bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
No evidence that gut microbiota impose a net cost on their butterfly host
Authors: Ravenscraft Alison , Kish Nicole , Peay Kabir , Boggs Carol
Published: February 2019

Gut microbes are believed to play a critical role in most animal life, yet fitness effects and cost–benefit trade‐offs incurred by the host are poorly understood. Unlike most hosts studied to date, butterflies largely acquire their nutrients from larval feeding, leaving relatively little opportunity for nutritive contributions by the adult's microbiota. This provides an opportunity to measure whether hosting gut microbiota comes at a net nutritional price. Because host and bacteria may compete for sugars, we hypothesized that gut flora would be nutritionally neutral to adult butterflies with plentiful food, but detrimental to semistarved hosts, especially when at high density. We held field‐caught adult Speyeria mormonia under abundant or restricted food conditions. Because antibiotic treatments did not generate consistent variation in their gut microbiota, we used interindividual variability in bacterial loads and operational taxonomic unit abundances to examine correlations between host fitness and the abdominal microbiota present upon natural death. We detected strikingly few relationships between microbial flora and host fitness. Neither total bacterial load nor the abundances of dominant bacterial taxa were related to butterfly fecundity, egg mass or egg chemical content. Increased abundance of a Commensalibacter species did correlate with longer host life span, while increased abundance of a Rhodococcus species correlated with shorter life span. Contrary to our expectations, these relationships were unchanged by food availability to the host and were unrelated to reproductive output. Our results suggest the butterfly microbiota comprises parasitic, commensal and beneficial taxa that together do not impose a net reproductive cost, even under caloric stress.
Towards a systematic understanding of structure–function relationship of dimethylsulfoniopropionate‐catabolizing enzymes
Authors: Chen Yin , Schäfer Hendrik
Published: February 2019

Each year, several million tons of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) are produced by marine phytoplankton and bacteria as an important osmolyte to regulate their cellular osmosis. Microbial breakdown of DMSP to the volatile gas dimethylsulfide (DMS) plays an important role in global biogeochemical cycles of the sulphur element between land and the sea. Understanding the enzymes involved in the transformation of DMSP and DMS holds the key to a better understanding of oceanic DMSP cycles. Recent work by Shao et al. (2019) has resolved the crystal structure of two important enzymes, DmdB and DmdC, involved in DMSP transformation through the demethylation pathway. Their work represents an important step towards a systematic understanding of the structure–function relationships of DMSP‐catabolizing enzymes in marine microbes.
The Effect of Task Conflict on Relationship Quality: The Mediating Role of Relational Behavior
Authors: Lu Wenxue , Guo Wenqian
Published: February 2019

Previous studies have paid insufficient attention to how interorganizational task conflict affects relationship quality between parties. On the basis of survey data from the construction industry, this study explores the impact of interorganizational task conflict on relationship quality and the mediating role of relational behavior. The empirical results reveal that task conflict affects relationship quality (including satisfaction, trust, and commitment) negatively. Relational behavior has three dimensions: flexibility, information exchange, and solidarity. Information exchange partially mediates the effect of task conflict on satisfaction, trust, and commitment; solidarity plays a partial mediating role in the impact of task conflict on trust and commitment; and flexibility only mediates the impact of task conflict on satisfaction partially. Relational behavior in accordance with relational norms can partially account for the impact of interorganizational task conflict on relationship quality. This paper also provides practical guidance for construction practitioners.
Muscle MRI findings in herpes zoster‐associated brachial plexopathy
Authors: Miyaue Noriyuki , Yabe Hayato
Published: February 2019

A 70‐year‐old woman presented at our hospital with difficulty in raising the left arm. Two months previously, she developed vesicular rash and pain in the left shoulder and was diagnosed with herpes zoster. Muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed increased diffusion‐weighted image (DWI) signal intensity in the left supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and subscapularis muscles. After steroid therapy, her muscle strength showed complete clinical recovery and a follow‐up MRI showed a remarkable reduction in DWI hyperintensity in the left shoulder girdle muscles. Muscle MRI findings could be useful to diagnose lesions and evaluate progression in cases presenting focal weakness associated with herpes zoster.
Foliar uptake of atmospheric nitrate by two dominant subalpine plants: insights from in situ triple‐isotope analysis
Authors: Bourgeois Ilann , Clément Jean‐Christophe , Caillon Nicolas , Savarino Joël
Published: February 2019

The significance of foliar uptake of nitrogen (N) compounds in natural conditions is not well understood, despite growing evidence of its importance to plant nutrition. In subalpine meadows, N‐limitation fosters the dominance of specific subalpine plant species, which in turn ensures the provision of essential ecosystems services. Understanding how these plants absorb N and from which sources is important in predicting ecological consequences of increasing N deposition.

Here, we investigate the sources of N to plants from subalpine meadows with distinct land‐use history in the French Alps, using the triple isotopes (Δ17O, δ18O, and δ15N) of plant tissue nitrate (NO3−). We use this approach to evaluate the significance of foliar uptake of atmospheric NO3− (NO3−atm).

The foliar uptake of NO3−atm accounted for 4–16% of the leaf NO3− content, and contributed more to the leaf NO3− pool after peak biomass. Additionally, the gradual 15N enrichment of NO3− from the soil to the leaves reflected the contribution of NO3−atm assimilation to plants’ metabolism.

The present study confirms that foliar uptake is a potentially important pathway for NO3−atm into subalpine plants. This is of major significance as N emissions (and deposition) are predicted to increase globally in the future.
Preface to COAST 2018 Innovators’ Workshop: Bridging the biology and technology gap in orthodontics and craniofacial care
Authors: Iwasaki Laura R. , Covell David A. , Frazier‐Bowers Sylvia A. , Huja Sarandeep S. , Kapila Sunil , Nickel Jeff C.
Published: February 2019

Structured Abstract

Objective

A third focused workshop explored how to transfer novel findings into clinical orthodontic practice.

Setting and sample population

Participants met at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort, 12‐16 September 2018 for the Consortium for Orthodontic Advances in Science and Technology 2018 Innovators’ Workshop. Thirty speakers and four lunch‐hour focus group leaders shared and exchanged information with approximately 45 registered attendees.

Material and methods

This Innovators’ Workshop was organized according to five themed sessions which covered: (a) The relevance of genetics, biology and environment to therapeutic outcomes; (b) Application of bioinformatics in craniofacial research; (c) Regeneration with and for orthodontic treatment; (d) Technology in precision orthodontics; and (e) Muscle, joint, and airway: Growth, function and pain.

Results

The papers that comprise this supplemental issue exemplify the important outcomes of the 2018 COAST Workshop. In addition, matters identified as important needs include improved understanding of neural, skeletal and muscle tissue crosstalk in early craniofacial growth; standardized methods for three‐dimensional radiographic and surface landmark and reference plane identification, measurements and serial superimpositioning techniques for use in the clinic; sharing and making available existing data sets (eg, cone beam computed tomography images, genotype‐phenotype data); evidence of the usefulness and effectiveness of new devices; guidelines of what to measure to characterize the airway; more information about the influences of the soft tissues on craniofacial morphology; and information about effective digital work flows applied to clinical and educational settings.

Conclusions

Progress in bridging the biology‐technology gap has identified new needs for improvements in orthodontics and craniofacial care.
Relationships of maxillofacial morphology and malocclusion with handgrip strength in adult women
Authors: Nakagawa Shoko , Maeda‐Iino Aya , Miyawaki Shouichi
Published: February 2019

Structured Abstract

Objectives

Maxillofacial morphology and malocclusion are related to maximum occlusal force (MOF). Although it has been reported that MOF was related to handgrip strength (HS), the relationships between maxillofacial morphology/malocclusion and HS remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the relationships between maxillofacial morphology, malocclusion and HS.

Setting and sample population

Eighty‐five women with malocclusion, aged 18‐40 years, were selected.

Materials and methods

Lateral cephalometric radiographs (SNA, SNB, ANB, mandibular plane‐FH, and gonial angles, overjet and overbite), the Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) index and HS were measured. Subjects were classified by the Japanese normal mean value of cephalometric analysis or the reference value which was defined by degree of malocclusion in each PAR index measurement item (small/low: value < mean/reference value, large/high: value ≧ mean/reference value). Measurements were then compared between groups.

Results

HS of the large‐gonial angle group was lower than that of the small‐gonial angle group. In the small‐overbite group or high‐transverse (PAR index score showing crossbite/scissor bite in the canine and molars) group, HS in the large‐gonial angle group was significantly lower than that in the small‐gonial angle group.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that gonial angle is the largest factor affecting HS. HS may be especially low in those subjects with a large gonial angle and a small overbite or a crossbite/scissor bite in the molar section.
Subset of CD8+ and FOXP3 + T cells in lichen planus associated with chronic hepatitis C infection
Authors: de Camargo Alessandra Rodrigues , Tenório Jefferson Rocha , Martins Fabiana , Grando Liliane Janete , Corrêa Esther Buzaglo Dantas , Trierveiler Marília , Ortega Karem L.
Published: February 2019

Objective

To verify whether there are differences between populations of CD8 + and FoxP3 + T cells in lesions of oral lichen planus associated with hepatitis C virus chronic infection (OLP‐HCV) and lesions of idiopathic oral lichen planus (OLP‐I).

Materials and Methods

A case–control study was performed using a convenience sample of 11 paraffin‐embedded tissue blocks of OLP‐HCV and 19 of OLP‐I. Histological sections stained with haematoxylin and eosin were used to classify the intensity of inflammatory infiltrate. Immunohistochemistry was used to identify CD8 + and FoxP3 + T cells. The count of positive cells was compared between the two groups and correlated to clinical and demographic data (p < 0.05).

Results

There were no statistically significant differences in the distribution of CD8 + and FoxP3 + T cells regarding the inflammatory infiltrate in lesions of OLP‐HCV and OLP‐I. Atrophic/erosive lesions showed a higher relationship between counts of CD8/FoxP3 T cells per mm2 (p = 0.018) and counts of CD8 + T cells per mm2 (p = 0.034) in OLP‐HCV group compared to OLP‐I group.

Conclusion

Overall, no difference was found between cell populations in the lesions of OLP‐HCV and OLP‐I. However, atrophic/erosive lesions of OLP‐HCV had a higher amount of CD8 + T cells and lower FoxP3 expression.
Is orofacial pain a pain in the neck?
Authors: Travers A. , Feinberg L. , O'Neill F.
Published: February 2019

Acute orofacial pain in the head and neck region is a common complaint; however it can be a diagnostic challenge due to the anatomical complexities in this region, sometimes making the origin of pain difficult to source. Accurate diagnosis relies on a systematic evaluation of the patient's pain history, medical factors and clinical signs and symptoms. An assessment of the patient's cervical musculoskeletal system is often overlooked but can provide important diagnostic information.
The utility of the pretracheal stethoscope in detecting ventilatory abnormalities during propofol sedation in children
Authors: Boriosi Juan P. , Zhao Qianqian , Preston Ashley , Hollman Gregory A.
Published: February 2019

Background

Monitoring of ventilation with capnography or a stethoscope is recommended because the detection of ventilatory abnormalities can be significantly delayed by the use of pulse oximetry alone in patients receiving supplemental oxygen. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the pretracheal stethoscope with pulse oximetry and capnography in detecting adverse respiratory events during propofol sedation in nonintubated children. We hypothesized that use of the pretracheal stethoscope would facilitate earlier detection of adverse respiratory events.

Methods

This was a prospective observational study of children undergoing procedural sedation at a pediatric sedation program. A pretracheal stethoscope, pulse oximetry, and nasal capnography were attached at the discretion of the sedation nurse and provider to monitor ventilation.

Results

We enrolled 104 patient encounters (mean recorded time, SD 8.3 ± 5.3 minutes) from February, 2015 to March, 2017. The pretracheal stethoscope was the first monitor to detect adverse events in 64% (25/39) of patients compared to 18% (7/39) for capnography and 15% (6/39) for pulse oximetry. Auscultation performed best at detecting upper airway obstruction but capnography and pulse oximetry performed best at detecting hypoventilation. The positive predictive value for detecting a true ventilation abnormality and 95% CI of the pretracheal stethoscope, pulse oximetry, and capnography was 100% (90%‐100%), 18% (10%‐31%), and 27% (18%‐38%), respectively. The negative predictive value and 95% CI of the pretracheal stethoscope, pulse oximetry, and capnography was 88% (82%‐92%), 68% (59%‐75%), and 70% (61%‐78%), respectively. Limitations are short observation time, nonstandardized application of respiratory monitors, and too much focus on auscultation.

Conclusion

A pretracheal stethoscope in conjunction with capnography and pulse oximetry detects most sedation‐related adverse events first. Auscultation performed best at detecting upper airway obstruction but capnography and pulse oximetry performed best at detecting hypoventilation.
Different roles of shared and vertical leadership in promoting team creativity: Cultivating and synthesizing team members’ individual creativity
Authors: He Wei , Hao Po , Huang Xu , Long Li‐Rong , Hiller Nathan J. , Li Shao‐Long
Published: February 2019

Drawing on the componential model of creativity (Amabile), we examined how shared leadership and a formally appointed leader's transformational leadership jointly cultivate team creativity in two studies. We conducted an experiment with a sample of 109 undergraduate students (32 teams) enrolled in a business plan competition (Study 1) and a field survey based on multisource, time‐lagged data collected from 251 full‐time employees working on 64 research and development teams (Study 2). The results from both studies revealed that shared leadership enhanced team members’ individual creative self‐efficacy and individual creativity, which in turn improved team creativity. Moreover, the results from Study 2 showed that a formally appointed leader's use of different transformational leadership behaviors had different impacts on individual and team creativity. Individual‐focused transformational leadership strengthened the positive effect of shared leadership on team members’ average individual creativity, whereas group‐focused transformational leadership facilitated the translation of teams with high average individual creativity into teams with high levels of team creativity. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Reconceptualizing adult attachment relationships: A network perspective
Authors: McWilliams Lachlan A. , Fried Eiko I.
Published: February 2019

This article explores attachment relationships from a network theory perspective: Correlations among behaviors, beliefs, and feelings related to attachment are hypothesized to stem from causal relations. The authors used two data sets that assessed relationships with four attachment figures (mother, father, romantic partner, and best friend) using the Relationship Structures Questionnaire. Separate networks (Gaussian Graphical Models) were estimated based on 10 items for each attachment figure. Across networks in Study 1 (N = 310), items related to anxiety, seeking support, and discomfort disclosing feelings clustered with other items from their respective domains; a trust‐related item bridged the clusters. Study 2 replicated these findings in a larger and more diverse sample (N = 3,710). The potential of network analysis for advancing the study of attachment is discussed.
Psychophysiological treatment outcomes: Corticotropin‐releasing factor type 1 receptor antagonist increases inhibition of fear‐potentiated startle in PTSD patients
Authors: Jovanovic Tanja , Duncan Erica J. , Kaye Joanna , Garza Kristie , Norrholm Seth D. , Inslicht Sabra S. , Neylan Thomas C. , Mathew Sanjay J. , Iosifescu Dan , Rothbaum Barbara O. , Mayberg Helen S. , Dunlop Boadie W.
Published: February 2019

After exposure to a traumatic event, a subset of people develop post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One of the key deficits in PTSD is regulation of fear, and impaired inhibition of fear‐potentiated startle (FPS) has been identified as a potential physiological biomarker specific to PTSD. As part of a larger clinical trial, this study investigated the effects of a CRF receptor 1 antagonist, GSK561679, on inhibition of fear‐potentiated startle during a conditional discrimination fear‐conditioning paradigm, termed AX+/BX−. Prior research using this paradigm has demonstrated deficits in inhibition of conditioned fear in several PTSD populations. The randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial compared fear inhibition between female PTSD participants taking 350 mg/day GSK561679 (n = 47 pre‐ and 29 post‐treatment) and patients taking a placebo pill (n = 52 pre‐ and 30 post‐treatment) daily for 6 weeks. There was no significant difference between the two groups in their acquisition of fear or discrimination between threat and safety cues, and no pre–post‐treatment effect on these measures. However, there was a significant effect of treatment on inhibition of FPS during the AB trials in the AX+/BX− transfer test (p < 0.05). While all PTSD participants showed typical impairments in fear inhibition prior to treatment, GSK561679 enhanced fear inhibition post‐treatment, independent of clinical effects. The current study suggests that CRF receptor 1 antagonism may have specific effects within neural circuitry mediating fear inhibition responses, but not overall symptom presentation, in PTSD.
A Pragmatic Reconstruction of Law’s Claim to Authority
Authors: Spector Horacio
Published: February 2019

Raz holds thatnecessarilyall legal authorities, evende factoauthorities, make a claim to legitimate authority. He does not say that legitimacy is a necessary property of law. This view, which I call theclaim view, constitutes my focal point in this paper. Many commentators have criticized this view. I discuss and dismiss three critiques of the claim view: theverification critique(the claim view is not empirically confirmed), thelegalistic critique(law claims legal authority, not moral authority), and thesemantic critique(legal obligations are semantically distinct from moral obligations).I submit that Raz equates the meaning of legal duties with that of moral duties and yet denies that legal statements entail moral propositions. In other words, I distinguish thesemantic identity thesisfrom thesemantic entailment thesis. Instead of a semantic interpretation of the claim view, I defend a presuppositional ascription of a general claim to moral authority to authoritative duty‐imposing and normatively committed uses of legal language by official spokesmen. I show that law’s claim to authority does not prove the truth of the sources thesis, because conceptual confusion or insincerity can affect the epistemic reliability of the propositions embodied in the claim, and because blatant immorality can altogether cancel law’s pragmatically presupposed claim to moral authority. I also argue that the claim view can only warrant two qualified versions of exclusive legal positivism, one of which is almost tautological, the other self‐contradictory. Finally, I suggest that exclusive legal positivism cannot be defended on conceptual grounds.
Whose Constitution? Constitutional Self‐Determination and Generational Change
Authors: Tremmel Jörg
Published: February 2019

Constitutions enshrine the fundamental values of a people and they build a framework for a state’s public policy. With regard to generational change, their endurance gives rise to two interlinked concerns: the sovereignty concern and the forgone welfare concern. If constitutions are intergenerational contracts, how (in)flexible should they be? This article discusses perpetual constitutions, sunset constitutions, constitutional reform commissions, and constitutional conventions, both historically and analytically. It arrives at the conclusion that very rigid constitutions are incompatible with the principle of intergenerational justice. Recurring constitutional reform commissions at fixed intervals would give each generation of citizens a say without leaning too much on the side of flexibility.
Legal Hypocrisy
Authors: Yankah Ekow N.
Published: February 2019

Accusations of hypocrisy in law and politics typically invoke hypocrisy as a personal failing. This locution misses the much more dangerous way laws and legal institutions themselves can be hypocritical. Hypocrisy can be equally revealed when an institution not only deceives another but acts against its avowed values or does not act in ways required by the values professed. Thus, legal actors, institutions, and norms can, in their institutional role, act against the values they avow, displaying legal hypocrisy. By avowing attractive values while acting in ways that undermine those values, laws and legal institutions victimize citizens to achieve goals that could not be openly justified. In doing so, hypocritical laws not only harm their victims but, by obscuring the injury, undermine the victim’s ability to call the law into account. Hypocrisy is important to highlight precisely because it suffocates the voice of its victims. Because hypocrisy takes advantage of a person while only pretending to justify one’s actions, hypocrisy not only harms citizens but treats them with a form of contempt. The vicious irony is that hypocrisy in the law not only harms its “direct victims” but ultimately undermines the very rule of law.
Do Property–Casualty Insurance Firms Locate to Minimize Insurance Premium Taxes?
Authors: Grace Martin F. , Sjoquist David L.
Published: February 2019

States levy insurance premium taxes, which are essentially gross receipt taxes on premiums, with insurance companies paying the higher of the tax rate in the state in which the company is domiciled and the state in which the policy is written. Using firm‐level data for the property–casualty (P‐C) insurance industry, we estimate the extra insurance premium tax that P‐C insurance firms pay by not locating in the state that minimizes their insurance premium taxes. We find that only 4.78 percent of P‐C firms are located in the state that minimizes their insurance premium taxes. We explore the relationship between the extra tax paid and other factors that are thought to be associated with firm location choice. We find that P‐C firms appear to trade off higher taxes to locate in a state that is more urban.
Big Data and Dahl’s Challenge of Democratic Governance
Authors: Ingrams Alex
Published: February 2019

Big data applications have been acclaimed as potentially transformative for the public sector. But, despite this acclaim, most theory of big data is narrowly focused around technocratic goals. The conceptual frameworks that situate big data within democratic governance systems recognizing the role of citizens are still missing. This paper explores the democratic governance impacts of big data in three policy areas using Robert Dahl’s dimensions of control and autonomy. Key impacts and potential tensions are highlighted. There is evidence of impacts on both dimensions, but the dimensions conflict as well as align in notable ways and focused policy efforts will be needed to find a balance.
Hours Worked in Europe and the United States: New Data, New Answers*
Authors: Bick Alexander , Brüggemann Bettina , Fuchs‐Schündeln Nicola
Published: February 2019

We use national labor force surveys from 1983 to 2015 to construct hours worked per person on the aggregate level and for different demographic groups for 18 European countries and the United States. We apply a harmonization procedure to measure hours worked consistently across countries and over time. In the recent cross‐section, Europeans work 14 percent fewer hours than US Americans. Differences in weeks worked and in the educational composition each account for one quarter to one half of this gap. In addition, lower hours worked per person than in the United States are driven by lower weekly hours worked in Scandinavia and Western Europe, but by lower employment rates in Eastern and Southern Europe.
Behavioral Effects of Withholding Taxes on Labor Supply*
Authors: Becker Johannes , Fooken Jonas , Steinhoff Melanie
Published: February 2019

In most advanced economies, income tax collection uses third‐party withholding for wage income. Because withholding taxes do not necessarily reflect true effective taxes, these may give false signals of net‐of‐tax pay. We test labor supply responses to such misconceptions using laboratory experiments. Withholding taxes (and the resulting tax refunds) should be behaviorally neutral, but our results show that tax adjustments lead to effort adjustments, which suggests that withholding blurs tax incentives. While there is no statistically significant response in the overall sample, the participants in the subgroup who self‐assess to be motivated by monetary incentives (about half of the total sample) reduce their effort in response to withholding taxes and increase their effort after receiving tax refunds.
Race, Income, and Environmental Inequality in the U.S. States, 1990–2014
Authors: Salazar Debra J. , Clauson Stacy , Abel Troy D. , Clauson Aran
Published: February 2019

Objective

To examine state‐level environmental inequality trends over time by constructing a new, longitudinal data set and comparing change in environmental and economic inequality.

Methods

We use Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) RSEI (Risk‐Screening Environmental Indicator) database to create measures of exposure to industrial air toxins and inequality in exposure by race and poverty status. Measures were calculated for each of three periods: 1990–1994, 2000–2004, and 2010–2014.

Results

Exposure declined but inequality persisted. The geographic patterns displayed by race‐ and poverty‐related environmental inequality differ. But, states with higher levels of race‐based inequality had higher levels of exposure. Poverty‐based environmental and economic inequality exhibited a moderate, positive relation that was spatially patterned.

Conclusion

While environmental quality improved, we saw little progress in reducing environmental inequality. Though both race‐ and poverty‐based inequality remain, they result from different mechanisms. Future research should examine the relations between deindustrialization and economic, environmental, and political inequality.
Collectivizers in Italian (and beyond). The interplay between collectivizing and evaluating morphology (and the Div paradox)
Authors: Franco Ludovico , Baldi Benedetta , Savoia Leonardo M.
Published: February 2019

In this work, we show thatcollectivizersare in a sort of complementary distribution with singulatives, and that the same grammatical devices employed to convey a singulative meaning, namely evaluative morphology and gender shift, are in fact used also for collectivization purposes. On the basis of these empirical observations, it is tempting to assume that they share the same morphosyntactic workspace (Chomsky et al. 2018), weakening the Div hypothesis of Borer (2005). Based on morphosyntactic evidence, we argue that the very concept of a divider in the grammar of natural languages is far from being a realistic tool. This conclusion is supported by the observation that a full array of different class(ifying) specifications, including the whole set of the evaluative spectrum (diminutives, augmentatives, pejoratives, etc.) enter the syntactic computation to restrict the semantic shape, as well as the argumental variable of the root. In the case of collectivizers, they introduce an aggregate‐like reading not only applying to individual roots but also to mass roots or adjectival and verbal roots, suggesting that a richer and subtler set of interpretive properties comes into play.
Harvesting European knowledge on soil functions and land management using multi‐criteria decision analysis
Authors: Bampa Francesca , O'Sullivan Lilian , Madena Kirsten , Sandén Taru , Spiegel Heide , Henriksen Christian Bugge , Ghaley Bhim Bahadur , Jones Arwyn , Staes Jan , Sturel Sylvain , Trajanov Aneta , Creamer Rachel E. , Debeljak Marko
Published: February 2019

Soil and its ecosystem functions play a societal role in securing sustainable food production while safeguarding natural resources. A functional land management framework has been proposed to optimize the agro‐environmental outputs from the land and specifically the supply and demand of soil functions such as (a) primary productivity, (b) carbon sequestration, (c) water purification and regulation, (d) biodiversity and (e) nutrient cycling, for which soil knowledge is essential. From the outset, the LANDMARK multi‐actor research project integrates harvested knowledge from local, national and European stakeholders to develop such guidelines, creating a sense of ownership, trust and reciprocity of the outcomes. About 470 stakeholders from five European countries participated in 32 structured workshops covering multiple land uses in six climatic zones. The harmonized results include stakeholders’ priorities and concerns, perceptions on soil quality and functions, implementation of tools, management techniques, indicators and monitoring, activities and policies, knowledge gaps and ideas. Multi‐criteria decision analysis was used for data analysis. Two qualitative models were developed using Decision EXpert methodology to evaluate “knowledge” and “needs”. Soil quality perceptions differed across workshops, depending on the stakeholder level and regionally established terminologies. Stakeholders had good inherent knowledge about soil functioning, but several gaps were identified. In terms of critical requirements, stakeholders defined high technical, activity and policy needs in (a) financial incentives, (b) credible information on improving more sustainable management practices, (c) locally relevant advice, (d) farmers’ discussion groups, (e) training programmes, (f) funding for applied research and monitoring, and (g) strengthening soil science in education.
Discovery of HLA‐B*58:74, a novel HLA‐B*58 variant, in Singaporean Chinese individuals
Authors: Cho Louise , Kaur Ashminder , Cereb Nezih , Lin Py‐Yu , Yang Kuo‐Liang
Published: February 2019

Nucleotide substitutions at residues 105 and 106 of HLA‐B*58:01:01:01 result in a novel allele, HLA‐B*58:74.
Re‐targeting of a plant defense protease by a cyst nematode effector
Authors: Pogorelko Gennady V. , Juvale Parijat S. , Rutter William B. , Hütten Marion , Maier Thomas R. , Hewezi Tarek , Paulus Judith , van der Hoorn Renier AL , Grundler Florian MW , Siddique Shahid , Lionetti Vincenzo , Zabotina Olga A. , Baum Thomas J.
Published: February 2019

Plants mount defense responses during pathogen attacks, and robust host defense suppression by pathogen effector proteins is essential for infection success. 4E02 is an effector of the sugar beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii. Arabidopsis thaliana lines expressing the effector‐coding sequence showed altered expression levels of defense response genes, as well as higher susceptibility to both the biotroph H. schachtii and the necrotroph Botrytis cinerea, indicating a potential suppression of defenses by 4E02. Yeast two‐hybrid analyses showed that 4E02 targets A. thaliana vacuolar papain‐like cysteine protease (PLCP) ‘Responsive to Dehydration 21A’ (RD21A), which has been shown to function in the plant defense response. Activity‐based protein profiling analyses documented that the in planta presence of 4E02 does not impede enzymatic activity of RD21A. Instead, 4E02 mediates a re‐localization of this protease from the vacuole to the nucleus and cytoplasm, which is likely to prevent the protease from performing its defense function and at the same time, brings it in contact with novel substrates. Yeast two‐hybrid analyses showed that RD21A interacts with multiple host proteins including enzymes involved in defense responses as well as carbohydrate metabolism. In support of a role in carbohydrate metabolism of RD21A after its effector‐mediated re‐localization, we observed cell wall compositional changes in 4E02 expressing A. thaliana lines. Collectively, our study shows that 4E02 removes RD21A from its defense‐inducing pathway and repurposes this enzyme by targeting the active protease to different cell compartments.
Mitogenomic phylogeny of Nassarius (Gastropoda: Neogastropoda)
Authors: Yang Yi , Li Qi , Kong Lingfeng , Yu Hong
Published: February 2019

Nassariids (Family Nassariidae) are a group of marine snails that are distributed worldwide, with their maximum species diversity in tropical regions, particularly the Indo‐Pacific. However, the traditional taxonomy of Nassariidae defined by shell or radula characters is usually inconsistent with little phylogenetic signal. In the present study, the complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes of nine Nassarius species were sequenced and compared with other eight nassariid species previously reported. All nassariid mt genomes showed the same gene order as in most caenogastropods and shared a very similar pattern with respect to genome size, nucleotide composition and AT contents. A deletion of three nucleotides in nad6 gene was detected in Nassarius jacksonianus and Nassarius acuticostus, and this feature also provided implications for nassariid phylogeny. The genetic distance analysis and reconstructed phylogeny revealed a distant relationship between N. jacksonianus or N. acuticostus and other members in Nassarius. The mitogenomic phylogeny recovered the evolutionary relationships within Nassarius with high statistical support. In addition, a chronogram was reconstructed under an uncorrelated relaxed molecular clock, which dated the divergence among main lineages of Nassarius during ~31 MYA.
Metabolomic profiling of serum in aging mice supplemented with tocotrienol-rich fraction for identification of female reproductive aging biomarkers
Authors: Aziz Norrabiátul Adawiyah , Mohamad Fathimah , Lay Kek Teh , Abdul Satar Nuraliza
Published: February 2019

Ovarian aging has been associated with increased oxidative stress leading to loss of ovarian function and infertility. Tocotrienol, a potent antioxidant, has been proven to exert beneficial effects in the female reproductive system. Serum metabolites were analyzed to examine the biochemical changes and to identify biomarkers related to reproductive aging that could lead to poor embryo quality and development. Female Mus musculus mice were divided into four groups. Six-month-old mice were given tocopherol-stripped corn oil as a vehicle control while other groups were supplemented orally with tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) at doses of 90, 120, and 150 mg/kg bodyweight for two months, respectively. After two months, mice from all groups were super ovulated, and euthanized. Embryos were collected at the 2-cell stage and cultured to monitor their development while serum was used for metabolomic analysis. The percentage of normal embryos and development of embryos to blastocyst stage were significantly higher in groups supplemented with TRF. A total of 71 metabolites that are related to reproductive aging were identified in all groups and significant changes were detected in metabolic pathways that include fatty acids, amino acids metabolism and steroid hormone biosynthesis. These changes suggest that aging has a negative impact on cellular energy storage, energy metabolism and oxidative stress that subsequently affect female fertility. Supplementation with TRF prevented the impact of age related metabolic changes on the embryo. Thus, it appears that TRF exerts a protective mechanism towards female reproductive aging.
Osteoblast adhesion and proliferation on porous chitosan/polycaprolactone scaffolds for bone tissue engineering application
Authors: Mad Jin Rashid , Sultana Naznin
Published: February 2019

Tissue engineering is an evolving technique to reduce the limitations of the bone graft. It provides diversity to improve the healing process of bone fractures and defect by combining the use of 3D scaffolds, healing promoting factors, gene therapy and different drugs. Flexibility to use a different technique to fabricate scaffolds lead to the new insight into bone healing future. A bone graft is defined as promoted bone healing through osteogenesis, osteoinduction, and osteoconduction by the implanted material alone or with other materials. Ideal bone graft depends on several factors such as biomechanical characteristic, tissue viability, the morphological structure as well as biological characteristics. In this work, we have investigated adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of poly (ɛ-caprolactone) / chitosan scaffolds with the incorporation of hydroxyapatite and tetracycline HCl on normal human osteoblast cells. Both of the polymers were blended without a cross-linking agent to form porous scaffolds by freeze-drying technique. From the results, it was observed that the compressive modulus increased from 4.0 MPa to 12.5 MPa and the yield strength increased from 0.48 MPa to 0.75 MPa for the PCL/CS scaffold and nHA/PCL/CS scaffold, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy study revealed that the cells successfully adhered to the surface of scaffolds after 24 hours incubation. Proliferation analysis exhibited the increasing trend of growth of cells. This study indicated that the scaffold fabricated using this technique was able to promote adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of normal human osteoblast cells.
Cloze Test and C-test Revisited: Appraising Collocational Competence on Second Language Learners’ Performance
Authors: Hajebi Mustapha , Zarei Hosna
Published: February 2019

The current study tried to investigate the particular role of the text in EFL learners’ performance on three types of tests, i.e. cloze test, C-test and open-ended test. This study aimed at comparing three test types of cloze test, C-test and open-ended test in measuring collocational knowledge of Iranian EFL learners. This was a quantitative research. This type of research placed more emphases on collecting data in the form of numbers. To this end, 84 Persian EFL learners were selected. They were both male and female with intermediate and advanced proficiency groups. The results showed that advanced participants in all of these three tests performed much more efficiently compared to their intermediate peers and indicated more collocational competence. The findings of this study had some implications for language learners, EFL instructors and material developers.
Street Homes and Its Security Implications in Kumasi Metropolis-Ghana
Authors: Azumah Francess Dufie
Published: February 2019

The study sought to identify the risk factors associated with street homes and the security implications of street homes. The study adopted a social survey design where a probability sampling, specifically the systematic sampling and simple random sampling techniques were used to select 200 respondents consisting of 120 children who lived in street homes, 60 parents who stayed in street homes and 20 police personnel. Interview questionnaire was the main tool for the data collection. Quantitative approach was used for the data analysis. The study found that risk factors associated with street homes included; victims of rape and sexual assault, engagement in all social vices, school drop-out, engagement in child labour, health problems, teenage pregnancy, victim of child prostitution, engagement in robbery and stealing, engagement in drug addiction, environmental pollution and influence by bad peers. Security personnel considered street homes as a major national security threat which had many security implications in the country; hence the researcher recommended that government should provide accommodation for parent/s who live in street homes with their family.
Culture Communication: Is an Effective Support for Conflict Resolution and Peace Process in Myanmar?
Authors: Zaw Hsu Thiri
Published: February 2019

Culture is a system of shared belief and customs in the society. In other way, culture is the symbol of the life of people. Myanmar and its citizen has suffered the trauma of ethnic conflicts throughout the history since 1948. The governments of Myanmar throughout the times have also been finding the solution for conflict resolution and peace process based on the political approach. Now, it is the time for considering about an alternative approach to conflict resolution and peace process based on the culture which is the symbol of the people. The study aims to provide the new interpretation in completing conflict resolution by Myanmar government and a kind of support that can reveal the hidden and being forgotten cultures and identities of ethnic minority groups in Myanmar based on cultural communication. The researcher made two group discussions with ethnic people in two ethnic regions of Myanmar and had in-depth conversation for detailed facts and information. The research mainly presents the impact of culture communication as a better tool for conflict resolution and peace process based on the real voices of ethnic people.
The Examination of 5-6 Year-Old Children’s Ability to Use Simple Maps
Authors: Dibek Esin , Özdemir Atiye Adak , Güven Yıldız
Published: February 2019

The main purpose of this study was to assess children’s skill in using a simple map. The study was conducted among 262 children (141 girls and 121 boys), aged between 61-78 months (average 71 months), attending to 4 public pre-schools in Istanbul, Turkey. The simple map skills (requiring mental rotation and understanding spatial relation) of the participants were tested through five different experimental trials. Children’s skills in using simple maps were analyzed by age, gender, and children’s performances in different experimental conditions.The data were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. It was found that children’s performance in the experiments did not vary by gender. Likewise, their performance did not vary by age. However, there were significant differences in children’s performances in the five different experimental conditions. According to findings, children were more successful in trial 1 which is requiring the understanding of spatial relations compared to the trial 2 and 3 which are requiring mental rotation. Finally results are discussed in terms of variables which may lead to the researchers and educators working on spatial abilities of children.
Perceived Stress Level and Sports Participation in Deaf Adolescents and Young Adults
Authors: Aslan Sehmus
Published: February 2019

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of sports participation on perceived stress level in deaf adolescents and young adults. A total of 110 deaf people aged between 14 and 25 years participated in the study. The Turkish version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used to assess perceived stress level of the participants. The scale is a 5-item Likert scale and 10-item scale. The scores of PSS-10 consist of 0-40.44 (40.0%) of the participants were female and 66 (60.0%) were male. The mean age of female participants were 16,66 ± 1,36 years and male participants were 17,74 ± 1,65 years. Of the participants, 85 (77.3%) had antenatal and 25 (22.7%) had post-partum hearing impairment. Of the participants, 67 (60.9%) did participate sports and 43 (39.1%) did not participate in sports. No statistically significant difference was found in terms of sex, hearing disability level and having congenital or acquired disability (p> 0.05). The total score of PSS of the athletes were 22,33 ± 6,33 and the total score of the non-athletes were 26,74 ± 3,46. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups (p <0.05). However, no statistically significant difference was found in terms of gender, the grades of hearing disability, and having congenital or acquired disability (p> 0.05). The results of our study showed that the perceived stress levels of deaf adolescents and young adults who participate in sports were lower than compared who did not participate in sports. This study demonstrated sports participation might recommend to adolescents and young adults with hearing impairment for reducing stress.
Misconception in Chemistry Education and Practices to Eliminate Them: Literature Analysis
Authors: Üce Musa , Ceyhan İlknur
Published: February 2019

Concepts can be examined in two groups as abstract and concrete ones. While concrete concepts are improved as a result of students’ experiences, it is considerably challenging for students to perceive abstract concepts. Since chemistry includes abstract concepts largely, it is considered to be hard to comprehend as a class by students. In fact, studies confirm this thought. On this particular issue, based on literature, it is clearly stated that students present themselves in learning environment, having some sort of thoughts and acknowledgments which are scientifically incorrect by a majority. The false information or acknowledgments are called misconception in the literature. Furthermore, it is also indicated that it is too hard to eliminate such misconceptions via the traditional teaching methods. Since each student constructs his/her own knowledge, understanding and concepts in accordance with his/her ability and experience, what matters here is, if prior knowledge of student involves any misconceptions, to identify and eliminate misconceptions. In this context, researches on identification and then elimination of misconceptions make a significant contribution to the chemistry education. In this paper, misconceptions determined and identified in literatures on subjects considered to be abstract, complex and hard to understand for students in the field of chemistry education are studied, namely solubility equilibrium, covalent bonds, ionic bonds, hydrogen bond and molecule geometry, activity concept in elements, chemical equilibrium, dissolution, electrolyse and battery; methods to remove those misconceptions are discussed; and in this study, the method of literature review, one of the qualitative research patterns, is used. To conclude, multiple misconceptions in chemistry education, specially related to abstract subjects were determined, and it is confirmed based on the literature that the methods developed in the framework of constructivist learning theory are used to remove such misconceptions.