bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effective Factors on the Structure of Butter and Other Milk Fat‐Based Products
Authors: Rønholt Stine , Mortensen Kell , Knudsen Jes C.
Published: September 2013

Butter and other milk fat‐based products are valuable products for the dairy industry due to their unique taste, their textural characteristics, and nutritional value. However, an increased consumer demand for low‐fat‐based products increases the need for an increased essential understanding of the effective factors governing the structure of milk fat‐based products. Today, 2 manufacturing techniques are available: the churning method and the emulsification method. The first is typically used for production of butter with a globular structure, which has become increasingly popular to obtain low‐fat‐based products, typically without presence of milk fat globules. The microstructure of milk fat‐based products is strongly related to their structural rheology, hence applications. Structural behavior is not determined by one single parameter, but by the interactions between many. This complexity is reviewed here. Parameters such as thermal treatment of cream prior to butter making, water content, and chemical composition influence not only crystal polymorphism, but also the number and sizes of fat crystals. The number of crystal–crystal interactions formed within the products is related to product hardness. During storage, however, postcrystallization increases the solid fat content and strengthens the fat crystal network. The fat crystal network is strengthened by the formation of more and stronger crystal–crystal interactions due to mechanically interlinking of fat crystals, which occurs during crystal growth. Postcrystallization is directly linked to chemical composition. The initially observed microstructural difference causing different rheological behavior will disappear during storage due to postcrystallization and formation of more crystal–crystal interactions.
How does higher in‐group social value lead to positive mental health? An integrated model of in‐group identification and support
Authors: Nakashima Ken'ichiro , Isobe Chikae , Ura Mitsuhiro
Published: September 2013

Previous research has indicated that the effects of in‐group social value on mental health are mediated by the extent to which individuals identify with their in‐group. Other research has shown that in‐group identification leads to positive mental health because it provides in‐group members with a psychological basis for social support. We examine how the individual's perception of the social value of the in‐group leads to positive mental health, integrating the effects of identification with and support from the in‐group. As predicted, the relationship between higher social value and decreased mental health (e.g. depression, perceived stressful events) is mediated by higher in‐group identification, which in turn leads the members to expect support from the in‐group but not the out‐group. An integrated model of the effects of perceived in‐group social value, identification, and support on mental health is proposed, and the implications are discussed.
Durability of Memokath™ urethral stent for stabilisation of recurrent bulbar urethral strictures – medium‐term results
Authors: Wong Eddy , Tse Vincent , Wong James
Published: September 2013

Objective

To examine the durability after 3 months deployment of a urethral (Memokath™) stent in conjunction with endoscopic treatment of recurrent bulbar urethral strictures, as repeated endoscopic treatment of urethral strictures can cause worsening of underlying spongiofibrosis.

Patients and Methods

Prospective series of 22 patients with recurrent bulbar strictures requiring repeat endoscopic treatment were included.

The median age was 38 years and the mean stricture length was 2.4 cm. The median number of previous dilatation or direct visual internal urethrotomy (DVIU) procedures was three with a mean time to stricture recurrence of 2 months.

After endoscopic dilatation or DVIU, the urethral (Memokath™) stent was deployed and left situ for 3 months.

Re‐stricture rates were examined with uroflowmetry at 3, 6 and 12 months and confirmed with 17‐F cystoscopy at 1 year after stent removal.

A telephone survey was conducted at >1‐year follow‐up.

Results

Five of the 22 (22%) patients had stricture recurrence after stent removal.

In all, 17/22 (78%) patients remained stricture‐free at a median (range) follow‐up of 23 (9–31) months.

Uroflowmetry showed significantly improved flow rates, which were sustained at 12 months after stent removal.

On Kaplan–Meier analysis, there was a significant delay (23 vs 2 months) in stricture or symptom recurrence after stent removal.

Conclusion

The medium term results of temporary urethral stent placement are encouraging with 78% of patients remaining stricture‐free at a median follow‐up of 23 months.
Fluocinolone acetonide partially restores the mineralization of LPS‐stimulated dental pulp cells through inhibition of NF‐κB pathway and activation of AP‐1 pathway
Authors: Liu Zhongning , Jiang Ting , Wang Xinzhi , Wang Yixiang
Published: September 2013

Background and Purpose

Fluocinolone acetonide (FA) is commonly used as a steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug. We recently found that in dental pulp cells (DPCs) FA has osteo‐/odonto‐inductive as well as anti‐inflammatory effects. However, the mechanism by which FA induces these effects in DPCs is poorly understood.

Experimental Approach

The effect of FA on the mineralization of DPCs during inflammatory conditions and the underlying mechanism were investigated by real‐time PCR, Western blot, EMSA, histochemical staining, immunostaining and pathway blockade assays.

Key Results

FA significantly inhibited the inflammatory response in LPS‐treated DPCs not only by down‐regulating the expression of pro–inflammation‐related genes, but also by up‐regulating the expression of the anti‐inflammatory gene PPAR‐γ and mineralization‐related genes. Moreover, histochemical staining and immunostaining showed that FA could partially restore the expressions of alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin and dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) and mineralization in LPS‐stimulated DPCs. Real‐time PCR and Western blot analysis revealed that FA up‐regulated DSPP and runt‐related transcription factor 2 expression by inhibiting the expression of phosphorylated‐NF‐κB P65 and activating activator protein‐1 (AP‐1) (p‐c‐Jun and Fra‐1). These results were further confirmed through EMSA, by detection of NF‐κB DNA‐binding activity and pathway blockade assays using a NF‐κB pathway inhibitor, AP‐1 pathway inhibitor and glucocorticoid receptor antagonist.

Conclusions and Implications

Inflammation induced by LPS suppresses the mineralization process in DPCs. FA partially restored this osteo‐/odonto‐genesis process in LPS‐treated DPCs and had an anti‐inflammatory effect through inhibition of the NF‐κB pathway and activation of the AP‐1 pathway. Hence, FA is a potential new treatment for inflammation‐associated bone/teeth diseases.
Molecular diagnosis of chronic granulomatous disease
Authors: Roos D , Boer M
Published: September 2013

Patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) suffer from recurrent, life-threatening bacterial and fungal infections of the skin, the airways, the lymph nodes, liver, brain and bones. Frequently found pathogens are Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus species, Klebsiella species, Burkholderia cepacia and Salmonella species. CGD is a rare (∼1:250 000 births) disease caused by mutations in any one of the five components of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase in phagocytes. This enzyme generates superoxide and is essential for intracellular killing of pathogens by phagocytes. Molecular diagnosis of CGD involves measuring NADPH oxidase activity in phagocytes, measuring protein expression of NADPH oxidase components and mutation analysis of genes encoding these components. Residual oxidase activity is important to know for estimation of the clinical course and the chance of survival of the patient. Mutation analysis is mandatory for genetic counselling and prenatal diagnosis. This review summarizes the different assays available for the diagnosis of CGD, the precautions to be taken for correct measurements, the flow diagram to be followed, the assays for confirmation of the diagnosis and the determinations for carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis.
Use of Pollen and Ancient DNA as Conservation Baselines for Offshore Islands in New Zealand
Authors: WILMSHURST JANET M. , MOAR NEVILLE T. , WOOD JAMIE R. , BELLINGHAM PETER J. , FINDLATER AMY M. , ROBINSON JAMES J. , STONE CLIVE
Published: September 2013

Islands play a key role globally in the conservation of endemic species. Many island reserves have been highly modified since human colonization, and their restoration and management usually occur without knowledge of their prehuman state. However, conservation paleoecology is increasingly being recognized as a tool that can help to inform both restoration and conservation of island reserves by providing prehuman vegetation baselines. Many of New Zealand's mammal‐free offshore islands are foci for biological diversity conservation and, like many islands in the Polynesian region, were deforested following initial human settlement. Therefore, their current restoration, replanting, and management are guided either by historic vegetation descriptions or the occurrence of species on forested islands. We analyzed pollen and ancient DNA in soil cores from an offshore island in northern New Zealand. The result was a 2000‐year record of vegetation change that began >1200 years before human settlement and spanned 550 years of human occupation and 180 years of forest succession since human occupation ceased. Between prehuman and contemporary forests there was nearly a complete species turnover including the extirpation of a dominant conifer and a palm tree. The podocarp‐dominated forests were replaced by a native but novel angiosperm‐dominated forest. There is no modern analog of the prehuman forests on any northern New Zealand island, and those islands that are forested are dominated by angiosperms which are assumed to be climax forests. The pollen and DNA evidence for conifer‐ and palm‐rich forests in the prehuman era challenge this climax forest assumption. Prehuman vegetation records can thus help to inform future restoration of degraded offshore islands by informing the likely rate and direction of successional change; helping to determine whether natural rates of succession are preferable to more costly replanting programs; and providing past species lists if restoration replanting is desired.

Uso de Polen y ADN Antiguo como Líneas de Base de Conservación en Islas Litorales en Nueva Zelanda
Avifaunal disarray due to a single despotic species
Authors: Maron Martine , Grey Merilyn J. , Catterall Carla P. , Major Richard E. , Oliver Damon L. , Clarke Michael F. , Loyn Richard H. , Mac Nally Ralph , Davidson Ian , Thomson James R.
Published: September 2013

Aim

Reports of profound changes in species assemblages brought about by the influence of strongly interacting species are increasingly common. Where these strong interactors are sensitive to anthropogenic habitat changes, relatively small alterations in the environment can result in large and pervasive shifts in assemblages. We review the evidence for widespread assemblage‐level phase shifts across eastern Australia, triggered partly by anthropogenic habitat alteration and mediated by a native, despotic bird: the noisy miner Manorina melanocephala.

Location

Eastern Australia.

Methods

Based on the literature, we developed conceptual models of factors affecting site occupancy by, and ecosystem‐level effects of, the noisy miner. We also analysed recent trends in the reporting rate of the noisy miner across its range.

Results

Individuals of this species cooperate to aggressively exclude almost all smaller bird species from the areas they occupy. The noisy miner is advantaged by habitat fragmentation and structural simplification—habitat changes that facilitate detection and interception of potential competitors by miners. We report that the species is increasingly prevalent, particularly close to forest and woodland edges. Such edges have mainly been created by human land use. The evidence we reviewed showed: (1) strong causal links between the noisy miner and depressed richness and abundance of smaller birds, particularly nectarivores and insectivores; (2) moderate evidence of a positive association with larger bird species; (3) reduced tree condition stemming from impaired control of insect herbivore populations by smaller insectivores; and (4) a plausible negative effect on plant reproduction through reduced tree condition, altered pollination services and altered seed dispersal.

Main conclusions

This is the first synthesis to document the causes and likely ecological consequences of increasingly prevalent phase shifts catalysed by a despotic species on ecosystems at very large spatial scales (> 1 million km2). Native species affected by human activities can become agents that induce ecological dysfunction.
Diaphyseal femoral fractures in young horses
Authors: Barr A. R. S.
Published: September 2013

See also article by Bumbacher et al.
Role of Ca2+ in folding the tandem β‐sandwich extender domains of a bacterial ice‐binding adhesin
Authors: Guo Shuaiqi , Garnham Christopher P. , Karunan Partha Sarathy , Campbell Robert L. , Allingham John S. , Davies Peter L.
Published: September 2013

A Ca2+‐dependent 1.5‐MDa antifreeze protein present in an Antarctic Gram‐negative bacterium, Marinomonas primoryensis (MpAFP), has recently been reassessed as an ice‐binding adhesin. The non‐ice‐binding region II (RII), one of five distinct domains in MpAFP, constitutes ~ 90% of the protein. RII consists of ~ 120 tandem copies of an identical 104‐residue sequence. We used the Protein Homology/analogy Recognition Engine server to define the boundaries of a single 104‐residue RII construct (RII monomer). CD demonstrated that Ca2+ is required for RII monomer folding, and that the monomer is fully structured at a Ca2+/protein molar ratio of 10 : 1. The crystal structure of the RII monomer was solved to a resolution of 1.35 Å by single‐wavelength anomalous dispersion and molecular replacement methods with Ca2+ as the heavy atom to obtain phase information. The RII monomer folds as a Ca2+‐bound immunoglobulin‐like β‐sandwich. Ca2+ ions are coordinated at the interfaces between each RII monomer and its symmetry‐related molecules, suggesting that these ions may be involved in the stabilization of the tandemly repeated RII. We hypothesize that > 600 Ca2+ ions help to rigidify the chain of 104‐residue repeats in order to project the ice‐binding domain of MpAFP away from the bacterial cell surface. The proposed role of RII is to help the strictly aerobic bacterium bind surface ice in an Antarctic lake for better access to oxygen and nutrients. This work may give insights into other bacterial proteins that resemble MpAFP, especially those of the large repeats‐in‐toxin family that have been characterized as adhesins exported via the type I secretion pathway.

Database

Structural data are available in the Protein Data Bank under the accession numbers 4KDW (P1 structure) and 4KDV (P21 structure).
Carbon sequestration potential of soils in southeast Germany derived from stable soil organic carbon saturation
Authors: Wiesmeier Martin , Hübner Rico , Spörlein Peter , Geuß Uwe , Hangen Edzard , Reischl Arthur , Schilling Bernd , von Lützow Margit , Kögel‐Knabner Ingrid
Published: September 2013

Sequestration of atmospheric carbon (C) in soils through improved management of forest and agricultural land is considered to have high potential for global CO2 mitigation. However, the potential of soils to sequester soil organic carbon (SOC) in a stable form, which is limited by the stabilization of SOC against microbial mineralization, is largely unknown. In this study, we estimated the C sequestration potential of soils in southeast Germany by calculating the potential SOC saturation of silt and clay particles according to Hassink [Plant and Soil 191 (1997) 77] on the basis of 516 soil profiles. The determination of the current SOC content of silt and clay fractions for major soil units and land uses allowed an estimation of the C saturation deficit corresponding to the long‐term C sequestration potential. The results showed that cropland soils have a low level of C saturation of around 50% and could store considerable amounts of additional SOC. A relatively high C sequestration potential was also determined for grassland soils. In contrast, forest soils had a low C sequestration potential as they were almost C saturated. A high proportion of sites with a high degree of apparent oversaturation revealed that in acidic, coarse‐textured soils the relation to silt and clay is not suitable to estimate the stable C saturation. A strong correlation of the C saturation deficit with temperature and precipitation allowed a spatial estimation of the C sequestration potential for Bavaria. In total, about 395 Mt CO2‐equivalents could theoretically be stored in A horizons of cultivated soils – four times the annual emission of greenhouse gases in Bavaria. Although achieving the entire estimated C storage capacity is unrealistic, improved management of cultivated land could contribute significantly to CO2 mitigation. Moreover, increasing SOC stocks have additional benefits with respect to enhanced soil fertility and agricultural productivity.
Breath Powered Nasal Delivery: A New Route to Rapid Headache Relief
Authors: Djupesland Per G. , Messina John C. , Mahmoud Ramy A.
Published: September 2013

The nose offers an attractive noninvasive alternative for drug delivery. Nasal anatomy, with a large mucosal surface area and high vascularity, allows for rapid systemic absorption and other potential benefits. However, the complex nasal geometry, including the narrow anterior valve, poses a serious challenge to efficient drug delivery. This barrier, plus the inherent limitations of traditional nasal delivery mechanisms, has precluded achievement of the full potential of nasal delivery. Breath Powered bi‐directional delivery, a simple but novel nasal delivery mechanism, overcomes these barriers. This innovative mechanism has now been applied to the delivery of sumatriptan. Multiple studies of drug deposition, including comparisons of traditional nasal sprays to Breath Powered delivery, demonstrate significantly improved deposition to superior and posterior intranasal target sites beyond the nasal valve. Pharmacokinetic studies in both healthy subjects and migraineurs suggest that improved deposition of sumatriptan translates into improved absorption and pharmacokinetics. Importantly, the absorption profile is shifted toward a more pronounced early peak, representing nasal absorption, with a reduced late peak, representing predominantly gastrointestinal (GI) absorption. The flattening and “spreading out” of the GI peak appears more pronounced in migraine sufferers than healthy volunteers, likely reflecting impaired GI absorption described in migraineurs. In replicated clinical trials, Breath Powered delivery of low‐dose sumatriptan was well accepted and well tolerated by patients, and onset of pain relief was faster than generally reported in previous trials with noninjectable triptans. Interestingly, Breath Powered delivery also allows for the potential of headache‐targeted medications to be better delivered to the trigeminal nerve and the sphenopalatine ganglion, potentially improving treatment of various types of headache. In brief, Breath Powered bi‐directional intranasal delivery offers a new and more efficient mechanism for nasal drug delivery, providing an attractive option for improved treatment of headaches by enabling or enhancing the benefits of current and future headache therapies.
DISRUPTIVE REALITY
Authors: Markides Costas
Published: September 2013

Costas Markides examines whether disruptive innovation at the Bottom of the Pyramid will come to disrupt Western markets.
THINK AGAIN: ADDING VALUE
Authors: Davis Evan , Kay John
Published: September 2013

In this edited article from Summer 1990, Evan Davis and John Kay argue a compelling case for added value as a key measure of organisational success.
FACE VALUES: LEADERSHIP THE GIANFRANCO ZOLA WAY
Authors: Dearlove Des
Published: September 2013

Currently manager of Watford FC, Gianfranco Zola was one of the greatest Italian football players to grace the English Premier League. Born in Sardinia in 1966, he spent the first decade of his career playing in Italy, most notably with Napoli, where he played alongside the legendary Argentinian Diego Maradona and Brazilian striker Careca, and at Parma, before moving to Chelsea in November 1996.
Education and Cohabitation in Britain: A Return to Traditional Patterns?
Authors: Ní Bhrolcháin Máire , Beaujouan Éva
Published: September 2013

Cohabitation is sometimes thought of as being inversely associated with education, but in Britain a more complex picture emerges. Educational group differences in cohabitation vary by age, time period, cohort, and indicator used. Well‐educated women pioneered cohabitation in Britain in the 1970s and 1980s. In the most recent cohorts, however, the less educated have exceeded the best educated in the proportions ever having cohabited at young ages. But the main difference by education currently seems largely a matter of timing—that is, the less educated start cohabiting earlier than the best educated. In Britain, educational differentials in cohabitation appear to be reinstating longstanding social patterns in the level and timing of marriage. Taking partnerships as a whole, social differentials have been fairly stable. Following a period of innovation and diffusion, there is much continuity with the past.
The Effectiveness of Immigration Policies
Authors: Czaika Mathias , De Haas Hein
Published: September 2013

This article elaborates a conceptual framework for assessing the character and effectiveness of immigration policies. It argues that, to a considerable extent, the public and academic controversy concerning this issue is spurious because of fuzzy definitions of policy effectiveness, stemming from confusion between (1) policy discourses, (2) policies on paper, (3) policy implementation, and (4) policy impacts. The article distinguishes three policy gaps: the discrepancy between public discourses and policies on paper (discursive gap); the disparity between policies on paper and implemented policies (implementation gap); and the extent to which implemented policies affect migration (efficacy gap). Although implemented policies seem to be the correct yardstick to assess policy effectiveness, in practice the (generally more pronounced) discourses are often used as a benchmark. This can lead to an overestimation of policy failure. Existing empirical studies suggest that policies significantly affect the targeted migration flows, but they crucially fail to assess the relative importance of policies in comparison to other migration determinants, including non‐migration policies, as well as the hypothetical occurrence of unintended categorical, spatial, inter‐temporal, and reverse flow “substitution” effects. Evidence on such effects is still scarce, showing the need for more empirically informed insights about the short‐ and long‐term effects of migration policies.
How to Design a Contingent Convertible Debt Requirement That Helps Solve Our Too‐Big‐to‐Fail Problem*
Authors: Calomiris Charles W. , Herring Richard J.
Published: September 2013

As bank regulatory reform tries to come to grips with the lessons of the financial crisis, several experts have proposed that some form of contingent convertible debt (CoCo) requirement be added to the prudential regulatory toolkit. In this article, the authors show how properly designed CoCos can be used not just to absorb losses, but more importantly to encourage banks to recognize losses and replace lost equity in a timely way, as well as to manage risk more effectively. Their proposed CoCos requirement strengthens management's incentives to promptly replace lost capital and enhance risk management by imposing major costs on the managers and existing shareholders of banks that fail to do so.

Key elements of the proposal are that conversion of the CoCos into equity would be (1) triggered at a high trigger ratio of equity to assets (long before the bank is near an insolvency point), (2) determined by a market trigger (using a 90‐day moving average market equity ratio) rather than by supervisory discretion, and (3) significantly dilutive to shareholders. The only clear way for bank managements to avoid such dilution would be to issue equity into the market.

Under most circumstances—barring an extremely rapid plunge of a bank's financial condition—management should be able and eager to replace lost capital in a timely way; as a result, dilutive conversions should almost never occur. Banks would face strong incentives to maintain high ratios of true economic capital relative to risky assets, and to manage their risks effectively. This implies that “too‐big‐to‐fail” financial institutions would not be permitted to approach the point of insolvency; they would face strong incentives to recapitalize long before that point. And if they should fail to issue new equity in a timely manner, the CoCos conversion would provide an alternative means of recapitalizing banks well before they reach the brink of insolvency. Thus, a CoCos requirement would go a long way to resolving the “too‐big‐to‐fail” problem.

Such a CoCos requirement would not only increase the effectiveness of regulation, but also reduce its cost. It would be less costly for banks to raise CoCos than equity, reflecting both the lower adverseselection costs of CoCos issuance and the potential tax advantages of debt. And precisely because of the low probability of CoCo conversion, the Cocos would be issued at relatively modest (if any) discounts to otherwise comparable but straight subordinated debt. Thus requiring a mix of equity and appropriately designed CoCos would be less costly to banks, and would entail less of a reduction in the supply of loans than would a much higher book equity requirement alone.
The perceived legitimacy of statutory rape laws: the effects of victim age, perpetrator age, and age span
Authors: Koon‐Magnin Sarah , Ruback R. Barry
Published: September 2013

Statutory rape laws are intended to protect minors below the age of consent from engaging in behavior that, although not forceful, may be harmful. Two studies explored how individual judgments of adolescent sexual behavior and statutory rape are affected by victim age, perpetrator age, and the age span between partners. Across studies, respondents were significantly more critical of scenarios depicting younger victims, older perpetrators, and larger age spans between the two. These findings, using indirect measures, suggest that college students believe 16 is an appropriate age of consent and that sexual acts between adolescents who are within 2 years of age should not be criminalized.
Decide like Lionel Messi! The impact of regulatory focus on divergent thinking in sports
Authors: Memmert Daniel , Hüttermann Stefanie , Orliczek Josef
Published: September 2013

According to Higgins, the regulatory focus theory states that in terms of motivational information processing, it makes a difference whether people have a promotion or prevention focus. A focus on aspirations is labeled as promotion focus, whereas a focus on responsibility is called prevention focus. In our study, the theory will be applied to the area of sport decision making. We showed that soccer players make different decisions in a sport‐specific divergent‐thinking task depending on their regulatory focus (promotion vs. prevention). Promotion‐framed athletes were able to produce more original, flexible, and adequate solutions than prevention‐framed athletes. Theoretical and practical implications for sport psychology are discussed.
Estimating effect of augmentative biological control on grain yields from individual pearl millet heads
Authors: Baoua I. B. , Amadou L. , Oumarou N. , Payne W. , Roberts J. D. , Stefanova K. , Nansen C.
Published: September 2013

Pearl millet is the principal staple food crop in large portions of Western Sub‐Sahelian Africa and the millet head miner (Heliocheilus albipunctella) is one of its most devastating insect pests. Since 2006, augmentative mass releases of the larval ectoparasitoid, Habrobracon hebetor, have been conducted in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger as part of minimizing pearl millet grain losses imposed by millet head miners. These ongoing mass releases are based on low‐cost mass‐rearing of both host larvae and parasitoids. A release of parasitoids consists of placing jute bags containing pearl millet grain and flour and parasitized host larvae near pearl millet fields. The total production costs of a single jute bag with parasitized rice moth larvae are US$ 3–4. Based on a study of 6634 individual pearl millet heads collected at harvest in 12 farmers' fields in southern Niger in 2010, we demonstrated (i) a strong negative correlation between pearl millet head damage (mining) and grain yield and (ii) that parasitism by H. hebetor reduced grain losses by, on average, 34% (comparison of infested millet heads with/without parasitism) within the given growing season. Additional benefits may include reduction in millet head miners in subsequent generations. Data from 900 pearl millet heads collected in nine farmers' fields in 2011 were used to confirm data trends observed in the 2010 data and to characterize the dispersal of parasitoids in upwind and downwind directions from a release site. This study provided a quantitative description of the negative impact of millet head miner infestations on pearl millet grain yields and of benefits on grain yield of parasitism by H. hebetor. Our findings strongly support (i) intensification of mass‐rearing of H. hebetor, (ii) expansion of educational activities to increase local empowerment and understanding of the potential of augmentative biological control and (iii) optimization of H. hebetor mass release programmes among smallholders in Sub‐Sahelian Africa.
The reproductive capability of Ooencyrtus kuvanae reared on eggs of the factitious host Antheraea pernyi
Authors: Wang J.‐J. , Liu X.‐B. , Zhang Y.‐A. , Wen C. , Wei J.‐R.
Published: September 2013

Ooencyrtus kuvanae is a key egg parasitoid of Lymantria dispar (L.), an important defoliating pest in China and North America. We have developed mass rearing techniques for O. kuvanae and in this study compared the reproductive capacity of O. kuvanae when it was previously reared on the natural host, L. dispar or the factitious host, Antheraea pernyi Guerin‐Meneville. There was no significant difference in the oviposition period or total number of eggs laid between L. dispar‐reared and A. pernyi‐reared females. However, the mean number of offspring successfully emerging from those eggs was significantly larger from the A. pernyi‐reared females compared with L. dispar‐reared females. From this, we can conclude that, with respect to reproductive capability, eggs of A. pernyi are suitable factitious hosts for mass rearing of O. kuvanae.
Family Sense of Coherence and Family Adaptation Among Childbearing Couples
Authors: Ngai Fei‐Wan , Ngu Siew‐Fei
Published: September 2013

Purpose

A family sense of coherence is important to successful family adaptation during parental transition. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between family sense of coherence, stress, family and marital functioning, and depressive symptoms among Chinese childbearing couples.

Design

A cross‐sectional design was used. Two hundred and twenty‐four Chinese childbearing couples were recruited at the antenatal clinic between January and May 2011.

Methods

Data were collected using the Family Sense of Competence Scale, Social Readjustment Rating Scale, Medical Outcome Study Family and Marital Functioning Measures, and General Health Questionnaire. Path analysis was employed.

Findings

Family sense of coherence had a direct impact on family and marital functioning and depressive symptoms among both couples. Family sense of coherence also mediated the effect of stress on family and marital functioning and depressive symptoms among the pregnant women.

Conclusions

The study provides evidence that family sense of coherence plays a significant role in promoting family functioning and reducing depressive symptoms during the transition to parenthood.

Clinical Relevance

Knowledge of the impact of family sense of coherence in parental transition can better equip healthcare professionals for developing couple‐based and culturally sensitive care to assist childbearing couples to cope with the stress and demands of the parental role, thereby promoting positive family functioning and well‐being.
Variation in avian brain shape: relationship with size and orbital shape
Authors: Kawabe Soichiro , Shimokawa Tetsuya , Miki Hitoshi , Matsuda Seiji , Endo Hideki
Published: September 2013

There is wide variation in brain shape among birds. Differences in brain dimensions reflect species‐specific sensory capacities and behavioral repertoires that are shaped by environmental and biological factors during evolution. Most previous studies aimed at defining factors impacting brain shape have used volumetric or linear measurements. However, few have explored the quantitative indices of three‐dimensional (3D) brain geometry that are absolutely imperative to understanding avian evolutionary history. This study aimed: (i) to explore the relationship between brain shape and overall brain size; and (ii) to assess the relationship between brain shape and orbital shape. Avian brain endocasts were reconstructed from computed tomography images and analyzed using 3D geometric morphometrics. Principal component analysis revealed dominant regional variations in avian brain shape and shape correlations between the telencephalon and cerebellum, between the cerebellum and myelencephalon, and between the diencephalon and optic tectum. Brain shape changes relative to total brain size were determined by multivariate regression analysis. Larger brain size was associated with a relatively slender telencephalon and differences in brain orientation. The correlation between brain shape and orbital shape was assessed by two‐block partial least‐squares analysis. Relatively round brains with a ventrally flexed brain base were associated with rounder orbits, while narrower brains with a flat brain base were associated with more elongated orbits. The shapes of functionally associated avian brain regions are correlated, and orbital size and shape are dominant factors influencing the overall shape of the avian brain.
Association of UV Index and Sunscreen Use Among White High School Students in the United States
Authors: Everett Jones Sherry , O'Malley Olsen Emily , Michael Shannon L. , Saraiya Mona
Published: September 2013

BACKGROUND

When used appropriately, sunscreen decreases the amount of ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure to the skin and is recommended to prevent skin cancer. This study examined the association between annual average UV index and sunscreen use among White, non‐Hispanic youth.

METHODS

The 2007 and 2009 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data were analyzed. The YRBS is a school‐based, cross‐sectional study that uses a 3‐stage cluster sample design to obtain a nationally representative sample of public and private high school students in the United States. Overall response rates were 68% and 72% (N = 14,041 and 16,410, respectively). Logistic regression analyzes, controlling for grade, examined whether annual average (mean) UV index where students attend school, a proxy measure of potential sunlight exposure, was associated with sunscreen use.

RESULTS

Among White male students, as the mean UV index increased, the adjusted odds of never wearing sunscreen increased (adjusted odds ratio, AOR = 1.15 [95% CI = 1.04, 1.27], p < .01) and the adjusted odds of most of the time or always wearing sunscreen decreased (AOR = 0.85 [0.78, 0.94], p < .01). There was no association between sunscreen use and mean UV index among White female students.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest a need for renewed public health efforts among school, clinical, and public health professionals to promote sunscreen use as part of a comprehensive approach to prevent skin cancer. School and community approaches that passively protect young people from the sun should be considered as a complement to efforts to increase sunscreen use.
Rapid Detection and Typing of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria by Pyrosequencing
Authors: Gan Qinhua , Lu Yandu , Shao Xiuling , Sun Tao , Li Yan , Liu Caixia
Published: September 2013

Taking Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Doidge) Dye, a pathogen with a wide geographical distribution, as a representative, pyrosequencing is shown for the first time to provide characteristic information of plant pathogenic bacteria strain‐specific sequences. Pyrosequencing‐based plant pathogen detection and typing technology is demonstrated to be rapid, highly specific and more sensitive than conventional technologies. The specificity of such assays has been validated by conventional DNA sequencing and metabolic fingerprinting. It is a starting point for the application and development of pyrosequencing in plant inspection and quarantine which underlie agricultural communication.
Evaluation of Neutrophil Gelatinase‐Associated Lipocalin as a Marker of Kidney Injury in Dogs
Authors: Segev G. , Palm C. , LeRoy B. , Cowgill L.D. , Westropp J.L.
Published: September 2013

Background

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common and often fatal disorder in dogs.

Hypothesis

Urine neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin (NGAL)/creatinine ratio is a sensitive and specific biomarker ofAKIin dogs.

Animals

Ninety‐four dogs.

Methods

Prospective study. Dogs were classified as follows: (1) healthy dogs, (2) dogs with lower urinary tract disorders, (3) dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD), (4) dogs with azotemic International Renal Interest Society (IRIS)AKIGrades II–V, and (5) dogs withIRIS AKIGrade I (nonazotemic). UrinaryNGALwas quantitated in each dog using anELISAassay and concentrations were expressed as a ratio to urinary creatinine concentration from the same specimen, and designated the urinaryNGAL/creatinine ratio (UNCR).

Results

There was a significant difference inUNCRamong the study groups (P < .001). Both the azotemic and nonazotemicAKIgroups had higherUNCRwhen compared with all other groups (P < .001 for all pairs). There was a statistically significant difference inUNCRbetween dogs diagnosed withCKDcompared with dogs with lower urinary tract diseases (P = .005) as well as between dogs withCKDand healthy dogs (P = .001). Receiver operator characteristics (ROC) analysis ofUNCRas an indicator of azotemic and nonazotemicAKIhad an area under theROCcurve of 0.94 and 0.96, respectively.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

NGAL/creatinine ratio is a sensitive and specific marker ofAKI. It can be used to screen patients at risk forAKIand can be utilized to diagnose milder forms ofAKIpotentially earlier in the course of the disease.
Meta‐analysis reveals lower genetic diversity in overfished populations
Authors: Pinsky Malin L. , Palumbi Stephen R.
Published: September 2013

While population declines can drive the loss of genetic diversity under some circumstances, it has been unclear whether this loss is a general consequence of overharvest in highly abundant marine fishes. We compiled data from 11 049 loci across 140 species and found that allelic richness was lower in overfished populations within 9 of 12 genera and families. A multiple linear regression showed that allelic richness was on average 12% lower (P < 0.0001) in overharvested populations after accounting for the effects of body size, latitude and other factors. Heterozygosity was on average 2% lower (P = 0.030). Simulations confirmed that these patterns are consistent with a recent bottleneck in abundant species and also showed that our analysis likely underestimates the loss of rare alleles by a factor of two or three. This evidence suggests that overharvest drives the decay of genetic diversity across a wide range of marine fishes. Such reductions of genetic diversity in some of the world's most abundant species may lead to a long‐term impact of fishing on their evolutionary potential, particularly if abundance remains low and diversity continues to decay.
Development of a culture system to induce microglia‐like cells from haematopoietic cells
Authors: Noto Daisuke , Sakuma Hiroshi , Takahashi Kazuya , Saika Reiko , Saga Ryoko , Yamada Masahito , Yamamura Takashi , Miyake Sachiko
Published: September 2013

Aims

Microglia are the resident immune cells in the central nervous system, originating from haematopoietic‐derived myeloid cells. A microglial cell is a double‐edged sword, which has both pro‐inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory functions. Although understanding the role of microglia in pathological conditions has become increasingly important, histopathology has been the only way to investigate microglia in human diseases.

Methods

To enable the study of microglial cells in vitro, we here establish a culture system to induce microglia‐like cells from haematopoietic cells by coculture with astrocytes. The characteristics of microglia‐like cells were analysed by flow cytometry and functional assay.

Results

We show that triggering receptor expressing on myeloid cells‐2‐expressing microglia‐like cells could be induced from lineage negative cells or monocytes by coculture with astrocytes. Microglia‐like cells exhibited lower expression of CD45 and MHC class II than macrophages, a characteristic similar to brain microglia. When introduced into brain slice cultures, these microglia‐like cells changed their morphology to a ramified shape on the first day of the culture. Moreover, we demonstrated that microglia‐like cells could be induced from human monocytes by coculture with astrocytes. Finally, we showed that interleukin 34 was an important factor in the induction of microglia‐like cells from haematopoietic cells in addition to cell–cell contact with astrocytes. Purified microglia‐like cells were suitable for further culture and functional analyses.

Conclusion

Development of in vitro induction system for microglia will further promote the study of human microglial cells under pathological conditions as well as aid in the screening of drugs to target microglial cells.
Girolamo Cardano: university student and professor
Authors: Giglioni Guido
Published: September 2013

The encyclopaedic range of Girolamo Cardano's work represents a magnificent document of the intellectual life of the universities in sixteenth‐century northern Italy, in particular Pavia, Padua and Bologna. Cardano (1501–76) studied medicine and philosophy in Pavia from 1519 to 1523, and later in Padua, where he obtained the doctorate in medicine in 1525. He taught at the universities of Pavia (from 1543) and Bologna (from 1563). The arrest by the Inquisition in 1570 put an abrupt end to his academic career. This article focuses on some of the medical commentaries written by Cardano during his professorship in Pavia and Bologna (mainly on Hippocrates, but also Avicenna, Averroes and Mondino de' Liuzzi). They shed important light on our understanding of the contemporary academic milieu. A recurrent motif in Cardano's teaching material is whether and to what extent prudentia, understood both in a ‘medical’ and a ‘civil’ sense, could be taught, and taught while commenting upon medical auctoritates.
A Meta‐Analysis of Carbon Nanotube Pulmonary Toxicity Studies—How Physical Dimensions and Impurities Affect the Toxicity of Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Gernand Jeremy M. , Casman Elizabeth A.
Published: September 2013

This article presents a regression‐tree‐based meta‐analysis of rodent pulmonary toxicity studies of uncoated, nonfunctionalized carbon nanotube (CNT) exposure. The resulting analysis provides quantitative estimates of the contribution of CNT attributes (impurities, physical dimensions, and aggregation) to pulmonary toxicity indicators in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid: neutrophil and macrophage count, and lactate dehydrogenase and total protein concentrations. The method employs classification and regression tree (CART) models, techniques that are relatively insensitive to data defects that impair other types of regression analysis: high dimensionality, nonlinearity, correlated variables, and significant quantities of missing values. Three types of analysis are presented: the RT, the random forest (RF), and a random‐forest‐based dose‐response model. The RT shows the best single model supported by all the data and typically contains a small number of variables. The RF shows how much variance reduction is associated with every variable in the data set. The dose‐response model is used to isolate the effects of CNT attributes from the CNT dose, showing the shift in the dose‐response caused by the attribute across the measured range of CNT doses. It was found that the CNT attributes that contribute the most to pulmonary toxicity were metallic impurities (cobalt significantly increased observed toxicity, while other impurities had mixed effects), CNT length (negatively correlated with most toxicity indicators), CNT diameter (significantly positively associated with toxicity), and aggregate size (negatively correlated with cell damage indicators and positively correlated with immune response indicators). Increasing CNT N2‐BET‐specific surface area decreased toxicity indicators.
Self‐normalization for Spatial Data
Authors: Zhang Xianyang , Li Bo , Shao Xiaofeng
Published: September 2013

This paper considers inference for both spatial lattice data with possibly irregularly shaped sampling region and non‐lattice data, by extending the recently proposed self‐normalization (SN) approach from stationary time series to the spatial setup. A nice feature of the SN method is that it avoids the choice of tuning parameters, which are usually required for other non‐parametric inference approaches. The extension is non‐trivial as spatial data has no natural one‐directional time ordering. The SN‐based inference is convenient to implement and is shown through simulation studies to provide more accurate coverage compared with the widely used subsampling approach. We also illustrate the idea of SN using a real data example.
The Changing Value of the Child – A Review of the Literature Regarding Social Perceptions of Sick and Dying Children
Authors: Black Rachel
Published: September 2013

This article reviews the literature pertaining to the changing value of the child in England since the 19th century, highlighting the relative policy neglect of contemporary sick and dying children. The review discusses the relationship between the value of the child, social constructions of childhood and social policy. The review demonstrates how the value of the child has altered from one of utility to a contemporary position of sacralisation, illustrated by mortality statistics as a measure of associated policy impact. However, large reductions in mortality rates conceal the more complex picture of contemporary child health. Children die each year from life‐limiting and life‐threatening disorders. Moreover, technological developments increasingly allow children to live longer with such conditions, albeit with ever more complex ill health. Such children are therefore dying over protracted periods of time. However, they are largely absent from policy, which tends towards standardised outcome measures which may not reflect the needs of this minority group. Therefore, although contemporary constructions of childhood focus upon sacralisation, reflecting psychological value to parents and society, the most vulnerable child members of society remain neglected in policy and service provision.