bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of the high mobility group box 1 signalling axes via the receptor for advanced glycation end‐products and toll‐like receptor‐4 in the immunopathology of oral lichen planus: a potential drug target?
Authors: Salem Abdelhakim , Almahmoudi Rabeia , Vehviläinen Mari , Salo Tuula
Published: April 2018

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is an extremely conserved DNA‐binding protein that stabilizes nucleosomes and facilitates gene transcription in mammalian cells. When released extracellularly, HMGB1 becomes an alarmin that can mediate systemic diseases. High mobility group box 1 signals via two main receptors: receptor for advanced glycation end‐products (RAGE) and toll‐like receptor‐4 (TLR4). We hypothesized that HMGB1 expression is increased in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) relative to healthy controls. Therefore, HMGB1 and its receptors were mapped in tissue biopsies from 25 patients with OLP and from 20 healthy controls by immunostaining and ImageJ analysis. High mobility group box 1 was induced in oral keratinocytes in all patients with OLP. The band‐like cell infiltrate in patients with OLP revealed very strong staining for RAGE. Likewise, TLR4 was overexpressed throughout OLP mucosa which co‐localized with HMGB1. In conclusion, we suggest that OLP could partly be an HMGB1‐mediated condition by creating a proinflammatory loop cycle via RAGE‐ and TLR4‐signalling axes, which may contribute to the chronicity of this disease.
Unilateral cervical plexus block for prosthetic laryngoplasty in the standing horse
Authors: Campoy L. , Morris T. B. , Ducharme N. G. , Gleed R. D. , Martin‐Flores M.
Published: April 2018

Background

Locoregional anaesthetic techniques can facilitate certain surgeries being performed under standing procedural sedation. The second and third spinal cervical nerves (C2, C3) are part of the cervical plexus and provide sensory innervation to the peri‐laryngeal structures in people; block of these nerves might permit laryngeal lateralisation surgery in horses.

Objectives

To describe the anatomical basis for an ultrasound‐guided cervical plexus block in horses. To compare this block with conventional local anaesthetic tissue infiltration in horses undergoing standing prosthetic laryngoplasty.

Study design

Cadaveric study followed by a double‐blinded prospective clinical trial.

Methods

A fresh equine cadaver was dissected to characterise the distribution of C2 and C3 to the perilaryngeal structures on the left side. A second cadaver was utilised to correlate ultrasound images with the previously identified structures; a tissue marker was injected to confirm the feasibility of an ultrasound‐guided approach to the cervical plexus. In the clinical study, horses were assigned to two groups, CP (n = 17; cervical plexus block) and INF (n = 17; conventional tissue infiltration). Data collection and analyses included time to completion of surgical procedure, sedation time, surgical field conditions and surgeon's perception of block quality.

Results

We confirmed that C2 and C3 provided innervation to the perilaryngeal structures. The nerve root of C2 was identified ultrasonographically located between the longus capitis and the cleidomastoideus muscles, caudal to the parotid gland. The CP group was deemed to provide better (P<0.0002) surgical conditions with no differences in the other variables measured.

Main limitations

Further studies with larger numbers of horses may be necessary to detect smaller differences in surgical procedure completion time based on the improved surgical filed conditions.

Conclusions

For standing unilateral laryngeal surgery, a cervical plexus block is a viable alternative to tissue infiltration and it improves the surgical field conditions.
Exercise‐induced pulmonary haemorrhage in Thoroughbred racehorses: a longitudinal study
Authors: Crispe E. J. , Secombe C. J. , Perera D. I. , Manderson A. A. , Turlach B. A. , Lester G. D.
Published: April 2018

Background

Exercise‐induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) is considered a progressive disease based on histopathology, but it is unknown if tracheobronchoscopic EIPH severity worsens over time.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to examine tracheobronchoscopic EIPH changes over time in a population of Thoroughbred racehorses. A secondary aim was to identify factors that affect changes in tracheobronchoscopic EIPH severity between observations.

Study design

Prospective, longitudinal, observational cross‐sectional study.

Methods

Thoroughbred racehorses were examined with tracheobronchoscopy no earlier than 30 min after racing. Examinations were recorded and graded blindly by experienced veterinarians using a 0–4 scale. Horses with 2 or more observations were included in the analysis. The association between the previous and current EIPH score was investigated using a linear mixed effect model. Factors associated with transitioning from a lower to a high EIPH grade and vice versa were examined using multiple ordinal regression. A semi‐parametric regression model was used to examine progression using the number of career starts as a marker for time. Models were adjusted for potential confounding variables.

Results

There were 2974 tracheobronchoscopic examinations performed on 747 horses. Blood was detected in over half of all examinations (55.6%). The population prevalence of EIPH increased as the number of examinations for each horse increased. The preceding EIPH score was significantly associated with the current EIPH score. Significant variables associated with moving between EIPH grades were the number of days since last racing, ambient temperature and weight carried. Tracheobronchoscopic EIPH is mildly progressive over the first thirty career starts.

Main limitations

Enrolment was voluntary. Horses were not followed for their entire career.

Conclusion

Limiting the number of days in the current racing preparation and spacing races for horses with moderate to severe EIPH may be beneficial for reducing tracheobronchoscopic EIPH severity. The association between ambient temperature and EIPH warrants further investigation.
Does Noninformative Text Affect Investor Behavior?
Authors: Anderson Alyssa G. , Larkin Yelena
Published: April 2018

This article demonstrates that easily processed texts affect investor trading behavior even in the absence of any informational content. We examine the trading symbols of US firms and find that stocks with clever tickers (those that are actual words in the English language) are more liquid, as measured by higher turnover and trading volume, as well as lower spreads. Furthermore, clever ticker stocks are traded more by uninformed investors and have larger market reactions on earnings announcement days. These results suggest that ticker fluency facilitates trading by improving the firm's visibility among retail investors through attention grabbing and memorization.
Environmental variability controls recruitment but with different drivers among spawning components in Gulf of St. Lawrence herring stocks
Authors: Brosset Pablo , Doniol‐Valcroze Thomas , Swain Douglas P. , Lehoux Caroline , Van Beveren Elisabeth , Mbaye Baye C. , Emond Kim , Plourde Stéphane
Published: April 2018

The factors affecting herring recruitment are still poorly understood, complicating the prediction of stock dynamics and the choice of operational management strategies. We investigated effects of intrinsic (SSB) and extrinsic factors (physical and biological environments, including competition and predation) on recruitment of the spring and fall spawning components of each of the two herring stocks occurring in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence between 1971 and 2014. Effects of potential explanatory factors on recruit (age 2) abundance were tested using Generalized Additive Models. Model fit was significantly improved by incorporating both physical and biological environmental variability, but effects of herring SSB and predation were not significant. Indices of zooplankton abundance and phenology explained more variance in recruitment than physical indices. Our results emphasize the dominance of bottom‐up processes over SSB in the regulation of herring recruitment. Environmental variability did not seem to act uniformly on the recruitment of either stock or their respective spawning components. A long‐term trend of decreasing recruitment in spring spawners was associated with a long‐term decline in abundance of cold water copepods. In fall spawners, optimal recruitment was dependent on warmer environmental conditions combined with an adequate supply (species composition and phenology) of zooplankton. These results provide the first empirical evidence that spring and fall spawning herring are adapted to contrasting environmental conditions and shed light on the potential mechanisms linking herring recruitment to key zooplankton community characteristics and phenology. Management strategies can be improved by incorporating this new knowledge on environmental drivers of herring recruitment.
Spring migration strategies of Whinchat Saxicola rubetra when successfully crossing potential barriers of the Sahara and the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Blackburn Emma , Burgess Malcolm , Freeman Benedictus , Risely Alice , Izang Arin , Ivande Sam , Hewson Chris , Cresswell Will
Published: April 2018

The flexibility for migrant land birds to be able to travel long distances rapidly without stopovers, and thus to cross wide inhospitable areas such as deserts and oceans, is likely to be a major determinant of their survival during migration. We measured variation in flight distance, speed and duration of major stopovers (more than 2 days), using geolocator tracks of 35 Whinchats Saxicola rubetra that migrated successfully from central Nigeria to Eastern Europe in spring, and examined how these measures changed, or depended on age, when crossing the barriers of the Sahara or the Mediterranean Sea. In all, 31% of Whinchats crossed at least the Sahara and the Mediterranean before a major stopover and 17% travelled over 4751 km on average without any major stopovers. Flight distance and speed during, and duration of major stopovers after, crossing the Mediterranean Sea were indistinguishable from migration over Continental Europe. Speed during a migration leg was lowest crossing Continental Europe and fastest, with longer duration major stopovers afterwards, when crossing the Sahara, but there was much individual variation, and start date of migration was also a good predictor of stopover duration. As the distance travelled during a leg increased, so major stopover duration afterwards increased (1 day for every 1000 km), but the speed of travel during the leg had no effect. There were no differences in any migration characteristics with age, other than an earlier start date for adult birds. The results suggest that adaptive shortening or even dropping of daily stopovers may occur often, allowing rapid, long‐distance migration at the cost of major stopovers afterwards, but such behaviour is not restricted to or always found when crossing barriers, even for birds on their first spring migration. The results may highlight the importance of stopover sites rather than barrier width as the likely key component to successful migration. Individual variation in spring migration may indicate that small passerine migrants like Whinchats may be resilient to future changes in the extent of barriers they encounter, although this may not be true of first autumn migrations or if stopover sites are lost.
Association of the HLA‐B27 antigen and the CTLA4 gene CT60/rs3087243 polymorphism with ankylosing spondylitis in Algerian population: A case–control study
Authors: Dahmani C. A. , Benzaoui A. , Amroun H. , Mecabih F. , Sediki F. Z. , Zemani‐Fodil F. , Fodil M. , Boughrara W. , Mecheti B. , Attal N. , Mehtar N. , Petit‐Teixeira E. , Boudjema A.
Published: April 2018

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a complex inflammatory disease that represents a major health problem both in Algeria and worldwide. Several lines of evidence support that genetic risk factors play a role in AS etiology and the CTLA4 gene has attracted a considerable attention. In this study, we were interested in evaluating the HLA‐B27 frequency and in exploring the CTLA4 gene in a sample of the North African population. The dataset of the current study is composed of 81 patients with AS and 123 healthy controls. All samples were genotyped by TaqMan®allelic discrimination assay. The genetic risk of the HLA‐B27 specificity and the CTLA4/CT60 polymorphism were assessed by odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). High spondylitis risk was detected for HLA‐B27 allele (OR= 14.62, p = 10−6) in addition to a significant association of the CT60*G allele (OR= 1.89, p = .002). After gender and age stratifications, the association of the CT60*G allele was still significant in females sample (OR= 2.10, p = .001) and when age up to 30 years (OR = 2.21, p = .008). Interestingly, the CT60*G allele revealed an increased spondylitis risk in the B27 negative group (OR= 2.81, p = .006). The present work showed in West Algerian population that the HLA‐B27 antigen and the variation in the CTLA4 3′UTR region played an important role in the ankylosing spondylitis susceptibility. The heterogeneity of this disease is deduced by genetic difference found between B27+ and B27− groups.
Effects of MASP2 haplotypes and MASP‐2 levels in hepatitis C‐infected patients
Authors: Silva Amanda A. , Catarino Sandra J. , Boldt Angelica B. W. , Pedroso Maria Lucia A. , Beltrame Marcia H. , Messias‐Reason Iara J.
Published: April 2018

Mannan‐binding lectin (MBL) and MBL‐associated serine protease 2 (MASP‐2) are components of the lectin pathway, which activate the complement system after binding to the HCV structural proteins E1 and E2. We haplotyped 11 MASP2 polymorphisms in 103 HCV patients and 205 controls and measured MASP‐2 levels in 67 HCV patients and 77 controls to better understand the role of MASP‐2 in hepatitis C susceptibility and disease severity according to viral genotype and fibrosis levels. The haplotype block MASP2*ARDP was associated with protection against HCV infection (OR = 0.49, p = .044) and lower MASP‐2 levels in controls (p = .021), while haplotype block AGTDVRC was significantly increased in patients (OR = 7.58, p = .003). MASP‐2 levels were lower in patients than in controls (p < .001) and in patients with viral genotype 1 or 4 (poor responders to treatment) than genotype 3 (p = .022) and correlated inversely with the levels of alkaline phosphatase, especially in individuals with fibrosis 3 or 4 (R = −.7, p = .005). MASP2 gene polymorphisms modulate basal gene expression, which may influence the quality of complement response against HCV. MASP‐2 levels decrease during chronic disease, independently of MASP2 genotypes, most probably due to consumption and attenuation mechanisms of viral origin and by the reduced liver function, the site of MASP‐2 production.
Public Opinion and Immigration: Who Favours Employment Discrimination against Immigrants?
Authors: Cooray Arusha , Marfouk Abdeslam , Nazir Maliha
Published: April 2018

Using information from the world values survey wave 6, containing information from 78,743 respondents in 53 countries, we examine the factors which influence respondents’ answers to the question: “when jobs are scarce, should employers give priority to people of the country of origin rather than immigrants?” Taking into account a number of factors, including the economic, socio‐demographic, political and individual levels, we find that all of these factors influence respondents’ preference for this form of discrimination.
Autoinflammatory disease in the lung
Authors: Scambler Thomas , Holbrook Jonathan , Savic Sinisa , McDermott Michael F. , Peckham Daniel
Published: April 2018

Ascertaining the dominant cell type driving an immunological disease is essential to understanding the causal pathology and, therefore, selecting or developing an effective treatment. Classifying immunological diseases in this way has led to successful treatment regimens for many monogenic diseases; however, when the dominant cell type is unclear and there is no obvious causal genetic mutation, then identifying the correct disease classification and appropriate therapy can be challenging. In this review we focus on pulmonary immunological diseases where an innate immune signature has been identified as a predominant aspect of the immunopathology. We describe the molecular pathology of ‘autoinflammatory diseases of the lung’ and propose that small molecule and biological therapies, including recombinant interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist, that target key innate immune pathways, are likely be beneficial in the control of pulmonary and systemic inflammation in these conditions. In addition, the successful use of macrolide antibiotics to treat lung infections in these conditions further confirms that the innate immune system is the key conductor of inflammation in these pulmonary diseases, as there is a strong body of evidence that macrolides are able to modulate the NLRP3 inflammasome and interleukin‐1β and interleukin‐18 secretion, both of which are central players in the innate immune response. Throughout this review we highlight the published evidence of autoinflammatory disease in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis and rheumatoid lung disease and suggest that the fundamental pathology of these diseases places them towards the autoinflammatory pole of the immunological disease continuum.
CEO Duality and Firm Performance: Does Economic Policy Uncertainty Mediate the Relation?
Authors: Chang Kiyoung , Lee Junyoup , Shim Hyeongsop
Published: April 2018

Exploiting two exogenous shocks, we examine the relation between CEO–Chairman duality and firm performance. We report evidence that CEO duality benefits a firm when economic policy uncertainty is high. This implies that CEO–‐Chairman duality is an advantageous governance mechanism for coping with economic policy uncertainty. We show that the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act reduced firm performance if a firm had separate leadership in 2001. However, this negative effect was mitigated if a firm had combined leadership in 2001. The results suggest that CEO duality is complementary to board independence and that the value of CEO duality is contingent on a firm’s environment.
Channels of employee voice: complementary or competing for space?
Authors: McCloskey Christina , McDonnell Anthony
Published: April 2018

This article identifies the existence of employee voice channels and examines how they interact within the context of an overall organisational voice system. In so doing, we can better appreciate the disparities between the micro‐level reality and macro‐level rhetoric of employee voice for highly skilled employees in the knowledge intensive sector. Drawing on an instrumental, inductive case study involving managers and, most notably, employees, the research finds that the plurality of mechanisms provided for voice appears to cause some confusion that leads to a neglect of certain channels and others competing for attention. This raises the issue, which has not received attention thus far, as to whether the availability of multiple voice channels can have counter‐productive effects whereby they start to compete with rather than complement each other.
Legume endosymbionts: Drought stress tolerance in second‐generation chickpea (Cicer arietinum) seeds
Authors: Kumari V. , Germida J. , Vujanovic V.
Published: April 2018

Chickpea is an important leguminous crop grown worldwide due to its nutritional and economic value. However, abiotic stress, primarily caused by drought, has limited chickpea production. This study highlights endosymbiotic plant growth promotion as well as alleviation of abiotic stress in germinating chickpea seeds and seedlings under drought stress conditions. Seed produced by F1 endosymbiotic plants under controlled environment was used to conduct this second‐generation (F2) study in the greenhouse. Fungal and bacterial endosymbionts improved seed germination and enhanced root and shoot growth in second‐generation seeds produced by applying drought stress without endophytes. Expression levels of antioxidant genes, proline, SOD‐superoxide dismutase and dehydrin, were downregulated, which characterizes enhanced oxidative stress tolerance and reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) in host cells. The endosymbiont beneficial effect on plant resilience and improved phenotypes was translated into increased nutrient quality of second‐generation seed. This study indicates the potential of the fungal and bacterial endosymbionts to moderate drought stress in plants by triggering epigenetic changes inherited across chickpea generations which correlated with enhanced resilience and improved agricultural traits in this globally important crop.
Resource availability, mating opportunity and sexual selection intensity influence the expression of male alternative reproductive tactics
Authors: Ghislandi Paolo Giovanni , Pekár Stano , Matzke Magdalena , Schulte‐Döinghaus Sarah , Bilde Trine , Tuni Cristina
Published: April 2018

The expression of alternative reproductive tactics can be plastic and occur simultaneously depending on cues that vary spatially or temporally. For example, variation in resources and sexual selection intensity is expected to influence the pay‐off of each tactic and shape the decision of which tactic to employ. Males of the nuptial gift‐giving spider Pisaura mirabilis can adopt three tactics: offering a genuine prey gift, a ‘worthless’ non‐nutritious gift or no gift. We hypothesized that resources and/or male body condition, and mating opportunity and sexual selection intensity, vary over the course of the mating season to shape the co‐existence of alternative traits. We measured these variables in the field over two seasons, to investigate the predictions that as the mating season progresses, (i) males become more likely to employ a gift‐giving tactic, and (ii) the likelihood of switching from worthless to genuine gifts increases. Prey availability increased over the season and co‐varied with the propensity of males to employ the gift‐giving tactic, but we found no support for condition‐dependent gift giving. Males responded to an increase in female availability by increasing their mating effort (gift production). Furthermore, the frequency of genuine gift use increased with sexual selection intensity, consistent with the assumption that sperm competition intensity increases with time. Our results suggest that the frequency of alternative tactics is shaped by seasonal changes in ecological factors and sexual selection. This leads to relaxed selection for the gift‐giving tactic early in the season when females are less choosy and resources more scarce, and increased selection for genuine gifts later in the season driven by mating opportunity and risk of sperm competition.
Longevity of ceramic onlays: A systematic review
Authors: Abduo Jaafar , Sambrook Raelene Jo
Published: April 2018

Objective

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the longevity of ceramic onlays and identify the factors that influence their survival.

Materials and methods

An electronic search was conducted through PubMed (MEDLINE), Google Scholar and Cochrane Library, up to August 2017. The literature search aimed to retrieve all the clinical studies on the longevity of ceramic onlays. Ceramic onlay was defined as any partial ceramic restoration that covers at least one cusp.

Results

A total of 21 studies met the selection criteria and were deemed suitable for this review. The medium‐term studies (2–5 years) indicated a survival rate of 91‐100%, and the long term studies (more than 5 years) showed a survival rate of 71–98.5%. The most common reason of failure was fracture, followed by debonding and caries. The most common patterns of deterioration were loss of margin integrity and discoloration. Onlay longevity can be enhanced if the preparation allows for at least 2 mm occlusal ceramic thickness and incorporates additional retentive features. Restoring teeth that are nonvital, teeth in a more posterior region, or teeth for patients with parafunctional habits appears to be associated with greater ceramic failure. Fabrication materials and methods, and adhesive bonding system did not seem to influence onlay longevity.

Conclusions

The clinical performance of the ceramic onlay appears acceptable regardless of the follow‐up duration. Fracture of the ceramic onlay is the predominant cause of failure, and the most observed form of deterioration was associated with the restoration margin.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Ceramic onlay appears to be a reliable option to restore posterior teeth. The most common pattern of failure is fracture of the ceramic material. The risk of ceramic onlay failure seems to increase if the restored tooth is nonvital and the patient demonstrates parafunctional habits.
Turning High‐Risk Individuals: An Economic Evaluation of Repositioning Frequency in Long‐Term Care
Authors: Pechlivanoglou Petros , Paulden Mike , Pham Ba' , Wong Josephine , Horn Susan D. , Krahn Murray
Published: April 2018

Recent evidence suggests that less frequent repositioning of long‐term care residents at moderate to high risk of developing pressure ulcers (PrUs) is noninferior to current repositioning standards in preventing PrUs, but the long‐term health and economic consequences of less frequent repositioning have not been adequately estimated. Our objective was to estimate the cost‐effectiveness of different repositioning strategies (2‐, 3‐, 4‐hour intervals). We conducted a cost‐utility analysis using a lifetime horizon based on data from a randomized clinical trial and the literature. We updated a published PrU decision model with resource usage, unit costs, and epidemiological estimates from the literature and from a small observational study. The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long‐Term Care perspective was taken. We estimated lifetime costs to be CAN$5,425 (95% credible interval (CrI)=$922–12,166) less per resident with 3‐hour repositioning than with 2‐hour repositioning and CAN$3,296 (95% CrI=$483–9,738) less than with 4‐hour repositioning. The gain in expected quality‐adjusted life years from a 3‐ to a 2‐hour repositioning strategy was 0.008, (95% CrI=0.005–0.016) and from a 3‐ to a 4‐hour repositioning strategy was 0.009 (95% CrI=0.007–0.018). Repositioning at 3‐hour intervals was the dominant strategy with respect to the incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio against the 2‐ and 4‐hour strategies. Sensitivity analysis showed a 99% probability that 3‐hour repositioning was a dominant strategy. We concluded that repositioning at 3‐hour intervals for residents at moderate or high risk of PrUs and who were cared for on high‐density foam mattresses appeared to be the most cost‐effective strategy.
CaMKIIβ is localized in dendritic spines as both drebrin‐dependent and drebrin‐independent pools
Authors: Yamazaki Hiroyuki , Sasagawa Yoshio , Yamamoto Hideyuki , Bito Haruhiko , Shirao Tomoaki
Published: April 2018

Drebrin is a major F‐actin binding protein in dendritic spines that is critically involved in the regulation of dendritic spine morphogenesis, pathology, and plasticity. In this study, we aimed to identify a novel drebrin‐binding protein involved in spine morphogenesis and synaptic plasticity. We confirmed the beta subunit of Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKIIβ) as a drebrin‐binding protein using a yeast two‐hybrid system, and investigated the drebrin–CaMKIIβ relationship in dendritic spines using rat hippocampal neurons. Drebrin knockdown resulted in diffuse localization of CaMKIIβ in dendrites during the resting state, suggesting that drebrin is involved in the accumulation of CaMKIIβ in dendritic spines. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching analysis showed that drebrin knockdown increased the stable fraction of CaMKIIβ, indicating the presence of drebrin‐independent, more stable CaMKIIβ. NMDA receptor activation also increased the stable fraction in parallel with drebrin exodus from dendritic spines. These findings suggest that CaMKIIβ can be classified into distinct pools: CaMKIIβ associated with drebrin, CaMKIIβ associated with post‐synaptic density (PSD), and CaMKIIβ free from PSD and drebrin. CaMKIIβ appears to be anchored to a protein complex composed of drebrin‐binding F‐actin during the resting state. NMDA receptor activation releases CaMKIIβ from drebrin resulting in CaMKIIβ association with PSD.

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The Kindness of Strangers? An Investigation into the Interaction of Funder Motivations in Online Crowdfunding Campaigns
Authors: Cox Joe , Nguyen Thang , Kang Soong Moon
Published: April 2018

This study investigates the interaction of motivations among contributors to online crowdfunding campaigns. Based on evidence from the literature on philanthropic behaviour, we argue that funder behaviour is likely to be driven by a combination of intrinsic, extrinsic and image enhancement motivations. We undertake an empirical investigation into the relationships between these factors by analysing data from an online rewards‐based crowdfunding platform. These data not only reveal the monetary values of individual contributions to fundraising campaigns but also indicate particular combinations of motivations based on the material reward selected (if any) and the decision as to whether or not to contribute anonymously. We find that extrinsically motivated funders generally make larger contributions than intrinsically motivated funders, which does not suggest the presence of a ‘crowding‐out’ effect given the presence of material incentives. We further show that named funders with intrinsic motivations contribute more than anonymous funders with intrinsic motivations, whereas the same pattern of behaviour is not observed among extrinsically motivated funders. The evidence from our study therefore suggests that image concerns interact with intrinsic and extrinsic motivations in different ways.
How Immigration Grease Is Affected by Economic, Institutional, and Policy Contexts: Evidence from EU Labor Markets
Authors: Guzi Martin , Kahanec Martin , Kureková Lucia Mýtna
Published: April 2018

Theoretical arguments and previous country‐level evidence indicate that immigrants are more fluid than natives in responding to changing skill shortages across countries, occupation groups and industries. The diversity across EU member states enables us to test this hypothesis across various institutional, economic and policy contexts. Drawing on the EU LFS and EU SILC datasets, we study the relationship between residual wage premia as a measure of skill shortages in different occupation‐industry‐country cells and the shares of immigrants and natives working in these cells. We find that immigrants’ responsiveness to skill shortages exceeds that of natives in the EU15, in particular in member states with low GDP, higher levels of immigration from outside EU, and more open immigration and integration policies; but also those with barriers to citizenship acquisition or family reunification. While higher welfare spending seems to exert a lock‐in effect, a comparison across different types of welfare states indicates that institutional complementarities alleviate such effect.
Markers in time and space: A review of the last decade of plant phylogeographic approaches
Authors: Morris Ashley B. , Shaw Joey
Published: April 2018

Plant studies comprise a relatively small proportion of the phylogeographic literature, likely as a consequence of the fundamental challenges posed by the complex genomic structures and life history strategies of these organisms. Comparative plastomics (i.e., comparisons of mutation rates within and among regions of the chloroplast genome) across plant lineages has led to an increased understanding of which markers are likely to provide the most information at low taxonomic levels. However, the extent to which the results of such work have influenced the literature has not been fully assessed, nor has the extent to which plant phylogeographers explicitly analyse markers in time and space, both of which are integral components of the field. Here, we reviewed more than 400 publications from the last decade of plant phylogeography to specifically address the following questions: (i) What is the phylogenetic breadth of studies to date? (ii) What molecular markers have been used, and why were they chosen? (iii) What kinds of markers are most frequently used and in what combinations? (iv) How frequently are divergence time estimation and ecological niche modelling used in plant phylogeography? Our results indicate that chloroplast DNA sequence data remain the primary tool of choice, followed distantly by nuclear DNA sequences and microsatellites. Less than half (42%) of all studies use divergence time estimation, while even fewer use ecological niche modelling (14%). We discuss the implications of our findings, as well as the need for community standards on data reporting.
Among‐year variation in selection during early life stages and the genetic basis of fitness in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Postma Froukje M. , Ågren Jon
Published: April 2018

Incomplete information regarding both selection regimes and the genetic basis of fitness limits our understanding of adaptive evolution. Among‐year variation in the genetic basis of fitness is rarely quantified, and estimates of selection are typically based on single components of fitness, thus potentially missing conflicting selection acting during other life‐history stages. Here, we examined among‐year variation in selection on a key life‐history trait and the genetic basis of fitness covering the whole life cycle in the annual plant Arabidopsis thaliana. We planted freshly matured seeds of >200 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between two locally adapted populations (Italy and Sweden), and both parental genotypes at the native site of the Swedish population in three consecutive years. We quantified selection against the nonlocal Italian genotype, mapped quantitative trait loci (QTL) for fitness and its components, and quantified selection on timing of germination during different life stages. In all 3 years, the local Swedish genotype outperformed the nonlocal Italian genotype. However, both the contribution of early life stages to relative fitness, and the effects of fitness QTL varied among years. Timing of germination was under conflicting selection through seedling establishment vs. adult survival and fecundity, and both the direction and magnitude of net selection varied among years. Our results demonstrate that selection during early life stages and the genetic basis of fitness can vary markedly among years, emphasizing the need for multiyear studies considering the whole life cycle for a full understanding of natural selection and mechanisms maintaining local adaptation.
God's Almightiness and the Limits of Theological Discourse
Authors: Vial Marc
Published: April 2018

This article argues that a Christian notion of God's almighty agency in the present world should be grounded in the consideration of the Easter event if speculation is to be avoided. Consequently, this essay introduces a sharp distinction between God's almightiness and mere omnipotence, and suggests that, if the Christian faith leads us to confess God's almightiness, it also forbids us to confess it in just any way we like: confession of God's almightiness necessarily takes the shape of hope and cannot be expressed in a mere assertive way. This is the reason why it is necessarily problematic, not on the level of its content, but as far as the mode of its confession is concerned.
“But will God indeed dwell on the earth?” God and Space
Authors: Lehmkühler Karsten
Published: April 2018

The so‐called “spatial turn” has led to renewed interest in the question of space among theologians. Concerning the concept of divine omnipresence, classical positions (Aquinas, Luther) underlined that God is present in the created world through God's essence and creating power. Contemporary authors sometimes oppose a classic and pre‐Kantian “container model” and adopt preferentially a more modern “relational model” of space. This article argues that these two models are not mutually exclusive, and that an analogical approach, linking the “space of God” and “created space”, might help us understand the encompassing presence of God in God's creation.
Detection of alpha‐synuclein conformational variants from gastro‐intestinal biopsy tissue as a potential biomarker for Parkinson's disease
Authors: Ruffmann C. , Bengoa‐Vergniory N. , Poggiolini I. , Ritchie D. , Hu M. T. , Alegre‐Abarrategui J. , Parkkinen L.
Published: April 2018

Aims

Gastrointestinal (GI) α‐synuclein (aSyn) detection as a potential biomarker of Parkinson's disease (PD) is challenged by conflicting results of recent studies. To increase sensitivity and specificity, we applied three techniques to detect different conformations of aSyn in GI biopsies obtained from a longitudinal, clinically well‐characterized cohort of PD patients and healthy controls (HC).

Methods

With immunohistochemistry (IHC), we used antibodies reactive for total, phosphorylated and oligomeric aSyn; with aSyn proximity ligation assay (AS‐PLA), we targeted oligomeric aSyn species specifically; and with paraffin‐embedded tissue blot (AS‐PET‐blot) we aimed to detect fibrillary, synaptic aSyn.

Results

A total of 163 tissue blocks were collected from 51 PD patients (113 blocks) and 21 HC (50 blocks). In 31 PD patients, biopsies were taken before the PD diagnosis (Prodromal); while in 20 PD patients biopsies were obtained after diagnosis (Manifest). The majority of tissues blocks were from large intestine (62%), followed by small intestine (21%), stomach (10%) and oesophagus (7%). With IHC, four staining patterns were detected (neuritic, ganglionic, epithelial and cellular), while two distinct staining patterns were detected both with AS‐PLA (cellular and diffuse signal) and with AS‐PET‐blot (aSyn‐localized and pericrypt signal). The level of agreement between different techniques was low and no single technique or staining pattern reliably distinguished PD patients (Prodromal or Manifest) from HC.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that detection of aSyn conformational variants currently considered pathological is not adequate for the diagnosis or prediction of PD. Future studies utilizing novel ultrasensitive amyloid aggregation assays may increase sensitivity and specificity.
Two ancestral genes shaped the Xanthomonas campestris TAL effector gene repertoire
Authors: Denancé Nicolas , Szurek Boris , Doyle Erin L. , Lauber Emmanuelle , Fontaine‐Bodin Lisa , Carrère Sébastien , Guy Endrick , Hajri Ahmed , Cerutti Aude , Boureau Tristan , Poussier Stéphane , Arlat Matthieu , Bogdanove Adam J. , Noël Laurent D.
Published: April 2018

Xanthomonas transcription activator‐like effectors (TALEs) are injected inside plant cells to promote host susceptibility by enhancing transcription of host susceptibility genes. TALE‐encoding (tal) genes were thought to be absent from Brassicaceae‐infecting Xanthomonas campestris (Xc) genomes based on four reference genomic sequences.

We discovered tal genes in 26 of 49 Xc strains isolated worldwide and used a combination of single molecule real time (SMRT) and tal amplicon sequencing to yield a near‐complete description of the TALEs found in Xc (Xc TALome).

The 53 sequenced tal genes encode 21 distinct DNA binding domains that sort into seven major DNA binding specificities. In silico analysis of the Brassica rapa promoterome identified a repertoire of predicted TALE targets, five of which were experimentally validated using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The Xc TALome shows multiple signs of DNA rearrangements that probably drove its evolution from two ancestral tal genes. We discovered that Tal12a and Tal15a of Xcc strain Xca5 contribute together in the development of disease symptoms on susceptible B. oleracea var. botrytis cv Clovis.

This large and polymorphic repertoire of TALEs opens novel perspectives for elucidating TALE‐mediated susceptibility of Brassicaceae to black rot disease and for understanding the molecular processes underlying TALE evolution.
INDEL variation in the regulatory region of the major flowering time gene LanFTc1 is associated with vernalization response and flowering time in narrow‐leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.)
Authors: Taylor Candy M. , Kamphuis Lars G. , Zhang Weilu , Garg Gagan , Berger Jens D. , Mousavi‐Derazmahalleh Mahsa , Bayer Philipp E. , Edwards David , Singh Karam B. , Cowling Wallace A. , Nelson Matthew N.
Published: April 2018

Narrow‐leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) cultivation was transformed by 2 dominant vernalization‐insensitive, early flowering time loci known as Ku and Julius (Jul), which allowed expansion into shorter season environments. However, reliance on these loci has limited genetic and phenotypic diversity for environmental adaptation in cultivated lupin. We recently predicted that a 1,423‐bp deletion in the cis‐regulatory region of LanFTc1, a FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) homologue, derepressed expression of LanFTc1 and was the underlying cause of the Ku phenotype. Here, we surveyed diverse germplasm for LanFTc1 cis‐regulatory variation and identified 2 further deletions of 1,208 and 5,162 bp in the 5' regulatory region, which overlap the 1,423‐bp deletion. Additionally, we confirmed that no other polymorphisms were perfectly associated with vernalization responsiveness. Phenotyping and gene expression analyses revealed that Jul accessions possessed the 5,162‐bp deletion and that the Jul and Ku deletions were equally capable of removing vernalization requirement and up‐regulating gene expression. The 1,208‐bp deletion was associated with intermediate phenology, vernalization responsiveness, and gene expression and therefore may be useful for expanding agronomic adaptation of lupin. This insertion/deletion series may also help resolve how the vernalization response is mediated at the molecular level in legumes.
A FIT‐binding protein is involved in modulating iron and zinc homeostasis in Arabidopsis
Authors: Chen Chun‐Lin , Cui Yan , Cui Man , Zhou Wen‐Juan , Wu Hui‐Lan , Ling Hong‐Qing
Published: April 2018

Fe and Zn are essential micronutrients for plant growth, and the interrelationship regarding their homeostasis is very complicated. In this study, we identified a FIT‐binding protein (FBP) using the yeast two‐hybrid system. The C‐terminus of FBP binds to the bHLH domain of FIT, abolishing the DNA‐binding capacity of FIT. Knockout of FBP results in an enhanced expression of NAS genes and a higher nicotianamine content, and the fbp mutant exhibits tolerance to excessive Zn. Physiological analyses reveal that the mutant fbp retains a larger amount of Zn in roots and transfers a greater proportion of Fe to shoots than that in wild type under Zn‐excessive stress. As FBP is expressed in the root stele, the negative regulation caused by sequestration of FIT is restricted to this tissue, whereas other FIT‐regulated genes, such as IRT1 and FRO2, which mainly expressed in root epidermis, do not show transcriptional upregulation in the fbp mutant. As an antagonistic partner, FBP offers a new approach to spatially fine‐tune the expression of genes controlled by FIT. In conclusion, our findings provide a new insight to understand the interrelationship of Fe and Zn homeostasis in plants.
Correlates of Narrow Bracketing
Authors: Koch Alexander K. , Nafziger Julia
Published: April 2018

Behavior often deviates from standard predictions because individuals evaluate the consequences of choices separately (i.e., narrow bracketing) rather than jointly. The main existing theories classify different narrow bracketing phenomena as either (i) choice errors caused by cognitive limitations, or (ii) strategies to achieve self‐control. Using an online experiment, we find consistent evidence for theory (ii): mental budgets and narrow goals are related to each other and to measures of self‐control, but are distinct from other forms of narrow bracketing. Evidence for the complementary theory (i) is less consistent: few choice bracketing phenomena are related to each other and to cognitive skills.
Becoming prosocial peers: The roles of temperamental shyness and mothers’ and fathers’ elaborative emotion language
Authors: Grady Jessica Stoltzfus , Hastings Paul D.
Published: April 2018

Using a sample of 99 2‐ to 5‐year‐olds (51 girls, 48 boys), we evaluated whether parent‐reported temperamental shyness was associated with prosocial behaviors with same‐aged peers, and considered parenting (use of elaborative emotion language) and parent and child gender as possible moderators of relations between shyness and prosocial behaviors. Active and passive forms of prosocial behavior were evaluated when children were with familiar and unfamiliar peers. There were no direct associations between shyness and peer prosocial behaviors. Fathers’ emotion elaboration predicted more active prosocial behavior with familiar peers. There were significant moderating effects of parental emotion language, and parent and child gender, on relations between shyness and prosocial behavior. When mothers used more emotion elaboration, less shy children showed more active prosocial behavior toward unfamiliar peers and less passive prosocial behavior with familiar peers. Conversely, when fathers used more emotion elaboration, more shy boys engaged in more active prosocial behaviors with unfamiliar peers. These findings suggest that multiple social and contextual factors influence whether shy children become proactive helpers and sharers. Shy boys may particularly benefit from emotion elaboration from fathers whereas less shy children may be most prepared to benefit from mothers’ emotion language.
Resolving the psyllid tree of life: phylogenomic analyses of the superfamily Psylloidea (Hemiptera)
Authors: Percy Diana M. , Crampton‐Platt Alex , Sveinsson Saemundur , Lemmon Alan R. , Lemmon Emily Moriarty , Ouvrard David , Burckhardt Daniel
Published: April 2018

Understanding evolutionary relationships in the superfamily Psylloidea is challenging due to the lack of clear morphological synapomorphies for many groups. Some families and many of the genera, including the two largest, Cacopsylla Ossiannilsson and Trioza Foerster, have long been acknowledged as nonmonophyletic and the circumscription of natural groups has remained fluid. We present the best phylogenetic hypothesis to date for Psylloidea and provide a working systematic framework to better reflect evolutionary relationships. A shotgun sequencing approach using mixed pool DNAs for more than 400 species resulted in recovery from de novo assemblies of near‐complete mitogenomes (≥10 kb) for 359 species, and partial genomes (5–10 kb) for an additional 40 species. The resulting phylogeny improves and clarifies the family classification and resolves some of the longstanding uncertainties in relationships within and between genera. A whole‐nuclear‐genome scan approach (yielding data from an estimated 373 nuclear genes) using the anchored hybrid enrichment method for a representative subset of taxa confirms the placement of major groupings and overall tree topology recovered with the mitochondrial data. The data generated represent a major increase in molecular resources for this superfamily. In addition, we highlight areas of remaining uncertainty that require further sampling and/or additional sources of data. The phylogeny provides new insights for both evolutionary and applied research, and a backbone constraint tree allows the placement of taxa of particular interest or concern (e.g. pest taxa) with only small fragments of sequence available (e.g. DNA barcodes).