bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The sixteenth‐century price rise: new evidence fromScotland, 1500–85
Authors: Blakeway Amy
Published: July 2014

This article contributes to the emerging belief among early modern economic historians that sixteenth‐century inflation was primarily caused by monetary factors. TheScottish case study reveals a strong relationship between coinage debasement and rising prices, a contention strengthened by the fact that theScottish experience of inflation was high inEuropean terms, and, in particular, stands at a considerable distance from theEnglish pattern. This study includes the first scholarly examination of prices during the 1540s, and reveals that substantial inflation first emerged during this hitherto neglected decade. Prices plateaued during the 1550s, and rose consistently from 1560 to 1585. Meanwhile real wages declined during the 1540s and from 1560 onwards. This article is methodologically innovative in constructing two baskets of commodities, designed to represent the elite experience, alongside a more traditional basket based on a working household. These reveal the divergent experiences of the price rise withinScotland: rising prices hit the poor harder than the rich due to the high cost of domestic agricultural goods in the subsistence basket and the deflationary impact of wages and luxury goods upon the overall elite basket.
‘To help keep the home going’: female labour supply in interwar London
Authors: Bean Jessica S.
Published: July 2014

Most prior work on historical female labour supply has been confined to looking at the female labour force participation decision. This article uses the detailed information on weekly hours of work and wages contained in the New Survey of London Life and Labour (NSLLL) (1928–32) to provide the first estimation of both the participation and the hours‐of‐work decisions for female workers prior to the Second World War. The main finding is that the labour supply curve was negatively sloped—women worked longer hours at lower wages. It is also possible to compare the determinants of the labour force participation decision and the hours of work decision among females in the NSLLL. It appears that the labour force participation decision was more strongly related to household income level than to own wages, while the hours of work decision among working women was more strongly related to the wage level than to household income. Finally, the article also examines the differential labour market behaviour of married women, female household heads, and young single women; most striking among these results is the evident added‐worker effect on married women of the onset of the Great Depression in 1930.
Occurrence and antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli,Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus in raw milk and dairy products in Turkey
Authors: Gundogan Neslihan , Avci Ebru
Published: July 2014

In this survey, 150 samples of raw milk, white cheese and ice cream from three different dairy‐processing plants in Ankara were analysed to find out if they were contaminated with Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus or Bacillus cereus. The highest contamination percentages were found in raw milk samples as follows: B. cereus (90%), E. coli (74%) and S. aureus (56%) followed by cheese (70% B. cereus, 60% E. coli, and 48% S. aureus) and ice cream (56% E. coli, 36% S. aureus and 20% B. cereus). The survey showed that 2% of cheese samples were contaminated with E. coli O157. It was also found that the numbers of S. aureus and E. coli in raw milk, cheese and ice cream samples exceeded the numbers permitted under the Turkish Food Codex (TFC). The number of B. cereus in raw milk, cheese and ice cream samples was lower than the limit given in the TFC standards. The study also showed that E. coli and S. aureus exhibit resistance to ampicillin, penicillin, tetracycline, erythromycin, gentamicin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Escherichia coli isolates also showed resistance to chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin but none of them exhibited resistance to cefotaxime. All S. aureus isolates were found to be susceptible to cefotaxime, chloramphenicol, and ciprofloxacin. Bacillus cereus isolates were found to be resistant to ampicillin, penicillin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and sensitive to cefotaxime, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin erythromycin, gentamicin and tetracycline.
Vulvovaginal Candida albicans infections: pathogenesis, immunity and vaccine prospects
Authors: Cassone A
Published: July 2014

Although a number of fungal species belonging to the genus Candida can cause acute vulvovaginal infection (VVC), Candida albicans is by far the most prevalent etiological agent, particularly for the most severe chronic condition known as recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC). This review focuses on recent advances in pathogenic mechanisms and host immune responses to C. albicans and on the utilisation of this information in the development of a vaccine to prevent and/or treat vaginal candidiasis. Currently, two vaccines with main or sole RVVC as clinical indication have completed a phase 1 clinical trial, and one of them has entered a phase 2 trial.
The Making of an Australian ‘Airport City’
Authors: FREESTONE ROBERT , WIESEL ILAN
Published: July 2014

Globally, the changing nature of airports, and particularly the juxtaposition of general commercial land uses alongside aviation functions, is captured in the concept of the ‘airport city’. In Australia, commercialisation has impacted nearly all privatised capital city and general aviation airports. Essendon Airport's contested transformation from a run‐down general aviation facility into an emergent business and retail hub in Melbourne's north‐western suburbs serves as an instructive case study of the evolution of the airport city as a new suburban typology. Drawing in part on in‐depth interviews with key stakeholders involved in the redevelopment process, this paper examines the conflicting forces that have driven commercialisation since the late 1990s, the spatial outcomes and the wider planning issues arising.
All Strings Attached: Negotiating Relationships of Geographic Information Science
Authors: VELAND SIRI , LYNCH AMANDA , BISCHOFF‐MATTSON ZACHARY , JOACHIM LEE , JOHNSON NOOR
Published: July 2014

Human geography has driven substantive improvements in methodologies and applications ofGeographicInformationSystems (GISs), yetIndigenous groups continue to experience erasure in geographic representations.GISontologies comprise categorised labels that represent lived contexts, and these ontologies are determined through the shared worldviews of those labelling spatial phenomena for entry intoGISdatabases. AlthoughWestern ontologies and spatial representations reflectWestern understandings of human experience, they are often inappropriate inIndigenous contexts. In efforts to be represented in courts and land management,Indigenous groups nevertheless need to engageWestern spatial representations to ‘claim space’. This paper examines whatGISsare and do and shows thatGIStechnology comes with strings attached to the myriad social contexts that continue to shape the field ofGIScience. We show thatIntellectualPropertyRightsAgreements can sever and control these ‘strings’; the agreement between theYortaYortaNationAboriginalCorporation and university researchers reframesGISfrom a technology of erasure to a technology of opportunity that enablesIndigenous groups to define their own engagement. The visual and narrative outputs will contribute important understandings of the environmental crisis facing theMurray–DarlingBasin and connect older and younger generations through knowledge sharing. We conclude the application ofGIScience is never simply technological but always has potential to empower particular communities. ApplyingGIStechnology to new circumstances is an engagement of new relationships in the social praxis of technology transfer, where worldviews meet and negotiations are made over what exists and how we know.
The galanin receptor agonist, galnon, attenuates cocaine‐induced reinstatement and dopamine overflow in the frontal cortex
Authors: Ogbonmwan Yvonne E. , Sciolino Natale R. , Groves‐Chapman Jessica L. , Freeman Kimberly G. , Schroeder Jason P. , Edwards Gaylen L. , Holmes Philip V. , Weinshenker David
Published: July 2014

Relapse represents one of the most significant problems in the long‐term treatment of drug addiction. Cocaine blocks plasma membrane monoamine transporters and increases dopamine (DA) overflow in the brain, and DA is critical for the motivational and primary reinforcing effects of the drug as well as cocaine‐primed reinstatement of cocaine seeking in rats, a model of relapse. Thus, modulators of the DA system may be effective for the treatment of cocaine dependence. The endogenous neuropeptide galanin inhibits DA transmission, and both galanin and the synthetic galanin receptor agonist, galnon, interfere with some rewarding properties of cocaine. The purpose of this study was to further assess the effects of galnon on cocaine‐induced behaviors and neurochemistry in rats. We found that galnon attenuated cocaine‐induced motor activity, reinstatement and DA overflow in the frontal cortex at a dose that did not reduce baseline motor activity, stable self‐administration of cocaine, baseline extracellular DA levels or cocaine‐induced DA overflow in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Similar to cocaine, galnon had no effect on stable food self‐administration but reduced food‐primed reinstatement. These results indicate that galnon can diminish cocaine‐induced hyperactivity and relapse‐like behavior, possibly in part by modulating DA transmission in the frontal cortex.
Presence of relaxin‐2, oxytocin and their receptors in uterosacral ligaments of pre‐menopausal patients with and without pelvic organ prolapse
Authors: Schott Sarah , Reisenauer Christl , Busch Christian
Published: July 2014

Objective

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a major health concern for women. Its pathophysiology is yet not fully understood. We reported an impaired functional state of the smooth muscle compartment in uterosacral ligaments from patients with POP, which was cholinergic, stimulated by oxytocin and modulated by relaxin‐2. The current study investigated the presence of oxytocin and relaxin‐2 and their receptors in the uterosacral ligament from POP/non‐POP patients.

Design

Translational investigation on clinical samples.

Setting

University hospital departments.

Population and samples

Fourty‐three samples of uterosacral ligament from pre‐menopausal patients with (n = 20) and without POP (n = 23).

Methods

Presence of relaxin‐2, its receptors RXFP1 and RXFP2, and of oxytocin and its receptor were analysed by immunohistochemistry and classified using a staining score. Additionally, Western blot analysis was performed.

Main outcome measures

Presence patterns with respect to POP and non‐POP uterosacral ligament samples for pathophysiological understanding of POP.

Results

Relaxin‐2, oxytocin and their receptors were expressed in endothelial cells, the smooth muscle compartment and vasa vasorum in the arteries and veins of the uterosacral ligament, in the smooth muscle compartment present in the ground reticulum and in nerves running through the uterosacral ligament. The presence level of relaxin‐2 was higher in the uterosacral ligament of the POP cohort (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

We demonstrated that relaxin‐2 had an increased presence in uterosacral ligaments from patients with POP, suggesting a role of the relaxin system in the pathogenesis of POP and identifying the relaxin system as a potential therapeutic target for the pharmacological treatment of POP.
Analysis of t(9;17)(q33.2;q25.3) chromosomal breakpoint regions and genetic association reveals novel candidate genes for bipolar disorder
Authors: Rajkumar Anto P , Christensen Jane H , Mattheisen Manuel , Jacobsen Iben , Bache Iben , Pallesen Jonatan , Grove Jakob , Qvist Per , McQuillin Andrew , Gurling Hugh M , Tümer Zeynep , Mors Ole , Børglum Anders D
Published: July 2014

Objectives

Breakpoints of chromosomal abnormalities facilitate identification of novel candidate genes for psychiatric disorders. Genome‐wide significant evidence supports the linkage between chromosome 17q25.3 and bipolar disorder (BD). Co‐segregation of translocation t(9;17)(q33.2;q25.3) with psychiatric disorders has been reported. We aimed to narrow down these chromosomal breakpoint regions and to investigate the associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms within these regions and BD as well as schizophrenia (SZ) in large genome‐wide association study samples.

Methods

We cross‐linked Danish psychiatric and cytogenetic case registers to identify an individual with both t(9;17)(q33.2;q25.3) and BD. Fluorescent in situ hybridization was employed to map the chromosomal breakpoint regions of this proband. We accessed the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium BD (n = 16,731) and SZ (n = 21,856) data. Genetic associations between these disorders and single nucleotide polymorphisms within these breakpoint regions were analysed by BioQ, FORGE, and RegulomeDB programmes.

Results

Four protein‐coding genes [coding for (endonuclease V (ENDOV), neuronal pentraxin I (NPTX1), ring finger protein 213 (RNF213), and regulatory‐associated protein of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) (RPTOR)] were found to be located within the 17q25.3 breakpoint region. NPTX1 was significantly associated with BD (p = 0.004), while ENDOV was significantly associated with SZ (p = 0.0075) after Bonferroni correction.

Conclusions

Prior linkage evidence and our findings suggest NPTX1 as a novel candidate gene for BD.
Full immersion simulation: validation of a distributed simulation environment for technical and non‐technical skills training in Urology
Authors: Brewin James , Tang Jessica , Dasgupta Prokar , Khan Muhammad S. , Ahmed Kamran , Bello Fernando , Kneebone Roger , Jaye Peter
Published: July 2014

Objective

To evaluate the face, content and construct validity of the distributed simulation (DS) environment for technical and non‐technical skills training in endourology. To evaluate the educational impact of DS for urology training.

Subjects and Methods

DS offers a portable, low‐cost simulated operating room environment that can be set up in any open space. A prospective mixed methods design using established validation methodology was conducted in this simulated environment with 10 experienced and 10 trainee urologists. All participants performed a simulated prostate resection in the DS environment. Outcome measures included surveys to evaluate the DS, as well as comparative analyses of experienced and trainee urologist's performance using real‐time and ‘blinded’ video analysis and validated performance metrics. Non‐parametric statistical methods were used to compare differences between groups.

Results

The DS environment demonstrated face, content and construct validity for both non‐technical and technical skills. Kirkpatrick level 1 evidence for the educational impact of the DS environment was shown. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effect of simulated operating room training on real operating room performance.

Conclusions

This study has shown the validity of the DS environment for non‐technical, as well as technical skills training. DS‐based simulation appears to be a valuable addition to traditional classroom‐based simulation training.
The effect of lateral tectonic tilting on fluviodeltaic surficial and stratal asymmetries: experiment and theory
Authors: Kopp Jessica , Kim Wonsuck
Published: July 2014

Tectonic influence on deltas has long been recognized for its importance in morphodynamic and stratigraphic development. Here, we explore the control of lateral tectonic tilting on a prograding fluviodeltaic system through six laboratory experiments with a range of tilting rates. Basement tilting was applied along an axis that bisects the centre of the experimental delta, which forced uplift on one half of the basin and subsidence on the opposite half. In the experiments with lower tilting rates, the delta advanced faster in the direction of uplift due to the decline in relative base level. This slow uplift created truncated stratigraphic intervals that were dominated by active channel cut and fill. On the opposite side where subsidence occurred, the shoreline still prograded, but with decreased rates, while the delta topset was deposited thicker, alternating packages of fine and coarse sediments. The fluvial system was active uniformly across the delta in these slow tilting runs and produced asymmetry in shoreline planform geometries. In the experiments with higher titling rates, deposition quickly ceased on the uplift side and stacked conformable sequences of delta lobes on the subsidence side. The result was an overall lack of progradation in all directions. Progressively greater tilting rates used in these high tilting runs yielded steering of channels towards the direction with higher subsidence and developed even more asymmetrical stratal patterns. Characteristic tectonic and channel timescales applied to the experimental conditions prove to be good predictors of the fluviodeltaic planform and stratigraphic asymmetries. The deltaic asymmetry for the Ganges–Brahmaputra (G–B) system is largely comparable to the experiments with timescale ratios similar to those estimated for the G–B system.
Role of 18F‐FDOPA PET/CT imaging in endocrinology
Authors: Santhanam Prasanna , Taïeb David
Published: July 2014

18F‐FDOPA (6‐[18F]‐L‐fluoro‐L‐3, 4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine)‐based PET/CT imaging can be a useful tool for the detection of different neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). 18F‐FDOPA is taken up into the cells via the neutral amino acid transporter (LAT1/4F2hc). This transporter is also coupled to the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling pathway. 18F‐FDOPA PET/CT may be performed for confirmation of diagnosis of pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma, staging at initial presentation, restaging and follow‐up of patients. In SDHx‐related syndromes, 18F‐FDG PET/CT should be performed in addition to 18F‐FDOPA PET/CT. 18F‐FDOPA PET/CT is also invaluable in the detection staging/restaging of carcinoid tumours and has greater sensitivity as compared to somatostatin receptor scintigraphy. 18F‐FDOPA PET/CT can also distinguish between focal vs diffuse CHI. It is not as useful in adult hyperinsulinism due to increased background uptake, but the problem may be overcome with the help of premedication with carbidopa. It has limited use in pancreatic NETs. 18F‐FDOPA PET/CT is a good modality for detection of persistent and residual medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), but 18F‐FDG PET/CT may be needed in aggressive tumours. In summary, F‐DOPA PET/CT has widespread utility in the diagnosis of different neuroendocrine tumours.
Moving for the Kids: Examining the Influence of Children on White Residential Segregation
Authors: Goyette Kimberly , Iceland John , Weininger Elliot
Published: July 2014

White households with children are the least likely of all household types to live in integrated neighborhoods, yet few researchers have questioned whether children themselves influence residential decision–making. Children may affect both residential preferences and constraints and in turn, household mobility decisions that shape patterns of segregation and integration. Following a cohort of household heads in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we find that white households whose oldest child is younger than six are more likely to move when the percentage of black residents and diversity in their neighborhoods is higher. However, when white households with children do move, they are not more likely than white households without children to move to neighborhoods with fewer blacks or less diversity. Young children may matter for segregation because they influence families to leave more diverse neighborhoods, and white movers generally move into neighborhoods with less diversity, whether or not they have children.
Role of Caribbean Islands in the diversification and biogeography of Neotropical Heraclides swallowtails
Authors: Lewis Delano S. , Sperling Felix A. H. , Nakahara Shinichi , Cotton Adam M. , Kawahara Akito Y. , Condamine Fabien L.
Published: July 2014

Numerous hypotheses on the evolution of Neotropical biodiversity have stimulated research to provide a better understanding of diversity dynamics and distribution patterns of the region. However, few studies integrate molecular and morphological data with complete sampling of a Neotropical group, and so there has been little synthesis of the multiple processes governing biodiversity through space and time. Here, a total‐evidence phylogenetic approach is used to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the butterfly subgenus Heraclides. We used DNA sequences for two mitochondrial genes and one nuclear gene and coded 133 morphological characters of larvae and adults. A robust and well‐resolved phylogeny was obtained using several analytical approaches, while molecular dating and biogeographical analyses indicated an early Miocene origin (22 Mya) in the Caribbean Islands. We inferred six independent dispersal events from the Caribbean to the mainland, and three from the mainland to the Caribbean, and we suggest that cooling climates with decreasing sea levels may have contributed to these events. The time‐calibrated tree is best explained by a museum model of diversity in which both speciation and extinction rates remained constant through time. By assessing both continental and fine‐scale biodiversity patterns, this study provides new findings, for instance that islands may act as source of diversity rather than as a sink, to explain spatio‐temporal macroevolutionary processes within the Neotropical region.
Immunomodulatory effect of melatonin in SK‐LU‐1 human lung adenocarcinoma cells co‐cultured with peripheral blood mononuclear cells
Authors: Plaimee P. , Khamphio M. , Weerapreeyakul N. , Barusrux S. , Johns N. P.
Published: July 2014

Objectives

The anti‐cancer potential of melatonin has been examined using a variety of experimental approaches. Melatonin immunomodulatory action was evaluated against the lung cancer cell line SK‐LU‐1, in co‐culture with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).

Materials and methods

Melatonin was tested on the cell line only after 24 h incubation (direct effect), and on the co‐culture system of SK‐LU‐1 and PBMC to investigate any indirect effect. Apoptotic induction of the cancer cells was assessed using annexin V/PI staining with flow cytometric analysis for membrane alteration. Intracellular superoxide anion (O2•−) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for intracellular oxidative stress and glutathione (GSH) for intracellular anti‐oxidation were measured with specific fluorescence probes. DNA fractions were measured employing propidium iodide (PI) fluorescence staining.

Results

High doses of melatonin were directly toxic to SK‐LU‐1 cells, while PBMC‐mediated indirect effect occurred after moderate doses (1 μm). Under co‐culture conditions, increases in apoptotic cell death, increase in oxidative stress by reduction of GSH and cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 in SK‐LU‐1 cells, were observed as the immunomodulatory effect of melatonin.

Conclusion

Melatonin had indirect effects on lung cancer cells by enhancement of immunomodulatory effects, but further studies of mechanism(s) involved are needed.
Perceived trustworthiness of faces drives trust behaviour in children
Authors: Ewing Louise , Caulfield Frances , Read Ainsley , Rhodes Gillian
Published: July 2014

Facial appearances can powerfully influence adults' trust behaviour, despite limited evidence that these cues constitute honest signals of trustworthiness. It is not clear, however, whether the same is also true for children. The current study investigated whether, like adults, 5‐year‐olds and 10‐year‐olds are more likely to place their trust in partners that look trustworthy than those that look untrustworthy. A second, closely related question was whether children also explicitly value the information from face cues when making trust decisions. We investigated these questions using Token Quest: an economic trust game that gave participants the opportunity to make investments with a series of partners who might (or might not) repay their trust with large returns. These interactions occurred under different conditions, including one in which participants were shown the face of each partner and another in which they could ‘purchase’ access to faces with a portion of their investment capital. Results indicated that, like adults, 10‐year‐old children selectively placed their trust in those partners they perceived as looking trustworthy and many were willing to ‘pay’ to purchase access to these face cues during the trust game. We observed a similar profile of trust behaviour in 5‐year‐olds, with no significant group difference in the impact of face cues on behaviour across the three age groups. Together, these findings indicate that the influence of face cues on trust behaviour emerges early, and highlight a capacity for sophisticated social cognition in young children.
The roles of influenza virus antigens and the AS03 adjuvant in the 2009 pandemic vaccine associated with narcolepsy needs further investigation
Authors: Johansen Kari
Published: July 2014

This commentary is on the original article by Winstone et al. on pages 1117–1123 of this issue.
Gross motor function is an important predictor of daily physical activity in young people with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy
Authors: Bania Theofani A , Taylor Nicholas F , Baker Richard J , Graham H Kerr , Karimi Leila , Dodd Karen J
Published: July 2014

Aim

The aim of the study was to describe daily physical activity levels of adolescents and young adults with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy (CP) and to identify factors that help predict these levels.

Method

Daily physical activity was measured using an accelerometer‐based activity monitor in 45 young people with bilateral spastic CP (23 males, 22 females; mean age 18y 6mo [SD 2y 5mo] range 16y 1mo–20y 11mo); classified as Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level II or III and with contractures of <20° at hip and knee. Predictor variables included demographic characteristics (age, sex, weight) and physical characteristics (gross motor function, lower limb muscle strength, 6min walk distance). Data were analyzed using the information‐theoretic approach, using the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and linear regression.

Results

Daily activity levels were low compared with published norms. Gross Motor Function Measure Dimension‐E (GMFM‐E; walking, running, and jumping) was the only common predictor variable in models that best predicted energy expenditure, number of steps, and time spent sitting/lying. GMFM Dimension‐D (standing) and bilateral reverse leg press strength contributed to the models that predicted daily physical activity.

Interpretation

Adolescents and young adults with bilateral spastic CP and mild to moderate walking disabilities have low levels of daily activity. The GMFM‐E was an important predictor of daily physical activity.
Accounting for the space‐varying nature of the relationships between temporal community turnover and the environment
Authors: Jarzyna Marta A. , Finley Andrew O. , Porter William F. , Maurer Brian A. , Beier Colin M. , Zuckerberg Benjamin
Published: July 2014

Non‐spatial regression models are rarely adequate for exploring ecological phenomena, especially in settings where the processes operate at large spatial scales and when model covariates do not explain all variation present in the outcome variable. Given the complexity of ecological processes, it is often unrealistic to assume a set of stationary regression coefficients can capture space‐varying and scale‐dependent relationships between covariates and an ecological response. Spatially‐varying coefficients (SVC) models fit within a Bayesian inferential framework provide a statistically robust method to explore potential space‐varying and scale‐dependent impacts of covariates. Our study objective was to assess the utility of SVC models for capturing non‐stationary relationships between temporal community dynamics in avian assemblages and variation in environmental factors. We also wanted to compare the inference drawn from SVC models to that obtained from space‐varying intercept models and also models that do not acknowledge any spatial structure beyond what is introduced by the covariates. Our analysis examines the temporal turnover, expressed as a proportion, of avian communities across New York State, USA. Given the expected outcome is non‐Gaussian, we detail a generalized linear model specification of the proposed model structures. Our results show the SVC model outperformed the spatially‐varying intercept and non‐spatial models in terms of model fit and model predictive inference. Further, by fitting these models within a Bayesian inferential framework, we were able to make inferences about the spatial impact of covariates and other process parameters, as well as obtain full posterior predictive inference about the rate of turnover at new, unobserved locations. We conclude that SVC models provide a flexible framework for exploring and accounting for non‐stationary mechanisms driving ecological patterns.
On and off China's turnpike
Authors: Eckaus Richard S.
Published: July 2014

A reorientation towards emphasis on consumption has become a major issue in China, raising the question of the relationship between economic growth and the composition of output. The issue is addressed here, using insights from economic growth theories. These theories indicate that concentration on capital goods production generates the most rapid overall growth. With short‐term deviations and without explicit reference to any theory, Chinese practice in the past seems to have conformed. A shift to emphasizing output of consumption goods while resulting in an overall growth slowdown, will improve consumer welfare, suggesting the benefits of shifting to this criterion of economic success.
Equally Weighted vs. Long‐Run Optimal Portfolios
Authors: Fugazza Carolina , Guidolin Massimo , Nicodano Giovanna
Published: July 2014

Out‐of‐sample experiments cast doubt on the ability of portfolio optimising strategies to outperform equally weighted portfolios, when investors have a 1‐month time horizon. This paper examines whether this finding holds for longer investment horizons over which the optimising strategy exploits linear predictability in returns. Our experiments indicate that investors with longer horizons on average would have benefited, ex post, from an optimising strategy over the period 1995–2009. We analyse performance sensitivity to investor risk aversion, to the number of predictors included in the forecasting model and to the deduction of transaction costs from portfolio performance.
Heterogeneity in the Speed of Capital Structure Adjustment across Countries and over the Business Cycle
Authors: Drobetz Wolfgang , Schilling Dirk C. , Schröder Henning
Published: July 2014

This study analyses the heterogeneity in the speed of capital structure adjustment. Using a doubly‐censored Tobit estimator that accounts for mechanical mean reversion in leverage ratios, the speed of adjustment is 25% per year in a large international sample, supporting the economic relevance of the trade‐off theory. Differences in the adjustment speed across financial systems are attributable to differences in the costs of adjustment. Macroeconomic and micro‐level supply‐side constraints also affect the dynamics of leverage. Firms adjust more slowly during recessions, and the business cycle effect on adjustment speed is most pronounced for financially constrained firms in market‐based countries.
Limitations to estimating bacterial cross‐species transmission using genetic and genomic markers: inferences from simulation modeling
Authors: Benavides Julio A. , Cross Paul C. , Luikart Gordon , Creel Scott
Published: July 2014

Cross‐species transmission (CST) of bacterial pathogens has major implications for human health, livestock, and wildlife management because it determines whether control actions in one species may have subsequent effects on other potential host species. The study of bacterial transmission has benefitted from methods measuring two types of genetic variation: variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). However, it is unclear whether these data can distinguish between different epidemiological scenarios. We used a simulation model with two host species and known transmission rates (within and between species) to evaluate the utility of these markers for inferring CST. We found that CST estimates are biased for a wide range of parameters when based on VNTRs and a most parsimonious reconstructed phylogeny. However, estimations of CST rates lower than 5% can be achieved with relatively low bias using as low as 250 SNPs. CST estimates are sensitive to several parameters, including the number of mutations accumulated since introduction, stochasticity, the genetic difference of strains introduced, and the sampling effort. Our results suggest that, even with whole‐genome sequences, unbiased estimates of CST will be difficult when sampling is limited, mutation rates are low, or for pathogens that were recently introduced.
Epidermal gene expression and ethnic pigmentation variations among individuals of Asian, European and African ancestry
Authors: Yin Lanlan , Coelho Sergio G. , Ebsen Dominik , Smuda Christoph , Mahns Andre , Miller Sharon A. , Beer Janusz Z. , Kolbe Ludger , Hearing Vincent J.
Published: July 2014

Differences in visible skin pigmentation give rise to the wide variation of skin colours seen in racial/ethnic populations. Skin pigmentation is important not only from cosmetic and psychological points of view, but more importantly because of its implications for the risk of all types of skin cancers, on photoaging, etc. Despite differences in those parameters in Caucasian and Asian skin types, they are remarkably similar in their production and distribution of melanins, and the mechanism(s) underlying their different characteristics have remained obscure. In this study, we used microarray analysis of skin suction blisters to investigate molecular differences underlying the determination of pigmentation in various skin types, and we used immunohistochemistry to validate the expression patterns of several interesting targets that were identified. Intriguingly, Caucasian and Asian skins had highly similar gene expression patterns that differed significantly from the pattern of African skin. The results of this study suggest the dynamic interactions of different types of cells in human skin that regulate its pigmentation, reveal that the known pigmentation genes have a limited contribution and uncover a new array of genes, including NINL and S100A4, that might be involved in that regulation.
Top‐down and bottom‐up control of litter decomposers in streams
Authors: Gonçalves Ana Lúcia , Chauvet Eric , Bärlocher Felix , Graça Manuel A. S. , Canhoto Cristina
Published: July 2014

Detritivores preferentially consume certain aquatic hyphomycete species while rejecting others. Fungal identity may therefore be a crucial factor determining stream food‐web structure and complexity and extend the impact of microbial diversity to effects up through the food web.

In this study, we examined if shredder feeding is affected by the identity of fungi on leaves (bottom‐up effects) and if preferences of shredders for particular fungi affect the composition of fungal assemblages (top‐down effects). Oak leaf discs were conditioned in microcosms with six individual fungal species previously reported as highly palatable (P), unpalatable/rejected (R) and intermediate (I). Additionally, three microcosms were inoculated with three mixtures of four fungal species, each consisting of a different subset of the six species.

Colonised discs were offered to three detritivores with different feeding strategies: Proasellus sp. (Isopoda), Echinogammarus meridionalis (Amphipoda) and Schizopelex festiva (Trichoptera). When offered leaves colonised by single fungal species, consumption rates by E. meridionalis and S. festiva were higher on I, followed by P and, finally, R species. Consumption rates by Proasellus sp. were similar across fungal treatments. Consumption rates by the three invertebrates were also similar across all fungal multispecies treatments, suggesting that invertebrate preferences for, or rejection of, a given fungal species may be masked when it grows in proximity to other fungi. Composition and structure of fungal communities were not significantly affected by the feeding of any of the three invertebrates.

Our results suggest that certain combinations of fungal and detritivore species result in unpredictable bottom‐up and top‐down effects in stream food webs.
The potential of nitric oxide for reducing oxidative damage induced by drought stress in two turfgrass species, creeping bentgrass and tall fescue
Authors: Hatamzadeh A. , Molaahmad Nalousi A. , Ghasemnezhad M. , Biglouei M. H.
Published: July 2014

Drought stress is a major factor‐limiting grass growth. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increases under stress conditions and causes cell oxidative damage. This study investigated the effect of sodium nitroprusside [a nitric oxide (NO) donor] treatment on drought stress in two turfgrass species, creeping bentgrass and tall fescue. Physiological characteristics such as relative water content (RWC), ion leakage, chlorophyll and proline content, and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and catalase (CAT) were evaluated after 40 d drought stress and in the recovery stage. Results showed that nitric oxide (NO) treatment, especially 150 μm, could maintain significantly higher RWC and reduce ion leakage under drought stress conditions in both species. Furthermore, both turfgrass species showed higher chlorophyll and proline content after drought stress period when sprayed with NO, while chlorophyll and proline content of control plants declined. Drought stress significantly reduced SOD and APX activity, while NO treatment induced higher SOD and APX activity under drought conditions. After recovery, leaf RWC returned to the control level; however, NO‐sprayed plants showed higher RWC compared to controls. Both turfgrass species exhibited lower chlorophyll content at the recovery stage when exposed to severe drought stress, and NO application increased chlorophyll content compared to controls. No significant differences were found between NO treatment and control plants for proline and SOD activity, but APX activity of NO‐sprayed plants was higher than in the control plants. These results suggest that foliar application of NO may alleviate drought stress in turfgrass by maintaining membrane stability and inducing antioxidant enzyme activity.
Acute kidney injury inChina
Authors: Fang Yi , Teng Jie , Ding Xiaoqiang
Published: July 2014

China has a large population and bears a heavy burden of kidney diseases. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is increasingly prevalent inChina and is associated with severe morbidity and mortality. The inadequacies of early diagnosis and management remain the major challenges toChinese nephrologists. There is an urgent need for a nationwide, or even a global effort to increase an awareness of the devastating effects ofAKI, to develop professional preventive strategies, as well as to achieve early diagnosis and early intervention. In this article, we review the increasing incidence ofAKIand complexity behind prevention and management, focusing on differences in various clinical settings inChina.
Effect of Helicobacter pylori Eradication on Metachronous Gastric Cancer after Endoscopic Resection of Gastric Tumors: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Yoon Seung Bae , Park Jae Myung , Lim Chul‐Hyun , Cho Yu Kyung , Choi Myung‐Gyu
Published: July 2014

Background

Although endoscopic resection is widely accepted as the curative treatment modality for early gastric cancer, secondary metachronous cancer may subsequently develop in the residual gastric mucosa. The preventive effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on the development of metachronous gastric cancer in such cases remains controversial. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of H. pylori eradication on the development of metachronous gastric cancer after endoscopic resection of gastric neoplasm by a meta‐analysis of all relevant studies.

Materials and methods

We performed a systematic literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library without language restrictions through March 31, 2014. We included all relevant articles, including prospective, observational, and retrospective studies. Pooled estimates (odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals) were obtained using a random effects model.

Results

Thirteen studies were considered to be appropriate for this meta‐analysis. Compared with the control group, the pooled odds ratio in the eradication group was 0.42 (95% confidence interval, 0.32–0.56), and there was no heterogeneity across the studies (p = .853, I2 = 0%). Subgroup analysis of three prospective trials also showed a lower incidence of metachronous cancer in the eradication group (odds ratio, 0.39; 95% confidence interval, 0.20–0.75). There was no evidence of publication bias in this meta‐analysis.

Conclusion

Helicobacter pylori eradication reduces the occurrence of metachronous gastric cancer in patients who have undergone endoscopic resection.
Part‐time Higher Education: Employer Engagement Under Threat?
Authors: Mason Geoff
Published: July 2014

Employer support for employees who are studying part‐time for higher education qualifications constitutes a form of indirect employer engagement with higher education institutions that has contributed strongly to the development of work‐related skills and knowledge over the years. However, this form of employer engagement with higher education institutions now seems to be in some jeopardy, with reduced employer willingness to subsidise high education course fees: partly because of slow economic growth since the 2008–09 recession and partly because of increases in tuition fees. These cutbacks in employer support for part‐time study may have contributed to the sharp decline reported in the numbers studying for part‐time undergraduate higher education qualifications in the United Kingdom since 2009. One important implication for policy‐makers is that, without new initiatives designed to encourage employer support for part‐time study, this form of education is now less likely to contribute to the adult skills upgrading required to bring United Kingdom skills up to the standards of leading industrial nations.
Is Bologna Working? Employer and Graduate Reflections of the Quality, Value and Relevance of Business and Management Education in four European Union Countries
Authors: Andrews Jane , Higson Helen
Published: July 2014

This article focuses on the relevance of undergraduate business and management higher education from the perspectives of recent graduates and graduate employers in four European countries. Drawing upon the findings of an empirical qualitative study in which data was collated and analysed using grounded theory research techniques, the paper draws attention to graduates' and employers' perceptions of the value of higher education in equipping students with discipline‐specific skills and knowledge as well as softer ‘generic’ skills. It also highlights the importance of formal ‘work‐based’ learning within undergraduate curricula in providing students with the skills and experiences required by employers operating within a global workplace.
Habitat change and trade explain the bird assemblage from the La Chimba archaeological site in the northeastern Andes of Ecuador
Authors: Tellkamp Markus P.
Published: July 2014

The nature of tree‐line habitats in the Andes has long been a contentious topic in the ecological literature. Palynological studies suggest that a combination of anthropogenic and natural processes throughout the Holocene contributed to its present form and species composition. This is the first study to use zooarchaeological evidence to reconstruct possible prehistoric changes in these alpine habitats. I analysed the remains of birds from the La Chimba archaeological site in northern Ecuador to assess changes in the bird tree‐line community over three distinct phases (Early, 2640–2390 year BP; Middle, 2390–1994 year BP; Late, 1994–1700 year BP) of this prehistoric settlement. The elevation of this site (3200 m) places it near a steep elevational gradient in vegetation, with the modern tree‐line here at 3500–3600 m. Therefore, non‐local specimens of birds from the lowlands would hint at long‐distance trade. The composition of birds changes through time: species associated with high montane forest and shrubby páramos decrease and species from dry or open montane habitats increase. This trend is dominated by the decrease of Curve‐billed Tinamous Nothoprocta curvirostris (current elevational range 3000–3900 m) and a corresponding increase of specimens of Andean Tinamous Nothoprocta pentlandii (current elevational range 1000–2300 m). The large number of Andean Tinamous is surprising given that presently it occurs no closer than 300 km to the south of the La Chimba site. Overall, 18 of the 43 species of birds identified from La Chimba are likely to be the result of trade. This includes species from the eastern and western lowlands of Ecuador and one possible long‐distance transport from Peru. Prehistoric trade of birds and bird parts was probably common, and prehistoric anthropogenic landscape change and trade in birds should be considered as alternative explanations for species with disjunct populations in and across the Andes.
Frequency of HLA‐A alleles in the Syrian population genotyped by sequence‐based typing
Authors: Madania A. , Ghoury I. , Al‐Ashkar W. , Nweder S. , Zarzour H.
Published: July 2014

HLA‐A molecules are highly polymorphic. Their accurate typing at a high‐resolution level is crucial for successful organ, bone marrow and cord blood transplantation. Furthermore, several HLA alleles have been involved in susceptibility to autoimmune diseases, allergies, cancers and inflammations. In order to determine common HLA‐A alleles in Syria and their frequencies, sequence‐based typing (SBT) was used to genotype HLA‐A alleles at high resolution (four digit level) among one hundred and thirty randomly selected Syrian individuals. Exons 2, 3 and 4 of the HLA‐A gene were amplified by PCR and sequenced. The sbt‐engine software was used for allele assignment. Ambiguities were solved using group‐specific sequencing primers (GSSPs). We could identify 32 different HLA‐A alleles which were divided into 3 groups: high frequency (approximately 10%, A*01:01; A*24:02; A*03:01; A*02:01), moderate frequency (approximately 3%, such as A*02:05, A*31:01 and A*33:01), and low frequency (approximately 1%, such as A*02:11, A*29:01, A*02:02 and A*36:01). Homozygosity rate was higher than expected (11.5% vs. 7.15%). For high frequency alleles, our results show similarity to neighbouring countries. However, 15 alleles (such as A*02:04, A*02:06, A*02:11 and A*02:17) found in our cohort in low frequencies were never reported in some or all neighbouring countries. This is the first report on HLA‐A allele frequencies in Syria. In spite of the relatively low number of tested subjects, our results revealed a high degree of diversity, with 32 different alleles, reflecting the high ethnic heterogeneity of the Syrian population. The identification of alleles rarely or never reported in neighbouring countries indicates a higher genetic diversity in Syria.