bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discriminating the effects of phylogenetic hypothesis, tree resolution and clade age estimates on phylogenetic signal measurements
Authors: Seger G. D. S. , Duarte L. D. S. , Debastiani V. J. , Kindel A. , Jarenkow J. A.
Published: December 2012

Understanding how species traits evolved over time is the central question to comprehend assembly rules that govern the phylogenetic structure of communities. The measurement of phylogenetic signal (PS) in ecologically relevant traits is a first step to understand phylogenetically structured community patterns. The different methods available to estimatePSmake it difficult to choose which is most appropriate. Furthermore, alternative phylogenetic tree hypotheses, node resolution and clade age estimates might influencePSmeasurements. In this study, we evaluated to what extent these parameters affect different methods ofPSanalysis, and discuss advantages and disadvantages when selecting which method to use. We measured fruit/seed traits and flowering/fruiting phenology of endozoochoric species occurring inSouthernBrazilianAraucariaforests and evaluated theirPSusingMantel regressions, phylogenetic eigenvector regressions (PVR) andKstatistic. Mantel regressions always gave less significant results compared toPVRandKstatistic in all combinations of phylogenetic trees constructed. Moreover, a better phylogenetic resolution affectedPS, independently of the method used to estimate it. Morphological seed traits tended to show higherPSthan diaspores traits, whilePSin flowering/fruiting phenology depended mostly on the method used to estimate it. This study demonstrates that differentPSestimates are obtained depending on the chosen method and the phylogenetic tree resolution. This finding has implications for inferences on phylogenetic niche conservatism or ecological processes determining phylogenetic community structure.
Changes in the population of seed bacteria of transgenerationally Cd‐exposed Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Truyens S. , Weyens N. , Cuypers A. , Vangronsveld J.
Published: December 2012

Plant‐associated bacteria can have beneficial effects on the growth and health of their host. Nevertheless, the role of endophytic bacteria present in seeds has not been investigated in depth. In this study, the cultivable endophytic population of seeds from Arabidopsis thaliana exposed to 2 μm cadmium for several generations (Cd seeds) was compared with a population isolated from seeds of plants that were never exposed to Cd (control seeds). We observed obvious differences between the two types of seed concerning genera present and phenotypic characteristics of the different isolates. Sinorhizobium sp. and Micrococcus sp. were only found in control seeds, while Pseudomonas sp., Bosea sp. and Paenibacillus sp. were only found in Cd seeds. Sphingomonas sp., Rhizobium sp., Acidovorax sp., Variovorax sp., Methylobacterium sp., Bacillus sp. and Staphylococcus sp. occurred in varying numbers in both types of seed. Metal tolerance and 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylate deaminase activity were predominantly found in strains isolated from Cd seeds, while the production of siderophores, indole‐3‐acetic acid and organic acids was more prevalent in endophytes isolated from control seeds. These data support the hypothesis that certain endophytes are selected for transfer to the next generation and that their presence might be important for subsequent germination and early seedling development.
Source localization of posterior slow waves of youth using dipole modeling
Authors: Ohoyama Keiko , Motomura Eishi , Inui Koji , Nishimura Yukika , Ushiro Kengo , Matsushima Nobuyoshi , Maeda Masayuki , Tanii Hisashi , Suzuki Dai , Hamanaka Kenji , Kakigi Ryusuke , Okada Motohiro
Published: December 2012

Aim

Posterior slow waves of youth have a well‐known electroencephalographic pattern that peaks in adolescence and usually disappears in adulthood. In general, posterior slow waves of youth are regarded as normal, but some reports have suggested that their presence is related to immature personalities or inappropriate social behavior. The physiological significance of this electroencephalographic pattern, however, remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the neural origins of posterior slow waves of youth using dipole source modeling.

Methods

Electroencephalographic epochs, including clear posterior slow waves of youth, were visually selected from electroencephalograms obtained from six normal adolescents using 25 scalp electrodes. The selected epochs were then averaged by arranging the negative peak of the slow waves at the occipital area of each epoch on the time axis. The averaged waveforms consisting of six right and one left posterior slow waves of youth were used for dipole source analysis. A single equivalent current dipole was estimated for the averaged waveforms.

Results

The best equivalent current dipoles were estimated to be located in or around the fusiform and middle occipital gyrus ipsilateral to the posterior slow waves of youth.

Conclusions

The location of the estimated dipoles of posterior slow waves of youth was on the so‐called ventral visual pathway. Further research is required to clarify the physiological significance of posterior slow waves of youth with respect to their origin.
Testing Monotonicity of Regression Functions – An Empirical Process Approach
Authors: BIRKE MELANIE , NEUMEYER NATALIE
Published: December 2012

We propose several new tests for monotonicity of regression functions based on different empirical processes of residuals and pseudo‐residuals. The residuals are obtained from an unconstrained kernel regression estimator whereas the pseudo‐residuals are obtained from an increasing regression estimator. Here, in particular, we consider a recently developed simple kernel‐based estimator for increasing regression functions based on increasing rearrangements of unconstrained non‐parametric estimators. The test statistics are estimated distance measures between the regression function and its increasing rearrangement. We discuss the asymptotic distributions, consistency and small sample performances of the tests.
Learning to Be Affected: Social Suffering and Total Pain at Life's Borders
Authors: Gunaratnam Yasmin
Published: December 2012

The practice of live sociology in situations of pain and suffering is the focus of this article. An outline of the challenges of understanding pain is followed by a discussion of Bourdieu's ‘social suffering’ (1999) and the palliative care philosophy of ‘total pain’. Using examples from qualitative research on disadvantaged dying migrants in the UK, attention is given to the methods that are improvised by dying people and care practitioners in attempts to bridge intersubjective divides, where the causes and routes of pain can be ontologically and temporally indeterminate and/or withdrawn. The paper contends that these latter phenomena are the incitement for the inventive bridging and performative work of care and live sociological methods, both of which are concerned with opposing suffering. Drawing from the philosophy of total pain, I highlight the importance of (1) an engagement with a range of materials out of which attempts at intersubjective bridging can be produced, and which exceed the social, the material, and the temporally linear; and (2) an empirical sensibility that is hospitable to the inaccessible and non-relational.
Going Live: Towards an Amphibious Sociology
Authors: Lury Celia
Published: December 2012

In this paper, I outline one strand in a genealogy of ‘liveness’, exploring the role of media in its emergence as a privileged spatio-temporal organization of experience. In order to consider the opportunities afforded by current developments in ‘live methods’ I then explore some of the implications for sociology of not simply studying practices of mediation but of inhabiting media, of being in medias res. Here I propose an amphibious sociology, for the potential it offers sociology to deploy methods reflexively in more than one medium, contrasting the methods of making distributive middles to the methods of establishing measures of representativeness, and exploring the opportunities and pitfalls of participation, or being in the middle.
The Importance of Perspective Taking and Respect for Dignity in Understanding Radicalization
Authors: Molix Lisa , Nichols Charles P.
Published: December 2012

McCauley (this issue) has presented a thought‐provoking analysis of recent surveys of Muslim Americans as a means of testing the effectiveness of theories of Islamic radicalization. In this commentary we argue that by taking Muslim Americans’ perspective, researchers and policy makers can gain insight into the phenomenon of radicalization while avoiding contributing to the stigmatization of Muslims. We also offer words of caution concerning “the ‘war of ideas’ against terrorism” and the potential for heavy handed persuasion campaigns to backfire when perceived by targets as disrespectful or threatening to their human dignity or sacred values.
Big‐Picture Issues: Research on Helping Behavior and Victims of Natural Disasters
Authors: Marjanovic Zdravko , Struthers C. Ward , Greenglass Esther R.
Published: December 2012

In this article we address the three general themes that emerged from the commentary articles regarding our target article. These were: (1) victim culpability; (2) the nature of the empathy‐helping relation, and; (3) victim characteristics that influence helping rates. For each topic, we review overarching concerns made in the commentaries, any ideas that these authors proposed, and our response or perspective on each topic. As the commentaries were rich in content and broad in scope, we could not address each and every concern individually. This article addresses only what we considered to be the big‐picture issues.
Inflation and Unit Labor Cost
Authors: KING ROBERT G. , WATSON MARK W.
Published: December 2012

We study two decompositions of inflation, π, motivated by the standard New Keynesian pricing equation of Gali, Gertler, and Sbordone. The first uses four components: lagged π, expected future π, real unit labor cost (ψ), and a residual. The second uses two components: fundamental inflation (discounted expected future ψ) and a residual. We find large low‐frequency differences between actual and fundamental inflation. From 1999 to 2011 fundamental inflation fell by more than 15 percentage points, while actual inflation changed little. We discuss this discrepancy in terms of the data (a large drop in labor's share of income) and through the lens of a canonical structural model.
Asymmetries in Price‐Setting Behavior: New Microeconometric Evidence from Switzerland
Authors: HONORÉ BO E. , KAUFMANN DANIEL , LEIN SARAH
Published: December 2012

In this paper, we follow the recent empirical literature that has specified reduced‐form models for price setting that are closely tied to (S, s)‐pricing rules. Our contribution to the literature is twofold. First, we propose an estimator that relaxes distributional assumptions on the unobserved heterogeneity. Second, we use the estimator to examine the prevalence of positive price changes in a low‐inflation environment. Our model estimates suggest that, if inflation falls from 0.9% to zero, the share of positive price changes in all price changes falls from 63.6% to 56.2%.
Off‐farm Work among Rural Households: A Case Study in theBrazilianAmazon
Authors: VanWey Leah , Vithayathil Trina
Published: December 2012

This article analyzes off‐farm work among subsistence‐level farmers in theSantarém region of theBrazilianAmazon. We build on the literature on rural livelihoods in theGlobalSouth by exploring how the opportunity to work off the farm is embedded in social relationships. We additionally differentiate our analysis by type of off‐farm work, and examine how other characteristics such as human capital, the available labor supply, and access to infrastructure vary by work outcome. In general, the factors that contribute to more secure, relatively higher‐paying work differ from those important in understanding patterns of lower‐paying, daily wage work. We find that on‐farm social capital, measured as the presence of a co‐resident on the property who works off the farm, increases an individual's probability of working off the farm, but has a stronger effect for lower‐wage work. We also find that the farm owner's relationship to households on the farm property plays a significant role in predicting patterns of off‐farm work. These findings suggest that social capital plays an important role in providing access to employment and therefore to cash income, but that farm‐level social capital does not necessarily provide pathways to stable or high‐paying jobs outside agriculture.
Divergent host phenotypes create opportunities and constraints on the distribution of two wing‐dwelling feather mites
Authors: Fernández‐González Sofía , De la Hera Iván , Pérez‐Rodríguez Antón , Pérez‐Tris Javier
Published: December 2012

The diversity of symbionts (commensals, mutualists or parasites) that share the same host species may depend on opportunities and constraints on host exploitation associated with host phenotype or environment. Various host traits may differently influence host accessibility and within‐host population growth of each symbiont species, or they may determine the outcome of within‐host interactions among coexisting species. In turn, phenotypic diversity of a host species may promote divergent exploitation strategies among its symbiotic organisms. We studied the distribution of two feather mite species,Proctophyllodes sylviaeandTrouessartia bifurcata, among blackcapsSylvia atricapillawintering in southern Spain during six winters. The host population included migratory and sedentary individuals, which were unequally distributed between two habitat types (forests and shrublands). Visual mite counts showed that both mite species often coexisted on sedentary blackcaps, but were seldom found together on migratory blackcaps. Regardless of host habitat,Proctophyllodeswere highly abundant andTrouessartiawere scarce on migratory blackcaps, but the abundance of both mite species converged in intermediate levels on sedentary blackcaps. Coexistence may come at a cost forProctophyllodes, whose load decreased whenTrouessartiawas present on the host (the opposite was not true).Proctophyllodesload was positively correlated with host wing length (wings were longer in migratory blackcaps), whileTrouessartiaload was positively correlated to uropygial gland size (sedentary blackcaps had bigger glands), which might render migratory and sedentary blackcaps better hosts forProctophyllodesandTrouessartia, respectively. Our results draw a complex scenario for mite co‐existence in the same host species, where different mite species apparently take advantage of, or are constrained by, divergent host phenotypic traits. This expands our understanding of bird–mite interactions, which are usually viewed as less dynamic in relation to variation in host phenotype, and emphasizes the role of host phenotypic divergence in the diversification of symbiotic organisms.
Testing the predictive performance of distribution models
Authors: Bahn Volker , McGill Brian J.
Published: December 2012

Distribution models are used to predict the likelihood of occurrence or abundance of a species at locations where census data are not available. An integral part of modelling is the testing of model performance. We compared different schemes and measures for testing model performance using 79 species from the North American Breeding Bird Survey. The four testing schemes we compared featured increasing independence between test and training data: resubstitution, random data hold‐out and two spatially segregated data hold‐out designs. The different testing measures also addressed different levels of information content in the dependent variable: regression R2 for absolute abundance, squared correlation coefficient r2 for relative abundance and AUC/Somer’s D for presence/absence. We found that higher levels of independence between test and training data lead to lower assessments of prediction accuracy. Even for data collected independently, spatial autocorrelation leads to dependence between random hold‐out test data and training data, and thus to inflated measures of model performance. While there is a general awareness of the importance of autocorrelation to model building and hypothesis testing, its consequences via violation of independence between training and testing data have not been addressed systematically and comprehensively before. Furthermore, increasing information content (from correctly classifying presence/absence, to predicting relative abundance, to predicting absolute abundance) leads to decreasing predictive performance. The current tests for presence/absence distribution models are typically overly optimistic because a) the test and training data are not independent and b) the correct classification of presence/absence has a relatively low information content and thus capability to address ecological and conservation questions compared to a prediction of abundance. Meaningful evaluation of model performance requires testing on spatially independent data, if the intended application of the model is to predict into new geographic or climatic space, which arguably is the case for most applications of distribution models.
Consumption, ageing and identity: New Zealander's narratives of gifting, ridding and passing on
Authors: Mansvelt Juliana
Published: December 2012

Consumption practices involving disposal can provide important insights into how ‘being’ is accumulated. Analysis of 36 semi‐structured interviews with 13 individuals aged 59–70 in the Manawatu, Kapiti, Rangitikei and Horowhenua regions of the North Island in New Zealand illustrates how practices of gifting, ridding and passing on goods as legacy contribute to the production of familial and individual subjectivities. The research revealed that practices of disposal are performative, with both the absent presence of the objects placed away and the practices by which this occurs having agentic effects. The places that objects were assumed to occupy in the real and imagined lives of others and the moving of things away contributed to older adults' identities as caring parents, productive citizens and individuals of significance. Disposal practices consequently enabled participants to stabilise and order parent and child relations and one's relative position in the life course.
The role of complement in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis
Authors: Kusner Linda L. , Kaminski Henry J.
Published: December 2012

Complement plays an important role in the pathophysiology of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). The deposition of IgG at the neuromuscular junction, followed by the activation and observance of C3 at the site, and finally the insertion of the membrane attack complex results in the destruction of the plasma membrane at the neuromuscular junction. Animal models of complement‐deficient components show the importance of the mediated lysis in EAMG. These events have regulators that allow for the limitation in the cascade and the ability of the cell to inhibit complement at many places along the pathway. The complement regulatory proteins have many roles in reducing the activation of the complement cascade and the inflammatory pathways. Mice deficient in complement regulatory proteins, decay accelerating factor, and CD59 demonstrate a significant increase in the destruction at the neuromuscular junction. Inhibition of complement‐mediated lysis is an attractive therapeutic in MG.
Biologics and other novel approaches as new therapeutic options in myasthenia gravis: a view to the future
Authors: Dalakas Marinos C.
Published: December 2012

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is caused by complement‐fixing antibodies against the acetylcholine receptors (AChR). Regulatory T cells (Treg cells), Th17 cells, and recognition of AChR epitopes by CD4+ T cells are fundamental. Novel biological agents now in the offing, offer the potential for specific treatment options in MG by targeting the following: (1) T cell intracellular signaling pathways, costimulation, and transduction molecules; (2) B cells, against CD20 molecules, or the B cell trophic factors BAFF and APRIL; (3) complement, against C5 that intercepts the formation of MAC; (4) cytokines and cytokine receptors targeting interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐17, and the Janus tyrosine kinases (JAK)1 and JAK3; and (5) cellular adhesion and T cell migration molecules. Reengineering of pathogenic antibodies (i.e., molecular decoys) by constructing recombinant antibodies that block the complement binding of the pathogenic AChR antibodies is an additional approach. The promising therapeutic profile of these agents should be weighted against excessive cost and rare complications necessitating the need for controlled trials to secure efficacy and balance benefit against risks.
Functional defect in regulatory T cells in myasthenia gravis
Authors: Thiruppathi Muthusamy , Rowin Julie , Li Jiang Qin , Sheng Jian Rong , Prabhakar Bellur S. , Meriggioli Matthew N.
Published: December 2012

Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) is a transcription factor necessary for the function of regulatory T cells (Treg cells). Treg cells maintain immune homeostasis and self‐tolerance and play an important role in the prevention of autoimmune disease. Here, we discuss the role of Treg cells in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis (MG) and review evidence indicating that a significant defect in Treg cell in vitro suppressive function exists in MG patients, without an alteration in circulating frequency. This functional defect is associated with a reduced expression of key functional molecules, such as FOXP3 on isolated Treg cells, and appears to be more pronounced in immunosuppression‐naive MG patients. In vitro administration of granulocyte macrophage–colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) enhanced the suppressive function of Treg cells and upregulated FOXP3 expression. These findings indicate a clinically relevant Treg cell–intrinsic defect in immune regulation in MG that may reveal a novel therapeutic target.
Georg Forster in Tahiti: Enlightenment, Sentiment and the Intrusion of the South Seas
Authors: ZHANG CHUNJIE
Published: December 2012

Reading German world traveller Georg Forster's influential A Voyage Round the World (1777), this essay discusses the typical conflict between Enlightenment ideology of progress and civilisation, which assigns Oceanian culture to a lower development stage, and the sentimental praise of the island Tahiti as the earthly paradise. Challenging the interpretive method of controlling coloniser and passive colonised, this essay stresses the real‐world significance of Oceania in the transformation of Forster's cultural identity as it is manifested in his travel narrative. Hence Forster's travel account is less a distortion of Pacific history than a pivotal documentation of cultural transformation around 1800.
Reframing Regicide: Symbolic Politics and the Sentimental Trial of James Hadfield (1800)
Authors: RAMSEY NEIL
Published: December 2012

This article considers the political significance of sentimental language in the treason trial of James Hadfield. It argues that the sentimental resolution of the trial needs to be understood in relation to the pressures of modern war on the British nation and the political instability associated with the figure of the returned soldier. The trial dispelled the threat of revolution that Hadfield's attack on the king presented, but it also helped establish a new form of symbolic body politics in Britain that valorised both the king and the soldier as figures of manly self‐command.
Biocompatibility of various dental materials in contemporary dentistry: a narrative insight
Authors: Mallineni Sreekanth K. , Nuvvula Sivakumar , Matinlinna Jukka P. , Yiu Cynthia K. , King Nigel M.
Published: December 2012

In the past few decades, there has been an increase in demand for safety evaluation and control of dental materials used daily in dentistry; however, this task is difficult and cumbersome. Dental materials that are passive and do not react with the oral environment will be more stable and have superior durability. It is expected that dental materials will be universally accepted and will not cause harm or injury to the surrounding structures in the oral cavity. This is an entirely negative approach to the material tolerance and biocompatibility, and hides the possibility that some positive gains can be achieved. Side‐effects of dental materials are believed to be rare, and generally, those that have been reported are mild. There are wide varieties of materials used in dentistry, which include liners, irrigants, intracanal filling materials, intracanal medicaments, prosthetic materials, restorative materials, subgingival implants, and mouth rinses. Therefore, in this study, the biocompatibility of various commonly‐used clinical materials used in contemporary dentistry was discussed.
Neural tube defects and their significance in clinical dentistry: a mini review
Authors: Garg Anuradha , Utreja Ashok , Singh Satinder P. , Angurana Suresh K.
Published: December 2012

Neural tube defects are common congenital malformations that could be apparent at birth or manifested in later stages of life. Morbidity is high in anencephaly, whereas in spina bifida, there are neurological and motor disorders. These defects deserve paramount importance in clinical dentistry. Latex allergy, dental caries, difficulty in mouth opening, and sitting in a dental chair are common problems. There is a high risk of anaphylactic response during anaesthesia. There could be associated craniosynostosis causing maxillary deficiency, and malformed sella turcica might be seen. An association of the defects has been linked with orofacial clefts and Down syndrome.
Mental Health Services for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities – What Do Service Users and Staff Think of Them?
Authors: Kroese Biza Stenfert , Rose John , Heer Kuljit , O'Brien Alexis
Published: December 2012

Aim

The current qualitative study was funded by the Judith Trust to investigate service users', support staff and community team members' views of the services currently provided to adults with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems and what they consider to be desirable qualities for staff to possess.

Method

In the first stage of the study, two focus groups were conducted with service users who have intellectual disabilities and mental health problems in addition to two focus groups with a variety of staff, all of who had recent experience of intellectual disabilities services. In the second stage, individual interviews were conducted with staff members employed in residential and community intellectual disabilities services. The number of participants totalled 54 (16 service users and 38 staff). A qualitative analysis (IPA) was adopted to identify dominant themes in the discourse of these stakeholder groups.

Results

The analysis produced a number of themes that include: ‘being interested’, ‘communication’, ‘competence‐promoting support’, ‘past/present/future links’, ‘prevention’, ‘reviews and liaison’, ‘working with carers’, ‘looking after staff’, ‘staff training/supervision’ and ‘interface between services’.

Conclusion

A number of suggestions for improving services are identified and discussed in the context of current service policies and procedures.
A Practical Criterion for the Rapid Detection of Single‐Loop and Double‐Loop Reentry Tachycardias
Authors: LINTON NICK W.F. , WILTON STEPHEN B. , SCHERR DANIEL , SHAH ASHOK J. , DERVAL NICOLAS , SACHER FREDERIC , WRIGHT MATTHEW , HOCINI MéLèZE , O'NEILL MARK D. , HAÏSSAGUERRE MICHEL , JAÏS PIERRE
Published: December 2012

Additional Criterion for Entrainment

Introduction

Entrainment criteria for the diagnosis of reentrant atrial tachycardia can be difficult to apply and cannot detect double‐loop reentry. We sought to develop and clinically test a new criterion for the diagnosis of single‐ and double‐loop reentry.

Methods and Results

(1) Proposed criterion: after sequential overdrive pacing at 2 different locations and assessing the first ensuing beats of tachycardia, the difference in activation time recorded between 2 appropriate stationary positions changes by 1 or 2 tachycardia cycle lengths; a change of 2 tachycardia cycle lengths usually indicates double‐loop reentry rather than only a single‐loop. (2) Clinical testing: multiple overdrive pacing maneuvers were undertaken and analyzed in 5 patients with common flutter (single‐loop reentry). In total, 23 pairs of overdrive pacing maneuvers were performed using electrodes in the coronary sinus and a distribution of positions in the right atrium. In 22/23 pairs of maneuvers, the change in Activation Difference was within 2.6 ± 12.4 milliseconds of the tachycardia cycle length, confirming single loop reentry. For double‐loop reentry, the literature was reviewed and 3 cases of double‐loop reentry were identified with sufficient data. In all of these cases, double‐loop reentry was detected and also the zone containing the common isthmus was identified.

Conclusion

The proposed criterion can diagnose single‐ and double‐loop reentry atrial tachycardia using intracardiac recordings from any pair of well separated positions. The criterion does not require precise electrode placement or extensive activation mapping.
The effect of spontaneous mutations on competitive ability
Authors: Schaack S. , Allen D. E. , Latta L. C. , Morgan K. K. , Lynch M.
Published: December 2012

Understanding the impact of spontaneous mutations on fitness has many theoretical and practical applications in biology. Although mutational effects on individual morphological or life‐history characters have been measured in several classic genetic model systems, there are few estimates of the rate of decline due to mutation for complex fitness traits. Here, we estimate the effects of mutation on competitive ability, an important complex fitness trait, in a model system for ecological and evolutionary genomics, Daphnia. Competition assays were performed to compare fitness between mutation‐accumulation (MA) lines and control lines from eight different genotypes from two populations of Daphnia pulicaria after 30 and 65 generations of mutation accumulation. Our results show a fitness decline among MA lines relative to controls as expected, but highlight the influence of genomic background on this effect. In addition, in some assays, MA lines outperform controls providing insight into the frequency of beneficial mutations.
The Effect of Soy Fiber Addition on the Quality of Fermented Sausages at Low‐Fat Content
Authors: Campagnol Paulo Cezar Bastianello , Dos Santos Bibiana Alves , Wagner Roger , Terra Nelcindo Nascimento , Pollonio Marise Aparecida Rodrigues
Published: December 2012

Fermented sausages with different levels of fat and soy fiber were manufactured: control (15% fat), FS1 (10% fat and 1% soy fiber) and FS2 (10% fat and 2% soy fiber). During manufacturing, the physicochemical and microbiological parameters were assessed. The final products were submitted to a consumer study, and volatile compounds were extracted by solid‐phase microextraction and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectometry. FS1 and FS2 presented a final fat reduction of nearly 40%. There was no change in the manufacturing process. However, an addition of 2% soy fiber detracted from the sensory quality. Volatile compounds from lipid oxidation were reduced, and volatile compounds from carbohydrate and amino acid catabolism were increased in the modified fermented sausages. To conclude, fermented sausages with healthier characteristics can be produced without quality loss by reducing fat from 15 to 10% and by adding 1% soy fiber.

Practical Applications

Fermented sausages are consumed worldwide, especially in Brazil; it has a significant place in the population's diet. Therefore, the fat reduction in these products provides opportunities for the processing industry to add up healthier consumption appeals. In this study, the use of soy fiber in low‐fat fermented sausages was investigated in order to improve nutritional characteristics without affecting sensory properties.
Association Between Chronic Kidney Disease Detected Using Creatinine and Cystatin C and Death and Cardiovascular Events in Elderly Mexican Americans: The Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging
Authors: Peralta Carmen A. , Lee Anne , C. Odden Michelle , Lopez Lenny , Hazzouri Adina Zeki Al , Neuhaus John , Haan Mary N.
Published: December 2012

Objectives

Creatinine, the current clinical standard to detect chronic kidney disease (CKD), is biased by muscle mass, age and race. The authors sought to determine whether cystatin C, an alternative marker of kidney function less biased by these factors, can identify elderly Mexican Americans with CKD who are at high risk for death and cardiovascular disease.

Design

Longitudinal, with mean follow‐up of 6.8 years.

Setting

Sacramento Area Latino Study of Aging (SALSA).

Participants

One thousand four hundred and thirty five Mexican Americans aged 60 to 101.

Measurements

Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, mL/min per 1.73 m2) was determined according to creatinine (eGFRcreat) and cystatin C (eGFRcys), and participants were classified into four mutually exclusive categories: CKD neither (eGFRcreat ≥60 mL/min per 1.73 m2; eGFRcys ≥60 mL/min per 1.73 m2), CKD creatinine only (eGFRcreat <60 mL/min per 1.73 m2; eGFRcys ≥60 mL/min per 1.73 m2), CKD cystatin only (eGFRcreat ≥60 mL/min per 1.73 m2; eGFRcys <60), and CKD both (eGFRcreat <60 mL/min per 1.73 m2; GFRcys <60 mL/min per 1.73 m2). The associations between each CKD classification and all‐cause death and cardiovascular (CV) death were studied using Cox regression.

Results

At baseline, mean age was 71 ± 7; 481 (34%) had diabetes mellitus, and 980 (68%) had hypertension. Persons with CKD both had higher risk for all‐cause (HR = 2.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.78–2.98) and CV disease (CVD) (HR = 2.75, 95% CI = 1.96–3.86) death than CKD neither after full adjustment. Persons with CKD cystatin C only were also at greater risk of all‐cause (HR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.37–2.67) and CV (HR = 2.56, 95% CI = 1.64–3.99) death than CKD neither. In contrast, persons with CKD creatinine only were not at greater risk for CV death (HR = 1.39, 95% CI = 0.71–2.72) but were at higher risk for all‐cause death (HR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.27–2.98).

Conclusion

Cystatin C may be a useful alternative to creatinine for detecting high risk of death and CVD in elderly Mexican Americans with CKD.
Surveillance for Clostridium Difficile Infection in Nursing Homes
Authors: Mylotte Joseph M. , Russell Sara , Sackett Beth , Vallone Marisa , Antalek Matthew
Published: December 2012

Objectives

To define the time of onset of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in the community nursing home setting.

Design

Retrospective.

Setting

Four community nursing homes.

Participants

Residents with incident CDI identified from infection control surveillance records.

Measurements

Cases were divided into two groups depending on the time of onset of infection: within 30 days of admission after hospitalization or more than 30 days after admission to a nursing home after hospitalization.

Results

Of 75 incident CDI cases, 52 (69%) developed within 30 days of admission and 23 (31%) more than 30 days after admission. Of the 52 cases that developed within 30 days, 68% were in residents admitted for subacute care. The mean number of days ± standard deviation to CDI was 10.5 ± 2.5 in those who developed infection within 30 days; 75% of these cases developed within 15 days of admission.

Conclusions

The majority of CDI in the study nursing homes developed within 30 days of admission; this group may be analogous to community‐onset, hospital‐associated CDI as defined in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveillance definitions. Therefore, the proposed CDC surveillance definitions may overestimate the incidence of nursing home‐associated CDI.
Disparities in Mental Health Service Use of Racial and Ethnic Minority Elderly Adults
Authors: Jimenez Daniel E. , Cook Ben , Bartels Stephen J. , Alegría Margarita
Published: December 2012

Objectives

To apply the Institute of Medicine definition of healthcare disparities, to measure disparities in different aspects of episodes of mental health care and to identify disparities in types of mental health services used.

Design

Four 2‐year longitudinal datasets from Panels 9 to 13 (2004–2009) of the Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys were combined.

Setting

Large‐scale surveys of families and individuals and their medical providers across the United States.

Participants

One thousand six hundred fifty‐eight participants (981 white, 303 black, and 374 Latino) aged 60 and older with probable mental healthcare needs.

Measurements

Mental healthcare need was defined as a Kessler‐6 Scale score >12 and a Patient Health Questionnaire‐2 score >2. Five aspects of mental healthcare episodes were analyzed: treatment initiation, adequacy of care, duration of care, number of visits, and expenditures. Whether episodes of care included only prescription drug fills, only outpatient visits, or both was assessed.

Results

Treatment initiation and adequacy were lower for blacks and Latinos than whites. Latinos experienced episodes of longer duration, more visits, and higher expenditures. Blacks and Latinos had significantly lower rates of episodes that consisted of only medication refills. Blacks had significantly greater rates of episodes with only outpatient care visits. Latinos had significantly higher rates of medication plus outpatient visits.

Conclusion

Low mental health treatment initiation and poor adequacy suggest the need for culturally appropriate interventions to engage older blacks and Latinos in mental health care. The surprising findings in blacks (higher rates of outpatient care visits) and Latinos (higher rates of medication plus outpatient visits) highlight the complexities of the older adult population and suggest new avenues for disparities research.
The impact of instrumental feeding on children's responses to taste exposure
Authors: Añez E. , Remington A. , Wardle J. , Cooke L.
Published: December 2012

Background

In a recent study, we showed that nonfood incentives combined with taste exposure increase children's acceptance of vegetables. However, the impact of children's previous experience of receiving food rewards is unknown. The present study investigated whether the experience of food rewards affects responses to an exposure‐plus‐reward intervention.

Methods

One hundred and thirty‐seven parents of 4–6‐year‐old children taking part in an exposure‐based intervention study completed an instrumental feeding (IF) questionnaire aiming to assess their use of food rewards. Based on these scores, children were categorised as frequently or rarely instrumentally‐fed. Intervention groups were given 12 daily tastes of a target vegetable combined with no reward, a tangible reward, (sticker) or a verbal reward (praise). A no‐treatment control group received no tastings. Liking and intake of a target vegetable were measured at baseline and post‐intervention.

Results

Irrespective of experience of IF, children in all intervention groups increased liking compared to controls (all P < 0.001) and both reward groups increased intake compared to controls (both P < 0.05). However, in the nonrewarded exposure group, only children with a limited experience with food rewards increased consumption (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Experience of IF may limit the benefits of ‘mere exposure’. However, exposure with nonfood rewards can increase the acceptance of vegetables, regardless of previous experience.
“If I Can Grapple With This I Can Truly Be Of Use In The Therapy Room”: Using The Therapist's Own Emotional Struggles To Facilitate Effective Therapy
Authors: Aponte Harry J. , Kissil Karni
Published: December 2012

This study premises that self‐of‐the‐therapist work is pivotal in the development of effective therapists. However, therapy models vary in their goals for this work and the means of accomplishing them. This study presents the perspective of the person‐of‐the‐therapist Training (POTT) model that prioritizes the ability to consciously and purposefully use the self‐as‐is at the moment of contact with the client over the traditional goal of therapists working to resolve their issues. A key underlying assumption of the model proposes that therapists' core issues (referred to as “signature themes”) are potent resources that can be tapped into to connect, assess and intervene effectively with clients. The study presents the model and illustrates the use of signature themes in clinical work.
Effects of Gold Thioglucose Treatment on Central Corticotrophin‐Releasing Hormone Systems in Mice
Authors: Noguchi T. , Makino S. , Shinahara M. , Nishiyama M. , Hashimoto K. , Terada Y.
Published: December 2012

Systemic administration of gold thioglucose (GTG) causes a hypothalamic lesion that extends from the ventral part of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) to the dorsal part of the arcuate nucleus (ARC), resulting in hyperphagia and obesity in mice. In the present study, we used in situ hybridisation histochemistry to explore the effects of GTG on the central corticotrophin‐releasing hormone (CRH) system, which regulates feeding and energy homeostasis. Type 2 CRH receptor (CRHR‐2) mRNA expression decreased by 40% at 8 weeks in the VMH and by 40–60% at 2 and 8 weeks in the ARC after GTG injection. By contrast, CRHR‐2 mRNA expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and lateral septum was unchanged. Urocortin (Ucn) 3 mRNA expression in the perifornical area and medial amygdala decreased, whereas CRH mRNA expression in the PVN increased at 2 and 8 weeks after GTG injection. Ucn 1 mRNA expression in the Edingher–Westphal nucleus and Ucn 2 mRNA expression in the PVN were unchanged. Because Ucn 3 is an anorexigenic and a possible endogenous ligand for VMH CRHR‐2, our results suggest that decreased Ucn 3 expression and decreased VMH CRHR‐2 expression contribute, in part, to GTG‐induced hyperphagia and obesity. To determine whether VMH CRHR‐2 mediates the anorexigenic effects of Ucn 3, Ucn 3 was administered i.c.v. and food intake was measured 8 weeks after GTG treatment. Ucn 3 decreased cumulative food intake on days 4–7 after surgery compared to i.c.v. administration of vehicle in control mice. By contrast, the anorexigenic effects of i.c.v. Ucn 3 were abolished in GTG‐treated mice. Taken together, our results indicate that the Ucn 3 pathway, which innervates the VMH, is involved in appetite regulation via CRHR‐2. It remains to be determined whether CRHR‐2 in the ARC has additional roles in appetite regulation by Ucn 3.
Neurochemical Control of Rapid Stress‐Induced Changes in Brain Aromatase Activity
Authors: Dickens M. J. , Cornil C. A. , Balthazart J.
Published: December 2012

In the male brain, the medial preoptic nucleus (POM) is known to be a critical relay for the activation of sexual behaviour, with the aromatisation of testosterone into 17β‐oestradiol (E2) playing a key role. Acute stress has been shown to differentially modulate the aromatase enzyme in this and other brain nuclei in a sex‐specific manner. In POM specifically, stress induces increases in aromatase activity (AA) that are both rapid and reversible. How the physiological processes initiated during an acute stress response mediate sex‐ and nuclei‐ specific changes in AA and which stress response hormones are involved remains to be determined. By examining the relative effects of corticosterone (CORT), arginine vasotocin (AVT, the avian homologue to arginine vasopressin) and corticotrophin‐releasing factor (CRF), the present study aimed to define the hormone profile regulating stress‐induced increases in AA in the POM. We found that CORT, AVT and CRF all appear to play some role in these changes in the male brain. In addition, these effects occur in a targeted manner, such that modulation of the enzyme by these hormones only occurs in the POM rather than in all aromatase‐expressing nuclei. Similarly, in the female brain, the experimental effects were restricted to the POM but only CRF was capable of inducing the stress‐like increases in AA. These data further demonstrate the high degree of specificity (nuclei‐, sex‐ and hormone‐specific effects) in this system, highlighting the complexity of the stress–aromatase link and suggesting modes through which the nongenomic modulation of this enzyme can result in targeted, rapid changes in local oestrogen concentrations.
Assessment of performance validity in the Stroop Color and Word Test in mild traumatic brain injury patients: A criterion‐groups validation design
Authors: Guise Brian J. , Thompson Matthew D. , Greve Kevin W. , Bianchini Kevin J. , West Laura
Published: December 2012

The current study assessed performance validity on the Stroop Color and Word Test (Stroop) in mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) using criterion‐groups validation. The sample consisted of 77 patients with a reported history of mild TBI. Data from 42 moderate–severe TBI and 75 non‐head‐injured patients with other clinical diagnoses were also examined. TBI patients were categorized on the basis of Slick, Sherman, and Iverson (1999) criteria for malingered neurocognitive dysfunction (MND). Classification accuracy is reported for three indicators (Word, Color, and Color–Word residual raw scores) from the Stroop across a range of injury severities. With false‐positive rates set at approximately 5%, sensitivity was as high as 29%. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Affect Is Greater Than, Not Equal to, Condition: Condition and Person Effects in Affective Priming Paradigms
Authors: Augustine Adam A. , Larsen Randy J. , Elliot Andrew J.
Published: December 2012

Affective primes may impact ensuing behavior through condition and person effects. However, previous research has not experimentally disentangled these two sources of influence in affective priming paradigms. In the current research, we simultaneously examine the influence of condition factors, in terms of prime valence, and person factors, in terms of affect reactivity and personality. In both studies, undergraduate participants (total N = 174) were primed with either positive or negative affective stimuli (words, Study 1; pictures, Study 2) prior to judging the likability of a neutral target (Arabic characters, Study 1; inkblots, Study 2). Although we did observe between‐condition differences for positive and negative primes, person‐level effects were more consistent predictors of target ratings. Affect reactivity (affect Time 2, controlling Time 1) to the primes predicted evaluative judgments, even in the absence of condition effects. In addition, the personality traits of Neuroticism (Study 1) and behavioral inhibition system sensitivity (Study 2) predicted evaluative judgments of neutral targets following negative affective primes. With effects for condition, affect reactivity, and personality, our results suggest that affective primes influence ensuing behaviors through both informational and affective means. Research using affective priming methodologies should take into account both condition and person‐level effects.