bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Banting Memorial Lecture 2014 Technology and diabetes care: appropriate and personalized
Authors: Pickup J. C.
Published: October 2014

Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion was initially developed as a research procedure in the 1970s but quickly became a routine treatment for selected people with Type 1 diabetes. Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion and other diabetes technologies, such as continuous glucose monitoring, are now an established and evidence‐based part of diabetes care, but there has been some confusion about effectiveness and best use, particularly because of conflicting results from meta‐analyses. This is because literature summary meta‐analyses (including all trials) are inappropriate for therapeutic and economic decision‐making; such meta‐analyses should only include trials representative of groups likely to benefit. For example, for continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion, this would be those with continued disabling hypoglycaemia or elevated HbA1c levels. Alternatively, individual patient data meta‐analysis allows modelling of covariates that determine effect size, e.g. in the case of continuous glucose monitoring, baseline HbA1c and frequency of sensor usage. Diabetes technology is therefore an example of personalized medicine, where evaluation and use should be both appropriate and targeted. This will also apply to future technologies such as new ‘patch’ pumps for Type 2 diabetes, closed‐loop insulin delivery systems and nanomedicine applications in diabetes that we are currently researching. These include fluorescence lifetime‐based non‐invasive glucose monitoring and nanoencapsulation of islets for improved post‐transplant survival.
Glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibody‐positivity post‐partum is associated with impaired β–cell function in women with gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Lundberg T. P. , Højlund K. , Snogdal L. S. , Jensen D. M.
Published: October 2014

Aims

To investigate whether the presence of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) autoantibodies post‐partum in women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus was associated with changes in metabolic characteristics, including β–cell function and insulin sensitivity.

Methods

During 1997–2010, 407 women with gestational diabetes mellitus were offered a 3–month post‐partum follow‐up including anthropometrics, serum lipid profile, HbA1c and GAD autoantibodies, as well as a 2–h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with blood glucose, serum insulin and C–peptide at 0, 30 and 120 min. Indices of insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion were estimated to assess insulin secretion adjusted for insulin sensitivity, disposition index (DI).

Results

Twenty‐two (5.4%) women were positive for GAD autoantibodies (GAD+ve) and the remainder (94.6%) were negative for GAD autoantibodies (GAD–ve). The two groups had similar age and prevalence of diabetes mellitus. Women who were GAD+ve had significantly higher 2–h OGTT glucose concentrations during their index‐pregnancy (10.5 vs. 9.8 mmol/l, P = 0.001), higher fasting glucose (5.2 vs. 5.0 mmol/l, P = 0.02) and higher 2–h glucose (7.8 vs. 7.1 mmol/l, P = 0.05) post‐partum. Fasting levels of C–peptide and insulin were lower in GAD+ve women compared with GAD–ve women (520 vs. 761 pmol/l, P = 0.02 and 33 vs. 53 pmol/l, P = 0.05) Indices of insulin sensitivity were similar in GAD+ve and GAD–ve women, whereas all estimates of DI were significantly reduced in GAD+ve women.

Conclusion

GAD+ve women had higher glucose levels and impaired insulin secretion adjusted for insulin sensitivity (DI) compared with GAD–ve women. The combination of OGTT and GAD autoantibodies post‐partum identify women with impaired β–cell function. These women should be followed with special focus on development of Type 1 diabetes.
Representations of Islam and Arab Societies in Western Secondary Textbooks
Authors: Wiseman Alexander W.
Published: October 2014

Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the textbooks in Arab and Islamic nation‐states have been carefully critiqued for any content that Westerners view as promoting hate or violence against non‐Muslims. Very little has been said, however, about the portrayals of Islamic and Arab society in Western textbooks. This report investigates the perspectives and ideologies concerning representations of Islam and Arab societies in textbooks worldwide, and specifically in Western countries' national education systems. Seventy‐two textbooks from 15 Western countries and Israel were examined to investigate the included and excluded content related to Islam and Arab societies. This research found that those countries with either an immediate stake in the Middle East (e.g., Israel) or an immediate past stake in the region (e.g., the United Kingdom) were the most likely to include coverage of Islam and Arab societies in secondary textbooks. The major findings of this research, however, are that content related to contemporary Islam and Arab societies in Western secondary‐level textbooks is overwhelmingly related to terrorism and terrorists, the Arab/Israeli conflict, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The majority of content related to contemporary Islam and Arab societies represents Muslims and their communities as: 1) socially, politically, and economically repressed; 2) religiously and ideologically oppressed; and 3) both typically and frequently violent.
Iran's Reform Movement: The Enduring Relevance of an Alternative Discourse
Authors: Behravesh Maysam
Published: October 2014

Given the surprise electoral victory in May 2013 of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, which was attained on a recurrent platform of reform and change, this article seeks to investigate Iran's reform discourse by looking at how it systematically developed under President Mohammad Khatami (1997–2005). Its chief purpose is to delineate the discourse in a retrospective analytical attempt to show why it has proven so resilient and persuasive in theory while briefly explicating the causes of its failure in practice under reformists, which set the stage for the rise to power of populist neo‐conservatives marshaled by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005–2013). Divided in two main parts, it thus seeks to tease out the domestic ideology of reform as theorized by Khatami and his men on the one hand, and the foreign policy of détente and dialogue as performed by the reformist administration on the other. In so doing, the article draws primarily on the original Persian sources produced during the respective period and afterward, including Khatami's own writings as well as theoretical formulations and articulations propounded by his political strategists. Finally, it anticipates that Rouhani's “moderation” project can face the same fate as Khatami's “reform” project if the former does not heed the hard‐earned historical lessons of the latter, even though it is operating in a different sociopolitical context.
The Muslim Male Character Typology in American Cinema Post‐9/11
Authors: Bayraktaroğlu Kerem
Published: October 2014

This article tries to discover whether filmic stereotypes of Muslims in general and Arabs in particular have undergone any changes since 9/11, and if they have, what new character types have been developed to reflect these images. In the course of this study, results from other researchers who have examined the presentation of Muslims on the screen both before and after 9/11 are referred to, with a view of highlighting the sustained, unchanging character features, as well as detecting new formations. A variety of films, which have been released since 2011, incorporating Muslim and Arab characters, are used in this research and the physical appearance attributes and behavioral attributes as described by Mastro and Greenberg have been utilized to help with the analysis. The most important finding is that in the 10‐year period following 9/11, although some familiar characterizations still hit the screen occasionally, there has been a tendency to reconstruct more convincing Muslim and Arab cinematic characters. Also noticeable is the fact that the narrative at times focuses on their ethnicity or economic status more than their religious beliefs. Continued research will show if this is a passing phase or the beginning of an end to Muslim and Arab stereotyping in American cinema.
EU Policy on Preferential Trade Agreements in the 2000s: A Reorientation towards Commercial Aims
Authors: Woolcock Stephen
Published: October 2014

The aim of this article is to provide a general introduction to EU policy on preferential trade agreements (PTAs) and thus to serve as a background for the more detailed discussion of the constitutional issues involved in EU PTAs. It starts with a description of how EU policy evolved during the 2000s, arguing that EU policy was predominantly driven by external or systemic factors in the international trading system and the EU's commercial response to these, rather than a policy shift driven by predominantly internal factors. This description is followed by a summary of the various motivations behind EU policy. The paper then discusses the content of the EU ‘model’ for PTAs. The term model needs to be used with some caution as the EU approach to PTAs has been fairly flexible and the content varies depending on the EU interests and those of its negotiating partner in any specific negotiation.
Constitutional Aspects of FTAs: A Colombian Perspective
Authors: Lizarazo Rodríguez Liliana , De Lombaerde Philippe , Ortiz Riomalo Juan Felipe , Parra Andrea , Rettberg Angelika
Published: October 2014

Colombia has recently negotiated trade agreements with the EU, the US and some other countries. This article explores the compatibility of these agreements with constitutional rights in Colombia, by looking at recent case‐law of Colombian courts. This Andean country is, in our view, a particularly interesting case because of the coincidence of a new constitutional context (with, on the one hand, an important rights catalogue and new instruments to protect fundamental rights, and on the other hand, liberal economic principles), a Constitutional Court with activist features and a particular socio‐political situation.
Some Critical Issues in the EU–India Free Trade Agreement Negotiations
Authors: Wouters Jan , Goddeeris Idesbald , Natens Bregt , Ciortuz Filip
Published: October 2014

The free trade agreement currently negotiated between the EU and India is due to be the first of a new generation of free trade agreements between the EU and an emerging economy. This article addresses a number of critical issues in the negotiations and the EU's response to them. These issues include European labour standards and General Agreement on Trade in Services Mode 4 liberalisation; Indian generic medicine production and EU interests in patent protection; EU agricultural subsidies and their impact on the Indian dairy sector; the human rights and democracy dimension of the EU's foreign policy; and transparency issues of the negotiation process.
Civic Citizenship Reintroduced? The Long‐Term Residence Directive as a Post‐National Form of Membership
Authors: Acosta Arcarazo Diego
Published: October 2014

This paper presents how the Long‐Term Residence Directive has created a status that can be considered as a subsidiary form of EU citizenship. This key revolution has been operated by EU law since this status escapes direct control by Member States that are obliged to grant EU long‐term residence and the rights associated with it to third‐country nationals (TCNs) fulfilling the conditions in the Directive. This represents a fundamental development and may be distinguished from the acquisition by TCNs of national/EU citizenship, which constitutes a prerogative of State sovereignty. Indeed, the recent cases by the Court of Justice analysed below confirm this truly post‐national form of membership and have profound implications for the relationship between borders, territory and population in the EU.
Characterization of pigmented dermo‐epidermal skin substitutes in a long‐term in vivo assay
Authors: Böttcher‐Haberzeth Sophie , Biedermann Thomas , Klar Agnieszka S. , Widmer Daniel S. , Neuhaus Kathrin , Schiestl Clemens , Meuli Martin , Reichmann Ernst
Published: October 2014

In our laboratory, we have been using human pigmented dermo‐epidermal skin substitutes for short‐term experiments since several years. Little is known, however, about the long‐term biology of such constructs after transplantation. We constructed human, melanocyte‐containing dermo‐epidermal skin substitutes of different (light and dark) pigmentation types and studied them in a long‐term animal experiment. Developmental and maturational stages of the epidermal and dermal compartment as well as signs of homoeostasis were analysed 15 weeks after transplantation. Keratinocytes, melanocytes and fibroblasts from human skin biopsies were isolated and assembled into dermo‐epidermal skin substitutes. These were transplanted onto immuno‐incompetent rats and investigated 15 weeks after transplantation. Chromameter evaluation showed a consistent skin colour between 3 and 4 months after transplantation. Melanocytes resided in the epidermal basal layer in physiological numbers and melanin accumulated in keratinocytes in a supranuclear position. Skin substitutes showed a mature epidermis in a homoeostatic state and the presence of dermal components such as Fibrillin and Tropoelastin suggested advanced maturation. Overall, pigmented dermo‐epidermal skin substitutes show a promising development towards achieving near‐normal skin characteristics and epidermal and dermal tissue homoeostasis. In particular, melanocytes function correctly over several months whilst remaining in a physiological, epidermal position and yield a pigmentation resembling original donor skin colour.
Various peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR)‐γ agonists differently induce differentiation of cultured human keratinocytes
Authors: Yan Yan , Furumura Minao , Numata Sanae , Teye Kwesi , Karashima Tadashi , Ohyama Bungo , Tanida Norifumi , Hashimoto Takashi
Published: October 2014

Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptors (PPARs) are potentially useful for the treatment of skin diseases, because they stimulate keratinocyte differentiation, exert anti‐inflammatory effects and improve barrier function. We examined five PPAR‐γ agonists, including four thiazolidinediones (ciglitazone, troglitazone, rosiglitazone and pioglitazone) and an angiotensin‐II receptor blocker (telmisartan), for their ability to upregulate filaggrin and loricrin expression at both mRNA and protein levels in cultured normal human keratinocytes (NHKs). Troglitazone, rosiglitazone, pioglitazone and telmisartan significantly increased filaggrin expression at both mRNA and protein levels in calcium‐induced differentiated NHKs. Rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, but not troglitazone nor telmisartan, also significantly increased loricrin expression at both mRNA and protein levels in differentiated NHKs. These effects were not found in undifferentiated NHKs nor differentiated NHKs treated with ciglitazone. This study revealed differential effects of various PPAR‐γ agonists on epidermal differentiation, and the most potent of those are rosiglitazone and pioglitazone.
Human skin dendritic cells can be targeted in situ by intradermal injection of antibodies against lectin receptors
Authors: Stoitzner Patrizia , Schaffenrath Sandra , Tripp Christoph H. , Reider Daniela , Komenda Kerstin , Del Frari Barbara , Djedovic Gabriel , Ebner Susanne , Romani Nikolaus
Published: October 2014

Skin dendritic cells (DC) express C‐type lectin receptors for the recognition of pathogens. Langerhans cells (LC) express the receptor Langerin/CD207, whereas DEC‐205/CD205 is mainly expressed by dermal DC, but can also be detected at low levels on LC. In this study, we tested an ex vivo approach for targeting DC in situ with monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against Langerin and DEC‐205. The targeting mAb was injected intradermally into human skin biopsies or added to the medium during skin explant culture. Corresponding to the expression patterns of these lectin receptors on skin DC, Langerin mAb was detected merely in LC in the epidermis and DEC‐205 mainly in dermal DC in human skin explants, regardless of the application route. Migratory skin DC bound and carried targeting mAb from skin explants according to their lectin receptor expression profiles. In contrast to the very selective transport of Langerin mAb by LC, DEC‐205 mAb was more widely distributed on all CD1a+ skin DC subsets but almost absent in CD14+ dermal DC. As effective vaccination requires the addition of adjuvant, we co‐administered the toll‐like receptor (TLR)‐3 ligand poly I:C with the mAb. This adjuvant enhanced binding of DEC‐205 mAb to all skin DC subsets, whereas Langerin targeting efficacy remained unchanged. Our findings demonstrate that LC can be preferentially targeted by Langerin mAb. In contrast, DEC‐205 mAb can be bound by all CD1a+ skin DC subsets. The efficacy of DEC‐205 mAb targeting strategy can be boosted by addition of poly I:C underlining the potential of this combination for immunotherapeutical interventions.
The pulse of imperial China: a quantitative analysis of long‐term geopolitical and climatic cycles
Authors: Zhang David D. , Pei Qing , Lee Harry F. , Zhang Jane , Chang Chun Qi , Li Baosheng , Li Jinbao , Zhang Xiaoyang
Published: October 2014

Aim

The long‐term cyclical patterns of China's geopolitical shifts are of great interest to scholars and the public, but to date there has been no satisfactory explanation for the alternating occupancy patterns of the country's pastoral and agrarian polities. We fill this gap by differentiating the agroecological settings of these polities over time and quantitatively analysing the relationships between climate change and historical geopolitical variations.

Location

China.

Methods

Our dataset comprised 38 palaeohydroclimate reconstructions, the historical boundaries of China's empire and the changes in its size, and 1028 wars and 2737 battle locations over the past 2300 years. China‐wide precipitation during the period was reconstructed using the ‘weighted composite plus scale’ method. Time‐series analyses were performed to identify the strength of the associations between climate change and the geopolitical variables. Granger causality analysis and wavelet analysis were performed to verify the hypothesized causal links. Wavelet analysis was also used to identify the possible interactions (i.e. frequencies, significance, consistency and synchrony) between the signal components of the climatic and geopolitical variables at different temporal scales.

Results

China's mean precipitation fell into three multicentennial cycles. The geopolitical variables corresponded to those cycles in the imperial era. The spatial–temporal frequencies of the boundaries and size of the agriculturalist empires and its frontiers with pastoralist empires were regulated by the long‐term (low‐frequency) precipitation fluctuations at the multicentennial scale. Wars of aggression were an important explanatory factor driving the land‐occupancy patterns of the two ecoempires under climate change, and caused most of the territorial shifts. Short‐term (high‐frequency) geopolitical changes were not associated with climate change.

Main conclusions

Precipitation‐induced ecological change was an important factor governing the macrogeopolitical cycles in imperial China. Long‐term territorial expansion favoured the polity (agriculturalist or pastoralist) that was better adapted to the changing ecological conditions in the country's heartland.
Explaining the variation in impacts of non‐native plants on local‐scale species richness: the role of phylogenetic relatedness
Authors: Vilà Montserrat , Rohr Rudolf P. , Espinar José L. , Hulme Philip E. , Pergl Jan , Le Roux Johannes J. , Schaffner Urs , Pyšek Petr
Published: October 2014

Aim

To assess how the magnitude of impacts of non‐native plants on species richness of resident plants and animals varies in relation to the traits and phylogenetic position of the non‐native as well as characteristics of the invaded site.

Location

Global.

Methods

Meta‐analysis and phylogenetic regressions based on 216 studies were used to examine the effects of 96 non‐native plant species on species richness of resident plants and animals while considering differences in non‐native species traits (life‐form, clonality or vegetative reproduction, and nitrogen‐fixing ability) and characteristics of the invaded site (ecosystem type, insularity and climatic region).

Results

Plots with non‐native plants had lower resident plant (–20.5%) and animal species richness (–26.4%) than paired uninvaded control plots. Nitrogen‐fixing ability, followed by phylogeny and clonality were the best predictors of the magnitude of impacts of non‐native plants on native plant species richness. Non‐nitrogen‐fixing and clonal non‐native plants reduced species richness more than nitrogen‐fixing and non‐clonal invaders. However, life‐form and characteristics of the invaded sites did not appear to be important. In the case of resident animal species richness, only the phylogenetic position of the non‐native and whether invaded sites were islands or not influenced impacts, with a more pronounced decrease found on islands than mainlands.

Main conclusions

The presence of a phylogenetic signal on the magnitude of the impacts of non‐native plants on resident plant and animal richness indicates that closely related non‐native plants tend to have similar impacts. This suggests that the magnitude of the impact might depend on shared plant traits not explored in our study. Our results therefore support the need to include the phylogenetic similarity of non‐native plants to known invaders in risk assessment analysis.
Association between metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes mellitus and oncological outcomes of bladder cancer: A systematic review
Authors: Cantiello Francesco , Cicione Antonio , Salonia Andrea , Autorino Riccardo , De Nunzio Cosimo , Briganti Alberto , Gandaglia Giorgio , Dell'Oglio Paolo , Capogrosso Paolo , Damiano Rocco
Published: October 2014

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of several metabolic abnormalities, its prevalence is increasing worldwide. To summarize the most recent evidence regarding the relationship between metabolic syndrome, its components and the oncological outcomes in bladder cancer patients, a National Center for Biotechnology Information PubMed search for relevant articles either published or e‐published up to March 2014 was carried out by combining the following Patient population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome terms: metabolic syndrome, obesity, body mass index, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, bladder cancer, risk, mortality, cancer specific survival, disease recurrence and progression. Metabolic syndrome is a complex, highly prevalent disorder, and central obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and hypertension are its main components. Published findings would suggest that metabolic syndrome per se might be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer in male patients, but it did not seem to confer a risk of worse prognosis. Considering the primary components of metabolic syndrome (hypertension, obesity and dyslipidemia), available data are uncertain, and it is no possible to reach a conclusion yet on either a direct or an indirect association with bladder cancer risk and prognosis. Only with regard to type 2 diabetes mellitus, available data would suggest a potential negative correlation. However, as the evaluation of bladder cancer risk and prognosis in patients with metabolic disorders is certainly complex, further studies are urgently required to better assess the actual role of these metabolic disorders.
Two subclasses of odorant‐binding proteins in Spodoptera exigua display structural conservation and functional divergence
Authors: Liu N.‐Y. , Yang F. , Yang K. , He P. , Niu X.‐H. , Xu W. , Anderson A. , Dong S.‐L.
Published: October 2014

Although many studies on lepidopteran pheromone‐binding proteins (PBPs)/ general odorant‐binding proteins (GOBPs) have been reported, the functional differentiation within and between the two odorant‐binding protein (OBP) subclasses is still elusive. Here we conducted a comparative study on three SexiPBPs and two SexiGOBPs in Spodoptera exigua. Results showed that all five SexiPBP/GOBP genes have the same intron numbers and conserved exon/intron splice sites. Reverse transcription PCR results showed that these five SexiPBP/GOBPs were primarily expressed in antennae of both sexes and some were also detected in other tissues. Further, quantitative real‐time PCR showed that five SexiPBP/GOBPs had different sex‐biased expression patterns, with PBP1 being highly male‐biased (5.96‐fold difference) and PBP3 slightly female‐biased (2.43‐fold difference), while PBP2 and two GOBPs were approximately sex‐equivalent (the absolute value < 1.90‐fold difference). Binding assays showed that all three SexiPBPs could bind all six sex pheromone components, but SexiPBP1 had much higher affinities [dissociation constant (Ki) < 1.10 μM] than did the other two SexiPBPs (Ki > 1.20 μM). Very intriguingly, SexiGOBP2 displayed even stronger binding to five sex pheromone components (Ki < 0.40 μM) than SexiPBP1. In contrast, SexiGOBP1 only exhibited weak binding to three alcohol‐pheromone components. Similar results were obtained for tested pheromone analogues. In addition, each of SexiPBP/GOBPs selectively bound some plant odorants with considerable affinities (Ki < 10.0 μM). Taken together, of the three SexiPBPs, SexiPBP1 may play the most important role in female sex pheromone reception, and additionally all three SexiPBPs can detect some plant odorants, while SexiGOBP2 may be involved in the detection of female sex pheromones in addition to plant odorants. The results strongly suggest functional differentiation within and between the two OBP sub‐classes.
Levee body vulnerability to seepage: the case study of the levee failure along the Foenna stream on 1 January 2006 (central Italy)
Authors: Camici S. , Barbetta S. , Moramarco T.
Published: October 2014

The levee failure event occurred along the Foenna stream (Tuscany region, central Italy) on 1 January 2006 is here investigated. The levee body vulnerability to seepage is first assessed through a procedure here proposed and based on a simple vulnerability index. In particular, the index is defined for dimensionless geometry of levee body and related to the probability of occurrence of the levee seepage through the identification of ‘fragility curves’. The procedure can be applied for embankments whose soil hydraulic parameters are unknown or partly known. The obtained results indicate that the investigated levee, if intact, would not have to be vulnerable to seepage for the flood event occurred on January 2006 when, instead, the failure happened. The analysis shows that the failure was likely due to the presence of burrows at middle height of levee body riverside drawing the flow into the embankment triggering the piping phenomenon. This study indicates that to prevent the failure due to the burrows' presence, the levees must be actively maintained through both the burrows closing and the capture of wild animals. Finally, considering that scarce data are usually available for this type of events worldwide, this paper aims also to illustrate the collected data in terms of: maximum stage recorded at a gauged section close to the failure location, status of the levee, evolution of the failure event.
Negative Stereotypes of Ethnic Outgroups: A Longitudinal Examination AmongPalestinian,IsraeliJewish, andIsraeliArab Youth
Authors: Niwa Erika Y. , Boxer Paul , Dubow Eric F. , Huesmann L. Rowell , Landau Simha , Shikaki Khalil , Dvir Gvirsman Shira
Published: October 2014

Ethno‐political conflict impacts thousands of youth globally and has been associated with a number of negative psychological outcomes. Extant literature has mostly addressed the adverse emotional and behavioral outcomes of exposure while failing to examine change over time in social cognitive factors in contexts of ethno‐political conflict. Using cohort sequential longitudinal data, this study examines ethnic variation in the development of negative stereotypes about ethnic outgroups amongPalestinian (n = 600),IsraeliJewish (n = 451), andIsraeliArab (n = 450) youth over 3 years. Age and exposure to ethno‐political violence were included as covariates for these trajectories. Findings indicate important ethnic differences in trajectories of negative stereotypes about ethnic outgroups, as well as variation in how such trajectories are shaped by prolonged ethno‐political conflict.
The Development of Impulse Control and Sensation‐Seeking in Adolescence: Independent or Interdependent Processes?
Authors: Shulman Elizabeth P. , Harden Kathryn Paige , Chein Jason M. , Steinberg Laurence
Published: October 2014

This study examines whether changes in impulse control and sensation‐seeking across adolescence and early adulthood reflect independent or interdependent developmental processes. Data are drawn from a national longitudinal study (N = 8,270; 49% female; 33% Black, 22% Hispanic, 45% non‐Black, non‐Hispanic). An autoregressive latent trajectory model is used to test whether development in one trait influences development in the other. Although levels of these traits are inversely correlated, we do not find evidence that change over time in either trait is influenced by the prior level of the other. This failure to reject the null hypothesis is consistent with the view that sensation‐seeking and impulse control are the products of distinct neuropsychological systems that develop independently of one another.
Variability in nitrogen stable isotope ratios of macroalgae: consequences for the identification of nitrogen sources
Authors: Ochoa‐Izaguirre María Julia , Soto‐Jiménez Martín F.
Published: October 2014

In our research, we collected and analyzed numerous macroalgal specimens (738) for isotopic analysis sampled over a year at monthly intervals across 20 sites within the Urías lagoon complex, a typical subtropical coastal ecosystem located in the Gulf of California. We quantified and characterized (chemically and isotopically) the N loads received by Urías throughout a year. We studied the spatial‐temporal variation of the chemical forms and isotopic signals of the available N in the water column, and we monitored in situ different environmental variables and other hydrodynamic parameters. Multiple N sources (e.g., atmospheric, sewage, seafood processing, agriculture and aquaculture effluents) and biogeochemical reactions related to the N cycle (e.g., ammonia volatilization, nitrification and denitrification) co‐occurring across the ecosystem, result in a mixture of chemical species and isotopic compositions of available N in the water column. Increased variability was observed in the δ15N values of macroalgae (0.41‰–22.67‰). Based on our results, the variation in δ15N was best explained by spatio‐temporal changes in available N and not necessarily related to the N sources. The variability was also explained by the differences in macroalgal biology among functional groups, species and/or individuals. Although the δ15N‐macroalgae technique was a useful tool to identify N sources, its application in coastal ecosystems receiving multiple N sources, with changing environmental conditions influencing biogeochemical processes, and high diversity of ephemeral macroalgal species, could be less sensitive and have less predictive power.
Identification of the resting cyst of Cochlodinium polykrikoides Margalef (Dinophyceae, Gymnodiniales) in Korean coastal sediments
Authors: LI Zhun , Han Myung‐Soo , Matsuoka Kazumi , Kim So‐Young , Shin Hyeon Ho
Published: October 2014

This study provides the first morphological features of resting cysts of Cochlodinium polykrikoides collected from Korean coastal sediments. Evidence for the existence of resting cysts of C. polykrikoides is based on the morphological and molecular phylogenetic data of the germinated cells and a resting cyst. The morphology of the resting cysts differed from that reported previously in sediments and culture experiments. The distinct feature is that the cyst body was covered by the reticulate ornaments and spines.
Kurt Lewin's Leadership Studies and His Legacy to Social Psychology: Is There Nothing as Practical as a Good Theory?
Authors: Billig Michael
Published: October 2014

This paper re‐examines Kurt Lewin's classic leadership studies, using them as a concrete example to explore his wider legacy to social psychology. Lewin distinguished between advanced “Galileian” science, which was based on analysing particular examples, and backward “Aristotelian” science, which used statistical analyses. Close examination of the way Lewin wrote about the leadership studies reveals that he used the sort of binary, value‐laden concepts that he criticised as “Aristotelian”. Such concepts, especially those of “democracy” and “autocracy”, affected the way that he analysed the results and the ways that later social scientists have understood, and misunderstood, the studies. It is argued that Lewin's famous motto—“there is nothing as practical as a good theory”—is too simple to fit the tensions between the leadership studies and his own views of what counts as good theory.
Tidal variation in a rocky inter‐tidal fish population: the case of white seabream Diplodus sargus juveniles
Authors: Gonçalves Ana Ribeiro , de Sousa Liliana , Duarte‐Coelho Pedro , Almada Vitor Carvalho
Published: October 2014

The rocky inter‐tidal habitat is a harsh and fluctuating environment, subject to frequent disturbances. Field observations of juvenile white seabream Diplodus sargus in inter‐tidal rocky habitats were conducted to analyse the spatial distribution and feeding activity of this species in relation to the tidal cycle. The depth at which fish were observed did not change in most tidal phases while feeding activity changed with tidal level, showing the occurrence of tidal migrations and that feeding may be limited by habitat availability in shallow waters and thus be dependent on tidal changes. The present results show the exploitation of available feeding areas in the rocky inter‐tidal by juvenile white seabream, which corroborates the importance of these habitats for the first developmental stages of this fish species.
Gastropod shell repair tracks predator abundance
Authors: Stafford Emily S. , Tyler Carrie L. , Leighton Lindsey R.
Published: October 2014

Predator‐prey interactions can shape biological communities and drive evolutionary change. The assessment of predation rates in modern and ancient ecosystems presents many challenges. We examined the utility of one common predation metric, shell repair frequency, as a proxy for crushing predation on marine gastropod populations. Our six localities near Bamfield, British Columbia, represented two contrasting predation regimes: three high‐wave‐energy (exposed) environments have low predation rates, while three low‐wave‐energy (protected) environments exhibit high predation rates. We measured the occurrence of repair scars for local populations of the gastropod Chlorostoma funebrale, and recorded multiple independent variables (shell measurements, water velocity, predatory crab abundance) at each locality. Fisher's exact test established that the repair frequencies observed in the protected localities were significantly greater than those of the exposed environments. Factors important in predicting the likelihood of an individual having a repair scar were examined using binomial logistic regression. A model containing the main effects of crab abundance, shell height, shell thickness and water velocity provided the best fit in predicting the presence of repair scars, with crab abundance having the largest contribution. The strong relationship between the presence of repair scars and predator abundance indicates that repair frequency is a valid tool for assessing predation intensity in gastropod populations.
Mapping migration in a songbird using high‐resolution genetic markers
Authors: Ruegg Kristen C. , Anderson Eric C. , Paxton Kristina L. , Apkenas Vanessa , Lao Sirena , Siegel Rodney B. , DeSante David F. , Moore Frank , Smith Thomas B.
Published: October 2014

Neotropic migratory birds are declining across the Western Hemisphere, but conservation efforts have been hampered by the inability to assess where migrants are most limited—the breeding grounds, migratory stopover sites or wintering areas. A major challenge has been the lack of an efficient, reliable and broadly applicable method for measuring the strength of migratory connections between populations across the annual cycle. Here, we show how high‐resolution genetic markers can be used to identify genetically distinct groups of a migratory bird, the Wilson's warbler (Cardellina pusilla), at fine enough spatial scales to facilitate assessing regional drivers of demographic trends. By screening 1626 samples using 96 highly divergent single nucleotide polymorphisms selected from a large pool of candidates (~450 000), we identify novel region‐specific migratory routes and timetables of migration along the Pacific Flyway. Our results illustrate that high‐resolution genetic markers are more reliable, precise and amenable to high throughput screening than previously described intrinsic marking techniques, making them broadly applicable to large‐scale monitoring and conservation of migratory organisms.
Silicon‐mediated resistance of Arabidopsis against powdery mildew involves mechanisms other than the salicylic acid (SA)‐dependent defence pathway
Authors: Vivancos Julien , Labbé Caroline , Menzies James G. , Bélanger Richard R.
Published: October 2014

On absorption by plants, silicon (Si) offers protection against many fungal pathogens, including powdery mildews. The mechanisms by which Si exerts its prophylactic role remain enigmatic, although a prevailing hypothesis suggests that Si positively influences priming. Attempts to decipher Si properties have been limited to plants able to absorb Si, which excludes the model plant Arabidopsis because it lacks Si influx transporters. In this work, we were able to engineer Arabidopsis plants with an Si transporter from wheat (TaLsi1) and to exploit mutants (pad4 and sid2) deficient in salicylic acid (SA)‐dependent defence responses to study their phenotypic response and changes in defence expression against Golovinomyces cichoracearum (Gc) following Si treatment. Our results showed that TaLsi1 plants contained significantly more Si and were significantly more resistant to Gc infection than control plants when treated with Si, the first such demonstration in a plant transformed with a heterologous Si transporter. The resistant plants accumulated higher levels of SA and expressed higher levels of transcripts encoding defence genes, thus suggesting a role for Si in the process. However, TaLsi1 pad4 and TaLsi1 sid2 plants were also more resistant to Gc than were pad4 and sid2 plants following Si treatment. Analysis of the resistant phenotypes revealed a significantly reduced production of SA and expression of defence genes comparable with susceptible controls. These results indicate that Si contributes to Arabidopsis defence priming following pathogen infection, but highlight that Si will confer protection even when priming is altered. We conclude that Si‐mediated protection involves mechanisms other than SA‐dependent defence responses.
Genotype‐by‐sequencing of the plant‐pathogenic fungi Pyrenophora teres and Sphaerulina musiva utilizing Ion Torrent sequence technology
Authors: Leboldus Jared M. , Kinzer Kasia , Richards Jonathan , Ya Zhu , Yan Changhui , Friesen Timothy L. , Brueggeman Robert
Published: October 2014

Genetic and genomics tools to characterize host–pathogen interactions are disproportionately directed to the host because of the focus on resistance. However, understanding the genetics of pathogen virulence is equally important and has been limited by the high cost of de novo genotyping of species with limited marker data. Non‐resource‐prohibitive methods that overcome the limitation of genotyping are now available through genotype‐by‐sequencing (GBS). The use of a two‐enzyme restriction‐associated DNA (RAD)‐GBS method adapted for Ion Torrent sequencing technology provided robust and reproducible high‐density genotyping of several fungal species. A total of 5783 and 2373 unique loci, ‘sequence tags’, containing 16 441 and 9992 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified and characterized from natural populations of Pyrenophora teres f. maculata and Sphaerulina musiva, respectively. The data generated from the P. teres f. maculata natural population were used in association mapping analysis to map the mating‐type gene to high resolution. To further validate the methodology, a biparental population of P. teres f. teres, previously used to develop a genetic map utilizing simple sequence repeat (SSR) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers, was re‐analysed using the SNP markers generated from this protocol. A robust genetic map containing 1393 SNPs on 997 sequence tags spread across 15 linkage groups with anchored reference markers was generated from the P. teres f. teres biparental population. The robust high‐density markers generated using this protocol will allow positional cloning in biparental fungal populations, association mapping of natural fungal populations and population genetics studies.
Refractive errors in a Brazilian population: age and sex distribution
Authors: Ferraz Fabio H. , Corrente José E. , Opromolla Paula , Padovani Carlos Roberto , Schellini Silvana A.
Published: October 2014

Purpose

To determine the prevalence of refractive errors and their distribution according to age and sex in a Brazilian population.

Methods

This population‐based cross‐sectional study involved 7654 Brazilian inhabitants of nine municipalities of Sao Paulo State, Brazil, between March 2004 and July 2005. Participants aged >1 year were selected using a random, stratified, household cluster sampling technique, excluding individuals with previous refractive or cataract surgery. Myopia was defined as spherical equivalent (SE) ≤−0.5D, high myopia as SE ≤−3.0D, hyperopia as SE ≥+0.5D, high hyperopia as SE ≥+3D, astigmatism as ≤‐0.5DC and anisometropia as ≥1.0D difference between eyes. Age, sex, complaints and a comprehensive eye examination including cycloplegic refraction test were collected and analysed using descriptive analysis, univariate and multivariate methods.

Results

The prevalence of astigmatism was 59.7%, hyperopia 33.8% and myopia was 25.3%. Astigmatism had a progressive increase with age. With‐the‐rule (WTR) axes of astigmatism were more frequently observed in the young participants and the against‐the‐rule (ATR) axes were more frequent in the older subjects. The onset of myopia occurred more frequently between the 2nd and 3rd decades of life. Anisometropia showed a prevalence of 13.2% (95% CI 12.4–13.9; p < 0.001). There was an association between age and all types of refractive error and hyperopia was also associated with sex. Hyperopia was associated with WTR axes (odds ratio 0.73; 95% CI: 0.6–0.8; p < 0.001) and myopia with ATR axes (odds ratio 0.66; 95% CI: 0.6–0.8; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Astigmatism was the most prevalent refractive error in a Brazilian population. There was a strong relationship between age and all refractive errors and between hyperopia and sex. WTR astigmatism was more frequently associated with hyperopia and ATR astigmatism with myopia. The vast majority of participants had low‐grade refractive error, which favours planning aimed at correction of refractive error in the population.
A new species ofLimnofregata(Pelecaniformes:Fregatidae) from the Early Eocene Wasatch Formation of Wyoming: implications for palaeoecology and palaeobiology
Authors: Stidham Thomas A.
Published: October 2014

A humerus and a coracoid from the Early Eocene Wasatch Formation in the Washakie Basin of south‐western Wyoming are the oldest materials (by ~2 million years) of the pelecaniformLimnofregata(Aves) and represent a new large species,Limnofregata hutchisonisp. nov. This fossil is the oldest known member of the frigatebird lineage. Other than its large size relative toLimnofregata azygosternonandL. hasegawai, the new material is very similar morphologically to other knownLimnofregataspecimens. The size of this new species is comparable to the largest living species (e.g.Fregata minorandFregata magnifiscens) and much larger than the two described species ofLimnofregata. This fossil indicates that the hard minimum date previously advocated for molecular calibration of the split between Fregatidae and Suloidea is an underestimate by approximately two million years. The presence of early pelecaniform bird lineages (represented byLimnofregataandMasillastega) in limnic ecosystems prior to their known occurrences in marine deposits/habitats appears to indicate that some clades of pelecaniform birds may have undergone an evolutionary transition from freshwater to marine habitats in a pattern reminiscent of what has been suggested during the evolution of pinnipeds or that their palaeoecology included broader niches ranging across a variety of aquatic habitats. That transition in habitat occupation and the origin of many of the characteristic biological aspects present in the crown frigatebird clade likely occurred during a significant temporal gap (> 45 million years) in the fossil record of the frigatebird lineage after these earliest occurrences in the Early Eocene and before the oldest records of the extantFregataspecies in the Pleistocene.
A rare non‐trilobite artiopodan from the Guzhangian (Cambrian Series 3) Weeks Formation Konservat‐Lagerstätte in Utah, USA
Authors: Ortega‐Hernández Javier , Lerosey‐Aubril Rudy , Kier Carlo , Bonino Enrico
Published: October 2014

We describe a weakly biomineralized non‐trilobite artiopodan arthropod from the Guzhangian Weeks Formation of Utah. Falcatamacaris bellua gen. et sp. nov. is typified by a thin calcitic cuticle, broad cephalon without eyes or dorsal ecdysial sutures, an elongate trunk with distinctively sickle‐shaped pleural spines and a long tailspine with a bifurcate termination. The precise affinities of Falcatamacaris gen. nov. are problematic due to the presence of unique features within Artiopoda, such as the peculiar morphology of the pleural and posterior regions of the trunk. Possible affinities with aglaspidid‐like arthropods and concilitergans are discussed based on the possession of 11 trunk tergites, edge‐to‐edge articulations and overall body spinosity. The new taxon highlights the importance of the Weeks Formation Konservat‐Lagerstätte for further understanding the diversity of extinct arthropod groups in the upper Cambrian.