bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Olfaction Modulates Early Neural Responses to Matching Visual Objects
Authors: Robinson Amanda K. , Reinhard Judith , Mattingley Jason B.
Published: September 2014

Sensory information is initially registered within anatomically and functionally segregated brain networks but is also integrated across modalities in higher cortical areas. Although considerable research has focused on uncovering the neural correlates of multisensory integration for the modalities of vision, audition, and touch, much less attention has been devoted to understanding interactions between vision and olfaction in humans. In this study, we asked how odors affect neural activity evoked by images of familiar visual objects associated with characteristic smells. We employed scalp-recorded EEG to measure visual ERPs evoked by briefly presented pictures of familiar objects, such as an orange, mint leaves, or a rose. During presentation of each visual stimulus, participants inhaled either a matching odor, a nonmatching odor, or plain air. The N1 component of the visual ERP was significantly enhanced for matching odors in women, but not in men. This is consistent with evidence that women are superior in detecting, discriminating, and identifying odors and that they have a higher gray matter concentration in olfactory areas of the OFC. We conclude that early visual processing is influenced by olfactory cues because of associations between odors and the objects that emit them, and that these associations are stronger in women than in men.
Selective Attention Modulates Early Human Evoked Potentials during Emotional Face–Voice Processing
Authors: Ho Hao Tam , Schröger Erich , Kotz Sonja A.
Published: September 2014

Recent findings on multisensory integration suggest that selective attention influences cross-sensory interactions from an early processing stage. Yet, in the field of emotional face–voice integration, the hypothesis prevails that facial and vocal emotional information interacts preattentively. Using ERPs, we investigated the influence of selective attention on the perception of congruent versus incongruent combinations of neutral and angry facial and vocal expressions. Attention was manipulated via four tasks that directed participants to (i) the facial expression, (ii) the vocal expression, (iii) the emotional congruence between the face and the voice, and (iv) the synchrony between lip movement and speech onset. Our results revealed early interactions between facial and vocal emotional expressions, manifested as modulations of the auditory N1 and P2 amplitude by incongruent emotional face–voice combinations. Although audiovisual emotional interactions within the N1 time window were affected by the attentional manipulations, interactions within the P2 modulation showed no such attentional influence. Thus, we propose that the N1 and P2 are functionally dissociated in terms of emotional face–voice processing and discuss evidence in support of the notion that the N1 is associated with cross-sensory prediction, whereas the P2 relates to the derivation of an emotional percept. Essentially, our findings put the integration of facial and vocal emotional expressions into a new perspective—one that regards the integration process as a composite of multiple, possibly independent subprocesses, some of which are susceptible to attentional modulation, whereas others may be influenced by additional factors.
A Hippocampal Signature of Perceptual Learning in Object Recognition
Authors: Guggenmos Matthias , Rothkirch Marcus , Obermayer Klaus , Haynes John-Dylan , Sterzer Philipp
Published: September 2014

Perceptual learning is the improvement in perceptual performance through training or exposure. Here, we used fMRI before and after extensive behavioral training to investigate the effects of perceptual learning on the recognition of objects under challenging viewing conditions. Objects belonged either to trained or untrained categories. Trained categories were further subdivided into trained and untrained exemplars and were coupled with high or low monetary rewards during training. After a 3-day training, object recognition was markedly improved. Although there was a considerable transfer of learning to untrained exemplars within categories, an enhancing effect of reward reinforcement was specific to trained exemplars. fMRI showed that hippocampus responses to both trained and untrained exemplars of trained categories were enhanced by perceptual learning and correlated with the effect of reward reinforcement. Our results suggest a key role of hippocampus in object recognition after perceptual learning.
Effects of interspecific competition on food hoarding and pilferage in two sympatric rodents
Authors: Zhang Hongmao , Gao Haiyang , Yang Zheng , Wang Zhenzhen , Luo Yang , Zhang Zhibin
Published: September 2014

Food hoarding and pilferage in rodents may be regulated by intense competition between sympatric species that have similar habitats, diets and activity, but studies exploring this remain rare. Here, we used semi-natural enclosures to investigate food-hoarding and cache pilferage interactions between sympatric Korean field mice (KFM) (Apodemus peninsulae) and Chinese white-bellied rats (CWR) (Niviventer confucianus). KFM and CWR have similar diets, habitat and nocturnal activity, but the smaller KFM larder and scatter hoards and larger CWR larder hoard only. We found that KFM harvest, larder-hoard and eat seeds at a greater intensity when CWR are present as an audience (present but cannot pilfer). KFM ate 11.5%, re-larder-hoarded 17.9% and re-scatter-hoarded 1.3% of their scatter-hoarded seeds, and ate 29.3% of their larder-hoarded seeds when CWR were present as pilferers. A total of 12.8% of the seeds scatter-hoarded and 50% of seeds directly put on the ground by KFM were pilfered by CWR. CWR did not alter hoarding intensity in the presence of KFM and their stores cannot be pilfered by KFM. These results indicate that large-sized rodent species (more dominant) significantly increase the hoarding intensity of small-sized species and show a unidirectional pilferage of seeds cached by small-sized species. The behavioural differences between these two species may reduce competition for resources and promote coexistence between sympatric rodents.
Multivariate—Intervariable, Spatial, and Temporal—Bias Correction*
Authors: Vrac Mathieu , Friederichs Petra
Published: September 2014

Statistical methods to bias correct global or regional climate model output are now common to get data closer to observations in distribution. However, most bias correction (BC) methods work for one variable and one location at a time and basically reproduce the temporal structure of the models. The intervariable, spatial, and temporal dependencies of the corrected data are usually poor compared to observations. Here, the authors propose a novel method for multivariate BC. The empirical copula–bias correction (EC–BC) combines a one-dimensional BC with a shuffling technique that restores an empirical multidimensional copula. Several BC methods are investigated and compared to high-resolution reference data over the French Mediterranean basin: notably, (i) a 1D BC method applied independently to precipitation and temperature fields, (ii) a recent conditional correction approach developed for producing correct two-dimensional intervariable structures, and (iii) the EC–BC method.

Assessments are realized in terms of intervariable, spatial, and temporal dependencies, and an objective evaluation using the integrated quadratic distance (IQD) is presented. As expected, the 1D methods cannot produce correct multidimensional properties. The conditional technique appears efficient for intervariable properties but not for spatial and temporal dependencies. EC–BC provides realistic dependencies in all respects: intervariable, spatial, and temporal. The IQD results are clearly in favor of EC–BC. As many BC methods, EC–BC relies on a stationarity assumption and is only able to reproduce patterns inherited from historical data. However, because of its ease of coding, its speed of application, and the quality of its results, the EC–BC method is a very good candidate for all needs in multivariate bias correction.
Climatology and Environmental Characteristics of Extreme Precipitation Events in the Southeastern United States
Authors: Moore Benjamin J. , Mahoney Kelly M. , Sukovich Ellen M. , Cifelli Robert , Hamill Thomas M.
Published: September 2014

This paper documents the characteristics of extreme precipitation events (EPEs) in the southeastern United States (SEUS) during 2002–11. The EPEs are identified by applying an object-based method to 24-h precipitation analyses from the NCEP stage-IV dataset. It is found that EPEs affected the SEUS in all months and occurred most frequently in the western portion of the SEUS during the cool season and in the eastern portion during the warm season. The EPEs associated with tropical cyclones, although less common, tended to be larger in size, more intense, and longer lived than “nontropical” EPEs. Nontropical EPEs in the warm season, relative to those in the cool season, tended to be smaller in size and typically involved more moist, conditionally unstable conditions but weaker dynamical influences. Synoptic-scale composites are constructed for nontropical EPEs stratified by the magnitude of vertically integrated water vapor transport (IVT) to examine distinct scenarios for the occurrence of EPEs. The composite results indicate that “strong IVT” EPEs occur within high-amplitude flow patterns involving strong transport of moist, conditionally unstable air within the warm sector of a cyclone, whereas “weak IVT” EPEs occur within low-amplitude flow patterns featuring weak transport but very moist and conditionally unstable conditions. Finally, verification of deterministic precipitation forecasts from a reforecast dataset based on the NCEP Global Ensemble Forecast System reveals that weak-IVT EPEs were characteristically associated with lower forecast skill than strong-IVT EPEs. Based on these results, it is suggested that further research should be conducted to investigate the forecast challenges associated with EPEs in the SEUS.
Deterioration of Mechanical Properties of Discs in Chronically Inflamed TMJ
Authors: Wang X.D. , Cui S.J. , Liu Y. , Luo Q. , Du R.J. , Kou X.X. , Zhang J.N. , Zhou Y.H. , Gan Y.H.
Published: September 2014

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) discs frequently undergo degenerative changes in arthritis. However, the biomechanical properties of pathogenic discs remain to be explored. In this study, we evaluated the effects of chronic inflammation on the biomechanical properties of TMJ discs in rats. Chronic inflammation of TMJs was induced by double intra-articular injections of complete Freund’s adjuvant for 5 weeks, and biomechanical properties and ultrastructure of the discs were examined by mechanical testing, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The instantaneous compressive moduli of the anterior and posterior bands of discs in inflamed TMJs were decreased significantly compared with those in the control group. The instantaneous tensile moduli of the discs of inflamed TMJs also showed significant decreases in both the anterior-posterior and mesial-lateral directions. The relaxation moduli of the discs of inflamed TMJs showed nearly the same tendency as the instantaneous moduli. The surfaces of the discs of inflamed TMJs became rough and porous due to the loss of the superficial gel-like stratum, with many collagen fibers exposed and degradation of the sub-superficial collagen fibrils. Our results suggested that chronic inflammation of TMJ could lead to deterioration of mechanical properties and alteration of disc ultrastructure, which might contribute to TMJ disc displacement.
Book Review: Sanjay Kumar and Praveen Rai, Measuring Voting Behaviour in India
Authors: Kumar Ashutosh
Published: September 2014

Sanjay Kumar and Praveen Rai, Measuring Voting Behaviour in India, New Delhi, SAGE Publications, 2013, pp. xv + 174, ₹350.
UK doctors and equal opportunities in the NHS: national questionnaire surveys of views on gender, ethnicity and disability
Authors: Lambert Trevor , Surman Geraldine , Goldacre Michael
Published: September 2014

Objectives

To seek doctors’ views about the NHS as an employer, our surveys about doctors’ career intentions and progression, undertaken between 1999 and 2013, also asked whether the NHS was, in their view, a good ‘equal opportunities’ employer for women doctors, doctors from ethnic minority groups and doctors with disabilities.

Design and Setting

Surveys undertaken in the UK by mail and Internet.

Participants

UK medical graduates in selected graduation years between 1993 and 2012.

Main outcome measures

Respondents were asked to rate their level of agreement with three statements starting ‘The NHS is a good equal opportunities employer for…’ and ending ‘women doctors’, ‘doctors from ethnic minorities’ and ‘doctors with disabilities’.

Results

Of first-year doctors surveyed in 2013, 3.6% (78/2158) disagreed that the NHS is a good equal opportunities employer for women doctors (1.7% of the men and 4.7% of the women); 2.2% (44/1968) disagreed for doctors from ethnic minorities (0.9% of white doctors and 5.8% of non-white doctors) and 12.6% (175/1387) disagreed for doctors with disabilities. Favourable perceptions of the NHS in these respects improved substantially between 1999 and 2013; among first-year doctors of 2000–2003, combined, the corresponding percentages of disagreement were 23.5% for women doctors, 23.1% for doctors from ethnic minorities and 50.6% for doctors with disabilities.

Conclusions

Positive views about the NHS as an equal opportunities employer have increased in recent years, but the remaining gap in perception of this between women and men, and between ethnic minority and white doctors, is a concern.
Why Labour Economics is Inadequate for Theorizing Industrial Relations
Authors: Abbott Keith
Published: September 2014

This article challenges the assumed superiority of neo-classical labour economics as a means of theorizing labour unions by applying a critical realist critique to methodologies typically applied in the field. For this purpose, the critique draws on the work of Roy Bhaskar and other critical realists by first situating critical realism within two broad philosophical traditions: classical empiricism and transcendental idealism. It points out the failure of these traditions to acknowledge the possible existence of autonomous structures and objects which are beyond empirically based calculation and conceptualization, arguing instead that such structures and objects can only truly be revealed through research methodologies that make reference to a layered ontology. The discussion then advances on this by outlining the main features of critical realism’s three-way ontology, before providing an example of how this ontological reasoning diminishes the validity of research of labour unions based solely on the type of deductivist methodologies commonly used in labour economics.

JEL: B4, J5
Finite-sample corrected generalized estimating equation of population average treatment effects in stepped wedge cluster randomized trials
Authors: Scott JoAnna M , deCamp Allan , Juraska Michal , Fay Michael P , Gilbert Peter B
Published: September 2014

Stepped wedge designs are increasingly commonplace and advantageous for cluster randomized trials when it is both unethical to assign placebo, and it is logistically difficult to allocate an intervention simultaneously to many clusters. We study marginal mean models fit with generalized estimating equations for assessing treatment effectiveness in stepped wedge cluster randomized trials. This approach has advantages over the more commonly used mixed models that (1) the population-average parameters have an important interpretation for public health applications and (2) they avoid untestable assumptions on latent variable distributions and avoid parametric assumptions about error distributions, therefore, providing more robust evidence on treatment effects. However, cluster randomized trials typically have a small number of clusters, rendering the standard generalized estimating equation sandwich variance estimator biased and highly variable and hence yielding incorrect inferences. We study the usual asymptotic generalized estimating equation inferences (i.e., using sandwich variance estimators and asymptotic normality) and four small-sample corrections to generalized estimating equation for stepped wedge cluster randomized trials and for parallel cluster randomized trials as a comparison. We show by simulation that the small-sample corrections provide improvement, with one correction appearing to provide at least nominal coverage even with only 10 clusters per group. These results demonstrate the viability of the marginal mean approach for both stepped wedge and parallel cluster randomized trials. We also study the comparative performance of the corrected methods for stepped wedge and parallel designs, and describe how the methods can accommodate interval censoring of individual failure times and incorporate semiparametric efficient estimators.
The Effectiveness of the Personality Assessment Inventory With Feigned PTSD
Authors: Wooley Chelsea N. , Rogers Richard
Published: September 2014

Malingered posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) poses a formidable clinical challenge because of the apparent ease in feigning PTSD. As an additional confound, some patients with genuine PTSD produce elevated profiles on feigning indicators that are difficult to distinguish from feigned PTSD. The current study utilized 109 inpatients from a trauma unit to examine whether the Personality Assessment Inventory and the Detailed Assessment of Posttraumatic Stress can effectively differentiate between genuine and feigned PTSD. As a primary focus, Resnick’s model of malingered PTSD was evaluated with its three subtypes: pure malingering, partial malingering, and false imputation. They were tested on their ability to (a) effectively simulate PTSD and (b) avoid being classified as feigning. The partial malingering group proved to be the best feigning group in achieving these two goals. Overall, the Personality Assessment Inventory Malingering Index and Negative Distortion Scale were the most effective at identifying feigning.
Roads to Nowhere? Mapping Violence Against Women Services
Authors: Coy Maddy , Kelly Liz , Foord Joanne , Bowstead Janet
Published: September 2014

This article reports on two separate research projects that use mapping techniques, specifically Geographic Information Systems (GIS), to assess the spatial characteristics of access to specialized support services for women who have experienced domestic/sexual violence, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), and sexual exploitation. In the first project, maps document the location of specialized violence against women (VAW) services across nations and regions of the United Kingdom, demonstrating many gaps in provision. In the second project, mapping techniques assess the distance and direction women traveled in their journeys to access specialized support services (specifically shelters) when escaping domestic violence. Policy outcomes and conclusions and possibilities for using GIS for feminist research on violence against women are discussed.
Policy and System Change and Community Coalitions
Authors: Clark Noreen M. , Lachance Laurie , Doctor Linda Jo , Gilmore Lisa , Kelly Cindy , Krieger James , Lara Marielena , Meurer John , Friedman Milanovich Amy , Nicholas Elisa , Rosenthal Michael , Stoll Shelley C. , Wilkin Margaret
Published: September 2014

Objectives. We assessed policy and system changes and health outcomes produced by the Allies Against Asthma program, a 5-year collaborative effort by 7 community coalitions to address childhood asthma. We also explored associations between community engagement and outcomes. Methods. We interviewed a sample of 1,477 parents of children with asthma in coalition target areas and comparison areas at baseline and 1 year to assess quality-of-life and symptom changes. An extensive tracking and documentation procedure and a survey of 284 participating individuals and organizations were used to ascertain policy and system changes and community engagement levels. Results. A total of 89 policy and system changes were achieved, ranging from changes in interinstitutional and intrainstitutional practices to statewide legislation. Allies children experienced fewer daytime ( P = .008) and nighttime ( P = .004) asthma symptoms than comparison children. In addition, Allies parents felt less helpless, frightened, and angry ( P = .01) about their child’s asthma. Type of community engagement was associated with number of policy and system changes. Conclusions. Community coalitions can successfully achieve asthma policy and system changes and improve health outcomes. Increased core and ongoing community stakeholder participation rather than a higher overall number of participants was associated with more change.
What’s in a (Party) name? Examining preferences, discipline, and social identity in a parliamentary free vote
Authors: Raymond Christopher D , Overby L Marvin
Published: September 2014

In trying to understand the effects of political parties on shaping the voting behaviour of legislators, research has attempted the difficult task of separating the effects of preferences from rules used by party leaders to enforce discipline. However, little research has explored the prospect that party labels also reflect a social identity that is independent of legislators’ preferences and the rules used by party leaders to enforce discipline. In this study we examine that possibility, employing a data set that permits us to control both for leadership-based effects and legislator preferences on a 2000 free vote dealing with stem cell research. Using the British Representation Studies 1997 – which interviewed Members of Parliament regarding their preferences on several key issues related to the bill – we find significant evidence that party-as-identification plays a role in shaping how legislators vote, even after preferences and discipline are accounted for.
The politics of performance measurement: ‘Evaluation use as mediator for politics’
Authors: Bjørnholt Bente , Larsen Flemming
Published: September 2014

Performance measurement is intended to improve public decision making and organizational performance. But performance measures are by no means always rational tools for problem solving; rather, they are also political instruments. The central question addressed in this article is how performance measurement affects public policy. The aim is to conceptualize the political consequences of performance measurement, and of special concern is how performance systems influence how political decisions are made, the kind of political decisions that are conceivable, and how they are implemented. The literature on the utilization of evaluation and performance measurement is applied to analyse how performance measurement systems affect the political process of goal-setting and implementation. The article concludes that performance measurement may have intended and unintended effects and that it seems to have a retroactive impact on the political decision-making process, as the focus on performance goals entails a kind of reductionism (complex problems are simplified), sequential decision-making processes (with a division in separate policy issues), and short-sighted decisions (based on the need to achieve operational goals). Hence, the politics of performance measurement requires further study.
They won’t listen to me: Anticipated power and women’s disinterest in male-dominated domains
Authors: Chen Jacqueline M. , Moons Wesley G.
Published: September 2014

We hypothesized that women avoid male-dominated domains because they anticipate lacking the power to influence others in those contexts. In Study 1, a questionnaire study, male undergraduates were more interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors than were female undergraduates, and this gender disparity was mediated by women anticipating having less power in STEM fields than men did. Study 2 experimentally demonstrated that a lack of female representation within an academic context (MBA program) led women to infer that they would lack power in that context. Consequently, they became less interested in the program and in business schools in general. Our findings indicate that expecting low interpersonal power is an important mechanism by which women lose interest in pursuing male-dominated fields.
Revisiting smoking bans in restaurants: Canadian employees perspectives
Authors: Jackson Leonard A , Taylor Marcia
Published: September 2014

The issue of smoking in restaurants and other food service outlets continues to be hotly debated, especially with the bourgeoning interest in, and use of electronic cigarettes. While hospitality research has focused on restaurateurs’ and consumers’ attitude toward smoking bans in restaurants, employees’ views have been virtually ignored. This study examines restaurant employees’ attitudes toward smoking bans in two restaurant segments—the coffee and doughnut segment and the family style-dining segment. Findings suggest that employees’ attitudes toward smoking bans are largely related to their smoking status. Nonsmokers are generally in favor of smoking bans while smokers are generally in opposition. Overall, it was found that participants from both segments prefer a nonsmoking work environment.
Unobserved confounder effects in models for clustered dental failure time data
Authors: Eriksson Frank , Gerds Thomas Alexander , Lesaffre Emmanuel
Published: September 2014

The marginal approach and the conditional approach are two different ways to model clustered dental failure time data. We compare the two approaches in the context of a Cox regression analysis, where the aim is to estimate the effect of a covariate (e.g., dental treatment) on the risk of failure. Specifically, we treat within-cluster correlation as if it was introduced by unobserved cluster level covariates, and study the small sample behaviour of the marginal and the conditional approach. We show that in a non-randomized setting where an unobserved cluster variable is correlated with the variable of interest, both the marginal and the conditional approaches can give misleading results. We argue that this is an important message, since most often it is assumed that the frailty term and the covariates of interest are independent.
Bayesian-multiplicative treatment of count zeros in compositional data sets
Authors: Martín-Fernández Josep-Antoni , Hron Karel , Templ Matthias , Filzmoser Peter , Palarea-Albaladejo Javier
Published: September 2014

Compositional count data are discrete vectors representing the numbers of outcomes falling into any of several mutually exclusive categories. Compositional techniques based on the log-ratio methodology are appropriate in those cases where the total sum of the vector elements is not of interest. Such compositional count data sets can contain zero values which are often the result of insufficiently large samples. That is, they refer to unobserved positive values that may have been observed with a larger number of trials or with a different sampling design. Because the log-ratio transformations require data with positive values, any statistical analysis of count compositions must be preceded by a proper replacement of the zeros. A Bayesian-multiplicative treatment has been proposed for addressing this count zero problem in several case studies. This treatment involves the Dirichlet prior distribution as the conjugate distribution of the multinomial distribution and a multiplicative modification of the non-zero values. Different parameterizations of the prior distribution provide different zero replacement results, whose coherence with the vector space structure of the simplex is stated. Their performance is evaluated from both the theoretical and the computational point of view.
Contextual Positioning
Authors: Ralph Nicholas , Birks Melanie , Chapman Ysanne
Published: September 2014

The use of documents as a source of extant data is relatively common in grounded theory (GT) research. While GT promotes the dictum “all is data,” finding consistent commentary on how to use documents as data is difficult, especially among seminal works. The need to be aware of the context of extant data is a vital step prior to commencing analysis, especially in view of the lack of physical interaction between the researcher and that data. Contextual positioning is proposed as a tool that can be used to prepare extant data for analysis. Contextual positioning enhances the interactivity of the data collection process and positions the researcher before the document in a more reflexive manner. A model of contextual positioning is presented in this article to assist researchers in positioning extant data (such as documents) more reflexively. A concrete example of the use of this method is outlined to promote understanding of the value of this process.
Investigation of the effect of the structure of large-area carbon nanotube/fuel composites on energy generation from thermopower waves
Authors: Hwang Hayoung , Yeo Taehan , Um Jo-Eun , Lee Kang Yeol , Kim Hong-Seok , Han Jae-Hee , Kim Woo-Jae , Choi Wonjoon
Published: September 2014

Thermopower waves are a recently developed energy conversion concept utilizing dynamic temperature and chemical potential gradients to harvest electrical energy while the combustion wave propagates along the hybrid layers of nanomaterials and chemical fuels. The intrinsic properties of the core nanomaterials and chemical fuels in the hybrid composites can broadly affect the energy generation, as well as the combustion process, of thermopower waves. So far, most research has focused on the application of new core nanomaterials to enhance energy generation. In this study, we demonstrate that the alignment of core nanomaterials can significantly influence a number of aspects of the thermopower waves, while the nanomaterials involved are identical carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Diversely structured, large-area CNT/fuel composites of one-dimensional aligned CNT arrays (1D CNT arrays), randomly oriented CNT films (2D CNT films), and randomly aggregated bulk CNT clusters (3D CNT clusters) were fabricated to evaluate the energy generation, as well as the propagation of the thermal wave, from thermopower waves. The more the core nanostructures were aligned, the less inversion of temperature gradients and the less cross-propagation of multiple thermopower waves occurred. These characteristics of the aligned structures prevented the cancellation of charge carrier movements among the core nanomaterials and produced the relative enhancement of the energy generation and the specific power with a single-polarity voltage signal. Understanding this effect of structure on energy generation from thermopower waves can help in the design of optimized hybrid composites of nanomaterials and fuels, especially designs based on the internal alignment of the materials. More generally, we believe that this work provides clues to the process of chemical to thermal to electrical energy conversion inside/outside hybrid nanostructured materials.
Application of direct PCR in rapid rDNA ITS haplotype determination of the hyperparasitic fungus Sphaeropsis visci (Botryosphaeriaceae)
Authors: Varga Ildikó , Poczai Péter , Cernák István , Hyvönen Jaakko
Published: September 2014

Background

The plant pathogenic fungus, Sphaeropsis visci a dark-spored species of Botryosphaeriaceae, which causes the leaf spot disease of the European mistletoe (Viscum album). This species seems to have potential as a tool for biological control of the hemiparasite. For the rapid detection of S. visci haplotypes we tested a direct PCR assay without prior DNA purification. This approach was based on a polymerase enzyme from the crenarchaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus engineered by fusion protein technology, which linked the polymerase domain to a sequence non-specific DNA binding protein (Sso7d).

Findings

Most isolates of Sphaeropsis visci grouped together in our phylogenetic analyses, indicating that isolates had a previously reported haplotype sequence, which is commonly found in the analyzed Hungarian population. This haplotype was also reported from diseased mistletoe bushes from other European countries. We further identified unique single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ITS region, which were specific to the only well resolved clade in the phylogenetic analysis.

Conclusions

The diPCR approach allowed amplification of ITS rRNA gene directly from small amounts of fungal samples without prior DNA extraction. This simple bioassay in plant disease management enables collection of genomic data from fungal plant pathogen populations.
Deletions of chromosomal regulatory boundaries are associated with congenital disease
Authors: Ibn-Salem Jonas , Köhler Sebastian , Love Michael I , Chung Ho-Ryun , Huang Ni , Hurles Matthew E , Haendel Melissa , Washington Nicole L , Smedley Damian , Mungall Christopher J , Lewis Suzanna E , Ott Claus-Eric , Bauer Sebastian , Schofield Paul N , Mundlos Stefan , Spielmann Malte , Robinson Peter N
Published: September 2014

Background

Recent data from genome-wide chromosome conformation capture analysis indicate that the human genome is divided into conserved megabase-sized self-interacting regions called topological domains. These topological domains form the regulatory backbone of the genome and are separated by regulatory boundary elements or barriers. Copy-number variations can potentially alter the topological domain architecture by deleting or duplicating the barriers and thereby allowing enhancers from neighboring domains to ectopically activate genes causing misexpression and disease, a mutational mechanism that has recently been termed enhancer adoption.

Results

We use the Human Phenotype Ontology database to relate the phenotypes of 922 deletion cases recorded in the DECIPHER database to monogenic diseases associated with genes in or adjacent to the deletions. We identify combinations of tissue-specific enhancers and genes adjacent to the deletion and associated with phenotypes in the corresponding tissue, whereby the phenotype matched that observed in the deletion. We compare this computationally with a gene-dosage pathomechanism that attempts to explain the deletion phenotype based on haploinsufficiency of genes located within the deletions. Up to 11.8% of the deletions could be best explained by enhancer adoption or a combination of enhancer adoption and gene-dosage effects.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that enhancer adoption caused by deletions of regulatory boundaries may contribute to a substantial minority of copy-number variation phenotypes and should thus be taken into account in their medical interpretation.
Tumor heterogeneity: next-generation sequencing enhances the view from the pathologist's microscope
Authors: Aparicio Samuel , Mardis Elaine
Published: September 2014

No abstract
Ethnic capital and self-employment: a spatially autoregressive network approach
Authors: Wang Xingang , Maani Sholeh A
Published: September 2014

Immigrants experience substantial disadvantages in employment in the host country. "Ethnic capital" (e.g. the ethnic network) is argued to provide a niche for immigrants. Previous international studies adopt either ethnic concentration or language as proxy for immigrants' network in host country. In this paper we introduce a new "spatial autoregressive network approach" to construct a dynamic network variable from micro-data to capture the effects of social and resource networks for immigrants. This approach allows each individual's self-employment decision to be geographically and ethnically correlated with that of other individuals. We further show that there are three advantages of this approach: it captures a more accurate effect of networks; it provides a better estimation of the impact of other socio-economic variables on self-employment; and it provides a better data fit. The empirical findings of this study strongly suggest that ethnic capital plays a vital role in relation to immigrants' self-employment decisions.

JEL classification codes:J23, J61, Z13
Secretory activity of mandibular organ fluctuates in response to reproductive season of the field crab Paratelphusa sp. (Brachyura; Decapoda): an ultrastructural study
Authors: Sarika SN , Gayathri N , Gopinathan Anilkumar
Published: September 2014

Background

Mandibular organ (MO) in decapods is suggested to play regulatory role in reproduction, in few species; however, MO is considered to control growth. The present study addresses this question by an ultrastructural study on the MO of the field crab, Paratelphusa sp. Our sampling for consecutive years (2008 to 2012) revealed that Paratelphusa sp. devotes July to October for reproduction, judged by the occurrence of growing ovaries and the berried females. From November to the succeeding June, the females are in a state of reproductive arrest (non-reproductive period); ovaries during this season would appear as white bands with no signs of yolk deposition.

Results

Morphologically, MO of Paratelphusa sp. is positioned posterior to the mandibles and is in close apposition with the distal end of the mandibular apodeme. MO of Paratelphusa sp. exhibited significant levels (t = 8.097, P < 0.0001, N = 10) of season-dependent size variations. Our electron microscopic observations reveal that the MO is highly secretory during the reproductive period, evidenced by the occurrence of sacculated Golgi bodies having dense inclusions, several mitochondria with tubular cristae, and extensive networks of SER and rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER). During the non-reproductive period, however, the MO is least active; RER, the mitochondria, and the Golgi are only sparsely seen. Interestingly, the plasma membrane exhibits a highly convoluted appearance all the way through the non-reproductive period.

Conclusions

The present study reveals that the secretory activity of MO of Paratelphusa sp. is entrained with reproductive activity. The existence of a high correlation between MO secretory activity and ovarian growth implicates the former’s role in reproduction.
Editorial: Does immune dysfunction persist into adulthood after adolescent use of marijuana?
Authors: Cabral G A , Jamerson M , Rogers T J
Published: September 2014

Discussion on Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol-induced immune dysfunction, from an anti-inflammatory response in adolescence to a proinflammatory switch in adulthood using a murine model.
Did Changes in Drug Reimbursement After the Medicare Modernization Act Affect Chemotherapy Prescribing?
Authors: Hornbrook Mark C. , Malin Jennifer , Weeks Jane C. , Makgoeng Solomon B. , Keating Nancy L. , Potosky Arnold L.
Published: September 2014

Purpose

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) decreased fee-for-service (FFS) payments for outpatient chemotherapy. We assessed how this policy affected chemotherapy in FFS settings versus in integrated health networks (IHNs).

Patients and Methods

We examined 5,831 chemotherapy regimens for 3,613 patients from 2003 to 2006 with colorectal cancer (CRC) or lung cancers in the Cancer Care Outcomes Research Surveillance Consortium. Patients were from four geographically defined regions, seven large health maintenance organizations, and 15 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. The outcome of interest was receipt of chemotherapy that included at least one drug for which reimbursement declined after the MMA.

Results

The odds of receiving an MMA-affected drug were lower in the post-MMA era: the odds ratio (OR) was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.59 to 0.89). Important differences across cancers were detected: for CRC, the OR was 0.65 (95% CI, 0.46 to 0.92); for non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the OR was 1.60 (95% CI, 1.09 to 2.35); and for small-cell lung cancer, the OR was 0.63 (95% CI, 0.34 to 1.16). After the MMA, FFS patients were less likely to receive MMA-affected drugs: OR, 0.73 (95% CI, 0.59 to 0.89). No pre- versus post-MMA difference in the use of MMA-affected drugs was detected among IHN patients: OR, 1.01 (95% CI, 0.66 to 1.56). Patients with CRC were less likely to receive an MMA-affected drug in both FFS and IHN settings in the post- versus pre-MMA era, whereas patients with NSCLC were the opposite: OR, 1.60 (95% CI, 1.09 to 2.35) for FFS and 6.33 (95% CI, 2.09 to 19.11) for IHNs post- versus pre-MMA.

Conclusion

Changes in reimbursement after the passage of MMA appear to have had less of an impact on prescribing patterns in FFS settings than the introduction of new drugs and clinical evidence as well as other factors driving adoption of new practice patterns.
p16 Protein Expression and Human Papillomavirus Status As Prognostic Biomarkers of Nonoropharyngeal Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Chung Christine H. , Zhang Qiang , Kong Christina S. , Harris Jonathan , Fertig Elana J. , Harari Paul M. , Wang Dian , Redmond Kevin P. , Shenouda George , Trotti Andy , Raben David , Gillison Maura L. , Jordan Richard C. , Le Quynh-Thu
Published: September 2014

Purpose

Although p16 protein expression, a surrogate marker of oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, is recognized as a prognostic marker in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), its prevalence and significance have not been well established in cancer of the oral cavity, hypopharynx, or larynx, collectively referred as non-OPSCC, where HPV infection is less common than in the oropharynx.

Patients and Methods

p16 expression and high-risk HPV status in non-OPSCCs from RTOG 0129, 0234, and 0522 studies were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH). Hazard ratios from Cox models were expressed as positive or negative, stratified by trial, and adjusted for clinical characteristics.

Results

p16 expression was positive in 14.1% (12 of 85), 24.2% (23 of 95), and 19.0% (27 of 142) and HPV ISH was positive in 6.5% (six of 93), 14.6% (15 of 103), and 6.9% (seven of 101) of non-OPSCCs from RTOG 0129, 0234, and 0522 studies, respectively. Hazard ratios for p16 expression were 0.63 (95% CI, 0.42 to 0.95; P = .03) and 0.56 (95% CI, 0.35 to 0.89; P = .01) for progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS), respectively. Comparing OPSCC and non-OPSCC, patients with p16-positive OPSCC have better PFS and OS than patients with p16-positive non-OPSCC, but patients with p16-negative OPSCC and non-OPSCC have similar outcomes.

Conclusion

Similar to results in patients with OPSCC, patients with p16-negative non-OPSCC have worse outcomes than patients with p16-positive non-OPSCC, and HPV may also have a role in outcome in a subset of non-OPSCC. However, further development of a p16 IHC scoring system in non-OPSCC and improvement of HPV detection methods are warranted before broad application in the clinical setting.
Oxygen transport is not compromised at high temperature in pythons
Authors: Fobian Dannie , Overgaard Johannes , Wang Tobias
Published: September 2014

To evaluate whether the 'oxygen and capacity limited thermal tolerance' model (OCLTT) applies to an air-breathing ectothermic vertebrate, we measured oxygen uptake (VO2), cardiac performance and arterial blood gases during a progressive rise of temperature from 30 to 40°C in the snake Python regius. VO2 of fasting snakes increased exponentially with temperature, while VO2 of digesting snakes at high temperatures plateaued at a level 3-4 fold above fasting. The high and sustained aerobic metabolism over the entire temperature range was supported by pronounced tachycardia at all temperatures, and both fasting and digesting snakes maintained normal acid-base balance without indications of anaerobic metabolism. All snakes also maintained high arterial PO2 even at temperatures close to the upper lethal temperature. Thus, there is no indication of deteriorated oxygen transport capacity at high temperatures in either fasting or digesting snakes, suggesting that the upper thermal tolerance of this snake is limited by other factors.
A flavonol, epicatechin, reverses the suppressive effects of a stressor on LTM formation
Authors: Knezevic Bogdan , Lukowiak Ken
Published: September 2014

Learning and subsequent memory formation are influenced by both environmental and lifestyle factors, such as stress and diet. Epicatechin, a plant flavonol found in cocoa, red wine, and green tea enhances long term memory formation (LTM) in Lymnaea; while an ecologically relevant stressor, low calcium pond water, suppress LTM formation. We tested the hypothesis that epicatechin overcomes the suppressive effects of the stressor on LTM formation in the continued presence of the stressor. Snails trained in low calcium pond water exhibit learning but not LTM. Epicatechin (15 mg/L) in control pond water enhances LTM formation. When epicatechin was added to the low calcium pond water an enhanced LTM similar to that seen in control pond water was observed. Thus, a naturally occurring bioactive plant compound was able to overcome the suppressive effects of an ecologically relevant stressor on LTM formation.
Human achilles tendon plasticity in response to cyclic strain: effect of rate and duration
Authors: Bohm Sebastian , Mersmann Falk , Tettke Martin , Kraft Marc , Arampatzis Adamantios
Published: September 2014

High strain magnitude and low strain frequency are important stimuli for tendon adaptation. Increasing the rate and duration of the applied strain may enhance the adaptive responses. Therefore, our purpose was to investigate the effect of strain rate and duration on Achilles tendon adaptation. The study included two experimental groups (n=14 and n=12) and a control group (n=13). The participants of the experimental groups exercised (14 weeks, 4x/week) according to a reference protocol, featuring a high strain magnitude (~6.5%) and a low strain frequency (0.17 Hz, 3 s loading/3 s relaxation) on one leg and with either a higher strain rate (one-legged jumps) or a longer strain duration (12 s loading) on the other leg. The strain magnitude and loading volume were similar in all protocols. Before and after the interventions the tendon stiffness, Young’s modulus and cross-sectional area were examined using magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound and dynamometry. The reference and long strain duration protocols induced significantly increased (p<0.05) tendon stiffness (57% vs. 25%), cross-sectional area (4.2% vs. 5.3%) and Young’s modulus (51% vs. 17%). The increases in tendon stiffness and Young’s modulus were higher in the reference protocol. Although region-specific tendon hypertrophy was also detected after the high strain rate training, there was only a tendency of increased stiffness (p=0.08) and Young's modulus (p=0.09). The control group did not show any changes (p>0.05). The results provide evidence that a high strain magnitude, an appropriate strain duration and repetitive loading are essential components for an efficient adaptive stimulus for tendons.