bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new face at Natural Science Foundation of China—An interview with NSFC President Wei Yang
Authors: Poo Mu-ming , Wang Ling
Published: January 2014

Upon assuming his new post as the President of NSFC in late February, Wei Yang defined the mission of NSFC: ‘to expand the territory of exploration, to enrich the source of innovation, to strengthen interdisciplinary interaction, and to nurture young talents’. Known for his innovative approaches in higher education during his previous tenure as the President of Zhejiang University, what new measure is in store in Yang's new presidency has attracted much attention. In the recent interview with NSR, Yang reaffirmed his view that basic research is the core of science and the source of technology, providing the support and guidance to the long-term development of S&T-based society. He promises a continuing effort in perfecting funding mechanisms, including rigorous review of grant proposals, strengthening international collaboration and communication, and becoming a true ‘FRIEND’ of scientists.
Midmorning Snack Programs Have a Beneficial Effect on Cognitive Performance of Students From High Socioeconomic Background
Authors: Koohdani Fariba , Meshkani Zahra Sadat , Karbakhsh Mojgan , Sheibaniasl Narges , Sotoudeh Gity , Lesan Shirin , Dabiran Soheila
Published: January 2014

This study intends to determine the effect of school midmorning snacks on cognitive functions among young male students coming from higher socioeconomic backgrounds, who presumably have breakfast before coming to school. We hypothesized that school midmorning snacks can provide better cognitive functions among students coming from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. A comparative observational study was designed. Main data were collected by observation or interview. Two groups of 12- to 13-year-old male students were randomly selected (25 students who have been receiving a midmorning snack for 6 months and 32 students who have not) from schools with similar neighborhoods and socioeconomic backgrounds. Main outcome measures were the effects of school midmorning snack programs on students’ cognitive functions including learning, short-term visual and auditory memory, and also selective attention and recall tests for high-socioeconomic-status students. Midmorning snack program was an independent variable. The objectives of the present study were analyzed using t test and Mann-Whitney U test for quantitative variables and χ
2 or Fisher exact tests for qualitative variables. Differences were tested at the .05 level. The students with midmorning snack received more calories and nutrients from breakfast plus midmorning snack (P < .005), and their test scores of learning (P < .001), recall (P = .006), and selective attention (P = .042) were significantly higher. They performed better in auditory and visual memory tests (P < .001, P = .028). We conclude that the schools’ midmorning snack programs have a beneficial effect on cognitive performance and overall quality of intake even of students coming from higher socioeconomic background. It explores the value of midmorning snack in the school setting.
Minutes, days and years: molecular interactions among different scales of biological timing
Authors: Golombek Diego A. , Bussi Ivana L. , Agostino Patricia V.
Published: January 2014

Biological clocks are genetically encoded oscillators that allow organisms to keep track of their environment. Among them, the circadian system is a highly conserved timing structure that regulates several physiological, metabolic and behavioural functions with periods close to 24 h. Time is also crucial for everyday activities that involve conscious time estimation. Timing behaviour in the second-to-minutes range, known as interval timing, involves the interaction of cortico-striatal circuits. In this review, we summarize current findings on the neurobiological basis of the circadian system, both at the genetic and behavioural level, and also focus on its interactions with interval timing and seasonal rhythms, in order to construct a multi-level biological clock.
Spatial control of phospholipid flux restricts endoplasmic reticulum sheet formation to allow nuclear envelope breakdown
Authors: Bahmanyar Shirin , Biggs Ronald , Schuh Amber L. , Desai Arshad , Müller-Reichert Thomas , Audhya Anjon , Dixon Jack E. , Oegema Karen
Published: January 2014

The nuclear envelope is a subdomain of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Here we characterize CNEP-1 (CTD [C-terminal domain] nuclear envelope phosphatase-1), a nuclear envelope-enriched activator of the ER-associated phosphatidic acid phosphatase lipin that promotes synthesis of major membrane phospholipids over phosphatidylinositol (PI). CNEP-1 inhibition led to ectopic ER sheets in the vicinity of the nucleus that encased the nuclear envelope and interfered with nuclear envelope breakdown (NEBD) during cell division. Reducing PI synthesis suppressed these phenotypes, indicating that CNEP-1 spatially regulates phospholipid flux, biasing it away from PI production in the vicinity of the nuclear envelope to prevent excess ER sheet formation and NEBD defects.
Preparation of crystals for characterizing the Grb7 SH2 domain before and after complex formation with a bicyclic peptide antagonist
Authors: Ambaye Nigus D. , Gunzburg Menachem J. , Traore Daouda A. K. , Del Borgo Mark P. , Perlmutter Patrick , Wilce Matthew C. J. , Wilce Jacqueline A.
Published: January 2014

Human growth factor receptor-bound protein 7 (Grb7) is an adapter protein involved in cell growth, migration and proliferation. It is now recognized that Grb7 is an emerging therapeutic target in specific cancer subtypes. Recently, the discovery of a bicyclic peptide inhibitor that targets the Grb7 SH2 domain, named G7-B1, was reported. In an attempt to probe the foundation of its interaction with Grb7, the crystallization and preliminary data collection of both the apo and G7-B1-bound forms of the Grb7 SH2 domain are reported here. Diffraction-quality crystals were obtained using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. After several rounds of microseeding, crystals of the apo Grb7 SH2 domain were obtained that diffracted to 1.8 Å resolution, while those of the G7-B1–Grb7 SH2 domain complex diffracted to 2.2 Å resolution. The apo Grb7 SH2 domain crystallized in the trigonal space group P63, whereas the G7-B1–Grb7 SH2 domain complex crystallized in the monoclinic space group P21. The experimental aspects of crystallization, crystal optimization and data collection and the preliminary data are reported.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of a highly stable novel SGNH hydrolase (Est24) from Sinorhizobium meliloti
Authors: Ryu Bum Han , Nguyen Duy Duc , Ngo Tri Duc , Oh Changsuk , Pandian Ramesh , Kim Kyeong Kyu , Kim T. Doohun
Published: January 2014

The SGNH hydrolase family includes enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of a broad range of substrates. Here, the crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of a novel SGNH hydrolase (Est24) from Sinorhizobium meliloti were performed. Recombinant Est24 protein containing an N-terminal His tag was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. Est24 was then crystallized using a solution consisting of 0.2 M ammonium phosphate pH 4.6, 20% polyethylene glycol 3350. X-ray diffraction data were collected to a resolution of 1.45 Å with an R
merge of 9.4%. The Est24 crystals belonged to space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 129.09, b = 88.63, c = 86.15 Å, α = 90.00, β = 114.30, γ = 90.00°. A molecular-replacement solution was obtained using the crystal structure of Mycobacterium smegmatis arylesterase as a template and structure refinement of Est24 is in progress.
Purification, crystallization and X-ray crystallographic studies of flagellin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Song Wan Seok , Hong Minsun , Yoon Sung-il
Published: January 2014

Flagellin constitutes the whip-like structure of the bacterial flagellum that is required for locomotion. Upon bacterial invasion into a host, flagellin functions as a pathogen-associated molecular pattern that is recognized by immune receptors, such as Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) and NAIP5/NLRC4, and activates host innate immunity against pathogens. Structural and biophysical studies of flagellins have been limited to those of Salmonella species. To better understand the functions of flagellin, it is necessary to study flagellins from other species. In this study, the overexpression, purification and crystallization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa flagellin that lacks the D0 domain (paflagellin-ΔD0) are reported. paflagellin-ΔD0 crystals diffracted to 2.15 Å resolution and belonged to space group C2, with one protein molecule in the asymmetric unit. Future structure-based functional studies of paflagellin would extend the knowledge of the TLR5 or NAIP5/NLRC4 activation mechanisms of flagellin and would make a significant contribution to the design of flagellin vaccines and antiradiation therapeutics.
Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of UDP-glucose:tetrahydrobiopterin α-glucosyltransferase (BGluT) from Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942
Authors: Killivalavan Asaithambi , Zhuang Ningning , Park Young Shik , Lee Kon Ho
Published: January 2014

A UDP-glucose:tetrahydrobiopterin α-glucosyltransferase (BGluT) enzyme was discovered in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 which transfers a glucose moiety from UDP-glucose to tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). BGluT protein was overexpressed with selenomethionine labelling for structure determination by the multi-wavelength anomalous dispersion method. The BGluT protein was purified by nickel-affinity and size-exclusion chromatography. It was then crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method using a well solution consisting of 0.1 M bis-tris pH 5.5, 19%(w/v) polyethylene glycol 3350 with 4%(w/v) D(+)-galactose as an additive. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 1.99 Å resolution using a synchrotron-radiation source. The crystals belonged to the monoclinic space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 171.35, b = 77.99, c = 53.77 Å, β = 90.27°.
Structure of the carboxy-terminal domain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis CarD protein: an essential rRNA transcriptional regulator
Authors: Gangwar Shanti P. , Meena Sita R. , Saxena Ajay K.
Published: January 2014

The CarD protein is highly expressed in mycobacterial strains under basal conditions and is transcriptionally induced during multiple types of genotoxic stress and starvation. The CarD protein binds the β subunit of RNA polymerase and influences gene expression. The disruption of interactions between CarD and the β subunit of RNA polymerase has a significant effect on mycobacterial survival, resistance to stress and pathogenesis. To understand the structure of CarD and its interaction with the β subunit of RNA polymerase, Mycobacterium tuberculosis CarD (MtbCarD) and the Thermus aquaticus RNA polymerase β subunit were recombinantly expressed and purified. Secondary-structure analysis using circular-dichroism spectroscopy indicated that MtbCarD contains ∼60% α-helix, ∼7% β-sheet and ∼33% random-coil structure. The C-terminal domain of MtbCarD (CarD83–161) was crystallized and its X-ray structure was determined at 2.1 Å resolution. CarD83–161 forms a distorted Y-shaped structure containing bundles of three helices connected by a loop. The residues forming the distorted Y-shaped structure are highly conserved in CarD sequences from other mycobacterial species. Comparison of the CarD83–161 structure with the recently determined full-length M. tuberculosis and T. thermophilus CarD crystal structures revealed structural differences in residues 141–161 of the C-terminal domain of the CarD83–161 structure. The structural changes in the CarD83–161 structure occurred owing to proteolysis and crystallization artifacts.
Structure of glycerol dehydrogenase from Serratia
Authors: Musille Paul , Ortlund Eric
Published: January 2014

The 1.90 Å resolution X-ray crystal structure of glycerol dehydrogenase derived from contaminating bacteria present during routine Escherichia coli protein expression is presented. This off-target enzyme showed intrinsic affinity for Ni2+-Sepharose, migrated at the expected molecular mass for the target protein during gel filtration and was crystallized before it was realised that contamination had occurred. In this study, it is shown that liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) can efficiently identify the protein composition of crystals in a crystallization experiment as part of a structure-determination pipeline for an unknown protein. The high-resolution X-ray data enabled sequencing directly from the electron-density maps, allowing the source of contamination to be placed within the Serratia genus. Incorporating additional protein-identity checks, such as tandem LC-MS/MS, earlier in the protein expression, purification and crystallization workflow may have prevented the unintentional structure determination of this metabolic enzyme, which represents the first enterobacterial glycerol dehydrogenase reported to date.
Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of FMN-bound and FMN-free forms of aromatic acid decarboxylase (CpsUbiX) from the psychrophilic bacterium Colwellia psychrerythraea 34H
Authors: Do Hackwon , Lee Chang Woo , Han Se Jong , Lee Sung Gu , Kim Hak Jun , Park Hyun , Lee Jun Hyuck
Published: January 2014

The ubiX gene (UniProtKB code Q489U8) of Colwellia psychrerythraea strain 34H has been annotated as a putative flavin mononucleotide (FMN)-dependent aromatic acid decarboxylase. Based on previous studies of homologous proteins, CpsUbiX is thought to catalyze the decarboxylation of 3-octaprenyl-4-hydroxybenzoate to produce 2-polyprenylphenol in the ubiquinone-biosynthesis pathway using a noncovalently bound FMN molecule as a cofactor. However, the detailed mechanisms of this important enzyme are not yet clear and need to be further elucidated. In this study, it was found that the V47S single mutation resulted in a loss of FMN binding, resulting in the production of FMN-free CpsUbiX protein. This mutation is likely to destabilize FMN–protein interactions without affecting the overall structural folding. To fully characterize the conformational changes upon FMN binding and the enzymatic mechanism at the molecular level, the wild-type (FMN-bound) and V47S mutant (FMN-free) CpsUbiX proteins were purified and crystallized using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method. Furthermore, complete diffraction data sets for FMN-bound (space group C2221) and FMN-free (space group P23) forms were obtained to 2.0 and 1.76 Å resolution, respectively.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of dipeptidyl aminopeptidase BII from Pseudoxanthomonas mexicana WO24
Authors: Sakamoto Yasumitsu , Suzuki Yoshiyuki , Iizuka Ippei , Tateoka Chika , Roppongi Saori , Okada Hirofumi , Nonaka Takamasa , Morikawa Yasushi , Nakamura Kazuo T. , Ogasawara Wataru , Tanaka Nobutada
Published: January 2014

Dipeptidyl aminopeptidase BII from Pseudoxanthomonas mexicana WO24 (DAP BII) is able to cleave a variety of dipeptides from the amino-terminus of substrate peptides. For crystallographic studies, DAP BII was overproduced in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. X-ray diffraction data to 2.3 Å resolution were collected using an orthorhombic crystal form belonging to space group P212121, with unit-cell parameters a = 76.55, b = 130.86, c = 170.87 Å. Structural analysis by the multi-wavelength anomalous diffraction method is in progress.
Purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of Gan1D, a GH1 6-phospho-β-galactosidase fromGeobacillus stearothermophilusT1
Authors: Lansky Shifra , Zehavi Arie , Dann Roie , Dvir Hay , Belrhali Hassan , Shoham Yuval , Shoham Gil
Published: January 2014

Geobacillus stearothermophilusT1 is a Gram-positive thermophilic soil bacterium that contains an extensive system for the utilization of plant cell-wall polysaccharides, including xylan, arabinan and galactan. The bacterium uses a number of extracellular enzymes that break down the high-molecular-weight polysaccharides into short oligosaccharides, which enter the cell and are further hydrolyzed into sugar monomers by dedicated intracellular glycoside hydrolases. The interest in the biochemical characterization and structural analysis of these proteins originates mainly from the wide range of their potential biotechnological applications. Studying the different hemicellulolytic utilization systems inG. stearothermophilusT1, a new galactan-utilization gene cluster was recently identified, which encodes a number of proteins, one of which is a GH1 putative 6-phospho-β-galactosidase (Gan1D). Gan1D has recently been cloned, overexpressed, purified and crystallized as part of its comprehensive structure–function study. The best crystals obtained for this enzyme belonged to the triclinic space groupP1, with average crystallographic unit-cell parameters ofa = 67.0,b= 78.1,c= 92.1 Å, α = 102.4, β = 93.5, γ = 91.7°. A full diffraction data set to 1.33 Å resolution has been collected for the wild-type enzyme, as measured from flash-cooled crystals at 100 K, using synchrotron radiation. These data are currently being used for the detailed three-dimensional crystal structure analysis of Gan1D.
Team Management on the Flight Deck
Authors: Margerison C.J. , Davies R.V. , McCann D.J.
Published: January 2014

Team management and teamwork are critical in the cockpit of a jet aircraft. The crew manage a complex set of interactions on which numerous people depend for their safety. Airlines worldwide have now recognised the need to train aircrew in team management principles. Until recently attention to the management side of flight operations has limited itself to the rostering arrangements and backroom office systems and procedures that support aircrew. The Aircrew Team Management Programme (ATM) designed by the authors for Trans Australia Airlines consists of a three‐day workshop with follow‐up sessions and simulator training. The prevailing culture in airlines is examined. An action research approach to gathering data for the management programme, its educational design and development, its key elements and implementation and tuition are discussed. It has been accepted by the crew as a valid and relevant form of training.
State and Territory Government Strategic Plans: Exercises in Managing, Monitoring and Marketing
Authors: McMahon Lance , Phillimore John
Published: January 2014

All but three of the Australian States and Territories have whole‐of‐government, jurisdiction‐wide strategic plans in place and the three exceptions had previously established a state plan in the decade after the first such plans were introduced by Tasmania and Victoria in 2001. Scholarly attention to date has been directed towards discrete aspects of state plans, such as the extent to which they can be seen as exercises in participative democracy or sustainability, rather than with examining state plans for what they explicitly purport to be – strategic plans originating in the core executive of government. We propose that there are three key strategic orientations for Australian state plans: to holistically manage, monitor and market government administration. These orientations may be competing, complementary or overlapping, and can vary over time. The article also proposes that state plans are a significant development in public management and warrant further and more detailed examination.
Institutionalising a National Approach to Performance Reporting: Lessons from Two Decades of Experience with the Report on Government Services
Authors: McGuire Linda , O'Neill Deirdre
Published: January 2014

The Report on Government Services (RoGS) to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) is considered an exemplar of benchmarking in a federal system. Published annually since 1997, RoGS provides performance reporting in the form of cross jurisdictional benchmarking on an unprecedented scale and scope. This paper argues ROGS has institutionalised a national approach to performance measurement and reporting that is now at the centre of the COAG reform agenda. The paper examines the processes and institutional structures that explain how RoGS has transformed performance reporting for social infrastructure services. The final section provides a preliminary assessment of the impact of RoGS.
Setting the Post War Australian Policy Agenda – Causes and Content
Authors: Marsh Ian
Published: January 2014

What are the origins of policy agendas and what determines agenda setting? The one robust theory in the literature associates different agendas with different moments in the evolution of the broader party system namely mass, catch‐all and most recently cartel patterns. This article explores Australian evidence for this thesis. It also argues the cartel moment has recently mutated. Agenda setting is now circumscribed by a mismatch between the needs of policy making and the political incentive structure. The media have become primary tissue connecting political elites to their publics. But this traps the system in short term, primarily populist stances. Systemic capacities to mediate agenda setting have thus been corrupted.
The Ideology and Discourse of the English Defence League: ‘Not Racist, Not Violent, Just No Longer Silent’
Authors: Kassimeris George , Jackson Leonie
Published: January 2014

Research Highlights and Abstract

This is the first discursive study of the EDL's publicly available articles and gives an important insight into their ideology. The study problematises the EDL's claim to be an anti-racist human rights organisation and analyses EDL discourse as racial discourse, demonstrating that the apparent gulf between the group's ideological Islamophobia and their violent and intimidating street protests is largely illusory. Understanding Islamophobia as culturally racist and the EDL as a culturally racist organisation is important to deconstructing their claim that Islamophobia is a rational reaction to deviant Muslim presence in the UK. The key contribution is not only a deeper understanding of the group and why they have been so successful in mobilising a section of the public to demonstrate against Islam, but also how this discourse fits in to the larger public debate on Islam and Muslims in the UK.

The English Defence League (EDL) emerged in 2009 and quickly became a major ‘anti-Islamist’ street protest movement, able to attract thousands to its national demonstrations. Despite the violence and anti-Muslim rhetoric associated with its protests, the group claims to be an anti-racist human rights organisation dedicated to protecting liberal freedoms. This article employs a critical methodology to address these claims, analysing EDL literature alongside strategies identified as typical of racist discourse construction. The representations, narratives and rhetorical strategies used by the group support the analysis of EDL Islamophobia as a form of cultural racism that constructs opposing ‘British’ and ‘Muslim’ subjects and functions to maintain traditional ethno-cultural dominance of the former over the latter.
Everyday moral reasoning in the governmentality of HIV risk
Authors: Cristian Rangel J. , Adam Barry D.
Published: January 2014

Drawing on the sociology of morality, this article analyses the social contexts, discourses and ethno‐methods of everyday life that shape real‐world decisions of gay men around HIV prevention. Through an analysis of the predominant narratives in an online public forum created for an HIV prevention campaign, this article explores the ways in which homosexually active men engage in everyday moral reasoning and challenge a neoliberal moral order of risk and responsibility. The article concludes that gay and bisexual men engage in forms of practical morality with their sexual partners and imagine larger communities of interest, love, companionship and pleasure. At the same time, they draw heavily from discourses on individual and rational responsibility, as well as narratives of romance and community, that shape forms of moral selfhood. Risk management techniques that are grounded in notions of rational choice and that are insensitive to the emotional worlds that these men inhabit create situations of risk avoidance but also inadvertently open them to new forms of vulnerability.
The Reception of Gratian's Tractatus de penitentia and the Relationship between Canon Law and Theology in the Second Half of the Twelfth Century
Authors: Larson Atria A.
Published: January 2014

Canon law and theology were not distinct, well‐developed fields in the twelfth century. In theory, many if not all scholars recognise this, and yet, in practice, much scholarship on the intellectual and institutional history of the century operates as if the contrary were true. Often labeled as canonists or theologians, the intellectual figures of the century frequently devoted attention to the church's law and to the Bible, to issues of ecclesiastical structure and discipline as well to theological questions. One way of gauging the scholarly world of the century is to examine the reception of a particular text by various intellectual figures. This article surveys the historiographical problem, explores the reception of Gratian's Tractatus de penitentia from ca 1150 to ca 1200, and attempts to reformulate the nature of the intellectual climate in the period.
An Incident Control Centre in Action: Response to the Rena Oil Spill in New Zealand
Authors: Hunt Sonya , Smith Kelly , Hamerton Heather , Sargisson Rebecca J.
Published: January 2014

Following the Rena grounding and oil spill in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, an Incident Command Centre was established which, among other tasks, coordinated a volunteer clean‐up effort. We interviewed volunteers and organisers to gain insight into the efficacy of the volunteer coordination effort. Volunteers praised the system of communication and the involvement of indigenous groups. They expressed a desire for better training, more flexibility and community autonomy, a quicker uptake of volunteer support, and the use of social media. Locating the Incident Command Centre in a single site aided interaction between experts, and the sharing of resources. Overall, the volunteer coordination was considered a success.
Bridging the ideological space: A cross‐national analysis of the distance of party switching
Authors: Dassonneville Ruth , Dejaeghere Yves
Published: January 2014

Scholars have investigated the characteristics of volatile voters ever since the first voter surveys were carried out and they have paid specific attention to the role of political sophistication on vote switching. Nevertheless, the exact nature of this relationship is still unclear. With increasing volatility over the past decades this question has furthermore grown in relevance. Is the growing unpredictability of elections mostly driven by sophisticated voters making well‐considered choices or is the balance of power in the hands of unsophisticated ‘floating voters’? Several scholars have argued that even under conditions of increasing volatility switching is still mostly confined to changes to ideologically close parties. Most researchers, however, have used rather crude measures to investigate this ‘leap’ between parties. To advance research in this field, this article directly models the ideological distance bridged by volatile voters when investigating the link between political sophistication and volatility. This is done using Comparative Study of Electoral systems (CSES) data that encompass a broad sample of recent parliamentary elections worldwide. Results indicate that voters with an intermediate level of political knowledge are most likely to switch overall. When taking into account the ideological distance of party switching, however, the confining impact of political knowledge on the vote choices made is clearly dominant, resulting in a linear decrease of the distance bridged as voters become more knowledgeable.
A Glimpse Behind a Closed Door: The Long‐Term Investment Value of Buy‐Side Research and Its Effect on Fund Trades and Performance
Authors: REBELLO MICHAEL , WEI KELSEY D.
Published: January 2014

We examine proprietary research produced by buy‐side analysts working for a large fund management company. We find that the buy‐side research has investment value for a one‐year horizon, and the analysts producing this research exhibit differential ability that tends to persist over time. The buy‐side research strongly influences trades made by the company's funds, especially when it coveys information that is independent of the fund managers' own information, when it is produced by buy‐side analysts with good track records, and when the underlying stocks have little sell‐side coverage. The influence of sell‐side research is concentrated primarily in stocks not followed by buy‐side analysts and in funds with low overall buy‐side coverage. The company's funds that rely more heavily on buy‐side research generate superior performance.
Arthropods on plants in a fragmented Neotropical dry forest: A functional analysis of area loss and edge effects
Authors: González Ezequiel , Salvo Adriana , Valladares Graciela
Published: January 2014

Loss and fragmentation of natural ecosystems are widely recognized as the most important threats to biodiversity conservation, with Neotropical dry forests among the most endangered ecosystems. Area and edge effects are major factors in fragmented landscapes. Here, we examine area and edge effects and their interaction, on ensembles of arthropods associated to native vegetation in a fragmented Chaco Serrano forest. We analyzed family richness and community composition of herbivores, predators, and parasitoids on three native plant species in 12 fragments of varying size and at edge/interior positions. We also looked for indicator families by using Indicator Species Analysis. Loss of family richness with the reduction of forest fragment area was observed for the three functional groups, with similar magnitude. Herbivores were richer at the edges without interaction between edge and area effects, whereas predators were not affected by edge/interior position and parasitoid richness showed an interaction between area and position, with a steeper area slope at the edges. Family composition of herbivore, predator, and parasitoid assemblages was also affected by forest area and/or edge/interior situation. We found three indicator families for large remnants and five for edges. Our results support the key role of forest area for conservation of arthropods taxonomic and functional diversity in a highly threatened region, and emphasize the need to understand the interactions between area and edge effects on such diversity.
Gelechiid fauna of Baengnyeongdo, Daecheongdo, and Yeonpyeongdo in the West Sea near North Korea, with description of two new species (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea)
Authors: Bae Yang‐Seop , Lee Bong‐Woo , Park Kyu‐Tek
Published: January 2014

In the faunistic survey on three islands (Baengnyeongdo, Decheongdo, and Yeonpyeongdo) in the northern West Sea of the Korean Peninsula, 37 species of Gelechiidae (Gelechioidea) are recognized. Of them, Anarsia asymmetrodes Park, sp. nov. and Aristotelia nesiotatos Park, sp. nov. are described as new to science and Stenolechia kodamai Okada is reported for the first time in Korea.
Serum peptide mapping in gastric precancerous lesion and cancer
Authors: Li Peng , Ma Dan , Zhu Sheng Tao , Tang Xu Dong , Zhang Shu Tian
Published: January 2014

Objective

To construct and verify a diagnostic model using proteomic analysis of serum samples for identifying gastric precancerous lesions and gastric cancer (GC).

Methods

The serum samples from 25 patients with gastric precancerous lesions (chronic atrophic gastritis with mild to moderate dysplasia), 25 GC patients and 25 healthy controls were analyzed using matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF‐MS). Spectral peaks with significant difference among the groups were identified and used as a diagnostic model for detecting gastric precancerous lesions and GC. The serum peptide map model was validated using an independent sample set including 15 healthy volunteers, 15 precancerous and 15 GC patients.

Results

The spectral peaks for the peptides with mass‐to‐charge (m/z) values of 1741 and 4210 were the most significantly different among the three groups. The sensitivity of this diagnostic model for detecting healthy controls, patients with gastric precancerous lesions and patients with GC was 80.0% (12/15), 66.7% (10/15) and 66.7% (10/15) respectively, while the specificity was 66.7% (20/30), 73.3% (22/30) and 73.3% (22/30), respectively.

Conclusion

Our diagnostic model is useful for diagnosing gastric precancerous lesions and GC.
Respiratory‐gated PET/CT versus delayed images for the quantitative evaluation of lower pulmonary and hepatic lesions
Authors: Tahari Abdel K , Lodge Martin A , Wahl Richard L
Published: January 2014

Purpose

Respiratory motion degrades fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) images of the lower chest and upper abdomen, as the blur introduced by breathing motion increases the apparent size of the moving tumour lesions and decreases their apparent uptake, reducing the sensitivity of PET in detection of small lesions. We assessed the role of delayed and respiratory‐gated PET acquisition in the quantitative evaluation of lung and liver lesions.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of 64 lesions was performed. After initial non‐gated whole‐body PET/CT, respiratory gating was performed with 15 min in list mode. Non‐gated delayed images were obtained by summing all list mode data. SUVmax adjusted for lean body mass (SULmax) was measured in the initial whole‐body scan, the delayed non‐gated scans and the individual gated bins for each lesion. The axial z‐position of SULmax for each lesion in five respiratory‐gated bins was determined. The mean SUL of the non‐pathological liver parenchyma was also recorded for each patient.

Results

Tumour lesion SULmax increased by an average of 34% in the delayed non‐gated scan as compared with the whole‐body initial scan and further by an additional 17.2% in respiratory‐gated images. The maximum lesion displacement was 6.2 ± 5.0 mm.

Conclusion

Delayed imaging alone substantially increases the magnitude of the SUL of liver and lung lesions as compared with standard whole‐body images and may allow for a more accurate definition of the lesion's volume and localisation and improve tracer quantitation in malignant lesions in the lungs or upper abdomen. While respiratory gating provides more optimal imaging with greatest increase in SULmax, the benefit is small, and delayed imaging appears sufficient in most cases.
Conserved genetic regions across angiosperms as tools to develop single‐copy nuclear markers in gymnosperms: an example using cycads
Authors: Salas‐Leiva Dayana E. , Meerow Alan W. , Francisco‐Ortega Javier , Calonje Michael , Griffith M. Patrick , Stevenson Dennis W. , Nakamura Kyoko
Published: January 2014

Several individuals of the Caribbean Zamia clade and other cycad genera were used to identify single‐copy nuclear genes for phylogeographic and phylogenetic studies in Cycadales. Two strategies were employed to select target loci: (i) a tblastX search of Arabidopsis conserved ortholog sequence (COS) set and (ii) a tblastX search of Arabidopsis‐Populus‐Vitis‐Oryza Shared Single‐Copy genes (APVO SSC) against the EST Zamia databases in GenBank. From the first strategy, 30 loci were selected, and from the second, 16 loci. In both cases, the matching GenBank accessions of Zamia were used as a query for retrieving highly similar sequences from Cycas, Picea, Pinus species or Ginkgo biloba. After retrieving and aligning all the sequences in each locus, intron predictions were completed to assist in primer design. PCR was carried out in three rounds to detect paralogous loci. A total of 29 loci were successfully amplified as a single band of which 20 were likely single‐copy loci. These loci showed different diversity and divergence levels. A preliminary screening allowed us to select 8 promising loci (40S, ATG2, BG, GroES, GTP, LiSH, PEX4 and TR) for the Zamia pumila complex and 4 loci (COS26, GroES, GTP and HTS) for all other cycad genera.
Measuring telomere length and telomere dynamics in evolutionary biology and ecology
Authors: Nussey Daniel H. , Baird Duncan , Barrett Emma , Boner Winnie , Fairlie Jennifer , Gemmell Neil , Hartmann Nils , Horn Thorsten , Haussmann Mark , Olsson Mats , Turbill Chris , Verhulst Simon , Zahn Sandrine , Monaghan Pat
Published: January 2014

Telomeres play a fundamental role in the protection of chromosomal DNA and in the regulation of cellular senescence. Recent work in human epidemiology and evolutionary ecology suggests adult telomere length (TL) may reflect past physiological stress and predict subsequent morbidity and mortality, independent of chronological age.

Several different methods have been developed to measure TL, each offering its own technical challenges. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the advantages and drawbacks of each method for researchers, with a particular focus on issues that are likely to face ecologists and evolutionary biologists collecting samples in the field or in organisms that may never have been studied in this context before.

We discuss the key issues to consider and wherever possible try to provide current consensus view regarding best practice with regard to sample collection and storage, DNA extraction and storage, and the five main methods currently available to measure TL.

Decisions regarding which tissues to sample, how to store them, how to extract DNA, and which TL measurement method to use cannot be prescribed, and are dependent on the biological question addressed and the constraints imposed by the study system. What is essential for future studies of telomere dynamics in evolution and ecology is that researchers publish full details of their methods and the quality control thresholds they employ.
RangeShifter: a platform for modelling spatial eco‐evolutionary dynamics and species' responses to environmental changes
Authors: Bocedi Greta , Palmer Stephen C.F. , Pe'er Guy , Heikkinen Risto K. , Matsinos Yiannis G. , Watts Kevin , Travis Justin M.J.
Published: January 2014

Rapid environmental changes are threatening biodiversity and exposing species to novel ecological and evolutionary pressures. The scientific community increasingly recognizes the need for dynamic models integrating sufficient complexity both to improve our understanding of species' responses to environmental changes and to inform effective management strategies.

Using three illustrative examples, we introduce a novel modelling platform, RangeShifter, which integrates complex population dynamics and dispersal behaviour, includes plastic and evolutionary processes and simulates scenarios on spatially explicit landscapes. The software provides functionality for a wide variety of modelling applications ranging from applied questions, where it can be parameterized for real landscapes and species to compare alternative potential management interventions, to purely theoretical studies of species' eco‐evolutionary dynamics and responses to different environmental pressures.

RangeShifter provides an important tool for facilitating the advancement of ecological theory on species' spatial dynamics in response to environmental changes, and linking it directly to application in biodiversity conservation.
Norwegian survival prediction model in trauma: modelling effects of anatomic injury, acute physiology, age, and co‐morbidity
Authors: JONES J. M. , SKAGA N. O. , SØVIK S. , LOSSIUS H. M. , EKEN T.
Published: January 2014

Introduction

Anatomic injury, physiological derangement, age, and injury mechanism are well‐founded predictors of trauma outcome. We aimed to develop and validate the first Scandinavian survival prediction model for trauma.

Methods

Eligible were patients admitted to Oslo University Hospital Ullevål within 24 h after injury with Injury Severity Score ≥ 10, proximal penetrating injuries or received by a trauma team. The derivation dataset comprised 5363 patients (August 2000 to July 2006); the validation dataset comprised 2517 patients (August 2006 to July 2008). Exclusion because of missing data was < 1%. Outcome was 30‐day mortality. Logistic regression analysis incorporated fractional polynomial modelling and interaction effects. Model validation included a calibration plot, Hosmer–Lemeshow test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

Results

The new survival prediction model included the anatomic New Injury Severity Score (NISS), Triage Revised Trauma Score (T‐RTS, comprising Glascow Coma Scale score, respiratory rate, and systolic blood pressure), age, pre‐injury co‐morbidity scored according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification System (ASA‐PS), and an interaction term. Fractional polynomial analysis supported treating NISS and T‐RTS as linear functions and age as cubic. Model discrimination between survivors and non‐survivors was excellent. Area (95% confidence interval) under the ROC curve was 0.966 (0.959–0.972) in the derivation and 0.946 (0.930–0.962) in the validation dataset. Overall, low mortality and skewed survival probability distribution invalidated model calibration using the Hosmer–Lemeshow test.

Conclusions

The Norwegian survival prediction model in trauma (NORMIT) is a promising alternative to existing prediction models. External validation of the model in other trauma populations is warranted.
Certification and Neoliberal Governance: Moral Economies of Fair Trade in the Eastern Caribbean
Authors: Moberg Mark
Published: January 2014

Many consumers and food‐justice activists regard Fair Trade as a moral alternative to markets dominated by corporate agribusiness. Fair Trade frames producer–consumer relationships in the language of reciprocity and justice rather than the impersonal logic of the market. Despite its moral economy discourse, the movement embodies neoliberal assumptions that regulation and development should occur through the realm of consumer choice rather than state intervention. To receive the higher prices that Fair Trade promises, farmers are subject to certification processes that heavily regulate their planting practices and development priorities. Here I explore the contrasting views of economic morality held by Fair Trade organizations and Caribbean banana farmers. Farmers do not view Fair Trade in terms of the lofty values of social justice and reciprocity animating the movement's discourse. Rather, they operate with a working definition of economic morality similar to those elucidated by E. P. Thompson, James Scott, Marc Edelman, and others who have examined peasant and worker responses to injustice. From farmers’ points of view, compliance with Fair Trade certification should at least enable them to persist in agriculture. As Fair Trade prices have fallen while surveillance of their working lives has increased, many regard this notion of economic morality as increasingly violated.
Dupuytren's contracture: an analysis of outcomes of percutaneous needle fasciotomy versus open fasciectomy
Authors: Toppi Jason T. , Trompf Leisel , Smoll Nicolas R. , Lim Vivian , Smith Katrina , Findlay Michael W. , Hunter‐Smith David J.
Published: January 2014

Background

Percutaneous needle fasciotomy (PNF) is a minimally invasive technique used to manage Dupuytren's contracture. We compared outcomes of PNF versus open fasciectomy (OF) to examine the suitability of PNF in Australia.

Method

A retrospective cohort study using two questionnaires regarding Dupuytren's treatment was used to assess patients with uncomplicated primary disease. The primary outcomes were immediate and medium‐term correction of contracture (2‐year mean follow‐up to time of survey). Secondary outcomes were patient satisfaction and complications including tendon/nerve injury, infection, skin necrosis and vascular damage.

Results

One hundred fifty‐five out of 191 surveys were returned (81%). The final analysis included 125 cases (65%), 73 PNF and 52 OF. No significant differences were observed between both groups with regards to follow‐up time, gender, smoking status, co‐morbidities or preoperative deformity grade. No significant differences were observed in terms of immediate or medium‐term deformity correction, tendon/nerve injury or circulatory complications. The postoperative infection rate was higher with OF, with these patients 7.57 (95% confidence interval 1.56, 36.77; P = 0.01) times as likely to have a postoperative infection as patients undergoing PNF. A higher number of patients who underwent PNF were told that they would require another operation (30% versus 12%; P = 0.02). Satisfaction scores were similar (OF 33.2 versus PNF 32.6; P = 0.82).

Conclusion

The OF and PNF procedures provide comparable deformity correction for uncomplicated primary Dupuytren's disease in the immediate perioperative period. The reduced side effect profile of PNF should prompt surgeons to consider incorporating it in their practice for the first‐line management of uncomplicated primary Dupuytren's disease.
Clinical Outcomes Associated With Chronic Antimicrobial Suppression Therapy in Patients With Continuous‐Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices
Authors: Jennings Douglas L. , Chopra Anuvrat , Chambers Rachel , Morgan Jeffrey A.
Published: January 2014

This retrospective cohort study evaluates the effect of chronic antimicrobial suppression (CAS) therapy on clinical outcomes in patients with continuous‐flow left ventricular assist devices (CF‐LVADs) and a history of device‐related infection. Patients with CF‐LVAD implantation between January 2008 and August 2011 who received systemic CAS after index antibiotic treatment of a device‐related infection were included. Chronic suppression was defined as continuation of antibiotics for longer than 6 weeks after the index infection. Standard International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation definitions were used. The primary outcome is failure of CAS, defined as a clinical deterioration resulting in the need for transition from oral to intravenous (IV) therapy or a need to change to a different IV antibiotic, elevation to status 1A on the transplant list as a result of ongoing infection, or device/driveline exchange. Of 140 patients screened, 16 patients were included (69% male, 63% African American, median age 52 years). The driveline was the most common site of infection (69%). Organisms isolated included Gram‐positive cocci (n = 7), Gram‐negative bacilli (n = 10), and Candida (n = 1). Oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole treatment was most commonly used for suppression (37.5%). Failure of CAS occurred in 5/16 (31%) patients after a mean time of 175 days on therapy (range 10–598). The majority of failures (60%) required device exchanges. Side effects of nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea were reported in three patients; all required changes in oral suppression regimen. Clostridium difficile infection was noted in two patients. These results, which must be confirmed by a larger analysis, suggest that one‐third of CF‐LVAD patients may develop recurrent infections while on CAS therapy.