bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains as the chassis cell for second‐generation bioethanol production
Authors: Li Hongxing , Wu Meiling , Xu Lili , Hou Jin , Guo Ting , Bao Xiaoming , Shen Yu
Published: January 2015

To develop a suitable Saccharomyces cerevisiae industrial strain as a chassis cell for ethanol production using lignocellulosic materials, 32 wild‐type strains were evaluated for their glucose fermenting ability, their tolerance to the stresses they might encounter in lignocellulosic hydrolysate fermentation and their genetic background for pentose metabolism. The strain BSIF, isolated from tropical fruit in Thailand, was selected out of the distinctly different strains studied for its promising characteristics. The maximal specific growth rate of BSIF was as high as 0.65 h−1 in yeast extract peptone dextrose medium, and the ethanol yield was 0.45 g g−1 consumed glucose. Furthermore, compared with other strains, this strain exhibited superior tolerance to high temperature, hyperosmotic stress and oxidative stress; better growth performance in lignocellulosic hydrolysate; and better xylose utilization capacity when an initial xylose metabolic pathway was introduced. All of these results indicate that this strain is an excellent chassis strain for lignocellulosic ethanol production.
Flexible methods for estimating genetic distances from single nucleotide polymorphisms
Authors: Joly Simon , Bryant David , Lockhart Peter J.
Published: January 2015

With the increasing use of massively parallel sequencing approaches in evolutionary biology, the need for fast and accurate methods suitable to investigate genetic structure and evolutionary history is more important than ever. We propose new distance measures for estimating genetic distances between individuals when allelic variation, gene dosage and recombination could compromise standard approaches.

We present four distance measures based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and evaluate them against previously published measures using coalescent‐based simulations. Simulations were used to test (i) whether the measures give unbiased and accurate distance estimates, (ii) whether they can accurately identify the genomic mixture of hybrid individuals and (iii) whether they give precise (low variance) estimates. The effect of rate variation among genes and recombination was also investigated.

The results showed that the SNP‐based genpofad distance we propose appears to work well in the widest range of circumstances. It was the most accurate and precise method for estimating genetic distances and is also relatively good at estimating the genomic mixture of hybrid individuals.

Our simulations provide benchmarks to compare the performance of different methods that estimate genetic distances between organisms.
Asp58Ala is the Predominant Mutation of the TTR Gene in Korean Patients with Hereditary Transthyretin‐Related Amyloidosis
Authors: Jang Mi‐Ae , Lee Ga Yeon , Kim Kihyun , Kim Seok‐Jin , Kim Jung‐Sun , Lee Soo‐Youn , Kim Hee‐Jin , Jeon Eun‐Seok
Published: January 2015

Hereditary transthyretin (TTR)‐related amyloidosis (ATTR) seems to be a rare autosomal‐dominant inherited form of systemic amyloidosis. Studies indicate considerable heterogeneity in the disease's presentation and genotype; however, there is little data from Korea, where the prevalence of hereditary ATTR is very low. In this study, we investigated the phenotypic and genotypic spectra of hereditary ATTR in Korea. Direct sequencing analysis was performed to detect TTR gene mutations in amyloidosis patients whose results of TTR immunohistochemical staining were positive or equivocal. Clinical presentation was categorized as exclusively cardiac, exclusively neurologic, or mixed phenotype. Of 12 genetic tests performed, seven were positive for TTR mutations. D58A (c.173A>C) was the most common mutation in this study (57%, 4/7). The majority of those patients with hereditary ATTR had the mixed phenotype (86%, 6/7). The patients with D58A mutation had older ages of disease onset (median, 61 years vs. 42 years; P = 0.08), and a higher incidence of gastrointestinal involvement (75% vs. 0%; P = 0.03) than those with other identified TTR mutations. A significant male predominance was also noted in this study (P = 0.01).
Participatory politics of partnership: video workshops on domestic violence in Cambodia
Authors: Garrett Bradley L , Brickell Katherine
Published: January 2015

In this paper we share insights from four participatory video workshops held in Cambodia as part of a three‐year project on domestic violence and legal reform under the ESRC/DFID Joint Fund for Poverty Alleviation Research scheme. The participatory politics that emerged from the workshops organised in partnership with a Cambodian gender‐oriented non‐governmental organisation (NGO) and an independent translator/co‐facilitator forms the crux of our discussion. We define ‘participatory politics of partnership’ as the multi‐layered power relations between community groups, gatekeepers and researchers whose respective agency is mediated by the political economy the research emerges from, and takes place within. Highlighting discrepancies between ‘gold standard’ participatory ideals and practice, we argue through three vignettes that greater acknowledgement is needed of intermediaries whose statuses and behaviours, like those of researchers, heavily mediate community engagement in participatory action research.
The Future is in the Past: Projecting and Plotting the Potential Rate of Growth and Trajectory of the Structural Change of the Chinese Economy for the Next 20 Years
Authors: Zhang Jun , Xu Liheng , Liu Fang
Published: January 2015

Based on the convergence hypothesis and referring to the experience of East Asian high‐performing economies from 1950 to 2010, this paper projects and plots the potential growth rate of the Chinese economy over the next 20 years. It predicts that the potential growth rate of per capita GDP adjusted by purchasing power parity averages at 6.02 percent from 2015 to 2035, while the potential GDP growth rate of 2015 would still be above 8 percent, which implies that the realized rate of growth has not reached its potential since 2012. Besides, based on the per capita GDP projected and on cross‐country comparison, the paper plots the trajectory of structural change of the Chinese economy from 2015 to 2035. The result shows that: (i) the value‐added share of primary industry will drop more rapidly than the employment share; (ii) the value‐added share of secondary industry will decline and employment share will present an inverted U shape whose turning point will probably come between 2020 and 2025; (iii) both the value‐added and employment share of tertiary industry will increase continuously.
Vanishing of China's Twin Surpluses and Its Policy Implications
Authors: Zhang Ming , Tan Xiaofen
Published: January 2015

This paper argues that the twin surpluses in China's balance of payments will disappear in the future as a result of external and internal structural changes. China's current account surplus will diminish as a result of the decline in the goods trade surplus, the expanding service trade deficit and negative investment income. China's capital account might shift from surplus to deficit as a result of shrinking net direct investment inflows and more volatile short‐term capital flows. When the twin surpluses no longer exist, the normalization of the US treasury bond yields will be sped up, terminating the one‐way appreciation of the RMB exchange rate; the People's Bank of China's pressure to sterilize inflows will be alleviated, and new problems for the People's Bank of China's monetary operation will emerge; new financial vulnerabilities for the Chinese economy will arise. Finally, the present paper provides some policy suggestions for the Chinese Government to deal with the declining twin surpluses.
Long‐term outcome in selective dorsal rhizotomy in spastic cerebral palsy: differentiation in mobility levels is needed
Authors: Vermeulen R Jeroen , Becher Jules G
Published: January 2015

This commentary is on the original article by Tedroff et al. on pages 484–490 of this issue.
Novel mutation in insulin receptor gene identified after muscle biopsy in a Niuean woman with severe insulin resistance
Authors: Murphy R. , Smith G. , Isaac I. , Hutchinson D. , Semple R. K.
Published: January 2015

Background

Severe, early‐onset insulin resistance in the absence of obesity, hepatic steatosis and dyslipidaemia is frequently attributable to a genetic defect affecting the insulin receptor. We describe a patient with severe insulin resistance in whom insulin receptor mutation analysis was mistakenly recorded as normal. Western blot analysis of skeletal muscle showed reduced insulin receptor protein and led to re‐evaluation of the insulin receptor and the discovery of a novel mutation.

Case report

A Niuean women, first evaluated at age 6 years for severe acanthosis nigricans, hirsutism, poor growth and cognitive impairment, had extremely elevated fasting insulin levels of 10740 IU/l (fasting reference range 4–24 IU/l) and a normal glucose concentration (4.9 mmol/l). Diabetes was diagnosed at age 9 years and metformin treatment introduced. By age 14 years, she developed refractory hyperglycaemia despite metformin, rosiglitazone and 240 IU insulin daily. Insulin receptor genetic analysis was documented as normal. At age 23 years, with a blood glucose concentration of 37 mmol/l and an HbA1c concentration of 116 mmol/mol, U500 insulin 2000 IU/day was required for glycaemic control. She developed severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy with neovascular glaucoma leading to blindness. There was no renal dysfunction, dyslipidaemia or hepatic steatosis. A muscle biopsy was performed to evaluate the insulin signalling pathway and showed reduced insulin receptor protein. Sequencing of the insulin receptor showed a homozygous p.Val1010Leu missense mutation.

Conclusion

This patient illustrates the use of muscle biopsy in the evaluation of a patient with unexplained severe insulin resistance. This approach may usefully be applied to other cases of severe insulin resistance, where genetic testing for known mutations in the insulin signalling pathway has been negative.
Biological embedding of early‐life exposures and disease risk in humans: a role for DNA methylation
Authors: Demetriou Christiana A. , van Veldhoven Karin , Relton Caroline , Stringhini Silvia , Kyriacou Kyriacos , Vineis Paolo
Published: January 2015

Background

Following wider acceptance of ‘the thrifty phenotype’ hypothesis and the convincing evidence that early‐life exposures can influence adult health even decades after the exposure, much interest has been placed on the mechanisms through which early‐life exposures become biologically embedded.

Materials and methods

In this review, we summarize the current literature regarding biological embedding of early‐life experiences. To this end, we conducted a literature search to identify studies investigating early‐life exposures in relation to DNA methylation changes. In addition, we summarize the challenges faced in investigations of epigenetic effects, stemming from the peculiarities of this emergent and complex field. A proper systematic review and meta‐analyses were not feasible given the nature of the evidence.

Results

We identified seven studies on early‐life socio‐economic circumstances, 10 studies on childhood obesity and six studies on early‐life nutrition all relating to DNA methylation changes that met the stipulated inclusion criteria. The pool of evidence gathered, albeit small, favours a role of epigenetics and DNA methylation in biological embedding, but replication of findings, multiple comparison corrections, publication bias and causality are concerns remaining to be addressed in future investigations.

Conclusions

Based on these results, we hypothesize that epigenetics, in particular DNA methylation, is a plausible mechanism through which early‐life exposures are biologically embedded. This review describes the current status of the field and acts as a stepping stone for future, better designed investigations on how early‐life exposures might become biologically embedded through epigenetic effects.
FEAR OF NOVELTY: A MODEL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY WITH STRATEGIC UNCERTAINTY
Authors: Besancenot Damien , Vranceanu Radu
Published: January 2015

This paper analyzes the production of fundamental research as a coordination game played by scholars. In the model, scholars decide to adopt a new idea only if they believe that a critical mass of peers is following a similar research strategy. If researchers observe only a noisy idiosyncratic signal of the true scientific potential of a new idea, we show that the game presents a single threshold equilibrium. In this environment, fundamental research proceeds with large structural breaks followed by long periods of time in which new ideas are unsuccessful. The likelihood of a new idea emerging depends on various parameters, including the rewards of working in the old paradigm, the critical mass of researchers required to create a new school of thought and scholars' ability to properly assess the scientific value of new ideas. (JEL O31, C72, A14)
Reims, Bibliothèque Carnegie, 806: a little‐known manuscript of Benedict of Aniane's Concordia regularum
Authors: Claussen M.A.
Published: January 2015

Benedict of Aniane is usually portrayed as the major instigator of a series of monastic reforms undertaken by Louis the Pious in the early years of his reign, which attempted to impose the Rule of Benedict of Nursia as the sole monastic standard across Francia. Based on information provided by Ardo, Benedict of Aniane's biographer, the Concordia regularum has been seen as Benedict's main instrument in his attempt to convince or compel others to accept the Rule as a superior norm. The Concordia itself is a sort of commentary on the Rule, where almost the whole of St Benedict's Rule is explained by texts drawn from other monastic rules. However, a number of fragments from a copy of the Concordia, apparently written a decade or more before the accession of Louis, contests Ardo's chronology, and challenges our traditional understanding of both Benedict of Aniane's role in monastic reform and of the Aachen reform councils. An edition of these fragments is included in an Appendix.
Liudprand of Cremona's papa monstrum: the image of Pope John XII in the Historia Ottonis
Authors: Grabowski Antoni
Published: January 2015

In the Historia Ottonis Liudprand of Cremona demonstrates his skills as a writer, depicting Pope John XII as the ultimate monster. This article explores how this feat was accomplished, investigating both the accusations levelled against the pope, and the ways the story was constructed to lead up to his death.
Anthropogenic and natural drivers of gene flow in a temperate wild fruit tree: a basis for conservation and breeding programs in apples
Authors: Cornille Amandine , Feurtey Alice , Gélin Uriel , Ropars Jeanne , Misvanderbrugge Kristine , Gladieux Pierre , Giraud Tatiana
Published: January 2015

Gene flow is an essential component of population adaptation and species evolution. Understanding of the natural and anthropogenic factors affecting gene flow is also critical for the development of appropriate management, breeding, and conservation programs. Here, we explored the natural and anthropogenic factors impacting crop‐to‐wild and within wild gene flow in apples in Europe using an unprecedented dense sampling of 1889 wild apple (Malus sylvestris) from European forests and 339 apple cultivars (Malus domestica). We made use of genetic, environmental, and ecological data (microsatellite markers, apple production across landscapes and records of apple flower visitors, respectively). We provide the first evidence that both human activities, through apple production, and human disturbance, through modifications of apple flower visitor diversity, have had a significant impact on crop‐to‐wild interspecific introgression rates. Our analysis also revealed the impact of previous natural climate change on historical gene flow in the nonintrogressed wild apple M. sylvestris, by identifying five distinct genetic groups in Europe and a north–south gradient of genetic diversity. These findings identify human activities and climate as key drivers of gene flow in a wild temperate fruit tree and provide a practical basis for conservation, agroforestry, and breeding programs for apples in Europe.
Engagement in paid work as a protective predictor of basic activities of daily living disability in Japanese urban and rural community‐dwelling elderly residents: An 8‐year prospective study
Authors: Fujiwara Yoshinori , Shinkai Shoji , Kobayashi Erika , Minami Ushio , Suzuki Hiroyuki , Yoshida Hideyo , Ishizaki Tatsuro , Kumagai Shu , Watanabe Shuichiro , Furuna Taketo , Suzuki Takao
Published: January 2015

Aim

To examine whether engaging in paid work is a predictor of maintaining good functional health among Japanese older adults in both urban and rural communities.

Methods

We used the 8‐year longitudinal Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Longitudinal Interdisciplinary Study on Aging with 306 and 675 persons aged 65–84 years from Koganei City (urban) and Nangai Village (rural), respectively, who are independent in basic activities of daily living (BADL). In order to examine the declining patterns in BADL and evaluate the predictive value of working status for future BADL disability, we applied the log–rank test of cumulative proportion curves and the Cox proportional hazard model by sex, controlling for age, research fields, years of education, marital state, chronic medical conditions, pain, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), smoking status, exercise habits, life satisfaction, usual walking speed and serum albumin for evaluating the predictive value of working status at baseline for future BADL disability.

Results

In both areas, participants who were not working were more likely to decline in BADL than those working (P < 0.05), except for women in urban Koganei. Male participants who did not engage in paid work had a higher adjusted hazard ratio of onset of BADL disability, compared with those working, but this was not seen for female participants.

Conclusions

Working might be protective from a decline in BADL only for men, but not for women. Regarding the difference of sex roles in conventional Japanese society, working would be an effective solution especially for men to participate in social activities. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 126–134.
Walking can be more effective than balance training in fall prevention among community‐dwelling older adults
Authors: Okubo Yoshiro , Osuka Yosuke , Jung Songee , Rafael Figueroa , Tsujimoto Takehiko , Aiba Tatsuya , Kim Teaho , Tanaka Kiyoji
Published: January 2015

Aim

To examine the effects of walking on falls among community‐dwelling older adults while accounting for exposures.

Methods

A total of 90 older adults, ranging in age from 65 to 79 years, were allocated into either the walking (brisk walking,n = 50) or the balance (balance and strength training,n = 40) group to participate in a 3‐month supervised and 13‐month unsupervised fall‐prevention program held from 2012 to 2014 in Japan. Falls and trips that occurred during the 16‐month period were monitored with a monthly fall calendar. The risk of falls and trips was evaluated by person‐year, physically active person‐day and person‐step.

Results

The walking group showed a significant reduction in the fall risk when evaluated by the falls per physically active person‐day (rate ratio 0.38, 95% confidence interval 0.19–0.77) and falls per person‐step (rate ratio 0.47, 95% confidence interval 0.26–0.85) compared with the balance group. In contrast, the number of trips significantly increased with walking, even when evaluated as trips per physically active person‐day (rate ratio 1.50, 95% confidence interval 1.12–2.00).

Conclusion

The present findings suggest that walking among community‐dwelling older adults can be more effective for fall prevention than balance training. However, because walking can induce more trips, walking should not be recommended for older adults who are susceptible to falling or frailty.Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 118–125.
Frontal white matter hyperintensity predicts lower urinary tract dysfunction in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Ogama Noriko , Yoshida Masaki , Nakai Toshiharu , Niida Shumpei , Toba Kenji , Sakurai Takashi
Published: January 2015

Aim

Lower urinary tract symptoms often limit activities of daily life and impair quality of life in the elderly. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether regional white matter hyperintensity (WMH) can predict lower urinary tract symptoms in elderly with amnestic mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease.

Methods

The participants were 461 patients aged 65–85 years diagnosed with amnestic mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease. Patients and their caregivers were asked about symptoms of lower urinary tract symptoms (urinary difficulty, frequency and incontinence). Cognition, behavior and psychological symptoms of dementia and medication were evaluated. WMH and brain atrophy were analyzed using an automatic segmentation program. Regional WMH was evaluated in the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes.

Results

Patients with urinary incontinence showed significantly greater volume of WMH. WMH increased with age, especially in the frontal lobe. WMH in the frontal lobe was closely associated with urinary incontinence after adjustment for brain atrophy and classical confounding factors.

Conclusions

Frontal WMH was a predictive factor for urinary incontinence in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease. Urinary incontinence in demented older adults is not an incidental event, and careful insight into regional WMH on brain magnetic resonance imaging might greatly help in diagnosing individuals with a higher risk of urinary incontinence. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 167–174.
The Effects of Passage of Time on Alumni Recall of ‘Student Experience’
Authors: Koenig‐Lewis Nicole , Asaad Yousra , Palmer Adrian , Petersone Elina
Published: January 2015

‘Student experience’ has become a popular term with higher education managers but is theoretically under‐developed. This paper conceptualises student experience as a construction from memory and advances previous discussion within the higher education sector by distinguishing between recalled academic and social experience. The results of a predominantly quantitative survey of 883 alumni indicated that recalled academic experience had greater effect on subsequent loyalty attitudes and behaviours than recalled social experience. Cluster analyses indicated that alumni having strong ties with their university were more likely over time to identify with the recalled academic experience of their university, while those with weak ties were more likely to identify with recalled social experiences. Implications for development of alumni associations are made based on targeting groups with different levels of ties with the university.
Affirmation and Care: A Feminist Account of Bullying and Bullying Prevention
Authors: Johnston Tim R.
Published: January 2015

Despite the amount of attention that activists, educators, psychologists, and the media place on bullying and bullying prevention, there has been no sustained philosophical reflection on bullying, nor has there been a feminist analysis of the growing literature on bullying. This essay seeks to satisfy those two needs. The first section is a broad introduction to the literature on bullying. I define bullying and distinguish it from teasing, sassing, roughhousing, and other more benign interactions. I also outline two common solutions to bullying: zero‐tolerance policies and “ecological” interventions. The second section uses feminist ethics of care to analyze the effectiveness of each approach. I argue that ecological approaches to bullying are preferable to zero‐tolerance policies because they operate on a relational model of the self and identity‐formation. I elaborate a notion of affirmation as the mechanism that stabilizes and solidifies our sense of self across time. I then use affirmation to analyze three things: why people bully one another, the specific harm inflicted by bullying, and why ecological approaches are more effective in reducing bullying. The third section uses my account of affirmation to critique the scientism and troublingly gendered assumptions that underlie much of the work on bullying.
A DYNAMIC MODEL OF CLEANUP: ESTIMATING SUNK COSTS IN OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION
Authors: Muehlenbachs Lucija
Published: January 2015

The environmental remediation required to permanently decommission most industrial projects is an expensive, irreversible investment. Real options literature shows that temporary closure has value under uncertainty. However, even if there is no intention to restart operations, there is an incentive to label a closure as “temporary” to avoid having to remediate ongoing or future environmental externalities. I estimate a dynamic discrete choice model of closure under price and quantity uncertainty to evaluate the likelihood of reactivation. The model reveals that the option to temporarily close is being widely used to avoid environmental remediation of oil and gas wells in Canada.
EFFECTS OF INDEX‐FUND INVESTING ON COMMODITY FUTURES PRICES
Authors: Hamilton James D. , Wu Jing Cynthia
Published: January 2015

We develop a simple model of futures arbitrage that implies that if purchases by commodity index funds influence futures prices, then the notional positions of the index investors should help predict excess returns in these contracts. We find no evidence that the positions of index traders in agricultural contracts as identified by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission can help predict returns on the near futures contracts. Although there is some support that these positions might help predict changes in oil futures prices over 2006–2009, the relation breaks down out of sample.
LONG‐RUN VERSUS SHORT‐RUN PERSPECTIVES ON CONSUMER SCHEDULING: EVIDENCE FROM A REVEALED‐PREFERENCE EXPERIMENT AMONG PEAK‐HOUR ROAD COMMUTERS
Authors: Peer Stefanie , Verhoef Erik , Knockaert Jasper , Koster Paul , Tseng Yin‐Yen
Published: January 2015

Earlier studies on scheduling behavior have mostly ignored that consumers have more flexibility to adjust their schedule in the long run than in the short run. We introduce the distinction between long‐run choices of travel routines and short‐run choices of departure times, using data from a real‐life peak avoidance experiment. We find that participants value travel time higher in the long‐run context, supposedly because changes in travel time can be exploited better through the adjustment of routines. Schedule delays are valued higher in the short run, reflecting that scheduling restrictions are typically more binding in the short run.
Plain wrensCantorchilus modestus zeledoniadjust their singing tempo based on self and partner's cues to perform precisely coordinated duets
Authors: Rivera‐Cáceres Karla D.
Published: January 2015

Precise coordination appears to be an important signal in several duetting species. However, little attention has been directed to the proximate mechanisms that might drive this behavior. To perform highly coordinated duets, individuals can either have an intrinsic fixed singing tempo or modify their singing tempo based on cues in their own and their partner's songs. In this study I determined whether autogenous and/or heterogenous factors are associated with duet coordination in plain wrensCantorchilus modestus zeledoniby analyzing recorded duets from 8 territorial pairs in the field. Previous research has determined that plain wrens perform highly coordinated antiphonal duets with almost no overlap. I found that to achieve such precise coordination individuals perform phrase‐by‐phrase modifications to the duration between two consecutive phrases (inter‐phrase interval) based on a) whether their song is answered, b) the phrase type used in the duet and c) the position of the inter‐phrase interval within the duet. Moreover, there are several sex differences in how individuals use these cues to modify their inter‐phrase intervals. Females produce longer inter‐phrase intervals when their mates do not answer a phrase, whereas males produce shorter inter‐phrase intervals when their mates do not answer. Females modify their inter‐phrase intervals based only on the phrase type their mates sing, whereas males modify their inter‐phrase intervals based on both the phrase that they sing and the phrase the females use to answer. Both males and females produce longer inter‐phrase intervals for longer phrase types sung by their partners, but males do so with more precision than do females. Finally both sexes increase their inter‐phrase intervals as the duet progresses. That precise coordination is achieved by a complex and dynamic process supports the idea that this behavior could signal pair bond strength.
Intra‐population trends in the maturation and reproduction of a temperate marine herbivore Girella elevata across latitudinal clines
Authors: Stocks J. R. , Gray C. A. , Taylor M. D.
Published: January 2015

Latitudinal variation in the reproductive characteristics of a temperate marine herbivore, rock blackfish Girella elevata, was examined from three regions of the south‐eastern Australian coast. Biological sampling covered 780 km of coastline, including the majority of the species distribution. The sampling range incorporated three distinct oceanographic regions of the East Australian Current, a poleward‐flowing western boundary current of the Southern Pacific Gyre and climate‐change hotspot. Girella elevata are a highly fecund, group synchronous (multiple batch)‐spawner. Mean fork length (LF) and age at maturity were greater for females than males within all regions, with both male and female G. elevata of the southern region maturing at a greater size and age than those from the central region. Estimates of batch fecundity (FB) were greatest in the northern and southern regions, relative to the central region where growth rates were greatest. Significant positive relationships were observed between FB and LF, and FB and total fish mass. Gonado‐somatic indices indicated latitudinal synchrony in spawning seasonality between G. elevata at higher latitudes, spawning in the late austral spring and summer. A late or prolonged spawning period is evident for G. elevata from the northern region. Juvenile recruitment to intertidal rock pools within the central and southern regions was synchronous with the spawning season, however, no juveniles were found within the northern region. The implications of latitudinal variation in reproductive characteristics are discussed in the context of climate and oceanographic conditions of south‐east Australia.
Vertical habitat shift of viviparous and oviparous deep‐sea cusk eels revealed by otolith microstructure and stable‐isotope composition
Authors: Chang N. N. , Liu E. Y. , Liao Y. C. , Shiao J. C.
Published: January 2015

Otolith stable‐oxygen‐isotope composition and microstructure were analysed in order to investigate the vertical habitat shift of deep‐sea cusk eels (Ophidiiformes). Otolith δ18O profiles suggested that both viviparous blind cusk eels and oviparous cusk eels experienced a pelagic larval stage and then settled to the deep‐sea floor over a vertical distance that ranged among individuals from 200 to >1000 m. This result shows that the larvae of viviparous Barathronus maculatus undertake an ontogenetic vertical migration after a period of larval drift that may facilitate their wide distribution on the sea floor.
Isosmotic points and their ecological significance for juvenile Chinese sturgeon Acipenser sinensis
Authors: Zhao F. , Zhuang P. , Zhang T. , Wang Y. , Hou J. , Liu J. , Zhang L.
Published: January 2015

Serum osmolality and ion concentrations were measured in juvenile Chinese sturgeon Acipenser sinensis at different salinities to determine the isosmotic point. Isosmotic and isoionic concentrations were calculated from the regressions for serum and ambient osmolality, with Na+, Cl− and K+ as salinities 9·19, 8·17, 7·89 and 9·70, respectively. These values were consistent with the salinity of the habitat where juvenile A. sinensis occur in the Yangtze Estuary, suggesting that an isosmotic salinity is an important factor driving their habitat choice.
Figuring Out the Fed—Beliefs about Policymakers and Gains from Transparency
Authors: MATTHES CHRISTIAN
Published: January 2015

In this paper, I use a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm to estimate a model of private‐sector behavior that does not feature private‐sector knowledge of the monetary policymaking process and, instead, leaves firms and households uncertain about how monetary policy is set. The private sector entertains two competing views of monetary policymaking, which I estimate. Firms and households use Bayes' law on a rolling data sample to distinguish between those two models. I use this setup to study the evolution of beliefs about the Federal Reserve and the possible gains from transparency.
In Old Chicago: Simons, Friedman, and the Development of Monetary‐Policy Rules
Authors: TAVLAS GEORGE S.
Published: January 2015

This paper examines the different policy rules proposed by Henry Simons, who, beginning in the mid‐1930s, advocated a price‐level stabilization rule, and by Milton Friedman, who, beginning in the late‐1950s, advocated a rule that targeted a constant growth rate of the money supply. Although both rules shared the objective of eliminating the policy uncertainty emanating from discretion, they differed because of the different views of Simons and Friedman about the stability of secular relationships. Simons’ rule relates to modern rules that emphasize the pursuit of price stability as representing optimal monetary policy.
Towards the imaging of Weibel–Palade body biogenesis by serial block face‐scanning electron microscopy
Authors: MOURIK M.J. , FAAS F.G.A , ZIMMERMANN H. , EIKENBOOM J. , KOSTER A.J.
Published: January 2015

Electron microscopy is used in biological research to study the ultrastructure at high resolution to obtain information on specific cellular processes. Serial block face‐scanning electron microscopy is a relatively novel electron microscopy imaging technique that allows three‐dimensional characterization of the ultrastructure in both tissues and cells by measuring volumes of thousands of cubic micrometres yet at nanometre‐scale resolution. In the scanning electron microscope, repeatedly an image is acquired followed by the removal of a thin layer resin embedded biological material by either a microtome or a focused ion beam. In this way, each recorded image contains novel structural information which can be used for three‐dimensional analysis.

Here, we explore focused ion beam facilitated serial block face‐scanning electron microscopy to study the endothelial cell–specific storage organelles, the Weibel–Palade bodies, during their biogenesis at the Golgi apparatus. Weibel–Palade bodies predominantly contain the coagulation protein Von Willebrand factor which is secreted by the cell upon vascular damage. Using focused ion beam facilitated serial block face‐scanning electron microscopy we show that the technique has the sensitivity to clearly reveal subcellular details like mitochondrial cristae and small vesicles with a diameter of about 50 nm. Also, we reveal numerous associations between Weibel–Palade bodies and Golgi stacks which became conceivable in large‐scale three‐dimensional data. We demonstrate that serial block face‐scanning electron microscopy is a promising tool that offers an alternative for electron tomography to study subcellular organelle interactions in the context of a complete cell.
The use of glucocorticoids in marmoset wasting syndrome
Authors: Otovic Pete , Smith Shanequa , Hutchinson Eric
Published: January 2015

Background

Marmoset wasting syndrome (MWS) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in captive marmosets, and thus far no reliable treatment has been found. Glucocorticoids are used widely to treat inflammatory conditions of the GI tract such as human and feline inflammatory bowel disease, which, such as MWS, are histologically characterized by chronic lymphoplasmacytic inflammation in the intestines. Budesonide is a glucocorticoid with few reported side effects due to the majority of it being metabolized into inactive compounds by the liver before entering the systemic circulation.

Method

Eleven marmosets presented with antemortem signs consistent with MWS and were treated with oral prednisone or budesonide for 8 weeks.

Results

The marmosets in our study demonstrated a significant increase in both weight and albumin levels (relative to pre‐treatment values) after glucocorticoid therapy.

Conclusions

Glucocorticoids are an effective therapy to ameliorate the clinical signs associated with MWS with minimal side effects.
Effectiveness of Health Education Teachers and School Nurses Teaching Sexually Transmitted Infections/Human Immunodeficiency Virus Prevention Knowledge and Skills in High School
Authors: Borawski Elaine A. , Tufts Kimberly Adams , Trapl Erika S. , Hayman Laura L. , Yoder Laura D. , Lovegreen Loren D.
Published: January 2015

BACKGROUND

We examined the differential impact of a well‐established human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/sexually transmitted infections (STIs) curriculum, Be Proud! Be Responsible!, when taught by school nurses and health education classroom teachers within a high school curricula.

METHODS

Group‐randomized intervention study of 1357 ninth and tenth grade students in 10 schools. Twenty‐seven facilitators (6 nurses, 21 teachers) provided programming; nurse‐led classrooms were randomly assigned.

RESULTS

Students taught by teachers were more likely to report their instructor to be prepared, comfortable with the material, and challenged them to think about their health than students taught by a school nurse. Both groups reported significant improvements in HIV/STI/condom knowledge immediately following the intervention, compared to controls. Yet, those taught by school nurses reported significant and sustained changes (up to 12 months after intervention) in attitudes, beliefs, and efficacy, whereas those taught by health education teachers reported far fewer changes, with sustained improvement in condom knowledge only.

CONCLUSIONS

Both classroom teachers and school nurses are effective in conveying reproductive health information to high school students; however, teaching the technical (eg, condom use) and interpersonal (eg, negotiation) skills needed to reduce high‐risk sexual behavior may require a unique set of skills and experiences that health education teachers may not typically have.
Association of School Social Networks' Influence and Mass Media Factors With Cigarette Smoking Among Asthmatic Students
Authors: Kanamori Mariano , Beck Kenneth H. , Carter‐Pokras Olivia
Published: January 2015

BACKGROUND

Around 10% of adolescent students under 18 years have current asthma. Asthmatic adolescents smoke as much or more than non‐asthmatic adolescents. We explored the association between exposure to mass media and social networks' influence with asthmatic student smoking, and variations of these exposures by sex.

METHODS

This study included 9755 asthmatic and 38,487 non‐asthmatic middle and high school students. Secondary data analysis incorporated the complex sample design; and univariate, bivariate, and logistic regression statistics.

RESULTS

Asthmatic students had greater odds of smoking than non‐asthmatic students. Asthmatic female students were more likely than asthmatic male students to have been exposed to secondhand smoke in rooms or cars and to smoking actors, but less likely to associate smoking with intent to wear tobacco‐marketing products, or with looking cool/fitting in. Asthmatic male and female students, who have smoking friends, were exposed to secondhand smoke in rooms (only girls) or cars, intended to smoke if best friends offered cigarettes, or received/bought tobacco marketing products had greater odds of smoking than other asthmatic students.

CONCLUSIONS

The observed associations suggest the need for general interventions to reduce middle and high school students' cigarette smoking as well as targeted interventions for asthmatic adolescent students.
Examining Legislative Cue‐Taking in the US Senate
Authors: Box‐Steffensmeier Janet , Ryan Josh M. , Sokhey Anand Edward
Published: January 2015

We examine congressional cue‐taking theory to determine its extent, conditionality, and various forms in the US Senate. Using a novel data‐collection technique (timed C‐SPAN footage), we focus on temporal dynamics via event history analysis. Examining the effects of senator characteristics across 16 votes from the 108th Congress, we find that committee leadership and seniority generally predict cue‐giving, while other types of characteristics predict cue‐giving on certain types of votes. Our results underscore the importance of considering the order and timing of voting when studying congressional behavior.
Constraining the source regions of lunar meteorites using orbital geochemical data
Authors: Calzada‐Diaz A. , Joy K. H. , Crawford I. A. , Nordheim T. A.
Published: January 2015

Lunar meteorites provide important new samples of the Moon remote from regions visited by the Apollo and Luna sample return missions. Petrologic and geochemical analysis of these meteorites, combined with orbital remote sensing measurements, have enabled additional discoveries about the composition and age of the lunar surface on a global scale. However, the interpretation of these samples is limited by the fact that we do not know the source region of any individual lunar meteorite. Here, we investigate the link between meteorite and source region on the Moon using the Lunar Prospector gamma ray spectrometer remote sensing data set for the elements Fe, Ti, and Th. The approach has been validated using Apollo and Luna bulk regolith samples, and we have applied it to 48 meteorites excluding paired stones. Our approach is able broadly to differentiate the best compositional matches as potential regions of origin for the various classes of lunar meteorites. Basaltic and intermediate Fe regolith breccia meteorites are found to have the best constrained potential launch sites, with some impact breccias and pristine mare basalts also having reasonably well‐defined potential source regions. Launch areas for highland feldspathic meteorites are much less well constrained and the addition of another element, such as Mg, will probably be required to identify potential source regions for these.
Impact of past climatic changes and resource availability on the population demography of three food‐specialist bees
Authors: Dellicour Simon , Michez Denis , Rasplus Jean‐Yves , Mardulyn Patrick
Published: January 2015

Past climate change is known to have strongly impacted current patterns of genetic variation of animals and plants in Europe. However, ecological factors also have the potential to influence demographic history and thus patterns of genetic variation. In this study, we investigated the impact of past climate, and also the potential impact of host plant species abundance, on intraspecific genetic variation in three codistributed and related specialized solitary bees of the genus Melitta with very similar life history traits and dispersal capacities. We sequenced five independent loci in samples collected from the three species. Our analyses revealed that the species associated with the most abundant host plant species (Melitta leporina) displays unusually high genetic variation, to an extent that is seldom reported in phylogeographic studies of animals and plants. This suggests a potential role of food resource abundance in determining current patterns of genetic variation in specialized herbivorous insects. Patterns of genetic variation in the two other species indicated lower overall levels of diversity, and that M. nigricans could have experienced a recent range expansion. Ecological niche modelling of the three Melitta species and their main host plant species suggested a strong reduction in range size during the last glacial maximum. Comparing observed sequence data with data simulated using spatially explicit models of coalescence suggests that M. leporina recovered a range and population size close to their current levels at the end of the last glaciation, and confirms recent range expansion as the most likely scenario for M. nigricans. Overall, this study illustrates that both demographic history and ecological factors may have contributed to shape current phylogeographic patterns.
PscI is a type III secretion needle anchoring protein with in vitro polymerization capacities
Authors: Monlezun Laura , Liebl David , Fenel Daphna , Grandjean Teddy , Berry Alice , Schoehn Guy , Dessein Rodrigue , Faudry Eric , Attree Ina
Published: January 2015

The export of bacterial toxins across the bacterial envelope requires the assembly of complex, membrane‐embedded protein architectures. Pseudomonas aeruginosa employs type III secretion (T3S) injectisome to translocate exotoxins directly into the cytoplasm of a target eukaryotic cell. This multi‐protein channel crosses two bacterial membranes and extends further as a needle through which the proteins travel. We show in this work that PscI, proposed to form the T3S system (T3SS) inner rod, possesses intrinsic properties to polymerize into flexible and regularly twisted fibrils and activates IL‐1β production in mouse bone marrow macrophages in vitro. We also found that point mutations within C‐terminal amphipathic helix of PscI alter needle assembly in vitro and T3SS function in cell infection assays, suggesting that this region is essential for an efficient needle assembly. The overexpression of PscF partially compensates for the absence of the inner rod in PscI‐deficient mutant by forming a secretion‐proficient injectisome. All together, we propose that the polymerized PscI in P. aeruginosa optimizes the injectisome function by anchoring the needle within the envelope‐embedded complex of the T3S secretome and – contrary to its counterpart in Salmonella – is not involved in substrate switching.
Paraphyly of the subgenus Anaphlebotomus and creation of Madaphlebotomus subg. nov. (Phlebotominae: Phlebotomus)
Authors: DEPAQUIT J. , LEGER N. , RANDRIANAMBININTSOA F. J.
Published: January 2015

The systematic position of the Malagasy Phlebotomus (Diptera: Psychodidae) species was assessed in molecular phylogenetic studies. Three molecular markers were sequenced: cytochrome b of the mitochondrial DNA; ITS2, and the D8 domain of the ribosomal DNA. The following species were studied: Phlebotomus (Anaphlebotomus) berentiensis, Phlebotomus (Anaphlebotomus) fertei, Phlebotomus (Anaphlebotomus) fontenillei, Phlebotomus (Anaphlebotomus) vaomalalae and Phlebotomus (Anaphlebotomus) vincenti from Madagascar; Phlebotomus (Anaphlebotomus) stantoni from Asia, and Phlebotomus (Anaphlebotomus) rodhaini from Africa. The following outgroups were selected: Phlebotomus (Euphlebotomus) argentipes, Phlebotomus (Euphlebotomus) barguesae, Phlebotomus (Larroussius) perfiliewi s.l. and Phlebotomus (Adlerius) simici. Each marker analysed by maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood supports the monophyly of the Malagasy Phlebotomus spp. Consequently, we create a new subgenus for these species: Madaphlebotomus subg. nov. This molecular individualization is reinforced by the originality of their spermathecae and by the fact that their geographical distribution is limited to Madagascar, and considers the high level of endemism on this island.