bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Budding yeast chromatin is dispersed in a crowded nucleoplasmin vivo
Authors: Chen Chen , Lim Hong Hwa , Shi Jian , Tamura Sachiko , Maeshima Kazuhiro , Surana Uttam , Gan Lu
Published: June 2016

Chromatin organization has an important role in the regulation of eukaryotic systems. While recent studies have refined the 3-D models of chromatin organization with high resolution at the genome sequence level, little is known about how the most fundamental units of chromatin — nucleosomes — are positioned in 3-Din vivo. Here we have used electron cryotomography to study chromatin organization in the budding yeastS. cerevisiae. Direct visualization of yeast nuclear densities shows no evidence of 30-nm chromatin fibers. Aside from pre-ribosomes and spindle microtubules, few nuclear structures are larger than a tetranucleosome. Yeast chromatin does not form compact structures in interphase or mitosis and is consistent with being in an “open” configuration that is conducive to high levels of transcription. In the absence of higher-order chromatin packing, we propose that yeast can regulate its transcription using local nucleosome-nucleosome associations.
Transcriptional activity of TRF2 is telomere length dependent
Authors: Mukherjee Ananda Kishore , Sharma Shalu , Dhapola Parashar , Saha Dhurjhoti , Hussain Tabish , Roy Sumitabho Deb , Purohit Gunjan , Kar Anirban , Singh Ankita , Sengupta Suman , Srivastava Vivek , Kumar Manish , Sengupta Sagar , Chowdhury Shantanu
Published: June 2016

TRF2 is a telomere repeat binding factor crucial for telomere maintenance and genome stability. An emerging non-conventional role of TRF2 is as a transcriptional regulator through extra-telomeric bindings. Herein we report that increase in telomere length leads to sequestration of TRF2 at the telomeres leading to reduced extra-telomeric TRF2 occupancy genome wide. Decrease in TRF2 occupancy was found on multiple gene promoters in cells with elongated telomeres, including the cell cycle regulator kinase-p21. We found that TRF2 is a transcriptional repressor ofp21, and, interestingly, TRF2-mediated regulatory control ofp21is telomere length dependent.
Breaking bud: probing the scalability limits of phylogenetic network inference methods
Authors: Hejase Hussein A , Liu Kevin J
Published: June 2016

Background

Branching events in phylogenetic trees reflect strictly bifurcating and/or multifurcating speciation and splitting events. In the presence of gene flow, a phylogeny cannot be described by a tree but is instead a directed acyclic graph known as a phylogenetic network. Both phylogenetic trees and networks are typically reconstructed using computational analysis of multi-locus sequence data. The advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies has brought about two main scalability challenges:(1) dataset size in terms of the number of taxa and (2) the evolutionary divergence of the taxa in a study. The impact of both dimensions of scale on phylogenetic tree inference has been well characterized by recent studies; in contrast, the scalability limits of phylogenetic network inference methods are largely unknown. In this study, we quantify the performance of state-of-the-art phylogenetic network inference methods on large-scale datasets using empirical data sampled from natural mouse populations and synthetic data capturing a wide range of evolutionary scenarios.

Results

We find that, as in the case of phylogenetic tree inference, the performance of leading network inference methods is negatively impacted by both dimensions of dataset scale. In general, we found that topological accuracy degrades as the number of taxa increases; a similar effect was observed with increased sequence mutation rate. The most accurate methods were probabilistic inference methods which maximize either likelihood under coalescent-based models or pseudo-likelihood approximations to the model likelihood. Furthermore, probabilistic inference methods with optimization criteria which did not make use of gene tree root and/or branch length information performed best-a result that runs contrary to widely held assumptions in the literature. The improved accuracy obtained with probabilistic inference methods comes at a computational cost in terms of runtime and main memory usage, which quickly become prohibitive as dataset size grows past thirty taxa.

Conclusions

We conclude that the state of the art of phylogenetic network inference lags well behind the scope of current phylogenomic studies. New algorithmic development is critically needed to address this methodological gap.
Healthy, wealthy and wise?
Authors: Drury Pauline
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of introducing an involuntary wellness program (IWP) on employee attitudes and willingness to participate.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyzes responses to a survey of office workers employed by a US education and media company when the existing wellness program was replaced by a new IWP.

Findings

It’s estimated that two out of three Americans are now overweight – and that’s bad for business. Having a fit and healthy workforce not only benefits the individual, it also means less time off sick, lower costs and better organizational performance. Firms that encourage a “wellness culture” are showing that they care about their employees – and can expect a payoff in terms of morale, motivation and productivity. What’s harder to predict is whether wellness can be made compulsory – and if compulsory, whether it still delivers a “win-win” result.

Practical implications

The study indicates aspects that may require particular care when introducing an IWP to ensure that employees appreciate the health benefits of this approach rather than joining the program for purely economic reasons.

Social implications

It provides an insight into the effects of expanding health insurance plan wellness incentives under the US Affordable Care Act of 2010.

Originality/value

This paper aims to raise the question of whether individuals can be incentivized to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Employer branding
Authors: Drury Pauline
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of employer branding on company attractiveness to younger workers.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyzes the relative importance attached to symbolic and functional company attributes using a survey conducted at a large North American university. It considers the impact of differing levels of work experience on responses to employer branding.

Findings

The best employers get nearly twice as many job applications compared with other organizations. So when they are recruiting, they can pick and choose from a bigger talent pool and select the very best applicants. The “baby boomer” generation is retiring from the workforce, and later generations are smaller in size. The result of these demographic factors has been to increase fears of labor shortages. Competition for a shrinking talent pool of younger workers means that employers need to focus on the things that make their company attractive to potential applicants.

Practical implications

The study suggests ways in which human resources professionals can maximize the effectiveness of employer branding as a means of attracting job applications from young workers.

Social implications

It notes that symbolic attributes are more strongly predictive of company attractiveness than functional attributes and that this effect becomes more marked with work experience.

Originality/value

This paper aims to show how marketing concepts can be applied in a human resource context.
Developing individuals, developing business
Authors: Lofthouse Sadie
Published: June 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the subject of individual development, the benefits it offers to a business and tips for making it a success.

Design/methodology/approach

Sadie Lofthouse is Head of Human Resources at Adnams, the award-winning brewer, distiller and retailer, a company that successfully gained its Gold IIP status in 2013.

Findings

Successfully developing individuals depends on engaging your workforce through tactics such as setting professional Personal Bests and encouraging people to realise new skills through participating in activities outside of their usual remit.

Originality/value

Heading up HR at Adnams, a company that’s ethos is to “do good”, Sadie is passionate about the role business has to play in supporting education, and works with schools, colleges and training providers to help drive standards and prepare young people for work. Her approach embodies the innovation the company employs in every area of the business.
Blaming the southern victim: Cancer and the Italian ‘Southern Question’ in Terra dei fuochi and Taranto
Authors: Greco Cinzia
Published: June 2016

In this article, the author addresses two critical environmental situations in southern Italy: the Terra dei fuochi (Land of fires) near Naples, characterized by a history of illegal disposal of toxic waste, and Taranto, where the Ilva steel plants have a record of exceeding the legal emission limits for several pollutants. Despite a recognition of these situations, public political discourse in Italy still tends to link the higher than average incidence of cancer in the two areas to lifestyles rather than to environmental factors. The author locates this phenomenon within the larger context of the ‘Southern Question’ – the historical stigmatization of southern Italy as backwards and uncivilized. She argues that this same stereotype not only stigmatizes a geographical region, but also facilitates the stigmatization of the people who become ill in Taranto and Terra dei fuochi as the result of lifestyle rather than environmental factors. Furthermore, this same stereotype also stigmatizes social movements against the pollution as irrational and uncivilized. Previous studies have linked situations of environmental injustice to the Global South or to specific areas with racialized stereotypes; here it is argued that the whole southern half of Italy can be considered a new geographic scale in which phenomena of environmental injustice, denial of environmental causes of disease, and geographic stigmas, intersect.
Beyond Bureaucracy: How Prosecutors and Public Defenders Enforce Urban Planning Laws in São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Coslovsky Salo V.
Published: June 2016

Cities need law to thrive, but it is not clear how abstract texts become tangible policy outcomes. Existing research on the role of law in urban affairs conceives law as either an algorithm that shapes urban life or a reflection of political disputes. The former assumes that the meaning of law is obvious; the latter claims it is irrelevant. In contrast to these views, I argue that laws are multipurpose instruments that acquire a specific function when enforced by those government agents who operate at the frontlines of public service. To understand what these agents do and why, I conducted a qualitative study of the Ministério Público and the Defensoria Pública in São Paulo, Brazil. Through this process, I found that these government agencies are not cohesive bureaucracies but heterarchies composed of distinct internal factions with different evaluative principles. Moreover, officials within them are not isolated from other entities in society but tightly entangled with them, and these connections influence what these officials do. Finally, enforcement agents are not always resigned to solving conflicts as they arise. Rather, they strive to find acceptable solutions in the interstices of existing conditions or even change the circumstances that created the conflict in the first place.
A Sense of Displacement: Long‐time Residents' Feelings of Displacement in Gentrifying Bushwick, New York
Authors: Valli Chiara
Published: June 2016

This article is a contribution to reinforcing our understanding of gentrification and displacement as neighborhood expressions of inequality. It explores the experiences of gentrification of lower‐income, long‐time residents in the gentrifying neighborhood of Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York City. The focus is on components of displacement beyond the traditional emphasis on outmigration. In particular, the article pinpoints the emotional, affective, psychological reactions of long‐time residents triggered through the encounter with newcomers. While the entry point is the exploration of emotions and affects, the article argues that these feelings are outcomes of material socio‐economic inequalities and, in particular, their powerfully racialized historical foundations, as embodied in the contemporary encounter of long‐time residents with newcomers.
Segregated Networks in the City
Authors: Netto Vinicius M. , Soares Maíra Pinheiro , Paschoalino Roberto
Published: June 2016

Segregation has been one of the most persistent features of urban life and, accordingly, one of the main subjects of enquiry in urban studies. Stemming from a tradition that can be traced back to the Chicago School in the early twentieth century, social segregation has been seen as the natural consequence of the social division of space. Such naturalized understanding of segregation as ‘territorial segregation' takes space as a surrogate for social distance. We propose a shift in the focus from the static segregation of places—where social distance is assumed rather than fully explained—to how social segregation is reproduced through embodied urban trajectories. We aim to accomplish this by exploring the spatial behaviour of different social groups as networks of movement that constitute opportunities for co‐presence. This alternative view recasts the original idea of segregation as ‘restrictions on interaction' by concentrating on the spatiality of segregation potentially active in the circumstances of social contact and encounters in the city. This approach to segregation as a subtle process that operates ultimately through trajectories of the body is illustrated by an empirical study in a Brazilian city.
REACTED – Reducing Acute Chest pain Time in the ED: A prospective pre‐/post‐interventional cohort study, stratifying risk using early cardiac multi‐markers, probably increases discharges safely
Authors: Mountain David , Ercleve Tor , Allely Peter , McQuillan Brendan , Yamen Eric , Beilby John , Lim Ee‐Mun , Rogers Jeremy , Geelhoed Elizabeth
Published: June 2016

Objective

ED chest pain assessments can be challenging, lengthy and contribute to overcrowding. Rapid accurate risk stratification strategies should improve ED length of stay (EDLOS). Emergency, Biochemistry and Cardiology implemented new guidelines using paired (<3 h) multiple cardiac markers to stratify patients. The intervention would reduce chest pain EDLOS. We observed for safety and disposition effects.

Methods

This is a single‐site, prospective observational, before and after intervention study. In December 2009, paired multiple cardiac markers, the second at least 4 h from pain, replaced late troponins. The 4 h rule (ED flow improvement) started in April 2009 (unplanned confounder). Demographics, clinical features, risk assessment and disposition; preferably prospective. Administrative datasets provided disposition outcomes, 4 months pre‐/post‐intervention. Follow up with partially blinded adjudications assessed for 45 day major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Before intervention, consecutive patients were enrolled with mixed prospective/retrospective data. After, sampling occurred whenever prospective data were collected.

Results

Adjudicated patients were n = 1029 (14.2% MI, 14.9% MACE), 426 before, 603 after. EDLOS reduced 87 min (416–329; P < 0.001), similar to triage 2 patients without chest pain. Possibly, avoidable MACE occurred in five of 598 discharges (0.8%, CI 0.3–1.8%) with non‐significant decreases (0.5%, CI 0.1–1.8%) post‐intervention. Disposition changes included greater observation ward use (3.8–12.3%; P < 0.001), more discharges (47.4–52.9%, P = 0.002), less transfers (9.3–6.9%, P = 0.014) and less late inpatient discharge decisions (15.2–8.7%, P = 0.001).

Conclusion

Paired cardiac markers performed adequately for avoidable MACE, and disposition improved significantly. A confounding system change meant the reduced EDLOS (primary outcome) was unable to be associated with the intervention.
Effect of S100A12 and soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products on the occurrence of severe acute pancreatitis
Authors: Zhao Bing , Chen Ying , Sun Wen Wu , Chen Wei Wei , Ma Li , Yang Zhi Tao , Huang Jun , Chen Er Zhen , Fei Jian , Mao En Qiang
Published: June 2016

Objective

To assess whether serum levels of S100A12 and soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) could predict the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP).

Methods

We conducted a non‐interventional pilot study, including 74 AP patients and 28 healthy volunteers serving as controls. AP patients were further divided into the mild (MAP, n = 22), moderately severe (MSAP, n = 30) and severe (SAP, n = 22) groups. Peripheral blood samples were collected within 72 h after the onset of AP for the determination of S100A12, sRAGE and C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels. The acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, Balthazar computed tomography severity index (CTSI) were calculated at admission.

Results

S100A12 and sRAGE levels in SAP patient were significantly higher than in controls, MAP and MSAP patients. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated the predictive ability of S100A12 [sensitivity 91%, specificity 81%, the area under the ROC curve AUROC 0.9047] and sRAGE (sensitivity 57%, specificity 100%, AUROC 0.8304) for evaluating the severity of AP. S100A12 and sRAGE were correlated with APACHE II and CTSI but not with CRP. This combination of new and traditional indicators had higher accuracy than traditional indicators alone. Specifically, S100A12 and sRAGE were positively correlated with the type of organ failure (respiratory and renal failure) and might distinguish transient from persistent organ failure at admission.

Conclusion

S100A12 and sRAGE could be used as efficient biomarkers for the early identification of SAP.
Partial genotyping at polymorphic markers can improve heritability estimates in sibling groups
Authors: Gauzere J. , Oddou‐Muratorio S. , Gay L. , Klein E. K.
Published: June 2016

Accurate estimates of heritability () are necessary to assess adaptive responses of populations and evolution of fitness‐related traits in changing environments. For plants, estimates generally rely on maternal progeny designs, assuming that offspring are either half‐sibs or unrelated. However, plant mating systems often depart from half‐sib assumptions, this can bias estimates. Here, we investigate how to accurately estimate in nonmodel species through the analysis of sibling designs with a moderate genotyping effort. We performed simulations to investigate how microsatellite marker information available for only a subset of offspring can improve estimates based on maternal progeny designs in the presence of nonrandom mating, inbreeding in the parental population or maternal effects. We compared the basic family method, considering or not adjustments based on average relatedness coefficients, and methods based on the animal model. The animal model was used with average relatedness information, or with hybrid relatedness information: associating one‐generation pedigree and family assumptions, or associating one‐generation pedigree and average relatedness coefficients. Our results highlighted that methods using marker‐based relatedness coefficients performed as well as pedigree‐based methods in the presence of nonrandom mating (i.e. unequal male reproductive contributions, selfing), offering promising prospects to investigate in situ heritabilities in natural populations. In the presence of maternal effects, only the use of pairwise relatednesses through pedigree information improved the accuracy of estimates. In that case, the amount of father‐related offspring in the sibling design is the most critical. Overall, we showed that the method using both one‐generation pedigree and average relatedness coefficients was the most robust to various ecological scenarios.
The Influence of Age on the Diagnostic Performance of White Blood Cell Count and Absolute Neutrophil Count in Suspected Pediatric Appendicitis
Authors: Bachur Richard G. , Dayan Peter S. , Dudley Nanette C. , Bajaj Lalit , Stevenson Michelle D. , Macias Charles G. , Mittal Manoj K. , Bennett Jonathan , Sinclair Kelly , Monuteaux Michael C. , Kharbanda Anupam B.
Published: June 2016

Objective

White blood cell (WBC) count and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) are a standard part of the evaluation of suspected appendicitis. Specific threshold values are utilized in clinical pathways, but the discriminatory value of WBC count and ANC may vary by age. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the diagnostic value of WBC count and ANC varies across age groups and whether diagnostic thresholds should be age‐adjusted.

Methods

This is a multicenter prospective observational study of patients aged 3–18 years who were evaluated for appendicitis. Receiver operator characteristic curves were developed to assess overall discriminative power of WBC count and ANC across three age groups: <5, 5–11, and 12–18 years of age. Diagnostic performance of WBC count and ANC was then assessed at specific cut‐points.

Results

A total of 2,133 patients with a median age of 10.9 years (interquartile range = 8.0–13.9 years) were studied. Forty‐one percent had appendicitis. The area under the curve (AUC) for WBC count was 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.61 to 0.77) for patients < 5 years of age, 0.76 (95% CI = 0.73 to 0.79) for 5–11 years of age, and 0.83 (95% CI = 0.81 to 0.86) for 12–18 years of age. The AUCs for ANC across age groups mirrored WBC performance. At a commonly utilized WBC cut‐point of 10,000/mm3, the sensitivity decreased with increasing age: 95% (<5 years), 91% (5–11 years), and 89% (12–18 years) whereas specificity increased by age: 36% (<5 years), 49% (5–12 years), and 64% (12–18 years).

Conclusion

WBC count and ANC had better diagnostic performance with increasing age. Age‐adjusted values of WBC count or ANC should be considered in diagnostic strategies for suspected pediatric appendicitis.
Multifocal and refractory pyoderma gangrenosum: Possible role of cocaine abuse
Authors: Baliu‐Piqué Carola , Mascaró José Manuel
Published: June 2016

Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare and severe inflammatory skin condition. There are different variants, including generalised and atypical forms, but the most common presentation is an enlarging ulcer on the lower extremities. Treatment can represent a challenge for physicians and there are no guidelines based on randomised controlled trials. We report an exceptional case of widespread and refractory pyoderma gangrenosum in a middle‐aged woman where cocaine use may have played a role. Treatment with i.v. pulse corticosteroids and cyclosporine was ineffective, and disease control was obtained with oral corticosteroids together with mycophenolic acid, infliximab and abstinence from cocaine consumption. There was a temporal relationship between disease outbreaks and cocaine consumption and improvement after its discontinuation. In the present case such clinical severity without associated pathology and the temporal association with cocaine abuse raises the possibility of cocaine playing an aetiological role as well as accounting for therapy resistance.
IgG4 but no IgG1 antibody production after intralymphatic immunotherapy with recombinant MAT‐Feld1 in human
Authors: Freiberger S. N. , Zehnder M. , Gafvelin G. , Grönlund H. , Kündig T. M. , Johansen P.
Published: June 2016

Allergy immunotherapy (AIT) mediates protection against allergen exposure in part due to allergen‐specific antibodies. While immunization typically stimulated IgG1 and IgG2, AIT is often associated with production of IgG4. Here, twenty cat dander‐sensitized patients were randomized to receive three injections of intralymphatic immunotherapy (ILIT) with MAT‐Feld1 adsorbed to aluminum hydroxide or just aluminum hydroxide (placebo) in a double‐blind setting (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00718679). Whereas the clinical data, showing benefit of Mat‐Feld1 ILIT was published in 2012 (Senti et al., J Allergy Clin Immunol, vol 129(5):1290–1296), the current study investigated the cat allergen‐specific antibody responses. Blood was drawn prior to ILIT, as well as 1, 3, and 12 months after first ILIT. The sera were analyzed to characterize all IgG subclasses and IgE antibody responses. ILIT with MAT‐Feld1 elicited high levels of total IgG that were maintained for at least 12 months. Interestingly, a strong increase in IgG4 and some increase in IgG2 were observed throughout the study, while production of cat‐specific IgG1 and IgG3 was not stimulated by MAT‐Feld1 ILIT. The IgE levels remained constant.
Pain and hospital admissions are important factors associated with quality of life in nonambulatory children
Authors: Elema Agnes , Zalmstra Trees A. L. , Boonstra Anne M. , Narayanan Unni G. , Reinders‐Messelink Heleen A. , v. d. Putten Annette A. J.
Published: June 2016

Aim

This was the first study to investigate the factors associated with health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in nonambulatory children with cerebral palsy (CP), based on a HRQoL measure specifically developed for this population.

Methods

The Dutch version of the Caregiver Priorities and Child Health Index of Life with Disabilities (CPCHILD‐DV) was used to measure HRQoL. It was completed by 66 parents of 47 boys and 19 girls with nonambulatory CP aged between five and 18 years with gross motor function classification system (GMFCS) levels of IV and V. Factors measured were the child's motor and cognitive impairments, comorbidities, pain, parents' education and occupations and family structure. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine the significant factors and the relative contribution of these factors to the CPCHILD‐DV scores.

Results

The most important factors associated with poorer HRQoL scores were pain and hospital admissions in the previous six months. Other factors were as follows: increased GMFCS level, feeding by gastrostomy tube, inability to communicate verbally, cognitive impairment, poor seizure control and higher parents' educational qualifications.

Conclusion

Pain and hospital admissions were the most important factors that were negatively associated with HRQoL in nonambulatory children with CP between five to 18 years.
Business Actors in Peace Mediation Processes
Authors: Iff Andrea , Alluri Rina M.
Published: June 2016

Even though the relevance of business actors in peace processes is increasingly acknowledged, analysis of their particular roles and contributions remain sparse in peace mediation literature. This is despite the fact that such knowledge would be highly relevant for supporting mediation processes such as those ongoing in Colombia or the Philippines. This article looks at the involvement of business actors in mediation processes by tracing analysis along the entry points for involvement, the different roles that business actors can play and the limitations they face. The empirical data shows that business actors mainly play a role during the pre‐ and mediation phase and therein often as a support‐giver to the mediation process. Furthermore, most of the involvement does not take place at track‐1 level but rather at track‐2 mediation processes, where mainly local business play an important role. In contrary to what is postulated by some of the literature, the relevance of utilitaristic motives is not problematic; rather a monetary motivation can also foster the credibility in a political process where a lot is at stake.
Discourses about Righting the Business ← → Society Relationship
Authors: Fyke Jeremy P. , Feldner Sarah Bonewits , May Steven K.
Published: June 2016

This article engages the question—what is the right business‐society relationship? We consider three perspectives that seek to address the relationship: corporate social responsibility (CSR), social entrepreneurship (SE), and conscious capitalism (CC). We take a macroapproach considering how commentary about these approaches establishes a direction for corporate practice and its relationship to key stakeholder groups. We argue that these perspectives are ‘D'iscourses that provide arguments for and articulations about the direction of corporate practice and the business‐society relationship. To organize our review of each perspective, and focus our critique, for each we highlight (a) drivers and influencers, (b) core assumptions and defining features, and (c) approaches and exemplars. Although distinct, all emphasize effective business practices as key to meeting social needs. CSR suggests legitimizing business practice; SE relocates business practices; and CC seeks to reimagine/rehabilitate business for social good. Ultimately, we conclude that these Discourses lack a clear communicative focus in terms of decision making within these organizations. We attend to this and other implications, and offer avenues for further research.
Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting as Substantive and Symbolic Behavior: A Multilevel Theoretical Analysis
Authors: Shabana Kareem M. , Ravlin Elizabeth C.
Published: June 2016

This article describes a multilevel theoretical framework that examines the multiple causes of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting in the social environment of business. We argue that substantive and/or symbolic reporting flows from individual‐, aggregate‐, organizational‐, and institution‐level phenomena, and is thus a complex outcome of CSR and corporate social performance (CSP). Theoretical lenses range from reinforcement theory at the microlevel to legitimacy and stakeholder theories at the macrolevel, and include a discussion of the emergence of lower‐level CSR‐relevant characteristics to higher level constructs. Our goal is to clarify how this behavior develops from microlevel, mesolevel, and macrolevel processes with a view toward assisting corporations to better enact CSR reporting, and their stakeholders to effectively promote substantive reporting behavior.
Clusterin levels are increased in Alzheimer's disease and influence the regional distribution of Aβ
Authors: Miners J. Scott , Clarke Polly , Love Seth
Published: June 2016

Clusterin, also known as apoJ, is a lipoprotein abundantly expressed within the CNS. It regulates Aβ fibril formation and toxicity and facilitates amyloid‐β (Aβ) transport across the blood‐brain barrier. Genome‐wide association studies have shown variations in the clusterin gene (CLU) to influence the risk of developing sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD). To explore whether clusterin modulates the regional deposition of Aβ, we measured levels of soluble (NP40‐extracted) and insoluble (guanidine‐HCl‐extracted) clusterin, Aβ40 and Aβ42 by sandwich ELISA in brain regions with a predilection for amyloid pathology—mid‐frontal cortex (MF), cingulate cortex (CC), parahippocampal cortex (PH), and regions with little or no pathology—thalamus (TH) and white matter (WM). Clusterin level was highest in regions with plaque pathology (MF, CC, PH and PC), approximately mirroring the regional distribution of Aβ. It was significantly higher in AD than controls, and correlated positively with Aβ42 and insoluble Aβ40. Soluble clusterin level rose significantly with severity of cerebral amyloid angiopathy, and in MF and PC regions was highest in APOE ɛ4 homozygotes. In the TH and WM (areas with little amyloid pathology) clusterin was unaltered in AD and did not correlate with Aβ level. There was a significant positive correlation between the concentration of clusterin and the regional levels of insoluble Aβ42; however, the molar ratio of clusterin : Aβ42 declined with insoluble Aβ42 level in a region‐dependent manner, being lowest in regions with predilection for Aβ plaque pathology. Under physiological conditions, clusterin reduces aggregation and promotes clearance of Aβ. Our findings indicate that in AD, clusterin increases, particularly in regions with most abundant Aβ, but because the increase does not match the rising level of Aβ42, the molar ratio of clusterin : Aβ42 in those regions falls, probably contributing to Aβ deposition within the tissue.
Into the Looking Glass: Literacy Acquisition and Mirror Invariance in Preschool and First‐Grade Children
Authors: Fernandes Tânia , Leite Isabel , Kolinsky Régine
Published: June 2016

At what point in reading development does literacy impact object recognition and orientation processing? Is it specific to mirror images? To answer these questions, forty‐six 5‐ to 7‐year‐old preschoolers and first graders performed two same–different tasks differing in the matching criterion‐orientation‐based versus shape‐based (orientation independent)‐on geometric shapes and letters. On orientation‐based judgments, first graders outperformed preschoolers who had the strongest difficulty with mirrored pairs. On shape‐based judgments, first graders were slower for mirrored than identical pairs, and even slower than preschoolers. This mirror cost emerged with letter knowledge. Only first graders presented worse shape‐based judgments for mirrored and rotated pairs of reversible (e.g., b‐d; b‐q) than nonreversible (e.g., e‐ә) letters, indicating readers’ difficulty in ignoring orientation contrasts relevant to letters.
Prostate cancer characteristics and outcome in renal transplant recipients: results from a contemporary single center study
Authors: Pettenati Caroline , Jannot Anne‐Sophie , Hurel Sophie , Verkarre Virginie , Kreis Henri , Housset Martin , Legendre Christophe , Méjean Arnaud , Timsit Marc‐Olivier
Published: June 2016

Background

Prostate cancer (PCa) incidence is expected to increase in renal transplant recipients (RTR) with no clear nor contemporary data on management and oncological outcome.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective single center study of RTR diagnosed with PCa after transplantation between 2000 and 2013. Demographics, PCa characteristics, and treatment were assessed. For each RTR in radical prostatectomy (RP) subset, we included 4 non‐organ transplant patients who underwent RP by the same surgeons, and compared pre‐operative and post‐operative oncological features, and biochemical recurrence (BCR) rate.

Results

Twenty‐four RTR were included (PCa incidence 1.5%). Mean follow‐up was 47 months. PCa was mostly localized (n=21, 87.5%) with treatments including RP (n=16, 76.2%), brachytherapy (n=3, 14.3%), radiation therapy (n=1, 4.7%), and active surveillance (n=1, 4.7%). No graft loss due to PCa treatment was reported. Nineteen RTR with localized PCa (90.5%) were free from BCR. Considering RP subset, no difference in PCa characteristics at diagnosis and BCR rate was found between RTR (n=16) and control patients (n=64).

Conclusions

Localized PCa following renal transplantation was not associated with adverse features as compared with non‐transplant patients. Standard treatments could be proposed to RTR with satisfying results both on oncological outcome and graft function.
RANKL expression is a useful marker for differentiation of pagetoid squamous cell carcinoma in situ from extramammary Paget disease
Authors: Fujimura Taku , Kambayashi Yumi , Kakizaki Aya , Furudate Sadanori , Aiba Setsuya
Published: June 2016

Background

Pagetoid squamous cell carcinoma in situ (SCCIS) is a histopathologic variant of SCCIS composed of cells that display an abundant, pale‐staining cytoplasm in a pagetoid distribution within the epidermis. As pagetoid SCCIS is sometimes difficult to differentiate from extramammary Paget disease (EMPD) histopathologically, specific markers for pagetoid SCCIS or EMPD are needed by dermatopathologists.

Methods

In this report, we employed immunohistochemical staining for receptor of activated nuclear factor kappa ligand (RANKL) and programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) in six cases each of pagetoid SCCIS and EMPD.

Results

The Paget cells strongly expressed RANKL in EMPD, whereas the atypical keratinocytes did not express RANKL in any of the six cases of pagetoid SCCIS. In all cases of pagetoid SCCIS, atypical keratinocytes expressed PD‐L1. In EMPD, Paget cells expressed PD‐L1 in half of the cases at a lower level of expression than was seen in the surrounding keratinocytes.

Conclusion

This study suggested that RANKL, but not PD‐L1, could be a marker to differentiate between pagetoid SCCIS and EMPD.
Centrofacial Balamuthiasis: case report of a rare cutaneous amebic infection
Authors: Chang Oliver H. , Liu Fan , Knopp Eleanor , Muehlenbachs Atis , Cope Jennifer R. , Ali Ibne , Thompson Robert , George Evan
Published: June 2016

Free‐living amebae are ubiquitous in our environment, but rarely cause cutaneous infection. Balamuthia mandrillaris has a predilection for infecting skin of the central face. Infection may be restricted to the skin or associated with life‐threatening central nervous system (CNS) involvement. We report a case of a 91‐year‐old woman, who presented with a non‐healing red plaque over her right cheek. Several punch biopsies exhibited non‐specific granulomatous inflammation without demonstrable fungi or mycobacteria in histochemical stains. She was treated empirically for granulomatous rosacea, but the lesion continued to progress. A larger incisional biopsy was performed in which amebae were observed in hematoxylin‐eosin stained sections. These were retrospectively apparent in the prior punch biopsy specimens. Immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction studies identified the organisms as Balamuthia mandrillaris. Cutaneous infection by B. mandrillaris is a rare condition that is sometimes complicated by life‐threatening CNS involvement and which often evades timely diagnosis due to its rarity and nonspecific clinical manifestations. Moreover, these amebae are easily overlooked in histopathologic sections because of their small number and their resemblance to histiocytes. Dermatopathologists should be familiar with the histopathologic appearance of these organisms and include balamuthiasis and other amebic infections in the differential diagnosis of granulomatous dermatitis.
REGIONAL AND SECTORAL EVIDENCE OF THE MACROECONOMIC EFFECTS OF LABOR REALLOCATION: A PANEL DATA ANALYSIS
Authors: Bakas Dimitrios , Panagiotidis Theodore , Pelloni Gianluigi
Published: June 2016

This article revisits the sectoral shifts hypothesis by examining unemployment fluctuations for 48 U.S. states over the period 1990:M01–2011:M12. We develop a panel approach that incorporates dynamics, parameter heterogeneity, aggregate factors, and cross‐sectional dependence (CSD). Our findings provide support for a positive and significant effect of the employment dispersion index on unemployment. This outcome is robust under alternative specifications and measures of employment dispersion. The empirical evidence corroborates the presence and relevance of CSD and heterogeneity among states. The results show that, once unobserved common factors and cross‐state heterogeneity are taken into account, labor reallocation has a significant effect on unemployment that is half the size of the estimate when cross‐sectional dependence is not taken into account. (JEL E24, E32, J21, R23, C23)
How variation between individuals affects species coexistence
Authors: Hart Simon P. , Schreiber Sebastian J. , Levine Jonathan M.
Published: June 2016

Although the effects of variation between individuals within species are traditionally ignored in studies of species coexistence, the magnitude of intraspecific variation in nature is forcing ecologists to reconsider. Compelling intuitive arguments suggest that individual variation may provide a previously unrecognised route to diversity maintenance by blurring species‐level competitive differences or substituting for species‐level niche differences. These arguments, which are motivating a large body of empirical work, have rarely been evaluated with quantitative theory. Here we incorporate intraspecific variation into a common model of competition and identify three pathways by which this variation affects coexistence: (1) changes in competitive dynamics because of nonlinear averaging, (2) changes in species’ mean interaction strengths because of variation in underlying traits (also via nonlinear averaging) and (3) effects on stochastic demography. As a consequence of the first two mechanisms, we find that intraspecific variation in competitive ability increases the dominance of superior competitors, and intraspecific niche variation reduces species‐level niche differentiation, both of which make coexistence more difficult. In addition, individual variation can exacerbate the effects of demographic stochasticity, and this further destabilises coexistence. Our work provides a theoretical foundation for emerging empirical interests in the effects of intraspecific variation on species diversity.
Multidimensional biases, gaps and uncertainties in global plant occurrence information
Authors: Meyer Carsten , Weigelt Patrick , Kreft Holger
Published: June 2016

Plants are a hyperdiverse clade that plays a key role in maintaining ecological and evolutionary processes as well as human livelihoods. Biases, gaps and uncertainties in plant occurrence information remain a central problem in ecology and conservation, but these limitations remain largely unassessed globally. In this synthesis, we propose a conceptual framework for analysing gaps in information coverage, information uncertainties and biases in these metrics along taxonomic, geographical and temporal dimensions, and apply it to all c. 370 000 species of land plants. To this end, we integrated 120 million point‐occurrence records with independent databases on plant taxonomy, distributions and conservation status. We find that different data limitations are prevalent in each dimension. Different metrics of information coverage and uncertainty are largely uncorrelated, and reducing taxonomic, spatial or temporal uncertainty by filtering out records would usually come at great costs to coverage. In light of these multidimensional data limitations, we discuss prospects for global plant ecological and biogeographical research, monitoring and conservation and outline critical next steps towards more effective information usage and mobilisation. Our study provides an empirical baseline for evaluating and improving global floristic knowledge, along with a conceptual framework that can be applied to study other hyperdiverse clades.
Parasites observed in the proximal alimentary tract of a Przewalski's horse in China
Authors: Liu S.‐H. , Hu D.‐F. , Li K.
Published: June 2016

This article reports a Przewalski's horse from the Kalamaili Nature Reserve (KNR) in China transported to our institute to determine the cause of death. The animal had been subjected to necropsy before being transported to our institute; the entire digestive tract was removed but not opened to reduce the possible loss of parasites. During examination, ascarids in the intestines and bots in the oral cavity and stomach were observed. The parasites were identified according to an identification key and enumerated. The ascarids were identified as Parascaris spp. and were associated with a volvulus, resulting in intestinal obstruction. A total of two (stomach), one (duodenum) and 106 (intestines) Parascaris spp. were counted. Bots in the digestive tract were identified as third stage larvae of Gasterophilus pecorum (G. pecorum), Gasterophilus nigricornis (G. nigricornis) and Gasterophilus nasalis (G. nasalis), which may have been associated with stomach ulcers suffered by the horse. Attached to the lining of the oral cavity and stomach were 331 and 2014, respectively, larvae of G. pecorum, while in the duodenum there were 23 third stage larvae of G. nigricornis and 20 third stage larvae of G. nasalis. Therefore, the possibility of the presence of these parasites should not be overlooked in Przewalski horses as these parasites may be responsible for severe clinical signs in infected animals.
Engaging Parents in Early Childhood Education: Perspectives of Childcare Providers
Authors: Barnes Jenna K. , Guin Autumn , Allen Kim , Jolly Christina
Published: June 2016

Successful engagement of parents in early childhood education has significant implications for a growing child's well‐being and success. This qualitative study analyzes the perspectives of 14 North Carolina childcare providers on how providers communicate with parents, how communication is received by parents, and barriers to successful parent engagement. Results indicated that childcare providers used diverse, parent‐centered, and technology‐based communication strategies to connect with families. While successful communication was common, so were barriers to reaching many families. These barriers suggest the need for programs, training, and resources to help both parents and providers connect.
Experimental test of the ecosystem impacts of the keystone predator Triops cancriformis (Branchiopoda: Notostraca) in temporary ponds
Authors: Waterkeyn Aline , Grillas Patrick , Brendonck Luc
Published: June 2016

Keystone species can influence an ecosystem through a series of trophic (both direct and indirect) and non‐trophic effects. In temporary ponds, tadpole shrimps were recently identified as keystone predators, but the full extent of their ecosystem impact is still poorly known.

Using a large‐scale mesocosm experiment, we quantified the impact of different Triops cancriformis densities on ecosystem properties: water quality (including chlorophyll a as measure for phytoplankton biomass) and the diversity and structure of macrophyte and zooplankton communities. Mesocosms of 400 L (1 m2 surface) were lined with natural pond sediment of two study ponds differing in their natural Triops densities (Triops‐rich and Triops‐poor pond) and inundated to allow hatching from the egg bank. Afterwards, four Triops density treatments were established in the mesocosms: 0 (control), 5, 25 and 100 Triops per m2.

After 13 weeks, the two highest Triops densities significantly influenced the ecosystem functioning not only by triggering changes in the diversity and composition of the pond communities but also by affecting water quality through bioturbation.

These results confirm that tadpole shrimp can function as ecosystem engineers in temporary ponds and could promote a shift from a clear water to a turbid state through a series of trophic and non‐trophic level effects.
Fatty‐acid profiles of juvenile lake trout reflect experimental diets consisting of natural prey
Authors: Happel Austin , Stratton Logan , Pattridge Robert , Rinchard Jacques , Czesny Sergiusz
Published: June 2016

It is relatively well‐known that fatty‐acid profiles of consumers reflect their diets. However, with fish, controlled studies that trace fatty‐acid profiles of natural prey into consumers are lacking. We asked whether lake trout (Salmonidae: Salvelinus namaycush) fatty‐acid profiles reflect diets at 4, 8 or 14 weeks after feeding began. We also evaluated if calibration coefficients were similar for each diet, a key assumption of quantitative fatty‐acid signature analysis (QFASA).

In this study, juvenile lake trout were fed commercially available frozen diets of chironomids (Chironomidae: Chironomus spp.), copepods (Cyclopoida spp.), or Mysis (Mysidae: Mysis relicta) over a 14‐week period.

Accurate classification of lake trout into a priori diet groups was attained after 8 weeks of feeding. Calibration coefficients were significantly different among diet groups, especially for lake trout that were fed chironomids, suggesting that diet‐specific modifications to fatty acids occurred. Chironomid‐fed lake trout grew significantly larger than others despite consuming prey that lacked long‐chain essential fatty acids. Furthermore, chironomid‐fed lake trout provide evidence for the conversion of 18:3n‐3 into longer chain n‐3 fatty acids.

Our results call for additional studies to better understand how fatty acids reflect dietary origins prior to employing QFASA on wild freshwater fishes. QFASA could provide accurate diet estimates for freshwater fishes with low‐diversity diet compositions, if calibration coefficients for each predator–prey relationship are incorporated.