

The research allowed us to conclude that an education policy program such as the SSMP had an impact on the architects’ profession in Portugal, providing a series of insights into how public works contribute toward shaping the profession and the labor market. One of the particularities of school architecture central to the discussion is the ability of listening and mapping the needs of such complex users as a school community in order to translate an educational project into an architectural design.
Relations Between Socioeconomic Status, Subjective Social Status, and Health in Shanghai, China
Authors: Rarick Jason R. D. , Dolan Carly Tubbs , Han Wen‐Jui , Wen Jun
Published: February 2017

Objectives

Although research has established a strong link between socioeconomic status (SES) and health in Western settings, comparable work in China lags behind. Similarly, studies showing a unique relationship for subjective social status (SSS) and health above and beyond SES have yet to be tested in China. The present study addresses these gaps.

Methods

Regression analyses investigated the relationship between SES, SSS, and mental and physical health net of several covariates for 2,282 caregivers in Shanghai, China. Indirect relationships for SES through SSS were also tested.

Results

Results indicate that SES is linked to mental and physical health outcomes, but in complicated ways. SSS, on the other hand, is consistently and robustly linked to health outcomes above and beyond income, education, occupational prestige, andHukoustatus. Further significant indirect effects were found through SSS for income, education, andHukoustatus.

Conclusion

In China's context of rapid economic growth, relationships to SES and health appear complicated. However, subjective perceptions of status are consistently linked to health outcomes.
The effects of film thickness variations on the residual stress distributions in coated Cr thin films
Authors: Chien Chi‐Hui , Su Ting‐Hsuan , Wang Chung‐Ting , Gan Jia‐Lun , Wang Jhao‐Shun
Published: February 2017

Generally, the residual stress of thin film coatings is calculated using Stoney's equation. However, variables in the manufacturing of the coated film, such as crystalline particle size and the unevenness of the thickness of the film, cause the radius of curvature of the beam to vary all over the beam. The cantilever beam curves not only in the axial direction but also in the transverse direction. Therefore, the residual stress in a film coating comprises not only axial residual stress but also transverse residual stress, and its distribution is also not uniform. Under such conditions, Stoney's equation must be modified. In this study, Si was used as a substrate in the production of cantilever beam specimens. Chromium thin films of various thicknesses were coated onto the Si substrates. The 3D digital image correlation technique was used to measure the out‐of‐plane displacement of the specimens at various positions. Then the modified Stoney's equation was used to obtain the axial and transverse residual stress at each measurement point to study the effect of variations in the thickness of the thin film on the magnitude and uniformity of the distribution of the residual stresses. Three thin film thicknesses 1, 2, and 3 μm were studied, and three specimens for each thickness were used. For each specimen, axial and transverse residual stresses were obtained at nine test points, and the equivalent residual stress was calculated. The results of this study reveal that as the difference between the thicknesses of the coating increased, average equivalent residual stress decreased and the distribution of stresses became more uniform. By comparing the corresponding results for the 1‐ and 3‐μm‐thick films revealed that the confidence levels in the average value and uniformity of the equivalent residual stress distribution, which increased with thickness, were 92.81% and 80.57%, respectively.
Impact of light intensity and quality on chromatophore and nuclear gene expression in Paulinella chromatophora, an amoeba with nascent photosynthetic organelles
Authors: Zhang Ru , Nowack Eva C. M. , Price Dana C. , Bhattacharya Debashish , Grossman Arthur R.
Published: February 2017

Plastid evolution has been attributed to a single primary endosymbiotic event that occurred about 1.6 billion years ago (BYA) in which a cyanobacterium was engulfed and retained by a eukaryotic cell, although early steps in plastid integration are poorly understood. The photosynthetic amoeba Paulinella chromatophora represents a unique model for the study of plastid evolution because it contains cyanobacterium‐derived photosynthetic organelles termed ‘chromatophores’ that originated relatively recently (0.09–0.14 BYA). The chromatophore genome is about a third the size of the genome of closely related cyanobacteria, but 10‐fold larger than most plastid genomes. Several genes have been transferred from the chromatophore genome to the host nuclear genome through endosymbiotic gene transfer (EGT). Some EGT‐derived proteins could be imported into chromatophores for function. Two photosynthesis‐related genes (psaI and csos4A) are encoded by both the nuclear and chromatophore genomes, suggesting that EGT in Paulinella chromatophora is ongoing. Many EGT‐derived genes encode proteins that function in photosynthesis and photoprotection, including an expanded family of high‐light‐inducible (ncHLI) proteins. Cyanobacterial hli genes are high‐light induced and required for cell viability under excess light. We examined the impact of light on Paulinella chromatophora and found that this organism is light sensitive and lacks light‐induced transcriptional regulation of chromatophore genes and most EGT‐derived nuclear genes. However, several ncHLI genes have reestablished light‐dependent regulation, which appears analogous to what is observed in cyanobacteria. We postulate that expansion of the ncHLI gene family and its regulation may reflect the light/oxidative stress experienced by Paulinella chromatophora as a consequence of the as yet incomplete integration of host and chromatophore metabolisms.
H3K23me1 is an evolutionarily conserved histone modification associated with CG DNA methylation in Arabidopsis
Authors: Trejo‐Arellano Minerva S. , Mahrez Walid , Nakamura Miyuki , Moreno‐Romero Jordi , Nanni Paolo , Köhler Claudia , Hennig Lars
Published: February 2017

Amino‐terminal tails of histones are targets for diverse post‐translational modifications whose combinatorial action may constitute a code that will be read and interpreted by cellular proteins to define particular transcriptional states. Here, we describe monomethylation of histone H3 lysine 23 (H3K23me1) as a histone modification not previously described in plants. H3K23me1 is an evolutionarily conserved mark in diverse species of flowering plants. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high‐throughput sequencing in Arabidopsis thaliana showed that H3K23me1 was highly enriched in pericentromeric regions and depleted from chromosome arms. In transposable elements it co‐localized with CG, CHG and CHH DNA methylation as well as with the heterochromatic histone mark H3K9me2. Transposable elements are often rich in H3K23me1 but different families vary in their enrichment: LTR‐Gypsy elements are most enriched and RC/Helitron elements are least enriched. The histone methyltransferase KRYPTONITE and normal DNA methylation were required for normal levels of H3K23me1 on transposable elements. Immunostaining experiments confirmed the pericentromeric localization and also showed mild enrichment in less condensed regions. Accordingly, gene bodies of protein‐coding genes had intermediate H3K23me1 levels, which coexisted with CG DNA methylation. Enrichment of H3K23me1 along gene bodies did not correlate with transcription levels. Together, this work establishes H3K23me1 as a so far undescribed component of the plant histone code.
LEUNIG_HOMOLOG transcriptional co‐repressor mediates aluminium sensitivity through PECTIN METHYLESTERASE46‐modulated root cell wall pectin methylesterification in Arabidopsis
Authors: Geng Xiaoyu , Horst Walter J. , Golz John F. , Lee Joanne E. , Ding Zhaojun , Yang Zhong‐Bao
Published: February 2017

A major factor determining aluminium (Al) sensitivity in higher plants is the binding of Al to root cell walls. The Al binding capacity of cell walls is closely linked to the extent of pectin methylesterification, as the presence of methyl groups attached to the pectin backbone reduces the net negative charge of this polymer and hence limits Al binding. Despite recent progress in understanding the molecular basis of Al resistance in a wide range of plants, it is not well understood how the methylation status of pectin is mediated in response to Al stress. Here we show in Arabidopsis that mutants lacking the gene LEUNIG_HOMOLOG (LUH), a member of the Groucho‐like family of transcriptional co‐repressor, are less sensitive to Al‐mediated repression of root growth. This phenotype is correlated with increased levels of methylated pectin in the cell walls of luh roots as well as altered expression of cell wall‐related genes. Among the LUH‐repressed genes, PECTIN METHYLESTERASE46 (PME46) was identified as reducing Al binding to cell walls and hence alleviating Al‐induced root growth inhibition by decreasing PME enzyme activity. seuss‐like2 (slk2) mutants responded to Al in a similar way as luh mutants suggesting that a LUH–SLK2 complex represses the expression of PME46. The data are integrated into a model in which it is proposed that PME46 is a major inhibitor of pectin methylesterase activity within root cell walls.
Standardizing the freeze‐thaw preparation of growth factors from platelet lysate
Authors: Strandberg Gabriel , Sellberg Felix , Sommar Pehr , Ronaghi Martin , Lubenow Norbert , Knutson Folke , Berglund David
Published: February 2017

BACKGROUND

Over the past decades, the focus on the regenerative properties of platelets (PLTs) has intensified and many PLT‐derived growth factors are readily used in medical settings. A general lack of standardization in the preparation of these growth factors remains, however, and this study therefore examines the dynamics of growth factors throughout the freeze‐thaw procedure.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Plateletpheresis (PA) and PLT‐poor plasma (PPP) samples were collected from 10 healthy donors. PA was lysed to produce PLT lysate (PL) for 1, 3, 5, 10, and 30 freeze‐thaw cycles. The resulting growth factor and cytokine concentrations from PPP, PA, and PL of different cycles were analyzed and compared using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and multiplex bead assays.

RESULTS

PL produced by the freeze‐thaw procedure resulted in approximately four‐ to 10‐fold enrichment of transforming growth factor‐β1, epidermal growth factor, PLT‐derived growth factor (PDGF)‐AB/BB, PLT factor‐4, and fibroblast growth factor‐2. The increase in concentrations plateaued at Cycles 3 and 5 and in some cases declined with further cycles. The concentrations of insulin‐like growth factor‐1, hepatocyte growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, and bone morphogenetic protein‐2 in PL were essentially comparable to those in PPP.

CONCLUSION

Using the freeze‐thaw method, optimal preparation of PL with regard to the concentration of growth factors was achieved at Cycles 3 to 5. Based on our findings, the clinical significance of using a greater number of cycles is likely limited.
Ca2+ tunnelling through the ER lumen as a mechanism for delivering Ca2+ entering via store‐operated Ca2+ channels to specific target sites
Authors: Petersen Ole H , Courjaret Raphael , Machaca Khaled
Published: February 2017

Ca2+ signalling is perhaps the most universal and versatile mechanism regulating a wide range of cellular processes. Because of the many different calcium‐binding proteins distributed throughout cells, signalling precision requires localized rises in the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration. In electrically non‐excitable cells, for example epithelial cells, this is achieved by primary release of Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum via Ca2+ release channels placed close to the physiological target. Because any rise in the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration activates Ca2+ extrusion, and in order for cells not to run out of Ca2+, there is a need for compensatory Ca2+ uptake from the extracellular fluid. This Ca2+ uptake occurs through a process known as store‐operated Ca2+ entry. Ideally Ca2+ entering the cell should not diffuse to the target site through the cytosol, as this would potentially activate undesirable processes. Ca2+ tunnelling through the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum is a mechanism for delivering Ca2+ entering via store‐operated Ca2+ channels to specific target sites, and this process has been described in considerable detail in pancreatic acinar cells and oocytes. Here we review the most important evidence and present a generalized concept.

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Proteasome dysfunction in cardiomyopathies
Authors: Gilda Jennifer E. , Gomes Aldrin V.
Published: February 2017

The ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS) plays a critical role in removing unwanted intracellular proteins and is involved in protein quality control, signalling and cell death. Because the heart is subject to continuous metabolic and mechanical stress, the proteasome plays a particularly important role in the heart, and proteasome dysfunction has been suggested as a causative factor in cardiac dysfunction. Proteasome impairment has been detected in cardiomyopathies, heart failure, myocardial ischaemia, and hypertrophy. Proteasome inhibition is also sufficient to cause cardiac dysfunction in healthy pigs, and patients using a proteasome inhibitor for cancer therapy have a higher incidence of heart failure. In this Topical Review we discuss the experimental data which suggest UPS dysfunction is a common feature of cardiomyopathies, with an emphasis on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy caused by sarcomeric mutations. We also propose potential mechanisms by which cardiomyopathy‐causing mutations may lead to proteasome impairment, such as altered calcium handling and increased oxidative stress due to mitochondrial dysfunction.

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Comparación de adultos y adolescentes con respecto al alcance de insensibilidad de las curvas de valor: Un método de medición de funcionamiento
Authors: Viegas Ricardo G. , Oliveira Armando M. , Gaspar Viegas Ricardo
Published: February 2017

The curvature of the value/utility function has been understood, since D. Bernouilli, as the expression of an attitude towards risk. This perspectivewas kept in such influential theories of judgment and decision as Prospect Theory, in both its original and cumulative versions (Kahneman & Tversky, 1979; Tversky & Kahneman, 1992). More recently, dualprocess interpretations of the value function as a mix of affect and deliberation (Hsee & Rottenstreich, 2004) have proposed that function curvature reflects the operation of affect-based evaluations via an affective focus coefficient indexed by “α” (varying between 0 and 1) in the equation v = A αS 1-α (with “v” the subjective value, “A” the intensity of the affective response, and “S” the scope of the stimuli). According to this view, evaluating more hedonic targets results in more curved (scopeinsensitive) functions than evaluating instrumental/utilitarian targets, and more affect-oriented subjects exhibit more pronounced curvatures (lower 1α) than deliberation-oriented subjects. These predictions are evaluated in this study and additionally used for an exploratory evaluation of Reyna and Farley’s (2006, 2007) proposal that analytical processing and gist/affect-based processing predominate, respectively, in adolescents’ and in adults’ judgment and decision making. Information Integration Theory was used to establish a model allowing for the functional measurement of subjective value at the (ratio) level required for comparing curvature parameters and computing Loss Aversion coefficients. The outcomes partially favored the prediction of larger curvatures (lower 1- α) and larger loss aversion in more hedonic tasks. However, they did not support the prediction of more scope insensitivity and larger values of loss aversion in adults than in adolescents. As the main suggested difference between adults and adolescents, individual differences in risk attitude appeared to be less polarized towards loss aversion among adolescents in more hedonic tasks.
Teoría de la integración informativa: psicología unificada con base en tres leyes matemáticas
Authors: Anderson Norman Henry
Published: February 2017

Psychology is unique among the sciences in its joint concern with dual worlds: (a) internal world of feeling and thought, and (b) external world of stimulus and response. The first major movement in psychology, the introspectionist movement of the late 1800s, took the inviting direct attack of studying the internal world with conscious report. Introspective methods, however, led to disarray. They were replaced by an intolerant behaviorism that allowed only observables of the external world. Many important results were thus obtained as with animal conditioning and rote learning.