bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Generalist feeding strategies in Arctic freshwater fish: A mechanism for dealing with extreme environments
Authors: Laske Sarah M. , Rosenberger Amanda E. , Wipfli Mark S. , Zimmerman Christian E.
Published: January 2018

Generalist feeding strategies are favoured in stressful or variable environments where flexibility in ecological traits is beneficial. Species that feed across multiple habitat types and trophic levels may impart stability on food webs through the use of readily available, alternative energy pools. In lakes, generalist fish species may take advantage of spatially and temporally variable prey by consuming both benthic and pelagic prey to meet their energy demands. Using stomach content and stable isotope analyses, we examined the feeding habits of fish species in Alaska's Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) lakes to determine the prevalence of generalist feeding strategies as a mechanism for persistence in extreme environments (e.g. low productivity, extreme cold and short growing season). Generalist and flexible feeding strategies were evident in five common fish species. Fish fed on benthic and pelagic (or nektonic) prey and across trophic levels. Three species were clearly omnivorous, feeding on fish and their shared invertebrate prey. Dietary differences based on stomach content analysis often exceeded 70%, and overlap in dietary niches based on shared isotopic space varied from zero to 40%. Metrics of community‐wide trophic structure varied with the number and identity of species involved and on the dietary overlap and niche size of individual fishes. Accumulation of energy from shared carbon sources by Arctic fishes creates redundancy in food webs, increasing likely resistance to perturbations or stochastic events. Therefore, the generalist and omnivorous feeding strategies employed by ACP fish may maintain energy flow and food web stability in extreme environments.
Continuous professional development and ECEC quality: Findings from a European systematic literature review
Authors: Peleman Brecht , Lazzari Arianna , Budginaitė Irma , Siarova Hanna , Hauari Hanan , Peeters Jan , Cameron Claire
Published: January 2018

This article presents the findings of an analysis of the effects of CPD initiatives on the quality of the pedagogical practices of ECEC practitioners. It is part of a larger study commissioned by Eurofound and jointly conducted by VBJK, IOE and PPMI (Eurofound, 2015). In order to draw policy‐relevant information that might support decision makers in designing effective ECEC policies in their countries, the study reviewed existing research evidence published on this topic not only in English, but also in all the languages currently in use in EU Member States. Therefore, it involved country experts from EU‐28 Member States. The research question was framed by the political priorities identified by the Council Conclusions on Early Childhood Education and Care (EU Council, 2011). The systematic literature review methodology elaborated by the EPPI‐Centre for informing evidence‐based policies in the field of education and social sciences was adopted to review the evidence drawn from primary research studies cross‐nationally. The study revealed that long‐term CPD interventions integrated into practice, such as pedagogical guidance and coaching in reflection groups, proved to be effective not only in countries with a well‐established system of ECEC provision and a high level of qualification requirements for the practitioners, but also in countries with poorly subsidised ECEC systems and low qualification requirements. CPD initiatives based on the active engagement of practitioners and on peer exchanges within a shared scientific framework, proved to be the most effective.
Fichte's Creuzer review and the transformation of the free will problem
Authors: Martin Wayne
Published: January 2018

Fichte's early review of C. A. L. Creuzer's neglected and idiosyncratic skeptical book on free will posed a serious challenge to what at the time was emerging as a consensus Kantian position on the role of free choice (Willkür) in the generation of imputable action. Fichte's review was directed as much against Reinhold's important (and only recently published) letter on freedom of the will as it was against Creuzer himself. In the course of his brief review, Fichte suggests an important recasting of the strategy of the Kantian postulates of rational faith; he poses a dilemma for the Reinholdian understanding of the relationship among an autonomous practical will, a free power of choice, and the actions of natural human organisms; and he hints at a radical reappropriation of the rationalist doctrine of pre‐established harmony in re‐orienting the search for a defensible reconstruction of a broadly Kantian position on the problem of free will.
On the prevalence and dynamics of inverted trophic pyramids and otherwise top‐heavy communities
Authors: McCauley Douglas J. , Gellner Gabriel , Martinez Neo D. , Williams Richard J. , Sandin Stuart A. , Micheli Fiorenza , Mumby Peter J. , McCann Kevin S.
Published: January 2018

Classically, biomass partitioning across trophic levels was thought to add up to a pyramidal distribution. Numerous exceptions have, however, been noted including complete pyramidal inversions. Elevated levels of biomass top‐heaviness (i.e. high consumer/resource biomass ratios) have been reported from Arctic tundra communities to Brazilian phytotelmata, and in species assemblages as diverse as those dominated by sharks and ants. We highlight two major pathways for creating top‐heaviness, via: (1) endogenous channels that enhance energy transfer across trophic boundaries within a community and (2) exogenous pathways that transfer energy into communities from across spatial and temporal boundaries. Consumer–resource models and allometric trophic network models combined with niche models reveal the nature of core mechanisms for promoting top‐heaviness. Outputs from these models suggest that top‐heavy communities can be stable, but they also reveal sources of instability. Humans are both increasing and decreasing top‐heaviness in nature with ecological consequences. Current and future research on the drivers of top‐heaviness can help elucidate fundamental mechanisms that shape the architecture of ecological communities and govern energy flux within and between communities. Questions emerging from the study of top‐heaviness also usefully draw attention to the incompleteness and inconsistency by which ecologists often establish definitional boundaries for communities.
Persistent mucosal damage and risk of epilepsy in people with celiac disease
Authors: Kurien M. , Ludvigsson J. F. , Sanders D. S. , Zylberberg H. M. , Green P. H. , Sundelin H. E. K. , Lebwohl B.
Published: January 2018

Background and purpose

Celiac disease (CD) is associated with an increased risk of developing epilepsy, a risk that persists after CD diagnosis. A significant proportion of patients with CD have persistent villous atrophy (VA) on follow‐up biopsy. The objective of this study was to determine whether persistent VA on follow‐up biopsy affected long‐term epilepsy risk and epilepsy‐related hospital emergency admissions.

Methods

This was a nationwide cohort study. We identified all people in Sweden with histological evidence of CD who underwent a follow‐up small intestinal biopsy (1969–2008). We compared those with persistent VA with those who showed histological improvement, assessing the development of epilepsy and related emergency hospital admissions (defined according to relevant International Classification of Diseases codes in the Swedish Patient Register). Cox regression analysis was used to assess outcome measures.

Results

Villous atrophy was present in 43% of 7590 people with CD who had a follow‐up biopsy. The presence of persistent VA was significantly associated with a reduced risk of developing newly‐diagnosed epilepsy (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.38–0.98). On stratified analysis, this effect was primarily amongst males (hazard ratio, 0.35; 95% confidence interval, 0.15–0.80). Among the 58 patients with CD with a prior diagnosis of epilepsy, those with persistent VA were less likely to visit an emergency department with epilepsy (hazard ratio, 0.37; 95% confidence interval, 0.09–1.09).

Conclusions

In a population‐based study of individuals with CD, persisting VA on follow‐up biopsy was associated with reduced future risk of developing epilepsy but did not influence emergency epilepsy‐related hospital admissions. The mechanism as to why persistent VA confers this benefit requires further exploration.
Global transcriptome profiling of mild relapsing‐remitting versus primary progressive multiple sclerosis
Authors: Koch M. W. , Ilnytskyy Y. , Golubov A. , Metz L. M. , Yong V. W. , Kovalchuk O.
Published: January 2018

Background and purpose

Genetic research in multiple sclerosis (MS) mostly compares patients with MS with healthy controls, but does not differentiate between MS disease courses. We compared peripheral blood gene expression patterns between extremes of MS phenotypes, i.e. patients with mild relapsing‐remitting MS (mRRMS) and primary progressive MS (PPMS).

Methods

We analyzed global gene expression profiles of peripheral blood samples of age‐ and gender‐matched patients with mRRMS and PPMS. Detailed bioinformatic and gene set enrichment analysis, pathway and principle component analyses were used to identify differentially expressed genes and pathways.

Results

A total of 84 genes were significantly deregulated between the groups. Of those, 19 had been previously reported to be deregulated in patients with MS as compared with healthy controls, including major histocompatibility complex, interferon receptor 2 and interleukin 6 receptor. Detailed molecular pathway analysis revealed significant up‐regulation of antigen processing and presentation, leukocyte transendothelial migration, nucleotide‐binding oligomerization domain‐like receptor signaling, chemokine signaling and down‐regulation of RNA transport, spliceosome and aminoacyl‐tRNA biosynthesis pathways in PPMS compared with mRRMS.

Conclusion

Our analyses show significant differences between mRRMS and PPMS gene expression. Surprisingly, the differentially expressed genes were mostly involved in immunological and inflammatory pathways, suggesting that the difference in MS phenotypes is caused primarily by a difference in immune responses. It should be kept in mind that our analyses were in peripheral blood only, and that the observed differences in inflammatory pathways may be a substrate of the analysed tissue. Further research into gene expression differences between disease courses including analyses in central nervous system tissue is warranted.
Evaluation of an aphid‐rearing method using excised leaves and agar medium
Authors: LI Yang , Akimoto Shin‐ichi
Published: January 2018

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of an aphid‐rearing method devised by Milner in 1981 using Acyrthosiphon pisum and its host plant Vicia faba. In the “agar‐leaf method,” excised leaves of V. faba were attached to the surface of 1% agar gel containing nutrient solution, and test aphids were transferred onto the leaves. Excised leaves grew in size and weight on the agar medium. Fecundity, longevity, body size and developmental time to adulthood were compared between aphids reared using the agar‐leaf method vs. those reared on V. faba seedlings under the same conditions. No significant difference was detected between the two treatments for any of the four parameters, suggesting that the aphids grew and reproduced on excised leaves as successfully as on V. faba seedlings. This method was also useful for inducing males and oviparous females at lower temperature and in short days. Therefore, the present study confirms the effectiveness of using excised leaves on agar and suggests that this method could be applied to the rearing of other aphids, phytophagous mites, leaf miners and leaf‐gall formers.
Characterizing larval swordfish habitat in the western tropical North Atlantic
Authors: Suca Justin J. , Rasmuson Leif K. , Malca Estrella , Gerard Trika , Lamkin John T.
Published: January 2018

Swordfish Xiphias gladius (Linnaeus, 1758) are a circumglobal pelagic fish targeted by multiple lucrative fisheries. Determining the distribution of swordfish larvae is important for indicating reproductive activity and understanding the early life history of swordfish. We identify and characterize larval swordfish distributions during peak swordfish spawning throughout the Gulf of Mexico and western Caribbean Sea with generalized additive models (GAMs) using catches of swordfish larvae during ichthyoplankton surveys in April and May of 2010, 2011, and 2012. The best fit GAM, as determined by stepwise, backward Akaike Information Criterion selection, included both physiochemical (temperature at 5 m, sea surface height anomaly (SSHA), eddy kinetic energy (EKE)), temporal (lunar illumination, hour of sampling) and spatial (location) variables, while near surface chlorophyll a concentration residuals remained as a random effect. The highest probability of larval swordfish catch occurred at sub‐surface temperatures, SSHA, and EKE values indicative of boundary currents. Standard lengths of larvae were larger further downstream in the boundary currents, despite high variability in length with location due to multiple spawning locations of swordfish near these currents. Probability of larval swordfish catch also peaked during the crescent and gibbous moons, indicating a lunar periodicity to swordfish spawning. These results suggest that swordfish may spawn during select moon phases near boundary currents that transport their larvae to larval and juvenile habitat including the northern Gulf of Mexico and coastal waters of the southeast United States.
Interaction effects of zooplankton and CO2 on phytoplankton communities and the deep chlorophyll maximum
Authors: Paquette Cindy , Beisner Beatrix E.
Published: January 2018

Studies examining the consequences of increased partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) in freshwater ecosystems associated with climate change have focused on direct effects for phytoplankton, showing increases in primary productivity, biomass or altered composition. However, in lakes, phytoplankton dynamics are also regulated by zooplankton predation and thermal stratification which can lead to a concentration of phytoplankton biomass in a deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) layer, making the response to CO2 increase important to understand here.

Mesocosm experiments were conducted in a meso‐oligotrophic north temperate lake with a strong summer phytoplankton DCM, to estimate the independent and interaction effects of zooplankton grazing and elevated pCO2 on water column phytoplankton communities and on DCM characteristics.

Interaction of CO2 effects with zooplankton grazing occurred for three of four phytoplankton spectral groups, influencing water column phytoplankton biomass. Zooplankton selective grazing appeared as important as CO2 concentration in controlling phytoplankton population and biomass. Unexpectedly, CO2 had an overall negative effect on phytoplankton total biomass despite positive productivity responses.

Elevated CO2 led to more peaked (stronger vertical gradient) mid‐water column chlorophyll distribution, but to smaller DCM peaks overall. Zooplankton had unexpected effects, inducing clustering of more edible phytoplankton and greater temporal variation in the DCM.

Our experiment points to interactions in the microbial food web and stoichiometric considerations with nutrient addition that should be explored further in future work with realistic lake food webs to better understand these complex responses to CO2.
Determinant landscape‐scale factors on pond odonate assemblages
Authors: Le Gall Mickaël , Fournier Matthieu , Chaput‐Bardy Audrey , Husté Aurélie
Published: January 2018

Species assemblages are related to environmental factors acting at different landscape scales. Local habitat heterogeneity also contributes to maintain the regional species pool. Understanding factors determining species presence is therefore crucial for formulation of successful conservation and management strategies.

Odonates can reveal much about patterns of species assemblages since their presence at a site reflects both their dispersal ability and life cycle constraints. Odonate assemblages were studied at 31 ponds located in three different landscapes: forest, urban and field. The impact of pond geographical distribution and their local characteristics (i.e., vegetation, suspended matter, freshwater macroinvertebrates, pond area and temporariness) on odonate composition, species richness and larval presence were studied.

According to their intrinsic requirements, damselfly and dragonfly presence on ponds depended on local characteristics. Some species of the two orders were only detected in field or forest ponds. Moreover, some species were never detected in urban ponds. Differences in odonate assemblages were mainly related to vegetation, freshwater macroinvertebrates and pond area. Species richness was related to predator abundance and pond area, especially for dragonflies. The presence and abundance of odonate larvae were both related to aquatic vegetation, and to contrasted aquatic variables of ponds. Therefore, this study confirms that vegetation within and around ponds determines odonate presence. Interestingly, in a pond, species detected at the adult stage were not always detected at the larval stage, highlighting the need to really consider both parts of the lifecycle when studying odonate assemblages.

Diversity of local habitats within and around ponds depends strongly on the surrounding landscape and influences the assembly of odonates. Forest and field ponds presented particularly dissimilar species assemblages. Urban ponds had no specific environmental habitats compared to the other contexts. Species present on these ponds are rather generalist and able to support human disturbances. Overall, this study confirms that pond heterogeneity may be a key factor in maintaining the regional pool of odonate species.
Autophosphorylation of αCaMKII affects social interactions in mice
Authors: Harda Z. , Dzik J. M. , Nalberczak‐Skóra M. , Meyza K. , Łukasiewicz K. , Łęski S. , Radwanska K.
Published: January 2018

The α‐Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (αCaMKII), a key regulator of the glutamatergic synapse, has been implicated in many psychiatric disorders characterized by social impairments. Here we tested whether autophosphorylation of αCaMKII at threonine 286, which prolongs the activity of the enzyme, affects social behaviors in mice. We observed that autophosphorylation‐deficient (αCaMKII‐T286A) mutant female mice showed abnormal social behaviors characterized by decreased social preference and interest in conspecifics of the same sex, as compared to their wild‐type littermates. Moreover, we developed a mathematical approach to analyze social interactions in group‐housed mice in the automated IntelliCages. Using this approach we observed that αCaMKII‐T286A mutants show decreased levels of social interactions in a social group, as compared with WT mice. WT mice increased the frequency of close social interactions when learning about the location of the food reward. This phenomenon was absent in the mutants. Overall, our data indicates that autophosphorylation of αCaMKII affects social interactions.
Mineralisation of filamentous cyanobacteria in Lake Thetis stromatolites, Western Australia
Authors: Wacey D. , Urosevic L. , Saunders M. , George A. D.
Published: January 2018

Stromatolites are cited as some of the earliest evidence for life on Earth, but problems remain in reconciling the paucity of microfossils in ancient carbonate examples with the abundance of microbes that help construct modern analogues. Here, we trace the mineralisation pathway of filamentous cyanobacteria within stromatolites from Lake Thetis, Western Australia, providing new insights into microfossil preservation in carbonate stromatolites. Lake Thetis cyanobacteria exhibit a spectrum of mineralisation processes that include early precipitation of Mg‐silicates, largely controlled by the morphochemical features of the cyanobacteria, followed by aragonite formation that is inferred to be driven by heterotrophic activity. Fossilised cyanobacteria with high‐quality morphological preservation are characterised by a significant volume of authigenic Mg‐silicates, which have preferentially nucleated in/on extracellular organic material and on cell walls, and now replicate the region once occupied by the cyanobacterial sheath. In such specimens, aragonite is restricted to the outer sheath margin and parts of the cell interior. Cyanobacteria that display more significant degradation appear to possess a higher ratio of aragonite to Mg‐silicate. In these specimens, aragonite forms micronodules in the sheath zone and is spatially associated with the inferred remains of heterotrophic bacteria. Aragonite also occurs as an advancing front from the outer margin of the sheath where it is commonly intergrown with Mg‐silicates. Where there is no evidence of Mg‐silicates within filaments, the fidelity of microfossil preservation is poor. In these cases, individual filaments may no longer be visible under light microscopy, and little organic material remains, but filament traces remain detectable using electron microscopy due to variations in aragonite texture. These data provide further evidence that authigenic silicate minerals play a crucial role in the fossilisation of micro‐organisms; in their absence, carbonate crystal growth potentially mediated by heterotrophic microbial decay may largely obliterate morphological evidence for life within stromatolites, although mineralogical traces may still be detectable using electron microscopy.
Trees tolerate an extreme heatwave via sustained transpirational cooling and increased leaf thermal tolerance
Authors: Drake John E. , Tjoelker Mark G. , Vårhammar Angelica , Medlyn Belinda E. , Reich Peter B. , Leigh Andrea , Pfautsch Sebastian , Blackman Chris J. , López Rosana , Aspinwall Michael J. , Crous Kristine Y. , Duursma Remko A. , Kumarathunge Dushan , De Kauwe Martin G. , Jiang Mingkai , Nicotra Adrienne B. , Tissue David T. , Choat Brendan , Atkin Owen K. , Barton Craig V. M.
Published: January 2018

Heatwaves are likely to increase in frequency and intensity with climate change, which may impair tree function and forest C uptake. However, we have little information regarding the impact of extreme heatwaves on the physiological performance of large trees in the field. Here, we grew Eucalyptus parramattensis trees for 1 year with experimental warming (+3°C) in a field setting, until they were greater than 6 m tall. We withheld irrigation for 1 month to dry the surface soils and then implemented an extreme heatwave treatment of 4 consecutive days with air temperatures exceeding 43°C, while monitoring whole‐canopy exchange of CO2 and H2O, leaf temperatures, leaf thermal tolerance, and leaf and branch hydraulic status. The heatwave reduced midday canopy photosynthesis to near zero but transpiration persisted, maintaining canopy cooling. A standard photosynthetic model was unable to capture the observed decoupling between photosynthesis and transpiration at high temperatures, suggesting that climate models may underestimate a moderating feedback of vegetation on heatwave intensity. The heatwave also triggered a rapid increase in leaf thermal tolerance, such that leaf temperatures observed during the heatwave were maintained within the thermal limits of leaf function. All responses were equivalent for trees with a prior history of ambient and warmed (+3°C) temperatures, indicating that climate warming conferred no added tolerance of heatwaves expected in the future. This coordinated physiological response utilizing latent cooling and adjustment of thermal thresholds has implications for tree tolerance of future climate extremes as well as model predictions of future heatwave intensity at landscape and global scales.
Levels of malondialdehyde in the gastric juice: Its association with Helicobacter pylori infection and stomach diseases
Authors: Wang Yao‐Kuang , Chiang Wei‐Chih , Kuo Fu‐Chen , Wu Meng‐Chieh , Shih Hsiang‐Yao , Wang Sophie S.W. , Liu Chung‐Jung , Chen Yen‐Hsu , Wu Deng‐Chyang , Su Wei‐Wen , Huang Yeou‐Lih
Published: January 2018

Background

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection causes elevation of lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA) and this association may be due to the bacterium causing reactive oxygen species‐mediated damage to DNA in the gastric epithelium. The aim of this study was to investigate the gastric juice MDA levels in relation to H. pylori infection and associated gastric diseases.

Methods

Gastric juice samples were obtained from 117 patients undergoing endoscopy, and gastric juice MDA levels were determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system. We compared the MDA levels between patients with and without H. pylori infection and assessed the differences of MDA levels between chronic gastritis, gastric intestinal metaplasia, and gastric cancer postsurgical resection.

Results

Malondialdehyde levels in gastric juice were significantly higher in chronic gastritis patients with H. pylori infection than in those without H. pylori infection (P < .0001). In patients without H. pylori infection, patients with gastric intestinal metaplasia and gastric cancer postsurgical resection had significantly higher gastric juice MDA level than patients with chronic gastritis. As a whole, patients with gastric intestinal metaplasia and gastric cancer postsurgical resection also had significantly higher MDA levels in gastric juice as compared to patients with chronic gastritis (P < .01). However, the difference of gastric juice MDA levels between gastric intestinal metaplasia and gastric cancer postsurgical resection was not significant.

Conclusion

Malondialdehyde in gastric juice could be used as a potential diagnostic biomarker for H. pylori infection and associated gastric diseases. The gastric juice MDA levels increased proportionally with the severity of gastric diseases.
Showing where you're going. Instructing the accountable use of the indicator in live traffic
Authors: Broth Mathias , Cromdal Jakob , Levin Lena
Published: January 2018

This article takes an interest in how students at a driving school are instructed how to make the car's behaviour intelligible (accountable) to other road users in traffic. Taking the indicator as an example, the analytic focus is on the ways in which the indicator's relevance is instructed and its timely activation practiced, and how activating the indicator is instructed as part of more encompassing turning procedures. The indicator is one of the central resources built into cars for displaying to others a driver's intention about where to go next. Although indicating does not, in itself, affect the movement of the car, activating the indicator is crucial for allowing others to anticipate a car's movement in space, and coordinate themselves with it. The analysis shows how instructors manage trainee drivers' instructed actions during driving by providing descriptions of what using the indicator accomplishes before a directive to turn (a), after a directive to turn (b), and as accounts for initiating correction of trainee driver car control activity (c).
Construal level and collaborative consumption: An exploratory approach
Authors: Sordi Jefferson D. , Perin Marcelo G. , Petrini Maira de C. , Sampaio Claudio H.
Published: January 2018

What motivates the participation in collaborative consumption, a part of the economy that will move 300 billion dollars by 2025? The literature presents external factors to the consumer as a form of incentive or limitation, such as economic opportunity, search for a sustainable society or emergence of a marketplace with no regulations. A few quantitative articles focused on understanding this access phenomenon, by analyzing the consumer as the main subject of research. However, it is possible to analyze this behaviour in the light of a theory that has not yet being explored within the collaborative consumer literature: The Construal Level Theory (CLT). This article aims to demonstrate that CLT presents a plausible explanation for adoption and access to collaborative consumption. The CLT's main idea is that consumers develop their interpretations on two levels: a higher one, focused on more abstract and simple situations; and a lower one, where judgments are conducted more concretely and complexly. Studies on CLT have shown that attitudes are usually constructed at high levels of interpretation, while behaviour is interpreted within lower levels. We propose that collaborative consumption can be reflected by consumers’ high or low levels and so defining the consumer's behaviour in this context.
Evaluation of ICAM‐1 expression and vascular changes in the skin of patients with plaque, pustular, and erythrodermic psoriasis
Authors: Bressan Aline L. , Picciani Bruna L. S. , Azulay‐Abulafia Luna , Fausto‐Silva Anna K. , Almeida Paula N. , Cunha Karin S. G. , Dias Eliane P. , Carneiro Sueli
Published: January 2018

Background

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease. Pustular, erythrodermic, and extensive plaque psoriasis are responsible for systemic complications. Systemic capillary leak syndrome is the complication with greater progression to death and occurs due to vascular changes.

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate vascular changes through the expression of CD34 and ICAM‐1 in plaque, pustular, and erythrodermic psoriasis.

Methods

The sample consisted of seven patients with erythrodermic psoriasis, 24 with moderate‐severe plaque psoriasis, 14 with mild plaque psoriasis and 13 with pustular psoriasis. Patients were submitted to physical examination and skin biopsy for histopathological examination and immunohistochemical analysis with anti‐CD34 and anti‐ICAM‐1 antibodies. Subsequently, tissue fragments were organized by groups using the Tissue Macroarray (TMA) technique to perform immunohistochemistry.

Results

In 58 patients, analysis of vessels using anti‐CD34 demonstrated vascular immunostaining in superficial dermis and between dermal papillae. There were more blood vessels in erythrodermic psoriasis, followed by plaque psoriasis. In erythrodermic psoriasis, there were small and few tortuous blood vessels with great dilatation, while plaque psoriasis presented larger vessels that were less dilated and more tortuous. There was an intense and localized expression of ICAM‐1 in endothelial and lymphocytic cells in all groups, with significant differences.

Conclusions

Vascular alterations are important in psoriasis, with an increase in the number of blood vessels and ICAM‐1 overexpression, especially in erythrodermic form. Therefore, vascular changes and the expression of intercellular adhesion molecules could help to diagnose the erythrodermic form of psoriasis.
Humility: Our Current Understanding of the Construct and its Role in Organizations
Authors: Nielsen Rob , Marrone Jennifer A.
Published: January 2018

Since 2000, researchers and practitioners have shown increased interest in humility. This construct has been studied in disciplines ranging from organizational behaviour to positive psychology, culminating in a wealth of information that can now be analysed and reviewed through the lens of humility in organizations. This review begins by reflecting on existing conceptualizations of humility and presenting a summary of findings that reflects a greater consensus in definitional work than some researchers may realize. It then considers the progress that has been made in measuring humility by specifying key measurement strategies. It next synthesizes existing empirical findings on humility to illuminate the uniqueness of the construct. It also shows that researchers have focused on studying dependent variables that exist at multiple organizational levels and that largely comprise pro‐social and relational variables, emotional well‐being, and learning and performance outcomes. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research.
Italian translation of the questionnaire for professional training evaluation
Authors: Fregonese Chiara , Caputo Andrea , Langher Viviana
Published: January 2018

This work illustrates the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Questionnaire for Professional Training Evaluation, designed and validated by Grohmann and Kauffeld. This 12‐item questionnaire provides for the evaluation of different training outcomes, is time‐efficient, applicable to several professional contexts and shows sound psychometric properties. In order to test the Italian form, we carried out two studies. In Study 1 (N = 125), an exploratory factor analysis led to a two‐factor solution accounting for short‐ and long‐term training outcomes. In Study 2 (N = 122), a five‐model comparison was performed. Although at first a two‐factor solution seemed to emerge, confirmatory factor analysis found the best fit in a six, inter‐correlated, first‐order factors model (satisfaction, utility, knowledge, application to practice, individual organizational results and global organizational results). Relationships with learning transfer, transfer quantity, type of training, training methodologies and individual variables – gender, age and tenure – are explored. Limitations and research and practical implications are discussed.
Multimorbidity, not human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) markers predicts unplanned admission among people with HIV in regional New South Wales
Authors: Edmiston Natalie , Petoumenos Kathy , Smith David J.
Published: January 2018

Background

Multimorbidity and unplanned admissions are common among people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH).

Aims

To determine factors predictive of unplanned admission among PWH in regional New South Wales and compare care coordination between people with and without unplanned admissions.

Methods

A prospective cohort study of PWH attending a regional human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) service was conducted. Baseline HIV‐specific results and multimorbidity markers including Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS) were assessed as predictors of time to first unplanned admission using Cox regression analysis. Care coordination markers were compared between people with and without unplanned admission, using χ2 statistic for proportions and t‐test for means.

Results

A cohort of 181 PWH was followed for a maximum of 5 years. During a total of 739 person‐years of follow up, 39 (20.6%) patients reached the endpoint of unplanned admission. In multivariate analysis, the baseline CIRS score was predictive of unplanned admission (P < 0.001). Age, HIV‐specific markers and missed visits were not predictive of unplanned admission. For patients with an unplanned admission, discharge summaries were documented for 22/39 (56.4%). Of 180 PWH with a visit after baseline, 131 (72.8%) had a letter to a general practitioner and 79 (43.7%) had two or more prescribers. Having two or more prescribers was more common in people with an unplanned admission than in those without (64.1% vs 38.0%, P = 0.004).

Conclusion

Unplanned admission among PWH is predicted by multimorbidity. Care for PWH should include coordinated management of other health conditions in order to reduce their severity and prevent unplanned admissions.
Improved methods for predicting peptide binding affinity to MHC class II molecules
Authors: Jensen Kamilla Kjærgaard , Andreatta Massimo , Marcatili Paolo , Buus Søren , Greenbaum Jason A. , Yan Zhen , Sette Alessandro , Peters Bjoern , Nielsen Morten
Published: January 2018

Major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC‐II) molecules are expressed on the surface of professional antigen‐presenting cells where they display peptides to T helper cells, which orchestrate the onset and outcome of many host immune responses. Understanding which peptides will be presented by the MHC‐II molecule is therefore important for understanding the activation of T helper cells and can be used to identify T‐cell epitopes. We here present updated versions of two MHC–II–peptide binding affinity prediction methods, NetMHCII and NetMHCIIpan. These were constructed using an extended data set of quantitative MHC–peptide binding affinity data obtained from the Immune Epitope Database covering HLA‐DR, HLA‐DQ, HLA‐DP and H‐2 mouse molecules. We show that training with this extended data set improved the performance for peptide binding predictions for both methods. Both methods are publicly available at www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/NetMHCII-2.3 and www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/NetMHCIIpan-3.2.
Autoimmunity and autoimmune co‐morbidities in psoriasis
Authors: Furue Kazuhisa , Ito Takamichi , Tsuji Gaku , Kadono Takafumi , Nakahara Takeshi , Furue Masutaka
Published: January 2018

Psoriasis is characterized by widespread scaly erythematous plaques that cause significant physical and psychological burdens for the affected individuals. Accelerated inflammation driven by the tumour necrosis factor‐α/interleukin‐23/interleukin‐17 axis is now known to be the major mechanism in the development of psoriasis. In addition, psoriasis has an autoimmune nature that manifests as autoreactive T cells and is co‐morbid with other autoimmune diseases, such as autoimmune bullous diseases, vitiligo, alopecia and thyroiditis. In this article, we review the recent topics on autoimmunity and autoimmune co‐morbidities in psoriasis.
The American Inventors Protection Act: A Natural Experiment on Innovation Disclosure and the Cost of Debt
Authors: Hoffmann Arvid O. I. , Kleimeier Stefanie , Mimiroglu Nagihan , Pennings Joost M. E.
Published: January 2018

We examine the impact of innovation disclosure through patenting on firms' cost of debt, focusing on the American Inventors Protection Act (AIPA) as an exogenous shock in innovation disclosure regulation. Post‐AIPA, firms have an incentive to apply for patents only if commercial success is likely. Accordingly, we expect post‐AIPA patents to be a better proxy for successful innovation activity, and thus to have a stronger effect on reducing the cost of debt than pre‐AIPA patents. Indeed, we find that pre‐AIPA patents reduce the cost of debt only for the most innovative firms, while post‐AIPA, this effect holds for all firms.
Geological effects influence population genetic connectivity more than Pleistocene glaciations in the water strider Metrocoris sichuanensis (Insecta: Hemiptera: Gerridae)
Authors: Ye Zhen , Yuan Juanjuan , Li Min , Damgaard Jakob , Chen Pingping , Zheng Chenguang , Yu Haibin , Fu Siying , Bu Wenjun
Published: January 2018

Aim

Palaeoclimatic and palaeogeological events have been identified as two main factors that influence the genetic structuring of extant organisms. We studied a montane stream‐dwelling insect, Metrocoris sichuanensis, to explore the relative roles played by these two factors in population genetic connectivity.

Location

Sichuan Basin, China.

Methods

Mitochondrial (COI, COII, Cytb, 16S) and nuclear (EF‐1α, ITS1) markers were sequenced from 208 individuals. Suitable habitat shifts from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the present were predicted through fine‐tuned ecological niche modelling (ENM). Phylogenetic and phylogeographical analyses were conducted to reveal the population genetic structure. Intraspecific divergence and expansion times were estimated using beast. Finally, the least cost path (LCP) method coupled with migrate analysis was used to identify possible dispersal corridors and estimate the asymmetric gene flow.

Results

Our ENM results suggested that population habitat connectivity did not change both in the LGM and current conditions. Whole haplotypes were separated into four highly supported clades/haplogroups that exhibited strong geographical structure. The splitting events between the four lineages likely date back to the Early Pleistocene. Bayesian skyline plot (BSP) indicated a moderate demographic growth from the LGM to the present. A putative dispersal corridor was detected along the Longmen Mountains thrust belt, with unidirectional gene flow from north to south.

Main conclusion

Our findings support the geographical isolation of the genetic lineages and a deep early Pleistocene split in M. sichuanensis. Landscape connectivity analysis incorporating the genetic data and the ENM prediction revealed that population genetic connectivity was strongly associated with stable climatic habitats shaped by complex topography. The drainage system might have assisted the rapid movement of populations along the Longmen Mountains thrust belt. A strategy for researching the population genetic connectivity of narrow endemics, such as M. sichuanensis, in global biodiversity hotspots is proposed and discussed in this paper.
Sexual inhibition of female Queensland fruit flies mated by males treated with raspberry ketone supplements as immature adults
Authors: Akter H. , Taylor P. W.
Published: January 2018

Raspberry ketone (RK) dietary supplements accelerate the emergence of sexual behaviour in developing Queensland fruit fly (Q‐fly) males and show promise as a pre‐release supplement for use in sterile insect technique (SIT) programs. However, the value of RK supplements in SIT programs would be greatly reduced if RK‐treated males are ineffective at inducing sexual inhibition in mated females. To test the effectiveness of matings by RK‐treated males, we here investigate the remating propensity of females mated by RK‐treated (1.25% or 5% RK in food) and RK‐untreated (control) males. Tested males received RK supplements mixed in sugar and yeast hydrolysate for 2 days after emerging and then received only sugar. To test for male age‐dependent effects, virgin females were mated to treated and untreated males that were 6, 8, 10, 20 or 30 days old. To test for persistence of sexual inhibition, mated females were tested for remating propensity at 1, 7 or 15 days after their first mating. RK‐treated males did not differ from control males in copula duration, and females mated by RK‐treated males did not differ from those mated by control males in remating propensity, second copula latency or second copula duration. RK‐treated Q‐fly males not only mate at younger ages but also their matings are as effective as those of untreated controls at inducing sexual inhibition in mates.
Retracted: Palmitate‐induced C/EBP homologous protein activation leads to NF‐κB‐mediated increase in BACE1 activity and amyloid beta genesis
Authors: Marwarha Gurdeep , Schommer Jared , Lund Jonah , Schommer Trevor , Ghribi Othman
Published: January 2018

The etiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is egregiously comprehended, but epidemiological studies have posited that diets rich in the saturated fatty acid palmitic acid (palmitate) are a significant risk factor. The production and accumulation of amyloid beta peptide (Aβ) is considered the core pathological molecular event in the pathogenesis of AD. The rate‐limiting step in Aβ genesis from amyloid‐β precursor protein (AβPP) is catalyzed by the enzyme β‐site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), the expression and enzymatic activity of which is significantly up‐regulated in the AD brain. In this study, we determined the molecular mechanisms that potentially underlie the palmitate‐induced up‐regulation in BACE1 expression and augmented Aβ production. We demonstrate that a palmitate‐enriched diet and exogenous palmitate treatment evoke an increase in BACE1 expression and activity leading to enhanced Aβ genesis in the mouse brain and SH‐SY5Y‐APPSwe cells, respectively, through the activation of the transcription factor NF‐κB. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays and luciferase reporter assays revealed that palmitate enhances BACE1 expression by increasing the binding of NF‐κB in the BACE1 promoter followed by an enhancement in the transactivation of the BACE1 promoter. Elucidation and delineation of upstream molecular events unveiled a critical role of the endoplasmic reticulum stress‐associated transcription factor, C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) in the palmitate‐induced NF‐κB activation, as CHOP knock‐down cells and Chop−/− mice do not exhibit the same degree of NF‐κB activation in response to the palmitate challenge. Our study delineates a novel CHOP‐NF‐κB signaling pathway that mediates palmitate‐induced up‐regulation of BACE1 expression and Aβ genesis.

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HFE Genotype Restricts the Response to Paraquat in a Mouse Model of Neurotoxicity
Authors: Nixon Anne M. , Meadowcroft Mark D. , Neely Elizabeth B. , Snyder Amanda M. , Purnell Carson J. , Wright Justin , Lamendella Regina , Nandar Wint , Huang Xuemei , Connor James R.
Published: January 2018

Parkinson's disease is marked clinically by motor dysfunction and pathologically by dopaminergic cell loss in the substantia nigra and iron accumulation in the substantia nigra. The driver underlying iron accumulation remains unknown and could be genetic or environmental. The HFE protein is critical for the regulation of cellular iron uptake. Mutations within this protein are associated with increased iron accumulation including in the brain. We have focused on the commonly occurring H63D variant of the HFE gene as a disease modifier in a number of neurodegenerative diseases. To investigate the role of H63D HFE genotype, we generated a mouse model in which the wild‐type (WT) HFE gene is replaced by the H67D gene variant (mouse homolog of the human H63D gene variant). Using paraquat toxicity as the model for Parkinson's disease, we found that WT mice responded as expected with significantly greater motor function, loss of tyrosine hydroxylase staining and increase microglial staining in the substantia nigra, and an increase in R2 relaxation rate within the substantia nigra of the paraquat‐treated mice compared to their saline‐treated counterparts. In contrast, the H67D mice showed a remarkable resistance to paraquat treatment; specifically differing from the WT mice with no changes in motor function or changes in R2 relaxation rates following paraquat exposure. At baseline, there were differences between the H67D HFE mice and WT mice in gut microbiome profile and increased L‐ferritin staining in the substantia nigra that could account for the resistance to paraquat. Of particular note, the H67D HFE mice regardless of whether or not they were treated with paraquat had significantly less tyrosine hydroxylase immunostaining than WT. Our results clearly demonstrate that the HFE genotype impacts the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase in the substantia nigra, the gut microbiome and the response to paraquat providing additional support that the HFE genotype is a disease modifier for Parkinson's disease. Moreover, the finding that the HFE mutant mice are resistant to paraquat may provide a model in which to study resistant mechanisms to neurotoxicants.

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