bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The longitudinal effect of a multi‐strain probiotic on the intestinal bacterial microbiota of neonatal foals
Authors: Schoster A. , Guardabassi L. , Staempfli H. R. , Abrahams M. , Jalali M. , Weese J. S.
Published: October 2015

Reasons for performing the study

The microbiota plays a key role in health and disease. Probiotics are a potential way to therapeutically modify the intestinal microbiota and prevent disease.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of probiotics on the bacterial microbiota of foals during and after administration.

Study design

Randomised placebo controlled field trial.

Methods

Thirty‐eight healthy neonatal foals enrolled in a previous study were selected. The foals had received a multi‐strain probiotic (four Lactobacillus spp. 3–4 × 103 colony‐forming units (cfu)/g each, Bifidobacterium animalis spp. lactis, 1 × 103–4 cfu/g) or placebo once daily for 3 weeks. A total of 3 faecal samples were collected from each foal at 2‐week intervals and assessed via metagenomic sequencing. The Wilcoxon test was used to compare data between treatment groups.

Results

There were no changes on the phylum, order or class level between treatment groups at any age (all P>0.05) but some significant changes in relative abundance of families. Probiotic administration did not result in an increased relative abundance of lactobacilli or bifidobacteria at any age (Lactobacillus: P = 0.9, P = 0.1 and P = 0.2, Bifidobacterium: P = 0.3, P = 0.6 and P = 0.1 for Weeks 2, 4 and 6, respectively). Lactobacillus was enriched in the probiotic group at Week 6 on LEfSe analysis (linear discriminant analysis score 0.34, P = 0 .02). There was no effect on alpha diversity (all P>0.2) or community structure when parsimony and unifrac analysis were applied (all P>0.6).

Conclusions

There were limited effects of probiotic treatment on the bacterial microbiota of foals. The studied probiotic based on lactobacilli and bifidobacteria has a limited potential for therapeutic modification of the gastrointestinal microbiota.
Targeting DNA repair, DNA metabolism and replication stress as anti‐cancer strategies
Authors: Puigvert Jordi Carreras , Sanjiv Kumar , Helleday Thomas
Published: October 2015

Anti‐cancer therapies targeting and damaging the DNA have been extensively used in the last 50 years since the discovery of nitrogen mustards, antimetabolites and platin agents. The use of these drugs is often limited by dose‐limiting side effects related to their poor specificity. In recent years, much effort has been put on the discovery and development of compounds that would exploit defects in DNA repair in cancer cells such as Wee1, Chk1 or PARP1 inhibitors. However, not all cancers respond to these inhibitors. Recently, new developments towards specifically targeting broader characteristics of cancer such as replication stress (RS) and lost redox homeostasis have emerged. Oncogenes induce proliferation signals, which also result in replication‐associated DNA damage, i.e. RS. Our knowledge into overall causes of RS, lesions produced and how these are signalled in cells to activate cell cycle checkpoints is evolving. Inhibition of ATR, which would normally keep non‐deleterious levels of RS, induces intolerable RS levels for cancer cells. Interestingly, links between replication and transcription appear to underlie RS along with a reduction of the dNTP pool. Remarkably, sanitization of the dNTP pool by MutT homologue 1, impeding incorporation of oxidized dNTPs into the DNA, seems to be crucial for cancer cell survival. In this minireview we present an overview of current and novel strategies to target DNA repair and exploit DNA damage to treat cancer. We present the current models for cancer‐associated RS as well as cancer phenotypic lethality. Both strategies are poised to better target cancer cells and reduce side effects.
Negative impacts of high temperatures on growth of black spruce forests intensify with the anticipated climate warming
Authors: Girardin Martin P. , Hogg Edward H. , Bernier Pierre Y. , Kurz Werner A. , Guo Xiao Jing , Cyr Guillaume
Published: October 2015

An increasing number of studies conclude that water limitations and heat stress may hinder the capacity of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) trees, a dominant species of Canada's boreal forests, to grow and assimilate atmospheric carbon. However, there is currently no scientific consensus on the future of these forests over the next century in the context of widespread climate warming. The large spatial extent of black spruce forests across the Canadian boreal forest and associated variability in climate, demography, and site conditions pose challenges for projecting future climate change responses. Here we provide an evaluation of the impacts of climate warming and drying, as well as increasing [CO2], on the aboveground productivity of black spruce forests across Canada south of 60°N for the period 1971 to 2100. We use a new extensive network of tree‐ring data obtained from Canada's National Forest Inventory, spatially explicit simulations of net primary productivity (NPP) and its drivers, and multivariate statistical modeling. We found that soil water availability is a significant driver of black spruce interannual variability in productivity across broad areas of the western to eastern Canadian boreal forest. Interannual variability in productivity was also found to be driven by autotrophic respiration in the warmest regions. In most regions, the impacts of soil water availability and respiration on interannual variability in productivity occurred during the phase of carbohydrate accumulation the year preceding tree‐ring formation. Results from projections suggest an increase in the importance of soil water availability and respiration as limiting factors on NPP over the next century due to warming, but this response may vary to the extent that other factors such as carbon dioxide fertilization, and respiration acclimation to high temperature, contribute to dampening these limitations.
Modeling earthquake effects on groundwater levels: evidences from the 2012 Emilia earthquake (Italy)
Authors: Nespoli M. , Todesco M. , Serpelloni E. , Belardinelli M. E. , Bonafede M. , Marcaccio M. , Rinaldi A. P. , Anderlini L. , Gualandi A.
Published: October 2015

Changes in water level are commonly reported in regions struck by a seismic event. The sign and amplitude of such changes depend on the relative position of measuring points with respect to the hypocenter, and on the poroelastic properties of the rock. We apply a porous media flow model (TOUGH2) to describe groundwater flow and water‐level changes associated with the first ML5.9 mainshock of the 2012 seismic sequence in Emilia (Italy). We represent the earthquake as an instantaneous pressure step, whose amplitude was inferred from the properties of the seismic source inverted from geodetic data. The results are consistent with the evolution recorded in both deep and shallow water wells in the area and suggest that our description of the seismic event is suitable to capture both timing and magnitude of water‐level changes. We draw some conclusions about the influence of material heterogeneity on the pore pressure evolution, and we show that to reproduce the observed maximum amplitude it is necessary to take into account compaction in the shallow layer.
Sex‐specific and race/ethnicity‐specific disparities in cholangiocarcinoma incidence and prevalence in the USA: An updated analysis of the 2000–2011 Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry
Authors: Mosadeghi Sasan , Liu Benny , Bhuket Taft , Wong Robert J.
Published: October 2015

Aim

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an uncommon but lethal malignancy with an increasing worldwide incidence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), but decreasing incidence of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC). To evaluate age‐specific, sex‐specific, race/ethnicity‐specific variations in CCA incidence in the USA.

Methods

Using population‐based cancer registry data from the 2000–2011 Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry, we retrospectively evaluated age‐specific, sex‐specific, race/ethnicity‐specific variations in incidence and prevalence of CCA stratified by ICC and ECC subtypes among adults in the USA.

Results

A total of 11 296 patients with ICC and 8672 patients with ECC were identified. ICC incidence was significantly higher than ECC incidence (1.6 vs 1.3 per 100 000/year, P < 0.01). Among all race/ethnic groups and among both ICC and ECC, Asians had the highest cancer incidence. When stratified by age, CCA incidence increased with age among all groups; however, the rising incidence was most rapid among Asians. For example, among patients aged 80 years and over, the incidence of ICC among Asians was nearly twice the incidence among non‐Hispanic whites (13.8 vs 7.2 per 100 000/year). Overall, CCA incidence was higher among men compared with women, and with increasing age, this sex‐specific disparity was more pronounced. For example, among patients aged 80 years and over, the incidence of ICC was 9.8 per 100 000/year among men and 6.9 per 100 000/year among women.

Conclusion

Among adults with CCA in the USA, increasing age was associated with increasing incidence of CCA. In addition, sex‐specific and race/ethnicity‐specific disparities were seen with the highest incidence of CCA among men and among Asians.
TESTING FOR MULTIPLE BUBBLES: LIMIT THEORY OF REAL‐TIME DETECTORS
Authors: Phillips Peter C. B. , Shi Shuping , Yu Jun
Published: October 2015

This article provides the limit theory of real‐time dating algorithms for bubble detection that were suggested in Phillips, Wu, and Yu (PWY; International Economic Review 52 [2011], 201–26) and in a companion paper by the present authors (Phillips, Shi, and Yu, 2015; PSY; International Economic Review 56 [2015a], 1099–1134. Bubbles are modeled using mildly explosive bubble episodes that are embedded within longer periods where the data evolve as a stochastic trend, thereby capturing normal market behavior as well as exuberance and collapse. Both the PWY and PSY estimates rely on recursive right‐tailed unit root tests (each with a different recursive algorithm) that may be used in real time to locate the origination and collapse dates of bubbles. Under certain explicit conditions, the moving window detector of PSY is shown to be a consistent dating algorithm even in the presence of multiple bubbles. The other algorithms are consistent detectors for bubbles early in the sample and, under stronger conditions, for subsequent bubbles in some cases. These asymptotic results and accompanying simulations guide the practical implementation of the procedures. They indicate that the PSY moving window detector is more reliable than the PWY strategy, sequential application of the PWY procedure, and the CUSUM procedure.
TESTING FOR MULTIPLE BUBBLES: HISTORICAL EPISODES OF EXUBERANCE AND COLLAPSE IN THE S&P 500
Authors: Phillips Peter C. B. , Shi Shuping , Yu Jun
Published: October 2015

Recent work on econometric detection mechanisms has shown the effectiveness of recursive procedures in identifying and dating financial bubbles in real time. These procedures are useful as warning alerts in surveillance strategies conducted by central banks and fiscal regulators with real‐time data. Use of these methods over long historical periods presents a more serious econometric challenge due to the complexity of the nonlinear structure and break mechanisms that are inherent in multiple‐bubble phenomena within the same sample period. To meet this challenge, this article develops a new recursive flexible window method that is better suited for practical implementation with long historical time series. The method is a generalized version of the sup augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF) test of Phillips et al. (“Explosive behavior in the 1990s NASDAQ: When did exuberance escalate asset values?” International Economic Review 52 (2011), 201–26; PWY) and delivers a consistent real‐time date‐stamping strategy for the origination and termination of multiple bubbles. Simulations show that the test significantly improves discriminatory power and leads to distinct power gains when multiple bubbles occur. An empirical application of the methodology is conducted on S&P 500 stock market data over a long historical period from January 1871 to December 2010. The new approach successfully identifies the well‐known historical episodes of exuberance and collapses over this period, whereas the strategy of PWY and a related cumulative sum (CUSUM) dating procedure locate far fewer episodes in the same sample range.
THE TRANSMISSION MECHANISM IN GOOD AND BAD TIMES
Authors: Mumtaz Haroon , Surico Paolo
Published: October 2015

Does the transmission of economic policies and structural shocks vary with the state of the economy? We answer this question using a strategy based on quantile regressions, which account for endogenous regressors and state‐dependent parameters. An application to U.S. real activity and interest rate reveals pervasive asymmetries in the propagation mechanism across good and bad times. During periods when real activity is above its conditional average, the estimates of the degree of forward‐lookingness and interest rate semi‐elasticity are significantly larger (in absolute value) than the estimates associated with below‐average periods. Results are robust to alternative strategies to model state‐dependent parameters.
QUANTIFYING THE IMPACTS OF LIMITED SUPPLY: THE CASE OF NURSING HOMES
Authors: Ching Andrew T. , Hayashi Fumiko , Wang Hui
Published: October 2015

This article develops a new estimation method that accounts for excess demand and the unobserved component of product quality. We apply our method to study the Wisconsin nursing home market in 1999 and find that nearly 20% of elderly qualified for Medicaid were rationed out. However, our counterfactual experiment shows that the net welfare gain of fulfilling all nursing home demands may be small, because the welfare gain could be largely offset by the increase in Medicaid expenditures. We also find that a 1% increase in quality would crowd out 3.2% Medicaid patients in binding nursing homes.
Response to comment on Analysis of the influence of dabigatran on coagulation factors and inhibitors
Authors: Tsutsumi Y.
Published: October 2015

This article is accompanied by a comment from Gosselin R.C: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijlh.12439/full
The Role of Job Relatedness and Self‐efficacy in Applicant Perceptions of Fairness in a High‐stakes Selection Setting
Authors: Zibarras Lara D. , Patterson Fiona
Published: October 2015

This article presents results from two samples of applicants (total N = 368) for general practitioner posts in the United Kingdom. The roles of job relatedness and self‐efficacy in fairness perceptions were explored, with data gathered at two time points: immediately after testing and one month later following outcome (pass/fail) feedback. Overall, results indicated that in two samples, job relatedness perceptions measured at the time of testing predicted fairness perceptions measured following outcome feedback. In addition, the stage in the selection process (shortlisting vs. assessment center) was important in determining the extent to which job relatedness perceptions predicted fairness. Findings also suggest that self‐efficacy may be a predictor, rather than an outcome variable, in applicant fairness perceptions in this high‐stakes setting. Results are discussed in relation to their practical and theoretical implications.
The Cross‐cultural Transportability of Situational Judgment Tests: How does a US‐based integrity situational judgment test fare in Spain?
Authors: Lievens Filip , Corstjens Jan , Sorrel Miguel Ángel , Abad Francisco José , Olea Julio , Ponsoda Vicente
Published: October 2015

Despite the globalization of HRM, there is a dearth of research on the potential use of contextualized selection instruments such as situational judgment tests (SJTs) in other countries than those where the selection instruments were originally developed. Therefore, two studies are conducted to examine the transportability of an integrity SJT that was originally developed in the United States to a Spanish context. Study 1 showed that most SJT scenarios (16 out of 19) that were developed in the United States were also considered realistic in a Spanish context. In Study 2, the item option endorsement patterns converged to the original scoring scheme, with the exception of two items. In addition, there were high correlations between the original US empirical scoring scheme and two empirical scoring schemes that were tailored to the Spanish context (i.e., mode consensus scoring and proportional consensus scoring). Finally, correlations between the SJT integrity scores and ratings on a self‐report integrity measure did not differ significantly from each other according to the type of scoring key (original US scoring vs. Spanish scoring keys). Overall, these results shed light on potential issues and solutions related to the cross‐cultural use of contextualized selection instruments such as SJTs.
Effects of Panax ginseng extract on human dermal fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis
Authors: Lee Geum‐Young , Park Kang‐Gyun , Namgoong Sik , Han Seung‐Kyu , Jeong Seong‐Ho , Dhong Eun‐Sang , Kim Woo‐Kyung
Published: October 2015

Current studies of Panax ginseng (or Korean ginseng) have demonstrated that it has various biological effects, including angiogenesis, immunostimulation, antimicrobial and anti‐inflammatory effects. Therefore, we hypothesised that P. ginseng may also play an important role in wound healing. However, few studies have been conducted on the wound‐healing effects of P. ginseng. Thus, the purpose of this in vitro pilot study was to determine the effects of P. ginseng on the activities of fibroblasts, which are key wound‐healing cells. Cultured human dermal fibroblasts were treated with one of six concentrations of P. ginseng: 0, 1, 10 and 100 ng/ml and 1 and 10 µg/ml. Cell proliferation was determined 3 days post‐treatment using the 3‐(4, 5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2, 5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay, and collagen synthesis was evaluated by the collagen type I carboxy‐terminal propeptide method. Cell proliferation levels and collagen synthesis were compared among the groups. The 10 ng/ml to 1 µg/ml P. ginseng treatments significantly increased cell proliferation, and the 1 ng/ml to 1 µg/ml concentrations significantly increased collagen synthesis. The maximum effects for both parameters were observed at 10 ng/ml. P. ginseng stimulated human dermal fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis at an optimal concentration of 10 ng/ml.
Factors Influencing the Stability of AFm and AFt in the Ca–Al–S–O–H System at 25°C
Authors: Feng Pan , Miao Changwen , Bullard Jeffrey W.
Published: October 2015

The stabilities of Al2O3–Fe2O3‐mono (AFm) and ‐tri (AFt) phases in the Ca–Al–S–O–H system at 25°C are examined using Gibbs energy minimization as implemented by GEM‐Selektor software coupled with the Nagra/PSI thermodynamic database. Equilibrium phase diagrams are constructed and compared to those reported in previous studies. The sensitivity of the calculations to the assumed solid solubility products, highlighted by the example of hydrogarnet, is likely the reason that some studies, including this one, predict a stable SO4‐rich AFm phase while others do not. The majority of the effort is given for calculating the influences on AFm and AFt stability of alkali and carbonate components, both of which are typically present in cementitious binders. Higher alkali content shifts the equilibria of both AFt and AFm to lower Ca but higher Al and S concentrations in solution. More importantly, higher alkali content significantly expands the range of solution compositions in equilibrium with AFm. The introduction of carbonates alters not only the stable AFm solid solution compositions, as expected, but also influences the range of solution pH over which SO4‐rich and OH‐rich AFm phases are dominant. Some experimental tests are suggested that could provide validation of these calculations, which are all the more important because of the implications for resistance of portland cement binders to external sulfate attack.
Human‐Centred Design Projects and Co‐Design in/outside the Turkish Classroom: Responses and Challenges
Authors: Emmanouil Marina
Published: October 2015

Perhaps more than any other professional group in modern history, designers have felt compelled to undertake the responsibility of addressing and engaging with societal problems in their practice. Initially, this liability involved concerns of form and production methods during the industrial revolution era, and developed into existential, ethical and context‐specific (Western) priorities of working and living during the twentieth century. Today, citizenship by design involves efforts that are directed to wards creating social change for and with the audience. Drawn from empirical research, this article presents the challenges met and lessons learnt when introducing human‐centred design practices to Visual Communication Design (Graphic Design) students in Turkey. As a self‐reflexive study, it draws from students' reception and feedback on a studio project on social awareness, accessibility and authority sharing with visually impaired people, and an applied workshop on the benefit of user collaboration in design. It aims to raise questions of relevance and assimilation of a socially oriented design practice in a non‐Western, commerce‐driven economy at the urge of modernisation. Moreover, acknowledging the strong element of conformity with peer members in Turkish society (such as the government, family and teachers), this work also aims to examine hierarchy‐challenging design practice in and outside the Turkish classroom.
Palaeotropical intercontinental disjunctions revisited using a dated phylogenetic hypothesis with nearly complete species level sampling of Ficus subsect. Urostigma (Moraceae)
Authors: Chantarasuwan Bhanumas , Rønsted Nina , Kjellberg Finn , Sungkaew Sarawood , van Welzen Peter C.
Published: October 2015

Aim

Using a dated phylogenetic hypothesis with nearly complete species‐level sampling of Ficus subsect. Urostigma with several samples per species, spatio‐temporal diversification patterns are clarified, and alternative hypotheses for repeated Palaeotropical intercontinental disjunctions (PIDs) are revisited.

Location

(Sub)tropics of Africa, Madagascar, Asia and Australia.

Methods

Estimates of divergence times were obtained using a Bayesian relaxed clock analysis via the program beast with three calibration points. The output was used to analyse the historical biogeographical patterns via the program rasp (S‐DIVA option). The results were compared with existing geological knowledge.

Results

The subsection probably originated in Madagascar or Madagascar and India, and dispersed once (or twice) to Africa and once to Asia (1st PID). From Asia the taxa dispersed all over Southeast Asia and finally to the west Pacific. Wallace's Line was relatively recently crossed several times independently by widespread species. One dispersal event back from Asia to Africa is inferred (2nd PID).

Main conclusions

The combination of dates and area optimizations for the ancestral nodes of Ficus subsect. Urostigma agree with the tectonic history of the various areas and divergence dates published for Ficus. The first PID is explained by species rafting on India to Asia, after which the majority of species evolved in Asia‐Australia. The second PID probably involved dispersal from India via south Asia and Arabia to Africa in the early Miocene before the world‐wide climate cooled down and areas became drier. Dispersal over Wallace's Line is by widespread species from which only a few local endemics in east Malesia‐Australia developed. The biogeographical history of F. subsect. Urostigma supports a complex picture of several crossings of PIDs and it confirms that the route between Asia and Africa via south Asia and Arabia is often favoured. This route was available during a long period from Oligocene to mid‐Miocene and perhaps even up to 2 Ma.
Adjuvant eflornithine to maintain IPL‐induced hair reduction in women with facial hirsutism: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Vissing A.C. , Taudorf E.H. , Haak C.S. , Philipsen P.A. , Hædersdal M.
Published: October 2015

Background

Photoepilation is the treatment of choice for hair removal in patients with hirsutism, but it remains a challenge to prevent regrowth of hairs.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to investigate whether topical eflornithine maintains hair reduction in hirsute patients after cessation of intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy.

Methods

A randomized, split‐face, single‐blinded controlled trial on topical eflornithine vs. no eflornithine treatment (control) after 5–6 IPL‐treatments in 22 women with facial hirsutism. Application of eflornithine was initiated after the final IPL‐treatment (baseline) and applied twice daily for 6 months to half of the face. Patients were assessed at baseline and 1, 3 and 6 months after the final IPL‐treatment. The primary endpoint was difference in facial hair counts between eflornithine vs. no treatment. Secondary endpoints were patient‐evaluated efficacy, patient satisfaction and safety.

Results

A total of 18 patients completed the study protocol. At 1 month after final IPL‐treatment, eflornithine reduced hair regrowth by 14% (P = 0.007, n = 20 patients), at 3 months by 9% (P = 0.107, n = 19) and at 6 months by 17% (P = 0.048, n = 18) compared to no treatment. Patient‐evaluated efficacy supported blinded hair counts and patients were satisfied with eflornithine treatment throughout the study (median VAS 5–6). Eflornithine was generally well tolerated, but blinded evaluation demonstrated deterioration of acne in two patients at final assessment.

Conclusion

Topical eflornithine provides a self‐administered treatment with a potential to maintain IPL‐induced hair reduction in hirsute patients.
Nematodes associated withIps cembrae(Coleoptera: Curculionidae): comparison of generations, sexes and sampling methods
Authors: Grucmanová Š. , Holuša J. , Čermák V. , Nermuť J.
Published: October 2015

A study of nematodes associated with the large larch bark beetleIps cembrae(Heer 1836) was carried out at three locations in the Czech Republic. The proportion of beetles infested by endoparasitic nematodes (representatives of generaContortylenchus,Parasitylenchus,CryptaphelenchusandParasitorhabditis) ranged from 29.9 to 50.9%. Significant differences were determined in nematode infestation levels among locations, generations and sampling methods. No differences were found in infestation rates between males and females. The percentage of bark beetles with phoretic nematodes ranged from 18 to 42.9%. Phoretic nematodes directly found under elytra, on wings and between body segments of the bark beetles belong to the genusMicoletzkya. However, adults and juveniles of other two phoretic speciesLaimaphelenchus penardiandBursaphelenchussp. were found in the gallery frass ofI. cembrae. Infestation by phoretic nematodes positively correlated with the presence of mites under elytra.
Appraisal of guidelines for androgenetic alopecia using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II instrument
Authors: Huang Mengya , Zhou Xun
Published: October 2015

Rationale, aims and objectives

The purpose of this study is to systematically evaluate the quality of methodological guidelines for androgenetic alopecia (AGA) using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument by searching and analysing the available worldwide guidelines. This could provide a reference for selecting clinical guidelines and for developing new guidelines in the future.

Methods

We searched PubMed and other electronic databases for any AGA guidelines published until 2014. The AGREE II instrument was used by two researchers to create a systematic appraisal in six domains to determine the guidelines fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results

Five guidelines associated with the therapy of AGA were identified. The mean scores for the six AGREE II domains were as follows: 89.45% for ‘scope and purpose’, 53.88% for ‘stakeholder involvement’, 53.96% for ‘rigour of development’, 87.22% for ‘clarity of presentation’, 42.92% for ‘applicability’ and 59.16% for ‘editorial independence’. The European guideline ranked the highest, whereas the American guideline of 1996 ranked the lowest. The Asian, European and Japanese guidelines were strongly recommended, and the two from America were recommended with modifications.

Conclusions

Guidelines should provide accurate and evidence‐based recommendations. The AGREE II instrument is a useful tool to improve the quality of guidelines, and high‐quality guidelines for clinical practice can be provided by using it.
Evidence for the secondary sexual development of the anal fin in female kokanee salmonOncorhynchus nerka
Authors: Thorn M. W. , Morbey Y. E.
Published: October 2015

This study examines whether the anal fin undergoes secondary sexual development similar to other reproductive traits in salmonids. This hypothesis was tested by comparing the anal‐fin size of female kokanee salmonOncorhynchus nerkathat were in the early and late stages of sexual development. Females in an advanced stage of maturation had significantly larger anal fins relative to females in an early state of maturation (+4–7%), indicating that the anal fin undergoes secondary sexual development. The magnitude of this secondary growth was comparable with snout length (+9–10%), which is known to undergo secondary sexual development in female salmonids. When morphological trait dimensions were compared between the sexes, the anal fin was the only morphological trait found to have a female‐biased sexual size dimorphism. This is the first study to show that the anal fin of female salmonids undergoes secondary sexual development.
Common Misconceptions about Recycling
Authors: Geyer Roland , Kuczenski Brandon , Zink Trevor , Henderson Ashley
Published: October 2015

The recycling of material resources lies at the heart of the industrial ecology (IE) metaphor. The very notion of the industrial ecosystem is motivated by the idea that we should learn from natural ecosystems how to “close the loop.” Recycling is not just central to IE, it is part of everyday life. Unfortunately, how the IE community and the public at large think about recycling includes several misconceptions that have the potential to misguide environmental assessments, policies, and actions that deal with recycling and thus undermine its environmental potential. One misconception stems from naïve assumptions regarding recycled material displacing primary production. Two others assert the environmental advantages of recycling material multiple times, or at least in a closed loop. A final misconception is the assumption that the distinction between closed and open recycling loops is generally useful. This article explains why these misconceptions are flawed, discusses the implications, and presents an alternative set of principles to better harness the potential environmental benefits of closing material loops.
Coping and rehabilitation in alcoholic liver disease patients after hepatic encephalopathy – in interaction with professionals and relatives
Authors: Mikkelsen Maria Rudkjær , Hendriksen Carsten , Schiødt Frank Vinholt , Rydahl‐Hansen Susan
Published: October 2015

Aims and objectives

To identify and describe conditions that limit or support patients, with alcoholic liver disease after surviving alcohol‐induced hepatic encephalopathy, ability to cope with current and potential physical and psychosocial problems – in interaction with professionals and relatives – and to recommend appropriate interventions.

Background

Alcoholic liver disease patients surviving alcohol‐induced hepatic encephalopathy have significantly impaired quality of life. Internationally, there is a lack of knowledge about the conditions that affect alcoholic liver disease patients' coping and rehabilitation.

Design

A grounded theory study.

Methods

Semi‐structured interviews, conducted with 11 alcoholic liver disease patients who were diagnosed with hepatic encephalopathy. The interview guide was inspired by Richard S. Lazarus's theory of stress and coping.

Results

The elements that support or limit alcoholic liver disease patients' ability to cope with physical and psychosocial problems in interaction with professionals and relatives were represented by the core category ‘Struggle for preservation of identity as a significant individual’. It was characterised by three categories, which are interrelated and impact upon each other: ‘Acknowledgement’, ‘Struggle to maintain control’ and ‘Achieving a sense of security’.

Conclusion

Alcoholic liver disease patients experience a struggle to preserve their identity as a significant individual. It can be assumed that professionals and relatives in their interaction with, and support of, patients should focus on strengthening and preserving patients' identity in the form of acknowledgement, helping alcoholic liver disease patients maintain self‐control and providing a safety net so patients feel a sense of security.

Relevance to clinical practice

It can be assumed that professionals should support alcoholic liver disease patients' appraisal of, and coping with, physical and psychosocial problems based on acknowledgment, understanding and a sympathetic attitude. Professionals should proactively approach patients when they withdraw. It may be useful for professionals to be aware of alcoholic liver disease patients' individual coping strategies and thereby their individual requirements for professional supportive intervention.
Fracture Resistance of Lithium Disilicate Ceramics Bonded to Enamel or Dentin Using Different Resin Cement Types and Film Thicknesses
Authors: Rojpaibool Thitithorn , Leevailoj Chalermpol
Published: October 2015

Purpose

To investigate the influence of cement film thickness, cement type, and substrate (enamel or dentin) on ceramic fracture resistance.

Materials and Methods

One hundred extracted human third molars were polished to obtain 50 enamel and 50 dentin specimens. The specimens were cemented to 1‐mm‐thick lithium disilicate ceramic plates with different cement film thicknesses (100 and 300 μm) using metal strips as spacers. The cements used were etch‐and‐rinse (RelyX Ultimate) and self‐adhesive (RelyX U200) resin cements. Compressive load was applied on the ceramic plates using a universal testing machine, and fracture loads were recorded in Newtons (N). Statistical analysis was performed by multiple regression (p < 0.05). Representative specimens were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy to control the cement film thickness.

Results

The RelyX Ultimate group with a cement thickness of 100 μm cemented to enamel showed the highest mean fracture load (MFL; 1591 ± 172.59 N). The RelyX Ultimate groups MFLs were significantly higher than the corresponding RelyX U200 groups (p < 0.05), and thinner film cement demonstrated a higher MFL than thicker films (p < 0.05). Bonding to dentin resulted in lower MFL than with enamel (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Higher fracture loads were related to thinner cement film thickness and RelyX Ultimate resin cement. Bonding to dentin resulted in lower fracture loads than bonding to enamel.

Clinical Significance

Reduced resin film thickness could reduce lithium disilicate restoration fracture. Etch‐and‐rinse resin cements are recommended for cementing on either enamel or dentin, compared with self‐adhesive resin cement, for improved fracture resistance.
Molecular phylogeny of Glyphochloa (Poaceae, Panicoideae), an endemic grass genus from the Western Ghats, India
Authors: Gosavi Kumar Vinod Chhotupuri , Yadav Shrirang R. , Praveen Karanth K. , Surveswaran Siddharthan
Published: October 2015

The genus Glyphochloa (Poaceae: Panicoideae: Andropogoneae: Rottboellinae) is endemic to peninsular India and is distributed on lateritic plateaus of low and high altitude in and around Western Ghats and the Malabar Coast. The genus presumably originated and diversified in the Western Ghats. Species relationships in the genus Glyphochloa were deduced here based on molecular phylogenies inferred using nuclear ribosomal ITS sequences and plastid intergenic spacer regions (atpB‐rbcL, trnT‐trnL, trnL‐trnF), and new observations were made of spikelet morphology, caryopsis morphology and meiotic chromosome counts. We observed two distinct clades of Glyphochloa s.l. One of these (‘group I’) includes Ophiuros bombaiensis, and is characterized by a single‐awned lower glume and a base chromosome number of 6; it grows in low elevation coastal areas. The other clade (‘group II’) has a double‐awned lower glume, a base chromosome number of 7, and is restricted to higher elevation lateritic plateaus; G. ratnagirica may belong to the group II clade, or may be a third distinct lineage in the genus. A sister‐group relationship between group I and II taxa (with or without G. ratnagirica) is not well supported, although the genus is recovered as monophyletic in shortest trees inferred using ITS or concatenated plastid data. We present a key to species of Glyphochloa and make a new combination for O. bombaiensis.
Sentencing and State-Level Racial and Ethnic Contexts
Authors: Wang Xia , Mears Daniel P.
Published: October 2015

Sentencing studies have incorporated social context in studying sentencing decisions, but to date the bulk of prior work has focused almost exclusively on county context. An unresolved question is whether there also may be state-level effects on sentencing. Drawing from the minority threat perspective, we examine (1) whether state-level racial and ethnic contexts affect sentencing, (2) whether this effect amplifies the effect of county-level racial and ethnic contexts on sentencing, and (3) whether the interaction of county-level and state-level contextual effects is greater for minorities than for whites. Analysis of State Court Processing Statistics and other data indicates that state-level racial and ethnic contexts are associated with sentencing outcomes and that this effect may differ by outcome (e.g., incarceration versus sentence length) and by type of context (e.g., racial or ethnic). The study's findings and their implications are discussed.
Birth Order, Preferences, and Norms on the U.S. Supreme Court
Authors: McGuire Kevin T.
Published: October 2015

The members of the U.S. Supreme Court have different ideas about what constitutes good judicial policy as well as how best to achieve that policy. From where do these ideas originate? Evolutionary psychology suggests that an answer may lie in early life experiences in which siblings assume roles that affect an adult's likely acceptance of changes in the established order. According to this view, older siblings take on responsibilities that make them more conservative and rule-bound, while younger ones adopt roles that promote liberalism and greater rebelliousness. Applying this theory to the Court, I show that these childhood roles manifest themselves in later life in the decisions of the justices. Birth order explains not only the justices’ policy preferences but also their acceptance of one important norm of judicial decisionmaking, specifically their willingness to exercise judicial review.
Increasing aortic stiffness is predictive of advanced liver fibrosis in patients with type 2 diabetes: the Rio‐T2DM cohort study
Authors: Leite Nathalie C. , Villela‐Nogueira Cristiane A. , Ferreira Marcel T. , Cardoso Claudia R. L. , Salles Gil F.
Published: October 2015

Background & Aims

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and advanced stages of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim was to evaluate the association between aortic stiffness, a preclinical CVD marker, with advanced liver fibrosis identified by transient elastography (TE) in T2DM outpatients with NAFLD.

Methods

This longitudinal study included 291 T2DM patients with NAFLD detected by ultrasonography, who had two carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity (cf‐PWV) measurements and a TE examination (Fibroscan®) performed over a median follow‐up of 7 years. Advanced liver fibrosis (corresponding to ≥ F3 stage) was considered as median values >7.9 kPa (M probe) or >7.2 kPa (XL probe). Increased aortic stiffness was defined as cf‐PWV >10 m/s.

Results

Eighty patients (27.5%) had advanced liver fibrosis. Overall, there was an increase in cf‐PWV of 0.1 m/s/year (1% per year). Both a high aortic stiffness at the 2nd cf‐PWV examination [odds ratios (OR): 3.0; 95% CI: 1.3–7.2; P = 0.011] and a serial increase in aortic stiffness (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.0–4.3; P = 0.046) were associated with increased odds of having advanced liver fibrosis. Patients who presented either an increase in aortic stiffness or persisted with high values had significantly higher mean liver stiffness than those who either decreased aortic stiffness or persisted with normal cf‐PWV values (mean difference: 2.1 kPa, 95% CI: 0.5–3.7 kPa, P = 0.012), after adjustments for anthropometric‐demographic and clinical laboratory covariates.

Conclusions

In T2DM patients with NAFLD, a high or increasing aortic stiffness predicted development of advanced liver fibrosis on TE.
‘Putting a Foot in the Door’: Volunteer Hiring and Organizational Form
Authors: Vlassopoulos Michael
Published: October 2015

Volunteering often acts as a stepping stone into a paid position. This paper provides an explanation for the fact that non‐profit employers are uniquely able to attract volunteers with social concerns and career aspirations and for the related observation that non‐profits figure prominently in mission‐related activities. The theory is predicated on that—by committing to not distributing profits—non‐profit incorporation relaxes the incentive constraint that employers face when implicitly contracting with volunteers. The not‐for‐profit commitment is shown to be effective only in activities where producers, who can choose to be for‐profit or non‐profit, care about the level of the service being provided.
Resource base influences genome‐wideDNAmethylation levels in wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus)
Authors: Lea Amanda J. , Altmann Jeanne , Alberts Susan C. , Tung Jenny
Published: October 2015

Variation in resource availability commonly exerts strong effects on fitness‐related traits in wild animals. However, we know little about the molecular mechanisms that mediate these effects, or about their persistence over time. To address these questions, we profiled genome‐wide whole‐bloodDNAmethylation levels in two sets of wild baboons: (i) ‘wild‐feeding’ baboons that foraged naturally in a savanna environment and (ii) ‘Lodge’ baboons that had ready access to spatially concentrated human food scraps, resulting in high feeding efficiency and low daily travel distances. We identified 1014 sites (0.20% of sites tested) that were differentially methylated between wild‐feeding and Lodge baboons, providing the first evidence that resource availability shapes the epigenome in a wild mammal. Differentially methylated sites tended to occur in contiguous stretches (i.e., in differentially methylated regions orDMRs), in promoters and enhancers, and near metabolism‐related genes, supporting their functional importance in gene regulation. In agreement, reporter assay experiments confirmed that methylation at the largest identifiedDMR, located in the promoter of a key glycolysis‐related gene, was sufficient to causally drive changes in gene expression. Intriguingly, all dispersing males carried a consistent epigenetic signature of their membership in a wild‐feeding group, regardless of whether males dispersed into or out of this group as adults. Together, our findings support a role forDNAmethylation in mediating ecological effects on phenotypic traits in the wild and emphasize the dynamic environmental sensitivity ofDNAmethylation levels across the life course.
Drift, not selection, shapes toll‐like receptor variation among oceanic island populations
Authors: Gonzalez‐Quevedo Catalina , Spurgin Lewis G. , Illera Juan Carlos , Richardson David S.
Published: October 2015

Understanding the relative role of different evolutionary forces in shaping the level and distribution of functional genetic diversity among natural populations is a key issue in evolutionary and conservation biology. To do so accurately genetic data must be analysed in conjunction with an unambiguous understanding of the historical processes that have acted upon the populations. Here, we focused on diversity at toll‐like receptor (TLR) loci, which play a key role in the vertebrate innate immune system and, therefore, are expected to be under pathogen‐mediated selection. We assessed TLR variation within and among 13 island populations (grouped into three archipelagos) of Berthelot's pipit, Anthus berthelotii, for which detailed population history has previously been ascertained. We also compared the variation observed with that found in its widespread sister species, the tawny pipit, Anthus campestris. We found strong evidence for positive selection at specific codons in TLR1LA, TLR3 and TLR4. Despite this, we found that at the allele frequency level, demographic history has played the major role in shaping patterns of TLR variation in Berthelot's pipit. Levels of diversity and differentiation within and across archipelagos at all TLR loci corresponded very closely with neutral microsatellite variation and with the severity of the bottlenecks that occurred during colonization. Our study shows that despite the importance of TLRs in combating pathogens, demography can be the main driver of immune gene variation within and across populations, resulting in patterns of functional variation that can persist over evolutionary timescales.
Identification of MltG as a potential terminase for peptidoglycan polymerization in bacteria
Authors: Yunck Rachel , Cho Hongbaek , Bernhardt Thomas G.
Published: October 2015

Bacterial cells are fortified against osmotic lysis by a cell wall made of peptidoglycan (PG). Synthases called penicillin‐binding proteins (PBPs), the targets of penicillin and related antibiotics, polymerize the glycan strands of PG and crosslink them into the cell wall meshwork via attached peptides. The average length of glycan chains inserted into the matrix by the PBPs is thought to play an important role in bacterial morphogenesis, but polymerization termination factors controlling this process have yet to be discovered. Here, we report the identification of Escherichia coli MltG (YceG) as a potential terminase for glycan polymerization that is broadly conserved in bacteria. A clone containing mltG was initially isolated in a screen for multicopy plasmids generating a lethal phenotype in cells defective for the PG synthase PBP1b. Biochemical studies revealed that MltG is an inner membrane enzyme with endolytic transglycosylase activity capable of cleaving at internal positions within a glycan polymer. Radiolabeling experiments further demonstrated MltG‐dependent nascent PG processing in vivo, and bacterial two‐hybrid analysis identified an MltG‐PBP1b interaction. Mutants lacking MltG were also shown to have longer glycans in their PG relative to wild‐type cells. Our combined results are thus consistent with a model in which MltG associates with PG synthetic complexes to cleave nascent polymers and terminate their elongation.