bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deconstructing occupancy frequency distributions in stream insects: effects of body size and niche characteristics in different geographical regions
Authors: HEINO JANI
Published: May 2015

1. Occupancy frequency distributions (OFDs) are one means to study species distribution patterns, allowing the delineation of rare and common species. Very few studies have deconstructed entire assemblages by ecological or biological characteristics and subsequently examinedOFDsin subgroups of species.

2. The effect of deconstruction of entire assemblages by niche breadth, niche position or body size classes onOFDsin stream insects in three drainage basins was examined. It was hypothesized thatOFDsshould not vary between different drainage basins, but they should be affected by deconstruction into different niche breadth, niche position or body size classes.

3. TheOFDswere typically strongly right‐skewed in all drainage basins. The set of small‐sized species was strongly dominated by rare species, whereas the importance of rare species decreased with increasing body size. Further, while theOFDsof sets of species with marginal niche position or small niche breadth were strongly dominated by rare species, those of species with non‐marginal niche position or large niche breadth showed highly variable degrees of occupancy. TheOFDsof non‐marginal species were even uniform in the entire data and one drainage basin, providing partial support to thea priorihypothesis.

4. Niche‐based explanations are likely to account for occupancies of marginal and small‐niched species, whereas the distributions of non‐marginal and broad‐niched species may be not only affected by niche‐based mechanisms but also by spatial dynamics. Deconstruction ofOFDsby ecological and biological traits thus showed that the patterns may vary between different subgroups of species.
Indirect mutualism: ants protect fig seeds and pollen dispersers from parasites
Authors: JANDÉR K. CHARLOTTE
Published: May 2015

1. Mutualisms are ubiquitous and ecologically important, but may be particularly vulnerable to exploitation by species outside of the mutualism owing to a combination of an attractive reward and potentially limited defence options. For some mutualisms, ants can offer dynamic and relatively selective protection against herbivores and parasites.

2. The mutualism between fig trees and their pollinating wasps, a keystone mutualism in tropical forests, is particularly well suited for ant protection because pollinators are protected inside hollow inflorescences but parasites are exposed on the outside.

3. In the present study, it was shown that the presence of ants provides a fitness benefit for both the pollinators and the hosting fig tree. The presence of ants (i) reduced abortions of developing figs, (ii) reduced herbivory of figs, and (iii) reduced parasitic wasp loads, resulting in more pollinators and more seeds in ant‐protected figs. Even when taking costs such as ant predation on emerging pollinators into account, the total fitness increase of hosting ants was threefold for the tree and fivefold for the pollinators.

4. It was further shown that the seemingly most vulnerable parasitic wasps, of the genus Idarnes, have a specific behaviour that allows them to evade ant attack while continuing to oviposit.

5. Ants were present on 79% of surveyed Panamanian fig trees. Together with previous studies from the Old World, the results found here imply that ants are both powerful and common protectors of the fig mutualism worldwide.
Leaching of soil‐derived major and trace elements in an arable topsoil after the addition of biochar
Authors: Riedel T. , Hennessy P. , Iden S. C. , Koschinsky A.
Published: May 2015

The addition of biochar to soils appears to be attractive for sequestering carbon and improving soil fertility. Biochar has been shown to alter carbon, nutrient and element cycling, but there is little information on the cycling of trace elements, which will be introduced increasingly into soils because of their use in modern technologies (e.g. rare earth elements) and significant concentrations in phosphate fertilizers. This study investigated, using column experiments, the effect of biochar addition on the leaching of soil‐derived trace metals from a soil contaminated with heavy metals. The biochar used in this study showed a clear potential to reduce soil‐derived trace metals, including transition metals, rare earth elements and heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), while increasing the amounts of essential nutrients such as potassium (K) and molybdenum (Mo). Uranium was mobilized in the presence of biochar, indicating a risk of increased leaching in biochar‐amended soils. During elution under anoxic conditions manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) oxides were reduced and a release of metals typically bound to these oxides such as Pb, cobalt (Co), zirconium (Zr) and niobium (Nb) was observed. The retention of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the amended soil led to a retention of DOM‐associated elements such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and nickel (Ni). Analysis by liquid chromatography followed by ICP‐MS indicated an association with UV‐active DOM. In previous studies conducted with inorganic metal species added to soil, an increased retention of metals has often been interpreted as being caused by cation exchange with the biochar. Our results indicate that the decreased mobility of trace elements is at least partly caused by an enhanced retention of metal‐binding DOM after biochar application.
Deficient cytokine control modulates temporomandibular joint pain in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Ahmed Neveen , Catrina Anca I. , Alyamani Ahmed O. , Mustafa Hamid , Alstergren Per
Published: May 2015

The aim was to investigate how endogenous cytokine control of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) influences temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain in relation to the role of anti‐citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Twenty‐six consecutive patients with TMJ RA were included. Temporomandibular joint pain intensity was assessed at rest, on maximum mouth opening, on chewing, and on palpation. Mandibular movement capacity and degree of anterior open bite (a clinical sign of structural destruction of TMJ tissues) were also assessed. Systemic inflammatory activity was assessed using the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28) for rheumatoid arthritis. Samples of TMJ synovial fluid and blood were obtained and analyzed for TNF, its soluble receptor, soluble TNF receptor II (TNFsRII), and ACPA. A high concentration of TNF in relation to the concentration of TNFsRII in TMJ synovial fluid was associated with TMJ pain on posterior palpation on maximum mouth opening. The ACPA concentration correlated significantly to the TNF concentration, but not to the TNFsRII concentration, indicating that increased inflammatory activity is mainly caused by an insufficient increase in anti‐inflammatory mediators. This study indicates that TMJ pain on palpation in patients with RA is related to a deficiency in local cytokine control that contributes to increased inflammatory activity, including sensitization to mechanical stimuli over the TMJ.
A Psychodynamic Phenomenology of Nankani Interpretive Divination and the Formation of Meaning
Authors: Denham Aaron R.
Published: May 2015

Divination probes the inchoate, concealed, or mysterious in an effort to acquire knowledge, validate understandings, or imbue decisions with authority. Among the Nankani people in Northern Ghana, men communicate with ancestors through an interpretive form of divination to make decisions, uncover the hidden, and seek explanations for misfortune. Many scholarly accounts of divination emphasize social processes and divination's role in maintaining social cohesion and systems of jural authority, often focusing on visible and objective measures. In this article, I direct attention to the subjective experience and the sociocultural psychodynamics of Nankani divination, demonstrating how divination shapes interpretations of experience and works as a mediator within and between intraself and self‐other dynamics. By focusing on the client's experiences and object relations, I establish how Nankani divination generates meaning, addresses uncertainty, and brings forms of unformulated experience into awareness.
Geographic patterns of diversification and the latitudinal gradient of richness of rocky intertidal gastropods: the ‘into the tropical museum’ hypothesis
Authors: Rivadeneira Marcelo M. , Alballay Alex H. , Villafaña Jaime A. , Raimondi Peter T. , Blanchette Carol A. , Fenberg Phillip B.
Published: May 2015

Aim

To evaluate the existence of a latitudinal gradient of richness (LGR) in rocky intertidal gastropods and the role of evolutionary processes in shaping the LGR.

Location

The entire eastern Pacific coast, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, encompassing ca. 120° latitude.

Methods

The LGR was assessed using field surveys and a comprehensive literature dataset from 308 rocky intertidal sites, representing 328 species and 159 genera. The importance of geographic patterns of diversification in shaping the LGR was assessed using three complementary approaches. First, we used the fossil record to evaluate the region of origination of genera (tropical vs. extra‐tropical). Secondly, we used a nestedness analysis to compare present‐day biogeographic distributions of genera with their region of origin. Finally, we evaluated the importance of biogeographic dynamics for shaping the LGR using a projection matrix and estimating transition probabilities among different biogeographic states.

Results

Eastern Pacific rocky intertidal gastropods follow the canonical latitudinal gradient of richness (higher richness in the tropics). Originations were similar in the tropics and extra‐tropics, a pattern that was robust to geographic differences in fossil sampling. The biogeographic distribution of genera was significantly nested, irrespective of the region of origin of genera. The distribution dynamics model accurately reproduced the LGR and showed that key‐transitions are low extinction in the tropics and high dispersal of taxa from the extra‐tropics to the tropics.

Conclusions

The existence of a canonical LGR in rocky intertidal gastropods can be explained by the combined effect of reduced extinction rates in the tropics and the range expansion of taxa from the extra‐tropics toward the tropics, in what we have called the ‘into the tropical museum’ hypothesis.
Leaf form–climate relationships on the global stage: an ensemble of characters
Authors: Yang Jian , Spicer Robert A. , Spicer Teresa E. V. , Arens Nan Crystal , Jacques Frédéric M. B. , Su Tao , Kennedy Elizabeth M. , Herman Alexei B. , Steart David C. , Srivastava Gaurav , Mehrotra Rakesh C. , Valdes Paul J. , Mehrotra Naresh C. , Zhou Zhe‐Kun , Lai Jiang‐Shan
Published: May 2015

Aim

Early in their evolution, angiosperms evolved a diversity of leaf form far greater than that of any other group of land plants. Some of this diversity evolved in response to varying climate. Our aim is to test the global relationship between leaf form in woody dicot angiosperms and the climate in which they live.

Location

We have compiled a data set describing leaf form (using 31 standardized categorical characters) from 378 natural or naturalized vegetation sites from around the world. Our data include sites from all continents except Antarctica and encompass biomes from tropical to taiga, over a range of elevations from 0.5 m to over 3000 m.

Methods

We chose the Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program sampling, scoring and analytical protocols to test the relationships between climate and leaf form, which is based on canonical correspondence analysis. Cluster analysis evaluates the role of historical factors in shaping the patterns, and pairwise Pearson correlations examine the relationships among leaf characters.

Results

Woody dicot leaf characters form a physiognomic spectrum that reflects local climate conditions. On a global scale, correlations between leaf form and climate are consistent, irrespective of climate regime, vegetation type or biogeographic history. Relationships with temperature variables are maintained even when leaf margin characters, regarded as being particularly well correlated with mean annual temperature, are removed.

Main conclusions

In natural woody dicot vegetation an integrated spectrum of leaf form has developed across multiple leaf character states and species. This spectrum appears more strongly influenced by prevailing climate than biogeographic history. The covariation of leaf traits across species suggests strong integration of leaf form. New methods of exploring structure in multidimensional physiognomic space enable better application of leaf form to palaeoclimate reconstruction.
Ecclesiastical Reform in Historiographical Context
Authors: Melve Leidulf
Published: May 2015

The article initially discusses recent approaches to ecclesiastical reform and the Investiture Contest. In particular, it discusses the extent to which recent scholarship's concern with “power,” “local units,” “social aspects,” “discourse,” and “gender” has undermined earlier master narratives – accentuating as these did the unity of reform. The last part of the article argues for the need to establish new master narratives and puts forward a few suggestions in that respect.
Rumour and Politics
Authors: Coast David , Fox Jo
Published: May 2015

This article examines the historiography of rumour and its relationship to other disciplines, including psychology and anthropology. It explores the methodological problems of defining rumours and interpreting source material, as well as the limitations of psychological interpretations. It examines the ways in which rumours can allow us to access past mentalities and understand popular and elite politics, also analysing attempts by governments to monitor rumours and what they can tell us about the relationship between the individual and the state. Finally, it explores how the interpretations of rumours shaped, and were shaped by, race, gender, social differences and cultural attitudes. Although social scientists and historians have approached the study of rumour in very different ways, closer collaboration between the two can illuminate our understanding of this complex and fascinating phenomenon.
Building from a conceptual model of the resilience process during ageing, towards the Groningen Aging Resilience Inventory
Authors: van Abbema Renske , Bielderman Annemiek , De Greef Mathieu , Hobbelen Hans , Krijnen Wim , van der Schans Cees
Published: May 2015

Aim

To develop and psychometrically test the Groningen Ageing Resilience Inventory.

Background

Ageing is a process that is often accompanied by functional limitation, disabilities and losses. Instead of focusing on these negative events of ageing, there are opportunities in focusing on adaptation mechanisms, like resilience, that are helpful to cope with those adversities.

Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Method

The study was conducted from 2011–2012. First, a conceptual model of resilience during the ageing process was constructed. Next, items were formulated that made up a comprehensive template questionnaire reflecting the model. Finally, a cross‐sectional study was performed to evaluate the construct validity and internal consistency of this template 16‐item questionnaire.

Findings

Participants (N = 229) with a mean age of 71·5 years, completed the template 16‐item Groningen Ageing Resilience Inventory, and performance based tests and psychological questionnaires. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a two factor solution of internal and external resources of resilience. Three items did not discriminate well between the two factors and were deleted, remaining a final 13‐item questionnaire that shows evidence of good internal consistency. The direction and magnitude of the correlations with other measures support the construct validity.

Conclusion

The Groningen Ageing Resilience Inventory is a useful instrument that can help nurses, other healthcare workers, researchers and providers of informal care to identify the internal and external resources of resilience in individuals and groups. In a multidisciplinary biopsychosocial approach this knowledge provides tools for empowering older patients in performing health promoting behaviors and self‐care tasks.
A concept analysis of ‘Meaning in work’ and its implications for nursing
Authors: Lee Soohee
Published: May 2015

Aim

To report an analysis of the concept of ‘meaning in work’.

Background

Associated with initiatives to improve the quality of working life and the emerging movement of positive organizations, ‘meaning in work’ has been studied as a positive individual‐level state. ‘Meaning in work’ has potential benefits that will improve the nursing workforce if this concept is embraced in nursing. However, the concept is not clearly defined because it has been approached from diverse theoretical perspectives and used interchangeably with analogous terms.

Design

A concept analysis.

Data sources

Three key terms (using ‘work’, ‘meaning’ or ‘meaningful’, ‘meaning of work’, ‘logotherapy’) were searched in theCINAHL, PsycINFO, Business Source Complete andABI/INFORMGlobal online databases from January 1940–March 2015. Among 346 articles retrieved, 28 studies were included for this concept analysis.

Methods

The procedure of concept analysis developed by Walker and Avant (2011) was used.

Results

Four critical attributes are identified: (1) experienced positive emotion at work; (2) meaning from work itself; (3) meaningful purpose and goals of work; and (4) work as a part of life that contributes towards meaningful existence. The identified antecedent of ‘meaning in work’ was a cognitive shift and the identified consequences were positive personal experience and positive impact on peers and organizations.

Conclusion

This article provides a clear definition of ‘meaning in work’. The resulting coherent definition will facilitate the use of ‘meaning in work’ in nursing research.
Phylogeography of six codistributed New Zealand cicadas and their relationship to multiple biogeographical boundaries suggest a re‐evaluation of the Taupo Line
Authors: Ellis Emily A. , Marshall David C. , Hill Kathy B. R. , Owen Christopher L. , Kamp Peter J. J. , Simon Chris
Published: May 2015

Aim

Comparative biogeographers question the extent to which codistributed species respond similarly to environmental change. Such responses should create similar, appropriately timed patterns of cladogenesis among codistributed taxa compared to evolutionary independence, which may limit the predictions that can be made for unstudied species. Here, we compare phylogeographical patterns across ecologically divergent, codistributed taxa in the light of New Zealand's palaeohistory.

Location

North Island, New Zealand.

Methods

Mitochondrial DNA from six codistributed cicada species (Kikihia ochrina, K. cutora, K. laneorum, K. cauta, K. scutellaris and K. dugdalei) was analysed using phylogenetic methods and molecular dating techniques. We analysed phylogeographical distributions using analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) to determine the significance of hypothesized biogeographical boundaries for clade differentiation and spatial distribution of genetic diversity.

Results

Five species (Kikihia ochrina, K. cutora, K. laneorum, K. cauta and K. scutellaris) show various degrees of intraspecific concordance with biogeographical boundaries found in previously studied taxa – the Kauri Line, the Northland Line and the newly identified Cockayne's Line. Clade splits of forest species correlate with the Kauri Line and/or Northland Line, whereas splits of scrub/hill species correlate with Cockayne's Line. Four species (Kikihia ochrina, K. cutora, K. laneorum and K. cauta) diversified before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 20 ka), whereas two species (K. scutellaris and K. dugdalei) show only post‐LGM diversification.

Main conclusions

Despite species idiosyncrasies, we see the imprint of shared palaeoclimatic/geological events. We distinguish between (1) the importance of biogeographical lines as the demarcation between older genetically diverse and newer genetically depauperate populations, and (2) the importance of lines as biogeographical boundaries between sister clades. We also stress the importance of dating clade splits to ensure consistency with explanations for the biogeographical lines in question. We suggest that the Taupo Line has been overemphasized as a biogeographical boundary, whereas the importance of the mountain axis running north‐east to south‐west (‘Cockayne's Line’) has been overlooked.
Competing paradigms of Amazonian diversification and the Pleistocene refugium hypothesis
Authors: Garzón‐Orduña Ivonne J. , Benetti‐Longhini Jennifer E. , Brower Andrew V. Z.
Published: May 2015

Evidence from butterflies and birds suggests that most extant Amazonian species arose during the Pleistocene (< 2.6 Ma). If these speciation events share common, extrinsic causes, their explanation probably involves climate‐driven biogeographical shifts, because the major orogenic events shaping the biogeography of the Neotropics were over by then. In the light of these observations, criticisms of the Pleistocene refugium hypothesis are examined.
Application of systems thinking: 12‐month postintervention evaluation of a complex health system intervention in Zambia: the case of the BHOMA
Authors: Mutale Wilbroad , Ayles Helen , Bond Virginia , Chintu Namwinga , Chilengi Roma , Mwanamwenge Margaret Tembo , Taylor Angela , Spicer Neil , Balabanova Dina
Published: May 2015

Rationale, aims and objectives

Strong health systems are said to be paramount to achieving effective and equitable health care. The World Health Organization has been advocating for using system‐wide approaches such as ‘systems thinking’ to guide intervention design and evaluation. In this paper we report the system‐wide effects of a complex health system intervention in Zambia known as Better Health Outcome through Mentorship and Assessment (BHOMA) that aimed to improve service quality.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative study in three target districts. We used a systems thinking conceptual framework to guide the analysis focusing on intended and unintended consequences of the intervention. NVivo version 10 was used for data analysis.

Results

The addressed community responded positively to the BHOMA intervention. The indications were that in the short term there was increased demand for services but the health worker capacity was not severely affected. This means that the prediction that service demand would increase with implementation of BHOMA was correct and the workload also increased, but the help of clinic lay supporters meant that some of the work of clinicians was transferred to these lay workers. However, from a systems perspective, unintended consequences also occurred during the implementation of the BHOMA.

Conclusions

We applied an innovative approach to evaluate a complex intervention in low‐income settings, exploring empirically how systems thinking can be applied in the context of health system strengthening. Although the intervention had some positive outcomes by employing system‐wide approaches, we also noted unintended consequences.
Outcomes of clinical decision support (CDS) and correlates of CDS use for home care patients with high medication regimen complexity: a randomized trial
Authors: McDonald Margaret V. , Feldman Penny H. , Barrón‐Vayá Yolanda , Peng Timothy R. , Sridharan Sridevi , Pezzin Liliana E.
Published: May 2015

Rationale, aims and objectives

To assess the outcomes of a clinical decision support (CDS) intervention designed for home care patients with high medication regimen complexity (MRC) and to examine correlates of CDS use.

Method

The CDS consisted of a computerized algorithm that identified high MRC patients, electronic alerts and a care management module. Nurses were randomized upon identification of an eligible patient. Full intention to treat and intervention group‐only analyses were completed. Regression‐adjusted outcomes were hospitalization, emergency department use and reduction in MRC.

Results

Five hundred nurses were randomized with 7919 of their patients. Approximately 20% of the intervention group was hospitalized versus 21% in the control group; 16.5% versus 16.7% had an emergency department visit; and 6% in each group dropped below the high MRC threshold. No statistically significant differences were found in the intention to treat analysis. Eighty‐two percent of intervention nurses used the CDS but for only 42% of their patients. Among intervention patients, CDS use (vs. non‐use) was associated with reduced MRC and hospitalization. CDS use was associated with various clinician and patient characteristics.

Conclusion

CDS use was limited, negating the impact of the intervention overall. Findings on correlates of CDS use and the relationship between CDS use and positive outcomes suggest that CDS use and outcomes could be enhanced by avoiding short patient lengths of stay, improving continuity of care, increasing reliance on salaried nurses and/or increasing per diem nurses' incentives to use CDS.
INDIVIDUAL DETERMINANTS OF SELF‐EMPLOYMENT ENTRY: WHAT DO WE REALLY KNOW?
Authors: Simoes Nadia , Crespo Nuno , Moreira Sandrina B.
Published: May 2015

The analysis of the decision to enter into self‐employment is a hot topic in the economic literature. Among the elements that most directly influence this decision, individual factors are central. This study produces a comprehensive survey of the impact of these factors, covering both the theoretical arguments and the main conclusions emerging from the empirical studies. We analyze 12 critical determinant factors of the entry into self‐employment grouped into seven categories: (1) basic individual characteristics (gender, age, marital status, and children); (2) family background (parents and spouse); (3) personality characteristics; (4) human capital (education and experience); (5) health condition; (6) nationality and ethnicity; and (7) access to financial resources. While for some of the factors solid conclusions can be found, for others additional research is still needed in order to shed further light on their influence.
Can different geographic conditions affect the formation of striae gravidarum? A multicentric study
Authors: Narin Raziye , Nazik Hakan , Narin Mehmet Ali , Nazik Evşen , Özdemir Funda , Karabulutlu Özlem , Gönenç İlknur Münevver , Attar Rukset , Adıgüzel Cevdet , Aytan Hakan
Published: May 2015

Aim

Striae gravidarum (SG) is a most common physiological skin change that many pregnant women experience during pregnancy. We investigated the effects of geographic conditions and altitude on the formation of SG.

Material and Methods

A total of 508 nulliparous women with singleton gestation were included in the study from three different geographic locations. The first city is located in the mountainous area at an altitude of approximately 1900 m (approximately 6233 ft). The second city is located on a plain in the middle of the country at an altitude of 900 m (approximately 2952 ft). The third city is located by the seaside (altitude 26 m, 85 ft). Twelve variables were recorded for each woman in the prepartum period, and striae were scored using the numerical scoring system of Atwal et al.

Results

We found that striae formation was significantly more common in higher areas. According to the regression analyses, when the third region, located at sea level, was taken as a reference point, the appearance of SG was 2.1‐ and 1.8‐fold more common in the first region (altitude 1900 m) and the second region (altitude 900 m), respectively (P = 0.020).

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the effect of environmental factors on SG formation. Moreover, our study group is one of the largest in the published work. Environmental factors can affect the formation of striae gravidarum. Further studies with different ethnic groups are needed.
MRI Texture Analysis Reveals Deep Gray Nuclei Damage in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: de Albuquerque Milena , Anjos Lara G.V. , Maia Tavares de Andrade Helen , de Oliveira Márcia S. , Castellano Gabriela , Junqueira Ribeiro de Rezende Thiago , Nucci Anamarli , Cavalcante França Junior Marcondes
Published: May 2015

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by extensive corticospinal damage, but extrapyramidal involvement is suggested in pathological studies. Texture analysis (TA) is an image processing technique that evaluates the distribution of gray levels between pixels in a given region of interest (ROI). It provides quantitative data and has been employed in several neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we used TA to investigate possible deep gray nuclei (DGN) abnormalities in a cohort of ALS patients.

METHODS

Thirty‐two ALS patients and 32 healthy controls underwent MRI in a 3T scanner. The T1 volumetric sequence was used for DGN segmentation and extraction of 11 texture parameters using the MaZda software. Statistical analyses were performed using the Mann‐Whitney non‐parametric test, with a significance level set at α = 0.025 (FDR‐corrected) for TA.

RESULTS

Patients had significantly higher values for the parameter correlation (CO) in both thalami and in the right caudate nucleus compared to healthy controls. Also, the parameter Inverse Difference Moment or Homogeneity (IDM) presented significantly smaller values in the ALS group in both thalami.

CONCLUSIONS

TA of T1 weighted images revealed DGN alterations in patients with ALS, namely in the thalami and caudate nuclei.
A limited role for apparent competition via granivory in the persistence of a grassland invader
Authors: Radtke Troy M. , Wilson Scott D.
Published: May 2015

Aims

Apparent competition, in which an invasive plant species promotes herbivory on native plants, has been found in several species‐level studies, but has not been investigated at the community level. We compared native and invaded communities to test two hypotheses: that granivory is higher in invaded than native grassland communities, and that granivory is lower for seeds of invasive than native species.

Location

Northern edge of the Great Plains, northeast Montana, USA and south Saskatchewan, Canada.

Methods

We studied the widespread invasive grass Agropyron cristatum, which has established on >10 million ha in North America. We compared low‐biomass, diverse native grassland and high‐biomass, species‐poor Agropyron‐dominated stands at five sites across 250 km over 2 yr near the northern edge of the Great Plains.

Results

Granivory in Agropyron stands was nearly double that in native grassland (P < 0.05), but only in 1 yr (2009). In both years, granivory increased significantly over the growing season and with the cover of forbs. At the two most distal sites, granivory of Agropyron seeds was very similar to the average of all six other plant species examined, suggesting that the invasive species was neither favoured nor disadvantaged by granivory. An exclosure experiment suggested that both birds and small mammals contributed to granivory. As in the community comparison, significant differences among seed species and animal exclosures appeared in 2009 but not 2010.

Conclusions

Higher granivory in Agropyron stands than native grasslands provided some evidence for apparent competition, but the absence of this effect in 1 yr, combined with the lack of different granivory rates of Agropyron seeds, suggests that granivory‐related apparent competition plays a small role in the persistence of this invader. Instead, granivory is more consistently related to time within the growing season and the cover of forbs, and the persistence of Agropyron may be more strongly related to other factors, especially its relatively great root production.
Thermoregulation across thermal environments in a nocturnal gecko
Authors: Tan W. C. , Schwanz L. E.
Published: May 2015

Thermoregulation is a complicated paradigm in ecological physiology, yet is crucial to understanding species' response to climatic change. With an ectotherm's ability to exercise a continuous range of thermoregulatory strategies, describing thermoregulatory behaviour can be complex. The characterization of such behaviour depends critically on measuring the available thermal environment. Here, we examined thermoregulatory behaviour of a nocturnal gecko Gehyra variegata across different thermal environments using the standard index of effectiveness. We measured field body temperatures (Tb), preferred temperatures determined in the laboratory (Tp) and environmental (operative) temperatures (Te) to compare how closely field body temperatures matched preferred temperatures in comparison with environmental temperatures. We found out that G. variegata largely thermoconforms at night but also shows variation in thermoregulatory behaviour. In particular, there was a significant relationship between the effectiveness of thermoregulation and air temperature, which supports the conclusion that G. variegata can modestly alter their nocturnal thermoregulatory strategy when the costs and benefits change.
Rabindranath Tagore: the Next 50 Years
Authors: Radice William
Published: May 2015

This concluding article to the special journal issue on Rabindranath Tagore provides an overview of the multiple events that have been happening since 2009 leading up to the celebration of Tagore's 150th birth anniversary (May 2011–May 2012) across the world and assesses his global impact. The various dimensions of Tagore as poet and prophet, mystic and philosopher, activist and pragmatist, educationist and environmentalist are reconsidered against this resurgence. This paper offers a fresh cognizance of Tagore's rhythmic aesthetics permeating his entire body of work and affirms the performative appeal of Tagore's work which crosses linguistic barriers and continues to have a universal resonance, confirming Tagore's global relevance in the coming decades.
Inside Out, Outside In: Thinking a Tagorean Future of Education
Authors: Kupfer Christine
Published: May 2015

Rabindranath Tagore's ideas can still inspire education in the East as well as in the West today. In this paper, I survey Tagore's philosophical anthropology and argue that there is more coherence to his philosophy and pedagogy than is usually seen. For Tagore, the highest goal is to make the world one's own, as well as to enlarge one's self to encompass the world. The educational practices through which this ideal can be reached can be classified as “creative action,” “love,” and “freedom.” On the basis of such an ideal, realms such as the arts, nature, and movement no longer remain expendable additions to the kind of knowledge‐driven education that aims primarily at making everyone economically productive. One of the problems with such a pedagogical strategy is that it treats human beings as means and not as ends. Tagore's educational approach (his “method of nature”) refrains from turning children into adults as soon as possible and accepts the deceleration of learning and the simplification of living as most forward‐leading approach to a successful and comprehensive education.
Molecular evolution patterns reveal life history features of mycoplasma‐related endobacteria associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
Authors: Toomer Kevin H. , Chen Xiuhua , Naito Mizue , Mondo Stephen J. , den Bakker Henk C. , VanKuren Nicholas W. , Lekberg Ylva , Morton Joseph B. , Pawlowska Teresa E.
Published: May 2015

The mycoplasma‐related endobacteria (MRE), representing a recently discovered lineage of Mollicutes, are widely distributed across arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF, Glomeromycota). AMF colonize roots of most terrestrial plants and improve plant mineral nutrient uptake in return for plant‐assimilated carbon. The role of MRE in the biology of their fungal hosts is unknown. To start characterizing this association, we assessed partitioning of MRE genetic diversity within AMF individuals and across the AMF phylogeographic range. We further used molecular evolution patterns to make inferences about MRE codivergence with AMF, their lifestyle and antiquity of the Glomeromycota–MRE association. While we did not detect differentiation between MRE derived from different continents, high levels of diversity were apparent in MRE populations within AMF host individuals. MRE exhibited significant codiversification with AMF over ecological time and the absence of codivergence over evolutionary time. Moreover, genetic recombination was evident in MRE. These patterns indicate that, while MRE transmission is predominantly vertical, their complex intrahost populations are likely generated by horizontal transmission and recombination. Based on predictions of evolutionary theory, we interpreted these observations as a suggestion that MRE may be antagonists of AMF. Finally, we detected a marginally significant signature of codivergence of MRE with Glomeromycota and the Endogone lineage of Mucoromycotina, implying that the symbiosis between MRE and fungi may predate the divergence between these two groups of fungi.
Excretion of cytoplasmic proteins (ECP) in Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Ebner Patrick , Prax Marcel , Nega Mulugeta , Koch Iris , Dube Linda , Yu Wenqi , Rinker Janina , Popella Peter , Flötenmeyer Matthias , Götz Friedrich
Published: May 2015

Excretion of cytoplasmic proteins (ECP) is a common physiological feature in bacteria and eukaryotes. However, how these proteins without a typical signal peptide are excreted in bacteria is poorly understood. We studied the excretion pattern of cytoplasmic proteins using two glycolytic model enzymes, aldolase and enolase, and show that their excretion takes place mainly during the exponential growth phase in Staphylococcus aureus very similar to that of Sbi, an IgG‐binding protein, which is secreted via the Sec‐pathway. The amount of excreted enolase is substantial and is comparable with that of Sbi. For localization of the exit site, we fused aldolase and enolase with the peptidoglycan‐binding motif, LysM, to trap the enzymes at the cell wall. With both immune fluorescence labeling and immunogold localization on electron microscopic thin sections aldolase and enolase were found apart from the cytoplasmic area particularly in the cross wall and at the septal cleft of dividing cells, whereas the non‐excreted Ndh2, a soluble NADH:quinone oxidoreductase, is only seen attached to the inner side of the cytoplasmic membrane. The selectivity, the timing and the localization suggest that ECP is not a result of unspecific cell lysis but is mediated by an as yet unknown mechanism.
Transfer of penicillin resistance from Streptococcus oralis to Streptococcus pneumoniae identifies murE as resistance determinant
Authors: Todorova Katya , Maurer Patrick , Rieger Martin , Becker Tina , Bui Nhat Khai , Gray Joe , Vollmer Waldemar , Hakenbeck Regine
Published: May 2015

Beta‐lactam resistant clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae contain altered penicillin‐binding protein (PBP) genes and occasionally an altered murM, presumably products of interspecies gene transfer. MurM and MurN are responsible for the synthesis of branched lipid II, substrate for the PBP catalyzed transpeptidation reaction. Here we used the high‐level beta‐lactam resistant S. oralis Uo5 as donor in transformation experiments with the sensitive laboratory strain S. pneumoniae R6 as recipient. Surprisingly, piperacillin‐resistant transformants contained no alterations in PBP genes but carried murEUo5 encoding the UDP‐N‐acetylmuramyl tripeptide synthetase. Codons 83–183 of murEUo5 were sufficient to confer the resistance phenotype. Moreover, the promoter of murEUo5, which drives a twofold higher expression compared to that of S. pneumoniae R6, could also confer increased resistance. Multiple independent transformations produced S. pneumoniae R6 derivatives containing murEUo5, pbp2xUo5, pbp1aUo5 and pbp2bUo5, but not murMUo5 sequences; however, the resistance level of the donor strain could not be reached. S. oralis Uo5 harbors an unusual murM, and murN is absent. Accordingly, the peptidoglycan of S. oralis Uo5 contained interpeptide bridges with one L‐Ala residue only. The data suggest that resistance in S. oralis Uo5 is based on a complex interplay of distinct PBPs and other enzymes involved in peptidoglycan biosynthesis.
Rice responds to endophytic colonization which is independent of the common symbiotic signaling pathway
Authors: Chen Xi , Miché Lucie , Sachs Sabrina , Wang Qi , Buschart Anna , Yang Haiyuan , Vera Cruz Casiana M. , Hurek Thomas , Reinhold‐Hurek Barbara
Published: May 2015

As molecular interactions of plants with N2‐fixing endophytes are largely uncharacterized, we investigated whether the common signaling pathway (CSP) shared by root nodule symbioses (RNS) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbioses may have been recruited for the endophytic Azoarcus sp.–rice (Oryza sativa) interaction, and combined this investigation with global approaches to characterize rice root responses to endophytic colonization.

Putative homologs of genes required for the CSP were analyzed for their putative role in endophytic colonization. Proteomic and suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) approaches were also applied, and a comparison of defense‐related processes was carried out by setting up a pathosystem for flooded roots with Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae strain PXO99 (Xoo).

All tested genes were expressed in rice roots seedlings but not induced upon Azoarcus sp. inoculation, and the oscyclops and oscastor mutants were not impaired in endophytic colonization. Global approaches highlighted changes in rice metabolic activity and Ca2+‐dependent signaling in roots colonized by endophytes, including some stress proteins. Marker genes for defense responses were induced to a lesser extent by the endophytes than by the pathogen, indicating a more compatible interaction.

Our results thus suggest that rice roots respond to endophytic colonization by inducing metabolic shifts and signaling events, for which the CSP is not essential.
Innovation in metabolomics to improve personalized healthcare
Authors: Cacciatore Stefano , Loda Massimo
Published: May 2015

Metabolomics is the systemic study of all small molecules (metabolites) and their concentration as affected by pathological and physiological alterations or environmental or other factors. Metabolic alterations represent a “window” on the complex interactions between genetic expression, enzyme activity, and metabolic reactions. Techniques, including nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, Fourier‐transform infrared, and Raman spectroscopy, have led to significant advances in metabolomics. The field is shifting from feasibility studies to biological and clinical applications. Fields of application range from cancer biology to stem cell research and assessment of xenobiotics and drugs in tissues and single cells. Cross‐validation across high‐throughput platforms has allowed findings from expression profiling to be confirmed with metabolomics. Specific genetic alterations appear to drive unique metabolic programs. These, in turn, can be used as biomarkers of genetic subtypes of prostate cancer or as discovery tools for therapeutic targeting of metabolic enzymes. Thus, metabolites in blood may serve as biomarkers of tumor state, including inferring driving oncogenes. Novel applications such as these suggest that metabolic profiling may be utilized in refining personalized medicine.
The terrestrial biota prior to the origin of land plants (embryophytes): a review of the evidence
Authors: Wellman Charles H. , Strother Paul K.
Published: May 2015

It is often assumed that life originated and diversified in the oceans prior to colonizing the land. However, environmental constraints in chemical evolution models point towards critical steps leading to the origin of life as having occurred in subaerial settings. The earliest fossil record does not include finds from terrestrial deposits, so much of our understanding about the presence of a terrestrial microbial cover prior to the Proterozoic is based on inference and geochemical proxies that indicate biospheric carbon cycling during the Archaean. Our assessment is that by 2.7 Ga, microbial ecosystems in terrestrial settings were driven by oxygen‐generating, photosynthetic cyanobacteria. Studies of modern organisms indicate that both the origin and primary diversification of the eukaryotes could have occurred in terrestrial settings, shortly after 2.0 Ga, but there is no direct fossil evidence of terrestrial eukaryotes until about 1.1 Ga. At this time, it appears that the diversity of life in non‐marine habitats exceeded that found in marine settings where sulphidic seas may have impaired eukaryotic physiology and retarded evolution. Geochemical proxies indicate the establishment of an extensive soil‐forming microbial cover by 850 Ma, and it is possible that a rise in atmospheric oxygen at this time was due to the evolutionary expansion of green algae into terrestrial habitats. Direct fossil evidence of the earliest terrestrial biotas in the Phanerozoic consists of problematical palynomorphs from the Cambro‐Ordovician of Laurentia. These indicate that the evolution of the first land plants (embryophytes) during the Middle Ordovician took place within a landscape that included aeroterrestrial algae which were actively adapting to selection in subaerial settings.
Expressivism and the Normativity of Attitudes
Authors: Toppinen Teemu
Published: May 2015

Many philosophers believe that judgments about propositional attitudes, or about which mental states are expressed by which sentences, are normative judgments. If this is so, then metanormative expressivism must be given expressivist treatment. This might seem to make expressivism self‐defeating or worrisomely circular, or to frustrate the explanatory ambitions central to the view. I argue that recent objections along these lines to giving an expressivist account of expressivism are not successful. I shall also suggest that in order to deal with these worries, Dreier's influential response to the so‐called ‘problem of creeping minimalism’ must be slightly revised.
Justification and Forgetting
Authors: Naylor Andrew
Published: May 2015

This article sets forth a view about how epistemic justification figures in the ongoing justification of memory belief, a view that I callmoderate justificational preservationism(MJP). MJP presupposes a nontraditional notion ofmemorial justificationaccording to which what makes one's present belief that pprima faciejustified is that which provided one withprima faciejustification to believe that p originally (or some portion thereof). The article offers support for MJP by examining a series of cases that involve forgetting, and in doing so, criticizes views of Jennifer Lackey, David Owens, Michael Huemer, and George Pappas.