bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploiting aberrant mRNA expression in autism for gene discovery and diagnosis
Authors: Guan Jinting , Yang Ence , Yang Jizhou , Zeng Yong , Ji Guoli , Cai James J.
Published: October 2015

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by substantial phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity, which greatly complicates the identification of genetic factors that contribute to the disease. Study designs have mainly focused on group differences between cases and controls. The problem is that, by their nature, group difference-based methods (e.g., differential expression analysis) blur or collapse the heterogeneity within groups. By ignoring genes with variable within-group expression, an important axis of genetic heterogeneity contributing to expression variability among affected individuals has been overlooked. To this end, we develop a new gene expression analysis method—aberrant gene expression analysis, based on the multivariate distance commonly used for outlier detection. Our method detects the discrepancies in gene expression dispersion between groups and identifies genes with significantly different expression variability. Using this new method, we re-visited RNA sequencing data generated from post-mortem brain tissues of 47 ASD and 57 control samples. We identified 54 functional gene sets whose expression dispersion in ASD samples is more pronounced than that in controls, as well as 76 co-expression modules present in controls but absent in ASD samples due to ASD-specific aberrant gene expression. We also exploited aberrantly expressed genes as biomarkers for ASD diagnosis. With a whole blood expression data set, we identified three aberrantly expressed gene sets whose expression levels serve as discriminating variables achieving >70% classification accuracy. In summary, our method represents a novel discovery and diagnostic strategy for ASD. Our findings may help open an expression variability-centered research avenue for other genetically heterogeneous disorders.
Fluid typography: transforming letterforms in television idents
Authors: Brownie Barbara
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose that, within the practice of motion branding, transforming type has been largely neglected by existing theorists and its importance to wider marketing trends overlooked. It will be observed that previous texts on transitional letterforms have tended to focus on changes in global arrangement and in doing so have neglected to recognise the significance of changes that occur at a local level, within individual letterforms.

Design/methodology/approach

– Taking an interdisciplinary approach, with examples including idents and bumpers from Channel 4, Sky, FOX, Five and MTV. New methods of understanding these artefacts will be introduced, with emphasis on how they affect the relationship between broadcaster’s identities and the medium of television. Modes of definition and understanding that have previously been applied to holographic poetry will be applied to the field of on-screen artefacts.

Findings

– The paper will discuss how branding has adapted to incorporate the features of the medium of television, and propose new methods of classification for the associated processes of metamorphosis, construction, parallax and revelation.

Originality/value

– Motion branding, in the form of television idents, is frequently described as containing “motion typography”, but this and related terminology is vague or misleading – and reduces all forms of kineticism to simple motion. On-screen branding often operates more complex temporal behaviours. Lack of sufficient vocabulary to describe such transformations has forced practitioners to describe their work in terms of previously existing work, thereby limiting the perceived scope of their ideas and the possibility of innovation. This paper resolves the lack of existing vocabulary by providing new definitions of four categories of fluid transformation that appear in contemporary television idents.
The mediating role of perceived employability in the relationship between core self-evaluations and job search behaviour
Authors: Onyishi Ike E. , Enwereuzor Ibeawuchi K. , Ituma Afam N. , Omenma J. Tochukwu
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of perceived employability in the relationship between core self-evaluations (CSEs) and job search behaviour (preparatory and active job search).

Design/methodology/approach

– A cross-sectional survey data were obtained among a sample of 254 employed and unemployed graduate students from a university in Southeast Nigeria.

Findings

– Results of the hierarchical multiple regression show that CSEs was significantly and positively associated with only preparatory job search behaviour but not active job search behaviour. CSEs was positively associated with perceived employability. Perceived employability was positively associated with the preparatory job search but not active job search. Perceived employability also mediated the relationship between CSEs and preparatory job search but failed to mediate the relationship between CSEs and active job search.

Research limitations/implications

– The study makes important contribution to the literature on job search by augmenting our understanding on the mechanism that govern core self-evaluation and job search behaviour relationship.

Practical implications

– Human resources practitioners can use the insights of the present study in understanding aspects of jobseekers’ personality and perception that may be relevant in job search behaviour. The study has also implications for career development practice especially in the areas of counselling of job seekers in environments where there is high level of unemployment.

Originality/value

– There has been rarely any previous attempt at investigating the possibility that the relationship between CSEs and job search behaviour is mediated by perceived employability.
Dual careers: the new norm for Gen Y professionals?
Authors: Clarke Marilyn
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to use the kaleidoscope career model as a lens through which to explore the career choices and decisions of young professional couples and the strategies that they use to facilitate successful dual careers while attempting to balance their work and non-work lives.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were gathered through face-to-face interviews with 18 couples. Couples were interviewed separately to explore how individual career values and choices shape decisions in partnership. Template analysis was used to identify career patterns as defined by the kaleidoscope career model.

Findings

– Gender-based patterns suggested by the kaleidoscope career model appear to be giving way to different patterns based on individual career aspirations, earning capacity and motivation within a dual career (as opposed to simply dual income) household. For some young professionals challenge and balance are equally important and so unlike the original interpretation of the KCM their careers reflect dual priorities not challenge followed by balance as their careers evolve.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample size is small and participants were recruited through purposeful sampling which may have resulted in a more homogeneous cohort than would have been achieved through random sampling.

Practical implications

– Changing demographic profiles and emerging social norms are changing the way Gen Y approach work and careers. Organisations and professional bodies need to respond to these changes through implementation of appropriate HR policies within supportive organisational cultures if they are to attract and retain young professionals.

Social implications

– This research is important because there is clearly a gap between changes at a societal level and the way in which organisations are responding to those changes. The paper provides insights into how public policy and organisational practices can be designed and implemented to meet the needs and expectations of Gen Y professionals.

Originality/value

– This study provides an insight into the way Gen Y professionals are navigating dual careers as opposed to dual incomes. It builds on and expands the kaleidoscope career model by showing that Gen Y professionals are less constrained by gender stereotypes than previous generations in their quest for challenge and balance and that some couples are determined to have both challenge and balance, not either/or.
Enterprise education needs enterprising educators
Authors: Penaluna Kathryn , Penaluna Andy , Usei Caroline , Griffiths Dinah
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon the process that underpinned and informed the development and delivery of a “creativity-led” credit-bearing teacher training provision and to illuminate key factors of influence for the approaches to teaching and learning.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on the assumption that sustaining enterprise education involves developing educator capacity, networks of collaborating educators from different institutions and subject disciplines developed transdisciplinary pedagogical strategies. These were delivered to two pilot programmes, with a cohort of 18 in each.

Findings

– Feedback from the pilots suggest that creativity-based pedagogies are effective triggers. They motivate educators and enable specialists to develop subject-related content.

Practical implications

– The paper highlights the need for a more developed understanding of creativity, innovation and opportunity recognition, so that enterprise education starts with ideas generation, not merely ideas evaluation.

Originality/value

– Understanding creativity and innovation is emergent and there is a dearth of understanding, especially in teaching and learning for enterprise. The paper illuminates a developmental process that has responded to this shortfall.
Facilitating employees’ and students’ process towards nascent entrepreneurship
Authors: Hietanen Lenita
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate a model for facilitating employees’ and full-time, non-business students’ entrepreneurial capabilities during their optional entrepreneurship studies at one Finnish Open University.

Design/methodology/approach

– The case study investigates the course in which transitions from employees or non-business students to nascent entrepreneurs are presupposed to happen. The examined phenomenon is the lecturer’s (the author’s) facilitating process. The key method is to support the ES students in developing their daily practices and reflecting on these from an entrepreneurial view.

Findings

– For the ES students identified as latent nascent entrepreneurs, the development period facilitated by exploiting small-sized entrepreneurs’ attributes, skills and behaviour mainly awakened intrapreneurship. Intrapreneurship was an unexpected phase because the lecturer did not offer it as an alternative. This necessitated the lecturer to investigate her instructions during the ES students’ development processes to find out the crucial factors that might have awakened their intrapreneurship.

Practical implications

– In the current case, intrapreneurship seems to be an essential phase between latent nascent and nascent entrepreneurship. Therefore, it is important to note the elements in the facilitation process that may strengthen intrapreneurship. The implications of latent nascent entrepreneurs’ entrepreneurial processes should be further investigated, whether strengthening intrapreneurship would produce more nascent entrepreneurs than processes without noticing intrapreneurship.

Originality/value

– Developing and reflecting on one’s practices from an entrepreneurial viewpoint as an employee or a full-time, non-business student seem worthy of more examinations. Generally, opportunities for encouraging new start-ups by these people comprise an unknown area when considering supported entrepreneurial processes.
Infusing work-based learning with Confucian principles: a comparative perspective
Authors: Sun Qi , Kang Haijun
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The globalization of the market economy and the technology revolution present multiple demands for education to meet the needs of the knowledge society. In this global context, work-based learning (WBL) has become increasingly valuable and critical for individuals and governments to enhance employability and to produce competitive workforces. Yet, the interdependence nature of globalization urges us to learn from each other the various theoretical and methodological approaches to WBL. Applying an appreciative inquiry, the purpose of this paper is to propose the transformation of current WBL practices by integrating or “meshing” Confucian Learning Model (CLM) into Western approaches for sustainable human development in this multi-cultural economic-driven global context.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study is grounded in literature review and critical examination of profound pedagogical theories and practices from both Western and Eastern perspectives. Western education philosophies, learning theories, and models are critically examined and contrasted with CLM an important Eastern perspective in order to identify the major limitations of current WBL development. Appreciative inquiry and comparative view are applied as methods to highlight the significance of integrating or meshing CLM into the Western approaches to transform current WBL practices in this global context.

Findings

– WBL has greatly benefited current workforce development worldwide, which is well documented in the literature. However, through futuristic and holistic human development perspectives, current WBL development is seen as moving toward pragmatism and utilitarianism due to overemphasizing the use of education for economic competition and for satisfying employers’ immediate work/job needs. Through an “appreciative eye” and comparative lens, this paper helps identify an urgent need to integrate or mesh CLM, an important Eastern perspective, into Western perspectives for enhanced theoretical foundations and more holistic and systemic practical approaches to transform current WBL practices for global sustainable human development.

Originality/value

– This paper employs a unique method of “appreciative eye” and comparative lens through which scholars and practitioners may identify what is missing but needed in current WBL development in the global context. It is through this unique approach that this paper increases the reader’s awareness of the limitations of current WBL practices, guides them to envision how to fully prepare and release the potential of the twenty-first century workforce, and calls for integrating or “meshing” CLM into the various Western approaches for a more holistic perspective for the possible transformation of current WBL practices worldwide.
Online customer engagement
Authors: Hammedi Wafa , Kandampully Jay , Zhang Ting Ting (Christina) , Bouquiaux Lucille
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The emergence and success of online brand communities in the marketplace have attracted considerable interest; this study seeks to determine the conditions in which people create social environments by investigating the drivers of connections to a focal online brand community and other brand communities. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the composition of multi-community networks, focussing on the density and centrality of brand communities.

Design/methodology/approach

– On the basis of insights from prior literature, the proposed model examines customers’ social relationships with multiple brand communities. A survey of 290 participants spans eight brand communities. The modeling process used structural equation modeling; the analysis of the social relationship among brand communities relied on an ego network approach.

Findings

– Two drivers prompt connections to other online brand communities. First, personal identification with a core brand community enhances connections to other communities. Second, some core brand members choose a functionality-driven approach in creating social environments.

Practical implications

– For marketers, this study highlights the importance of positioning the brand community as part of a social environment. To strengthen customer-brand relationships, marketers should focus on community members’ multiple memberships.

Originality/value

– This paper extends understanding of online brand community members’ motivations to participate in a focal brand community. It also explains the creation of a social environment, through a careful consideration of participation in different brand communities and their relationships.
Carbon roadmap from syngas to polyhydroxyalkanoates in Rhodospirillum rubrum
Authors: Revelles O. , Tarazona N. , García J. L. , Prieto M. A.
Published: October 2015

The gasification of organic waste materials to synthesis gas (syngas), followed by microbial fermentation, provides a significant resource for generating bioproducts such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). The anaerobic photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodospirillum rubrum, is an organism particularly attractive for the bioconversion of syngas into PHAs. In this study, a quantitative physiological analysis of R. rubrum was carried out by implementing GC‐MS and HPLC techniques to unravel the metabolic pathway operating during syngas fermentation that leads to PHA production. Further, detailed investigations of the central carbon metabolites using 13C‐labelled substrate showed significant CO2 assimilation (of 40%) into cell material and PHA from syngas carbon fraction. By a combination of quantitative gene expression and enzyme activity analyses, the main role of carboxylases from the central carbon metabolism in CO2 assimilation was shown, where the Calvin–Benson–Bassham cycle (CBB) played a minor role. This knowledge sheds light about the biochemical pathways that contribute to synthesis of PHA during syngas fermentation being valuable information to further optimize the fermentation process.
Diacerein reduces joint damage, pain behavior and inhibits transient receptor potential vanilloid 1, matrix metalloproteinase and glial cells in rat spinal cord
Authors: da Silva Morgana Duarte , Cidral‐Filho Francisco José , Winkelmann‐Duarte Elisa Cristina , Cargnin‐Ferreira Eduardo , Calixto João B. , Dutra Rafael C. , Santos Adair Roberto Soares
Published: October 2015

Aim

To investigate the antinociceptive, antiedematogenic and chondroprotective effects of diacerein (DIA) in a model of joint inflammation induced by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), as well as to investigate the involvement of metalloproteinase (MMP)‐9, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and glial cells in DIA′s action mechanism.

Methods

Complete Freund's adjuvant was injected into the knee joint of male rats. We observed mechanical and cold hypersensitivity, vocalization and spontaneous pain‐related behaviors, as well as edema of the knee. Tissue samples of the knee were stained with Cason`s technique and the thickness of the condilus cartilage was measured. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on the spinal cord using anti‐GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein), anti‐MMP and anti‐TRPV1 antibodies. Sections of the dorsal horns of the spinal cord were captured and an optical density was obtained.

Results

Complete Freund's adjuvant induced mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity, as well as joint edema and changes in the synovial membrane and cartilage. DIA (30 mg/kg, orally, daily) significantly inhibited mechanical (58 ± 10–87 ± 3%) and thermal (66 ± 12–87 ± 8%) hypersensitivity, vocalization (83 ± 5–41 ± 11%), spontaneous pain score, joint swelling (60 ± 6–40 ± 9%), as well as the histological changes induced by CFA. In addition, DIA inhibited astrocyte activation, and prevented the increase of MMP‐9 and TRPV1 expression in the spinal cord of the animals subjected to CFA injections.

Conclusions

In short, this study shows that DIA reduces joint damage and hypersensitivity associated with inflammation induced by CFA through the inhibition of astroglial activation and decreases the expression of TRPV1 and MMP‐9 in the rat spinal cord.
Anti‐apoptotic brain and reproductive organ‐expressed proteins enhance cisplatin resistance in lung cancer cells via the protein kinase B signaling pathway
Authors: Li Yang , Qi Kang , Zu Lingling , Wang Min , Wang Yuli , Zhou Qinghua
Published: October 2015

Background

Cisplatin‐based chemotherapy is the standard first‐line treatment for non‐small‐cell lung cancers (NSCLCs); however, the long‐term therapeutic effect is reduced by chemoresistance. Brain and reproductive organ‐expressed (BRE) proteins are overexpressed in several cancers and have an anti‐apoptotic function. However, their biological role in the development of the chemoresistant phenotype of human NSCLC remains unknown. We investigate the differential expression of the BRE gene in human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines A549 and the cisplatin‐resistant variant A549/cisplatin (DDP), and the mechanisms of cisplatin‐resistance induced by the BRE gene.

Methods

Cell counting kit‐8 assay was employed to determine the sensitivity of A549 and A549/DDP cell lines to cisplatin. BRE expression was measured using quantitative real time‐polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. The apoptosis rate of lung adenocarcinoma cells was determined by flow cytometry.

Results

BRE expression in A549 cells, derived from human lung cells, was markedly decreased compared with parental cisplatin‐resistant A549/DDP cells at messenger ribonucleic acid and protein levels. BRE overexpression in A549 significantly decreased sensitivity to DDP by inhibiting cell apoptosis. Conversely, BRE knockdown in A549/DDP cells increased their chemosensitivity. Importantly, we demonstrate that BRE overexpression induces the expression of phosphoprotein kinase B (p‐Akt) in lung cancer cells, while BRE silencing inhibits p‐Akt expression. Furthermore, downregulation of p‐Akt by LY294002 reversed the DDP resistance induced by BRE by increasing apoptosis. BRE enhances the DDP resistance of lung cancer cells through the Akt signaling pathway.

Conclusion

Our findings provide new insight into the mechanism of DDP resistance in NSCLC cells and suggest BRE as an attractive new target for NSCLC treatment.
Altered natural killer cells subsets distribution in children with hepatitis C following vertical transmission
Authors: Indolfi G. , Mangone G. , Moriondo M. , Serranti D. , Bartolini E. , Azzari C. , Resti M.
Published: October 2015

Background

Natural killer (NK) cells number, phenotypes and function have been evaluated in many studies in adults with hepatitis C as compared with healthy controls or dynamically during interferon‐based and interferon‐free treatments. Overall, in adults with chronic infection number of circulating NK cells has been reported to be lower when compared to spontaneous resolvers and healthy subjects. Different studies yielded inconsistent findings due to patient and virus heterogeneity.

Aim

To evaluate NK cells in children according to the different outcomes of the infection.

Methods

In this cross‐sectional study, we examined numbers and phenotypes of circulating NK cells from a homogenous cohort of Italian children with vertically acquired hepatitis C.

Results

We compared 31 children who developed chronic infection with nine who presented spontaneous clearance and 13 controls. CD56+CD3− NK cell numbers were consistently lower in the persistently infected group (P = 0.03 and 0.04). This decrease was due to depletions of CD56dim NK cells (P = 0.03 chronic infection vs. spontaneous clearance), while CD56bright NK cells were expanded (P = 0.03). No significant difference was found in the frequencies of CD56+CD16+ and CD56dimCD16− cells. Perforin expression was higher in children with chronic infection (P = 0.03 vs. spontaneous clearance).

Conclusions

Altered NK cells number and phenotypes could impact the outcome of HCV infection in children following vertical transmission. This study suggests for the first time that NK cells cytolytic function, featured by CD56dim cells, contributes to the elimination of HCV in children presenting spontaneous clearance.
Labor Mobility Without Pension Portability: Migrant Workers’ Endangered Pension Entitlement in China
Authors: Lin Jing
Published: October 2015

This paper investigates migrant workers’ endangered pension entitlement in China from a perspective of political economy. The decentralized pension governance structure in China led to limited portability of the urban pension program. The movement of migrant workers challenges this decentralized governance structure, and have also produced clear winner and loser provinces in the pension program. This study argues that the interests of migrant‐receiving provinces, the winners, became a major obstacle in reforms that sought to address the pension portability problem. The migrant workers’ pension issue has in fact contributed to inter‐regional welfare inequality. This resulting inter‐regional inequality makes any central government's plan on centralizing the pension program a challenging task.
The Ethics of Introducing GMOs into sub‐Saharan Africa: Considerations from the sub‐Saharan African Theory of Ubuntu
Authors: Komparic Ana
Published: October 2015

A growing number of countries in sub‐Saharan Africa are considering legalizing the growth of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Furthermore, several projects are underway to develop transgenic crops tailored to the region. Given the contentious nature of GMOs and prevalent anti‐GMO sentiments in Africa, a robust ethical analysis examining the concerns arising from the development, adoption, and regulation of GMOs in sub‐Saharan Africa is warranted.

To date, ethical analyses of GMOs in the global context have drawn predominantly on Western philosophy, dealing with Africa primarily on a material level. Yet, a growing number of scholars are articulating and engaging with ethical theories that draw upon sub‐Saharan African value systems. One such theory, Ubuntu, is a well‐studied sub‐Saharan African communitarian morality.

I propose that a robust ethical analysis of Africa's agricultural future necessitates engaging with African moral theory. I articulate how Ubuntu may lead to a novel and constructive understanding of the ethical considerations for introducing GMOs into sub‐Saharan Africa. However, rather than reaching a definitive prescription, which would require significant engagement with local communities, I consider some of Ubuntu's broader implications for conceptualizing risk and engaging with local communities when evaluating GMOs.

I conclude by reflecting on the implications of using local moral theory in bioethics by considering how one might negotiate between universalism and particularism in the global context. Rather than advocating for a form of ethical relativism, I suggest that local moral theories shed light on salient ethical considerations that are otherwise overlooked.
Ideas of Perfection and the Ethics of Human Enhancement
Authors: Roduit Johann A R , Heilinger Jan‐Christoph , Baumann Holger
Published: October 2015

Whatever ethical stance one takes in the debate regarding the ethics of human enhancement, one or more reference points are required to assess its morality. Some have suggested looking at the bioethical notions of safety, justice, and/or autonomy to find such reference points. Others, arguing that those notions are limited with respect to assessing the morality of human enhancement, have turned to human nature, human authenticity, or human dignity as reference points, thereby introducing some perfectionist assumptions into the debate. In this article, we ask which perfectionist assumptions should be used in this debate. After a critique of views that are problematic, we take a positive approach, suggesting some perfectionist elements that can lend guidance to the practice of human enhancement, based on the work of Martha Nussbaum's Capability Approach. We suggest that the central capabilities can be used to define the human aspect of human enhancement and thereby allow a moral evaluation of enhancement interventions. These central capabilities can be maximized harmoniously to postulate what an ideal human would look like. Ultimately, the aim of this article is twofold. First, it seeks to make explicit the perfectionist assumptions found in the debate and eliminate those that are problematic. Second, the paper clarifies an element that is often neglected in the debate about human enhancement, the view of the ideal human towards which human enhancement should strive. Here, we suggest that some central capabilities that are essential for an ideal human being can be maximized harmoniously and can therefore serve as possible reference points to guide human enhancement.
High‐fat diet‐induced metabolic disorders impairs 5‐HT function and anxiety‐like behavior in mice
Authors: Zemdegs Juliane , Quesseveur Gaël , Jarriault David , Pénicaud Luc , Fioramonti Xavier , Guiard Bruno P.
Published: October 2015

Background and Purpose

The link between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and depression is bidirectional. However, the possibility that metabolic disorders may elicit anxiogenic‐like/depressive‐like symptoms or alter the efficacy of antidepressant drugs remains poorly documented. This study explored the influence of T2DM on emotionality and proposed a therapeutic strategy that might be used in depressed diabetic patients.

Experimental Approach

Mice were fed a high‐fat diet (HFD) and subjected to a full comprehensive metabolic and behavioural analysis to establish correlations between metabolic and psychiatric disorders. In vivo intra‐hippocampal microdialysis was also applied to propose a mechanism underpinning the phenotype of mice fed the HFD. Finally, we tested whether chronic administration of the selective 5‐HT reuptake inhibitor escitalopram or HFD withdrawal could reverse HFD‐induced metabolic and behavioural anomalies.

Key Results

The increased body weight, hyperglycaemia and impaired glucose tolerance in response to HFD were correlated with anxiogenic‐like/depressive‐like symptoms. Moreover, this phenotype was associated with decreased extracellular 5‐HT levels in the hippocampus which may result from increased sensitivity of the dorsal raphe 5‐HT1A autoreceptor. Interestingly, the beneficial effect of prolonged administration of escitalopram was abolished in HFD‐fed mice. On the contrary, HFD withdrawal completely reversed metabolic impairments and positively changed symptoms of anxiety, although some behavioural anomalies persisted.

Conclusions and Implications

Our data provide clear‐cut evidence that both pathologies are finely correlated and associated with impaired 5‐HT mediated neurotransmission in the hippocampus. Further experiments are warranted to define the most adequate strategy for the treatment of such co‐morbidity.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Updating Neuropathology and Neuropharmacology of Monoaminergic Systems. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v173.13/issuetoc
Isotopic and thermochronologic evidence of extremely cold lithosphere associated with a slab flattening in the Central Andes of Argentina
Authors: Collo Gilda , Dávila Federico M. , Teixeira Wilson , Nóbile Julieta C. , Sant′ Anna Lucy G. , Carter Andrew
Published: October 2015

We present mineralogic, isotopic and thermochronologic analyses on psammopelitic and tuffaceous levels from the Bermejo and Vinchina basins – both foreland depocentres of the Central Andes of Argentina – that define a low‐temperature regime for the crust akin to a slab shallowing and flattening process. The contents of illite in illite/smectite interstratified (I/S) show a progressive illitization into the deeper parts of both basins. The distribution of I/S is compatible with theoretical simulations and predicted heat flow values of ca. 26 mW m−2 in the 8–3.4 Ma interval for the Vinchina Basin and ca. 42 mW m−2 since 9 Ma for the Bermejo Basin. The latter shows heat flow values that are comparable to those reported by magnetotelluric analysis (36–40 mW m−2) in agreement with previously published heat flow calculations along the modern Andean foreland. The Rb–Sr isochrones in psammopelites (<2 μm fractions) show ages between 125 and 165 Ma, whereas the K–Ar ages decrease as the grain size is smaller (136–224 Ma for 1–2 μm, 112–159 Ma for 0.2–1 μm, 76–116 Ma for <0.2 μ and 39.3–42 Ma for <0.1 μm). These ages are significantly older than the sedimentation in the basins (ca. 16 Ma for the Vinchina Basin; U–Pb age), and can be explained by the presence of a significant amount of detrital components, mainly illite, even in the finer fractions. The preservation of detrital ages is consistent with the shallow diagenesis related to a low‐temperature regime, proposed here for the basins. Younger K–Ar ages (21.3–12 Ma) were obtained for a basal tuffaceous level. Clay mineralogy and R0 ordering in the deepest part of the Vinchina Basin, together with the evolution model of I/S with depth, suggest that the burial temperatures would have not exceeded ca. 100°C in agreement with (U–Th)/He analyses performed on apatite extracted from two tuffaceous units. Thermal indicators from both studied basins confirm the existence of a low‐temperature regime during flat subduction.
A Procedural Approach to Modelling Virtual Climbing Plants With Tendrils
Authors: Wong Sai‐Keung , Chen Kai‐Chun
Published: October 2015

Climbing plants with tendrils show search and coiling behaviour. A tendril searches for a host object and then twines around it. Subsequently, the tendril coils to pull the main stem of the climbing plant close to the host object. Furthermore, the stems may also twine around the host object. In this paper, we propose a procedural approach to incrementally constructing virtual climbing plants with tendrils that mimic such behaviour. We developed several simple rules to guide the construction process. Although our approach is not based on a physical or biological concept, it is fast and efficient in generating climbing plants with tendrils, with acceptable quality. We propose techniques that are useful for enhancing the realism of climbing plants in close‐up view.
IMPACT OF CORRUPTION ON FIRM‐LEVEL EXPORT DECISIONS
Authors: Olney William W.
Published: October 2015

This article examines the impact of corruption on the self‐selection of firms into domestic and export markets. A heterogeneous firm model predicts that corruption decreases the probability that a firm only sells domestically, increases the probability that a firm exports indirectly through an intermediary, and decreases the probability that a firm exports directly. The propositions of the model are tested using a comprehensive dataset of over 23,000 firms in 80 developing countries. The results confirm both the self‐selection of firms according to their productivity and the anticipated impact of corruption. This indicates that in developing countries where corruption is especially severe, intermediaries provide a crucial link to global markets. (JEL F1, O1)
Component‐based quantification and prediction of diet selection by cattle grazing on multi‐species communities
Authors: Tsutsumi Michio , Takahashi Yoshitaka , Emoto Shigeki , Ito Naoya , Otani Ichiro , Matsumoto Kazunori
Published: October 2015

Quantification and prediction of diet selection by animals grazing on forage with mixed‐species composition is challenging. The objective of this study was to establish a method to predict the nutritive value of the selected diet in cattle grazing on multi‐species plant communities. The nutrient concentrations in the selected diet and forage on offer were evaluated, and the relationship between these nutrient concentrations and the forage utilization rate was analyzed. Short‐term grazing experiments were performed on abandoned cultivated land, without seeding or fertilizer. Before and after each grazing session, the forage was harvested and analyzed to determine concentrations of crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (aNDFom), acid detergent fiber (ADFom) and lignin. The nutrient concentrations on offer and in the selected diet, and the forage utilization rate were calculated based on the apparent disappearance during each experiment. Cattle selected a diet with, on average, 12.0% higher CP and 4.4–13.0% lower aNDFom, ADFom and lignin concentrations than those of forage on offer, and the selectivity depended on the forage utilization rate. The nutrient concentrations in the selected diet were then predicted using only the information on the offered forage. The aNDFom concentration in the selected diet could be accurately predicted, and the concentrations of CP, ADFom and lignin in the selected diet could be roughly predicted. The significant correlations between selectivity for each component and forage utilization rate were used to construct estimation models. Combining the forage utilization rate and the nutrient concentration on offer improved the accuracy of predicting the CP concentration in the selected diet. However, it had little effect on the accuracy of the predictions of aNDFom, ADFom or lignin concentrations in the selected diet.
The detection of simulated periapical lesions in human dry mandibles with cone‐beam computed tomography: a dose reduction study
Authors: Al‐Nuaimi N. , Patel S. , Foschi F. , Mannocci F.
Published: October 2015

Aim

To assess in an ex vivo model the accuracy of detection of simulated periapical lesions using two cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) dose modes and periapical radiography.

Methodology

Small and large artificial periapical lesions were created with burs at the base of the socket of eleven mandibular molars, in seven human dry mandibles. Digital periapical radiographs, 360° and 180° rotations CBCT scans with standard dose and dose reduction (DR) modes were obtained before and after periapical lesions were prepared. Six blinded examiners scored the presence/absence of lesions. Inter‐ and intra‐examiner reliability were determined. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values and negative predictive values and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (overall accuracy) were determined for each modality.

Results

The mean sensitivity and specificity of both CBCT rotations with dose reduction mode were higher compared to that of standard dose CBCT scans. The ROC Az mean values for periapical radiographs, 360° scan with standard dose and dose reduction and 180° scans with standard dose and dose reduction were 0.62, 0.94, 0.95, 0.95 and 0.97, respectively. No significant difference in the diagnostic accuracy of CBCT scans taken with standard and dose reduction modes, whilst their accuracy was significantly higher than periapical radiographs.

Conclusions

Using dose reduction with 360° and 180° CBCT scans demonstrated good diagnostic accuracy in the detection of simulated periapical lesions whilst reducing the radiation dose by 54% and 51%, respectively, compared to conventional settings. Clinical evaluation is now needed to determine whether this is applicable to patients.
Outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve implantation in high surgical risk and inoperable patients with aortic stenosis: a single Australian Centre experience
Authors: Subban V. , Murdoch D. , Savage M.L. , Crowhurst J. , Saireddy R. , Poon K.K. , Incani A. , Bett N. , Burstow D.J. , Scalia G.M. , Clarke A. , Raffel O.C. , Aroney C.N. , Walters D.L.
Published: October 2015

Background

Degenerative aortic stenosis is the most common valvular heart disease in the elderly, and many patients are not suitable for aortic valve replacement surgery. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a new therapeutic option for selected patients at high risk for surgery.

Aim

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of TAVI in Australian patients.

Methods

This is a prospective study of patients undergoing TAVI for severe symptomatic aortic stenosis at The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, Australia between August 2008 and July 2013. Patients were at high risk of surgical aortic valve replacement, or inoperable, as deemed by a multidisciplinary ‘heart team’. Outcomes include procedural success and complications, 30‐day and 1‐year mortality and stroke, combined end‐points as outlined by the Valve Academic Research Consortium 2 consensus document.

Results

Two hundred and nine patients underwent TAVI during the study period. The mean age was 83.7 ± 6.7 years, and 101 (48%) were men. The valve systems utilised were as follows: Edwards‐SAPIEN valve in 104 (49.5%), Medtronic CoreValve in 86 (41.2%) and Boston Scientific Lotus valve in 19 (9.3%) patients. Thirty‐day and 1‐year mortality rates were 5.7% and 11.5% respectively. Thirty‐day and 1‐year stroke rates were 4.3% and 6.2% respectively. The composite end‐points of device success, early safety and clinical efficacy occurred in 80.4%, 27.3% and 68.4%.

Conclusions

TAVI with various valve systems, delivered through several approaches, is feasible in high surgical risk and inoperable patients with severe aortic stenosis, with acceptable outcomes at short‐term and intermediate‐term follow up.
Deep divergence and structure in the Tropical Oceanic Pacific: a multilocus phylogeography of a widespread gekkonid lizard (Squamata: Gekkonidae:Gehyra oceanica)
Authors: Tonione Maria A. , Fisher Robert N. , Zhu Catherine , Moritz Craig
Published: October 2015

Aim

The islands of the Tropical Oceanic Pacific (TOP) host both local radiations and widespread, colonizing species. The few phylogeographical analyses of widespread species often point to recent human‐aided expansions through the Pacific, suggesting that the communities are recently assembled. Here we apply multilocus data to infer biogeographical history of the gekkonid lizard,Gehyra oceanica,which is widespread, but for which prior analyses suggested a pre‐human history andin situdiversification.

Location

Tropical Oceanic Pacific.

Methods

We generated a data set including mtDNAand diagnosticSNPs for 173 individuals ofG. oceanicaspanning Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia. For a subset of these individuals, we also sequenced nuclear loci. From these data, we performed maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference to reveal major clades. We also performed Bayesian clustering analyses and coalescence–based species delimitation tests to infer the number of species in this area.

Results

We found evidence for six independent evolutionary lineages (candidate species) withinG. oceanicathat diverged between the Pliocene and the early Pleistocene, with high diversity through northern Melanesia, and pairing of northern Melanesian endemic taxa with widespread lineages across Micronesia and Polynesia.

Main conclusions

The islands of northern Melanesia not only have unrecognized diversity, but also were the source of independent expansions of lineages through the more remote northern and eastern Pacific. These results highlight the very different evolutionary histories of island faunas on remote archipelagos versus those across Melanesia and point to the need for more intensive studies of fauna within Melanesia if we are to understand the evolution of diversity across the tropical Pacific.
Antifungal, Antiaflatoxin and Antioxidant Activity of Plant Essential Oils and Their In Vivo Efficacy in Protection of Chickpea Seeds
Authors: Prakash Bhanu , Kedia Akash , Singh Aakanksha , Yadav Shashi , Singh Arti , Yadav Amrita , Deepika  , Dubey Nawal Kishore
Published: October 2015

This study presents the efficacy of six essential oils (EOs), viz. Carum carvi, Myristica fragrans, Melaleuca leucadendra, Cinnamomum camphora, Pelargonium odoratissimum and Cymbopogon citratus, as food preservatives based on antifungal, antiaflatoxin and antioxidant activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration of EOs against aflatoxigenic strain of Aspergillus flavus (LHP‐10) and 13 other storage molds ranged between 1.25 and 6.0 μL/mL, while aflatoxin inhibition was observed at 1.0–5.0 μL/mL. EOs also exhibited free‐radical scavenging activity through DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazil) assay as IC50 value ranged between 3.96 and 96.63 μL/mL. The antifungal action of EOs was observed in terms of reduction in ergosterol content of the plasma membrane of A. flavus. The EOs provided >50% protection of chickpea samples against fungal association without affecting their germination during in vivo testing in storage containers. Based on antifungal, antiaflatoxigenic, antioxidant potential and in vivo efficacy, the tested EOs may be recommended as plant‐based food preservatives.

Practical Applications

Some safer alternatives are urgently required to replace prevalent synthetic preservatives that have adverse effects on consumer's health and environment. In that respect, some essential oils (EOs) have shown potency in the formulation of plant‐based preservatives against food deterioration from fungi. Based on the results of the present investigation, some EOs may be recommended as plant‐based preservatives in view of their antifungal potency against foodborne molds, aflatoxin secretion and as antioxidant. The EOs also showed efficacy in protecting chickpea seeds from fungal contamination during storage without affecting their viability, strengthening their formulation for practical application.
Effects of Selected Bio‐Fungicide and Fungicide Treatments on Shelf Life and Quality Characteristics of Romaine Lettuce (Lactuca SativaL.)
Authors: Ozdemir Yasin , Polat Zuhtu , Ozkan Mehmet , Kosti Rena I.
Published: October 2015

In this study, the effects of the application of selected bio‐fertilizer and fungicides (Bacillus subtilis,Trichoderma harzianum,Boscalid + Pyraclostrobin,T. harzianum + ½Boscalid + Pyraclostrobin,B. subtilis + ½Boscalid + Pyraclostrobin) on the quality ofRomaine lettuce were investigated. Water, relative water and chlorophyll content, color values, sensory properties and mesophilic aerobic bacteria, mold and yeast counts were analyzed.B. subtilisandT. harzianum + ½BosPyra‐treated samples showed the lowest decay degree during storage.B. subtilisandT. harzianumtreatments showed potential favorable effects on lettuce characteristics. Moreover, favorable effects were shown on color difference and sensory evaluations during storage so that these applications may be advisable to producers.

Practical Applications

Previous studies indicated that new biological methods increased the lettuce yield and protected lettuce from fungal diseases during growing. However, there is a scarcity on the effect of these methods on the quality, microbiota and shelf life of these lettuces.Bacillus subtilisandTrichoderma harzianumbio‐fungicide treatments seemed to reduce the degree of quality deterioration during storage of lettuce, lowering microbiological growth and increasing storage life. These observations are of crucial importance for the food industry, potentially leading to increased profitability in fresh produce, including fresh processed lettuce, fresh‐cut lettuce and ready‐to‐eat salads.