bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Connectivity between flyway populations of waterbirds: assessment of rates of exchange, their causes and consequences
Authors: Madsen Jesper , Tjørnløv Rune S. , Frederiksen Morten , Mitchell Carl , Sigfússon Arnór Th.
Published: October 2013

Conservation and management of migratory waterbirds use flyway populations as the basic unit, and knowledge of the delineation, rate of exchange and gene flow between populations is fundamental. However, for the majority of global flyway populations, information is too fragmentary to address connectivity between populations and, hence, insufficient to inform management.

We investigated the demographic connectivity between the eastern (breeding in Svalbard and wintering in Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium) and western (breeding in Greenland or Iceland and wintering in Britain) flyway populations of pink‐footed geeseAnser brachyrhynchusbased on resightings of marked geese from both populations. Previous genetic analyses suggested a modest gene flow between the two populations.

Capture–recapture analysis conservatively estimated that mean annual movement probabilities were low (eastern to western population: 0·071%, 95%CI = 0·033–0·15%; western to eastern: 0·076%, 95%CI = 0·031–0·18%). Movement probability from eastern to western flyway populations increased in years with high snow cover in the southernmost winter range inBelgium. Life histories of exchanged individuals from eastern to western (32 different individuals during 1988–2010) revealed that the majority enteredBritain viaBelgium and theNetherlands during winter; some returned to the eastern population viaBelgium and/or theNetherlands, others moved northwards inBritain during the spring and appear to have migrated directly fromBritain (western population) toNorway (eastern population). None of the birds from the eastern population emigrated permanently, but some individuals turned up inBritain in consecutive years. Out of nine individuals switching from western to eastern flyway populations, three returned toBritain; the others were not subsequently resighted. An alternative winter strategy and spring flyway overBritain toNorway is suggested, used by hundreds to thousands of eastern birds, particularly following severe winters. Thus, the two populations currently appear to be demographically closed; low genetic connectivity probably reflects dispersal over longer time.

Synthesis and applications. Current initiatives to internationally manage the eastern population of pink‐footed geese do not need to consider net immigration in predictive harvest models. For waterbirds in general, a targeted approach to evaluate connectivity, using classic marking studies in combination with molecular methods and focussed sampling on breeding grounds, is recommended to better underpin management decisions at population levels.
Abjection and Self-Identity: Towards a Revised Account of Purity and Impurity
Authors: Duschinsky Robbie
Published: October 2013

Kristeva describes abjection as ‘the repugnance, the retching that thrusts me to the side and turns me away from defilement, sewage, and muck’. Her account of the ‘abject’ has received a great deal of attention since the 1980s, in part due to high demand for theoretical attention to themes of purity and impurity, which remain important in contemporary society. Yet Kristeva herself has noted that ‘my investigation into abjection, violence and horror … picks up on a certain vacuum’, and other scholars have agreed that there is need for further work on what Campkin has described as an ‘under theorized’ topic. This article will begin by exploring the central line of criticism that has been made of Kristeva's concept of abjection, before then considering an attempt by Goodnow to address these concerns through a re-reading of Kristeva. Goodnow's re-reading of Kristeva, together with some conceptual clarifications from Hegel, will point the way towards a more precise account of purity and impurity. I shall contend that Kristeva's work on social abjection sometimes hits upon a pattern, which greater conceptual precision will be able to revise into a new social theory of when and why themes of purity and impurity are invoked in Western societies. It will be argued that impure phenomena are those in which heterogeneity is seen to disturb a qualitative homogeneity, taken to be basic; pure phenomena are those understood to be all-of-a-piece and as a result identical with their essence.
Assessing Progress toward Becoming a Patient‐Centered Medical Home: An Assessment Tool for Practice Transformation
Authors: Daniel Donna M. , Wagner Edward H. , Coleman Katie , Schaefer Judith K. , Austin Brian T. , Abrams Melinda K. , Phillips Kathryn E. , Sugarman Jonathan R.
Published: October 2013

Objective

To describe the properties of the Patient‐Centered Medical Home Assessment (PCMH‐A) as a tool to stimulate and monitor progress among primary care practices interested in transforming to patient‐centered medical homes (PCMHs).

Study Setting

Sixty‐five safety net practices from five states participating in a national demonstration program for PCMH transformation.

Study Design

Longitudinal analyses of PCMH‐A scores were performed. Scores were reviewed for agreement and sites were categorized over time into one of five categories by external facilitators. Comparisons to key activity completion rates and NCQA PCMH recognition status were completed.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

Multidisciplinary teams at each practice completed the 33‐item self‐assessment tool every 6 months between March 2010 and September 2012.

Principal Findings

Mean overall PCMH‐A scores increased (7.2, March 2010, to 9.1, September 2012; [p < .01]). Increases were statistically significant for each of the change concepts (p < .05). Facilitators agreed with scores 82% of the time. NCQA‐recognized sites had higher PCMH‐A scores than sites that were not yet recognized. Sites that completed more transformation activities and progressed over defined tiers reported higher PCMH‐A scores. Scores improved most in areas where technical assistance was provided.

Conclusions

The PCMH‐A was sensitive to change over time and provided an accurate reflection of practice transformation.
Hospital Costs and Inpatient Mortality among Children Undergoing Surgery for Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Romley John A. , Chen Alex Y. , Goldman Dana P. , Williams Roberta
Published: October 2013

Objective

To determine the association between hospital costs and risk‐adjusted inpatient mortality among children undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD) in U.S. acute‐care hospitals.

Data Sources/Study Settings

Retrospective cohort study of 35,446 children in 2003, 2006, and 2009 Kids' Inpatient Database (KID).

Study Design

Cross‐sectional logistic regression of risk‐adjusted inpatient mortality and hospital costs, adjusting for a variety of patient‐, hospital‐, and community‐level confounders.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

We identified relevant discharges in the KID using the AHRQ Pediatric Quality Indicator for pediatric heart surgery mortality, and linked these records to hospital characteristics from American Hospital Association Surveys and community characteristics from the Census.

Principal Findings

Children undergoing CHD surgery in higher cost hospitals had lower risk‐adjusted inpatient mortality (p = .002). An increase from the 25th percentile of treatment costs to the 75th percentile was associated with a 13.6 percent reduction in risk‐adjusted mortality.

Conclusions

Greater hospital costs are associated with lower risk‐adjusted inpatient mortality for children undergoing CHD surgery. The specific mechanisms by which greater costs improve mortality merit further exploration.
Increasing the number of discrete character states for continuous characters generates well‐resolved trees that do not reflect phylogeny
Authors: BARDIN Jérémie , ROUGET Isabelle , YACOBUCCI Margaret Mary , CECCA Fabrizio
Published: October 2013

Since the introduction of the cladistic method in systematics, continuous characters have been integrated into analyses but no methods for their treatment have received unanimous support. Some methods require a large number of character states to discretise continuous characters in order to keep the maximum level of information about taxa differences within the coding scheme. Our objective was to assess the impact of increasing the character state number on the outcomes of phylogenetic analyses. Analysis of a variety of simulated datasets shows that these methods for coding continuous characters can lead to the generation of well‐resolved trees that do not reflect a phylogenetic signal. We call this phenomenon the flattening of the tree‐length distribution; it is influenced by both the relative quantity of continuous characters in relation to discrete characters, and the number of characters in relation to the number of taxa. Bootstrap tests provide a method to avoid this potential bias.
Preliminary analyses of the frozen mummies of mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), bison (Bison priscus) and horse (Equus sp.) from the Yana‐Indigirka Lowland, Yakutia, Russia
Authors: BOESKOROV Gennady G. , POTAPOVA Olga R. , MASHCHENKO Eugeny N. , PROTOPOPOV Albert V. , KUZNETSOVA Tatyana V. , AGENBROAD Larry , TIKHONOV Alexey N.
Published: October 2013

The frozen bodies of a young woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), a wild horse (Equus sp.) and a steppe bison (Bison priscus) were recently found in the northern Yakutia (northeastern Siberia). All specimens have preserved bones, skin and soft tissues. Whereas the woolly mammoth and the Pleistocene horse were represented by partial frozen bodies, the steppe bison body was recovered in an absolutely complete state. All specimens were found frozen in the permafrost, with some of the tissues mummified. The wild horse and steppe bison are of Holocene age, and the mammoth is of Late Pleistocene age.
Doubling time calculations for lung cancer by three‐dimensional computer‐aided volumetry: Effects of inter‐observer differences and nodule characteristics
Authors: Koike Wataru , Iwano Shingo , Matsuo Keiji , Kitano Mariko , Kawakami Kenichi , Naganawa Shinji
Published: October 2013

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to investigate doubling time (DT) differences among solid, part‐solid (PS) and non‐solid (NS) types of lung cancers. We also compared inter‐observer differences in size measurements between diameter and three‐dimensional (3D) volume measurements of lung cancers, including PS‐ and NS‐type nodules, using 3D computer‐aided volumetry (3D‐CAV).

Methods

The long‐axis diameters and 3D volumes of lung tumours were measured using CAV by two chest radiologists for 71 consecutive patients with peripheral lung cancer who underwent at least two CT examinations before surgical resection. We evaluated the inter‐observer variability for the ratio of diameter change (RCdiameter) and volume change (RCvolume), which were based on two CT images obtained at different times prior to resection. Inter‐observer agreement was evaluated by Bland–Altman plots. Based on the volumes obtained from 3D‐CAV, we calculated the DTs and compared DT differences between solid, PS and NS types of lung tumours.

Results

The inter‐observer Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were 0.87 for RCvolume and 0.64 for RCdiameter (p < 0.001). For all internal appearance types, the rs values for RCvolume were greater than those for RCdiameter. The median DT values for solid, PS and NS were 278, 347 and 584 days, respectively. NS‐ and PS‐type tumours had significantly longer DTs (p = 0.024; by Spearman's rank correlation coefficient).

Conclusions

DT determinations using 3D‐CAV had good correlations with the internal appearances of lung cancers. Lung tumour volume measurements by 3D‐CAV exhibited better inter‐observer correlations than did diameter measurements.
Seed dispersal kernels estimated from genotypes of established seedlings: does density‐dependent mortality matter?
Authors: Klein Etienne K. , Bontemps Aurore , Oddou‐Muratorio Sylvie
Published: October 2013

The seed dispersal kernel is a major determinant of spatial population dynamics and spatial distribution of genetic diversity. Among the main methods to estimate it, inverse modelling (IM) and gene shadow model (GSM) rely on seed counts in traps, whereas competing source model (CSM) and spatially explicit mating models (SEMMs) rely on compositions of seed pools. Moreover, GSM, CSM and SEMM exploit genetic information from molecular markers, whereas IM only exploits seed counts ignoring seed origins. These methods were also applied to established seedlings.

In the presence of post‐dispersal density‐dependent mortality (DDM), the effective dispersal kernel, describing the spatial distribution of established seedlings relatively to the seed source, is notoriously different from the basic dispersal kernel, describing the spatial distribution of seed deposition sites relatively to the source. Using simulated data sets, we investigated whether IM, GSM, CSM and SEMM applied to established seedlings estimate the basic or the effective dispersal kernel. In our simulations, DDM resulted in a shift of the mean basic dispersal distance (10 m) towards substantially higher effective mean dispersal distances (15 m and 20·8 m).

We demonstrated that CSM and SEMM estimate the basic seed dispersal kernel, independently from the presence of post‐dispersal mortality. By contrast, GSM estimates the effective dispersal kernel. IM failed to provide satisfactory estimates in the presence of DDM in our sampling design. Besides, for all methods, seed migration was inflated in the presence of DDM, due to lower mortality among randomly distributed immigrants relatively to local seedlings.

It could seem intuitive that estimates based on seedlings or seeds provide effective or basic dispersal kernels respectively. Our results showed that it is not true for estimates obtained with CSM or SEMM because they rely on the composition of seed/seedling pools and not seed/seedling counts such as IM or GSM. This has important consequences for life stage studies where the discordance of dispersal kernels estimated from different cohorts is used to investigate post‐dispersal density‐dependent mortality.
Prevalence and implications of a difference in systolic blood pressure between one arm and the other in vascular surgical patients
Authors: Durrand J. W. , Batterham A. M. , O'Neill B. R. , Danjoux G. R.
Published: October 2013

Inter‐arm differences in blood pressure may confound haemodynamic management in vascular surgery. We evaluated 898 patients in the vascular pre‐assessment clinic to determine the prevalence of inter‐arm differences in systolic and mean arterial pressure, quantify the consequent risk of clinical error in siting monitoring peri‐operatively and evaluate systolic inter‐arm difference as a predictor of all‐cause mortality (median follow‐up 49 months). The prevalence of a systolic inter‐arm difference ≥ 15 mmHg was 26% (95% CI 23–29%). The prevalence of an inter‐arm mean arterial pressure difference ≥ 10 mmHg was 26% (95% CI 23–29%) and 11% (95% CI 9–13%) for a difference ≥ 15 mmHg. Monitoring could be erroneously sited in an arm reading lower for systolic pressure once in every seven to nine patients. The hazard ratio for a systolic inter‐arm difference ≥ 15 mmHg vs < 15 mmHg was 1.03 (95% CI 0.78–1.36, p = 0.84). Large inter‐arm blood pressure differences are common in this population, with a high potential for monitoring errors. Systolic inter‐arm difference was not associated with medium‐term mortality. [Correction added on 17 October 2013, after first online publication: In the Summary the sentence beginning ‘We evaluated 898 patients’ was corrected from (median (IQR [range]) follow‐up 49 months) to read (median follow up 49 months)]
Growth hormone‐induced insulin resistance in human subjects involves reduced pyruvate dehydrogenase activity
Authors: Nellemann B. , Vendelbo M. H. , Nielsen T. S. , Bak A. M. , Høgild M. , Pedersen S. B. , Biensø R. S. , Pilegaard H. , Møller N. , Jessen N. , Jørgensen J. O. L.
Published: October 2013

Aim

Insulin resistance induced by growth hormone (GH) is linked to promotion of lipolysis by unknown mechanisms. We hypothesized that suppression of the activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase in the active form (PDHa) underlies GH‐induced insulin resistance similar to what is observed during fasting.

Methods

Eight healthy male subjects were studied four times in a randomized, single‐blinded parallel design: Control, GH, Fasting (36 h) and GH + Fasting. GH (30 ng × kg−1 × min−1) or saline was infused throughout the metabolic study day. Substrate metabolism and insulin sensitivity were assessed by indirect calorimetry and isotopically determined rates of glucose turnover before and after a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp. PDHa activity, PDH‐E1α phosphorylation, PDK4 expression and activation of insulin signalling proteins were assessed in skeletal muscle.

Results

Both fasting and GH promoted lipolysis, which was associated with ≈50% reduction in insulin sensitivity compared with the control day. PDHa activity was significantly reduced by GH as well as fasting. This was associated with increased inhibitory PDH‐E1α phosphorylation on site 1 (Ser293) and 2 (Ser300) and up‐regulation of PDK4 mRNA, while canonical insulin signalling to glucose transport was unaffected.

Conclusion

Competition between intermediates of glucose and fatty acids seems to play a causal role in insulin resistance induced by GH in human subjects.
Serum neopterin and soluble CD163 as markers of macrophage activation in paracetamol (acetaminophen)‐induced human acute liver injury
Authors: Craig D. G. , Lee P. , Pryde E. A. , Hayes P. C. , Simpson K. J.
Published: October 2013

Background

Macrophage activation is implicated in the pathogenesis of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) following paracetamol (acetaminophen) overdose (POD). Neopterin is synthesised from macrophages and reflects the intensity of monocyte/macrophage activation. Soluble CD163 (sCD163) is a marker of alternatively activated M2 macrophages.

Aim

To examine neopterin and sCD163 levels in a cohort of acute liver injury patients.

Methods

Consecutive patients (n = 41, (18 (43.9%) male) with acute liver injury were enrolled. Neopterin and sCD163 levels were measured by ELISA.

Results

A total of 24/33 (72.7%) POD patients developed hepatic encephalopathy (HE), and therefore acute liver failure. Both neopterin and sCD163 levels were significantly higher in PODs compared with chronic liver disease (neopterin P < 0.001, sCD163 P = 0.038) and healthy (both P < 0.001) controls. Admission neopterin levels were significantly higher in PODs: with HE (P = 0.001); with the SIRS (P = 0.005); who required renal replacement therapy (P = 0.003); who died or required liver transplantation (P = 0.006; AUROC 78.6% (95% CI 62.2–94.9%). Serum sCD163 levels were significantly higher in those PODs with the SIRS (P = 0.033) on admission, and were higher in those PODs who died or required OLT (P = 0.024). Both admission neopterin and sCD163 levels in PODs correlated with organ failure scores but not with serum ALT. There was no significant correlation between neopterin and sCD163 values.

Conclusions

Both serum neopterin and sCD163 levels are significantly elevated following paracetamol overdose, and reflect the degree of macrophage activation in this condition. Serum neopterin in particular may have value as an early proxy marker of macrophage activation following paracetamol overdose.
Prescription of antidepressants and the risk of road traffic crash in the elderly: a case–crossover study
Authors: Orriols Ludivine , Wilchesky Machelle , Lagarde Emmanuel , Suissa Samy
Published: October 2013

Aim

To investigate the impact of antidepressants on the risk of road traffic crash in the elderly.

Methods

Reports from the Universal Quebec Automobile Insurance Agency database were matched with data on antidepressant prescription from the Quebec Health Insurance Agency. The case–crossover analysis consisted in comparing exposure during a period immediately before the crash with exposure during earlier periods, for the same subject.

Results

One hundred and nine thousand four hundred and six drivers between 66 and 84 years of age involved in a traffic crash between 1988 and 2000 were included. Two thousand nine hundred and nineteen (2.7%) were exposed to an antidepressant on the day of the crash. Case–crossover analysis found an increased risk of crash in drivers with a prescription of antidepressants before their crash when compared with a prescription of antidepressants 4 to 8 months before the crash (OR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.08, 1.30 to 1.42. 95% CI 1.30, 1.55). With the most recent control periods, results were not significant.

Conclusion

A patient's mental state is probably more similar between two periods that are close to each other than up to 8 months before. Consequently, the risk of crash is likely to be linked to symptoms of depression.
Centrality in children's best friend networks: The role of social behaviour
Authors: Betts Lucy R. , Stiller James
Published: October 2013

Centrality is an indicator of an individual's relative importance within a social group. Predictors of centrality in best friendship networks were examined in 146 children (70 boys and 76 girls, Mage = 9.95). Children completed measures of social confidence, social desirability, friendship quality, school liking, and loneliness and nominated their best friends from within their class at two time points, 3 months apart. Multigroup path analysis revealed gender differences in the antecedents of centrality. Social confidence, social desirability, and friendship quality predicted changes in the indicators of centrality in best friend networks over time. Boys' social behaviour positively predicted changes in centrality, whereas girls' social behaviour negatively predicted changes in centrality. Together, these findings suggest that some aspects of social behaviour are influential for centrality in best friend groups.
Varicocele decreases epididymal neutral α‐glucosidase and is associated with alteration of nuclear DNA and plasma membrane in spermatozoa
Authors: Vivas‐Acevedo Giovanny , Lozano‐Hernández Ricardo , Camejo María I.
Published: October 2013

Objective

To assess the relationship between a marker of epididymal function and both the fragmentation of the sperm nucleus and the integrity and maturity of the sperm membrane in patients with or without varicocele.

Patients and Methods

Semen samples were obtained from men with varicocele grades II and III (n = 60) and from a control group with zoospermia defined as normal (n = 30).

Samples were evaluated by a spermiogram, a hypoosmotic swelling test (HOST), neutral α‐glucosidase (NAG) enzyme activity, sperm hyaluronan‐binding assay (HBA) and DNA fragmentation using a sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) test.

Results

Seminal plasma NAG levels, percentage of sperm bound to hyaluronic acid, HOST‐positive cells and sperm quality were significantly lower in the varicocele compared with the control group.

Higher levels of sperm DNA fragmentation, as measured by SCD, were also observed in the varicocele group compared with the control group.

Seminal NAG activity levels showed a strong negative correlation with DNA fragmentation and a significant positive correlation with the HBA test and the HOST.

Conclusions

Varicocele causes a reduction in NAG activity by the epididymis that is associated with damage to both the membrane and sperm nucleus and a reduction in the seminal parameters.

NAG levels were correlated with the quality of the sperm membrane and nucleus.

Data suggest that a reduction of fertilization capacity in men during varicocele can result from damage to both the testis and the epididymis.
Brain RVD‐haemopressin, a haemoglobin‐derived peptide, inhibits bombesin‐induced central activation of adrenomedullary outflow in the rat
Authors: Tanaka Kenjiro , Shimizu Takahiro , Yanagita Toshihiko , Nemoto Takayuki , Nakamura Kumiko , Taniuchi Keisuke , Dimitriadis Fotios , Yokotani Kunihiko , Saito Motoaki
Published: October 2013

Background and Purpose

Haemopressin and RVD‐haemopressin, derived from the haemoglobin α‐chain, are bioactive peptides found in brain and are ligands for cannabinoid CB1 receptors. Activation of brain CB1 receptors inhibited the secretion of adrenal catecholamines (noradrenaline and adrenaline) induced by i.c.v. bombesin in the rat. Here, we investigated the effects of two haemoglobin‐derived peptides on this bombesin‐induced response

Experimental Approach

Anaesthetised male Wistar rats were pretreated with either haemoglobin‐derived peptide, given i.c.v., 30 min before i.c.v. bombesin and plasma catecholamines were subsequently measured electrochemically after HPLC. Direct effects of bombesin on secretion of adrenal catecholamines were examined using bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. Furthermore, activation of haemoglobin α‐positive spinally projecting neurons in the rat hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN, a regulatory centre of central adrenomedullary outflow) after i.c.v. bombesin was assessed by immunohistochemical techniques.

Key Results

Bombesin given i.c.v. dose‐dependently elevated plasma catecholamines whereas incubation with bombesin had no effect on spontaneous and nicotine‐induced secretion of catecholamines from chromaffin cells. The bombesin‐induced increase in catecholamines was inhibited by pretreatment with i.c.v. RVD‐haemopressin (CB1 receptor agonist) but not after pretreatment with haemopressin (CB1 receptor inverse agonist). Bombesin activated haemoglobin α‐positive spinally projecting neurons in the PVN.

Conclusions and Implications

The haemoglobin‐derived peptide RVD‐haemopressin in the brain plays an inhibitory role in bombesin‐induced activation of central adrenomedullary outflow via brain CB1 receptors in the rat. These findings provide basic information for the therapeutic use of haemoglobin‐derived peptides in the modulation of central adrenomedullary outflow.
Loss of gastric gland mucin‐specific O‐glycan is associated with progression of differentiated‐type adenocarcinoma of the stomach
Authors: Shiratsu Kazuo , Higuchi Kayoko , Nakayama Jun
Published: October 2013

Gastric gland mucin secreted from the lower portion of the gastric mucosa contains unique O‐linked oligosaccharides having terminal α1,4‐linked N‐acetylglucosamine (αGlcNAc) residues largely attached to a MUC6 scaffold. Previously, we generated A4gnt‐deficient mice, which totally lack αGlcNAc, and showed that αGlcNAc functions as a tumor suppressor for gastric cancer. Here, to determine the clinicopathological significance of αGlcNAc in gastric carcinomas, we examined immunohistochemical expression of αGlcNAc and mucin phenotypic markers including MUC5AC, MUC6, MUC2, and CD10 in 214 gastric adenocarcinomas and compared those expression patterns with clinicopathological parameters and cancer‐specific survival. The αGlcNAc loss was evaluated in MUC6‐positive gastric carcinoma. Thirty‐three (61.1%) of 54 differentiated‐type gastric adenocarcinomas exhibiting MUC6 in cancer cells lacked αGlcNAc expression. Loss of αGlcNAc was significantly correlated with depth of invasion, stage, and venous invasion by differentiated‐type adenocarcinoma. Loss of αGlcNAc was also significantly associated with poorer patient prognosis in MUC6‐positive differentiated‐type adenocarcinoma. By contrast, no significant correlation between αGlcNAc loss and any clinicopathologic variable was observed in undifferentiated‐type adenocarcinoma. Expression of MUC6 was also significantly correlated with several clinicopathological variables in differentiated‐type adenocarcinoma. However, unlike the case with αGlcNAc, its expression showed no correlation with cancer‐specific survival in patients. In undifferentiated‐type adenocarcinoma, we observed no significant correlation between mucin phenotypic marker expression, including MUC6, and any clinicopathologic variable. These results together indicate that loss of αGlcNAc in MUC6‐positive cancer cells is associated with progression and poor prognosis in differentiated, but not undifferentiated, types of gastric adenocarcinoma.
Quantification of circulating house dust mite‐specific IL‐4‐ and IL‐13‐secreting T cells correlates with rhinitis severity in asthmatic children and varies with the seasons
Authors: Michaud B. , Gouvis‐Echraghi R. , Candon S. , Couderc R. , Jais J. P. , Bach J. F. , Chatenoud L. , Just J.
Published: October 2013

Background

Defining suitable markers to diagnose and monitor allergy and its severity is essential to correctly assign patients for specific immunotherapy. Circulating levels of specific IgE are good markers of sensitization, but not of clinically symptomatic allergy.

Objective

To quantify circulating interleukin (IL)‐4‐ and IL‐13‐secreting T cells specific for house dust mite (HDM) in children presenting HDM‐allergic asthma associated or not with rhinitis and correlate results with clinical symptoms.

Methods

We analysed 26 children with HDM respiratory disease (allergic rhinitis and asthma) together with six children with non‐allergic asthma. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with HDM extract in a 24‐h ELISpot assay to quantify the number of HDM‐specific IL‐4‐ and IL‐13‐secreting T cells. Asthma severity and control, and rhinitis severity were scored according to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) and the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) Guidelines.

Results

The number of HDM‐specific IL‐4‐ and IL‐13‐secreting T cells was higher in patients with allergic asthma as compared to patients with non‐allergic asthma. It varied with the season of blood sampling with two peaks in the fall and early spring. Independently of the season, the number of HDM‐specific IL‐4‐secreting T cells correlated with rhinitis severity (OR = 2; 95% IC:1.1–3.8; P = 0.04).

Conclusions and Clinical relevance

Allergen‐specific IL‐4‐ and IL‐13‐producing T cells were only detected in HDM‐allergic asthmatic children (not in patients with non‐allergic asthma). Their numbers correlated with clinical severity of allergic rhinitis.
Visual Analysis of Multi‐Dimensional Categorical Data Sets
Authors: Broeksema Bertjan , Telea Alexandru C. , Baudel Thomas
Published: October 2013

We present a set of interactive techniques for the visual analysis of multi‐dimensional categorical data. Our approach is based on multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), which allows one to analyse relationships, patterns, trends and outliers among dependent categorical variables. We use MCA as a dimensionality reduction technique to project both observations and their attributes in the same 2D space. We use a treeview to show attributes and their domains, a histogram of their representativity in the data set and as a compact overview of attribute‐related facts. A second view shows both attributes and observations. We use a Voronoi diagram whose cells can be interactively merged to discover salient attributes, cluster values and bin categories. Bar chart legends help assigning meaning to the 2D view axes and 2D point clusters. We illustrate our techniques with real‐world application data.
Learning provides mating opportunities for males of a parasitoid wasp
Authors: Danci Adela , Hrabar Michael , Ikoma Shari , Schaefer Paul W. , Gries Gerhard
Published: October 2013

The ability of insects to learn locations of future resources has rarely been studied. Here, we show that males of the solitary parasitoid wasp Pimpla disparis Viereck (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) learn locations of future mates. Male P. disparis reportedly arrest on parasitized pupae of wax moth, Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), and gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), when mate emergence is imminent. We tested the hypothesis that male P. disparis identify, memorize, and revisit the location(s) of parasitized host pupae as a strategy to attain mates. We colour‐coded P. disparis males in the field and noticed that they revisit parasitized moth pupae on consecutive days, and arrest on those pupae with a near‐emergence P. disparis parasitoid. In a laboratory experiment with two large corrugated cardboard cylinders (CCCs) as surrogate trees, each CCC bearing two parasitized moth pupae with a near‐emergence P. disparis parasitoid or two pupae not parasitized, males on day 1 of the experiment visited parasitized pupae more often than pupae not parasitized. On day 2, when each CCC had been replaced and now carried pupae that were not parasitized, males returned to the same CCC, or the same micro‐location on that CCC, which on day 1 had carried parasitized pupae. Field and laboratory data combined indicate that male P. disparis learn the location of future mates. With female P. disparis being haplodiploid and capable of reproducing without mating experience, the onus to find a mate is on males. They accomplish this by detecting parasitized pupae, learning their location, revisiting them frequently, and then arresting on them when the prospective mate nears emergence, taking a 50% chance that it is indeed a female.
The size‐number trade‐off and components of fitness in clonal parasitoid broods
Authors: Saeki Yoriko , Crowley Philip H.
Published: October 2013

Body size can strongly influence the components of fitness. We investigated the role of body mass in the reproductive success of the parasitoid Copidosoma bakeri (Howard) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). Copidosoma bakeri develops polyembryonically, producing thousands of genetically identical individuals from one egg. In this species, the brood size and body mass of clonal individuals developing within a host are in a trade‐off relationship, which flexibly responds to the environment while maintaining female‐biased sexual size dimorphism. We addressed the following questions regarding several possible effects of body mass on male and female reproductive success. (1) Is longevity positively related to body size in both sexes? (2) Is potential fecundity positively related to female body size? (3) Is mating competitiveness positively correlated with male body size? We found that body size increased with longevity of females, but not of males. Copidosoma bakeri was weakly synovigenic; a few eggs were produced after female maturation. Also, egg volume increased with age of the females. We did not detect a relationship between body size and potential fecundity, but mated females produced more eggs than unmated females. Thus, larger females may increase their opportunities to mate, find hosts, and oviposit primarily by living longer. Male mating competitiveness was not related to body mass. Mating reduced male longevity, suggesting a cost of mating that was independent of body mass. Differences between males and females in the effects of body mass on longevity suggest sex‐specific selection pressures on body mass that may explain female‐biased sexual size dimorphism.
Cytogenetic risk grouping by the monosomal karyotype classification is superior in predicting the outcome of acute myeloid leukemia undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation in complete remission
Authors: Hemmati Philipp G. , Schulze‐Luckow Anthea , Terwey Theis H. , le Coutre Philipp , Vuong Lam G. , Dörken Bernd , Arnold Renate
Published: October 2013

We retrospectively analyzed the impact of cytogenetic abnormalities grouped according to the monosomal karyotype (MK) classification or the Southwest Oncology/Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (SWOG/ECOG) definition in 263 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) in complete remission (CR) at our center. Risk grouping using the MK criteria shows a highly significant difference in 5‐yr overall survival (OS) ranging between 67%, for the most favorable, and 32%, for the poorest risk group (P = 0.001). Although similarly precise in predicting OS, the MK scheme better separates patients with respect to relapse incidence as compared to the SWOG/ECOG grouping (P = 0.0001 vs. P = 0.01). Notably, patients displaying non‐MK abnormalities (MK−) had a 5‐yr relapse incidence identical to those cytogenetically normal (CN), that is 24%. Multivariate analysis revealed that the MK classification is an independent prognosticator and superior in predicting OS (hazard ratios, HR 3.74, P = 0.01) and relapse incidence (HR 3.74, P = 0.005) as compared to the SWOG/ECOG criteria. Finally, subgroup analysis revealed that the prognostic capacity of the MK classification is highly significant in patients treated with standard myeloablative conditioning prior to alloSCT (P = 0.0011 for OS, P = 0.0007 for relapse). In contrast, the MK grouping failed to predict OS or relapse incidence in patients treated with reduced intensity conditioning. Taken together, these results indicate that the MK classification is superior in predicting the overall outcome of patients with AML undergoing alloSCT in CR. Furthermore, our data suggest that the genetic risk profile of MK− and CN patients is mostly overlapping in this setting.
Biochar addition rate influences soil microbial abundance and activity in temperate soils
Authors: Gomez J. D. , Denef K. , Stewart C. E. , Zheng J. , Cotrufo M. F.
Published: October 2013

Biochar (BC) amendment to soils is a proposed strategy to improve soil fertility and mitigate climate change. However, before this can become a recommended management practice, a better understanding of the impacts of BC on the soil biota is needed. We determined the effect of addition rates (0, 1, 5, 10 and 20% by mass) of a fast‐pyrolysis wood‐derived BC on the extraction efficiency (EE), abundance and temporal dynamics of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs, microbial community biomarkers) in four temperate soils during a 1‐year incubation. Additionally, the effects on microbial mineralization/incorporation of BC‐C were determined by measuring CO2 efflux and the BC contribution to CO2 and PLFA‐C using the natural 13C abundance difference between BC and soils. Biochar addition proportionally increased microbial abundance in all soils and altered the community composition, particularly at the greatest addition rate, towards a more gram‐negative bacteria‐dominated (relative to fungi and gram‐positive) community. Though chemically recalcitrant, the BC served as a substrate for microbial activity, more so at large addition rates and in soil with little organic matter. Microbial utilization of BC‐C for growth could only partially explain the observed increase in microbial biomass, suggesting that other, potentially abiotic, mechanisms were involved. The strong decrease in PLFA EE (−77%) in all soils with biochar addition emphasizes the need to measure and correct for EE when using PLFA biomarkers to estimate soil microbial responses to BC additions. Overall, our study provides support for BC use as a soil amendment that potentially stimulates microbial activity and growth.
Soil microbial communities responded to biochar application in temperate soils and slowly metabolized 13C‐labelled biochar as revealed by 13C PLFA analyses: results from a short‐term incubation and pot experiment
Authors: Watzinger A. , Feichtmair S. , Kitzler B. , Zehetner F. , Kloss S. , Wimmer B. , Zechmeister‐Boltenstern S. , Soja G.
Published: October 2013

This study investigates (i) the effect of biochar amendments on soil microbial communities in temperate agricultural soils, (ii) the involvement of microorganisms (MOs) in degradation of biochar and (iii) techniques to quantify degradation of biochar in short‐term experiments. The study involved an incubation experiment and a pot experiment with two arable soils (a sandy acidic Planosol and a calcareous loamy Chernozem) amended with 13C‐depleted biochar from wheat husk and willow plants. Phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs), 13C‐PLFA, CO2, 13C‐CO2, soil organic carbon (Corg) and 13C‐Corg were monitored for 100 days. Effects of biochar application on the soil microorganisms (MOs) were generally minor. In the incubation experiment, microbial biomass was elevated by wheat husk biochar, especially in the Planosol. The increase in PLFAs was attributed to Gram‐negative bacteria and actinomycetes. Fungi and Gram‐positive bacteria were less affected. In the pot experiment, MOs did not respond to the addition of willow biochar. The effects of biochar were mainly attributed to an increase in the pH of the Planosol. Additionally, MOs were probably less responsive to inorganic fertilizer in biochar‐amended soil. In the incubation, only the actinomycetal PLFA 10Me18:0 incorporated biochar C, while in the pot experiment, Gram‐negative bacterial PLFAs (16:1ω7c, 16:1ω5c, 18:1ω7c) and Me16:0 & i17:1ω8 and i17:0 indicated degradation of biochar after 5 weeks. Uptake of around 20% biochar C in these PLFAs was monitored, which accounts for 2% biochar C in the total microbial biomass. From the PLFA data the mean residence time of biochar carbon was estimated in time‐scales of centuries to millennia. The CO2 concentration decreased after biochar addition until its production was masked by root respiration. The use of 13C‐CO2 labelling to estimate degradation was complicated by the interference with an initial negative priming effect and the dissolution/precipitation of carbonate. In conclusion, soil MOs were not particularly affected by addition of biochar, and the effects recorded were mainly attributed to changing environmental conditions after biochar addition. Nonetheless, uptake of 13C label into microbial PLFAs was successfully used to estimate microbial degradation of biochar in short‐term experiments.
Does life history mediate changing disease risk when communities disassemble?
Authors: Joseph Maxwell B. , Mihaljevic Joseph R. , Orlofske Sarah A. , Paull Sara H.
Published: October 2013

Biodiversity loss sometimes increases disease risk or parasite transmission in humans, wildlife and plants. Some have suggested that this pattern can emerge when host species that persist throughout community disassembly show high host competence – the ability to acquire and transmit infections. Here, we briefly assess the current empirical evidence for covariance between host competence and extirpation risk, and evaluate the consequences for disease dynamics in host communities undergoing disassembly. We find evidence for such covariance, but the mechanisms for and variability around this relationship have received limited consideration. This deficit could lead to spurious assumptions about how and why disease dynamics respond to community disassembly. Using a stochastic simulation model, we demonstrate that weak covariance between competence and extirpation risk may account for inconsistent effects of host diversity on disease risk that have been observed empirically. This model highlights the predictive utility of understanding the degree to which host competence relates to extirpation risk, and the need for a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying such relationships.
National and regional socio‐economic dependence on the fishery sector in mainland China
Authors: Li R.
Published: October 2013

This article examines national and regional dependence on fisheries in mainland China. In 2010, the fishing industry in mainland China contributed 1.5% to annual national GDP and represented 9.3% of value added by all primary production sectors. The annual value of fishery exports accounted for about 30% of the national food export value. It provided an average of more than 40 kg yr−1 of animal protein for every Chinese person, contributing greatly to national food security. Moreover, fisheries have created employment for approximately 14.0 million persons, and a source of income and livelihood for 20.8 million people in 5.2 million households. Fisheries are mainly concentrated in the provinces along the coast and those in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Furthermore, the primary fisheries sector is a basic industry in more regions than the secondary and tertiary sectors.
Opposite latitudinal gradients in projected ocean acidification and bleaching impacts on coral reefs
Authors: van Hooidonk Ruben , Maynard Jeffrey Allen , Manzello Derek , Planes Serge
Published: October 2013

Coral reefs and the services they provide are seriously threatened by ocean acidification and climate change impacts like coral bleaching. Here, we present updated global projections for these key threats to coral reefs based on ensembles of IPCC AR5 climate models using the new Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) experiments. For all tropical reef locations, we project absolute and percentage changes in aragonite saturation state (Ωarag) for the period between 2006 and the onset of annual severe bleaching (thermal stress >8 degree heating weeks); a point at which it is difficult to believe reefs can persist as we know them. Severe annual bleaching is projected to start 10–15 years later at high‐latitude reefs than for reefs in low latitudes under RCP8.5. In these 10–15 years, Ωarag keeps declining and thus any benefits for high‐latitude reefs of later onset of annual bleaching may be negated by the effects of acidification. There are no long‐term refugia from the effects of both acidification and bleaching. Of all reef locations, 90% are projected to experience severe bleaching annually by 2055. Furthermore, 5% declines in calcification are projected for all reef locations by 2034 under RCP8.5, assuming a 15% decline in calcification per unit of Ωarag. Drastic emissions cuts, such as those represented by RCP6.0, result in an average year for the onset of annual severe bleaching that is ~20 years later (2062 vs. 2044). However, global emissions are tracking above the current worst‐case scenario devised by the scientific community, as has happened in previous generations of emission scenarios. The projections here for conditions on coral reefs are dire, but provide the most up‐to‐date assessment of what the changing climate and ocean acidification mean for the persistence of coral reefs.
Has the IASB Been Successful in Making Accounting Earnings More Useful for Prediction and Valuation? UK Evidence
Authors: Choi Young‐Soo , Peasnell Ken , Toniato Joao
Published: October 2013

When producing International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), one of the main goals of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) was to create a set of standards which were more useful to investors as a predictive tool. We assess the success of the IASB in achieving this goal by investigating the effects of the introduction of IFRS on the relative information content of reported earnings and forecasted earnings under UK generally accepted accounting practices (GAAP) and IFRS. Results indicate that the value relevance of forecasted earnings is significantly lower under IFRS while the value relevance of reported earnings is significantly larger. These findings suggest that IFRS substitutes price‐relevant information previously provided to the market in the form of analyst forecasts with information encoded by companies in their reported earnings. This implies that the IASB was indeed successful in its stated goal and points towards IFRS forecasts being more accurate and less dispersed than UK GAAP forecasts. This, in turn, implies that analysts are able to provide more informative forecasts under IFRS than under pre‐IFRS regimes and that the aforementioned substitution effect is not a consequence of any decrease in the quality of forecasts under the new regime.