bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cell proliferation and migration during early development of a symbiotic scleractinian coral
Authors: Lecointe Agathe , Domart-Coulon Isabelle , Paris Alain , Meibom Anders
Published: May 2016

In scleractinian reef-building corals, patterns of cell self-renewal, migration and death remain virtually unknown, limiting our understanding of cellular mechanisms underlying initiation of calcification, and ontogenesis of the endosymbiotic dinoflagellate relationship. In this study, we pulse-labelled the coralStylophora pistillatafor 24 h with BrdU at four life stages (planula, early metamorphosis, primary polyp and adult colony) to investigate coral and endosymbiont cell proliferation during development, while simultaneously recording TUNEL-positive (i.e. apoptotic) nuclei. In the primary polyp, the fate of BrdU-labelled cells was tracked during a 3-day chase. The pharynx and gastrodermis were identified as the most proliferative tissues in the developing polyp, and BrdU-labelled cells accumulated in the surface pseudostratified epithelium and the skeletogenic calicodermis during the chase, revealing cell migration to these epithelia. Surprisingly, the lowest cell turnover was recorded in the calicodermis at all stages, despite active, ongoing skeletal deposition. In dinoflagellate symbionts, DNA synthesis was systematically higher than coral host gastrodermis, especially in planula and early metamorphosis. The symbiont to host cell ratio remained constant, however, indicating successive post-mitotic control mechanisms by the host of its dinoflagellate density in early life stages, increasingly shifting to apoptosis in the growing primary polyp.
Acclimatization to high-variance habitats does not enhance physiological tolerance of two key Caribbean corals to future temperature and pH
Authors: Camp Emma F. , Smith David J. , Evenhuis Chris , Enochs Ian , Manzello Derek , Woodcock Stephen , Suggett David J.
Published: May 2016

Corals are acclimatized to populate dynamic habitats that neighbour coral reefs. Habitats such as seagrass beds exhibit broad diel changes in temperature and pH that routinely expose corals to conditions predicted for reefs over the next 50–100 years. However, whether such acclimatization effectively enhances physiological tolerance to, and hence provides refuge against, future climate scenarios remains unknown. Also, whether corals living in low-variance habitats can tolerate present-day high-variance conditions remains untested. We experimentally examined how pH and temperature predicted for the year 2100 affects the growth and physiology of two dominant Caribbean corals (
Acropora palmata
and
Porites astreoides
) native to habitats with intrinsically low (outer-reef terrace, LV) and/or high (neighbouring seagrass, HV) environmental variance. Under present-day temperature and pH, growth and metabolic rates (calcification, respiration and photosynthesis) were unchanged for HV versus LV populations. Superimposing future climate scenarios onto the HV and LV conditions did not result in any enhanced tolerance to colonies native to HV. Calcification rates were always lower for elevated temperature and/or reduced pH. Together, these results suggest that seagrass habitats may not serve as refugia against climate change if the magnitude of future temperature and pH changes is equivalent to neighbouring reef habitats.
Serological evidence for localized and persistent antibody response in Zika virus-positive neonates with microcephaly (Brazil, 2015)- a secondary analysis
Authors: Lover Andrew A.
Published: May 2016

A recent publication inThe Lancetby Cordeiro and colleagues reported levels of IgM for Zika (ZIKV) and dengue (DENV) viruses in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 31 infants born with microcephaly in Brazil.1Their study suggests higher titers in CSF relative to serum in individual neonates, but no quantitative comparisons were reported. In this short report, the differences in antibody titers are quantified and compared between sample sources; across sampling periods; and between sample sources within individual neonates to more comprehensively understand these data to inform serological surveillance. These are statistically significant differences in ZIKV titers between CSF and serum samples, (in contrast to DENV titers), and these ZIKV titer levels remain elevated across sampling dates, whereas the titer in serum trends downward by sampling date. In multivariate models, ZIKV titer in CSF samples isindependentof titer in serum, and of DENV antibodies in both CSF and serum. These findings quantify the compartmentalization of ZIKV antigens across the blood-brain barrier, and suggest complex interplay between ZIKV and cross-reacting DENV antigens in congenital/neonatal infections.

Note

Dataset for analysis appears to Appendix II.
EGAD: Ultra-fast functional analysis of gene networks
Authors: Ballouz Sara , Weber Melanie , Pavlidis Paul , Gillis Jesse
Published: May 2016

Evaluating gene networks with respect to known biology is a common task but often a computationally costly one. Many computational experiments are difficult to apply exhaustively in network analysis due to run-times. To permit high-throughput analysis of gene networks, we have implemented a set of very efficient tools to calculate functional properties in networks based on guilt-by-association methods.EGAD(Extending ‘Guilt-by-Association’ byDegree) allows gene networks to be evaluated with respect to hundreds or thousands of gene sets. The methods predict novel members of gene groups, assess how well a gene network groups known sets of genes, and determines the degree to which generic predictions drive performance. By allowing fast evaluations, whether of random sets or real functional ones,EGADprovides the user with an assessment of performance which can easily be used in controlled evaluations across many parameters.

Availability and Implementation

The software package is freely available athttps://github.com/sarbal/EGADand implemented for use in R and Matlab. The package is also freely available under the LGPL license from the Bioconductor web site (http://bioconductor.org).

Contact

JGillis@cshl.edu

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available atBioinformaticsonline and the full manual athttp://gillislab.labsites.cshl.edu/software/egad-extending-guilt-by-association-by-degree/.
Do organisations in developing economies legitimise their level of profit? Evidence from Fiji
Authors: Prasad Acklesh , Green Peter , Heales Jon
Published: May 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate whether organisations in developing economies legitimise their level of profit.

Design/methodology/approach

Organisations’ level of profit is evaluated against the readability of sections of information available in the corporate annual reports. These sections include the Chairman’s Report, the Chief Executive Officer Report and the Notes to the Accounts.

Findings

More profitable organisations report more readable information in their corporate annual reports. Information in the non-mandatory sections of the report (Notes to the Accounts) is more readable compared to the information in the mandatory sections of the report (Chairman’s Report). Larger organisations report more readable information. Public Enterprises report more readable information compared to the Publicly Listed Companies.

Research limitations/implications

Organisations in the developing economies are aware of their role in their society. They respond to instances of possible violation of the implied social contract by sharing information in ways that relays news in certain ways.

Practical implications

Evidence of presence of legitimising activities by organisations would imply the need to strengthen the regulatory and monitoring guidelines to ensure efficient use of society’s resources and a fair rent charge for the utilities.

Social implications

There is a greater need to monitor and question organisations’ level of earned profit to ensure it is necessary to maintain their operations.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to investigate organisations’ immediate legitimising activities in relation to their reported profit.
Advancing multilevel thinking and methods in HRM research
Authors: Renkema Maarten , Meijerink Jeroen , Bondarouk Tanya
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– Despite the growing belief that multilevel research is necessary to advance human resource management (HRM) understanding, there remains a lack of multilevel thinking – the application of principles for multilevel theory building. The purpose of this paper is to propose a systematic approach for multilevel HRM research.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper proposes an agenda for multilevel HRM research by addressing three obstacles (concerning questions, theories and methods) that impede advancement in this field.

Findings

– The paper provides an inclusive definition of multilevel HRM research that serves to advance its use, and maps out a multilevel HRM research landscape that captures the various aspects of this concept. The paper identifies unanswered multilevel questions within 16 research domains and develops a systematic approach to tackle these research questions by invoking three relevant theories and methodologies.

Research limitations/implications

– Some of the identified research questions could not be answered due to limitations in mainstream multilevel theories and methodologies. In response, this paper proposes theories and methodologies that can address some of the multilevel HRM research questions identified in this paper.

Practical implications

– The findings can help HRM academics working on cross-disciplinary and cross-level research problems with a clearly structured approach to what multilevel HRM research is and what steps should be taken in conducting such research.

Originality/value

– The originality lies in the systematic approach that precisely describes multilevel HRM research, and addressing obstacles that inhibit rigorous and relevant multilevel HRM research by highlighting relevant research questions, theories and methodologies.
SEC adopts “crowdfunding” rules for start-up businesses: an easy way to bet on the next Google?
Authors: Gelfond Stuart , Eren Burcin
Published: May 2016

Purpose

To summarize the technical guidelines for complying with the final crowdfunding rules issued by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) after more than three years of consideration pursuant to the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (“JOBS Act”) to permit companies to offer and sell securities through crowdfunding.

Design/methodology/approach

Gives an overview of the JOBS Act and the proposed and final crowdfunding rules issued by the SEC; explains how start-ups and other companies can qualify under the final rules; summarizes the disclosure requirements for the issuers; explains the final rules regarding intermediary platforms; and summarizes the proposed rules to facilitate intrastate and regional securities offerings.

Findings

While new crowdfunding rules will enable start-up companies to raise money through the Internet in ways that were previously prohibited, the success of these rules in helping start-ups to raise capital easily and efficiently is still to be seen, as there are still significant restrictions and procedural hurdles for a would-be crowdfunding issuer, which makes crowdfunding costly, especially compared to other forms of capital raising.

Originality/value

Provides an overview and summary of the rules from experienced securities lawyers so that start-up companies and investors would be able to comply with the new rules.
Cybersecurity as a global concern in need of global solutions: an overview of financial regulatory developments in 2015
Authors: Comizio V. Gerard , Dayanim Behnam , Bain Laura
Published: May 2016

Purpose

To provide financial institutions an overview of the developments in cybersecurity regulation of financial institutions during 2015 by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, as well as guidance for developing effective cyber-risk management programs in light of evolving cyber-threats and cyber-regulatory expectations.

Design/methodology/approach

Reviews US, UK and EU regulatory developments in the cybersecurity area and provides several best practice tips financial institutions should consider and implement to improve their cybersecurity compliance programs.

Findings

While cyber-threats and financial regulators’ expectations for cyber-security are constantly evolving, recent guidance and enforcement efforts by the US, UK and EU illustrate the need for financial institutions to develop effective cybersecurity programs that address current regulatory compliance requirements and prepare for emergency cyber responses.

Practical implications

Financial institutions should utilize the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council’s Cybersecurity Assessment Tool to assess their cyber-risk profile and cyber-preparedness.

Originality/value

Practical guidance from experienced financial regulatory and privacy lawyers that provides a survey of the current regulatory environment and recommendations for cyber-security compliance.
Cybersecurity enforcement actions: is the SEC bringing strict liability cases?
Authors: Rubin Brian , Xu Amy
Published: May 2016

Purpose

To analyze how the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has sanctioned broker-dealers (BDs) and registered investment advisers (RIAs) when cybersecurity breaches have occurred and to discuss whether the SEC is imposing a strict liability approach.

Design/methodology/approach

Describes the cyber-attack of a small RIA, the remedial steps the RIA took after the attack, the SEC’s enforcement action, why this particular case is noteworthy, and the case’s implications for RIAs and BDs.

Findings

RIAs and perhaps BDs may face strict liability from the SEC if they are victims of cybersecurity attacks.

Practical implications

Firms may want to address the likelihood of an SEC enforcement action if a breach occurs by reviewing recent enforcement actions, SEC reports and statements, and FINRA reports and statements.

Originality/value

Discusses the possible future of SEC enforcement actions regarding cybersecurity breaches.
“Best interest” of whom?
Authors: Schaff Jeffery E. , Schaff Michele L.
Published: May 2016

Purpose

Explains the US Department of Labor’s newly proposed “Conflicts of Interest” rule and provides a critical analysis of its impact should it be adopted as proposed.

Design/methodology/approach

Explains the DOL’s proposed Conflict of Interest rule and discusses how it changes the current fiduciary standards of care under ERISA. The article then probes more deeply into the practical matters involved in implementing the rule, and into the realities of how it would impact fiduciary standards generally, investors, the financial services industry and securities arbitrations. Reactions to the proposed rule are then explained against the backdrop of the practical implications thereof.

Findings

This article concludes that the DOL’s proposed Conflict of Interest rule, albeit well-intended, is not reasonably designed to achieve its stated goal and would instead likely harm those whom it purports to help. Ironically, it also potentially waters down the existing high standards of current fiduciaries. The article supports the DOL’s goal of greater responsibility for financial service professionals and proffers an alternative solution that could achieve the desired result more effectively.

Originality/value

This article offers valuable insight on the realities of the proposed law and practical guidance on its implications to the investing public, the financial services industry and securities attorneys.
SEC approves long-anticipated FINRA research rules
Authors: Kroll Amy Natterson , Ayanian John
Published: May 2016

Purpose

To analyze the changes to the FINRA equity research rules and evaluate concerns that may be important to and have an impact on equity research activities following the effective date.

Design/methodology/approach

This article provides an overview of the changes reflected in FINRA Rule 2241 pertaining to equity research analysts and research reports, as well as changes to licensing requirements for equity research analysts. It highlights potential issues for firms and provides some commentary on how these issues should be considered in light of FINRA’s articulated position and assurances FINRA has given to the SEC.

Findings

This article concludes that firms should anticipate these changes and begin a comprehensive review of research policies and procedures, the personnel who prepare research reports and the scope of their research products so as to be compliant with Rule 2241 from its effective date. Firms should also begin an investigation of technologies used to gather, produce and disseminate research and required disclosures to ensure they meet the new requirements when they are effective.

Originality/value

This article provides insight into the new FINRA Rule 2241 and practical guidance from experienced securities lawyers.
Ecological role of distinct fruit‐wing perianth color in synchronization of seed germination in Haloxylon salicornicum
Authors: Bhatt Arvind , Phartyal Shyam S , Nicholas Ashley
Published: May 2016

Haloxylon salicornicum is a perennial shrub that grows in sandy and stony desert areas. This species produces two types of dispersal unit with yellow and pink winged perianths that are wind dispersed. This species has been considered as an excellent sand binder and can tolerate extreme temperature, drought and salinity. We compared the germination characteristics of both colored dispersal units (with and without a wing) under various light, temperature and salinity treatments. It was found that wing color, presence of wings, temperature and light have a significant effect on germination percentage and germination rate. The presence of a winged perianth significantly reduced the germination percentage and germination rate in both yellow and pink dispersal units. De‐winged yellow dispersal units were able to tolerate higher salinity and, therefore, their germination was higher in all the tested concentrations of NaCl compared with pink de‐winged dispersal units. However, salinity tolerance in both pink and yellow dispersal units decreased with increasing salinity concentration. The germination‐recovery percentage was also higher for yellow compared with pink dispersal units. The present study has demonstrated that both morphological and physiological differences exist in different colored dispersal units, which might represent the combination of different complementary adaptive strategies and have ecological significance for Haloxylon salicornicum's successful survival in harsh desert environmental conditions.
Boundary and analytic attitude: reflections on a summer holiday break
Authors: Wright Susanna
Published: May 2016

The effect of a boundary in analytic work at the summer holiday break is discussed in relation to archetypal experiences of exclusion, loss and limitation. Some attempts by patients to mitigate an analyst's act of separation are reviewed as enactments, and in particular the meanings of a gift made by one patient. Analytic attitude towards enactment from within different schools of practice is sketched, with reference to the effect on the analyst of departing from the received practice of their own allegiance. A theory is adumbrated that the discomfort of ‘contravening the rules’ has a useful effect in sparking the analyst into consciousness, with greater attention to salient features in an individual case. Interpretation as an enactment is briefly considered, along with the possible effects of containing the discomfort of a patient's enactment in contrast to confronting it with interpretation.
Reviving Ossian's Female Corpses: Mourners and Warriors in The Poems of Ossian
Authors: Shields Juliet
Published: May 2016

James Macpherson's Ossian appealed strongly to eighteenth‐century female readers, writers and artists, but women constitute a kind of vanishing point in recent feminist readings of the poems. This essay aims to rectify this oversight by examining two of the poems’ most prominent female figures: the warrior and the mourner. In both roles Ossian's women participate in a long tradition of feminised representations of the nation. Many female warriors seek death in battle, and female mourners often kill themselves as a means of extinguishing their insufferable grief. Both mourners and warriors lead us back to the figure of the female corpse.
Ossian and Visual Art: Mislaid and Rediscovered
Authors: Macdonald Murdo
Published: May 2016

The pioneering Ossian exhibitions held in Paris and Hamburg in 1974 focused on the response of northern European artists to James Macpherson's work. A broader perspective is considered here, which includes recent research on the Ossianic dimension of both the English landscape painter J. M. W. Turner and his close contemporary the Italian sculptor and graphic artist Luigi Zandomeneghi. A fresh view is taken of the importance to southern European artists of Cesarotti's translation of Ossian into Italian in 1763, and of the sustained influence in Italy of the image of Ossian attributed to the eighteenth‐century Scottish artist Alexander Runciman.
James Macpherson and His Contemporaries: The Methods and Networks of Collectors of Gaelic Poetry in Late Eighteenth‐Century Scotland
Authors: Henshaw Victoria
Published: May 2016

James Macpherson and his possible forgeries dominate the study of the collection, translation and publication of Gaelic poetry in mid‐ to late eighteenth‐century Scotland. This article will redress this through an examination of the correspondence of Jerome Stone, James McLagan, Donald MacNicol, John Stuart, John Smith and Joseph Macintyre, to determine whether a common practice existed among these collectors, and how it was decided and communicated. Macpherson's position within these factors is assessed to consider whether he acted in accordance with the practices of his contemporaries and to shed new light on his actions as a collector and translator.
Fingalian Topographies: Ossian and the Highland Tour, 1760‐1805
Authors: Leask Nigel
Published: May 2016

If Ossian validated the Highland landscape for eighteenth‐century tourists, the landscape, in turn, seemed to authenticate poems whose authenticity never ceased to be doubted; but text and topography alike ran the risk of dissolving into insubstantiality. Many tourists cited ‘local tradition’ in order to embroider existing (or to invent new) Fingalian place‐names. Ranging over a wide variety of eighteenth‐century travel‐writers, this article casts new light on the relations between Ossian, travel‐writing and Highland topography. It concludes by discussing the ‘fieldwork’ tradition of Ossianic tourism after 1800, which sought out local tradition bearers, rather than attempting to authenticate Macpherson's ‘translations’.
When evidence is not enough: a case study on alcohol marketing legislation in Brazil
Authors: Vendrame Alan
Published: May 2016

Aims

This case study identifies the influence and mechanisms that the alcohol industry in Brazil has been able to bring to bear to maintain self‐regulation in the marketing of beer and many wines set against a trend of increasing alcohol consumption in Brazil, particularly among young people and women. It identifies the forms of power and strategies used by the alcohol industry in Brazil that may be useful for other countries to consider in seeking to move from self‐regulation to state regulation of alcohol marketing.

Method

A review was conducted of recent legal documents and court cases, as well as the activities of alcoholic beverage industries.

Results

Because of an exemption, Brazilian law had established that both beer and many wines are not alcoholic beverages for marketing purposes. These beverages are subjected to industry self‐regulation codes. Research shows that beer and wine marketing often violates industry codes, with little or no enforcement of penalties for non‐compliance. Attempts to include beer and wine in the legal definition of alcohol have been opposed by the alcohol industry, and the courts have delegated responsibility to the legislature. The recent legal activities surrounding alcohol sales during the 2014 World Cup games in Brazil provide evidence of the alcohol industry's influence on the legislative process.

Conclusion

The alcohol industry in Brazil plays a significant role in the formulation of public policies on alcohol, especially regarding the regulation of marketing. This power is exercised by strong lobbying of government officials responsible for public policies.
Insulin‐like growth factor‐I gene therapy increases hippocampal neurogenesis, astrocyte branching and improves spatial memory in female aging rats
Authors: Pardo Joaquín , Uriarte Maia , Cónsole Gloria M. , Reggiani Paula C. , Outeiro Tiago F. , Morel Gustavo R. , Goya Rodolfo G.
Published: May 2016

In rats, learning and memory performance decline during aging, which makes this rodent species a suitable model to evaluate therapeutic strategies of potential value for correcting age‐related cognitive deficits. Some of these strategies involve neurotrophic factors like insulin‐like growth factor‐I (IGF‐I), a powerful neuroprotective molecule in the brain. Here, we implemented 18‐day long intracerebroventricular (ICV) IGF‐I gene therapy in 28 months old Sprague–Dawley female rats, and assessed spatial memory performance in the Barnes maze. We also studied hippocampal morphology using an unbiased stereological approach. Adenovectors expressing the gene for rat IGF‐I or the reporter DsRed were used. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were taken and IGF‐I levels determined by radioimmunoassay. At the end of the study, IGF‐I levels in the CSF were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the DsRed controls. After treatment, the IGF‐I group showed a significant improvement in spatial memory accuracy as compared with DsRed counterparts. In the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus, the IGF‐I group showed a higher number of immature neurons than the DsRed controls. The treatment increased hippocampal astrocyte branching and reduced their number in the hippocampal stratum radiatum. We conclude that the ependymal route is an effective approach to increase CSF levels of IGF‐I and that this strategy improves the accuracy of spatial memory in aging rats. The favorable effect of the treatment on DG neurogenesis and astrocyte branching in the stratum radiatum may contribute to improving memory performance in aging rats.
Reliability of map accuracy assessments: A comment on Hunter et al. (2016)
Authors: Roff Adam , Lyons Mitchell , Jones Hugh , Thonell Jillian
Published: May 2016

Map validation data that are ambiguously allocated to map units and collected via poorly designed sampling methods are not statistically reliable and will misrepresent map quality. A recent paper published in Ecological Management and Restoration (Ecological Management & Restoration, 17, 2016 and 40) reported that a map in south‐eastern Australia provided little or no predictive accuracy based on new field data, but the validation suffered from the aforementioned pitfalls. In this comment, we outline the basic guidelines for a robust, reliable and transparent accuracy assessment of thematic maps, pointing out where (Ecological Management & Restoration, 17, 2016 and 40) fails to meets these guidelines.
Reliability of map accuracy assessments: A reply to Roff et al. (2016)
Authors: Hunter John T. , Lechner Alex M.
Published: May 2016

Roff et al. (Ecological Management and Restoration, 17, 2016, 000) provide a discussion of the criteria expected for the best approach to validation of mapping programs and uses Hunter (Ecological Management & Restoration 17, 2016, 40) to highlight issues involved. While we support the general principles outlined, we note that the review does not apply the same standards to Sivertsen et al. (Greater Hunter Native Vegetation Mapping Geodatabase Guide (Version 4.0). Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Sydney, Australia, 2011), the original document critiqued by Hunter (Ecological Management & Restoration 17, 2016, 40). The Hunter (Ecological Management & Restoration 17, 2016, 40) validation was based on a larger sample size, greater sampling within mapping units and greater representation of landscapes than Sivertsen et al. (Greater Hunter Native Vegetation Mapping Geodatabase Guide (Version 4.0). Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Sydney, Australia, 2011). Survey and validation sites being placed along public roads and lands are common to both the general Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) and Hunter (Ecological Management & Restoration 17, 2016, 40) validation methodologies. Thus, the criticisms of Roff et al. (Ecological Management and Restoration, 17, 2016, 000) of the Hunter (Ecological Management & Restoration 17, 2016, 40) approach apply equally, if not more, to Sivertsen et al. (Greater Hunter Native Vegetation Mapping Geodatabase Guide (Version 4.0). Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Sydney, Australia, 2011). We outline in the article how the Roff et al. (Ecological Management and Restoration, 17, 2016, 000) critique was selective and in some cases incorrect in its analysis of issues presented in Hunter (Ecological Management & Restoration 17, 2016, 40) and did not apply the same criteria to their own work. We conclude by discussing future directions for validating and mapping vegetation communities.
Effect of Helicobacter pylori Eradication and ABO Genotype on Gastric Cancer Development
Authors: Oh Sooyeon , Kim Nayoung , Kwon Jin‐Won , Shin Cheol Min , Choi Yoon Jin , Lee Dong Ho , Jung Hyun Chae
Published: May 2016

Background

Evidence is lacking regarding how Helicobacter pylori infection status, eradication history, and ABO blood type affect the development of gastric cancer (GC) given the multifactorial and distinctive etiology according to cancer location (noncardia vs cardia) and histologic type (intestinal vs diffuse‐type). We evaluated the effect of H. pylori infection status incorporated with H. pylori eradication history and ABO genotype on GC development according to cancer location and histologic type.

Methods

A case–control study of 997 patients with noncardia GC (NCGC) and 1147 control subjects was performed using risk analyses with 14 factors including H. pylori infection with eradication history and ABO genotype. As final analyses, multivariable logistic regression models were fitted. Additionally, H. pylori infection status with eradication history was tested for its association with age, atrophic gastritis (AG), and intestinal metaplasia (IM).

Results

The ABO genotype with the B allele was associated with a significantly lower risk of NCGC of both histologic types. The reduction in risk for NCGC by adding the B allele was more prominent in diffuse‐type than that in the intestinal‐type. H. pylori infection with eradication history was associated with a significantly lower risk of NCGC of both histologic types, compared with those without eradication history (odds ratio (OR), 0.22; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.14–0.34) approaching that of uninfected subjects. Past infection status without an eradication history was associated with older age, AG, and IM.

Conclusions

H. pylori eradication and the B allele decreased the risks of the intestinal and diffuse‐types of NCGC. H. pylori eradication revealed a strong association against developing NCGC. Therefore, it should be considered as a primary measure in NCGC prevention.
Comparison of self‐determination of students with disabilities: multivariate and discriminant function analyses
Authors: Chou Y.‐C. , Palmer S. B. , Wehmeyer M. L. , Skorupski W. P.
Published: May 2016

Background

Self‐determined behaviour is composed of multiple, interrelated component elements, and yet little empirical study has researched the self‐determination components other than choice making and goal setting. Also, few theoretical relationships have been drawn between the component elements of self‐determined behaviour and the impact of disability category. Therefore, this study examined profiles of the combination of three self‐report measures of component elements of self‐determined behaviour (autonomous functioning, problem solving and internal locus of control) between two groups (ID and learning disabilities/emotional disorders).

Method

We analysed data from 96 middle school and high school students ages 13 through 22 years who completed three self‐report instruments of the Autonomy – section 1 of The Arc's Self‐determination Scale, the Problem Solving Survey and the Nowicki–Strickland Locus of Control Scale. A multivariate analysis of covariance was conducted to investigate the differences between the two groups after controlling for the developmental effects of age. A discriminant function analysis examined whether membership of the two groups could be predicted from the three component elements.

Results

Results showed that each group had different profiles within the combined three component elements of self‐determination but groups were not different on any single measure of component elements of self‐determined behaviour exclusively. The combination of three variables was useful in confirming the membership of two dichotomous groups.

Conclusions

Score differences on the three component behaviour imply that the two groups have different instructional needs and therefore require differentiated instructional approaches. The three measures of the component elements of self‐determined behaviour collectively separate the two groups, suggesting that the component elements should be considered in a combination as opposed to being treated as individual elements in the context of discussing self‐determined behaviour.
Fertilization triggers 11 yr of changes in community assembly in Mediterranean grassland
Authors: Gazol Antonio , Uria‐Diez Jaime , Elustondo David , Garrigó Jordi , Ibáñez Ricardo
Published: May 2016

Question

Fertilization, i.e. nutrient addition, and changes in grazing intensity are important factors associated with global change that threaten grasslands worldwide. How does the plant community assembly in Mediterranean grasslands respond after 11 yr to a single fertilization event?

Location

Species‐rich Mediterranean grassland, Navarra, northern Spain.

Methods

In 2003, 11 permanent plots were established in a Mediterranean grassland: six plots were fertilized and five were used as controls. Fertilization consisted in the addition of sewage sludge on the soil surface. Grazing was excluded during the course of the experiment. Changes in vegetation abundance were monitored from 2004 to 2014. In 2012, key plant functional traits (height, leaf area, SLA, LDMC) of the most frequent species were collected. We measured taxonomic and functional species composition and diversity. Niche overlap compared to null models was used to assess the mechanisms influencing community assembly.

Results

Species composition changed markedly in the fertilized plots. These changes were accompanied by a reduction in taxonomic diversity. One yr after starting the experiment there were no differences in functional composition (i.e. CWM trait values) between fertilized and control plots (excluding SLA), but 11 yr later fertilized plots were composed of taller plants with larger SLA and lower LDMC. We found a major reduction in niche overlap in plant height and SLA after fertilizing associated with a replacement in several species that could be indicative of competitive exclusion (principle of limiting similarity). Conversely, we found an increase in niche overlap in leaf area indicating that competition increases similarity among species (weaker competitor exclusion or abiotic filtering). At the end of the experiment, we found large differences in SLA and LDMC between fertilized and control plots.

Conclusions

A single fertilization event that occurred 11 yr ago triggered a wave of changes in grassland community assembly that are still on‐going. Fertilization enhanced the establishment of taller species with larger leaf areas, which displaced, by competitive exclusion, the species that had previously been present. Community assembly patterns in Mediterranean grassland are highly sensitive to abrupt changes in resource availability.
Rethinking Law and State Building in Sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Ellett Rachel
Published: May 2016

This essay is a response to Mark Massoud's Law's Fragile State, and through comparative inquiry argues that highly contextualized analysis of courts is critical to gaining an understanding of judicial decision making and judicial empowerment. As Massoud demonstrates, focusing on the legal complex is a particularly worthwhile endeavor in fragile states. Although we may understand the sociology of the legal profession, we do not fully understand how professional networks, career paths, and identities truly impact the institutional pathways of the courts and the legal system as a whole.
The Rule of Law and Authoritarian Rule: Legal Politics in Sudan
Authors: Engle Merry Sally
Published: May 2016

Does the rule of law guarantee peace and democracy, as so many people in the development and governance field believe? What are the historical and sociocultural conditions that shape the way rule of law mechanisms work in practice? Mark Massoud's monograph tracing the changing dimensions of the rule of law in Sudan from its colonial period to the present offers an important perspective on these questions, casting doubt on the simple argument that the rule of law produces democracy and peace. Instead, he shows how colonial and authoritarian rulers used the rule of law to consolidate power and legitimate their rule. In Law's Fragile State: Colonial, Authoritarian, and Humanitarian Legacies in Sudan, Massoud develops the concept of legal politics, arguing that the way the rule of law works varies with the political system in which it is embedded. He concludes that the forms of legal politics that reinforce the power and authority of legal institutions are more likely to sustain an authoritarian state than to bring democratic rule. His analysis is a valuable caution to those who promote the rule of law as the salvation for all. Taking a sociolegal perspective, he shows how it works in practice.
Access to and characteristics of palliative care‐related hospitalization in the management of end‐stage renal disease patients on renal replacement therapy in France
Authors: Couchoud Cécile , Arnaud Del Bello , Lobbedez Thierry , Blanchard Sylvie , Chantrel François , Maurizi‐Balzan Jocelyne , Moranne Olivier ,   on behalf of the REIN registry
Published: May 2016

Aim

Palliative care is seldom proposed to patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) despite a mortality rate and disease burden as high as among cancer patients. The aim of this study is to analyze the access of palliative care‐related hospitalization in the management of patients on dialysis in France, by describing the characteristics of these hospitalizations, the clinical status of the concerned patients, and the use of palliative care in those stopping dialysis.

Methods

The French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (REIN) registry includes data about 51 834 patients aged 20 years and older who began dialysis from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2013, and were followed longitudinally until that date. Linkage to the anonymized national hospital discharge database allowed us to analyse hospitalizations associated with palliative care.

Results

During the follow‐up period, 1865 patients (3.6%) had a palliative care‐related hospitalization corresponding to a total of 3382 hospitalizations. Lower levels of serum albumin, active cancer, and impaired mobility were each independently associated with the probability of at least one such hospitalization. During the same period 4540 patients withdrew from dialysis (9% of the patients), 10% of them had a palliative care‐related hospitalization.

Conclusion

This study suggests that among ESRD patients, only a few resorted to palliative care‐related hospitalization, even those withdrawing from dialysis. Cooperation between nephrologists and physicians trained in palliative care should be improved at least to the extent necessary to identify patients who should be referred to palliative care. Our study also highlights the need for more information on the current access to any kind of supportive care for dialysis patients.
Neutrophils extracellular traps damage Naegleria fowleri trophozoites opsonized with human IgG
Authors: Contis‐Montes de Oca A. , Carrasco‐Yépez M. , Campos‐Rodríguez R. , Pacheco‐Yépez J. , Bonilla‐Lemus P. , Pérez‐López J. , Rojas‐Hernández S.
Published: May 2016

Naegleria fowleri infects humans through the nasal mucosa causing a disease in the central nervous system known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) play a critical role in the early phase of N. fowleri infection. Recently, a new biological defence mechanism called neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) has been attracting attention. NETs are composed of nuclear DNA combined with histones and antibacterial proteins, and these structures are released from the cell to direct its antimicrobial attack. In this work, we evaluate the capacity of N. fowleri to induce the liberation of NETs by human PMN cells. Neutrophils were cocultured with unopsonized or IgG‐opsonized N. fowleri trophozoites. DNA, histone, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and neutrophil elastase (NE) were stained, and the formation of NETs was evaluated by confocal microscopy and by quantifying the levels of extracellular DNA. Our results showed N. fowleri induce the liberation of NETs including release of MPO and NE by human PMN cells as exposure interaction time is increased, but N. fowleri trophozoites evaded killing. However, when trophozoites were opsonized, they were susceptible to the neutrophils activity. Therefore, our study suggests that antibody‐mediated PMNs activation through NET formation may be crucial for antimicrobial responses against N. fowleri.
Platelet sequestration and activation during GalTKO.hCD46 pig lung perfusion by human blood is primarily mediated by GPIb, GPIIb/IIIa, and von Willebrand Factor
Authors: Burdorf Lars , Riner Andrea , Rybak Elana , Salles Isabelle I. , De Meyer Simon F. , Shah Aakash , Quinn Kevin J. , Harris Donald , Zhang Tianshu , Parsell Dawn , Ali Franchesca , Schwartz Evan , Kang Elizabeth , Cheng Xiangfei , Sievert Evelyn , Zhao Yuming , Braileanu Gheorghe , Phelps Carol J. , Ayares David L. , Deckmyn Hans , Pierson Richard N. , Azimzadeh Agnes M.
Published: May 2016

Background

Here, we ask whether platelet GPIb and GPIIb/IIIa receptors modulate platelet sequestration and activation during GalTKO.hCD46 pig lung xenograft perfusion.

Methods

GalTKO.hCD46 transgenic pig lungs were perfused with heparinized fresh human blood. Results from perfusions in which αGPIb Fab (6B4, 10 mg/l blood, n = 6), αGPIIb/IIIa Fab (ReoPro, 3.5 mg/l blood, n = 6), or both drugs (n = 4) were administered to the perfusate were compared to two additional groups in which the donor pig received 1‐desamino‐8‐d‐arginine vasopressin (DDAVP), 3 μg/kg (to pre‐deplete von Willebrand Factor (pVWF), the main GPIb ligand), with or without αGPIb (n = 6 each).

Results

Platelet sequestration was significantly delayed in αGPIb, αGPIb+DDAVP, and αGPIb+αGPIIb/IIIa groups. Median lung “survival” was significantly longer (>240 vs. 162 min reference, p = 0.016), and platelet activation (as CD62P and βTG) were significantly inhibited, when pigs were pre‐treated with DDAVP, with or without αGPIb Fab treatment. Pulmonary vascular resistance rise was not significantly attenuated in any group, and was associated with residual thromboxane and histamine elaboration.

Conclusions

The GPIb‐VWF and GPIIb/IIIa axes play important roles in platelet sequestration and coagulation cascade activation during GalTKO.hCD46 lung xenograft injury. GPIb blockade significantly reduces platelet activation and delays platelet sequestration in this xenolung rejection model, an effect amplified by adding αGPIIb/IIIa blockade or depletion of VWF from pig lung.
Sedimentation of a sphere in wormlike micellar fluids
Authors: Mohammadigoushki Hadi , Muller Susan J.
Published: May 2016

In this paper, we report a detailed experimental investigation of sedimentation of a sphere through wormlike micellar fluids by a combination of rheometry, particle tracking velocimetry, and particle image velocimetry techniques. Beyond a critical threshold, a sphere never reaches a terminal velocity and instead exhibits oscillatory motion in the axial direction similar to previous reports [Jayaraman and Belmonte, Phys. Rev. E 67, 065301R (2003); Chen and Rothstein, J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 116, 205–234 (2004)]. Although this phenomenon has been reported in the past, there is little understanding of how various parameters affect sphere motion and whether it follows any scaling laws. In this work, we systematically varied parameters such as sphere density, sphere size, temperature, and concentration of surfactant and salt for the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide/sodium salicylate system over a wide range of inertia and elasticity. It is shown that a Deborah number, defined here as characteristic shear rate (γ̇=Vs¯/d, where Vs¯ is the average terminal velocity and d is the sphere diameter) multiplied by the relaxation time (λ), is insufficient to quantitatively characterize the onset of oscillatory motion. However, a locally determined extensional Deborah number based on the maximum strain rate multiplied by the relaxation time (Deext=λε̇M) presents a suitable criterion to separate different modes of sphere motion (i.e., unsteady and steady) in a phase diagram. Our results indicate the importance of the extensional flow in the wake of spheres as the main mechanism for the sphere instability in wormlike micellar solutions.
Historical Improvement in Speed Skating Economy
Authors: Noordhof Dionne A. , van Tok Elmy , Joosten Florentine S.J.G.M. , Hettinga Florentina J. , Hoozemans Marco J.M. , Foster Carl , de Koning Jos J.
Published: May 2016

Half the improvement in 1500-m speed-skating world records can be explained by technological innovations and the other half by athletic improvement. It is hypothesized that improved skating economy is accountable for much of the athletic improvement. Purpose: To determine skating economy in contemporary athletes and to evaluate the change in economy over the years. Methods: Contemporary skaters of the Dutch national junior team (n = 8) skated 3 bouts of 6 laps at submaximal velocity, from which skating economy was calculated (in mL O2 ・ kg–1 ・ km–1). A literature search provided historic data on skating velocity and submaximal V̇O2 (in mL ・ kg–1 ・ min–1), from which skating economy was determined. The association between year and skating economy was determined using linear-regression analysis. Correcting the change in economy for technological innovations resulted in an estimate of the association between year and economy due to athletic improvement. Results: A mean (± SD) skating economy of 73.4 ± 6.4 mL O2 ・ kg–1 ・ km–1 was found in contemporary athletes. Skating economy improved significantly over the historical time frame (–0.57 mL O2 ・ kg–1 ・ km–1 ・ y–1, 95% confidence interval [–0.84, –0.31]). In the final regression model for the klapskate era, with altitude as confounder, skating economy improved with a nonsignificant –0.58 mL O2 ・ kg–1 ・ km–1 ・ y–1 ([–1.19, 0.035]). Conclusions: Skating economy was 73.4 ± 6.4 mL O2 ・ kg–1 ・ km–1 in contemporary athletes and improved over the past ~50 y. The association between year and skating economy due to athletic improvement, for the klapskate era, approached significance, suggesting a possible improvement in economy over these years.