bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Case report: a rare case of pedunculated LV hemangioma evaluated by 3D echocardiography and compared with myxoma
Authors: Garg Naveen , Kapur Kanwal K. , Ganjoo Anup , Kaul Sumit
Published: August 2016

We report a case of a pedunculated, hypermobile LV mass, which was evaluated by 2D as well 3D transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). A presumptive diagnosis of cardiac hemangioma was made based on 3D cropped images. This was later confirmed on histopathology as well as histochemical staining.
Orientation selectivity in rat primary visual cortex emerges earlier with low‐contrast and high‐luminance stimuli
Authors: Ghodrati Masoud , Alwis Dasuni S. , Price Nicholas S. C.
Published: August 2016

In natural vision, rapid and sustained variations in luminance and contrast change the reliability of information available about a visual scene, and markedly affect both neuronal and behavioural responses. The hallmark property of neurons in primary visual cortex (V1), orientation selectivity, is unaffected by changes in stimulus contrast, but it remains unclear how sustained differences in mean luminance and contrast affect the time‐course of orientation selectivity, and the amount of information that neurons carry about orientation. We used reverse correlation with characterize the temporal dynamics of orientation selectivity in rat V1 neurons under four luminance‐contrast conditions. We show that orientation selectivity and mutual information between neuronal responses and stimulus orientation are invariant to contrast or mean luminance. Critically, the time‐course of the emergence of orientation selectivity was affected by both factors; response latencies were longer for low‐ than high‐luminance gratings, and surprisingly, response latencies were also longer for high‐ than low‐contrast gratings. Modelling suggests that luminance‐modulated changes in feedforward gain, in combination with hyperpolarization caused by high contrasts can account for our physiological data. The hyperpolarization at high contrasts may increase signal‐to‐noise ratios, whereas a more depolarized membrane may lead to greater sensitivity to weak stimuli.
Synesthesia strengthens sound‐symbolic cross‐modal correspondences
Authors: Lacey Simon , Martinez Margaret , McCormick Kelly , Sathian K.
Published: August 2016

Synesthesia is a phenomenon in which an experience in one domain is accompanied by an involuntary secondary experience in another, unrelated domain; in classical synesthesia, these associations are arbitrary and idiosyncratic. Cross‐modal correspondences refer to universal associations between seemingly unrelated sensory features, e.g., auditory pitch and visual size. Some argue that these phenomena form a continuum, with classical synesthesia being an exaggeration of universal cross‐modal correspondences, whereas others contend that the two are quite different, since cross‐modal correspondences are non‐arbitrary, non‐idiosyncratic, and do not involve secondary experiences. Here, we used the implicit association test to compare synesthetes’ and non‐synesthetes’ sensitivity to cross‐modal correspondences. We tested the associations between auditory pitch and visual elevation, auditory pitch and visual size, and sound‐symbolic correspondences between auditory pseudowords and visual shapes. Synesthetes were more sensitive than non‐synesthetes to cross‐modal correspondences involving sound‐symbolic, but not low‐level sensory, associations. We conclude that synesthesia heightens universally experienced cross‐modal correspondences, but only when these involve sound symbolism. This is only partly consistent with the idea of a continuum between synesthesia and cross‐modal correspondences, but accords with the idea that synesthesia is a high‐level, post‐perceptual phenomenon, with spillover of the abilities of synesthetes into domains outside their synesthesias. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that synesthetes, relative to non‐synesthetes, experience stronger cross‐modal correspondences outside their synesthetic domains.
A comparative transcriptomic analysis of astrocytes differentiation from human neural progenitor cells
Authors: Magistri Marco , Khoury Nathalie , Mazza Emilia Maria Cristina , Velmeshev Dmitry , Lee Jae K. , Bicciato Silvio , Tsoulfas Pantelis , Faghihi Mohammad Ali
Published: August 2016

Astrocytes are a morphologically and functionally heterogeneous population of cells that play critical roles in neurodevelopment and in the regulation of central nervous system homeostasis. Studies of human astrocytes have been hampered by the lack of specific molecular markers and by the difficulties associated with purifying and culturing astrocytes from adult human brains. Human neural progenitor cells (NPCs) with self‐renewal and multipotent properties represent an appealing model system to gain insight into the developmental genetics and function of human astrocytes, but a comprehensive molecular characterization that confirms the validity of this cellular system is still missing. Here we used an unbiased transcriptomic analysis to characterize in vitro culture of human NPCs and to define the gene expression programs activated during the differentiation of these cells into astrocytes using FBS or the combination of CNTF and BMP4. Our results demonstrate that in vitro cultures of human NPCs isolated during the gliogenic phase of neurodevelopment mainly consist of radial glial cells (RGCs) and glia‐restricted progenitor cells. In these cells the combination of CNTF and BMP4 activates the JAK/STAT and SMAD signaling cascades, leading to the inhibition of oligodendrocytes lineage commitment and activation of astrocytes differentiation. On the other hand, FBS‐derived astrocytes have properties of reactive astrocytes. Our work suggests that in vitro culture of human NPCs represents a valuable cellular system to study human disorders characterized by impairment of astrocytes development and function. Our datasets represent an important resource for researchers studying human astrocytes development and might set the basis for the discovery of novel human‐specific astrocyte markers.
Virally delivered, constitutively active NFκB improves survival of injured retinal ganglion cells
Authors: Dvoriantchikova Galina , Pappas Steve , Luo Xueting , Ribeiro Marcio , Danek Dagmara , Pelaez Daniel , Park Kevin K. , Ivanov Dmitry
Published: August 2016

As axon damage and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss lead to blindness, therapies that increase RGC survival and axon regrowth have direct clinical relevance. Given that NFκB signaling is critical for neuronal survival and may regulate neurite growth, we investigated the therapeutic potential of NFκB signaling in RGC survival and axon regeneration. Although both NFκB subunits (p65 and p50) are present in RGCs, p65 exists in an inactive (unphosphorylated) state when RGCs are subjected to neurotoxic conditions. In this study, we used a phosphomimetic approach to generate DNA coding for an activated (phosphorylated) p65 (p65mut), then employed an adeno‐associated virus serotype 2 (AAV2) to deliver the DNA into RGCs. We tested whether constitutive p65mut expression prevents death and facilitates neurite outgrowth in RGCs subjected to transient retinal ischemia or optic nerve crush (ONC), two models of neurotoxicity. Our data indicate that RGCs treated with AAV2‐p65mut displayed a significant increase in survival compared to controls in ONC model (77 ± 7% vs. 25 ± 3%, P‐value = 0.0001). We also found protective effect of modified p65 in RGCs of ischemic retinas (55 ± 12% vs. 35 ± 6%), but not to a statistically significant degree (P‐value = 0.14). We did not detect a difference in axon regeneration between experimental and control animals after ONC. These findings suggest that increased NFκB signaling in RGCs attenuates retinal damage in animal models of neurodegeneration, but insignificantly impacts axon regeneration.
Modulation of physiological mirror activity with transcranial direct current stimulation over dorsal premotor cortex
Authors: Beaulé Vincent , Tremblay Sara , Lafleur Louis‐Philippe , Ferland Marie C. , Lepage Jean‐François , Théoret Hugo
Published: August 2016

Humans have a natural tendency towards symmetrical movements, which rely on a distributed cortical network that allows for complex unimanual movements. Studies on healthy humans using rTMS have shown that disruption of this network, and particularly the dorsal premotor cortex (dPMC), can result in increased physiological mirror movements. The aim of the present set of experiments was to further investigate the role of dPMC in restricting motor output to the contralateral hand and determine whether physiological mirror movements could be decreased in healthy individuals. Physiological mirror movements were assessed before and after transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over right and left dPMC in three conditions: bilateral, unilateral left and unilateral right stimulation. Mirror EMG activity was assessed immediately before, 0, 10 and 20 min after tDCS. Results show that physiological mirroring increased significantly in the hand ipsilateral to cathodal stimulation during bilateral stimulation of the dPMC, 10 and 20 min after stimulation compared to baseline. There was no significant modulation of physiological mirroring in the hand ipsilateral to anodal stimulation in the bilateral condition or following unilateral anodal or unilateral cathodal stimulation. The present data further implicate the dPMC in the control of unimanual hand movements and show that physiological mirroring can be increased but not decreased with dPMC tDCS.
The importance of the family heritage in epilepsy
Authors: Vecchio F.
Published: August 2016

Click here to view the accompanying paper in this issue.
Hippocampal malrotation is an anatomic variant and has no clinical significance in MRI‐negative temporal lobe epilepsy
Authors: Tsai Meng‐Han , Vaughan David N. , Perchyonok Yuliya , Fitt Greg J. , Scheffer Ingrid E. , Berkovic Samuel F. , Jackson Graeme D.
Published: August 2016

Objective

There is considerable difficulty in diagnosing hippocampal malrotation (HIMAL), with different criteria of variable reliability. Here we assess qualitative and quantitative criteria in HIMAL diagnosis and explore the role of HIMAL in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)–negative temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).

Methods

We studied the MRI of 155 adult patients with MRI‐negative TLE and 103 healthy volunteers, and we asked (1) what are the qualitative and quantitative features that allow a reliable diagnosis of HIMAL, (2) how common is HIMAL in a normal control population, and (3) is HIMAL congruent with the epileptogenic side in MRI‐negative TLE.

Results

We found that the features that are most correlated with the expert diagnosis of HIMAL are hippocampal shape change with hippocampal diameter ratio > 0.8, lack of normal lateral convex margin, and a deep dominant inferior temporal sulcus (DITS) with DITS height ratio > 0.6. In a blinded analysis, a consensus diagnosis of unilateral or bilateral HIMAL was made in 25 of 103 controls (24.3% of people, 14.6% of hippocampi—14 left, six right, 10 bilateral) that did not differ from 155 lesion‐negative TLE patients where 25 had HIMAL (16.1% of patients, 11.6% of hippocampi—12 left, two right, 11 bilateral). Of the 12 with left HIMAL only, 9 had seizures arising from the left temporal lobe, whereas 3 had right‐sided seizures. Of the two with right HIMAL only, both had seizures arising from the left temporal lobe.

Significance

HIMAL is an anatomic variant commonly found in controls. HIMAL is also an incidental nonpathologic finding in adult MRI‐negative TLE and should not influence surgical decision making.
Ancestry and adaptive evolution of anadromous, resident, and adfluvial rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the San Francisco bay area: application of adaptive genomic variation to conservation in a highly impacted landscape
Authors: Leitwein Maeva , Garza John Carlos , Pearse Devon E
Published: August 2016

The streams draining of into San Francisco Bay, California, have been impacted by habitat alteration for over 150 years, and roads, dams, water diversions, and other impediments now block the paths of many aquatic migratory species. These changes can affect the genetic structure of fish populations, as well as driving adaptive evolution to novel environmental conditions. Here, we determine the evolutionary relationships of San Francisco Bay Area steelhead/rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) populations and show that (i) they are more closely related to native coastal steelhead than to the California Central Valley lineage, with no evidence of introgression by domesticated hatchery rainbow trout, (ii) populations above and below barriers within watersheds are each other's closest relatives, and (iii) adaptive genomic variation associated with migratory life‐history traits in O. mykiss shows substantial evolutionary differences between fish above and below dams. These findings support continued habitat restoration and protection of San Francisco Bay Area O. mykiss populations and demonstrate that ecological conditions in novel habitats above barriers to anadromy influence life‐history evolution. We highlight the importance of considering the adaptive landscape in conservation and restoration programs for species living in highly modified habitats, particularly with respect to key life‐history traits.
Risk factors in equine transport‐related health problems: A survey of the Australian equine industry
Authors: Padalino B. , Raidal S. L. , Hall E. , Knight P. , Celi P. , Jeffcott L. , Muscatello G.
Published: August 2016

Background

Transportation can affect equine health and is a potential source of economic loss to the industry.

Objectives

To identify journey (duration, vehicle, commercial or noncommercial) and horse (sex, age, breed, use, amateur or professional status) characteristics associated with the development of transport‐related health problems in horses.

Study design

Cross‐sectional online survey.

Methods

An online survey was conducted targeting amateur and professional participants in the Australian equine industry; eligible respondents were required to organise horse movements at least monthly. Respondents provided details of the last case of a transport‐related health problem that had affected their horse(s). Associations between type of health problem, journey and horse characteristics were examined with multivariable multinomial regression analysis.

Results

Based on 214 responses, health problems were classified as injuries, muscular problems, heat stroke, gastrointestinal and respiratory problems, and death or euthanasia. Respiratory problems were reported most frequently (33.7%), followed by gastrointestinal problems (23.8%) and traumatic injuries (16.3%). The type of health problem was associated with journey duration (P<0.001) and horse breed (P = 0.001). Injuries were more likely to occur on short journeys, whereas more severe illnesses (gastrointestinal and respiratory problems, and death or euthanasia) were more likely to occur on long journeys. Using Standardbreds as the reference group, Thoroughbreds, Arabians and Warmbloods were more likely to experience a severe illness than an injury.

Main limitations

Self‐selected participation in the study and the self‐reported nature of transport‐related problems.

Conclusions

Horses undertaking journeys of longer than 24 h are at greater risk for the development of severe disease or death. Further studies on long‐haul transportation effects are required to safeguard the welfare of horses moved over long distances.
Structural and functional plasticity of dendritic spines – root or result of behavior?
Authors: Gipson C. D. , Olive M. F.
Published: August 2016

Dendritic spines are multifunctional integrative units of the nervous system and are highly diverse and dynamic in nature. Both internal and external stimuli influence dendritic spine density and morphology on the order of minutes. It is clear that the structural plasticity of dendritic spines is related to changes in synaptic efficacy, learning and memory and other cognitive processes. However, it is currently unclear whether structural changes in dendritic spines are primary instigators of changes in specific behaviors, a consequence of behavioral changes, or both. In this review, we first examine the basic structure and function of dendritic spines in the brain, as well as laboratory methods to characterize and quantify morphological changes in dendritic spines. We then discuss the existing literature on the temporal and functional relationship between changes in dendritic spines in specific brain regions and changes in specific behaviors mediated by those regions. Although technological advancements have allowed us to better understand the functional relevance of structural changes in dendritic spines that are influenced by environmental stimuli, the role of spine dynamics as an underlying driver or consequence of behavior still remains elusive. We conclude that while it is likely that structural changes in dendritic spines are both instigators and results of behavioral changes, improved research tools and methods are needed to experimentally and directly manipulate spine dynamics in order to more empirically delineate the relationship between spine structure and behavior.
Vegetation carbon sequestration in Chinese forests from 2010 to 2050
Authors: He Nianpeng , Wen Ding , Zhu Jianxing , Tang Xuli , Xu Li , Zhang Li , Hu Huifeng , Huang Mei , Yu Guirui
Published: August 2016

Forests store a large part of the terrestrial vegetation carbon (C) and have high C sequestration potential. Here, we developed a new forest C sequestration (FCS) model based on the secondary succession theory, to estimate vegetation C sequestration capacity in China's forest vegetation. The model used the field measurement data of 3161 forest plots and three future climate scenarios. The results showed that logistic equations provided a good fit for vegetation biomass with forest age in natural and planted forests. The FCS model has been verified with forest biomass data, and model uncertainty is discussed. The increment of vegetation C storage in China's forest vegetation from 2010 to 2050 was estimated as 13.92 Pg C, while the average vegetation C sequestration rate was 0.34 Pg C yr−1 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.28–0.42 Pg C yr−1, which differed significantly between forest types. The largest contributor to the increment was deciduous broadleaf forest (37.8%), while the smallest was deciduous needleleaf forest (2.7%). The vegetation C sequestration rate might reach its maximum around 2020, although vegetation C storage increases continually. It is estimated that vegetation C sequestration might offset 6–8% of China's future emissions. Furthermore, there was a significant negative relationship between vegetation C sequestration rate and C emission rate in different provinces of China, suggesting that developed provinces might need to compensate for undeveloped provinces through C trade. Our findings will provide valuable guidelines to policymakers for designing afforestation strategies and forest C trade in China.
Anthropogenic N deposition increases soil organic matter accumulation without altering its biochemical composition
Authors: Zak Donald R. , Freedman Zachary B. , Upchurch Rima A. , Steffens Markus , Kögel‐Knabner Ingrid
Published: August 2016

Accumulating evidence indicates that future rates of atmospheric N deposition have the potential to increase soil C storage by reducing the decay of plant litter and soil organic matter (SOM). Although the microbial mechanism underlying this response is not well understood, a decline in decay could alter the amount, as well as biochemical composition of SOM. Here, we used size‐density fractionation and solid‐state 13C‐NMR spectroscopy to explore the extent to which declines in microbial decay in a long‐term (ca. 20 yrs.) N deposition experiment have altered the biochemical composition of forest floor, bulk mineral soil, as well as free and occluded particulate organic matter. Significant amounts of organic matter have accumulated in occluded particulate organic matter (~20%; oPOM); however, experimental N deposition had not altered the abundance of carboxyl, aryl, alkyl, or O/N‐alkyl C in forest floor, bulk mineral soil, or any soil fraction. These observations suggest that biochemically equivalent organic matter has accumulated in oPOM at a greater rate under experimental N deposition, relative to the ambient treatment. Although we do not understand the process by which experimental N deposition has fostered the occlusion of organic matter by mineral soil particles, our results highlight the importance of interactions among the products of microbial decay and the chemical and physical properties of silt and clay particles that occlude organic matter from microbial attack. Because oPOM can reside in soils for decades to centuries, organic matter accumulating under future rates of anthropogenic N deposition could remain in soil for long periods of time. If temperate forest soils in the Northern Hemisphere respond like those in our experiment, then unabated deposition of anthropogenic N from the atmosphere has the potential to foster greater soil C storage, especially in fine‐texture forest soils.
Species‐specific responses to climate change and community composition determine future calcification rates of Florida Keys reefs
Authors: Okazaki Remy R. , Towle Erica K. , van Hooidonk Ruben , Mor Carolina , Winter Rivah N. , Piggot Alan M. , Cunning Ross , Baker Andrew C. , Klaus James S. , Swart Peter K. , Langdon Chris
Published: August 2016

Anthropogenic climate change compromises reef growth as a result of increasing temperatures and ocean acidification. Scleractinian corals vary in their sensitivity to these variables, suggesting species composition will influence how reef communities respond to future climate change. Because data are lacking for many species, most studies that model future reef growth rely on uniform scleractinian calcification sensitivities to temperature and ocean acidification. To address this knowledge gap, calcification of twelve common and understudied Caribbean coral species was measured for two months under crossed temperatures (27, 30.3 °C) and CO2 partial pressures (pCO2) (400, 900, 1300 μatm). Mixed‐effects models of calcification for each species were then used to project community‐level scleractinian calcification using Florida Keys reef composition data and IPCC AR5 ensemble climate model data. Three of the four most abundant species, Orbicella faveolata, Montastraea cavernosa, and Porites astreoides, had negative calcification responses to both elevated temperature and pCO2. In the business‐as‐usual CO2 emissions scenario, reefs with high abundances of these species had projected end‐of‐century declines in scleractinian calcification of >50% relative to present‐day rates. Siderastrea siderea, the other most common species, was insensitive to both temperature and pCO2 within the levels tested here. Reefs dominated by this species had the most stable end‐of‐century growth. Under more optimistic scenarios of reduced CO2 emissions, calcification rates throughout the Florida Keys declined <20% by 2100. Under the most extreme emissions scenario, projected declines were highly variable among reefs, ranging 10–100%. Without considering bleaching, reef growth will likely decline on most reefs, especially where resistant species like S. siderea are not already dominant. This study demonstrates how species composition influences reef community responses to climate change and how reduced CO2 emissions can limit future declines in reef calcification.
Height is an indicator of vascular maintenance capacity in older men
Authors: Shimizu Yuji , Sato Shimpei , Koyamatsu Jun , Yamanashi Hirotomo , Nagayoshi Mako , Kadota Koichiro , Maeda Takahiro
Published: August 2016

Aim

Bone‐derived circulating CD34‐positive cells are reported to play an important role in vascular maintenance. Additionally, height might influence age‐related hematopoietic bone marrow decline, as it positively correlates with total bone marrow volume. As hypertension should mask the beneficial effects of circulating CD34‐positive cells, hypertension status should account for this correlation. The present study aimed to clarify the clinical importance of height on vascular maintenance in older Japanese men.

Methods

We carried out a cross‐sectional study of 343 older men aged 65–69 years who underwent a general health checkup from 2013 to 2015.

Results

Independent of known cardiovascular risk factors, height was found to be slightly, but significantly, positively correlated with the log number of circulating CD34‐positive cells in systolic, but not non‐systolic, hypertensive men. Multilinear regression analysis showed a parameter estimate (B) and standardized parameter estimate (β) of 3.23 × 10–2, 0.28 (P = 0.003) for systolic hypertensive men and –0.49 × 10–2, –0.04 (P = 0.495) for non‐systolic hypertensive men.

Conclusions

Height positively correlates with circulating CD34‐positive cells in systolic, but not non‐systolic, hypertensive men. As the beneficial effects of circulating CD34‐positive cells on endothelial repair might be masked by hypertension where the production of CD34‐positive cells is stimulated by hypertension‐induced vascular damage, among individuals with systolic hypertension, circulating CD34‐positive cells should indicate the limits of endothelial repair. Therefore, height might indicate the capacity for adequate vascular maintenance in older men. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1729–1736.
Eschatology and Theology of Hope: The Impact of Gaudium et Spes on the Thought of Edward Schillebeeckx
Authors: Minch Daniel
Published: August 2016

Before the Second Vatican Council, Edward Schillebeeckx O.P. (1914–2009) had begun to reassess and the role and nature of eschatology as a discipline within Catholic theology. He began to formulate an early theology of hope in the 1950s which he would later develop quite extensively. His reflections during the Council on the famous draft of Gaudium et Spes, and on the finished document reveal the urgency of rethinking the essential relationship between ‘church’ and ‘world’. This article examines the impact of Gaudium et Spes on Schillebeeckx's work in two aspects. First, the way that it helped to orient his eschatological thought towards an emphasis on the ‘future’. The distance between the ‘already’ and the ‘not yet’, coupled with the essential place of creation as the site of God's salvific activity in history, began to push Schillebeeckx towards an eschatological and primarily future‐oriented understanding of Christian praxis and preaching. Second, this article will examine the anthropology that Schillebeeckx reads from Gaudium et Spes and the way in which a ‘new image’ of humanity, in light of a future‐oriented eschatology, contributed to his attempts to rethink the tension between ‘church’ and ‘world’.
Dynamics of glycerine and water transport across human skin from binary mixtures
Authors: Ventura S. A. , Kasting G. B.
Published: August 2016

Objective

Skin transport properties of glycerine and water from binary mixtures contacting human skin were determined to better understand the mechanism of skin moisturization by aqueous glycerine formulations.

Methods

Steady‐state permeation for 3H2O and 14C‐glycerine across split‐thickness human skin in vitro and desorption dynamics of the same permeants in isolated human stratum corneum (HSC) were experimentally determined under near equilibrium conditions. These data were compared to a priori values developed in the context of a thermodynamic model for binary mixtures of glycerine and water and a previously determined water sorption isotherm for HSC. This allowed the estimation of diffusion and partition coefficients for each permeant in the HSC, as well as HSC thickness, as a function of composition of the contacting solution. These data may be used to estimate water retention and associated HSC swelling related to the absorption and slow release of glycerine from the skin.

Results

It took 6+ days for glycerine to completely desorb from HSC immersed in glycerine/water binary solutions. Desorption of both 3H2O and 14C‐glycerine from HSC was slower in pure water than from binary mixtures, a result that is largely explained by the greater swelling of HSC in water. Parametric relationships were developed for water and glycerine intradiffusivities in HSC as functions of HSC water content, and a mutual diffusion coefficient was estimated by analogy with glycerine/water binary solutions. The intradiffusivity of 14C‐glycerine in HSC as inferred from sorption/desorption experiments was shown to be approximately 10‐fold less than that inferred from permeation experiments, whereas the corresponding values for 3H2O were comparable.

Conclusion

These studies confirm that glycerine enters HSC in substantial quantities and has a long residence time therein. The coupling between bulk water and glycerine transport projected from binary solution data suggests the net effect of glycerine is to slow water loss from the skin. The data support the concept of glycerine as a humectant with an excellent balance of skin penetration and retention characteristics; however, they do not rule out the possibility of an additional biological effect on skin barrier homoeostasis.
Cultural Intelligence: A Review and New Research Avenues
Authors: Ott Dana L. , Michailova Snejina
Published: August 2016

Cultural intelligence (CQ), an individual's capability to function and manage effectively in culturally diverse situations and settings, has become the focus of a vibrant scholarly conversation and a flourishing area of multidisciplinary research. Since the introduction of the concept in 2002, substantial research has been conducted concerning its definition, the validation of its measurement, and the examination of its development and predictive capabilities. The present paper systematically reviews 73 conceptual and empirical articles published on CQ from 2002 to 2015 in management and international business journals as well as in education and psychology. The authors discuss two distinct conceptualizations of CQ, developments within the conceptual research, and opportunities for further theorizing. They also cluster the empirical studies based on how CQ was used and identify patterns, achievements and challenges within the literature. Finally, based on their analysis, they identify promising avenues for future research and propose specific questions that can further advance the scholarly conversation on CQ.
Evidence implementation: Development of an online methodology from the knowledge‐to‐action model of knowledge translation
Authors: Lockwood Craig , Stephenson Matthew , Lizarondo Lucylynn , van Den Hoek Joan , Harrison Margaret
Published: August 2016

This paper describes an online facilitation for operationalizing the knowledge‐to‐action (KTA) model. The KTA model incorporates implementation planning that is optimally suited to the information needs of clinicians. The can‐implement© is an evidence implementation process informed by the KTA model. An online counterpart, the can‐implement.pro©, was developed to enable greater dissemination and utilization of the can‐implement© process. The driver for this work was health professionals' need for facilitation that is iterative, informed by context and localized to the specific needs of users. The literature supporting this paper includes evaluation studies and theoretical concepts relevant to KTA model, evidence implementation and facilitation. Nursing and other health disciplines require a skill set and resources to successfully navigate the complexity of organizational requirements, inter‐professional leadership and day‐to‐day practical management to implement evidence into clinical practice. The can‐implement.pro© provides an accessible, inclusive system for evidence implementation projects. There is empirical support for evidence implementation informed by the KTA model, which in this phase of work has been developed for online uptake. Nurses and other clinicians seeking to implement evidence could benefit from the directed actions, planning advice and information embedded in the phases and steps of can‐implement.pro©.
Notch signalling suppresses regulatory T‐cell function in murine experimental autoimmune uveitis
Authors: Rong Hua , Shen Hongjie , Xu Yueli , Yang Hai
Published: August 2016

Autoimmune uveitis is an intraocular inflammatory disorder in developed countries. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the development and modulation of immune reaction in uveitic eyes is critical for designing therapeutic interventions. Here we investigated the role of Notch signalling in regulatory T‐cell (Treg cell) function during experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU). Using the Foxp3‐GFP reporter mouse strain, the significance of Notch signalling for the function of infiltrating Treg cells was characterized in an EAU model. We found that infiltrating Treg cells substantially expressed Notch‐1, Notch‐2, JAG1 and DLL1 in uveitic eyes. Activation of Notch signalling, represented by expression of HES1 and HES5, was enhanced in infiltrating Treg cells. Treatment with JAG1 and DLL1 down‐regulated Foxp3 expression and immunosuppressive activity of isolated infiltrating Treg cells in vitro, whereas neutralizing antibodies against JAG1 and DLL1 diminished Notch ligand‐mediated negative effects on Treg cells. To investigate the significance of Notch signalling for Treg cell function in vivo, lentivirus‐derived Notch short hairpin RNAs were transduced into in vitro expanded Treg cells before adoptive transfer of Treg cells into EAU mice. Transfer of Notch‐1‐deficient Treg cells remarkably reduced pro‐inflammatory cytokine production and inflammatory cell infiltration in uveitic eyes. Taken together, Notch signalling negatively modulates the immunosuppressive function of infiltrating Treg cells in mouse EAU.
Disruptive selection as a driver of evolutionary branching and caste evolution in social insects
Authors: Planqué R. , Powell S. , Franks N. R. , van den Berg J. B.
Published: August 2016

Theory suggests that evolutionary branching via disruptive selection may be a relatively common and powerful force driving phenotypic divergence. Here, we extend this theory to social insects, which have novel social axes of phenotypic diversification. Our model, built around turtle ant (Cephalotes) biology, is used to explore whether disruptive selection can drive the evolutionary branching of divergent colony phenotypes that include a novel soldier caste. Soldier evolution is a recurrent theme in social insect diversification that is exemplified in the turtle ants. We show that phenotypic mutants can gain competitive advantages that induce disruptive selection and subsequent branching. A soldier caste does not generally appear before branching, but can evolve from subsequent competition. The soldier caste then evolves in association with specialized resource preferences that maximize defensive performance. Overall, our model indicates that resource specialization may occur in the absence of morphological specialization, but that when morphological specialization evolves, it is always in association with resource specialization. This evolutionary coupling of ecological and morphological specialization is consistent with recent empirical evidence, but contrary to predictions of classical caste theory. Our model provides a new theoretical understanding of the ecology of caste evolution that explicitly considers the process of adaptive phenotypic divergence and diversification.
Relationships between otolith and fish size from Mediterranean and north‐eastern Atlantic species to be used in predator–prey studies
Authors: Giménez J. , Manjabacas A. , Tuset V. M. , Lombarte A.
Published: August 2016

Regressions between fish length and otolith size are provided for 40 species from the north‐eastern Atlantic Ocean and 142 species from the Mediterranean Sea. Regressions were also estimated at genus level. Most of the regressions (c. 84%) explained a high percentage of the deviance (>75%).
Validity of short food questionnaire items to measure intake in children and adolescents: a systematic review
Authors: Golley R. K. , Bell L. K. , Hendrie G.A. , Rangan A.M. , Spence A. , McNaughton S. A. , Carpenter L. , Allman‐Farinelli M. , de Silva A. , Gill T. , Collins C.E. , Truby H. , Flood V. M. , Burrows T.
Published: August 2016

Background

Short food questions are appealing to measure dietary intakes.

Methods

A review of studies published between 2004 and 2016 was undertaken and these were included in the present study if they reported on a question or short item questionnaire (≤50 items, data presented as ≤30 food groups) measuring food intake or food‐related habits, in children (aged 6 months to 18 years), and reported question validity or reliability. Thirty studies met the inclusion criteria.

Results

Most questions assessed foods or food groups (n = 29), with the most commonly assessed being fruit (n = 22) or vegetable intake (n = 23), dairy foods and discretionary foods (n = 20 studies each). Four studies assessed food habits, with the most common being breakfast and meal frequency (n = 4 studies). Twenty studies assessed reliability, and 25 studies determined accuracy and were most commonly compared against food records. Evaluation of question performance relied on statistical tests such as correlation.

Conclusions

The present study has identified valid and reliable questions for the range of key food groups of interest to public health nutrition. Questions were more likely to be reliable than accurate, and relatively few questions were both reliable and accurate. Gaps in repeatable and valid short food questions have been identified that will provide direction for future tool development.
Psychiatric hospitalisation among individuals with intellectual disability referred to the START crisis intervention and prevention program
Authors: Kalb L. G. , Beasley J. , Klein A. , Hinton J. , Charlot L.
Published: August 2016

Background

Little is known about inpatient psychiatric hospitalisation among adults with intellectual disability (ID) in the United States. Greater research is, therefore, required to inform efforts aimed at preventing this costly and restrictive form of care.

Methods

Data were from 3299 individuals with ID (mean age = 31 years; SD = 14 years) who were referred to START (Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources, and Treatment), a community‐based crisis intervention and prevention programme. A random effects logistic regression model was used to examine the association between 11 factors and caregiver report of psychiatric hospitalisation in the past 12 months.

Results

Twenty eight percent of the sample had at least one psychiatric inpatient stay in the prior year. Factors associated with an increased likelihood of prior hospitalisation included: younger age, diagnosis of a psychotic disorder, a score of >30 on the irritability subscale of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist, increasing number of psychiatric diagnoses, less severe ID, Black/AA race and not having a home and community waiver.

Conclusions

Among this high‐risk referred group, more than 1 in 4 individuals were hospitalised in the year prior to referral. While results from the analyses will help profile those at risk for hospitalisation, the findings suggest that interventions at the policy level may play an important role in reducing psychiatric hospitalisation.
Rapeseed napin and cruciferin are readily digested by poultry
Authors: Kasprzak M. M. , Houdijk J. G. M. , Liddell S. , Davis K. , Olukosi O. A. , Kightley S. , White G. A. , Wiseman J.
Published: August 2016

Rapeseed proteins have been considered as being poorly digestible in the gut of non‐ruminants. The aim of the study was to assess the digestibility of napin and cruciferin in ileal digesta of broiler chickens, testing sixteen samples of rapeseed co‐products with protein levels ranging from 293 g/kg to 560 g/kg dry matter. Each sample was included into a semi‐synthetic diet at a rate of 500 g/kg and evaluated with broiler chickens in a randomised design. Dietary and ileal digesta proteins were extracted and identified by gel‐based liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS). Three isomers of napin (a 2S albumin) and nine cruciferins (an 11S globulin) were identified in the rapeseed co‐products, whereas six endogenous enzymes such as trypsin (I‐P1, II‐P29), chymotrypsin (elastase and precursor), carboxypeptidase B and α‐amylase were found in the ileal digesta. It is concluded that as none of the rapeseed proteins were detected in the ileal digesta, rapeseed proteins can be readily digested by broiler chickens, irrespective of the protein content in the diet.
Impact of dietary fibre:starch ratio in shaping caecal archaea revealed in rabbits
Authors: Zhu Y. , Sun Y. , Wang C. , Li F.
Published: August 2016

In rabbits, many studies have investigated the effect of diet, including the fibre intake, on caecal microbiota; however, there are no direct measurements of the influence of diets with different dietary fibre‐to‐starch ratios and the archaeal community composition in the caecum. We used 16S rDNA sequencing to investigate the impact of different dietary neutral detergent fibre (NDF)‐to‐starch ratios (1.0–2.3) on the caecal archaeal community in rabbits. The results revealed that the archaeal community from all experimental rabbits was relatively less complex than intestinal bacterial community. High‐throughput 16S rDNA sequencing of the gut archaea indicated that the rabbit caecum was inhabited by Methanobrevibacter and Methanosphaera species, and therefore is possibly dominated by two species of archaea. Here, we compared the effect of different diets on the archaeal community in the rabbit caecum and found no significant differences in the diversity and abundance of caecal archaeal community of rabbits that were fed diets with different dietary fibre‐to‐starch ratios. Therefore, we suggest that the contribution of host‐derived substrates to caecal archaea constitution is insignificant.
The effects of environmental constraints on plant community organization depend on which traits are measured
Authors: Sfair Julia C. , Rosado Bruno H.P. , Tabarelli Marcelo
Published: August 2016

Questions

We test the hypothesis that soil water availability operates as an ecological filter on water economy plant traits, particularly in savanna stands, with consequences for species distribution and the functional profile of plant assemblages across a savanna–forest mosaic.

Location

A savanna–forest mosaic, northeastern Atlantic forest, Paraíba state, Brazil.

Methods

We sampled all trees and shrubs in 11 forest and 12 savanna plots in the same climatic region. Soil water storage capacity was measured, as well as the following traits: specific leaf area (SLA), internode mass fraction (IMF), maximum height (Hmax), wood density (WD), presence of trichomes (LT) and presence of abiotic seed dispersal (DD). Differences in trait values and water soil content between forest and savanna plots were assessed using Wilcoxon tests. Standardized effect size of functional richness and functional dispersion (SESFRic and SESFDis, respectively) were compared between forest and savanna plots with Wilcoxon tests, and the relationships between both functional indices of each trait and soil water content assessed using simple linear regression. We also used null models to test for habitat filtering in each plot, considering species assemblage (SESFRic) and abundance (SESFDis).

Results

Vegetation types differed in terms of soil water availability, with savanna soils having, on average, half the content of forest soils. Compared to forest, savanna plants had heavier internodes (30% increment), lower SLA (about 42% lower) and more plants with trichomes, but plants were much smaller across savanna assemblages. Savanna assemblages also exhibited a higher probability of trait convergence (i.e. reduced functional diversity) than forest assemblages in terms of SLA and maximum height, but savannas were less prone to trait convergence in terms of leaf trichomes, considering species abundance. Considering both vegetation types, a variable proportion of assemblages exhibited significant values of either FRic or FDis, but soil water availability did not correlate with functional diversity measures.

Conclusions

Habitat filtering not related to soil water availability favours the occurrence of conservative resource‐use plants across savanna stands, reinforcing the notion that filtering is able to act as an assembly force by affecting the abundance/frequency of particular traits, thus contributing to the occurrence of spatially organized mosaics of vegetation.
A mid‐Pleistocene rainforest corridor enabled synchronous invasions of the Atlantic Forest by Amazonian anole lizards
Authors: Prates Ivan , Rivera Danielle , Rodrigues Miguel T. , Carnaval Ana C.
Published: August 2016

Shifts in the geographic distribution of habitats over time can promote dispersal and vicariance, thereby influencing large‐scale biogeographic patterns and ecological processes. An example is that of transient corridors of suitable habitat across disjunct but ecologically similar regions, which have been associated with climate change over time. Such connections likely played a role in the assembly of tropical communities, especially within the highly diverse Amazonian and Atlantic rainforests of South America. Although these forests are presently separated by open and dry ecosystems, paleoclimatic and phylogenetic evidence suggest that they have been transiently connected in the past. However, little is known about the timing, magnitude and the distribution of former forest connections. We employ sequence data at multiple loci from three codistributed arboreal lizards (Anolis punctatus, Anolis ortonii and Polychrus marmoratus) to infer the phylogenetic relationships among Amazonian and Atlantic Forest populations and to test alternative historical demographic scenarios of colonization and vicariance using coalescent simulations and approximate Bayesian computation (ABC). Data from the better‐sampled Anolis species support colonization of the Atlantic Forest from eastern Amazonia. Hierarchical ABC indicates that the three species colonized the Atlantic Forest synchronously during the mid‐Pleistocene. We find support of population bottlenecks associated with founder events in the two Anolis, but not in P. marmoratus, consistently with their distinct ecological tolerances. Our findings support that climatic fluctuations provided key opportunities for dispersal and forest colonization in eastern South America through the cessation of environmental barriers. Evidence of species‐specific histories strengthens assertions that biological attributes play a role in responses to shared environmental change.