bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors affecting the diagnostic utility of canine and feline cytological samples
Authors: Sapierzyński R. , Czopowicz M. , Ostrzeszewicz M.
Published: November 2016

Objectives

Cytology is a quick, inexpensive, minimally invasive and widely available diagnostic method, but rigorous cooperation between clinical cytopathologist and physician is necessary to obtain clinically useful results. The aim of this study was to identify factors that affect clinical usefulness of a cytological result when the cellular material was collected by a general veterinary practitioner and examined by a clinical cytopathologist.

Materials and Methods

Analysis of 100 fine‐needle aspirates performed by private veterinarians and examined by the clinical cytopathologist. Factors dependent on a general veterinary practitioner who performed the biopsy such as comprehensiveness of a cover letter, number of smears sent and macroscopic appearance of smears, were included in the analysis. Patient species and location of the lesion were also included.

Results

Only two factors turned out to favour a cytological diagnosis: good macroscopic appearance of smears and superficial location of the lesion. Nevertheless, inclusion of the medical history of a patient in a cover letter proved to help a clinical cytopathologist make clinically useful suggestions.

Clinical Significance

Preparation of good quality smears and provision of a comprehensive cover letter will increase the likelihood of obtaining clinically useful cytological reports.
Effects of dexmedetomidine administered at acupuncture point GV20 compared to intramuscular route in dogs
Authors: Pons A. , Canfrán S. , Benito J. , Cediel‐Algovia R. , Gómez de Segura I. A.
Published: November 2016

Objective

To compare the sedative effects produced by dexmedetomidine in dogs, administered either intramuscularly or into the Governing Vessel 20 acupuncture point.

Materials and Methods

Six dogs were sedated with 125 µg/m2 dexmedetomidine injected either intramuscularly in the gluteal muscles or subcutaneously into the acupuncture point and in random order. Sedation and analgesia were assessed blindly before and after treatments at regular intervals for 90 minutes or until the dogs fully recovered. Duration and quality of sedation were assessed with a numerical sedation rating scale and a dynamic and interactive visual analogue scale. Analgesia was also assessed with a numerical rating scale. Heart and respiratory rates and rectal temperatures were recorded.

Results

Sedative and analgesic scores were significantly increased when dexmedetomidine was administered at the Governing Vessel 20 acupuncture point compared with the routine intramuscular route. Duration of sedation was longer in the acupuncture site injection group compared to the intramuscular group (93 ±38 and 41 ±16 minutes). Bradycardia was significantly more pronounced in the acupuncture site group than the intramuscular group, whereas respiratory rates and rectal temperatures did not differ between administration routes.

Clinical Significance

Administration at the Governing Vessel 20 acupuncture point increased the duration and degree of sedation and analgesic effects of dexmedetomidine compared with the intramuscular route.
Tensile strength of warm and cool season forage grasses in Florida
Authors: Weinberg Zwi G. , Fethiere Richard , Adesogan Adegbola , Sollenberger Lynn
Published: November 2016

The tensile strength (TS) of four warm‐season and three cool‐season forage grasses was measured with an Instron Universal machine, along with cell‐wall analysis and determination of in vitro organic matter digestibility. The mean TS of the warm‐season grasses was significantly higher than that of the cool season grasses (22 vs. 9 kg, respectively, p < .05). The concentrations of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL) were significantly greater in the warm‐ than in the cool‐season grasses (p < .05), whereas ash concentration was greater in the cool‐season grasses. Among the warm‐season grasses that were studied, elephant grass had the highest and bermuda grass had the lowest TS (34.4 and 14.9 kg, respectively, p < .05); Among the cool‐season grasses triticale had greater TS than wheat and oats (12.6 vs. 6.8 and 7.5 kg, respectively, p < .05). TS was significantly correlated with NDF, ADF, and ADL, and negatively correlated with in vitro organic matter digestibility (correlation coefficients were 0.64, 0.73. 0.41, and −0.64, respectively).

Practical applications

Grass tensile strength may have implications on animal preference and on the energy that animals must spend during grazing, and consequently on animal performance (feed intake, daily weight gain and milk, and meat production). Information on grass TS would help to select and screen improved forage cultivars and enable to improve grassland management with better animal performance.
Use of Serum MicroRNAs as Biomarker for Hepatobiliary Diseases in Dogs
Authors: Dirksen K. , Verzijl T. , Grinwis G.C. , Favier R.P. , Penning L.C. , Burgener I.A. , van der Laan L.J. , Fieten H. , Spee B.
Published: November 2016

Background

Current biochemical indicators cannot discriminate between parenchymal, biliary, vascular, and neoplastic hepatobiliary diseases. MicroRNAs are promising new biomarkers for hepatobiliary disease in humans and dogs.

Objective

To measure serum concentrations of an established group of microRNAs in dogs and to investigate their concentrations in various types of hepatobiliary diseases.

Animals

Forty‐six client‐owned dogs with an established diagnosis of hepatobiliary disease and stored serum samples and eleven client‐owned healthy control Labrador Retrievers.

Methods

Retrospective study. Medical records of dogs with parenchymal, biliary, vascular, or neoplastic hepatobiliary diseases and control dogs were reviewed. Concentrations of miR‐21, miR‐122, miR‐126, miR‐148a, miR‐200c, and miR‐222 were quantified in serum by real‐time polymerase chain reaction.

Results

No different microRNAconcentrations were found in the adenoma and congenital portosystemic shunt groups. In all other diseases, miR‐122 concentrations were elevated with the highest concentration in the mucocele group (267‐fold,CI: 40–1,768,P< .001). In dogs with biliary diseases, miR‐21 and miR‐222 were only increased in dogs with mucoceles (26‐fold,CI: 5–141,P= .005 and 13‐fold,CI: 2–70,P= .025, respectively). Uniquely increased microRNAs were found in the hepatocellular carcinoma group (miR‐200c, 35‐fold increase,CI: 3–382,P= .035) and the chronic hepatitis group (miR‐126, 22‐fold increase,CI: 5–91,P= .002).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

A microRNApanel consisting of miR‐21, miR‐122, miR‐126, miR‐200c, and miR‐222 can distinguish between parenchymal, biliary, and neoplastic hepatobiliary diseases. Serum microRNAprofiling is a promising new tool that might be a valuable addition to conventional diagnostics to help diagnose various hepatobiliary diseases in dogs.
Hemostatic Findings in Ascitic Fluid: A Cross‐Sectional Study in 70 Dogs
Authors: Zoia A. , Drigo M. , Piek C.J. , Simioni P. , Caldin M.
Published: November 2016

Background

Ascitic fluids of horses and humans have fibrinolytic activity, independent of the underlying mechanism of fluid formation.

Objective

To determine whether coagulation and fibrinogenolytic/fibrinolytic activity (ie, low fibrinogen and increased fibrin–fibrinogen degradation products [FDPs], D‐dimer, or both) occur in all types of ascitic fluid in dogs.

Animals

A total of 70 client‐owned dogs with ascites.

Methods

In this cross‐sectional study, dogs were categorized based on the pathophysiology of fluid formation into 4 groups: transudates due to decreased osmotic pressure, transudates due to increased hydrostatic pressure, exudates, and hemorrhagic ascites. Fibrinogen, FDPs, and D‐dimer concentrations were measured and then compared in both ascitic fluid and plasma.

Results

Ten dogs had transudates due to decreased colloid osmotic pressure, 18 had transudates due to increased hydrostatic pressure, 13 had exudates, and 29 had hemorrhagic ascites. Ascitic fibrinogen concentrations (n = 70) were significantly lower (median = 59 mg/dL; range: 59–122 mg/dL) than those in the plasma (median = 168 mg/dL, range: 59–879 mg/dL; P < .0001). Ascitic FDPs concentrations (n = 70) were significantly higher (<5 μg/mL: 3/70 dogs, ≥5 to <20 μg/mL: 11/70 dogs, ≥20 μg/mL: 56/70 dogs) than those in the plasma (<5 μg/mL: 17/70 dogs, ≥5 to <20 μg/mL: 28/70 dogs, ≥20 μg/mL: 25/70 dogs; P < .0001). Ascitic D‐dimer concentrations (n = 70) were significantly higher (median = 3.98 μg/mL, range: 0.02–9.19) than those in the plasma (median = 0.11 μg/mL, range: 0.01–4.08; P < .0001). Analysis of the data for each of the 4 different types of ascites showed similar results to those of all the data analyzed together.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Ascitic fluid of dogs has evidence of coagulation activation and fibrinogenolytic/fibrinolytic activity and that this phenomenon occurs independent of the underlying mechanism that leads to the formation of ascites.
Dental microwear texture analysis of extant koalas: clarifying causal agents of microwear
Authors: Hedberg C. , DeSantis L. R. G.
Published: November 2016

Microscopic wear patterns on teeth, that is, dental microwear, are capable of recording observed dietary behaviour in a diversity of extant and extinct animals. However, recent work has questioned the utility of dental microwear at clarifying dietary behaviour, instead suggesting that dental microwear textures are reflective of grit consumed and not the dietary properties of ingested food. Some suggest that dental microwear cannot reflect the textural properties of vegetation consumed because phytoliths are too soft to form microwear. Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are model organisms for examining dental microwear formation because they consume a specialized diet consisting almost exclusively of eucalyptus leaves, which notably lack phytoliths. Here, we assess if koala dental microwear records a diet consistent with the consumption of tough leaves – despite the absence of phytoliths in their primary food source. Dental microwear texture data of koalas are consistent with tough folivorous diets, with high anisotropy values indistinguishable from folivorous primates and grazing bovids. However, koalas have significantly higher complexity (indicative of hard object feeding) than the folivorous primate Alouatta palliata, and are indistinguishable in this variable from mixed feeding and browsing bovids. While higher complexity values in koalas may result from increased dust and/or grit on the landscape in comparison to folivores that occur in wetter environments, it may also result from the mastication of woody browse. We also determined that complexity and textural fill volume are not significantly greater in drier environments – as one would predict if grit was the major contributor to dental microwear formation. Koalas may instead be selecting softer younger leaves in drier regions where water is more limited. Collectively, microwear associated with tough object feeding can be formed in the absence of phytoliths and grit may interact with food to form microwear reflective of diet, as opposed to overprinting dietary signals.
Impact‐related thermal effects on the redox state of Ca‐pyroxene
Authors: McCanta M. C. , Dyar M. D.
Published: November 2016

Oxidation is observed in Ca‐pyroxene subjected to a range of shock pressures (21–59 GPa). Changes in the pyroxene redox ratio as measured by the changes in %Fe3+ ranged from 2–6 times the starting composition. Mössbauer and reflectance spectroscopy record the changing Fe3+ concentration as a preferential oxidation of Fe2+ in the M2 crystallographic site. The oxidation is also accompanied by mechanical changes in the pyroxene crystals including fracturing, linear defects, and twinning. As oxygen fugacity is often calculated using mineral redox ratios and thought to represent the prevailing fO2 during crystallization, it is imperative to recognize that the fO2 values measured in impact‐derived materials may represent that of the impact and not the magma source region.
Population structure and local selection yield high genomic variation in Mimulus guttatus
Authors: Puzey Joshua R. , Willis John H. , Kelly John K.
Published: November 2016

Across western North America, Mimulus guttatus exists as many local populations adapted to site‐specific environmental challenges. Gene flow between locally adapted populations will affect genetic diversity both within demes and across the larger metapopulation. Here, we analyse 34 whole‐genome sequences from the intensively studied Iron Mountain population (IM) in conjunction with sequences from 22 Mimulus individuals sampled from across western North America. Three striking features of these data address hypotheses about migration and selection in a locally adapted population. First, we find very high levels of intrapopulation polymorphism (synonymous π = 0.033). Variation outside of genes is likely even higher but difficult to estimate because excessive divergence reduces the efficiency of read mapping. Second, IM exhibits a significantly positive genomewide average for Tajima's D. This indicates allele frequencies are typically more intermediate than expected from neutrality, opposite the pattern observed in many other species. Third, IM exhibits a distinctive haplotype structure with a genomewide excess of positive associations between rarer alleles at linked loci. This suggests an important effect of gene flow from other Mimulus populations, although a residual effect of population founding might also contribute. The combination of multiple analyses, including a novel tree‐based analytic method, illustrates how the balance of local selection, limited dispersal and metapopulation dynamics manifests across the genome. The overall genomic pattern of sequence diversity suggests successful gene flow of divergent immigrant genotypes into IM. However, many loci show patterns indicative of local adaptation, particularly at SNPs associated with chromosomal inversions.
The essential cell division protein FtsN contains a critical disulfide bond in a non‐essential domain
Authors: Meehan Brian M. , Landeta Cristina , Boyd Dana , Beckwith Jon
Published: November 2016

Disulfide bonds are found in many proteins associated with the cell wall of Escherichia coli, and for some of these proteins the disulfide bond is critical to their stability and function. One protein found to contain a disulfide bond is the essential cell division protein FtsN, but the importance of this bond to the protein's structural integrity is unclear. While it evidently plays a role in the proper folding of the SPOR domain of FtsN, this domain is non‐essential, suggesting that the disulfide bond might also be dispensable. However, we find that FtsN mutants lacking cysteines give rise to filamentous growth. Furthermore, FtsN protein levels in strains expressing these mutants were significantly lower than in a strain expressing the wild‐type allele, as were FtsN levels in strains incapable of making disulfide bonds (dsb‐) exposed to anaerobic conditions. These results strongly suggest that FtsN lacking a disulfide bond is unstable, thereby making this disulfide critical for function. We have previously found that dsb‐ strains fail to grow anaerobically, and the results presented here suggest that this growth defect may be due in part to misfolded FtsN. Thus, proper cell division in E. coli is dependent upon disulfide bond formation.
Maf1 is a negative regulator of transcription in Trypanosoma brucei
Authors: Romero‐Meza Gabriela , Vélez‐Ramírez Daniel E. , Florencio‐Martínez Luis E. , Román‐Carraro Fiordaliso C. , Manning‐Cela Rebeca , Hernández‐Rivas Rosaura , Martínez‐Calvillo Santiago
Published: November 2016

RNA polymerase III (Pol III) produces small RNA molecules that play essential roles in mRNA processing and translation. Maf1, originally described as a negative regulator of Pol III transcription, has been studied from yeast to human. Here we characterized Maf1 in the parasitic protozoa Trypanosoma brucei (TbMaf1), representing the first report to analyse Maf1 in an early‐diverged eukaryote. While Maf1 is generally encoded by a single‐copy gene, the T. brucei genome contains two almost identical TbMaf1 genes. The TbMaf1 protein has the three conserved sequences and is predicted to fold into a globular structure. Unlike in yeast, TbMaf1 localizes to the nucleus in procyclic forms of T. brucei under normal growth conditions. Cell lines that either downregulate or overexpress TbMaf1 were generated, and growth curve analysis with them suggested that TbMaf1 participates in the regulation of cell growth of T. brucei. Nuclear run‐on and chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses demonstrated that TbMaf1 represses Pol III transcription of tRNA and U2 snRNA genes by associating with their promoters. Interestingly, 5S rRNA levels do not change after TbMaf1 ablation or overexpression. Notably, our data also revealed that TbMaf1 regulates Pol I transcription of procyclin gene and Pol II transcription of SL RNA genes.
Caught between two proteins: a mycobacterial inhibitor challenges the mold
Authors: Boshoff Helena I.
Published: November 2016

Elucidating the target or mechanism of action of potential drugs in the discovery pipeline is an integral component of most programs. For antibacterial compounds, generation of resistant mutants followed by whole genome sequencing has often been successful in uncovering the proteins involved in regulating compound activation, uptake, efflux and importantly, target processes. When this process succeeds, we are quick to declare a target. In a study reported by Sing and Dhar et al. (in press), the combination of resistant mutant generation, whole genome sequencing and recombineering to identify the target of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth inhibitor, pointed to a mechanism involving a scaffolding protein, Wag31, involved in polar elongation of mycobacterial cells. Time‐lapse microscopy and electron microscopy confirmed the view that this inhibitor resulted in interruption of nascent cell wall biosynthesis. However, co‐expression as well as regulated titration of the putative Wag31 target demonstrated that the wild‐type allele was dominant and showed no synergy with the inhibitor. The most plausible explanation from their results was that this inhibitor interfered with the interaction of Wag31 with one of its interacting partners in the elongation complex.
Combinatorial control of adhesion of Brucella abortus 2308 to host cells by transcriptional rewiring of the trimeric autotransporter btaE gene
Authors: Sieira Rodrigo , Bialer Magalí G. , Roset Mara S. , Ruiz‐Ranwez Verónica , Langer Tomás , Arocena Gastón M. , Mancini Estefanía , Zorreguieta Angeles
Published: November 2016

Regulatory network plasticity is a key attribute underlying changes in bacterial gene expression and a source of phenotypic diversity to interact with the surrounding environment. Here, we sought to study the transcriptional circuit of HutC, a regulator of both metabolic and virulence genes of the facultative intracellular pathogen Brucella. Using in silico and biochemical approaches, we identified a novel functional HutC‐binding site upstream of btaE, a trimeric‐autotransporter adhesin involved in the attachment of Brucella to host extracellular matrix components. Moreover, we identified two additional regulators, one of which, MdrA, acts in concert with HutC to exert a combinatorial control of both btaE promoter activity and attachment of Brucella to HeLa cells. Analysis of btaE promoter sequences of different species indicated that this HutC‐binding site was generated de novo by a single point mutation in a virulent Brucella strain, indicative of a transcriptional rewiring event. In addition to major domain organization differences existing between BtaE proteins within the genus Brucella, our analyses revealed that sequences upstream of btaE display high variability probably associated to intrinsic promoter structural features, which may serve as a substrate for reciprocal selection during co‐evolution between this pathogen and its mammalian host.
The Food Teacher Professional Portfolio – a personal and professional development programme for secondary food teachers
Authors: Meek F.
Published: November 2016

This article provides a summary of the new Food Teacher Professional Portfolio, a 3‐year personal and professional development programme for secondary food teachers developed by the British Nutrition Foundation in partnership with the Food Teachers Centre. Included is the rationale for developing the programme; an overview of the training, support and resources provided; feedback from participants who have just completed the programme's first year; and information on forthcoming activities in 2016/2017.
Identifying crop variants with high resistant starch content to maintain healthy glucose homeostasis
Authors: Petropoulou K. , Chambers E. S. , Morrison D. J. , Preston T. , Godsland I. F. , Wilde P. , Narbad A. , Parker R. , Salt L. , Morris V. J. , Domoney C. , Persaud S. J. , Holmes E. , Penson S. , Watson J. , Stocks M. , Buurman M. , Luterbacher M. , Frost G.
Published: November 2016

Identifying dietary tools that prevent disordered insulin secretion from pancreatic β‐cells is an attractive strategy to combat the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Dietary resistant starch has been linked to improvements in the function of β‐cells, possibly via increased colonic fermentation and production of short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Increasing the resistant starch content of commonly consumed foods could therefore maintain glucose homeostasis at the population level. As part of Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Diet and Health Research Industry Club (DRINC) initiative, variants of Pisum sativum L. (pea) are being investigated to identify the features of pea starch that make it resistant to digestion and available for colonic fermentation and SCFA production. Parallel in vitro and in vivo studies are being conducted using both whole pea seeds and pea flour to facilitate a better understanding of how cells in the pea cotyledons are affected by processing and, in turn, how this influences starch digestibility. Trials in human volunteers are being used to monitor a full spectrum of short‐ and long‐term physiological responses relevant to pancreatic β‐cell function and glucose homeostasis. This project is providing new insights into variants of crops that are associated with the specific types of resistant starch that provide the best protection against defects in insulin secretion and function.
Is the British diet improving?
Authors: Reid M. , Hammersley R.
Published: November 2016

The UK government's National Diet and Nutrition Survey report of Years 5 and 6 (2012/2013–2013/2014) of the Rolling Programme has just been published. By and large, the results are not encouraging. Compared to previous results from 2008/2009, little has changed and the national sample of children and adults continues to report eating too much saturated fat, non‐milk extrinsic sugars, too few fruit and vegetables and not enough oil‐rich fish, with certain groups of the population found to have low levels of some key vitamins and minerals. A glimmer of hope is that there are a couple of indicators of improvement, and overall, the UK population's diet has not got worse in the past 6 years.
Internal carotid artery occlusion and cerebral infarction in a case of juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus and positive for phosphatidylserine dependent antiprothrombin antibody
Authors: Naoi Tameto , Kameda Tomoaki , Oku Kenji , Ando Ayako , Hayashi Yuka , Miyamoto Michiaki , Suzuki Hiromi , Kawakami Tadataka
Published: November 2016

Antiphospholipid antibodies are a major risk factor of juvenile cerebral infarction; in addition, they can cause major arterial stenosis or occlusion. We report a case of a 32‐year‐old man who had been diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus at the age of 20 years, and was admitted to Shin‐Oyama City Hospital, Tochigi, Japan, because of left arm weakness. Cerebral infarction and occlusion of the right internal carotid artery were found. Tests were positive for phosphatidylserine‐dependent antiprothrombin antibody, which can be useful for the diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome. Phosphatidylserine‐dependent antiprothrombin antibody might have the potential to cause thrombosis and vasculitis‐like occlusion.
The insight and challenge of reflexive practice in an ethnographic study of black traumatically injured patients in Philadelphia
Authors: Jacoby Sara F
Published: November 2016

The integrity of critical ethnography requires engagement in reflexive practice at all phases of the research process. In this discussion paper, I explore the insights and challenges of reflexive practice in an ethnographic study of the recovery experiences of black trauma patients in a Philadelphia hospital. Observation and interviews were conducted with twelve patients who were admitted to trauma‐designated units of the hospital over the course of a year. During fieldwork, I learned the ways that my background as a professional nurse structured my way of being in clinical space and facilitated a particular interpretation of clinical culture. In analysis, reflection on subjectivities through which I designed this ethnographic research allowed me to see beyond my preconceived and theoretically informed perspective to permit unexpected features of the field to emerge. Reflexive practice also guided my reconciliation of key practical and epistemological differences between clinical ethnographic research and the anthropologic tradition in which it is rooted. I conclude that with careful reflection to the subjectivities that influence the research process, interdisciplinary clinically relevant applied interpretations of critical ethnographic work can be used to generate detailed knowledge across contexts in clinical care, nursing practice, and patient experiences.
Exploring key cellular processes and candidate genes regulating the primary thickening growth ofMoso underground shoots
Authors: Wei Qiang , Jiao Chen , Guo Lin , Ding Yulong , Cao Junjie , Feng Jianyuan , Dong Xiaobo , Mao Linyong , Sun Honghe , Yu Fen , Yang Guangyao , Shi Peijian , Ren Guodong , Fei Zhangjun
Published: November 2016

The primary thickening growth of Moso (Phyllostachys edulis) underground shoots largely determines the culm circumference. However, its developmental mechanisms remain largely unknown.

Using an integrated anatomy, mathematics and genomics approach, we systematically studied cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the growth of Moso underground shoots.

We discovered that the growth displayed a spiral pattern and pith played an important role in promoting the primary thickening process of Moso underground shoots and driving the evolution of culms with different sizes among different bamboo species. Different with model plants, the shoot apical meristem (SAM) of Moso is composed of six layers of cells. Comparative transcriptome analysis identified a large number of genes related to the vascular tissue formation that were significantly upregulated in a thick wall variant with narrow pith cavity, mildly spiral growth, and flat and enlargedSAM, including those related to plant hormones and those involved in cell wall development.

These results provide a systematic perspective on the primary thickening growth of Moso underground shoots, and support a plausible mechanism resulting in the narrow pith cavity, weak spiral growth but increased vascular bundle of the thick wall Moso.
No evidence that boron influences tree species distributions in lowland tropical forests of Panama
Authors: Turner Benjamin L. , Zalamea Paul‐Camilo , Condit Richard , Winter Klaus , Wright S. Joseph , Dalling James W.
Published: November 2016

It was recently proposed that boron might be the most important nutrient structuring tree species distributions in tropical forests. Here we combine observational and experimental studies to test this hypothesis for lowland tropical forests of Panama.

Plant‐available boron is uniformly low in tropical forest soils of Panama and is not significantly associated with any of the > 500 species in a regional network of forest dynamics plots. Experimental manipulation of boron supply to seedlings of three tropical tree species revealed no evidence of boron deficiency or toxicity at concentrations likely to occur in tropical forest soils. Foliar boron did not correlate with soil boron along a local scale gradient of boron availability.

Fifteen years of boron addition to a tropical forest increased plant‐available boron by 70% but did not significantly change tree productivity or boron concentrations in live leaves, wood or leaf litter. The annual input of boron in rainfall accounts for a considerable proportion of the boron in annual litterfall and is similar to the pool of plant‐available boron in the soil, and is therefore sufficient to preclude boron deficiency.

We conclude that boron does not influence tree species distributions in Panama and presumably elsewhere in the lowland tropics.
Extension of research data repository system to support direct compute access to biomedical datasets: enhancing Dataverse to support large datasets
Authors: McKinney Bill , Meyer Peter A. , Crosas Mercè , Sliz Piotr
Published: November 2016

Access to experimental X‐ray diffraction image data is important for validation and reproduction of macromolecular models and indispensable for the development of structural biology processing methods. In response to the evolving needs of the structural biology community, we recently established a diffraction data publication system, the Structural Biology Data Grid (SBDG, data.sbgrid.org), to preserve primary experimental datasets supporting scientific publications. All datasets published through the SBDG are freely available to the research community under a public domain dedication license, with metadata compliant with the DataCite Schema (schema.datacite.org). A proof‐of‐concept study demonstrated community interest and utility. Publication of large datasets is a challenge shared by several fields, and the SBDG has begun collaborating with the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University to extend the Dataverse (dataverse.org) open‐source data repository system to structural biology datasets. Several extensions are necessary to support the size and metadata requirements for structural biology datasets. In this paper, we describe one such extension—functionality supporting preservation of file system structure within Dataverse—which is essential for both in‐place computation and supporting non‐HTTP data transfers.
Mindfulness‐based interventions for adults who are overweight or obese: a meta‐analysis of physical and psychological health outcomes
Authors: Rogers Jeffrey M. , Ferrari Madeleine , Mosely Kylie , Lang Cathryne P. , Brennan Leah
Published: November 2016

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of mindfulness‐based interventions on psychological and physical health outcomes in adults who are overweight or obese.

Methods

We searched 14 electronic databases for randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies that met eligibility criteria. Comprehensive Meta‐analysis software was used to compute the effect size estimate Hedge's g.

Results

Fifteen studies measuring post‐treatment outcomes of mindfulness‐based interventions in 560 individuals were identified. The average weight loss was 4.2 kg. Overall effects were large for improving eating behaviours (g = 1.08), medium for depression (g = 0.64), anxiety (g = 0.62) and eating attitudes (g = 0.57) and small for body mass index (BMI; g = 0.47) and metacognition (g = 0.38) outcomes. Therapeutic effects for BMI (g = 0.43), anxiety (g = 0.53), eating attitudes (g = 0.48) and eating behaviours (g = 0.53) remained significant when examining results from higher quality randomized control trials alone. There was no efficacy advantage for studies exceeding the median dose of 12 h of face‐to‐face intervention. Studies utilizing an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy approach provided the only significant effect for improving BMI (g = 0.66), while mindfulness approaches produced great variation from small to large (g = 0.30–1.68) effects across a range of psychological health and eating‐related constructs. Finally, the limited longitudinal data suggested maintenance of BMI (g = 0.85) and eating attitudes (g = 0.75) gains at follow‐up were only detectable in lower quality prospective cohort studies.

Conclusions

Mindfulness‐based interventions may be both physically and psychologically beneficial for adults who are overweight or obese, but further high‐quality research examining the mechanisms of action are encouraged.
Blaise Cendrars et sesGrands Fétiches
Authors: Doubinsky Sébastien
Published: November 2016

Quand l’écrivain Blaise Cendrars fait paraître sa série de poèmes réunis sous le titreLes Grands Fétichesdans la revue bruxelloiseLe Disque verten 1922, il semble participer de la grande mode « Nègre » qui secoue la France en cette période. Co‐découvreur des arts dits « primitives » dès 1916 avec Guillaume Apollinaire, l’écrivain va les insérer dans son travail poétique comme miroirs inversés de la modernité occidentale. Cependant, même s'il utilise certains des clichés racistes de son époque, il se place lui‐même dans le camp des « mélanophiles », et va se servir de cet Art Nègre pour repousser à l'extrême les frontières de la modernité. La série desGrands Fétichesparticipe directement de ce désir, et nous tenterons de montrer dans cet article comment ces objets dits primitifs deviennent des objets « instables » qui remettent en question la définition même du poétique.
Das Schweigen der Sirenen
Authors: Knopf Alexander
Published: November 2016

Der Begriff der Anerkennung, wie ihn Philosophie und Sozialwissenschaften entwickelt haben, fand zuletzt immer häufiger Anwendung in der Literaturwissenschaft. Dennoch ist eine genaue Bestimmung des Begriffs im Hinblick auf den spezifischen Gegenstand, dem sich die Literaturwissenschaft widmet, bislang unterblieben. Der vorliegende Beitrag versucht zu zeigen, dass „Anerkennung“ ein konstitutives Merkmal literarischer Texte bezeichnet. Anerkennung stellt sich ein als das Resultat eines gelungenen kommunikativen Prozesses, der sich zwischen Literatur und Leser ereignet. Die Bedingungen dieses Gelingens oder Scheiterns lassen sich einem Text Kafkas entnehmen, der unter dem apokryphen Titel Das Schweigen der Sirenen bekannt geworden ist. Kafkas Transformation des homerischen Mythos legt es nahe, die zwei Versionen der Sage von den Sirenen als gleichnishafte Beschreibung der Extreme im Verhältnis von Literatur und Mensch zu lesen. Damit steht am Anfang und am Ende der abendländischen Literaturgeschichte – ein Ende, das Kafkas Text setzt – ein Versagen der Anerkennung.
An empirical method that separates irreversible stem radial growth from bark water content changes in trees: theory and case studies
Authors: Mencuccini Maurizio , Salmon Yann , Mitchell Patrick , Hölttä Teemu , Choat Brendan , Meir Patrick , O'Grady Anthony , Tissue David , Zweifel Roman , Sevanto Sanna , Pfautsch Sebastian
Published: November 2016

Substantial uncertainty surrounds our knowledge of tree stem growth, with some of the most basic questions, such as when stem radial growth occurs through the daily cycle, still unanswered.

We employed high‐resolution point dendrometers, sap flow sensors, and developed theory and statistical approaches, to devise a novel method separating irreversible radial growth from elastic tension‐driven and elastic osmotically driven changes in bark water content. We tested this method using data from five case study species. Experimental manipulations, namely a field irrigation experiment on Scots pine and a stem girdling experiment on red forest gum trees, were used to validate the theory.

Time courses of stem radial growth following irrigation and stem girdling were consistent with a‐priori predictions. Patterns of stem radial growth varied across case studies, with growth occurring during the day and/or night, consistent with the available literature. Importantly, our approach provides a valuable alternative to existing methods, as it can be approximated by a simple empirical interpolation routine that derives irreversible radial growth using standard regression techniques. Our novel method provides an improved understanding of the relative source–sink carbon dynamics of tree stems at a sub‐daily time scale.
Impact of the Circadian Clock on UV‐Induced DNA Damage Response and Photocarcinogenesis
Authors: Dakup Panshak , Gaddameedhi Shobhan
Published: November 2016

The skin is in constant exposure to various external environmental stressors, including solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Various wavelengths of UV light are absorbed by the DNA and other molecules in the skin to cause DNA damage and induce oxidative stress. The exposure to excessive ultraviolet (UV) radiation and/or accumulation of damage over time can lead to photocarcinogenesis and photoaging. The nucleotide excision repair (NER) system is the sole mechanism for removing UV photoproduct damage from DNA, and genetic disruption of this repair pathway leads to the photosensitive disorder xeroderma pigmentosum (XP). Interestingly, recent work has shown that NER is controlled by the circadian clock, the body's natural time‐keeping mechanism, through regulation of the rate‐limiting repair factor xeroderma pigmentosum group A (XPA). Studies have shown reduced UV‐induced skin cancer after UV exposure in the evening compared to the morning, which corresponds with times of high and low repair capacities, respectively. However, most studies of the circadian clock–NER connection have utilized murine models, and it is therefore important to translate these findings to humans to improve skin cancer prevention and chronotherapy.
The Cartography of UV‐induced DNA Damage Formation and DNA Repair
Authors: Hu Jinchuan , Adar Sheera
Published: November 2016

DNA damage presents a barrier to DNA‐templated biochemical processes, including gene expression and faithful DNA replication. Compromised DNA repair leads to mutations, enhancing the risk for genetic diseases and cancer development. Conventional experimental approaches to study DNA damage required a researcher to choose between measuring bulk damage over the entire genome, with little or no resolution regarding a specific location, and obtaining data specific to a locus of interest, without a global perspective. Recent advances in high‐throughput genomic tools overcame these limitations and provide high‐resolution measurements simultaneously across the genome. In this review, we discuss the available methods for measuring DNA damage and their repair, focusing on genomewide assays for pyrimidine photodimers, the major types of damage induced by ultraviolet irradiation. These new genomic assays will be a powerful tool in identifying key components of genome stability and carcinogenesis.
The Photolyase/Cryptochrome Family of Proteins as DNA Repair Enzymes and Transcriptional Repressors
Authors: Kavakli Ibrahim Halil , Baris Ibrahim , Tardu Mehmet , Gül Şeref , Öner Haşimcan , Çal Sibel , Bulut Selma , Yarparvar Darya , Berkel Çağlar , Ustaoğlu Pınar , Aydın Cihan
Published: November 2016

Light is a very important environmental factor that governs many cellular responses in organisms. As a consequence, organisms possess different kinds of light‐sensing photoreceptors to regulate their physiological variables and adapt to a given habitat. The cryptochrome/photolyase family (CPF) includes photoreceptors that perform different functions in different organisms. Photolyases repair ultraviolet‐induced DNA damage by a process known as photoreactivation using photons absorbed from the blue end of the light spectrum. On the other hand, cryptochromes act as blue light circadian photoreceptors in plants and Drosophila to regulate growth and development. In mammals, cryptochromes have light‐independent functions and are very important transcriptional regulators that act at the molecular level as negative transcriptional regulators of the circadian clock. In this review, we highlight current knowledge concerning the structural and functional relationships of CPF members.
Safety and effectiveness of a single and repeat intramuscular injection of a GnRHvaccine (GonaCon™) in adult female domestic cats
Authors: Vansandt LM , Kutzler MA , Fischer AE , Morris KN , Swanson WF
Published: November 2016

Contents

Sterilization is a key strategy to reduce the number of domestic cats entering and killed in shelters each year. However, surgical sterilization is expensive and labour‐intensive and cannot fully address the 70 million free‐roaming cats estimated to exist in the United States. GonaCon™ is a gonadotropin‐releasing hormone vaccine originally developed for use as a wildlife immunocontraceptive. An earlier formulation was tested in domestic cats and found to be safe and effective for long‐term contraception. However, the current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)‐registered formulation consists of a different antigen‐carrier protein and increased antigen concentration and has never been tested in cats. A pilot study was undertaken to evaluate the short‐term safety of a single GonaCon immunization, assess the consequences of vaccinated cats receiving an accidental second GonaCon injection and determine the humoral immune response to immunization. During Phase 1, cats in Group A (n = 3) received a single intramuscular injection of GonaCon and Group B (n = 3) received a single intramuscular injection of saline. During Phase 2, Group A received a second GonaCon injection and Group B received their initial GonaCon injection. All cats developed GnRHantibodies within 30 days of vaccine administration. The endpoint titre (1:1,024,000) was similar among all cats, and levels remained high throughout the duration of the study. Four cats developed a sterile, painless, self‐limiting mass at the site of injection. The mean number of days to mass development was 110.3 (range, 18–249 days). In conclusion, this preliminary study suggests that theEPA‐registered GonaCon formulation is safe for continued testing in domestic cats, an accidental revaccination should not increase the risk of a vaccine reaction and theEPA‐registered formulation effectively elicits a strong humoral immune response.
Simplicity is key: restoration protocols for nonregenerating forests degraded by overabundant herbivores
Authors: Charron Louis , Hermanutz Luise
Published: November 2016

Global forests are being lost and degraded at an alarming rate; hence ecological restoration becomes an integral component ensuring future forest health. Beneficial effects of restoration will depend on scientifically based practices within an adaptive management framework. On the island of Newfoundland, moose (Alces alces) have become overabundant since their introduction in the early 1900s causing regeneration failure of the balsam fir (Abies balsamea) forest. Intensive selective browsing by moose on this foundation species within naturally insect‐generated gaps has created “spruce‐moose meadows.” Experimental restoration to support Parks Canada Ecological Integrity targets was implemented in the boreal forest of Terra Nova National Park (Newfoundland, Canada), along a gradient of disturbance from closed canopy forest to large insect‐disturbed gaps. Seedling planting was carried out under various ground preparation treatments (field planting, aboveground suppression, and scarification). Seedling performance (survival, growth, and browsing occurrence) was monitored over 2 years and mixed‐effects models were constructed to determine seedling responses, which form the template of future forests. Results show minimally positive effects of the ground treatments along the gradient of disturbance, while environmental conditions and seedling individual traits explained the majority of seedling responses. Better growth, lower survival, and higher browsing intensity were observed with increasing forest disturbance, with taller seedlings at planting performing the best. Considering that no substantial biological benefits were detected following ground treatments, which are costly and time‐consuming to implement, active restoration in boreal forest can be implemented using standard forestry planting protocols, without any ground preparation, independently of the forest degradation state.
Serum sPD‐L1, Upregulated in Sepsis, May Reflect Disease Severity and Clinical Outcomes in Septic Patients
Authors: Liu M. , Zhang X. , Chen H. , Wang G. , Zhang J. , Dong P. , Liu Y. , An S. , Wang L.
Published: November 2016

We aimed to find the correlation between serum sPD‐L1 (soluble programmed cell death L‐1 ligand) and sepsis. Totally 91 consecutive patients with sepsis were performed in a 15‐bed medical intensive care unit (ICU) of the second affiliated hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University in Xi'an, China, between February 2015 and May 2016. Healthy controls (HC) consisted of 29 healthy volunteer. Baseline demographic data were recorded. Blood samples were collected through an indwelling central venous or by peripheral venipuncture. Serum sPD‐L1 and sPD‐1 levels were determined with enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kits (Elabscience Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Wuhan, China). SPSS19.0 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA) was used for statistical analysis. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis were also performed. Serum sPD‐L1 levels and sPD‐1 levels were significantly increased in septic patients compared with HC (P = 0.000). Serum sPD‐L1 levels were significantly increased in non‐survivors compared with survivors (P < 0.05), but there was no statistically difference on serum sPD‐1 levels between non‐survivors and survivors (P > 0.05). Serum sPD‐L1 levels were correlated with absolute lymphocyte (ALC), platelets and SOFA scores. Serum sPD‐L1/sPD‐1 levels were negatively correlated with ALC and platelets, and SOFA scores. The prognostic accuracy of the sPD‐L1 level to predict 28‐day mortality was similar to that of the APACHE‐II scores and SOFA scores. Cox regression analysis showed that sPD‐L1 was an independent prognostic factor. Serum sPD‐L1 is upregulated in sepsis and may reflect disease severity and clinical outcomes in patients. Serum sPD‐L1 may be an independent prognostic factor for sepsis.
Secondary distinctiveness effects: Orthographic distinctiveness and bizarreness effects make independent contributions to memory performance
Authors: Gounden Yannick , Cerroti Fabien , Nicolas Serge
Published: November 2016

The secondary distinctiveness effect means that items that are unusual compared to one's general knowledge stored in permanent memory are remembered better than common items. This research studied two forms of secondary‐distinctiveness‐based effects in conjunction: the bizarreness effect and the orthographic distinctiveness (OD) effect. More specifically, an experiment investigated in young adults a possible additive effect of bizarreness and OD effects in free recall performance. Results revealed that in young adults these two secondary‐distinctiveness‐based effects appear to be largely independent and can complement each other to enhance performance. Findings are discussed in light of current distinctiveness theory.