bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incomplete Re‐Expression of Neuroendocrine Progenitor/Stem Cell Markers is a Key Feature of β‐Cell Dedifferentiation
Authors: Neelankal John A. , Morahan G. , Jiang F.‐X.
Published: November 2016

There is increasing evidence to suggest that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), a pandemic metabolic disease, may be caused by β‐cell dedifferentiation (βCD). However, there is currently no universal definition of βCD, and the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. We hypothesise that a high‐glucose in vitro environment mimics hyperglycaemia in vivo and that β cells grown in this milieu over a long period will undergo dedifferentiation. In the present study, we report that the pancreatic β cell line mouse insulinoma 6 (MIN6) grown under a high‐glucose condition did not undergo massive cell death but exhibited a glucose‐stimulated insulin‐secreting profile similar to that of immature β cells. The expression of insulin and the glucose‐sensing molecule glucose transporter 2 (Glut2) in late passage MIN6 cells was significantly lower than the early passage at both the RNA and protein levels. Mechanistically, these cells also expressed significantly less of the ‘pancreatic and duodenal homebox1’ (Pdx1) β‐cell transcription factor. Finally, passaged MIN6 cells dedifferentiated to demonstrate some features of β‐cell precursors, as well as neuroendocrine markers, in addition to expressing both glucagon and insulin. Thus, we concluded that high‐glucose passaged MIN6 cells passaged MIN6 cells. provide a cellular model of β‐cell dedifferentiation that can help researchers develop a better understanding of this process. These findings provide new insights that may enhance knowledge of the pathophysiology of T2D and facilitate the establishment of a novel strategy by which this disease can be treated.
SUSTAINABILITY AND WELLBEING: A SCIENTOMETRIC AND BIBLIOMETRIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Authors: Qasim Mubashir
Published: November 2016

Interdisciplinary research on measuring the progress towards sustainability and well‐being (SaW) from different perspectives and in various contexts has developed dramatically over recent decades. This growth in the literature has not only added an enormous number of dimensions to the SaW debate, but the sheer scale of the expansion has challenged researchers to be able to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the available SaW indicators. In this work, we have proposed a hybrid method comprised of sophisticated scientometric analysis to summarise scientific developments in the massive text corpus of the SaW literature in conjunction with a more traditional literature review to categorise the ‘fuzzy’ details that remain. Scientometric analysis highlights that the developed OECD countries play a vital role in the development and applications of SaW indicators and we describe key developments in this regard via a range of graphical approaches. Using an extensive collection of existing SaW indicators, the analysis is then summarised in a matrix of ranked indicators which serve as a powerful tool to compare, contrast, filter and select indicators for SaW assessment with minimum redundancies between indicators. The approach undertaken in this study is intended to be flexible and can be extended and applied to other fields of research.
The Design and Testing of a Student Prototyped Homeless Shelter
Authors: Dickinson Joan I. , Stafford Kelsea , Klingenberger Krissy , Bicak Nate , Boyd Chasity , Dreyer Megan
Published: November 2016

On any given night in 2015, over 500,000 people were homeless and 31% of them slept in unsheltered locations. Given the seriousness of this situation, the purpose of this research study was to test a student prototyped, portable shelter with six men who were homeless. Qualitative interview questions were developed by the research team. Six, open–ended questions for baseline interviews and 11 open–ended questions were used after the men slept in the shelter for two nights. The men ranged in age from 25 to 56 years and had been homeless for 1–5 years. Two of the men were African American and four were Caucasian. Several themes emerged from the data collected: dignity, safety, security, control, privacy, and portability. While the research team thought that carrying the shelter on your back was a novel idea, none of the men liked this design feature. The majority of men carried backpacks and stated that individuals who are homeless would not carry the shelter, rather they would hide it. Dignity also became an issue, as these men did not want to advertise their homeless condition by carrying the shelter. Safety and security from the “law,” “animals,” and “other homeless” people were other concerns. All of the men liked the privacy and control the shelter provided as it allowed them to eat, sleep, and talk on their cell phone when they wanted to. Giving these men a voice and allowing them to actively sleep in the prototype gave the research team a better understanding of design suggestions needed for portable homeless shelters.
Maintaining Moral Legitimacy through Worlds and Words: An Explanation of Firms' Investment in Sustainability Certification
Authors: Richards Melanie , Zellweger Thomas , Gond Jean‐Pascal
Published: November 2016

A prominent way for firms to manage their moral legitimacy is to invest in sustainability certifications. However, a significant subset of firms remain reluctant to invest in sustainability certifications even decades after the establishment of such certifications. Our paper seeks to elucidate this variance by exploring how firms in the coffee, tea, and chocolate industries legitimise themselves on moral grounds through external communication to stakeholders. Drawing on insights from French Pragmatist Sociology, we suggest that firms primarily rely on two distinct sets of legitimacy principles that reflect their identity orientation: the ‘civic and green’ world and the ‘domestic’ world. Specifically, our results show that reliance on the domestic world is negatively related to firms' investment in sustainability certifications. Our findings also suggest that the strength of the relationship between these distinct methods of moral legitimising and certification varies depending on whether firms are characterised by first‐ or multi‐generation family control.
Effects of low‐level laser therapy on burning mouth syndrome
Authors: Valenzuela S. , Lopez‐Jornet P.
Published: November 2016

To investigate low‐level laser therapy (LLLT) applied to treat burning mouth syndrome (BMS). This prospective, comparative, partially blinded, single‐centre, clinical trial of GaAlAs Laser, with 815 nm wavelength, included 44 BMS patients divided randomly into three groups: Group I (n = 16): GaAlAs laser 815 nm wavelength, 1 W output power, continuous emissions, 4 s, 4 J and fluence rate 133·3 J cm−2; Group II (n = 16): GaAlAs infrared laser, 815 nm wavelength, 1 W output power, continuous emissions, 6 s, 6 J and fluence rate 200 J cm−2; Group III (n = 12) placebo group, sham laser. All groups received a weekly dose for 4 weeks. Pain intensity was recorded using a 10‐cm visual analogue scale; patients responded to the oral health impact profile (OHIP‐14), xerostomia severity test and the hospital anxiety–depression scale (HAD). These assessments were performed at baseline, 2 and 4 weeks. LLLT decreased pain intensity and improved OHIP‐14 scores significantly from baseline to 2 weeks in groups I and II compared with the placebo group. No statistically significant differences were found from 2 to 4 weeks. Overall improvements in visual analogue scale (VAS) scores from baseline to the end of treatment were as follows: Group I 15·7%; Group II 15·6%; Group III placebo 7·3%. LLLT application reduces symptoms slightly in BMS patients.
Insured Loss Inflation: How Natural Catastrophes Affect Reconstruction Costs
Authors: Döhrmann David , Gürtler Marc , Hibbeln Martin
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACT

In the aftermath of a natural catastrophe, there is increased demand for skilled reconstruction labor, which leads to significant increases in reconstruction labor wages and hence insured losses. Such inflation effects are known as “Demand Surge” effects. It is important for insurance companies to properly account for these effects when calculating insurance premiums and determining economic capital. We propose an approach to quantifying the Demand Surge effect and present an econometric model for the effect that is based on 192 catastrophe events in the United States. Our model explains more than 75 percent of the variance of the Demand Surge effect and is thus able to identify the key drivers of the phenomenon.
WILL THEY TAKE THE MONEY AND WORK? PEOPLE'S WILLINGNESS TO DELAY CLAIMING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS FORa LUMP SUM
Authors: Maurer Raimond , Mitchell Olivia S. , Rogalla Ralph , Schimetschek Tatjana
Published: November 2016

This article investigates whether exchanging Social Security delayed retirement credits, currently paid as increases in lifelong benefits, for a lump sum would induce later claiming and additional work. We show that people would voluntarily claim about 6 months later if the lump sum were paid for claiming after the early retirement age, and about 8 months later if the lump sum were paid only for those claiming after their full retirement age. Overall, people will work one‐third to one‐half of the additional months. Those who would currently claim at the youngest ages are most responsive to the lump sum offer.
Relative benefits of amino‐acid, codon, degeneracy, DNA, and purine‐pyrimidine character coding for phylogenetic analyses of exons
Authors: Simmons Mark P.
Published: November 2016

Both traditional as well as 10 more recent methods of coding characters from exons of protein‐coding genes are reviewed. The more recent methods collectively blur the distinction between nucleotide and amino‐acid coding and enable investigators to carefully quantify the effects of different sources of phylogenetic signal as well as their potential biases. Codon models, which explicitly model silent and replacement substitutions, are a major advance and are expected to be broadly useful for simultaneously inferring recent and ancient divergences, unlike amino‐acid coding. Degeneracy coding, wherein ambiguity codes are used to eliminate silent substitutions at the individual‐nucleotide level, has clear advantages over scoring amino‐acid characters. Nucleotide, codon, and amino‐acid models are now directly comparable with easy‐to‐use programs, and widely used phylogenetics programs can analyze partitioned supermatrices that incorporate all three types of model. Therefore, it should become standard practice to test among these alternative model types before conducting parametric phylogenetic analyses. An earlier study of 78 protein‐coding genes from 360 green‐plant plastid genomes is used as an empirical example with which to quantify the relative performance of alternative character‐coding methods using five quantification measures. Codon models were selected as having the best fit to the data, yet were outperformed by nucleotide models for all five quantification measures. Third‐codon positions were found to be an important source of phylogenetic signal and even outperformed analyses of first and second positions for some measures. Degeneracy coding generally performed at least as well as amino‐acid coding and is an arguably more effective alternative.
Safety evaluation of orally administered afoxolaner and milbemycin oxime in eight‐week‐old dogs
Authors: Drag M. , Saik J. , Harriman J. , Letendre L. , Yoon S. , Larsen D.
Published: November 2016

The safety profile of afoxolaner (an isoxazoline molecule) when combined with milbemycin oxime (a macrocyclic lactone) was evaluated according to the regulatory requirements when administered six times orally in a soft chewable formulation at a dose of at least 1×, 3×, or 5× the maximum exposure dose in 8‐week‐old Beagle dogs. Thirty‐two healthy puppies (16 males and 16 females) were enrolled and allocated randomly to one of four treatment groups. Three doses were administered at 28‐day intervals (Days 0, 28, and 56), followed by three additional doses administered with 14‐day intervals (Days 84, 98, and 112). The study ended on Day 126. Treatment groups were as follows: Group 1: untreated, sham‐dosed control; Group 2: afoxolaner/milbemycin oxime chews administered at a dose of at least 5 and 1 mg/kg, respectively (1×); Group 3: afoxolaner/milbemycin oxime chews administered at a dose of at least 15 and 3 mg/kg, respectively (3); and Group 4: afoxolaner/milbemycin oxime chews administered at a dose of at least 25 and 5 mg/kg, respectively (5×). All dogs were examined for general health twice a day beginning on Day ‐14. Physical examinations, and blood collections for clinical pathology analysis and afoxolaner and milbemycin oxime plasma concentrations, were performed throughout the study. No afoxolaner/milbemycin oxime treatment‐related changes were observed in growth, physical variables, clinical pathology variables, or tissues examined histologically. No clinically relevant or statistically significant health abnormalities related to the administration of afoxolaner/milbemycin oxime were observed. No signs of macrocyclic lactone sensitivity were observed at any time during the study. Vomiting and diarrhea were observed sporadically across all groups including the controls. Based upon the results of this study, afoxolaner/milbemycin oxime soft chewables were shown to be safe when administered repeatedly at up to 5× the maximum exposure dose in dogs as young as 8 weeks of age.
Epidemiology and outcomes of primary sclerosing cholangitis with and without inflammatory bowel disease in an Australian cohort
Authors: Liu Ken , Wang Ruoxi , Kariyawasam Viraj , Wells Mark , Strasser Simone I. , McCaughan Geoff , Corte Crispin , Leong Rupert W.
Published: November 2016

Background & Aims

Epidemiological data on primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) outside the Northern hemisphere are limited. Similarly, the impact of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on PSC outcomes remains unclear. We aimed to study the epidemiology and outcomes of PSC patients with and without IBD in an Australian cohort.

Methods

We retrospectively studied PSC patients attending two tertiary referral hospitals over 20 years. Diagnosis of PSC was made according to international guidelines by positive cholangiography and/or liver biopsy (for small duct PSC) with supporting clinical and laboratory evidence.

Results

Of 208 PSC patients (61% male) were studied (2271patient‐years follow‐up). The median age of PSC diagnosis was similar for PSC‐IBD and PSC‐only patients (40 years vs 42 years, P = .35). All 33 deaths occurred in PSC‐IBD patients while there were no deaths in PSC‐only patients (21% vs 0%, P < .01). However, there were no significant differences in liver transplantation (PSC‐only 25% vs PSC‐IBD 31%, P = .45) and transplant‐free survival between PSC‐only and PSC‐IBD patients (P = .43). On multivariate Cox regression, only elevated international normalized ratio (INR) was associated with a greater risk of death or liver transplant (HR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1‐3.6, P = .02). Development of gastrointestinal malignancy was higher in the PSC‐IBD group compared to PSC‐only group (22% vs 2%, P < .01).

Conclusion

Australian PSC patients have similar characteristics compared to European and North American cohorts. IBD is a significant predictor of gastrointestinal malignancies. Deaths were more common in PSC‐IBD but overall transplant‐free survival remained similar in PSC‐IBD and PSC‐only groups. An elevated INR was an independent predictor of death or liver transplantation.
Hyperuricaemia and risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Wijarnpreecha Karn , Panjawatanan Panadeekarn , Lekuthai Natasorn , Thongprayoon Charat , Cheungpasitporn Wisit , Ungprasert Patompong
Published: November 2016

Background

The association between hyperuricaemia and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), one of the leading causes of cirrhosis worldwide, has been demonstrated in recent epidemiological studies. This meta‐analysis was conducted to summarize all available data and to estimate the risk of NAFLD among subjects with hyperuricaemia.

Methods

Comprehensive literature review was conducted using MEDLINE and EMBASE database through August 2016 to identify studies that compared the risk of NAFLD among subjects with hyperuricaemia vs those with normal uric acid level. Effect estimates from individual study were extracted and combined together using random‐effect, generic inverse variance method of DerSimonian and Laird.

Results

Twenty‐five studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the meta‐analysis. The risk of NAFLD in subjects with hyperuricaemia was significantly higher than subjects with normal uric acid level with the pooled odds ratio (OR) of 1.97 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.69‐2.29). The heterogeneity between studies of the overall analysis was high with an I2 of 87%. Subgroup analysis based on 11 studies that provided data on males subgroup and nine studies that provided data on females subgroup showed that the risk was significantly increased for both sexes with pooled OR of 1.64 (95% CI, 1.40‐1.93) among males and pooled OR of 2.21 (95% CI, 1.85‐2.64) among females.

Conclusions

A significantly increased risk of NAFLD among patients with hyperuricaemia was demonstrated in this meta‐analysis. Further studies are required to establish the role of uric acid in the pathogenesis of NAFLD.
The “Right Paper”: Developing Legal Literacy in a Legal Self-Help Clinic
Authors: Bertenthal Alyse
Published: November 2016

Legal self-help is the fastest-growing segment of legal services in the United States, and a significant addition to the repertoire of programs aimed at opening up access to justice in the civil legal system. Few studies, however, have examined how such services work in practice. Through ethnographic research and analysis of meetings between unrepresented litigants and attorneys offering advice in a legal self-help clinic, this article expands the empirical investigation of access to justice to consider what legal self-help looks like in actual practice. In this article, I follow the concept of the “right paper” to analyze the process through which legal self-help litigants develop legal literacy, including the role of lawyers in helping them to do so. The article concludes by discussing what such practices reveal about recent efforts to open up access to justice and also about the dynamics through which people come to think about law and, especially, how to use it.
Evidence for a spatially extensive hydrothermal system at the Ries impact structure, Germany
Authors: Sapers H. M. , Osinski G. R. , Flemming R. L. , Buitenhuis E. , Banerjee N. R. , Tornabene L. L. , Blain S. , Hainge J.
Published: November 2016

The ~15 Ma, 26 km diameter Ries impact structure in south‐central Germany was one of the first terrestrial impact structures where evidence of impact‐associated hydrothermal alteration was recognized. Previous studies suggested that pervasive, high‐temperature hydrothermal activity was restricted to the area within the “inner ring” (i.e., the crater‐fill impactite units). Here we present mineralogical evidence for localized hydrothermal activity in the ejecta beyond the crater rim in two previously unstudied settings: a pervasively altered lens of suevite ejecta directly overlying the Bunte Breccia at the Aumühle quarry; and suevite ejecta at depth overlain by ~20 m of lacustrine sediments sampled by the Wörnitzostheim 1965 drill core. A comprehensive set of X‐ray diffraction analyses indicates five distinct alteration regimes (1) surficial ambient weathering characterized by smectite and a minor illitic component; (2) locally restricted hydrothermal activity characterized by an illitic component and minor smectite; (3) hydrothermal activity at depth characterized by smectite, a minor illitic component, and calcite; (4) hydrothermal activity at depth characterized by smectite, a minor illitic component, calcite, zeolites, and clinochlore; and (5) pervasive hydrothermal activity at depth characterized by smectite, a minor illitic component, and minor clinochlore. These data spatially extend the Ries postimpact hydrothermal system suggesting a much more extensive, complex, and dynamic system than previously thought. Constraining the mineralogical alteration regimes at the Ries impact structure may also further our understanding of impact‐associated phyllosilicate formation on Mars with implications for climate models and habitability.
Genetic variation in blue whales in the eastern pacific: implication for taxonomy and use of common wintering grounds
Authors: Leduc R. G. , Archer F. I. , Lang A. R. , Martien K. K. , Hancock‐Hanser B. , Torres‐Florez J. P. , Hucke‐Gaete R. , Rosenbaum H. C. , van Waerebeek K. , Brownell R. L. , Taylor B. L.
Published: November 2016

Many aspects of blue whale biology are poorly understood. Some of the gaps in our knowledge, such as those regarding their basic taxonomy and seasonal movements, directly affect our ability to monitor and manage blue whale populations. As a step towards filling in some of these gaps, microsatellite and mtDNA sequence analyses were conducted on blue whale samples from the Southern Hemisphere, the eastern tropical Pacific (ETP) and the northeast Pacific. The results indicate that the ETP is differentially used by blue whales from the northern and southern eastern Pacific, with the former showing stronger affinity to the region off Central America known as the Costa Rican Dome, and the latter favouring the waters of Peru and Ecuador. Although the pattern of genetic variation throughout the Southern Hemisphere is compatible with the recently proposed subspecies status of Chilean blue whales, some discrepancies remain between catch lengths and lengths from aerial photography, and not all blue whales in Chilean waters can be assumed to be of this type. Also, the range of the proposed Chilean subspecies, which extends to the Galapagos region of the ETP, at least seasonally, perhaps should include the Costa Rican Dome and the eastern North Pacific as well.
The relative influence of hematocrit and red blood cell velocity on oxygen transport from capillaries to tissue
Authors: Lücker Adrien , Secomb Timothy W. , Weber Bruno , Jenny Patrick
Published: November 2016

Objective

Oxygen transport to parenchymal cells occurs mainly at the microvascular level and depends on convective RBC flux, which is proportional in an individual capillary to the product of capillary hematocrit and RBC velocity. This study investigates the relative influence of these two factors on tissue PO2.

Methods

A simple analytical model is used to quantify the respective influences of hematocrit, RBC velocity, and RBC flow on tissue oxygenation around capillaries. Predicted tissue PO2 levels are compared with a detailed computational model.

Results

Hematocrit is shown to have a larger influence on tissue PO2 than RBC velocity. The effect of RBC velocity increases with distance from the arterioles. Good agreement between analytical and numerical results is obtained, and the discrepancies are explained. Significant dependence of MTCs on RBC velocity at low hematocrit is demonstrated.

Conclusions

For a given RBC flux in a capillary, the PO2 in the surrounding tissue increases with increasing hematocrit, as a consequence of decreasing IVR to diffusive oxygen transport from RBCs to tissue. These results contribute to understanding the effects of blood flow changes on oxygen transport, such as those that occur in functional hyperemia in the brain.
Rectal intussusception: can high resolution three‐dimensional ano‐rectal manometry compete with conventional defecography?
Authors: Benezech A. , Cappiello M. , Baumstarck K. , Grimaud J.‐C. , Bouvier M. , Vitton V.
Published: November 2016

Background

Three‐dimensional high‐resolution anorectal manometry (3DHRAM), used for exploring anorectal disorders, was recently developed, providing interesting topographic data for the diagnosis of pelvic floor disorders such as excessive perineal descent. The aim of our study was to define a diagnostic strategy based on selected 3DHRAM parameters to identify rectal intussusceptions (RI), considering conventional defecography (CD) as the gold standard.

Methods

All patients referred to our center in the previous 6 months for 3DHRAM to explore fecal incontinence or constipation, and who previously achieved CD, were eligible. 3DHRAM results were obtained for all classical parameters and the presence of a narrow band of high pressure in the anal canal during attempted defecation, which was recently found to be associated with RI in some studies. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated for various 3DHRAM criterion in order to propose a diagnostic strategy for RI.

Key Results

Twenty‐six patients (66%) presented with RI on CD. On 3DHRAM, according to our diagnostic strategy, the most relevant manometric criterion for the diagnosis of RI was the association of an anterior additional high‐pressure area and an excessive perineal descent, with a positive predictive value of 100% [81.5‐100], a specificity of 100% [75.3‐100] and a sensibility of 69.2% [48.2‐85.7].

Conclusions & Inferences

In this study, 3DHRAM was used to diagnose RI, and we confirmed its use in the diagnosis of pelvic floor disorders. Further studies will be necessary to define classifications for these new anatomic data from 3DHRAM.
Nicotiana benthamiana as a nonhost of Zymoseptoria tritici
Authors: Friesen Timothy L.
Published: November 2016

This article is a Commentary on Kettles et al., 213: 338–350.
The role of nutrients in drought‐induced tree mortality and recovery
Authors: Gessler Arthur , Schaub Marcus , McDowell Nate G.
Published: November 2016

Global forests are experiencing rising temperatures and more severe droughts, with consistently dire forecasts for negative future impacts. Current research on the physiological mechanisms underlying drought impacts is focused on the water‐ and carbon‐associated mechanisms. The role of nutrients is notably missing from this research agenda. Here, we investigate what role, if any, forest nutrition plays for survival and recovery of forests during and after drought. High nutrient availability may play a detrimental role in drought survival due to preferential biomass allocation aboveground that (1) predispose plants to hydraulic constraints limiting photosynthesis and promoting hydraulic failure, (2) increases carbon costs during periods of carbon starvation, and (3) promote biotic attack due to low tissue carbon: nitrogen (C : N). When nutrient uptake occurs during drought, high nutrient availability can increase water use efficiency thus minimizing negative feedbacks between carbon and nutrient balance. Nutrients are released after drought ceases, which might promote faster recovery but the temporal dynamics of microbial immobilization and nutrient leaching have a significant impact on nutrient availability. We provide a framework for understanding nutrient impacts on drought survival that allows a more complete analysis of forest ecosystem responses.

Contents

Summary
513

I.
Introduction
513

II.
Integrating nutrients into the hydraulic framework predicting mechanisms of drought survival, mortality, and recovery
514

III.
Integration
517

Acknowledgements
518

References
518
Brown world forests: increased ungulate browsing keeps temperate trees in recruitment bottlenecks in resource hotspots
Authors: Churski Marcin , Bubnicki Jakub W. , Jędrzejewska Bogumiła , Kuijper Dries P. J. , Cromsigt Joris P. G. M.
Published: November 2016

Plant biomass consumers (mammalian herbivory and fire) are increasingly seen as major drivers of ecosystem structure and function but the prevailing paradigm in temperate forest ecology is still that their dynamics are mainly bottom‐up resource‐controlled. Using conceptual advances from savanna ecology, particularly the demographic bottleneck model, we present a novel view on temperate forest dynamics that integrates consumer and resource control.

We used a fully factorial experiment, with varying levels of ungulate herbivory and resource (light) availability, to investigate how these factors shape recruitment of five temperate tree species. We ran simulations to project how inter‐ and intraspecific differences in height increment under the different experimental scenarios influence long‐term recruitment of tree species.

Strong herbivore‐driven demographic bottlenecks occurred in our temperate forest system, and bottlenecks were as strong under resource‐rich as under resource‐poor conditions. Increased browsing by herbivores in resource‐rich patches strongly counteracted the increased escape strength of saplings in these patches.

This finding is a crucial extension of the demographic bottleneck model which assumes that increased resource availability allows plants to more easily escape consumer‐driven bottlenecks. Our study demonstrates that a more dynamic understanding of consumer–resource interactions is necessary, where consumers and plants both respond to resource availability.
The Analog Blanking Period of Implantable Cardiac Rhythm Devices
Authors: BAROLD S. SERGE , KUCHER ANDREAS
Published: November 2016

Background

Analog blanking periods (BPs) that hold down the display of electrograms (EGMs) in cardiac rhythm devices have received much less attention than the well‐known digital BPs which do not influence the EGM display. In Biotronik devices (Biotronik GmbH, Berlin, Germany), when a paced event initiates an analog BP in one chamber (right atrium, right ventricle [RV], or left ventricle [LV]), an identical cross‐chamber analog BP starts in the other two chambers.

Methods

All clinical observations were recorded from patients with Biotronik devices. The effect of the atrial cross‐chamber analog BP initiated by a ventricular paced event on the atrial EGM was studied in the records of seven patients with frequent paroxysmal atrial flutter to determine the effect of critically timed RV paced event (RVp) or LV paced event (LVp) upon the atrial EGM. The effect of atrial pacing triggering cross‐chamber analog BPs in the RV and LV channels on the RV and LV EGMs was also investigated in cases of conducted supraventricular beats and ventricular premature complexes. The effect of a triggered LVp initiating a cross‐chamber analog BP in the RV channel on the EGM of a sensed RV sensed event was evaluated in 10 cases. Simulation studies were also performed to verify the clinical observations.

Results

Patients with atrial flutter showed intermittent truncation or deformity and even disappearance of the atrial signals due to an atrial cross‐chamber analog BP initiated by RVp and/or LVp. Three patients demonstrated deformity of the signal shape of ventricular premature beats falling within a ventricular cross‐chamber analog BP initiated by right atrial paced event (RAp). We found only one case of a supraventricular QRS complex trapped in a ventricular cross‐chamber analog BP initiated by RAp. All the recordings of LVp triggering upon RVs revealed a variety of RV signal deformities occasionally with preservation of the terminal part of the RV signal. Simulation studies confirmed the effect of the analog BP on the atrial and the ventricular EGMs.

Conclusion

The analog BP of Biotronik devices may cause truncation or deformity of atrial and ventricular signals and the occasional disappearance of an atrial signal during atrial flutter. These effects must not be interpreted as device malfunction. In the clinical evaluation of the EGM curves, the effects of the analog BPs have to be carefully considered in order to avoid possible misinterpretation.
The association between parental consanguinity and primary immunodeficiency diseases: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Hadizadeh Hasti , Salehi Masoud , Khoramnejad Shabnam , Vosoughi Kia , Rezaei Nima
Published: November 2016

Background

We aimed to establish the prevalence of parental consanguinity among patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID) and compare the prevalence with the general population.

Method

We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus for studies mentioning parental consanguinity prevalence in patients with PID and calculated the prevalence odds ratio (POR) of parental consanguinity in each study, compared to a matched healthy population.

Results

We identified 21 eligible studies with a total population of 18091 accounting for sample overlap. The POR among studies on a sample of mixed patients with PID ranged from 0.6 to 21.9 with the pooled POR of 3.0 (p < 0.001; I2 = 89%, 95% CI: 2.5–3.7).

Conclusion

PIDs with an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance had significant odds of parental consanguinity compared to the healthy population, a phenomenon not observed in other inheritance patterns. Determining the extent of the impact that consanguinity imposes upon the progeny paves the way for convincing healthcare policymakers in highly consanguineous communities to act more diligently in informing the masses about the consequences of practicing inbreeding.
The rice OsNAC6 transcription factor orchestrates multiple molecular mechanisms involving root structural adaptions and nicotianamine biosynthesis for drought tolerance
Authors: Lee Dong‐Keun , Chung Pil Joong , Jeong Jin Seo , Jang Geupil , Bang Seung Woon , Jung Harin , Kim Youn Shic , Ha Sun‐Hwa , Choi Yang Do , Kim Ju‐Kon
Published: November 2016

Drought has a serious impact on agriculture worldwide. A plant's ability to adapt to rhizosphere drought stress requires reprogramming of root growth and development. Although physiological studies have documented the root adaption for tolerance to the drought stress, underlying molecular mechanisms is still incomplete, which is essential for crop engineering. Here, we identified OsNAC6‐mediated root structural adaptations, including increased root number and root diameter, which enhanced drought tolerance. Multiyear drought field tests demonstrated that the grain yield of OsNAC6 root‐specific overexpressing transgenic rice lines was less affected by drought stress than were nontransgenic controls. Genome‐wide analyses of loss‐ and gain‐of‐function mutants revealed that OsNAC6 up‐regulates the expression of direct target genes involved in membrane modification, nicotianamine (NA) biosynthesis, glutathione relocation, 3′‐phophoadenosine 5′‐phosphosulphate accumulation and glycosylation, which represent multiple drought tolerance pathways. Moreover, overexpression of NICOTIANAMINE SYNTHASE genes, direct targets of OsNAC6, promoted the accumulation of the metal chelator NA and, consequently, drought tolerance. Collectively, OsNAC6 orchestrates novel molecular drought tolerance mechanisms and has potential for the biotechnological development of high‐yielding crops under water‐limiting conditions.
The Impact of Neighborhood Conditions and Psychological Distress on Preterm Birth in African‐American Women
Authors: Giurgescu Carmen , Zenk Shannon N. , Templin Thomas N. , Engeland Christopher G. , Kavanaugh Karen , Misra Dawn P.
Published: November 2016

Objective

Prior research suggests that adverse neighborhood conditions are related to preterm birth. One potential pathway by which neighborhood conditions increase the risk for preterm birth is by increasing women's psychological distress. Our objective was to examine whether psychological distress mediated the relationship between neighborhood conditions and preterm birth.

Design and Sample

One hundred and one pregnant African‐American women receiving prenatal care at a medical center in Chicago participated in this cross‐sectional design study.

Measures

Women completed the self‐report instruments about their perceived neighborhood conditions and psychological distress between 15–26 weeks gestation. Objective measures of the neighborhood were derived using geographic information systems (GIS). Birth data were collected from medical records.

Results

Perceived adverse neighborhood conditions were related to psychological distress: perceived physical disorder (r = .26, p = .01), perceived social disorder (r = .21, p = .03), and perceived crime (r = .30, p = .01). Objective neighborhood conditions were not related to psychological distress. Psychological distress mediated the effects of perceived neighborhood conditions on preterm birth.

Conclusions

Psychological distress in the second trimester mediated the effects of perceived, but not objective, neighborhood conditions on preterm birth. If these results are replicable in studies with larger sample sizes, intervention strategies could be implemented at the individual level to reduce psychological distress and improve women's ability to cope with adverse neighborhood conditions.
Animal Cryptochromes: Divergent Roles in Light Perception, Circadian Timekeeping and Beyond
Authors: Michael Alicia K. , Fribourgh Jennifer L. , Van Gelder Russell N. , Partch Carrie L.
Published: November 2016

Cryptochromes are evolutionarily related to the light‐dependent DNA repair enzyme photolyase, serving as major regulators of circadian rhythms in insects and vertebrate animals. There are two types of cryptochromes in the animal kingdom: Drosophila‐like CRYs that act as nonvisual photopigments linking circadian rhythms to the environmental light/dark cycle, and vertebrate‐like CRYs that do not appear to sense light directly, but control the generation of circadian rhythms by acting as transcriptional repressors. Some animals have both types of CRYs, while others possess only one. Cryptochromes have two domains, the photolyase homology region (PHR) and an extended, intrinsically disordered C‐terminus. While all animal CRYs share a high degree of sequence and structural homology in their PHR domains, the C‐termini are divergent in both length and sequence identity. Recently, cryptochrome function has been shown to extend beyond its pivotal role in circadian clocks, participating in regulation of the DNA damage response, cancer progression and glucocorticoid signaling, as well as being implicated as possible magnetoreceptors. In this review, we provide a historical perspective on the discovery of animal cryptochromes, examine similarities and differences of the two types of animal cryptochromes and explore some of the divergent roles for this class of proteins.
A Review of Spectroscopic and Biophysical‐Chemical Studies of the Complex of Cyclobutane Pyrimidine Dimer Photolyase and Cryptochrome DASH with Substrate DNA
Authors: Schelvis Johannes P. M. , Gindt Yvonne M.
Published: November 2016

Cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) photolyase (PL) is a structure‐specific DNA repair enzyme that uses blue light to repair CPD on DNA. Cryptochrome (CRY) DASH enzymes use blue light for the repair of CPD lesions on single‐stranded (ss) DNA, although some may also repair these lesions on double‐stranded (ds) DNA. In addition, CRY DASH may be involved in blue light signaling, similar to cryptochromes. The focus of this review is on spectroscopic and biophysical‐chemical experiments of the enzyme–substrate complex that have contributed to a more detailed understanding of all the aspects of the CPD repair mechanism of CPD photolyase and CRY DASH. This will be performed in the backdrop of the available X‐ray crystal structures of these enzymes bound to a CPD‐like lesion. These structures helped to confirm conclusions that were drawn earlier from spectroscopic and biophysical‐chemical experiments, and they have a critical function as a framework to design new experiments and to interpret new experimental data. This review will show the important synergy between X‐ray crystallography and spectroscopic/biophysical‐chemical investigations that is essential to obtain a sufficiently detailed picture of the overall mechanism of CPD photolyases and CRY DASH proteins.
Diatom (Bacillariophyceae) assemblages in salt marshes of south‐central Chile: Relations with tidal inundation time and salinity
Authors: Sawai Yuki , Nagumo Tamotsu , Namegaya Yuichi , Cisternas Marco V. , Lagos Marcelo , Shishikura Masanobu
Published: November 2016

To reconstruct sea‐level history from changes in tidal environments using diatom assemblages, we need to better understand the relations among brackish diatom assemblages and changing environments along elevational gradients from diverse coastal sites. Our statistical analysis reveals relations between environmental variables and brackish benthic diatom assemblages in the little studied region of south‐central Chile. Along four transects across salt marshes at two sites, we identified 224 diatom taxa in 112 samples. Detrended canonical correspondence analysis showed that tidal exposure time index and salinity were appropriately regressed against the abundance of diatom species using unimodal‐based methods. Our tests of classical and inverse regressions of weighted average and weighted averaging partial least squares (WA‐PLS) showed thatWA‐PLSresulted in the highest coefficient of determination and the lowest root‐mean square of the error of prediction. Our regression will be useful in reconstructing environmental variables from fossil diatom assemblages in Chile.
Distribution of follicles in canine ovarian tissues and xenotransplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissues with even distribution of follicles
Authors: Wakasa I , Hayashi M , Abe Y , Suzuki H
Published: November 2016

Contents

Ovarian follicles are not homogeneously distributed within the ovarian cortex in several species of mammals. Yet to maximize the reproducibility of experimental results of ovarian transplantation, it is essential to assess the degree of density and distribution of follicles in ovarian tissues before their transplantation. In this study, the ovarian cortex from 13 immature bitches (ten purebred and three mongrels) was sectioned into 1.0‐ to 1.5‐mm3 cubes, those were fixed, sectioned and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. To evaluate the density and distribution of follicles, the mean number of all stages of follicles per square millimetre was calculated after observation under a microscope. The distribution of follicles was considered even when the variance value was lower than 10 or between 10 and 16, with an absolute value of distortion inferior to 1. The mean number of follicles ranged from 3.24 to 28.34/mm2 in 25 ovaries from 13 bitches examined. The variance and distortion ranged from 0.35 to 119.64 and −1.87 to 4.40, respectively. The distribution of follicles within the ovarian cortex was judged uneven in 12 of 25 ovaries. These results indicated that follicles were not homogeneously distributed within the ovarian cortex in a large proportion of ovaries. In addition, cryopreserved ovarian fragments with even distribution of follicles were transplanted to NSG mice with or without 400 U/kg of disialylated erythropoietin (asialo EPO). After removing both sides of ovary, a piece of ovarian fragment was placed under the kidney capsule in both sides of kidney. At 4 weeks after transplantation, the fragments were recovered from the mice and the number of primordial, primary, secondary and antral follicles was counted. Total number of follicles and survival rates of follicles in transplanted fragments with asialo EPO were higher than without asialo EPO in four bitches examined. These findings suggest that asialo EPO might be effective on the follicular survival of canine ovarian tissues after xenotransplantation. Knowing the degree of density and distribution of follicles in ovarian tissues before transplantation is expected to contribute to the precise interpretation of results after transplantation of the ovarian tissues.
New approaches to non‐surgical sterilization for dogs and cats: Opportunities and challenges
Authors: Rhodes Linda
Published: November 2016

Contents

Over the last 40 years, researchers have explored methods to non‐surgically suppress fertility in animals. Immunocontraception has been used to control wildlife populations but does not confer long‐term immunity. The gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist deslorelin, formulated as an implant to provide 6‐month to 1‐year suppression of fertility in male dogs, is available commercially in some countries. Neither of these approaches provide permanent sterility. A single‐dose, permanent treatment would be a valuable tool in dog and cat population control. The Michelson Prize and Grants (MPG) programme was initiated “to eliminate shelter euthanasia of healthy, adoptable companion animals and reduce populations of feral and free‐roaming cats and dogs” offering a $25 million US prize for a non‐surgical sterilant that is effective as a single treatment in both male and female dogs and cats. Michelson Prize and Grants programme has offered US $50 million in grant money for research and has attracted scientists worldwide. Approaches under study include gene therapy, small interfering RNA to inhibit reproductive targets and delivery of cytotoxins to pituitary gonadotrophs or GnRH producing neurons in the hypothalamus. Research in implant technology that could deliver compounds over an animal's lifetime is also underway. Details of funded grants and results to date can be found at: http://www.michelsonprizeandgrants.org/michelson-grants/research-findings. The next steps are translating the most promising research into products. The Alliance for Contraception of Cats and Dogs (ACC&D) is helping to research practical methods of marking sterilized animals to avoid costly retreatment and population modelling that will help guide field workers in use of resources for sterilization programmes.
Fiscal Policy in Oil‐exporting Countries: The Roles of Oil Funds and Institutional Quality
Authors: Koh Wee Chian
Published: November 2016

Oil‐exporting countries face challenges in the conduct of fiscal policy owing to volatile oil revenues, especially in countries with weak institutions. Many oil exporters have established oil funds to delink government expenditure from oil revenues; however, their effectiveness remains unresolved. This paper examines the roles of oil funds and institutional quality in reducing fiscal procyclicality and macroeconomic volatility in 42 oil‐exporting countries from 1960 to 2014 using panel vector autoregression techniques. The results show that oil funds are effective in reducing fiscal procyclicality in countries with high institutional quality. There is also a reduction in the procyclical bias in those with low institutional quality but the statistical evidence is weak. Nevertheless, oil funds are associated with reduced volatility of government consumption and the real exchange rate in countries with low institutional quality. These findings give credence to the macroeconomic stabilization role of oil funds but also reinforce the importance of good institutions.
Mission Interference: How Competition Confounds Accountability for Environmental Nongovernmental Organizations
Authors: Balboa Cristina M.
Published: November 2016

Kramarz and Park (2016) claim that global environmental governance's increased accountability mechanisms are not matched with environmental gains. I assert that this “accountability paradox” develops for environmental nongovernmental organizations (ENGOs) due to a convergence of trends: ENGOs’ increased governance roles coupled with competition for funding and agenda space produces a field riddled with opposing or diverging views. These organizations cannot fully satisfy other actors’ demands and achieve “balanced accountability” because of their differentiated and conflicting approaches to environmental problem‐solving. Instead, ENGOs face an accountability dilemma: let the various demands of accountability interfere with their ability to achieve mission or let their missions interfere with their efforts to be accountable. This constrained choice is delineated by Koppell's multiple accountabilities disorder and the new concept “single accountability disorder.” The qualitative case of the International Marinelife Alliance demonstrates how an ENGO moves through the multiple accountability states that constitute this paradox.