bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rediscovery of the endangered species Harpalus flavescens (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the Loire River
Authors: Denux Olivier , Dauffy‐Richard Emmanuelle , Rossi Jean‐Pierre , Augustin Sylvie
Published: April 2017

The Loire River is one of the last European large rivers with important sediment dynamics and numerous sandbanks. The extraction of sediment from the riverbed during decades and the construction of levees for flood prevention have strongly affected and shaped the biodiversity of the Loire River.

Many species from pioneer riverbanks have been impacted with particular consequences for psammophilous insects. The ground beetle Harpalus (Acardystus) flavescens (Piller & Mitterpacher, 1783), is considered to have disappeared from the Middle Loire River for 40 years and is endangered everywhere in Europe.

In 2012 and 2013, we recorded two specimens of H. flavescens in Région Centre‐Val de Loire (France), in the course of a survey dedicated to evaluating the impact of fluvial maintenance operations upon sediment and biodiversity dynamics.

The presence of H. flavescens may be linked to the interruption of riverbed extractions and the vegetation removal of sandbanks of the Loire River (ecosystem restoration).
The Role of Corporate Boards: A Roundtable Discussion of Where We're Going and Where We've Been
Authors: Greene Jesse , Gupta Raj , L'Helias Sophie , McCracken Bill
Published: April 2017

In this roundtable that took place at the 2016 Millstein Governance Forum at Columbia Law School, four directors of public companies discuss the changing role and responsibilities of corporate boards. In response to increasingly active investors who are looking to management and boards for more information and greater accountability, the four panelists describe the growing demands on boards for both competence and commitment to the job. Despite considerable improvements since the year 2000, and especially since the 2008 financial crisis, the clear consensus is that U.S. corporate directors must become more like owners of the corporation who “truly represent the long‐term interests of all of the shareholders.”

But if activist investors appear to pose the most formidable new challenge for corporate directors—one that has the potential to lead to shortsighted managerial decision‐making—there has been another, less visible development that should be welcomed by wellrun companies that are investing in their future growth as well as meeting investors’ expectations for current performance. According to Raj Gupta, who serves on the boards of HewlettPackard, Delphi Automotive, Arconic, and the Vanguard Group,

[O]ld‐fashioned institutional shareholders—many of them long‐term buyers and holders—now account for a remarkably large percentage of the ownership of U.S. companies. If you looked closely, I think you would find that, in every large U.S. public company today, as few as 20 large institutional shareholders control 50 to 75% of the stock. And although they're not activists who resort to the proxy process, they are also not the silent shareholders of the past.

Although these investors are “bringing enormous pressure to bear on management,” the good news for managements and boards is that such concentration of ownership should make it far easier for them to build trust by making their case directly to “the investment community,” and so win the market support that can give companies the “breathing room” to carry out their long‐term business plans.

Another piece of encouraging news for boards is that, by drawing on a more diverse pool of directors than in the past—one that includes a rapidly growing number of women, people of color, and “internationals”—they are finding themselves with a breadth of perspective and experience that has better prepared them to respond to changes in an increasingly global and volatile business environment.
Columbia Law School Roundtable on A Governance Research Agenda for the Academy
Authors: Cremers Martijn , Khanna Vik , Gordon Jeff
Published: April 2017

Since Jensen and Meckling's formulation of the theory of “agency costs” in 1976, corporate finance and governance scholars have produced a large body of research that attempts to identify the most important features and practices of effective corporate governance systems. But for all the research that has been done in the past 40 years, many practitioners continue to see a disconnect between theory and practice, between the questions researched and the questions that need to be answered.

In this roundtable, Martijn Cremers begins by challenging the conventional view that limiting “agency costs” is the main challenge confronted by boards of directors in representing shareholder interests and, hence, the proper focus of most governance scholarship. Especially in today's economy, with the high values assigned to growth companies, the most important function of corporate governance may instead be to overcome the problem of American “short termism” that he attributes to “inadequate shareholder commitment to long‐term cooperation.” And he buttresses his argument with the findings of his own recent research suggesting that obstacles to the workings of the corporate control market like staggered boards and supermajority voting requirements may actually improve long‐run corporate performance by lengthening the decision‐making horizon of boards and the managements they supervise.

Vik Khanna discusses Indian Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending and its effects in light of a recent law requiring Indian companies of a certain size to devote at least 2% of their after‐tax profit to CSR initiatives. One unintended effect of this mandate, which took effect in 2010, was that all Indian companies that were spending more than the prescribed 2% of profits cut their expenditure back to that minimum, suggesting that CSR and advertising are substitutes to some extent, and that such legal mandates can discourage CSR spending by early adapters or “leaders.” Nevertheless, Khanna also found evidence of social norms developing in support of CSR, including a spreading perception that such spending can help some companies achieve strategic goals.

Jeff Gordon closes by arguing that, to the extent investors are short‐sighted, their short‐sightedness is likely to be justified by their recognition that public company directors have neither the information nor the incentives to do an effective job of monitoring corporate managements. The best solution to the problems with U.S. corporate governance is to replace today's “thinly informed” directors with “activist” directors who more closely resemble the directors of private‐equity owned firms. Such directors would spend far more time with, and be much more knowledgeable about, corporate management and operations—and they would have much more of their personal wealth at stake in the form of company stock.
Liquefying a Market: The Transition of LNG to a Traded Commodity
Authors: Pirrong Craig
Published: April 2017

The Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) industry has grown significantly since it began a half‐century ago, and it will continue to diversify both its sources of supply and the contractual arrangements between suppliers and users. Economic theory says that contracting modes adapt to facilitate gains in efficiency, and that this process of adaptation responds to changes in technological, market, and regulatory factors. When an industry relies heavily on highly specialized assets with limited alternative uses, as is true of LNG, the use of longterm contracts (or vertical integration) will generally be more efficient than short‐term dealings. But once conditions begin to encourage vigorous competition among buyers and sellers, it becomes increasingly economical to rely on shorter‐term (and spot) markets for exchange.

The history of the LNG industry supports these theoretical predictions, and illustrates the transition from one contracting mode to another. For most of its history, the specialization and scale of LNG assets dictated the predominant use of long‐term contracting. In recent years, however, market and regulatory changes have raised the demand for short‐term and spot contracting, which in turn has provided the impetus for a virtuous cycle of market liquidity. As buyers and sellers have become increasingly able to obtain or dispose of LNG in an active market, they have needed less protection against the opportunism of trading partners that long‐term contracts have provided in the past.

Given this self‐reinforcing process, it is likely that the LNG market will soon look nothing like it did as recently as a decade ago. Buyers and sellers will rely on shorter‐term contracts, and the longerterm contracts that do exist will be linked to spot LNG prices rather than crude oil. Consumers and producers will also benefit from more flexible pricing that more accurately reflects rapidly changing fundamentals of supply and demand.
Chino Tico Routes and Repertoires: Cultivating Chineseness and Entrepreneurism for a New Era of Trans‐Pacific Relations
Authors: DeHart Monica
Published: April 2017

Aunque las comunidades chinas diaspóricas tengan raíces en Centro América desde el siglo diecinueve, la creciente relación contemporánea entre China e América Latina ha asignado un nuevo valor a la cultura china dentro de esta relación. En este ensayo, analizo cómo una nueva generación de costarricenses de descendencia china concibe, practica, y proyecta su identidad étnica para cultivar una ventaja económica dentro de las nuevas iniciativas transpacíficas. Basado en un estudio etnográfico con un grupo de jóvenes ¨Chino Ticos¨ en San José, Costa Rica, trazo las trayectorias y experiencias transnacionales de este grupo con el fin de revelar los cambiantes rutas y repertorios de la identidad china de esta generación y sus implicaciones para las relaciones transpacíficas. En vez de entender la nueva generación de empresario diaspórico chino en Centro América como producto de un esencialismo étnico, enfatizo el papel de relaciones de clase y del estado en configurar las relaciones transpacíficas. [Costa Rica, desarrollo, etnicidad, globalizacion, identidad]
Financial Transaction Taxes, Market Composition, and Liquidity
Authors: COLLIARD JEAN‐EDOUARD , HOFFMANN PETER
Published: April 2017

We use the introduction of a financial transaction tax (FTT) in France in 2012 to test competing theories on its impact. We find no support for the idea that an FTT improves market quality by affecting the composition of trading volume. Instead, our results are in line with the hypothesis that a lower trading volume reduces liquidity and in turn market quality. Consistent with theories of asset pricing under transaction costs, we document a shift in security holdings from short‐term to long‐term investors. Finally, we find that moderate aggregate effects on market quality can mask large adjustments made by individual agents.
Volatility‐Managed Portfolios
Authors: MOREIRA ALAN , MUIR TYLER
Published: April 2017

Managed portfolios that take less risk when volatility is high produce large alphas, increase Sharpe ratios, and produce large utility gains for mean‐variance investors. We document this for the market, value, momentum, profitability, return on equity, investment, and betting‐against‐beta factors, as well as the currency carry trade. Volatility timing increases Sharpe ratios because changes in volatility are not offset by proportional changes in expected returns. Our strategy is contrary to conventional wisdom because it takes relatively less risk in recessions. This rules out typical risk‐based explanations and is a challenge to structural models of time‐varying expected returns.
Substance Use Among Transgender Students in California Public Middle and High Schools
Authors: De Pedro Kris Tunac , Gilreath Tamika D. , Jackson Christopher , Esqueda Monica Christina
Published: April 2017

BACKGROUND

Transgender adolescents face tremendous social stress in families and schools, which often leads to behavioral health disparities. This study assessed whether rates of substance use were higher among transgender adolescents when compared to nontransgender adolescents.

METHODS

This study is a secondary data analysis of the 2013‐2015 California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) that examines whether rates of substance use are higher among transgender youth when compared to nontransgender youth. Participants included 4778 transgender and 630,200 nontransgender students in middle and high schools in nearly all school districts in California. The study outcomes were lifetime, recent, and in‐school use of cigarettes, tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and ecstasy as well as nonmedical use of prescription painkillers, diet pills, Ritalin or Adderall, and cold medicine.

RESULTS

Transgender students were about 2‐1/2 times more likely as nontransgender students to use cocaine/methamphetamine in their lifetime (odds ratio [OR] = 2.53; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.18‐2.95) and about 2.8 times as likely to report past 30‐day inhalant use (OR = 2.80; 95% CI = 2.41‐3.26). Transgender students were more than twice as likely to report past 30‐day prescription pain medication use (OR = 2.19; 95% CI = 1.90‐2.53) and more than 3 times as likely to use cigarettes in school (OR = 3.37; 95% CI = 2.84‐3.99).

CONCLUSIONS

The study's findings indicate a need for community‐ and school‐based interventions that reduce substance use among transgender youth.
A Multidisciplinary Research Framework on Green Schools: Infrastructure, Social Environment, Occupant Health, and Performance
Authors: Magzamen Sheryl , Mayer Adam P. , Barr Stephanie , Bohren Lenora , Dunbar Brian , Manning Dale , Reynolds Stephen J. , Schaeffer Joshua W. , Suter Jordan , Cross Jennifer E.
Published: April 2017

BACKGROUND

Sustainable school buildings hold much promise to reducing operating costs, improve occupant well‐being and, ultimately, teacher and student performance. However, there is a scarcity of evidence on the effects of sustainable school buildings on health and performance indicators. We sought to create a framework for a multidisciplinary research agenda that links school facilities, health, and educational outcomes.

METHODS

We conducted a nonsystematic review of peer review publications, government documents, organizational documents, and school climate measurement instruments.

RESULTS

We found that studies on the impact of physical environmental factors (air, lighting, and thermal comfort) on health and occupant performance are largely independent of research on the social climate. The current literature precludes the formation of understanding the causal relation among school facilities, social climate, occupant health, and occupant performance.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the average age of current school facilities in the United States, construction of new school facilities or retrofits of older facilities will be a major infrastructure investment for many municipalities over the next several decades. Multidisciplinary research that seeks to understand the impact of sustainable design on the health and performance of occupants will need to include both an environmental science and social science perspective to inform best practices and quantification of benefits that go beyond general measures of costs savings from energy efficiencies.
Age Differences in Variables Affecting Motor Inhibition
Authors: Tsuchida Noriaki
Published: April 2017

This study's purpose was to analyze the effects of aging on motor control, with a specific focus on analyzing the characteristics of motor inhibition failure. A continuous‐response task was conducted with 35 younger adults and 35 older adults, under several conditions and using two types of switches. The results indicated the following: (a) in older adults, response type and auditory stimuli strongly affected motor inhibition failure, and (b) in younger adults, motor inhibition failures rarely occurred. When they did occur, they were strongly affected by factors directing visual stimuli. These results suggest age‐related differences in variables that affect motor inhibition, and that movement and the associated nervous excitation might strongly affect motor inhibition in older adults.
The performance of critical flicker frequency on determining of neurocognitive function loss in severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
Authors: Guzel Aygul , Gunbey Emre , Koksal Nurhan
Published: April 2017

This study aimed to compare the critical flicker frequency (CFF) and the mail‐in cognitive function screening ınstrument (MCFSI) tests’ effectiveness in diagnosing neurocognitive function losses in patients having severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). A total of 85 subjects (47 patients with a diagnosis of severe OSAS and 38 healthy controls) were included into the study. MCFSI scores greater than or equal to five and CFF scores less than 39 Hz were considered abnormal. Demographic and polysomnographic parameters of patients with OSAS were studied, and correlations between the MCFSI, CFF scores and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores were analysed. The mean age of the patients was 49.6 ± 12.0 years. In the OSAS group, the CFF score was found to be low when compared with the control group, while the MCFSI score was found to be high. Pathological CFF scores (<39) were found in 13 patients (27.7%) in the OSAS group, while pathological MCFSI scores (≥5) were found in 19 patients (40.4%). CFF scores were found to be low in only 26% of the patients with OSAS who were found to have high MCFSI scores. MCFSI scores were high in only 38% of the patients with OSAS who were found to have low CFF scores. There was a significant correlation between ESS and CFF scores. In conclusion, the usefulness of the CFF test in determining cognitive function loss in patients with OSAS needs to be demonstrated via studies which utilize a larger sample size.
Religion as Cultural Models: Developing an Emic Measure of Religiosity
Authors: Dengah H. J. François
Published: April 2017

Despite a century's worth of work, lacunae remain in our understanding of the religion‐health relationship. Scholars in this field have called for increasingly sophisticated conceptualizations of religiosity that refine its connection to well‐being, accounting for both positive and negative associations, while being sensitive to the cultural variations in the experience of religion. This article argues that cognitive anthropological methods provide a novel approach to these issues by conceptualizing aspects of religion as culturally shared “styles of life.” Specifically, the combined approaches of cultural consensus and cultural consonance provide an emically valid measure of religiosity that is then linked to health through the psychosocial stress paradigm. Utilizing research among Brazilian Pentecostals within the state of São Paulo, this intrareligious study evaluates the predictive power of religious cultural consonance relative to widely used and established religiosity scales. Religious consonance is found to have a stronger correlation with psychological well‐being than comparable measures, suggesting that existing standardized measures miss important dimensions of the religion‐health relationship. As such, this article outlines an important area of collaboration between anthropologists and other religion‐health researchers.
Taxonomy of the ‘remarkable little plant’ Gentiana vernayi (Microsperma–Gentianaceae)
Authors: Dey Sentu Kumar , Maity D.
Published: April 2017

The taxonomy of Cecil Marquand's ‘remarkable little plant’ Gentiana vernayi C. Marquand (Microsperma–Gentianaceae) is revised. A new subspecies, G. vernayi C. Marquand subsp. favrei S. K. Dey & D. Maity subsp. nov. is described and illustrated from Sikkim Himalaya. The new taxon is strikingly distinct from G. vernayi subsp. vernayi by its mostly elliptic, acute leaves, and bright white flowers with comparatively small floral parts. Moreover, the basal part of the ovary is symmetric and the ovarian stipe is longer. In addition, in the new taxon the calyx lobes are sometimes six. Information on the habitat, phenology, distribution and conservation status of both taxa is provided. Gentiana vernayi C. Marquand was described by Cecil Marquand based on specimens collected from southern Tibet. Both subspecies are here reported from India for the first time and constitutes an extension of the species known range to the Sikkim Himalaya, India. The sympatric nature of both the taxa is discussed. The asymmetrical plicae in G. vernayi and members of the genus Kuepferia Adr.Favre are assumed to be a morphological convergence.
The NO/cGMP pathway in duodenal motor, mechano‐ and chemosensory responses to acid: A randomized, placebo‐controlled study with sildenafil in healthy volunteers
Authors: Lee K. J. , Vanheel H. , Vanuytsel T. , Vos R. , Tack J.
Published: April 2017

Background

Altered duodenal sensorimotor responses to acid have been reported in a subset of patients with functional dyspepsia. To investigate whether NO is involved in these abnormalities, the effect of sildenafil (activates the NO pathway) on duodenal motor and sensory responses to acid in healthy humans was evaluated.

Methods

A barostat‐manometry catheter including an infusion tube was positioned in the duodenum of 12 healthy volunteers. Duodenal motility and dyspeptic symptoms were evaluated during the whole study. A first series of stepwise isobaric distensions was performed while participants scored their perception of upper abdominal sensations at the end of every distension step. Next, the duodenum was infused with sildenafil 50 mg or saline, followed by duodenal acid infusion. During duodenal acidification, a second sequence of stepwise isobaric distensions with the assessment of sensations was repeated.

Key results

Acid infusion did not induce dyspeptic symptoms with both placebo and sildenafil pretreatment. Duodenal motility decreased after sildenafil infusion, whereas it was not affected by placebo. Acid‐induced increase in motility was, however, observed in both conditions, and no difference between the conditions was found. Duodenal acidification decreased thresholds for discomfort and increased perception scores during duodenal distensions in both groups, but again no difference was observed between placebo and sildenafil pretreatment.

Conclusions and Inferences

Sildenafil does not affect duodenal motor, mechanosensory, and chemosensory responses to acid in healthy controls. Therefore, it is less likely that the NO pathway plays a role in the altered response to acid in functional dyspepsia patients.
The two‐component system VicRK regulates functions associated with Streptococcus mutans resistance to complement immunity
Authors: Alves Livia A. , Harth‐Chu Erika N. , Palma Thais H. , Stipp Rafael N. , Mariano Flávia S. , Höfling José F. , Abranches Jacqueline , Mattos‐Graner Renata O.
Published: April 2017

Streptococcus mutans, a dental caries pathogen, can promote systemic infections upon reaching the bloodstream. The two‐component system (TCS) VicRKSm of S. mutans regulates the synthesis of and interaction with sucrose‐derived exopolysaccharides (EPS), processes associated with oral and systemic virulence. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms by which VicRKSm affects S. mutans susceptibility to blood‐mediated immunity. Compared with parent strain UA159, the vicKSm isogenic mutant (UAvic) showed reduced susceptibility to deposition of C3b of complement, low binding to serum immunoglobulin G (IgG), and low frequency of C3b/IgG‐mediated opsonophagocytosis by polymorphonuclear cells in a sucrose‐independent way (P<.05). Reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis comparing gene expression in UA159 and UAvic revealed that genes encoding putative peptidases of the complement (pepO and smu.399) were upregulated in UAvic in the presence of serum, although genes encoding murein hydrolases (SmaA and Smu.2146c) or metabolic/surface proteins involved in bacterial interactions with host components (enolase, GAPDH) were mostly affected in a serum‐independent way. Among vicKSm‐downstream genes (smaA, smu.2146c, lysM, atlA, pepO, smu.399), only pepO and smu.399 were associated with UAvic phenotypes; deletion of both genes in UA159 significantly enhanced levels of C3b deposition and opsonophagocytosis (P<.05). Moreover, consistent with the fibronectin‐binding function of PepO orthologues, UAvic showed increased binding to fibronectin. Reduced susceptibility to opsonophagocytosis was insufficient to enhance ex vivo persistence of UAvic in blood, which was associated with growth defects of this mutant under limited nutrient conditions. Our findings revealed that S. mutans employs mechanisms of complement evasion through peptidases, which are controlled by VicRKSm.
Burden of Infantile Hemangioma on Family: An International Observational Cross‐Sectional Study
Authors: Cazeau Christine , Blei Francine , Gonzáles Hermosa María del Rosario Fátima , Cavalli Riccardo , Boccara Olivia , Fölster‐Holst Regina , Berdeaux Gilles , Delarue Alain , Voisard Jean‐Jacques
Published: April 2017

Background/Objectives

Infantile hemangioma (IH) is the most frequent benign tumor of infancy resulting from vascular proliferation. Data regarding the burden on families of children with IHs are limited. This study aimed to characterize IHs and provide a comprehensive evaluation of the burden of IHs on parents of children requiring systemic treatment in the United States and Europe.

Methods

This noninterventional cross‐sectional study included infants with newly diagnosed IH requiring systemic treatment. A parent or family member completed two questionnaires (Family Member questionnaire; Hemangioma Family Burden [HFB] questionnaire).

Results

A total of 693 individuals were evaluable in five countries. IHs were observed in more girls than boys (66%–83% female) and the mean age at inclusion was 0.44 to 1.4 years. Approximately half of patients had superficial IHs, approximately 70% of cases affected the head, and approximately 80% of cases were moderate or severe. Most patients received propranolol treatment. Their child's IH affected more than 70% of parents in each country, but fewer than 10% were offered psychological support. Approximately half of all parents reported that their child's IH affected their professional life. The global HFB score was significantly (p < 0.001) greater with greater IH severity. More than 90% of parents in each country were satisfied with the care of their child's disease.

Conclusions

This international study using the validated HFB questionnaire provides further insight into the burden of IH and highlights potential areas for future focus in assisting families with affected children.
Pascal's wager
Authors: Rota Michael
Published: April 2017

Pascal's wager is an argument in support of religious belief (and religious practice) taking its name from the seventeenth century polymath Blaise Pascal. Unlike more traditional arguments for the existence of God, Pascal's wager is a pragmatic argument, concluding not that God exists but that one should wager for God; that is, one should live as if God exists. After an introduction to the elements of decision theory needed to understand the wager (section 2), I discuss the interpretation of Pascal's reasoning in the Infini rien fragment of the Pensees, in which he presents several versions of a wager‐style argument. Recent discussions of the role of the wager within Pascal's overall project of Christian apologetics are also examined (section 3). I then review contemporary formulations of, attacks on, and objections to Pascal's wager (section 4). Recent authors have pressed (or responded to, as the case may be) moral objections, epistemological objections, objections relating to infinite utilities, the many Gods objection, and objections to the expectation rule, among others. After an examination of this literature, I conclude with a brief discussion of noncanonical versions of the wager, including Jeff Jordan's Jamesian wager.
RNA silencing of PEX6 gene causes decrease in pigmentation, sporulation and pathogenicity of Fusarium oxysporum
Authors: Tetorya M. , Rajam M. V.
Published: April 2017

Peroxisomes are single membrane‐bound organelles that play a pivotal role in various developmental processes in all eukaryotic cells. This study targeted the PEX6 gene, which encodes for peroxisomal biogenesis factor 6, by RNA interference (RNAi) in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. Fusarium oxysporum is a soilborne filamentous, hemibiotrophic fungus that invades tomato roots and colonizes the xylem vessels, thereby causing complete wilting of infected tomato plants. The expression of FoPEX6 in F. oxysporum was found to be higher during early stages of growth and development. The FoPEX6 gene was isolated and a hairpin RNAi construct was prepared and introduced into F. oxysporum 4471 through glass‐bead transformation. The fungal transformation status, i.e. integration, expression and presence of the intended small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), was confirmed by PCR, qPCR and stem‐loop PCR, respectively. The silenced fungal transformants exhibited reduced pigmentation and a significant reduction in sporulation as compared to the wild type. They also showed dramatic reduction in pathogenicity (virulence) on tomato, based on root infection and fruit invasion assays. These results suggest that PEX6 has a central role in pigmentation, sporulation and pathogenicity in F. oxysporum.
A phosphoproteomic landscape of rice (Oryza sativa) tissues
Authors: Wang Yifeng , Tong Xiaohong , Qiu Jiehua , Li Zhiyong , Zhao Juan , Hou Yuxuan , Tang Liqun , Zhang Jian
Published: April 2017

Protein phosphorylation is an important posttranslational modification that regulates various plant developmental processes. Here, we report a comprehensive, quantitative phosphoproteomic profile of six rice tissues, including callus, leaf, root, shoot meristem, young panicle and mature panicle from Nipponbare by employing a mass spectrometry (MS)‐based, label‐free approach. A total of 7171 unique phosphorylation sites in 4792 phosphopeptides from 2657 phosphoproteins were identified, of which 4613 peptides were differentially phosphorylated (DP) among the tissues. Motif‐X analysis revealed eight significantly enriched motifs, such as [sP], [Rxxs] and [tP] from the rice phosphosites. Hierarchical clustering analysis divided the DP peptides into 63 subgroups, which showed divergent spatial‐phosphorylation patterns among tissues. These clustered proteins are functionally related to nutrition uptake in roots, photosynthesis in leaves and tissue differentiation in panicles. Phosphorylations were specific in the tissues where the target proteins execute their functions, suggesting that phosphorylation might be a key mechanism to regulate the protein activity in different tissues. This study greatly expands the rice phosphoproteomic dataset, and also offers insight into the regulatory roles of phosphorylation in tissue development and functions.
Commentary: What's in a Name? Defining Social Entrepreneurship
Authors: Aubry Rick
Published: April 2017

Related Content: Schneider (PAR May/June 2017)
Real Solutions of the First Painlevé Equation with Large Initial Data
Authors: Long W.‐G. , Li Y.‐T. , Liu S.‐Y. , Zhao Y.‐Q.
Published: April 2017

We consider three special cases of the initial value problem of the first Painlevé (PI) equation. Our approach is based on the method of uniform asymptotics introduced by Bassom et al. A rigorous proof of a property of the PI solutions on the negative real axis, recently revealed by Bender and Komijani, is given by approximating the Stokes multipliers. Moreover, we build more precise relation between the large initial data of the PI solutions and their three different types of behavior as the independent variable tends to negative infinity. In addition, some limiting form connection formulas are obtained.
Use of Radiocontrast Agents in CKD and ESRD
Authors: Bahrainwala Jehan Z , Leonberg‐Yoo Amanda K , Rudnick Michael R
Published: April 2017

Contrast exposure in a population with chronic kidney disease (CKD) requires additional consideration given the risk of contrast‐induced nephropathy (CIN) after exposure to iodinated contrast as well as systemic injury with exposure to gadolinium‐based contrast agents (GBCA). Strategies to avoid CIN, and manage patients after exposure, including extracorporeal removal of contrast media, may differ among an advanced CKD population as compared to a general population. There is strong evidence to support the use of isotonic volume expansion and the lowest dose of low‐osmolar or iso‐osmolar contrast media possible to decrease CIN. The current literature on other newer prophylactic strategies such as statins, remote ischemic preconditioning, discontinuation of renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) blockade, and RenalGuard is limited thus these strategies cannot currently be recommended as routine prophylaxis for CIN. The use of extracorporeal removal of contrast agents as prophylaxis to reduce CIN has been the subject of multiple studies; however, data do not support a beneficial effect in reduction in CIN. Immediate removal of contrast by dialysis in a maintenance dialysis population is also not recommended, unless an individual's cardiopulmonary status is dependent on strict volume management. In patients with reduced renal function, GCBA exposure increases the risk of NSF. In patients with AKI, CKD stage 3 or greater (eGFR <30 ml/minute/1.73 m2), or patients on dialysis, we do not recommend the use of GBCA and alternative imaging modalities should be considered. If patients absolutely need magnetic resonance imaging with GBCA, we recommend the use of the lowest dose possible of the newer macrocylic, ionic agents (gadoterate meglumine) as well as immediate postprocedural HD in patients already on HD or peritoneal dialysis or with stage 5 CKD and with a functioning dialysis access already in place.
Imaging in Chronic Kidney Disease‐Metabolic Bone Disease
Authors: Alexander Anup J. , Jahangir David , Lazarus Martin , Sprague Stuart M.
Published: April 2017

Musculoskeletal manifestations in chronic kidney disease (CKD) are the result of a series of complex alterations in mineral metabolism, which has been defined as chronic kidney disease ‐ mineral and bone‐related disorder (CKD‐MBD). Biochemical assessment and, at times, bone biopsy remains the mainstay of disease assessment, however, radiological imaging is an important adjunct in evaluating disease severity. This review aims to illustrate the radiological features of CKD‐MBD, such as secondary hyperparathyroidism, osteomalacia, adynamic bone disease, osteopenia, and extra‐skeletal calcifications.
Cheap Talk or Proper Signaling? Styles of Campaigning and Engagement in Constituency Service
Authors: Chiru Mihail
Published: April 2017

Objectives

Although a salient component of parliamentary delegation and accountability chains, the connection between individual campaigning and parliamentary behavior has not been measured systematically by empirical research. This study assesses the importance of campaign strategies and activities for constituency service.

Methods

We draw on an original data set combining the responses of 234 members of Parliament (MPs) participating at the 2010 Hungarian Candidate Study with their subsequent parliamentary questions. We content analyzed the questions and ran negative binomial regressions to evaluate if and how campaign activities influenced the MPs to introduce locally‐oriented questions.

Results

Our analyses show that a form of campaign socialization, the time devoted to meet local activists during campaigns, is a key predictor for the likelihood of introducing constituency questions, whereas campaign norms and messages matter less.

Conclusions

Ultimately, even though campaigns matter for constituency service, the MPs’ shadowing behavior, their socialization in local politics, and their partisan affiliation is likely to matter more.
Historical trends in iodine and selenium in soil and herbage at the Park Grass Experiment, Rothamsted Research, UK
Authors: Bowley H. E. , Mathers A. W. , Young S. D. , Macdonald A. J. , Ander E. L. , Watts M. J. , Zhao F. J. , McGrath S. P. , Crout N. M. J. , Bailey E. H.
Published: April 2017

Long‐term trends in iodine and selenium retention in soil, and uptake by herbage, were investigated in archived samples from the Park Grass Experiment, initiated in 1856 at Rothamsted, UK. Soil (0–23 cm) and herbage samples from plots receiving various mineral fertilizers and organic manures, with and without lime, were analysed for selenium (Se) and iodine (I) to assess the effect of soil amendments, annual rainfall, crop yield and changes in soil chemistry from 1876 to 2008. Comparing soil from limed and unlimed control (unfertilized) plots, TMAH‐extractable Se and I concentrations both diverged, with time, with greater retention in unlimed plots; differences in concentration amounted to 92 and 1660 μg/kg for Se and I, respectively, after 105 yr. These differences were broadly consistent with estimated additions from rainfall and dry deposition. Offtake of both elements in herbage was negligible compared to soil concentrations and annual inputs (<0.003% of total soil I and <0.006% of total soil Se). A positive correlation was observed between I and Se concentrations in herbage, suggesting some common factors controlling bioavailability. A growth‐dilution effect for I and Se was suggested by the positive correlation between growing season rainfall (GSR) and herbage yield together with soil‐to‐plant transfer factors decreasing with yield. Phosphate and sulphate fertilizers reduced I and Se herbage concentrations, both through ion competition and increased herbage yield. Results suggest that in intensive agriculture with soil pH control, the I requirement of grazing animals is not likely to be met by herbage alone.
The novel KIR3DS1*083 allele identified in a southern Chinese Han individual
Authors: Xu Y.‐P. , Wang S.‐X. , Gao S.‐Q. , Zhang H.‐B.
Published: April 2017

KIR3DS1*083 allele differs from the closest allele
KIR3DS1*01301 by 3 mutations in exon 4.
A new allele, HLA‐A*03:275N
Authors: Battarra M. , Condello R. , Galluccio T. , Stellitano C. , Andreani M.
Published: April 2017

The novel allele HLA‐A*03:275N differs from HLA‐A*03:01:01:01 by 1 nucleotide substitutions in exon 2
Hepatitis E: the current state of play
Authors: Ankcorn M. J. , Tedder R. S.
Published: April 2017

The hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of acute hepatitis globally. Genotypes 1 and 2 (G1 and G2) are obligate human pathogens transmitted faeco‐orally, leading to epidemics in developing countries. In contrast, genotypes 3 and 4 (G3 and G4) have a wider host range, including humans, but are primarily porcine viruses and are transmitted from animals to humans as a food‐borne zoonosis when meat from an infected animal is consumed. HEV is increasingly recognised as a problem in developed countries, including countries in Europe. G3 HEV is now the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis in the UK and cases continue to rise. The majority of these infections are acquired within the UK and thought to be from insufficiently cooked meat, predominantly processed pork meat. Previously thought to only cause self‐limiting disease, HEV infection can persist in immunosuppressed patients, which may lead to chronic hepatitis and the rapid development of cirrhosis. Of particular interest to the transfusion community has been the possibility of transfusion‐transmitted HEV, which has been reported from countries classically considered HEV‐endemic but also non‐endemic countries in Europe and Japan. This has prompted some countries to introduce screening for HEV in blood donations.
Crisis de la noción de autoridad
Authors: Ruiz Gutiérrez Adriana María
Published: April 2017

Este artículo se centra en las distintas relaciones que la auctoritas traza con la potestas como figuras esenciales del derecho positivo, las cuales se expresan en dos ámbitos: por un lado, como fuentes de creación y protección del orden jurídico-institucional y, por otro lado, como fuentes de negación y destrucción de la vida humana. La auctoritas acrecienta considerablemente la potestas allí donde se exige la protección del orden y, por lo mismo, aumenta radicalmente el poder de destrucción de la vida humana. El derecho y la vida constituyen, pues, el fundamento y el objeto último del vínculo tan íntimo y complejo entre auctoritas y potestas, objetivándose en la conservación del derecho y, a su vez, en la saturación jurídico-política de la vida humana hasta reducirla a nuda vida, esto es, a un objeto sin valor que puede ser gestionado, administrado y, finalmente, eliminado. Bajo estas premisas, este trabajo pretende ocuparse, entonces, de las relaciones entre auctoritas y potestas, y entre estas y la nuda vida a partir de los distintos análisis resultados históricos, políticos y jurídicos. Estos análisis permiten afirmar bien sea la supremacía del nexo entre autoridad y poder para garantizar la vigencia del orden jurídico-institucional, bien sea la supremacía de la vida humana capaz de liberarse del exceso de dicho nexo.
Model biological population by branching processes
Authors: Terzieva Antoanela
Published: April 2017

Consider a population of two or more different types of cells that at the end of life create two new cells through cell division. We model the population dynamics using a multitype branching stochastic processes. Under consideration are processes of Bieneme-Galton-Watson and of Bellman-Harris for the Markovian case. В  drawn Conclusions about the expected number of particles of each type after a random time are drawn. The proposed models could be applicable not only for populations of a unicellular organisms, but also for sets of objects which operate a certain period of time and then split into two new objects or change their type.
Design and function of biomimetic multilayer water purification membranes
Authors: Ling Shengjie , Qin Zhao , Huang Wenwen , Cao Sufeng , Kaplan David L. , Buehler Markus J.
Published: April 2017

A nacre-like multilayer filtration membrane is developed by integration of computational simulation and experimental fabrication.
Evolutionary dynamics of CRISPR gene drives
Authors: Noble Charleston , Olejarz Jason , Esvelt Kevin M. , Church George M. , Nowak Martin A.
Published: April 2017

Previous CRISPR gene drives should undergo limited spread due to resistance, and a potential solution is presented.
Relics of the first Americans?
Authors: Wade Lizzie
Published: April 2017

“Western Stemmed points” may be the signature of ancient migrants who spread south along the Pacific coast.
Following photoexcited electrons in reactions
Authors: Sension Roseanne
Published: April 2017

Ultrafast x-ray spectroscopy reveals electron dynamics in a ring-opening reaction
Transcutaneous Immunization with a Band-Aid Prevents Experimental Otitis Media in a Polymicrobial Model
Authors: Novotny Laura A. , Clements John D. , Goodman Steven D. , Bakaletz Lauren O.
Published: April 2017

Otitis media (OM) is a common pediatric disease, and nontypeable
Haemophilus influenzae
(NTHI) is the predominant pathogen in chronic OM, recurrent OM, and OM associated with treatment failure. OM is also a polymicrobial disease, wherein an upper respiratory tract viral infection predisposes to ascension of NTHI from the nasopharynx, the site of colonization, to the normally sterile middle ear, resulting in disease. Using a clinically relevant viral-bacterial coinfection model of NTHI-induced OM, we performed transcutaneous immunization (TCI) via a band-aid delivery system to administer each of three promising NTHI vaccine candidates derived from bacterial adhesive proteins and biofilm mediators: recombinant soluble PilA (rsPilA), chimV4, and integration host factor. Each immunogen was admixed with the adjuvant LT(R192G/L211A), a double mutant of
Escherichia coli
heat-labile enterotoxin, and assessed for relative ability to prevent the onset of experimental OM. For each cohort, the presence of circulating immunogen-specific antibody-secreting cells and serum antibody was confirmed prior to intranasal NTHI challenge. After bacterial challenge, blinded video otoscopy and tympanometry revealed a significant reduction in the proportion of animals with signs of OM compared to levels in animals receiving adjuvant only, with an overall vaccine efficacy of 64 to 77%. These data are the first to demonstrate the efficacy afforded by TCI with a band-aid vaccine delivery system in a clinically relevant polymicrobial model of OM. The simplicity of TCI with a band-aid and the significant efficacy observed here hold great promise for reducing the global burden of OM in the pediatric population.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Treponema pallidum Particle Agglutination Assay for Neurosyphilis Diagnosis
Authors: Marra Christina M. , Maxwell Clare L. , Dunaway Shelia B. , Sahi Sharon K. , Tantalo Lauren C.
Published: April 2017

Limited data suggest that the cerebrospinal fluid
Treponema pallidum
particle agglutination assay (CSF-TPPA) is sensitive and a CSF
Treponema pallidum
hemagglutination assay (CSF-TPHA) titer of ≥1:640 is specific for neurosyphilis diagnosis. CSF-TPPA reactivity and titer were determined for a convenience sample of 191 CSF samples from individuals enrolled in a study of CSF abnormalities in syphilis (training data set). The sensitivity of a reactive test and the specificity for reactivity at serial higher CSF dilutions were determined. Subsequently, CSF-TPPA reactivity at a 1:640 dilution was determined for all available samples from study participants enrolled after the last training sample was collected (validation data set,
n
= 380). Neurosyphilis was defined as (i) a reactive CSF Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test (CSF-VDRL), (ii) detection of
T. pallidum
in CSF by reverse transcriptase PCR, or (iii) new vision loss or hearing loss. In the training data set, the diagnostic sensitivities of a reactive CSF fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test (CSF-FTA-ABS) and a reactive CSF-TPPA did not differ significantly (67 to 98% versus 76 to 95%). The specificity of a CSF-TPPA titer of ≥1:640 was significantly higher than that of lower dilutions and was not significantly different from that of CSF-VDRL. In the validation data set, the diagnostic specificity of a CSF-TPPA titer of ≥1:640 was high and did not differ significantly from that of CSF-VDRL (93 to 94% versus 90 to 91%). Ten CSF samples with a nonreactive CSF-VDRL had a CSF-TPPA titer of ≥1:640. If a CSF-TPPA titer of ≥1:640 was used in addition to a reactive CSF-VDRL, the number of neurosyphilis diagnoses would have increased from 47 to 57 (21.3%). A CSF-TPPA titer cutoff of ≥1:640 may be useful in identifying patients with neurosyphilis when CSF-VDRL is nonreactive.