bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tether mutations that restore function and suppress pleiotropic phenotypes of theC. elegans isp-1(qm150)Rieske iron–sulfur protein
Authors: Jafari Gholamali , Wasko Brian M. , Tonge Ashley , Schurman Nathan , Dong Cindy , Li Zhongyu , Peters Rebecca , Kayser Ernst-Bernhard , Pitt Jason N. , Morgan Phil G. , Sedensky Margaret M. , Crofts Antony R. , Kaeberlein Matt
Published: October 2015

Significance

Mitochondrial function is critical for health and longevity. Mutation of the highly conserved Rieske iron–sulfur subunit (ISP-1) of complex III in the respiratory chain results in pleiotropic phenotypes inCaenorhabditis elegans, including delayed development and increased lifespan. We identified intragenic mutations within a conserved 6-aa tether region of ISP-1. These suppressors are capable of suppressing all of the phenotypes associated with theisp-1(qm150)mutation. We further demonstrated that this mutation/suppressor relationship is conserved in the Rieske iron–sulfur protein (Rip1) of yeast complex III. These findings provide insights into conserved features of the structure and function of this protein, and allow us to propose a unique “spring-loaded” mechanism to account for these effects, supported by empirical physicochemical data.
Anatomy of funded research in science
Authors: Ma Athen , Mondragón Raúl J. , Latora Vito
Published: October 2015

Significance

The study of scientific collaborations has been predominately focused on characterizing publication coauthorships. Here, we study instead collaboration networks by looking at project partnerships funded over the years and show clearly the substantial impact of funding shifts on the pattern of interactions. We find that the leading universities form a cohesive clique among themselves and occupy brokerage positions between otherwise disconnected entities, and as the inequality in the distribution of funding grows over time, so does the degree of brokerage. Specifically, the elites overattract resources but they also reward in variety of research and quality. We are the first to our knowledge to systematically quantify the far-reaching effects of external forces on the complex interactions in team research that underpin the production and evolution of science.
Optimal group size in a highly social mammal
Authors: Markham A. Catherine , Gesquiere Laurence R. , Alberts Susan C. , Altmann Jeanne
Published: October 2015

Significance

What are the costs and benefits for animals living in groups of different sizes? Balancing the trade-offs between within-group competition (which favors smaller groups) and between-group competition (which favors larger groups) suggests that intermediate-sized groups may be best, yet empirical support for this prediction has largely been lacking. Using long-term data on wild baboons, we provide novel evidence that individuals living in intermediate-sized groups have energetically optimal space-use strategies and lower glucocorticoid (stress hormone) concentrations than individuals in either large or small groups. Our results offer new insight into the costs and benefits of group living.
Why significant variables aren’t automatically good predictors
Authors: Lo Adeline , Chernoff Herman , Zheng Tian , Lo Shaw-Hwa
Published: October 2015

Significance

A recent puzzle in the big data scientific literature is that an increase in explanatory variables found to be significantly correlated with an outcome variable does not necessarily lead to improvements in prediction. This problem occurs in both simple and complex data. We offer explanations and statistical insights into why higher significance does not automatically imply stronger predictivity and why variables with strong predictivity sometimes fail to be significant. We suggest shifting the research agenda toward searching for a criterion to locate highly predictive variables rather than highly significant variables. We offer an alternative approach, the partition retention method, which was effective in reducing prediction error from 30% to 8% on a long-studied breast cancer data set.
PDID: database of molecular-level putative protein–drug interactions in the structural human proteome
Authors: Wang Chen , Hu Gang , Wang Kui , Brylinski Michal , Xie Lei , Kurgan Lukasz
Published: October 2015

Motivation: Many drugs interact with numerous proteins besides their intended therapeutic targets and a substantial portion of these interactions is yet to be elucidated. Protein–Drug Interaction Database (PDID) addresses incompleteness of these data by providing access to putative protein–drug interactions that cover the entire structural human proteome.

Results: PDID covers 9652 structures from 3746 proteins and houses 16 800 putative interactions generated from close to 1.1 million accurate, all-atom structure-based predictions for several dozens of popular drugs. The predictions were generated with three modern methods: ILbind, SMAP and eFindSite. They are accompanied by propensity scores that quantify likelihood of interactions and coordinates of the putative location of the binding drugs in the corresponding protein structures. PDID complements the current databases that focus on the curated interactions and the BioDrugScreen database that relies on docking to find putative interactions. Moreover, we also include experimentally curated interactions which are linked to their sources: DrugBank, BindingDB and Protein Data Bank. Our database can be used to facilitate studies related to polypharmacology of drugs including repurposing and explaining side effects of drugs.

Availability and implementation: PDID database is freely available at http://biomine.ece.ualberta.ca/PDID/.

Contact:  lkurgan@vcu.edu
Low Concordance With Guidelines for Treatment of Acute Cystitis in Primary Care
Authors: Grigoryan Larissa , Zoorob Roger , Wang Haijun , Trautner Barbara W.
Published: October 2015

Background.  The updated 2010 Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines recommended 3 first-line therapies for uncomplicated cystitis: nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), and fosfomycin, while fluoroquinolones (FQs) remained as second-line agents. We assessed guideline concordance for antibiotic choice and treatment duration after introduction of the updated guidelines and studied patient characteristics associated with prescribing of specific antibiotics and with treatment duration.

Methods.  We used the Epic Clarity database (electronic medical record system) to identify all female patients aged ≥18 years with uncomplicated cystitis in 2 private family medicine clinics in the period of 2011–2014. For each eligible visit, we extracted type of antibiotic prescribed, duration of treatment, and patient and visit characteristics.

Results.  We included 1546 visits. Fluoroquinolones were the most common antibiotic class prescribed (51.6%), followed by nitrofurantoin (33.5%), TMP-SMX (12.0%), and other antibiotics (3.2%). A significant trend occurred toward increasing TMP-SMX and toward decreasing nitrofurantoin use. The duration of most prescriptions for TMP-SMX, nitrofurantoin, and FQs was longer than guidelines recommendations (longer durations were prescribed for these agents in 82%, 73%, and 71% of the prescriptions, respectively). No patient or visit characteristic was associated with use of specific antibiotics. Older age and presence of diabetes were independently associated with longer treatment duration.

Conclusions.  We found low concordance with the updated guidelines for both the choice of drug and duration of therapy for uncomplicated cystitis in primary care. Identifying barriers to guideline adherence and designing interventions to decrease overuse of FQs may help preserve the antimicrobial efficacy of these important antimicrobials.
Membrane-Associated Ubiquitin Ligase SAUL1 Suppresses Temperature- and Humidity-Dependent Autoimmunity in Arabidopsis
Authors: Disch Eva-Maria , Tong Meixuezi , Kotur Tanja , Koch Gerald , Wolf Carl-Asmus , Li Xin , Hoth Stefan
Published: October 2015

Plants have evolved elaborate mechanisms to regulate pathogen defense. Imbalances in this regulation may result in autoimmune responses that are affecting plant growth and development. In Arabidopsis, SAUL1 encodes a plant U-box ubiquitin ligase and regulates senescence and cell death. Here, we show that saul1-1 plants exhibit characteristics of an autoimmune mutant. A decrease in relative humidity or temperature resulted in reduced growth and systemic lesioning of saul1-1 rosettes. These physiological changes are associated with increased expression of salicylic acid–dependent and pathogenesis-related (PR) genes. Consistently, resistance of saul1-1 plants against Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola ES4326, P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000, or Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis Noco2 was enhanced. Transmission electron microscopy revealed alterations in saul1-1 chloroplast ultrastructure and cell-wall depositions. Confocal analysis on aniline blue–stained leaf sections and cellular universal micro spectrophotometry further showed that these cell-wall depositions contain callose and lignin. To analyze signaling downstream of SAUL1, we performed epistasis analyses between saul1-1 and mutants in the EDS1/PAD4/SAG101 hub. All phenotypes observed in saul1-1 plants at low temperature were dependent on EDS1 and PAD4 but not SAG101. Taken together, SAUL1 negatively regulates immunity upstream of EDS1/PAD4, likely through the degradation of an unknown activator of the pathway.
PCR Primers for Detection of Pantoea ananatis, Burkholderia spp., and Enterobacter sp. from Onion
Authors: Asselin Jo Ann E. , Bonasera Jean M. , Beer Steven V.
Published: October 2015

Bacterial decays of onion bulbs cause sporadic and sometimes serious losses to onion (Allium cepa). In New York, three groups of bacteria were identified as problematic: Burkholderia spp., Pantoea ananatis, and Enterobacter spp. To aid in efficient detection and diagnosis of these pathogens, pairs of specific polymerase chain reaction primers were designed and validated, based on a strategy that utilized various genome sequences now available in public databases. Primer pairs were tested against numerous strains of target bacteria, closely related bacteria, and other onion-pathogenic bacteria. Each primer pair yielded a single, apparently highly specific amplicon from aqueous suspensions of the target bacteria. Minimum sensitivities were approximately 103 CFU per 25-μl reaction mixture for all three primer pairs.
Maxillary Ameloblastoma with Orbital Involvement: An Institutional Experience and Literature Review
Authors: Milman Tatyana , Lee Vivian , LiVolsi Virginia
Published: October 2015

Purpose:

To describe 8 patients with orbital involvement by ameloblastoma and to review the literature on this topic.

Methods:

The electronic medical records and pathology databases of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania were searched to identify all patients with histopathologically confirmed ameloblastoma diagnosed between 1990 and 2015. PubMed database was searched for all well-documented cases of maxillary ameloblastoma and ameloblastic carcinoma ex-ameloblastoma with orbital involvement published in the English literature. The information collected on the compiled 23 patients included age, sex, clinical presentation, imaging findings, management, tumor histopathologic features, and follow up.

Results:

Review of medical records identified 8 patients with orbital involvement by ameloblastoma. Literature search yielded 15 patients with well-documented orbital involvement by ameloblastoma. Most tumors occurred in men (19 of 23, M:F = 4–5:1) with an average age of 56 years. The overall rates of recurrence, visual compromise, death, and confirmed disease-related mortality were 70% (16/23), 26% (6/23), 39% (9/23), and 22% (5/23), respectively. The initial surgical approach correlated with prognosis. The rates of recurrence, orbital exenteration, and mortality in the cohort managed with conservative surgery or partial maxillectomy were 57% (8/14), 29% (4/14), and 50% (7/14), respectively. In contrast, the patients initially managed with a radical resection had substantially lower frequencies of tumor recurrence (2/7, 29%), exenteration (1/7, 14%), and death (1/7, 14%). Malignant transformation to ameloblastic carcinoma occurred in the setting of recurrent disease in 3 patients and in 1 patient with prolonged duration of symptoms, suggestive of a long-standing tumor.

Conclusions:

Maxillary ameloblastoma can rarely involve the orbit, leading to significant ocular morbidity and occasional mortality. Prompt radical resection of the tumor has the potential to decrease the likelihood of recurrence and visual compromise, and can improve survival.
Extreme Eyelid Lymphedema Associated With Rosacea (Morbihan Disease): Case Series, Literature Review, and Therapeutic Considerations
Authors: Carruth Bryant P. , Meyer Dale R. , Wladis Edward J. , Bradley Elizabeth A. , Al-Rohil Rami , Jones David M. , Bartley George B.
Published: October 2015

Purpose:

To describe severe lymphedema of the eyelids, known as Morbihan disease, a previously characterized but infrequently reported and poorly understood entity related to rosacea that features solid mid-facial and eyelid lymphedema.

Methods:

Retrospective chart review, histopathologic and immunohistochemical analysis, and pertinent literature consideration.

Results:

Five cases of Morbihan disease were identified. Histopathologic examination revealed pleomorphic perivascular and perilymphatic inflammation with profound lymphangiectasis and lymph stasis, thus suggesting elements of both rosacea and localized, chronic lymphedema. Multiple therapeutic interventions were performed including systemic anti-inflammatory therapy, surgical debulking, and corticosteroid injection.

Conclusions:

Extreme eyelid edema associated with characteristic skin changes and histopathologic findings represents an entity known as Morbihan disease which is rare and difficult to treat. While multiple modalities have been employed with variable results, future therapeutic considerations may include the use of targeted biologic agents.
Apoptosis in snowflake yeast: novel trait, or side effect of toxic waste?
Authors: Pentz Jennifer T. , Taylor Bradford P. , Ratcliff William C.
Published: October 2015

Recent experiments evolving de novo multicellularity in yeast have found that large-cluster forming genotypes also exhibit higher rates of programmed cell death (apoptosis). This was previously interpreted as the evolution of a simple form of cellular division of labor: apoptosis results in the scission of cell-cell connections, allowing snowflake yeast to produce proportionally smaller, faster-growing propagules. Through spatial simulations, Duran-Nebreda and Solé (2015) develop the novel null hypothesis that apoptosis is not an adaptation, per se, but is instead caused by the accumulation of toxic metabolites in large clusters. Here we test this hypothesis by synthetically creating unicellular derivatives of snowflake yeast through functional complementation with the ancestral ACE2 allele. We find that multicellular snowflake yeast with elevated apoptosis exhibit a similar rate of apoptosis when cultured as single cells. We also show that larger snowflake yeast clusters tend to contain a greater fraction of older, senescent cells, which may explain why larger clusters of a given genotype are more apoptotic. Our results show that apoptosis is not caused by side effects of spatial structure, such as starvation or waste product accumulation, and are consistent with the hypothesis that elevated apoptosis is a trait which co-evolves with large cluster size.
Recycler: an algorithm for detecting plasmids fromde novoassembly graphs
Authors: Rozov Roye , Kav Aya Brown , Bogumil David , Shterzer Naama , Halperin Eran , Mizrahi Itzhak , Shamir Ron
Published: October 2015

Plasmids are central contributors to microbial evolution and genome innovation. Recently, they have been found to have important roles in antibiotic resistance and in affecting production of metabolites used in industrial and agricultural applications. However, their characterization through deep sequencing remains challenging, in spite of rapid drops in cost and throughput increases for sequencing. Here, we attempt to ameliorate this situation by introducing a new plasmid-specific assembly algorithm, leveraging assembly graphs provided by a conventionalde novoassembler and alignments of paired- end reads to assembled graph nodes. We introduce the first tool for this task, called Recycler, and demonstrate its merits in comparison with extant approaches. We show that Recycler greatly increases the number of true plasmids recovered while remaining highly accurate. On simulated plasmidomes, Recycler recovered 5-14% more true plasmids compared to the best extant method with overall precision of about 90%. We validated these resultsin silicoon real data, as well asin vitroby PCR validation performed on a subset of Recycler’s predictions on different data types. All 12 of Recycler’s outputs on isolate samples matched known plasmids or phages, and had alignments having at least 97% identity over at least 99% of the reported reference sequence lengths. For the two E. Coli strains examined, most known plasmid sequences were recovered, while in both cases additional plasmids only known to be present in different hosts were found. Recycler also generated plasmids in high agreement with known annotation on real plasmidome data. Moreover, in PCR validations performed on 77 sequences, Recycler showed mean accuracy of 89% across all data types – isolate, microbiome, and plasmidome. Recycler is available athttp://github.com/Shamir-Lab/Recycler
Torque production improvement of a five phase fractional-slot PM machine under faulty operation
Authors: Rebai Hajer , Abdennadher Imen , Masmoudi Ahmed
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to deal with several approach to recover the torque production capability of a five phase double-layer fractional-slot PM machine under faulty operation. The considered fault is an open-circuit coil in a given phase.

Design/methodology/approach

– In a first step, the mean futures, such as the phase back-EMFs and the electromagnetic torque, are computed by finite element analysis under healthy operation, and are taken as references. Then, they are investigated, under a faulty coil, for different approaches to recover the torque production capability.

Findings

– A comparison of the potentialities of the torque recovery approaches has clearly highlight the superiority of the approach consisting in the re-adjustment of the current initial phases, in an attempt to equilibrate the resulting air gap MMF.

Research limitations/implications

– This work should be extended by an experimental validation of the predicted results regarding the back-EMFs and the electromagnetic torque.

Practical implications

– The investigation of the considered five phase fractional-slot PM machine under faulty operation should be extended to several faulty scenarios in order to fulfill the requirements of many applications such as the propulsion systems.

Originality/value

– The paper proposes different approaches to recover the torque production capability of a five phase fractional-slot PM machine under faulty operation.
Improvement of output current waveforms using SVM technique and fuzzy logic controller for matrix converter
Authors: Boukadoum Aziz , Bahi Tahar , Soufi Youcef , Bouguerne Abla , Oudina Sofiane
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The use of power electronic equipment such as conventional AC-DC-AC converters cause several problems in electrical networks and its components. They generate harmonic currents and disturb the electrical power sources; so, it is necessary to research alternative topologies of power electronic converters based on advanced intelligent controllers, which reduce or even eliminate harmonics to achieve energy-saving and environmental protection. The use of matrix converter (MC) is, considered as an attractive solution to maintain pure sinusoidal input and output current waveforms. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

– The studied system is composed of a three phase matrix converter (TMC) feeding a linear R, L load and a trees phase rectifier considered as a non-linear load; the proposed control strategy is based on a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) associated to the (space vector modulation) SVM modulation technique, this choice is motivated by the advantages that represent the combination of FLC and SVM in term of power quality enhancement in both input and output sides of MC.

Findings

– The model is validated based on simulation results that illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed system in term of power quality amelioration. The high performance of the proposed FLC is illustrated in all study cases especially in the case of perturbed input voltage, it is not only able to keep the whole system stable, but also it reduces harmonic distortion THD to respect international standards recommendation.

Originality/value

– In this paper, an associated linear (RL), non-linear loads and TMC is studied. From the mathematical point of view, the MC is modeled and analyzed. From the technique point of view, the MC allows sinusoidal current absorbance from the network with good qualities in term of harmonic distortion compensation, and high reliability under various loads and disturbed input voltage.
Novel linear switched-flux PM machine with 9/10 primary/secondary pole number combination
Authors: Lu Qinfen , Li Yanxin , Ye Yunyue , Chen J.T. , Zhu Z.Q.
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– Due to linear structure, linear switched flux permanent magnet machines (LSFPMMs) also may have odd pole primary, such as 9, 15, 21, etc., without unbalanced magnetic force in equivalent rotary machines. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– In order to increase the thrust force density, the influence of some major design parameters, including split ratio, PM thickness, primary slot width and secondary pole width, are investigated by finite element analysis. For reducing the thrust force ripple under on-load condition, the end auxiliary teeth are adopted and their positions are also optimized.

Findings

– This novel 9/10 primary/secondary poles LSFPMM has high average thrust force and low thrust force ripple by optimization. The results demonstrate that the odd pole primary may be a good candidate for long-stroke linear direct drive application.

Originality/value

– A novel 9/10 primary/secondary poles linear switched flux permanent magnet machine is developed in this paper. The similar conclusions could be obtained for other LSFPMMs with odd pole primary.
Quantitative analysis of the cities’ innovation capacity based on grey variable weight clustering
Authors: Guan Yeqing , Liu Hua , Zhu Ying
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to find the reason which the results of grey variable weight clustering method do not correspond with the reality. It proposes reconstructing the whitenization weight function, outlining why and how inconsistency is avoided. The study aims to improve the model of grey clustering method based on the whitenization weight function and list the steps of the new clustering model so that analysis and application of innovation capacity in a broader range is normally found.

Design/methodology/approach

– First the reason for the problem that the clustering results of grey variable weight clustering do not correspond with the reality is analyzed in two existing literature. And then a new whitenization weight function is reconstructed, two properties of the whitenization weight function are proved. The solution of the new grey variable weight clustering based on the whitenization weight function is built by following six steps.

Findings

– The paper provides a new whitenization weight function which satisfies the normative and non-triplecrossing. It suggests that successful clustering results of innovation capacity act on two levels: integrating the elements of innovation capacity indexes, and following steps of grey variable weight clustering.

Originality/value

– This paper improves the existing method of grey variable weight clustering and fulfills an identified need to study how cities’ innovation capacity can be clustered.
Optimisation of building shape and orientation for better energy efficient architecture
Authors: Fallahtafti Reza , Mahdavinejad Mohammadjavad
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to optimise building orientation in Tehran, as well as determining the impact of its shape, relative compactness (RC) and glazing percentage on its optimised orientation.

Design/methodology/approach

– A cubic module was used and a set of 8 of the same module with 16 different formations were analysed for their orientation (360°), the RC (four groups) and the amount of glazing percentage (25, 50 and 75 per cent).

Findings

– The results show that the optimised orientation of a building in Tehran strongly depends on its passive solar heat gain elements, their orientation and their position in building; furthermore, glazing percentage amount, amongst the studied factors, plays the most important role in determining a building’s orientation.

Practical implications

– The application of the findings of this study in Tehran city planning and also technical details of buildings will lead to a great energy saving in construction sector. Furthermore, the deployment of the proposed design guidelines in construction has explicitly been proven to save a prodigious amount of energy.

Originality/value

– The main research question is taken directly from authors’ initiative when working as university professor and research associate. The case study buildings, their morphological configurations and sustainable features have not been presented before in an academic journal.
Accrual accounting in Italian universities: a technical perspective
Authors: Agasisti Tommaso , Catalano Giuseppe , Di Carlo Ferdinando , Erbacci Angelo
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of full accrual accounting on the Italian public universities and, in this context, how some technical-accounting problems typical of public sector (recognition and valuation issues) have been addressed. An additional purpose investigated in this paper is the role of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSASs) in helping to overcome these technical-accounting issues, for the case under examination.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper involves studying whether, and to what degree, some of the accounting choices made by the universities complied with the principles of full accrual accounting for several specific accounting registrations characterised by the presence of recognition and valuation issues. During this investigation, the paper also analyses whether the universities followed the accounting rules set out by the IPSAS Board.

Findings

– The findings highlight that, in general, there is a low degree of compliance with full accrual accounting principles and they also revealed that IPSASs do not provide any detailed guidelines that can help universities in overcoming the recognition and valuation problems typical of the public sector.

Originality/value

– The analysis presented in the paper confirms the findings of previous literature identifying a low level of compliance to full accrual accounting principles. This research shed light also on the longstanding debate about the role of IPSASs in promoting full accrual accounting in the public sector, revealing the scarce contribution of IPSASs to this process.
Building a resilient local council: evidence from flood disasters in Italy
Authors: Sciulli Nick , D'Onza Giuseppe , Greco Giulio
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate resilience to extreme weather events (EWE) in a sample of Italian local councils (LCs), impacted by flood disasters. Whether resilience as a concept is adopted by the affected councils and factors that promote or inhibit LC resilience are explored.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using semi-structured interviews, the authors investigate seven Italian LCs that were severely impacted by the flood event. An interview protocol was developed and background information collected. A number of themes were drawn from the interview transcripts and relationships with the relevant literature were examined.

Findings

– The findings highlight that the adoption of the concept of resilience is at an early stage in the LCs decision and policy making. The authors find that the financial resources and the external relations management with other public entities, NGOs and local communities, promote the LCs resilience during and after an EWE. By contrast, bureaucratic constraints and poor urban planning restrain resilience. The findings suggest that LCs resilience needs to be distinguished from local community resilience.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to the literature on public sector management and investigates the under-researched area of resilience within the context of the public sector, vis-à-vis, local government. In particular the realization that EWE are not the realm only of emergency personnel, but that local government managers have an integral role placed upon them during and especially after the EWE.
A test of the teaching-learning style mesh hypothesis in a Chinese MBA
Authors: Andres Hayward P. , Akan Obasi H.
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to determine if “fit” and “non-fit” between authoritarian versus demonstrator teaching and visual versus verbal learning preferences differ in impact on Chinese MBA student academic performance in a large local urban Chinese university setting. In addition, the role of Chinese cultural behavioral tendencies in dictating specific teaching and learning style preferences among Chinese MBA students is also examined.

Design/methodology/approach

– Subjects were 135 Chinese MBA students that indicated their learning style preference (verbal or visual) and predominant teaching style encountered (authoritarian or demonstrator). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) main effects were used to identify the best teaching style and best learning style. ANOVA interaction effects were used to test the meshing hypothesis (i.e. teaching-learning style “fit” versus “non-fit” conditions).

Findings

– The results provided support for the mesh hypothesis – teaching style – learning style fit does matter. In general, authoritarian teaching was superior to demonstrator, and verbal learning was superior to visual. Findings also suggest that the demonstrator teaching style may better handle different learning styles (e.g. both verbal and visual) simultaneously as compared to the classic authoritarian teaching style.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings support and contribute to the body of knowledge about the mesh hypothesis and provide the foundations for further longitudinal studies evaluating teaching and learning styles learning styles in a multicultural and cross-cultural context. A limitation of the study is that self-report responses were used and the data were collected at one Chinese university.

Practical implications

– The results suggest that instructors are likely to reach only a selected few students if it is assumed that all students learn in the same way or based on cultural orientation alone. University administrators should be aware of the role of cultural tendencies related to teaching and learning and how cross-cultural communication and multicultural awareness can provide insights into strategies for social and academic integration of foreign students.

Originality/value

– To date, the meshing hypothesis has received far less theoretical or empirical attention than the general learning style and teaching style hypotheses. This study addresses that gap.
Plant–soil interactions regulate the identity of soil carbon in invaded ecosystems: implication for legacy effects
Authors: Suseela Vidya , Alpert Peter , Nakatsu Cindy H. , Armstrong Arthur , Tharayil Nishanth
Published: October 2015

Introduced, invasive plants can alter local soil chemistry and microbial communities, but the underlying mechanisms and extent of these changes are largely unknown. Based on characteristics associated with invasiveness in plants, it was hypothesized that introduced species that produce large amounts of litter with distinctive secondary compounds can a) alter the chemistry of both extractable and bulk carbon in the soil, b) shift microbial communities towards microbes better able to metabolize the compounds in the litter and c) cause soil carbon chemistry and microbial communities to shift to relatively uniform, novel states at multiple sites.

Composition of phenolics in senescent tissues (leaves and roots) of Polygonum cuspidatum was compared to the composition of extractable phenolics and non‐extractable bulk organic carbon in soils under and adjacent to large, long‐established stands of P. cuspidatum at four sites in the eastern U.S. Rates of degradation of phenolics, activities of enzymes associated with the breakdown of phenolics and shifts in microbial community composition were also measured at the sites.

Soils under P. cuspidatum stands contained twice as much phenolics as adjacent soils, but the composition of phenolics differed greatly between soils under stands and senescent tissues of P. cuspidatum. Flavonoids and proanthocyanidins constituted >90% of the identified phenolics in P. cuspidatum tissues, whereas monophenolic compounds accounted for >90% of the phenolics in soils under stands. Soils under and adjacent to stands also exhibited distinctive compositions of relatively persistent bulk organic carbon; composition differed less between soils under stands at different sites than between soils under and adjacent to stands at the same site.

Soils under P. cuspidatum had 2·8 times greater abundance of fungi than soils adjacent to stands, and fungal markers showed clear separation of soils under and adjacent to P. cuspidatum. However, the potential activity of enzymes that degrade polyphenols was lower in soils under stands. Exogenously applied, chemically complex polyphenols persisted in both P. cuspidatum‐invaded and adjacent non‐invaded soils, whereas less complex compounds rapidly disappeared from both soils.

Synthesis. Results suggest that interactions between plant inputs, abiotic reactions and biotic transformations may create and maintain new states in invaded soils that are chemically and biologically less diverse. In the case of polyphenol‐rich, fast‐growing invasive species, these interactions may alter the composition of bulk soil organic matter that has relatively slower turnover rates, resulting in legacy effects. Restoration could thus require, not just removal of the species, but also post‐removal interventions such as soil amendments.
Onset of autumn shapes the timing of birth in Pyrenean chamois more than onset of spring
Authors: Kourkgy Charlotte , Garel Mathieu , Appolinaire Joël , Loison Anne , Toïgo Carole
Published: October 2015

In seasonal environments, birth dates are a central component for a species’ life history, with potential long‐term fitness consequences. Yet our understanding of selective pressures of environmental changes on birth dates is limited in wild mammals due to the difficulty of data collection. In a context of rapid climate change, the question of a possible mismatch between plant phenology and birth phenology also remains unanswered for most species.

We assessed whether and how the timing of birth in a mountain mammal (isard, also named Pyrenean chamois, Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica) tracked changes in plant growing season, accounting for maternal traits, individual heterogeneity and population density. We not only focused on spring conditions but also assessed to what extent onset of autumn can be a driver of phenological biological events and compared the magnitude of the response to the magnitude of the environmental changes. We relied on a 22‐year study based on intensively monitored marked individuals of known age.

Births were highly synchronized (80% of kids born within 25 days) and highly repeatable (84%; between‐female variation of 9·6  days, within‐female variation of 4·2 days). Individual phenotypic plasticity allows females to respond rapidly to interannual changes in plant phenology but did not prevent the existence of a mismatch: a 10‐day advance in the autumn or spring plant phenology led to 3·9 and 1·3 days advance in birth dates, respectively.

Our findings suggest that plant phenology may act as a cue to induce important stages of the reproductive cycle (e.g. conception and gestation length), subsequently affecting parturition dates, and stressed the importance of focusing on long‐term changes during spring for which females may show much lower adaptive potential than during autumn. These results also question the extent to which individual plasticity along with high heterogeneity among individuals will allow species to cope with demographic consequences of climate changes.
(Re‐)join the party! The effects of direct democracy on party membership in Europe
Authors: PETERS YVETTE
Published: October 2015

It has been argued that political parties are in decline. While they used to be responsible for connecting citizens to the state by translating their preferences into policies, they have increasingly become part of the state, acting as governors instead. While this perspective emphasises parties’ representative function, it is less clear what their role is in a more direct democratic context. Parties may gain support due to such context, but they may also be seen increasingly redundant in a situation where citizens can co‐decide directly. Focusing on party membership, this study tests these rival expectations on a panel of 16 West European democracies over the period 1980–2008 and finds that parties tend to have higher levels of party membership in a direct democratic context. The usage of referendums, however, does not contribute to this effect.
The electoral consequences of the financial and economic crisis in Europe
Authors: HERNÁNDEZ ENRIQUE , KRIESI HANSPETER
Published: October 2015

The electoral consequences of the Great Recession are analysed in this article by combining insights from economic voting theories and the literature on party system change. Taking cues from these two theoretical perspectives, the impact of the Great Recession on the stability and change of Western, Central and Eastern European party systems is assessed. The article starts from the premise that, in order to fully assess the impact of the contemporary crisis, classic economic voting hypotheses focused on incumbent parties need to be combined with accounts of long‐term party system change provided by realignment and dealignment theories. The empirical analysis draws on an original dataset of election results and economic and political indicators in 30 European democracies. The results indicate that during the Great Recession economic strain was associated with sizable losses for incumbent parties and an increasing destabilisation of Western European party systems, while its impact was significantly weaker in Central and Eastern European countries, where political rather than economic failures appeared to be more relevant. In line with the realignment perspective, the results also reveal that in Western Europe populist radical right, radical left and non‐mainstream parties benefited the most from the economic hardship, while support for mainstream parties decreased further.
Does selective logging change ground‐dwelling beetle assemblages in a subtropical broad‐leafed forest of China?
Authors: Yu Xiao‐Dong , Liu Chong‐Ling , Lü Liang , Bearer Scott L. , Luo Tian‐Hong , Zhou Hong‐Zhang
Published: October 2015

Selective logging with natural regeneration is advocated as a near‐to‐nature strategy and has been implemented in many forested systems during the last decades. However, the efficiency of such practices for the maintenance of forest species are poorly understood. We compared the species richness, abundance and composition of ground‐dwelling beetles between selectively logged and unlogged forests to evaluate the possible effects of selective logging in a subtropical broad‐leafed forest in southeastern China. Using pitfall traps, beetles were sampled in two naturally regenerating stands after clearcuts (ca. 50 years old, stem‐exclusion stage: selectively logged 20 years ago) and two mature stands (> 80 years old, understory re‐initiation stage: selectively logged 50 years ago) during 2009 and 2010. Overall, selective logging had no significant effects on total beetle richness and abundance, but saproxylic species group and some abundant forest species significantly decreased in abundance in selectively logged plots compared with unlogged plots in mature stands. Beetle assemblages showed significant differences between selectively logged and unlogged plots in mature stands. Some environmental characteristics associated with selective logging (e.g., logging strategy, stand age, and cover of shrub and moss layers) were the most important variables explaining beetle assemblage structure. Our results conclude that selective logging has no significant impacts on overall richness and abundance of ground‐dwelling beetles. However, the negative effects of selective logging on saproxylic species group and some unlogged forest specialists highlight the need for large intact forested areas for sustaining the existence of forest specialist beetles.
Feasibility study for assessing liver fibrosis in paediatric and adolescent patients using real‐time shear wave elastography
Authors: Dhyani Manish , Gee Michael S , Misdraji Joseph , Israel Esther Jacobowitz , Shah Uzma , Samir Anthony E
Published: October 2015

Introduction

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of shear wave elastography (SWE), as a non‐invasive means of assessing liver fibrosis stage in paediatric and adolescent patients.

Materials and Methods

Consecutive paediatric and adolescent subjects scheduled for liver biopsy (LB) evaluation of known or suspected diffuse liver disease were included after informed guardian consent and subject assent in this IRB‐approved single institution study. Elastograms were acquired prior to liver biopsy, from the liver under a breath‐hold after normal inspiration when possible. Biopsy specimens underwent blinded pathologist review using the METAVIR scoring system.

Results

Twenty‐four patients (M : F = 13:11) with a mean age of 17 years (range: 1–21 years) underwent liver biopsy. The distribution of fibrosis on pathological examination was: F0 = 10, F1 = 9, F2 = 1, F3 = 3, and F4 = 1. Subjects with stages F0 and F1 fibrosis had a mean SWE value of 6.93 kPa (95% CI: 6.33–7.44 kPa) and 8.33 kPa (95% CI: 6.83–10.80 kPa) respectively. The SWE value for the one subject with stage F2 fibrosis was 6.36 kPa, whereas for F3 and F4 were 8.86 (95% CI: 5.70–11.40) and 17.85 kPa respectively. The correlation between SWE values and fibrosis grade was strong (r = 0.58, P = 0.003), and the area under the ROC curve differentiatiang ≥F2 fibrosis was 0.62 (95% CI: 0.26–0.98).

Conclusion

Estimation of liver stiffness using real‐time SWE is feasible using the SC6‐1 ultrasound probe in paediatric and adolescent patients and strongly correlates with the stage of fibrosis.
Atorvastatin Reduces Circulating Osteoprogenitor Cells and T‐Cell RANKL Expression in Osteoporotic Women: Implications for the Bone–Vascular Axis
Authors: Rattazzi Marcello , Faggin Elisabetta , Buso Roberta , Di Virgilio Roberto , Puato Massimo , Plebani Mario , Zaninotto Martina , Palmosi Tiziana , Bertacco Elisa , Fadini Gian Paolo , Pauletto Paolo
Published: October 2015

Aim

Circulating osteoprogenitors and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa‐B ligand (RANKL) expression in immune cells have been implicated in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and vascular calcification. The role played by statin therapy in the bone–vascular axis is unknown.

Methods

Twenty naïve postmenopausal osteoporotic hypercholesterolemic women were treated with Atorvastatin 40 mg/day for 3 months. Gene expression analysis was performed to assess modification in osteoprotegerin (OPG)/RANK/RANKL expression in isolated T cells and monocytes. A flow cytometry analysis was used to study changes in the levels of circulating osteoprogenitor cells.

Results

After 3 months of treatment, Atorvastatin significantly reduced total cholesterol and LDL‐C, without affecting HDL‐C and triglycerides. Among circulating bone and phosphocalcium homeostasis markers, we found a significant increase in OPG levels (P < 0.01) and a modest reduction in osteocalcin (OCN) (P < 0.05). We also observed a significant reduction in RANKL expression in T cells (P < 0.05). No differences were found in the expression of RANK in T cells and RANKL and RANK in monocytes. OPG expression was low in both immune cell types and was not affected by the treatment. As for circulating osteoprogenitors, we found a significant reduction of CD34+BAP+ (P < 0.05) and CD34+OCN+BAP+ (P < 0.05) cells. In vitro studies showed that Atorvastatin reduced RANKL expression in activated human T‐lymphoblastoid cells (Jurkat cell line).

Conclusions

Three‐month Atorvastatin treatment leads to a reduction in circulating osteoprogenitor cells and RANKL expression in T cells, as well as increase in OPG serum levels. These data suggest that statins could have protective effects in the bone–vascular axis.
Aspirin Attenuates Angiotensin II‐induced Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy by Inhibiting the Ca2+/Calcineurin‐NFAT Signaling Pathway
Authors: Yin Zheyu , Wang Xiaoyun , Zhang Lan , Zhou Hongfeng , Wei Li , Dong Xiaoqiu
Published: October 2015

Introduction

In this study, we examined whether aspirin could inhibit cardiac hypertrophy.

Methods

We utilized cultured neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes and mice for the study and subjected to cardiomyocyte immunochemistry, qRT‐PCR, and immunoblotting analysis. The cardiac function was measured using M‐mode echocardiography.

Results

Ten μM aspirin significantly inhibited Ang II‐induced increase in cardiomyocyte size, the mRNA, and protein levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and β‐myosin heavy chain (β‐MHC) (P < 0.05). Meantime, consistent with the result in vitro, the increase in HW/BW ratio, the mRNA, and protein levels of ANP, BNP, and β‐MHC could be reduced by aspirin in vivo (P < 0.05). Analysis of cardiac function revealed that mouse hearts treated with Ang II displayed thickening of the ventricular walls, left ventricular end‐diastolic dimensions, and left ventricular end‐systolic dimensions were significantly decreased (P < 0.05), whereas interventricular septal thickness at end‐diastole, interventricular septal thickness at end‐systole, posterior wall thickness in diastole, and posterior wall thickness in systole were markedly increased (P < 0.05), which could be reversed by aspirin (P < 0.05). Moreover, aspirin blunted the increase inCa2+ and inhibited the calcineurin activity and NFAT dephosphorylation caused by Ang II (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Aspirin inhibited cardiac hypertrophy in vitro and in vivo through inhibition of the Ca2+/calcineurin–NFAT signaling pathway. Therefore, these findings suggested that aspirin might become a therapeutic option to reduce cardiac hypertrophy.