bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fine‐scale genetic structure and helping decisions in a cooperatively breeding bird
Authors: Leedale Amy E. , Sharp Stuart P. , Simeoni Michelle , Robinson Elva J. H. , Hatchwell Ben J.
Published: March 2018

In animal societies, characteristic demographic and dispersal patterns may lead to genetic structuring of populations, generating the potential for kin selection to operate. However, even in genetically structured populations, social interactions may still require kin discrimination for cooperative behaviour to be directed towards relatives. Here, we use molecular genetics and long‐term field data to investigate genetic structure in an adult population of long‐tailed tits Aegithalos caudatus, a cooperative breeder in which helping occurs within extended kin networks, and relate this to patterns of helping with respect to kinship. Spatial autocorrelation analyses reveal fine‐scale genetic structure within our population, such that related adults of either sex are spatially clustered following natal dispersal, with relatedness among nearby males higher than that among nearby females, as predicted by observations of male‐biased philopatry. This kin structure creates opportunities for failed breeders to gain indirect fitness benefits via redirected helping, but crucially, most close neighbours of failed breeders are unrelated and help is directed towards relatives more often than expected by indiscriminate helping. These findings are consistent with the effective kin discrimination mechanism known to exist in long‐tailed tits and support models identifying kin selection as the driver of cooperation.
Selectivity underlies the dissociation between seasonal prey availability and prey consumption in a generalist predator
Authors: Whitney Thomas D. , Sitvarin Michael I. , Roualdes Edward A. , Bonner Simon J. , Harwood James D.
Published: March 2018

Generalist predators are capable of selective foraging, but are predicted to feed in close proportion to prey availability to maximize energetic intake especially when overall prey availability is low. By extension, they are also expected to feed in a more frequency‐dependent manner during winter compared to the more favourable foraging conditions during spring, summer and fall seasons. For 18 months, we observed the foraging patterns of forest‐dwelling wolf spiders from the genusSchizocosa(Araneae: Lycosidae) usingPCR‐based gut‐content analysis and simultaneously monitored the activity densities of two common prey: springtails (Collembola) and flies (Diptera). Rates of prey detection within spider guts relative to rates of prey collected in traps were estimated using Roualdes’ cstmodel and compared using various linear contrasts to make inferences pertaining to seasonal prey selectivity. Results indicated spiders foraged selectively over the course of the study, contrary to predictions derived from optimal foraging theory. Even during winter, with overall low prey densities, the relative rates of predation compared to available prey differed significantly over time and by prey group. Moreover, these spiders appeared to diversify their diets; the least abundant prey group was consistently overrepresented in the diet within a given season. We suggest that foraging in generalist predators is not necessarily restricted to frequency dependency during winter. In fact, foraging motives other than energy maximization, such as a more nutrient‐focused strategy, may also be optimal for generalist predators during prey‐scarce winters.
Dynamic Speed Harmonization in Connected Urban Street Networks
Authors: Tajalli Mehrdad , Hajbabaie Ali
Published: March 2018

Connected vehicle technology, the Internet of Things, and other advanced communication technologies create possibilities to facilitate the movement of vehicles through transportation networks and reduce their travel time. Harmonizing the speed of vehicles in different network links not only yields a more efficient network capacity utilization, but also regulates the movement of vehicles to achieve a “smoother” flow of traffic. This study develops a mathematical nonlinear formulation for dynamic speed harmonization in urban street networks aiming at improving traffic operations. We have converted the nonlinear problem into a linear program utilizing the fundamental flow–density relationship and developed a model predictive control approach to account for stochastic changes in traffic demand and further improve the efficiency of the developed solution algorithm. Results showed that the algorithm efficiently found dynamic optimal advisory speeds on various network links, and speed harmonization significantly reduced the travel time (up to 5.4%), speed variance (19.8%–29.4%), and the number of stops (8.3%–18.5%), while increasing the average speed (up to 5.9%) and the number of completed trips (up to 4%) in our case study network under all tested demand patterns.
Shape Generation of Grid Structures by Inverse Hanging Method Coupled with Multiobjective Optimization
Authors: Su Yan , Wu Yue , Ji Wei , Shen Shizhao
Published: March 2018

Free‐form grid structure is a kind of structure whose shape cannot be expressed by analytical functions. Although this kind of structure has been widely used in practice, how to generate the structural shapes that not only satisfy architectural requirements but also have excellent mechanical properties is still a problem. This article focuses on the shape generation of complex grid structures and proposes a novel shape‐generation method for free‐form grid structures. The method integrates numerical inverse hanging method and multiobjective optimization. First, it uses numerical inverse hanging method to generate structural shapes in low bending moment level. Next, it uses dynamic weight multiobjective firefly optimization algorithm to adjust the parameters of the inverse hanging method adaptively so that the structural shape can satisfy architectural requirements. Comparisons with former shape‐generation methods show that the proposed method is more effective. Numerical examples based on real structures illustrate the applicability of the proposed method in practice.
Hidden biodiversity in the Arctic – a study of soil seed banks at Disko Island, Qeqertarsuaq, West Greenland
Authors: Philipp Marianne , Hansen Kjersti , Monrad Dorte , Adsersen Henning , Bruun Hans Henrik , Nordal Inger
Published: March 2018

Seed dispersal is a key process in plant community dynamics, and soil seed banks represent seed dispersal in time rather than in space. Despite their potential importance, seed bank dynamics in the Arctic are poorly understood. We investigated soil seed banks and corresponding plant community composition in three contrasting vegetation types in West Greenland, viz. dwarf shrub heaths, herb slopes and fell‐fields. Through germination testing, 31 species were documented in soil seed banks. All of these were herbaceous, while no dwarf‐shrub species, which represents the dominating growth form in the above‐ground vegetation, were emerging from the seed bank. Consequently, across vegetation types, the lowest similarity between seed bank and above‐ground vegetation was found in dwarf shrub heath. Nine plant species were exclusively found in seed bank, all of which were non‐clonal forbs. Seed bank size (total number of seeds) and species richness seemed to increase with the level of natural disturbance. Additionally, we examined the effect of different experimental light and temperature conditions on the quantity and diversity of germinating seeds. The difference in diversity in vegetation and seed bank at the species level will impact population dynamics, regeneration of vegetation after disturbances and its potential to respond to climate change.
The effect of a controlled gluten challenge in a group of patients with suspected non‐coeliac gluten sensitivity: A randomized, double‐blind placebo‐controlled challenge
Authors: Dale H. F. , Hatlebakk J. G. , Hovdenak N. , Ystad S. O. , Lied G. A.
Published: March 2018

Background

Non‐coeliac gluten‐sensitivity (NCGS) has been proposed as a new entity with unknown prevalence and mechanisms, and there is a need for a standardized procedure to confirm the diagnosis. The objective of this study was to characterize the response to an oral gluten‐challenge in patients with a symptom‐relief when following a gluten free‐diet (GFD).

Methods

Twenty patients (14F/6M, age range: 21‐62 years) with suspected NCGS, without coeliac disease and wheat‐allergy, were included while on a gluten‐free diet. All patients went through four periods of double‐blinded provocation, two with gluten and two with placebo in randomized order. They consumed two muffins a day (11/0 g gluten) for 4 days, followed by a 3‐day wash‐out. Gastrointestinal symptoms were recorded with questionnaires at baseline and after each provocation. We also investigated whether patients were able to correctly identify periods with gluten‐exposure.

Key Results

Collectively the whole group reported the most severe symptoms after placebo (P = .012). Four out of twenty patients correctly identified the two periods when they received gluten, hence were diagnosed with NCGS. The diagnosed‐group tended to show higher symptom scores than the not‐diagnosed group both at baseline, after gluten exposure and after placebo, but no clear difference was seen between provocation with gluten and placebo. The not‐diagnosed group showed more severe symptoms with placebo than with gluten (P = .029).

Conclusions and Inferences

The present study showed that the majority of patients with suspected NCGS are not able to identify when challenged with gluten in a double‐blind placebo‐controlled food challenge, indicating that gluten is not the cause of their symptoms.
Disruption of the pacemaker activity of interstitial cells of Cajal via nitric oxide contributes to postoperative ileus
Authors: Kaji N. , Nakayama S. , Horiguchi K. , Iino S. , Ozaki H. , Hori M.
Published: March 2018

Background

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) serve as intestinal pacemakers. Postoperative ileus (POI) is a gastrointestinal motility disorder that occurs following abdominal surgery, which is caused by inflammation‐induced dysfunction of smooth muscles and enteric neurons. However, the participation ofICCinPOIis not well understood. In this study, we investigated the functional changes ofICCin a mouse model ofPOI.

Methods

Intestinal manipulation (IM) was performed to inducePOI. At 24 h or 48 h afterIM, the field potential of the intestinal tunica muscularis was investigated. Tissues were also examined by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopic analysis.

Key Results

Gastrointestinal transit was significantly decreased with intestinal tunica muscularis inflammation at 24 h afterIM, which was ameliorated at 48 h afterIM. The generation and propagation of pacemaker potentials were disrupted at 24 h afterIMand recovered to the control level at 48 h afterIM.ICCnetworks, detected by c‐Kit immunoreactivity, were remarkably disrupted at 24 h afterIM. Electron microscopic analysis revealed abnormal vacuoles in theICCcytoplasm. Interestingly, theICCnetworks recovered at 48 h afterIM. Administration of aminoguanidine, an inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, suppressed the disruption ofICCnetworks. Ileal smooth muscle tissue cultured in the presence of nitric oxide donor, showed disruptedICCnetworks.

Conclusions and Inferences

The generation and propagation of pacemaker potentials byICCare disrupted via nitric oxide afterIM, and this disruption may contribute toPOI. When inflammation is ameliorated,ICCcan recover their pacemaker function.
Effects of ramelteon on cardiac injury and adipose tissue pathology in rats with metabolic syndrome
Authors: Uchinaka Ayako , Kawashima Yuri , Sano Yuki , Ito Shogo , Sano Yusuke , Nagasawa Kai , Matsuura Natsumi , Yoneda Mamoru , Yamada Yuichiro , Murohara Toyoaki , Nagata Kohzo
Published: March 2018

Melatonin regulates circadian rhythms but also has antioxidative and anti‐inflammatory effects that ameliorate metabolic disorders. We investigated the effects of the selective melatonin agonist ramelteon on cardiac and adipose tissue pathology in the DahlS.Z‐Leprfa/Leprfa (DS/obese) rat, a model of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Rats were treated with a low (0.3 mg/kg per day) or high (8 mg/kg per day) dose of ramelteon from 9 to 13 weeks of age. Ramelteon treatment at either dose attenuated body weight gain, left ventricular fibrosis, and diastolic dysfunction, as well as cardiac oxidative stress and inflammation, without affecting hypertension or insulin resistance. Although ramelteon did not affect visceral white adipose tissue (WAT) mass, it attenuated inflammation and downregulated insulin signaling in this tissue. In contrast, ramelteon reduced fat mass, adipocyte hypertrophy, and inflammation, and ameliorated impaired insulin signaling in subcutaneous WAT. In addition, ramelteon attenuated adipocyte hypertrophy, downregulated mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1, and upregulated 11β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 expression in interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT). In summary, ramelteon treatment attenuated obesity and cardiac injury, improved insulin signaling in visceral and subcutaneous WAT, and inhibited the whitening of BAT in rats with MetS.
Correlation of vocals and lyrics with left temporal musicogenic epilepsy
Authors: Tseng Wei‐En J. , Lim Siew‐Na , Chen Lu‐An , Jou Shuo‐Bin , Hsieh Hsiang‐Yao , Cheng Mei‐Yun , Chang Chun‐Wei , Li Han‐Tao , Chiang Hsing‐I , Wu Tony
Published: March 2018

Whether the cognitive processing of music and speech relies on shared or distinct neuronal mechanisms remains unclear. Music and language processing in the brain are right and left temporal functions, respectively. We studied patients with musicogenic epilepsy (ME) that was specifically triggered by popular songs to analyze brain hyperexcitability triggered by specific stimuli. The study included two men and one woman (all right‐handed, aged 35–55 years). The patients had sound‐triggered left temporal ME in response to popular songs with vocals, but not to instrumental, classical, or nonvocal piano solo versions of the same song. Sentimental lyrics, high‐pitched singing, specificity/familiarity, and singing in the native language were the most significant triggering factors. We found that recognition of the human voice and analysis of lyrics are important causal factors in left temporal ME and provide observational evidence that sounds with speech structure are predominantly processed in the left temporal lobe. A literature review indicated that language‐associated stimuli triggered ME in the left temporal epileptogenic zone at a nearly twofold higher rate compared with the right temporal region. Further research on ME may enhance understanding of the cognitive neuroscience of music.
Removal of irrelevant information from working memory: sometimes fast, sometimes slow, and sometimes not at all
Authors: Oberauer Klaus
Published: March 2018

To function properly, working memory must be rapidly updated. Updating requires the removal of information no longer relevant. I present six experiments designed to explore the boundary conditions and the time course of removal. A condition in which three out of six memory items can be removed was compared to two baseline conditions in which either three or six items were encoded and maintained in working memory. The time for removal was varied. In experiment 1, in the removal condition, a distinct subset of three words was cued to be irrelevant after encoding all six words. With longer removal time, response times in the removal condition approximated those in the set‐size 3 baseline, but accuracies stayed at the set‐size 6 level. In experiment 2, in which a random subset of three words was cued as irrelevant, there was no evidence for removal. Experiments 3 and 4 showed that when each item is cued as relevant or irrelevant after its encoding, irrelevant items can be removed rapidly and completely. Experiments 5 and 6 showed that complete removal was no longer possible when words had to be processed before being cued as irrelevant. The pattern of findings can be explained by distinguishing two forms of removal: deactivation removes working‐memory contents from the set of competitors for retrieval; unbinding contents from their contexts removes them from working memory entirely, so that they also cease to compete for limited capacity.
On the biological basis of musicality
Authors: Honing Henkjan
Published: March 2018

In recent years, music and musicality have been the focus of an increasing amount of research effort. This has led to a growing role and visibility of the contribution of (bio)musicology to the field of neuroscience and cognitive sciences at large. While it has been widely acknowledged that there are commonalities between speech, language, and musicality, several researchers explain this by considering musicality as an epiphenomenon of language. However, an alternative hypothesis is that musicality is an innate and widely shared capacity for music that can be seen as a natural, spontaneously developing set of traits based on and constrained by our cognitive abilities and their underlying biology. A comparative study of musicality in humans and well‐known animal models (monkeys, birds, pinnipeds) will further our insights on which features of musicality are exclusive to humans and which are shared between humans and nonhuman animals, contribute to an understanding of the musical phenotype, and further constrain existing evolutionary theories of music and musicality.
The first tunicate with a calcareous exoskeleton (Upper Triassic, northern Italy)
Authors: Wendt Jobst
Published: March 2018

The first tunicates with a calcareous exoskeleton are reported from Late Triassic buildup‐slope deposits of the Dolomites. Although examples of this group have been known since the early 1900s from the middle–upper Permian of eastern Asia and Sicily asKhmeria, they were erroneously attributed to rugose corals. These early representatives are small, double‐valved, conical skeletons, which evolved into multi‐plated capsules with up to 35 opercula. The latter are joined along zigzag margins, which in life could probably be opened for the atrial and branchial siphons. The construction and shape of these skeletons distinguish them from plants or other invertebrate phyla, while they share several similarities with living tunicates, specifically to sessile ascidians. Apart from a soft‐bodied genus from the lower Cambrian of China, ascidians are known only from isolated spicules, which occur sporadically from the Lower Jurassic onwards. The calcareous skeleton of these Late Triassic tunicates consists of aragonitic fibres, which form spherulitic or clinogonal microstructures. It seems that the stellate aragonitic spicules of Jurassic to Recent ascidians are a vestige of Permian–Triassic ancestors, which after the Carnian lost the ability to construct compound solid skeletons but partly still retain a soft double‐valved or multi‐operculate cellulose‐like tunic. The following taxa are described as new: Order Khmeriamorpha with the generaKhmeriaMansuy andZardinisomagen. nov., and the following species:Khmeria stolonifera(late Permian),Khmeria minima(Late Triassic),Zardinisoma japonicum(late Permian),Z. cassianum,Z. pyriforme,Z. polyplacophorumandZ. pauciplacophorum(all Late Triassic).
The Amoralist and the Anaesthetic
Authors: King Alex
Published: March 2018

This article puts pressure on moral motivational internalism and rejects normative motivational internalism by arguing that we should be aesthetic motivational externalists. Parallels between aesthetic and moral normativity give us new reason to doubt moral internalism. I address possible disanalogies, arguing that either they fail, or they succeed, but aren't strong enough to underwrite a motivational difference between the domains. Furthermore, aesthetic externalism entails normative externalism, providing further presumptive evidence against moral internalism. I also make the case that, regardless of these particular conclusions, examining different normative domains alongside each other is a fruitful way to move debates forward.
Association of post‐transplant donor‐specific HLA antibody with liver graft fibrosis during long‐term follow‐up after pediatric liver transplantation
Authors: Tokodai Kazuaki , Miyagi Shigehito , Nakanishi Chikashi , Hara Yasuyuki , Nakanishi Wataru , Miyazawa Koji , Shimizu Kenji , Murakami Keigo , Sasano Hironobu , Goto Masafumi , Unno Michiaki , Kamei Takashi
Published: March 2018

The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of post‐transplant DSA as a predictor of liver fibrosis during long‐term follow‐up after pediatric LT. We evaluated the histological findings in 18 LT recipients who underwent liver biopsy after DSA screening. Liver fibrosis was scored based on the METAVIR fibrosis staging. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on histological findings, and clinical characteristics among patients with liver fibrosis were assessed. Of 18 patients, 7 were included in the fibrosis group. No significant between‐group differences were found regarding peritransplant characteristics, including age, sex, primary disease, ABO incompatibility, and immunosuppressive regimen. Episodes of acute rejection and non‐adherence to immunosuppressive drugs were comparable between both groups. The MFI for anti‐DR DSA and positive rate were significantly higher in the fibrosis group (1655 vs 216; P = .019, 86% vs 27%; P = .012, respectively). MFI for anti‐DQ DSA was higher in the fibrosis group, but non‐significantly (2052 vs 384; P = .46). Post‐transplant anti‐DR DSA is associated with graft fibrosis during long‐term follow‐up. This finding seems useful for the implementation of valid histological examinations of liver grafts for patients with higher MFI, especially for anti‐DR DSA, after pediatric LT.
Wittgenstein on Happiness: Harmony, Disharmony and Antitheodicy
Authors: Pihlström Sami
Published: March 2018

This paper investigates Wittgenstein's remarks on happiness and harmony in the context of Wittgensteinian antitheodicy. Philosophers of religion inspired by Wittgenstein's philosophy often criticize theodicies seeking to justify apparently meaningless evil and suffering within God's overall harmonious plan. The paper analyses Wittgenstein's early views on happiness as harmony with the world, examining whether they are incompatible with an antitheodicist approach abandoning the very project of theodicy by acknowledging a certain kind of disharmony. However, antitheodicy may also, at the transcendental meta‐level, be considered a “harmonious” way of “seeing the world aright,” which raises a reflexive problem for any Wittgenstein‐inspired antitheodicy.
Public health nursing and the issue of trust in campus sexual assault
Authors: Carney Amy Y.
Published: March 2018

Public Health Nurses are the largest group of public health practitioners in both local and state health departments across the United States. Essential for the delivery of health services in the community, Public Health Nurses frequently provide care for underserved and vulnerable populations. Among these populations are the victims of campus sexual assault, a growing problem on college and university campuses. Both nationally and internationally, sexual assault has been described as a public health and human rights concern. With the signing of the Senate Bill 967 in California, affirmative consent, known as “yes means yes,” requires both parties in a sexual encounter to give voluntary and affirmative consent. Many colleges and universities across the country have adopted similar standards. However, students may choose not to seek health care after an assault at the Student Health Center, preferring to obtain care in community clinics or health departments. Students must be able to be safe on and off campus, and must be able to trust they will be heard by campus authorities and the health care community, and be treated with respect. Public health nurses need to be prepared to work with victims of campus sexual assault and have a solid foundation in the issues surrounding assault, and the needs of the student to trust their caregivers. This paper presents an overview of the vulnerability and risk factors in sexual assault, presents legislation on campus and institutional responsibility, and provides a foundation for Public Health Nurses working with victims of sexual assault.
Sunburn at the seaside
Authors: Diffey Brian L , Mobley Curtis D
Published: March 2018

Background/purpose

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the contribution to our erythemal exposure at the coast of solar ultraviolet (UV) both reflected from, and transmitted into, the ocean.

Methods

The reflection of solar UV radiation from, and transmitted into, seawater was calculated using a numerical model under a number of atmospheric conditions to estimate erythemal exposure on the skin of supine/prone and ambulant people.

Results

The results were expressed as UV Indices. Even under the most extreme insolation with the sun directly overhead, where the ambient UV Index may be around 14, reflected UV from the ocean contributes an erythemal exposure to the skin equivalent to a UV Index of about 0.7. For typical ocean waters, with the sun high in the sky, the UV index within the water is about 7 at a depth of 2 m.

Conclusion

Whilst our eyes often sense a high level of reflected sunlight from the ocean, especially when the sun is low in the sky, our skin does not share that experience. The reason people get sunburnt at the seaside has more to do with the absence of shade than with reflectance by the water surface or even beach sand.
Dynamic Pricing with Service Unbundling
Authors: Song Boqian , Li Michael Z. F.
Published: March 2018

In this study, we investigate unbundling when a firm dynamically prices a basic service, while separating the sale of a fixed‐price add‐on. We characterize the optimal dynamic unbundling pricing policy and investigate its structural properties. We find that the value function with unbundling increases in the degree of dependence between consumers’ reservation prices for basic service and add‐on. However, there are no similar monotonicity properties for the optimal price of the basic service. For several families of commonly used joint distributions, we show that the influence of the dependence parameter on the optimal price of the basic service depends on a threshold, which is a function of the dependence parameter. Moreover, the price of the bundled service is higher under unbundling when the add‐on price is high, and vice versa. Our model is then compared with the bundling model through a numerical experiment. Among most cases where unbundling outperforms, the degree of dependence is non‐negative. It is further revealed that given the non‐negativity of dependence, unbundling is worth practicing under the following situations: (i) the variance of the reservation price for the basic service (add‐on) is low (high); (ii) the mean of the reservation price for the basic service (add‐on) is high (low); (iii) the demand intensity is low; (iv) the capacity of the basic service is high; and (v) the incremental cost of the basic service (add‐on) is low (high). Finally, unbundling can improve the firm's expected profit and the consumers’ surplus at the same time.
The role of aggressiveness and competition in the selection ofPhytophthora infestanspopulations
Authors: Young G. K. , Cooke L. R. , Watson S. , Kirk W. W. , Perez F. M. , Deahl K. L.
Published: March 2018

Selection within populations ofPhytophthora infestanswas investigated by comparing the aggressiveness of single‐lesion isolates on detached leaflets of four potato cultivars with differing levels of race‐nonspecific resistance toP. infestans. The isolates included 23 representative of Northern Ireland genotypes from the early 2000s, used to inoculate previously reported field trials on competitive selection (2003–2005), plus 12 isolates recovered from the 2003 trial. The cultivars were those planted in the previous trials: Atlantic (blight‐susceptible) and Santé, Milagro and Stirling (partially resistant). Very highly significant variation for latent period, infection frequency and lesion area was found between genotypes and cultivars; differences between genotypes were more marked on the more resistant cultivars, but no one genotype was the most aggressive across all. Detached leaflets were also inoculated with mixtures of isolates from each genotype group at three sporangial concentrations: differences in aggressiveness between genotypes were more apparent at lower concentrations and on the more resistant cultivars. Genotype groups that were the most aggressive on the more resistant cultivars tended to be those selected by the same cultivars in the field. A mixture of all isolates of all genotypes was used to inoculate detached leaflets of the same cultivars. With one exception, single spore isolates recovered from any one leaflet belonged to a single genotype, but different genotypes were recovered from different cultivars.Phytophthora infestansisolates from Northern Ireland showed significant variation for foliar aggressiveness, and pathogen genotypes exhibited differential aggressiveness to partially resistant cultivars and interacted competitively in genotype selection.
Preliminary comparison of atmospheric CO2 enhancement to photosynthesis of Pyropia yezoensis (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) leafy thalli and filamentous thalli
Authors: Huan Li , Wang Chao , Gao Shan , He Lin‐wen , Lu Xiao‐ping , Wang Xu‐lei , Liu Xue‐hua , Wang Guang‐ce
Published: March 2018

Intertidal macroalgae are submerged in seawater at high tide and exposed to air at low tide. When they are exposed to the air, CO2 is the main inorganic carbon source. In this study, the photosynthetic performances of PSI and PSII were measured in different generations of Pyropia yezoensis (leafy thalli and filamentous thalli) that had been exposed to air containing different CO2 concentrations. Changes in photosynthesis during dehydration and salt treatment under the different CO2 concentrations were also analyzed. The results showed that in leafy thalli, the effective photochemical quantum yield of PSII (YII) was enhanced as CO2 increased, which suggested that CO2 assimilation was enhanced and that they can utilize CO2 in the air directly, even when they are subjected to moderate stress. These findings could explain why, in P. yezoensis aquaculture, moderate exposure to air does not lead to a decrease in crop yield. However, in filamentous thalli, there were no significant differences in YII at the CO2 concentrations tested. The expression of genes involved in the Calvin cycle in leafy thalli was higher than that in filamentous thalli. CO2 uptake and biomass of P. yezoensis leafy thalli is larger than filamentous thalli, which may be due to its different carbon utilization mechanism and the adaptation of intertidal environment in the evolutionary process.
Intermunicipal Cooperation in the Netherlands: The Costs and the Effectiveness of Polycentric Regional Governance
Authors: Klok Pieter‐Jan , Denters Bas , Boogers Marcel , Sanders Maurits
Published: March 2018

This article examines the effects of the structure of intermunicipal cooperatives (IMCs) on the perceived transaction costs and benefits of IMCs. Hypotheses based on a polycentric theory of regional governance are tested using data from Dutch municipalities. The findings are mixed. In line with polycentric theory, networks characterized by a multiplicity of territorial scales reduce IMC transaction costs. Contrary to polycentric theory, however, if IMCs are organized under a uniform legal regime, lower costs and higher benefits are reported. Structural factors that dominate the debate between polycentrism and monocentrism prove to be of limited importance. On the other hand, the results indicate support for the hypotheses that intermunicipal trust (as a cultural variable) contributes to perceptions of effective and efficient cooperation.
Endometrial nitric oxide synthase activity in mares susceptible or resistant to persistent breeding‐induced endometritis and the effect of a specific iNOS inhibitor in vitro
Authors: Khan FA , Chenier TS , Foster RA , Hewson J , Scholtz EL
Published: March 2018

Contents

Emerging research suggests that the nitric oxide system may play a role in persistent breeding‐induced endometritis (PBIE) in the mare. Differences in uterine nitric oxide (NO) levels between mares susceptible or resistant to PBIE and a dose‐dependent inhibitory effect of NO on uterine contractility have been demonstrated. The objectives of this study were to investigate the difference in total nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity of the endometrium between susceptible and resistant mares and the effect of a specific inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor on the endometrial NOS activity in vitro. Six susceptible and six resistant mares were selected based on preset criteria and the results of an intrauterine challenge with killed spermatozoa during oestrus. Endometrial biopsy samples were collected 24 hr post‐challenge and cultured at 37°C for 24 hr in L‐arginine supplemented minimum essential medium with or without a specific iNOS inhibitor (1,400 W dihydrochloride, 1 mM). The medium and the cultured endometrial tissue were collected after 24 hr of culture and assayed for NO and total protein, respectively. Total NO content of the medium, normalized to endometrial tissue wet weight or total protein, was used as a measure of endometrial NOS activity. Non‐parametric tests were applied for statistical analysis. Susceptible mares had significantly greater endometrial NOS activity than resistant mares. The iNOS inhibitor treatment significantly reduced NOS activity in endometrial samples derived from susceptible and resistant mares. These findings provide a basis for in vivo testing of specific iNOS inhibitors as preventative or therapeutic options for PBIE in mares.
Dynastic Inequality Compared: Multigenerational Mobility in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany
Authors: Neidhöfer Guido , Stockhausen Maximilian
Published: March 2018

Using harmonized household survey data, we analyze long‐run social mobility in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, and test recent theories of multigenerational persistence of socioeconomic status. In this country comparison setting, we find evidence against a universal law of social mobility. Our results show that the long‐run persistence of socioeconomic status and the validity of a first‐order Markov chain in the intergenerational transmission of human capital is country‐specific. Furthermore, we find that the direct and independent effect of grandparents' social status on grandchildren's status tends to vary by gender and institutional context.
Alternative RNA splicing of leucocyte tissue transglutaminase in coeliac disease
Authors: Arbildi P. , Sóñora C. , Del Río N. , Marqués J. M. , Hernández A.
Published: March 2018

Tissue transglutaminase is a ubiquitous and multifunctional protein that contributes to several processes such as apoptosis/survival, efferocytosis, inflammation and tissue repairing under physiological and pathological conditions. Several activities can be associated with well‐established functional domains; in addition, four RNA alternative splice variants have been described, characterized by sequence divergences and residues deletion at the C‐terminal domains. Tissue transglutaminase is recognized as the central player in the physiopathology of coeliac disease (CD) mainly through calcium‐dependent enzymatic activities. It can be hypothesized that differential regulation of tissue transglutaminase splice variants expression in persons with CD contributes to pathology by altering the protein functionality. We characterized the expression pattern of RNA alternative splice variants by RT‐PCR in peripheral cells from patients with CD under free gluten diet adhesion; we considered inflammatory parameters and specific antibodies as markers of the stage of disease. We found significant higher expression of both the full length and the shortest C‐truncated splice variants in leucocytes from patients with CD in comparison with healthy individuals. As tissue transglutaminase expression and canonical enzymatic activity are linked to inflammation, we studied the RNA expression of inflammatory cytokines in peripheral leucocytes of persons with CD in relation with splice variants expression; interestingly, we found that recently diagnosed patients showed significant correlation between both the full length and the shortest alternative spliced variants with IL‐1 expression. Our results points that regulation of alternative splicing of tissue transglutaminase could account for the complex physiopathology of CD.
Going Green: Environmental Protest, Policy, and CO2 Emissions in U.S. States, 1990–2007
Authors: Muñoz John , Olzak Susan , Soule Sarah A.
Published: March 2018

A major goal of the environmental movement is to conserve or improve the natural environment, but evidence showing that environmental mobilization produces positive environmental outcomes is mixed. This article addresses a fundamental question about the relative impact of pro‐environmental mobilization and the scope of an environmental policy regime on the natural environment. Using panel data at the state level from 1990 through 2007, we explore how environmental protest and environmental policies independently (or jointly) reduce CO2 emissions in U.S. states. We find that the level of emissions in a state declines in states with increases in pro‐environmental protest, net of the effects of the range of environmental policies enacted, gasoline taxes, liberal attitudes, reliance on the fossil fuel industry, number of registered lobbyist organizations, gross state product, and population size.
Child soil ingestion in rural Ghana – frequency, caregiver perceptions, relationship with household floor material and associations with child diarrhoea
Authors: Bauza Valerie , Byrne Diana M. , Trimmer John T. , Lardizabal Amanda , Atiim Philip , Asigbee Mawuli A. K. , Guest Jeremy S.
Published: March 2018

Objectives

The objectives of this work were to evaluate (i) the prevalence and frequency of caregiver‐reported soil ingestion by children, (ii) whether household flooring material in the bedroom (earth vs. concrete) affected caregiver‐reported soil ingestion, (iii) whether caregiver‐reported soil ingestion was associated with caregiver‐reported diarrhoea and (iv) caregivers’ perceptions of their children ingesting soil.

Methods

We conducted 309 household surveys in northern Ghana, including 529 children under five (249 children aged 6–36 months), and measured faecal contamination in soil from 31 households.

Results

Among all children, 15% were reported to have directly ingested soil in the past week, including 28% of children aged 6–36 months. Among children reported to have ingested soil, the median frequency was 14 times in the past week, and the median amount of soil ingested each time was half a handful. There was no association between household floor material and whether the caregiver observed a child directly ingesting soil. After adjusting for household floor material and other potential confounding variables, caregiver‐reported soil ingestion was associated with caregiver‐reported diarrhoea for children under five [adjusted odds ratio (adj. OR) = 3.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.76–3.55] and children aged 6–36 months (adj. OR = 2.61, 95% CI 2.01–3.39). Approximately 83% of caregivers whose children ingested soil reported they thought it was unsafe and were more likely to report stopping their child from ingesting soil, but these responses did not affect the quantity of soil ingested.

Conclusions

Our results suggest direct soil ingestion is associated with diarrhoea independent of household floor material, and separate interventions may be necessary to prevent exploratory soil ingestion.
Sociolinguistic Perception as Inference Under Uncertainty
Authors: Kleinschmidt Dave F. , Weatherholtz Kodi , Florian Jaeger T.
Published: March 2018

Social and linguistic perceptions are linked. On one hand, talker identity affects speech perception. On the other hand, speech itself provides information about a talker's identity. Here, we propose that the same probabilistic knowledge might underlie both socially conditioned linguistic inferences and linguistically conditioned social inferences. Our computational–level approach—the ideal adapter—starts from the idea that listeners use probabilistic knowledge of covariation between social, linguistic, and acoustic cues in order to infer the most likely explanation of the speech signals they hear. As a first step toward understanding social inferences in this framework, we use a simple ideal observer model to show that it would be possible to infer aspects of a talker's identity using cue distributions based on actual speech production data. This suggests the possibility of a single formal framework for social and linguistic inferences and the interactions between them.
Sucrose breakdown within guard cells provides substrates for glycolysis and glutamine biosynthesis during light‐induced stomatal opening
Authors: Medeiros David B. , Perez Souza Leonardo , Antunes Werner C. , Araújo Wagner L. , Daloso Danilo M. , Fernie Alisdair R.
Published: March 2018

Sucrose has long been thought to play an osmolytic role in stomatal opening. However, recent evidence supports the idea that the role of sucrose in this process is primarily energetic. Here we used a combination of stomatal aperture assays and kinetic [U‐13C]‐sucrose isotope labelling experiments to confirm that sucrose is degraded during light‐induced stomatal opening and to define the fate of the C released from sucrose breakdown. We additionally show that addition of sucrose to the medium did not enhance light‐induced stomatal opening. The isotope experiment showed a consistent 13C enrichment in fructose and glucose, indicating that during light‐induced stomatal opening sucrose is indeed degraded. We also observed a clear 13C enrichment in glutamate and glutamine (Gln), suggesting a concerted activation of sucrose degradation, glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. This is in contrast to the situation for Gln biosynthesis in leaves under light, which has been demonstrated to rely on previously stored C. Our results thus collectively allow us to redraw current models concerning the influence of sucrose during light‐induced stomatal opening, in which, instead of being accumulated, sucrose is degraded providing C skeletons for Gln biosynthesis.
Blocking variant surface glycoprotein synthesis alters endoplasmic reticulum exit sites/Golgi homeostasis in Trypanosoma brucei
Authors: Ooi Cher‐Pheng , Smith Terry K. , Gluenz Eva , Wand Nadina Vasileva , Vaughan Sue , Rudenko Gloria
Published: March 2018

The predominant secretory cargo of bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei is variant surface glycoprotein (VSG), comprising ~10% total protein and forming a dense protective layer. Blocking VSG translation using Morpholino oligonucleotides triggered a precise pre‐cytokinesis arrest. We investigated the effect of blocking VSG synthesis on the secretory pathway. The number of Golgi decreased, particularly in post‐mitotic cells, from 3.5 ± 0.6 to 2.0 ± 0.04 per cell. Similarly, the number of endoplasmic reticulum exit sites (ERES) in post‐mitotic cells dropped from 3.9 ± 0.6 to 2.7 ± 0.1 eight hours after blocking VSG synthesis. The secretory pathway was still functional in these stalled cells, as monitored using Cathepsin L. Rates of phospholipid and glycosylphosphatidylinositol‐anchor biosynthesis remained relatively unaffected, except for the level of sphingomyelin which increased. However, both endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi morphology became distorted, with the Golgi cisternae becoming significantly dilated, particularly at the trans‐face. Membrane accumulation in these structures is possibly caused by reduced budding of nascent vesicles due to the drastic reduction in the total amount of secretory cargo, that is, VSG. These data argue that the total flux of secretory cargo impacts upon the biogenesis and maintenance of secretory structures and organelles in T. brucei, including the ERES and Golgi.
Facilitators and barriers for RhD‐immunized women to become and remain anti‐D donors
Authors: Slootweg Yolentha Maria , Koelewijn Johanna Maria , de Kort Wim L. , de Haas Masja , Merz Eva‐Maria
Published: March 2018

BACKGROUND

The successful introduction of prophylaxis with anti‐RhD immunoglobulin has resulted in a significant decline of pregnancy‐related RhD immunizations but also has decreased the availability of naturally immunized women as (new) anti‐D donors. An influx of new donors is necessary to maintain a sufficient pool of anti‐D donors. We investigated motivators, barriers, and predictors for anti‐D donorship in RhD‐immunized women.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

A mixed‐methods design was applied, including focus group discussions and questionnaires. Two focus groups (including 11 women) served as input for the questionnaire.

RESULTS

In total, 47.6% of 750 anti‐D donors and potential donors completed the questionnaire (50.4% donors; 38% nondonors; 11.6% former donors). Almost 70% of the nondonors would have become donors if they had known about the possibility. Travel time investment was reported as a disadvantage; one‐half of donors mentioned no disadvantages. Motivators for anti‐D donorship were “doing something in return” (31.2%) and “preventing others having a sick child or losing a child” (33.9%). In multivariable analysis, living single (odds ratio, 5.8; p = 0.02) and living partnered without resident children (odds ratio, 7.9; p = 0.03), compared with living partnered with children, were predictors for anti‐D donorship. Not being registered as an organ donor (odds ratio, 0.25; p < 0.001) predicted that the individual would not be an anti‐D donor.

CONCLUSION

The main barrier for anti‐D donorship was a lack of knowledge. Positive predictors of anti‐D donorship were living without resident children, altruism, and being registered as an organ donor. A blood bank should develop targeted recruitment strategies with a focus on spreading knowledge about anti‐D donorship among RhD‐immunized women.