bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reconciling Perspectives on Blame Avoidance Behaviour
Authors: Hinterleitner Markus
Published: July 2015

Blame avoidance behaviour (BAB) has become an increasingly popular topic in political science. However, the preconditions of BAB, its presence and consequences in various areas and in different political systems largely remain a black box. In order to generate a better understanding of BAB and its importance for the workings of democratic political systems, the scattered literature on BAB needs to be assessed and structured. This article offers a comprehensive review of the literature on blame avoidance. It departs from Weaver’s concept of blame avoidance and subsequently differentiates between work on BAB in comparative welfare state research and work on BAB in public policy and administration. It is argued that between these two strands of literature a bifurcation exists since both perspectives rarely draw on each other to create a more general understanding of BAB. Advantages from existing approaches must be combined to assess the phenomenon of blame avoidance in a more comprehensive way.
The State of Things: The Dynamic Efficiency of Australian State and Territories
Authors: Drew Joseph , Dollery Brian
Published: July 2015

This paper uses intertemporal and locally intertemporal data envelopment analysis to examine inter alia how yardstick competition, heterogeneity, innovation and competition for business and capital manifest themselves in the Australian federation over the period 2007–2012. The incidence of the Global Financial Crisis during this period also facilitated the testing of a hypothesis on how Australian state and territory jurisdictions might be expected to respond to a uniform macro‐economic shock. Intertemporal evidence provided support for the contention that federalism fosters “democratic laboratories.” The locally intertemporal analysis provided empirical evidence to support the hypothesis that competitive tensions result in increases to the relative efficiency ceteris paribus of sub‐optimal jurisdictions over time. Moreover, some evidence was found to support the proposition that imitation of best practice leads to converging efficiency between comparable peer jurisdictions.
Quantifying similarity in animal vocal sequences: which metric performs best?
Authors: Kershenbaum Arik , Garland Ellen C.
Published: July 2015

Many animals communicate using sequences of discrete acoustic elements which can be complex, vary in their degree of stereotypy, and are potentially open‐ended. Variation in sequences can provide important ecological, behavioural or evolutionary information about the structure and connectivity of populations, mechanisms for vocal cultural evolution and the underlying drivers responsible for these processes. Various mathematical techniques have been used to form a realistic approximation of sequence similarity for such tasks.

Here, we use both simulated and empirical data sets from animal vocal sequences (rock hyrax,Procavia capensis; humpback whale,Megaptera novaeangliae; bottlenose dolphin,Tursiops truncatus; andCarolina chickadee,Poecile carolinensis) to test which of eight sequence analysis metrics are more likely to reconstruct the information encoded in the sequences, and to test the fidelity of estimation of model parameters, when the sequences are assumed to conform to particular statistical models.

Results from the simulated data indicated that multiple metrics were equally successful in reconstructing the information encoded in the sequences of simulated individuals (Markov chains,n‐gram models, repeat distribution and edit distance) and data generated by different stochastic processes (entropy rate andn‐grams). However, the string edit (Levenshtein) distance performed consistently and significantly better than all other tested metrics (including entropy,Markov chains,n‐grams, mutual information) for all empirical data sets, despite being less commonly used in the field of animal acoustic communication.

TheLevenshtein distance metric provides a robust analytical approach that should be considered in the comparison of animal acoustic sequences in preference to other commonly employed techniques (such asMarkov chains, hiddenMarkov models orShannon entropy). The recent discovery that non‐Markovian vocal sequences may be more common in animal communication than previously thought provides a rich area for future research that requires non‐Markovian‐based analysis techniques to investigate animal grammars and potentially the origin of human language.
Impact of segmentation errors and retinal blood vessels on retinal nerve fibre layer measurements using spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography
Authors: Ye Cong , Yu Marco , Leung Christopher Kai‐shun
Published: July 2015

Purpose

To investigate the impact of retinal blood vessels and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) segmentation errors on RNFL measurement.

Methods

One eye of 180 subjects (60 normal, 66 mild‐to‐moderate and 54 advanced glaucoma subjects) was randomly selected for RNFL imaging with a spectral‐domain OCT. The boundaries of the RNFL detected by the instrument software were checked, and the segmentation errors were corrected by a customized computer program. The differences in average and regional RNFL thicknesses (RNFLT) before and after the correction were analysed to determine the frequency of segmentation error (defined as an absolute difference in average RNFLT >5.0 μm). The ratio of retinal blood vessel cross‐sectional area to RNFL cross‐sectional area was calculated.

Results

The difference in average RNFLT (postsegmentation minus presegmentation refinement) ranged from −3.0 to 2.5 μm (mean ± standard deviation: 0.83 ± 0.86 μm) in the normal, −2.5 to 5.0 μm (0.56 ± 1.08 μm) in the mild‐to‐moderate glaucoma and −11.0 to 9.5 μm (0.05 ± 3.49 μm) in the advanced glaucoma groups (p = 0.003). A total of 15% of eyes had average RNFLT measurement error >5.0 μm in the advanced glaucoma group. The proportion of retinal blood vessels in the RNFL also increased with the severity of glaucoma (p < 0.001) with 4.2 ± 1.0% in the normal group, 4.9 ± 1.5% in the mild‐to‐moderate and 8.5 ± 3.5% in the advanced glaucoma groups.

Conclusions

Inclusion of retinal blood vessels and RNFL segmentation error could adversely affect RNFL measurement, particularly in advanced glaucoma when the RNFL was thin.
The Effect of Alpinia zerumbet Essential Oil on Post‐Stroke Muscle Spasticity
Authors: Maia Maurício Oliva Nascimento , Dantas Camila Gomes , Xavier Filho Lauro , Cândido Edna Aragão Farias , Gomes Margarete Zanardo
Published: July 2015

The essential oil of Alpinia zerumbet (EOAz) presents myorelaxant and antispasmodic actions on cardiac and smooth muscles. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of EOAz on the skeletal muscle contraction in post‐stroke spasticity. Fifteen adults with unilateral hemiparesis and spasticity resulting from stroke were submitted to surface electromyography readings of the gastrocnemius muscle, before and after 10 daily applications (dermal 0.05 mL per muscle belly) of EOAz. The healthy contralateral muscles without applying the oil were used as controls. The analysis showed that, in both lateral and medial gastrocnemius, the values of all studied variables (root mean square, maximum amplitude and median power frequency) were significantly decreased in pathological legs during muscle contraction (Wilcoxon test, p < 0.05). Moreover, spastic muscles presented different results before and after dermal application of EOAz: The mean values of root mean square and median power frequency were significantly increased in lateral and medial gastrocnemius, and also, the maximum amplitude increased in medial gastrocnemius (Mann–Whitney test, p < 0.05). The results suggest that EOAz acts in the skeletal spastic muscle contraction by promoting relaxation and improvement of the muscular performance. Thus, the EOAz can be useful for the clinical management of secondary effects in patients with cerebral vascular disease.
Should We Reject Donated Organs on Moral Grounds or Permit Allocation Using Non‐Medical Criteria?: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Moorlock Greg , Ives Jonathan , Bramhall Simon , Draper Heather
Published: July 2015

Conditional and directed deceased organ donations occur when donors (or often their next of kin) attempt to influence the allocation of their donated organs. This can include asking that the organs are given to or withheld from certain types of people, or that they are given to specified individuals. Donations of these types have raised ethical concerns, and have been prohibited in many countries, including the UK. In this article we report the findings from a qualitative study involving interviews with potential donors (n = 20), potential recipients (n = 9) and transplant staff (n = 11), and use these results as a springboard for further ethical commentary.

We argue that although participants favoured unconditional donation, this preference was grounded in a false distinction between ‘medical’ and ‘non‐medical’ allocation criteria. Although there are good reasons to maintain organ allocation based primarily upon the existing ‘medical’ criteria, it may be premature to reject all other potential criteria as being unacceptable. Part of participants' justification for allocating organs using ‘medical’ criteria was to make the best use of available organs and avoid wasting their potential benefit, but this can also justify accepting conditional donations in some circumstances. We draw a distinction between two types of waste – absolute and relative – and argue that accepting conditional donations may offer a balance between these forms of waste.
Against ‘Saving Lives’: Equal Concern and Differential Impact
Authors: Chappell Richard Yetter
Published: July 2015

Bioethicists often present ‘saving lives’ as a goal distinct from, and competing with, that of extending lives by as much as possible. I argue that this usage of the term is misleading, and provides unwarranted rhetorical support for neglecting the magnitudes of the harms and benefits at stake in medical allocation decisions, often to the detriment of the young. Equal concern for all persons requires weighting equal interests equally, but not all individuals have an equal interest in ‘life‐saving’ treatment.
Mixtures of Multivariate Power Exponential Distributions
Authors: Dang Utkarsh J. , Browne Ryan P. , McNicholas Paul D.
Published: July 2015

An expanded family of mixtures of multivariate power exponential distributions is introduced. While fitting heavy-tails and skewness have received much attention in the model-based clustering literature recently, we investigate the use of a distribution that can deal with both varying tail-weight and peakedness of data. A family of parsimonious models is proposed using an eigen-decomposition of the scale matrix. A generalized expectation–maximization algorithm is presented that combines convex optimization via a minorization–maximization approach and optimization based on accelerated line search algorithms on the Stiefel manifold. Lastly, the utility of this family of models is illustrated using both toy and benchmark data.
Comparison of robot‐assisted and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for complex renal tumours with a RENAL nephrometry score ≥7: peri‐operative and oncological outcomes
Authors: Wang Yubin , Ma Xin , Huang Qingbo , Du Qingshan , Gong Huijie , Shang Jiwen , Zhang Xu
Published: July 2015

Objective

To evaluate the peri‐operative, functional and oncological outcomes of robot‐assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) for moderately or highly complex tumours (defined as RENAL nephrometry score ≥7).

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively analysed the medical charts of 216 patients with complex tumours who underwent LPN (n = 135) or RAPN (n = 81) between 2008 and 2014. Peri‐operative data, pathological variables, complications, functional and oncological outcomes were reviewed.

Results

Demographic characteristics were similar in the two groups. LPN was associated with a longer operating time (149.6 vs 135.6 min; P = 0.017) and greater estimated blood loss (220.8 vs 196.5 mL; P = 0.013). RAPN was associated with a higher direct cost. There were no differences in warm ischaemia time, transfusion rate, conversion rate, hospital stay, operative complications and estimated glomerular filtration rate change at 6 months after surgery. The mean follow‐ups for LPN and RAPN were 31.4 and 16.5 months, respectively. The 3‐year recurrence‐free survival rate was 95.2% for LPN and 97.1% for RAPN (P = 0.71).

Conclusion

In patients with complex tumours, RAPN and LPN provided acceptable and similar results in terms of peri‐operative, functional and oncological outcomes. RAPN was superior to LPN in terms of estimated blood loss and operating time, and LPN was the more cost‐effective approach. Both surgery techniques remain viable options in the management of complex tumours with RENAL scores ≥7.
Potential clinical application of interleukin‐27 as an antitumor agent
Authors: Yoshimoto Takayuki , Chiba Yukino , Furusawa Jun‐Ichi , Xu Mingli , Tsunoda Ren , Higuchi Kaname , Mizoguchi Izuru
Published: July 2015

Cancer immunotherapies such as sipuleucel‐T and ipilimumab are promising new treatments that harness the power of the immune system to fight cancer and achieve long‐lasting remission. Interleukin (IL)‐27, a member of the IL‐12 heterodimeric cytokine family, has pleiotropic functions in the regulation of immune responses with both pro‐inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory properties. Evidence obtained using a variety of preclinical mouse models indicates that IL‐27 possesses potent antitumor activity against various types of tumors through multiple mechanisms without apparent adverse effects. These mechanisms include those mediated not only by CD8+ T cells, natural killer cells and macrophages, but also by antibody‐dependent cell‐mediated cytotoxicity, antiangiogenesis, direct antiproliferative effects, inhibition of expression of cyclooxygenase‐2 and prostaglandin E2, and suppression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition, depending on the characteristics of individual tumors. However, the endogenous role of IL‐27 subunits and one of its receptor subunits, WSX‐1, in the susceptibility to tumor development after transplantation of tumor cell lines or endogenously arising tumors seems to be more complicated. IL‐27 functions as a double‐edged sword: IL‐27 increases IL‐10 production and the expression of programmed death ligand 1 and T‐cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain‐3, and promotes the generation of regulatory T cells, and IL‐27 receptor α singling enhances transformation; IL‐27 may augment protumor effects as well. Here, we review both facets of IL‐27, antitumor effects and protumor effects, and discuss the potential clinical application of IL‐27 as an antitumor agent.
Platelet‐Rich Plasma: A Study of the Variables that May Influence Its Effect on Bone Regeneration
Authors: Jovani‐Sancho Mª del Mar , Sheth Chirag C , Marqués‐Mateo Mariano , Puche‐Torres Miguel
Published: July 2015

Background

Currently, the use of platelet‐rich plasma in bone regeneration is a real option, although more than one opinion has alerted us to the absence of clinical benefits.

Purpose

Analysis of the factors able to modify the characteristics of the platelet preparation obtained by Curasan, Plasma Rich in Growth Factors (PRGF), Platelet Concentrate Collection System (PCCS) and SmartPrep systems, relating them to the type of clinical application and the final bone regeneration achieved.

Materials and Methods

A search was conducted in PubMed using the keywords “platelet‐rich plasma,” “PRP,” “platelet rich growth factors,” and “oral bone regeneration.” Four widely accepted protocols for the obtention of PRP (above) were analyzed. Any clinical studies with controls, using the four preparation protocols and with a 4 to 6 weeks follow‐up period were compared. The protocols were also grouped according to the type of PRP application: PRP‐alone, with bone, or with bone substitutes.

Results

Bone regeneration was not achieved in any of the cases using PRP obtained by Curasan and PCCS systems, whereas PRP obtained by SmartPrep achieved it only in one in three published cases and PRGF in one in six.

Conclusion

Based on the poor results observed in current literature, the use of PRP in oral surgery cannot be recommended.
Patient satisfaction and prosthetic aspects with mini‐implants retained mandibular overdentures. A 5‐year prospective study
Authors: Elsyad Moustafa Abdou
Published: July 2015

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate patient satisfaction and prosthetic aspects during a 5‐year prospective clinical study of mini dental implants (MDIs) retaining mandibular overdentures.

Materials and methods

This observational prospective clinical study was conducted on a group of completely edentulous patients (n = 28) with retention problems of conventional mandibular dentures. All patients received new maxillary and mandibular conventional dentures. A total of 112 MDIs (four per patient) were inserted using the flapless surgical approach and immediately loaded by the new mandibular dentures (overdentures). Patients indicated satisfaction with their prosthesis using a questionnaire and a visual analogue scale (VAS). Patient satisfaction and prosthetic complications were recorded 6 months (T6 m), 1 (T1), 3 (T3), and 5 (T5) years after overdenture insertion.

Results

The patient satisfaction with eating (hard/soft) food (P < 0.001), talking (P < 0.001), appearance (P = 0.001), comfort (P < 0.001), healing process (P = 0.013), socialization (P < 0.001), stability/retention of mandibular dentures (P = 0.001), ease of oral hygiene (P = 0.008), and ease of handling the dentures (P < 0.001) increased significantly with time. After 5 years, the most common complication was wear/damage of O/rings (n = 235), O/ring replacement (n = 125), maxillary denture relining times (n = 13), worn teeth (n = 10), overdentures relines (n = 10), detachment of the metal housings (n = 9), and fracture of mandibular overdentures (n = 8). Mucositis, soreness, and decubitis ulcer under overdenture occurred most often at T6 m and decreased significantly with time (P = 0.002, 0.005, and 0.024, respectively).

Conclusion

Within the limitations of this clinical study, patient satisfaction with mini‐implant retained mandibular overdentures increased significantly with time. However, this treatment required a considerable amount of prosthetic maintenance and repair after 5 years of service.
Effects of reduced water quality on coral reefs in and out of no‐take marine reserves
Authors: Wenger Amelia S. , Williamson David H. , da Silva Eduardo T. , Ceccarelli Daniela M. , Browne Nicola K. , Petus Caroline , Devlin Michelle J.
Published: July 2015

Near‐shore marine environments are increasingly subjected to reduced water quality, and their ability to withstand it is critical to their persistence. The potential role marine reserves may play in mitigating the effects of reduced water quality has received little attention. We investigated the spatial and temporal variability in live coral and macro‐algal cover and water quality during moderate and major flooding events of the Fitzroy River within the Keppel Bay region of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park from 2007 to 2013. We used 7 years of remote sensing data on water quality and data from long‐term monitoring of coral reefs to quantify exposure of coral reefs to flood plumes. We used a distance linear model to partition the contribution of abiotic and biotic factors, including zoning, as drivers of the observed changes in coral and macro‐algae cover. Moderate flood plumes from 2007 to 2009 did not affect coral cover on reefs in the Keppel Islands, suggesting the reef has intrinsic resistance against short‐term exposure to reduced water quality. However, from 2009 to 2013, live coral cover declined by ∼50% following several weeks of exposure to turbid, low salinity water from major flood plume events in 2011 and subsequent moderate events in 2012 and 2013. Although the flooding events in 2012 and 2013 were smaller than the flooding events between 2007 to 2009, the ability of the reefs to withstand these moderate floods was lost, as evidenced by a ∼20% decline in coral cover between 2011 to 2013. Although zoning (no‐take reserve or fished) was identified a significant driver of coral cover, we recorded consistently lower coral cover on reserve reefs than on fished reefs throughout the study period and significantly lower cover in 2011. Our findings suggest that even reefs with an inherent resistance to reduced water quality are not able to withstand repeated disturbance events. The limitations of reserves in mitigating the effects of reduced water quality on near‐shore coral reefs underscores the importance of integrated management approaches that combine effective land‐based management with networks of no‐take reserves.
Reconstruction and validation of a constraint‐based metabolic network model for bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Fouladiha H. , Marashi S.‐A. , Shokrgozar M. A.
Published: July 2015

Objectives

Over recent years, constraint‐based modelling of metabolic networks has become increasingly popular; the models are suitable for system‐level modelling of cell physiology. The goal of the present work was to reconstruct a constraint‐based metabolic network model of bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs).

Materials and methods

To reconstruct aBMMSC‐specific metabolic model, transcriptomic data ofBMMSCs, and additionally, the human generic metabolic network model (Recon1) were used. Then, using themCADREalgorithm, a draft metabolic network was reconstructed. Literature and proteomic data were subsequently used to refine and improve the draft. From this,iMSC1255 was derived to be the metabolic network model ofBMMSCs.

Results

iMSC1255 has 1255 genes, 1850 metabolites and 2288 reactions. After including additional constraints based on previously reported experimental results, our model successfully predictedBMMSCgrowth rate and metabolic phenotypes.

Conclusions

Here,iMSC1255 is introduced to be the metabolic network model of bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells. Based on current knowledge, this is the first report on genome‐scale reconstruction and validation of a stem cell metabolic network model.
Using citizen science to monitor pollination services
Authors: BIRKIN LINDA , GOULSON DAVE
Published: July 2015

1. Pollination by insects is a vital ecosystem service and the need for its assessment is increasing in recognition and political pressure, but there are currently no large‐scale systematic monitoring schemes in place to measure the direct provision of this service.

2. This study tested a protocol for using a citizen science approach to quantify pollination service provision in gardens and allotments, requiring participants to grow Vica faba L. plants and carry out some simple manipulations of the pollination environment (flowers with bees excluded, flowers hand‐pollinated, or flowers left for local pollinators to visit). Volunteers assessed yield in the three treatments.

3. Eighty participants from across the U.K. successfully completed all parts of the protocol; a further 93 participants were unsuccessful but actively engaged with the project.

4. Overall, the present results suggest that pollination services for V. faba are currently not limiting in gardens or allotments in the U.K. It is possible and cost‐effective to recruit volunteers to collect data on pollination deficits using this protocol.

5. The approach used in this paper, which could readily be extended to incorporate other plant species reliant on different guilds of pollinators, is feasible for adoption as a national monitoring scheme for pollination services.
Pathogenicity ofHeterobasidion annosum(Fr.)Bref.sensu strictoon coniferous tree species inTurkey
Authors: Doğmuş‐Lehtijärvi H. T. , Erdoğan R. C. , Lehtijärvi A. , Woodward S. , Aday Kaya A. G.
Published: July 2015

Two‐year‐old seedlings ofPinus brutia,P. brutiavar.eldarica,Pinus pineaand 3‐year‐old seedlings ofPinus radiata,Pinus sylvestris,Pinus nigraandCedrus libaniwere inoculated on the lower stem with isolates ofHeterobasidion annosums.s. collected from theBlackSea andMediterranean regions ofTurkey. In total, 315 seedlings were inoculated inApril 2014 and incubated in a growth chamber for 7 weeks at 18–20°C. All isolates were pathogenic on the seven different hosts and had the ability to grow in living sapwood. The isolates had a greater growth onC. libani,P. sylvestrisandP. radiataseedlings compared to plants of the other species tested. The least affected species wereP. brutiaandP. nigra. The isolates originating from theBlackSea region caused longer lesions on the hosts. Overall mortality during 7 weeks of incubation was 4%.
Inhibitory killer cell immunoglobulin‐like receptor (iKIR) mismatches improve survival after T‐cell‐repleted haploidentical transplantation
Authors: Bastos‐Oreiro Mariana , Anguita Javier , Martínez‐Laperche Carolina , Fernández Lucía , Buces Elena , Navarro Almudena , Pascual Cristina , Pérez‐Corral Ana , Balsalobre Pascual , Muñoz Cristina , Kwon Mi , Serrano David , Perez‐Martinez Antonio , Buño Ismael , Gayoso Jorge , Díez‐Martín José Luís
Published: July 2015

Alloreactivity triggered by interaction between killer cell immunoglobulin‐like receptors (KIRs) and natural killer (NK) cells plays a role in the graft‐versus‐tumor effect after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT). Our aim in this study was to evaluate this role in the setting of T‐cell‐repleted haploidentical SCT with postinfusion high‐dose cyclophosphamide (PT‐Cy). We included 33 patients. Among patient–donor pairs with at least 1 inhibitory KIR (iKIR) gene mismatch, event‐free survival (EFS) and cumulative incidence of relapse 1 year after transplant were significantly better (85% vs. 37% [P = 0.008] and 18% vs. 46% [P = 0.041], respectively). A subanalysis in 12 patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) showed an improvement in EFS 1 year after transplant in those patients with KIR ligand mismatch (100% vs. 25%, P = 0.012), although overall survival (OS) was not affected (85% vs. 80%, P = 0.2). Eight of 12 patient–donors pairs presented iKIR mismatches. Of note, this outcome was better in the small subgroup, both for EFS (100% vs. 25%, P = 0.012) and for OS (100% vs. 37%, P = 0.004). Our data suggest that in the setting of T‐cell‐repleted haploidentical SCT with PT‐Cy, iKIR mismatch is associated with improved survival, with particularly good results for both iKIR and KIR ligand mismatches in patients with HL.
Brain responds to another person's eye blinks in a natural setting—the more empathetic the viewer the stronger the responses
Authors: Mandel Anne , Helokunnas Siiri , Pihko Elina , Hari Riitta
Published: July 2015

An observer's brain is known to respond to another person's small nonverbal signals, such as gaze shifts and eye blinks. Here we aimed to find out how an observer's brain reacts to a speaker's eye blinks in the presence of other audiovisual information. Magnetoencephalographic brain responses along with eye gaze were recorded from 13 adults who watched a video of a person telling a story. The video was presented first without sound (visual), then with sound (audiovisual), and finally the audio story was presented with a still‐frame picture on the screen (audio control). The viewers mainly gazed at the eye region of the speaker. Their saccades were suppressed at about 180 ms after the start of the speaker's blinks, a subsequent increase of saccade occurence to the base level, or higher, at around 340 ms. The suppression occurred in visual and audiovisual conditions but not during the control audio presentation. Prominent brain responses to blinks peaked in the viewer's occipital cortex at about 250 ms, with no differences in mean peak amplitudes or latencies between visual and audiovisual conditions. During the audiovisual, but not visual‐only, presentation, the responses were the stronger the more empathetic the subject was according to the Empathic Concern score of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index questionnaire (Spearman's rank correlation, 0.73). The other person's eye blinks, nonverbal signs that often go unnoticed, thus elicited clear brain responses even in the presence of attention‐attracting audiovisual information from the narrative, with stronger responses in people with higher empathy scores.
Nunc autem a Gothis subversa: the province of Alicante and the Spanish Mediterranean towns between the Byzantine and Visigothic periods
Authors: Martínez Jiménez Javier , Moreno Narganes José María
Published: July 2015

The transition between the sixth and the seventh centuries in the towns of Iberia has been a matter of much discussion, leading to the development of the ‘urban renewal’ model, by which the Visigothic process of state formation generated a new urban munificence. A similar process can be seen in the towns of the Byzantine area, and our aim is to discuss the evolution of the urban settlements of the modern province of Alicante, reassessing the available evidence and comparing it with the models proposed for the Byzantine and Visigothic areas.
Placement of an indwelling percutaneous gastrotomy (PEG) tube for the measurement of intra‐gastric pH in two horses
Authors: Sykes B. W. , McGowan C. M. , Mills P. C.
Published: July 2015

Intra‐gastric pH monitoring is an important tool in the validation of acid suppressive drugs. To date, several methods of monitoring intra‐gastric pH in the horse have been described. However significant limitations are present in the existing models. This article describes the placement of a percutaneous gastrotomy (PEG) tube secured with a button gastropexy in the standing horse through which the pH of the ventral stomach can readily be measured under both fed and fasted conditions.
Co‐selection and replacement of resistance alleles to Lysinibacillus sphaericus in a Culex quinquefasciatus colony
Authors: de Melo Chalegre Karlos Diogo , Tavares Daniella A. , Romão Tatiany P. , de Menezes Heverly Suzany G. , Nascimento Nathaly A. , de Oliveira Cláudia Maria F. , de‐Melo‐Neto Osvaldo P. , Silva‐Filha Maria Helena N. L.
Published: July 2015

The Cqm1 α‐glucosidase, expressed within the midgut of Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito larvae, is the receptor for the Binary toxin (Bin) from the entomopathogen Lysinibacillus sphaericus. Mutations of the Cqm1 α‐glucosidase gene cause high resistance levels to this bacterium in both field and laboratory populations, and a previously described allele, cqm1REC, was found to be associated with a laboratory‐resistant colony (R2362). This study described the identification of a novel resistance allele, cqm1REC‐2, that was co‐selected with cqm1REC within the R2362 colony. The two alleles display distinct mutations but both generate premature stop codons that prevent the expression of midgut‐bound Cqm1 proteins. Using a PCR‐based assay to monitor the frequency of each allele during long‐term maintenance of the resistant colony, cqm1REC was found to predominate early on but later was replaced by cqm1REC‐2 as the most abundant resistance allele. Homozygous larvae for each allele were then generated that displayed similar high‐resistance phenotypes with equivalent low levels of transcript and lack of protein expression for both cqm1REC and cqm1REC‐2. In progeny from a cross of homozygous individuals for each allele at a 1 : 1 ratio, analyzed for ten subsequent generations, cqm1REC showed a higher frequency than cqm1REC‐2. The replacement of cqm1REC by cqm1REC‐2 observed in the R2362 colony, kept for 210 generations, indicates changes in fitness related to traits that are unknown but linked to these two alleles, and constitutes a unique example of evolution of resistance within a controlled laboratory environment.
Sexual dimorphism in medulloblastoma features
Authors: Zannoni Gian Franco , Ciucci Alessandra , Marucci Gianluca , Travaglia Daniele , Stigliano Egidio , Foschini Maria Pia , Scambia Giovanni , Gallo Daniela
Published: July 2015

Aims

Male sex is a risk factor for medulloblastoma (MB), and is also a negative predictor for clinical outcome. The aim of this study was to assess sex differences in tumour biological features and hormone receptor profiles in a cohort of MB patients.

Methods and results

Sixty‐four MBs and five normal cerebella were included in the study. Cell proliferation (Ki67), apoptosis (cleaved caspase‐3) and microvessel density (CD31) were evaluated in tumours by immunohistochemistry. Tissues were analysed for oestrogen receptor (ER)α, ERβ1, ERβ2, ERβ5 and androgen receptor (AR) expression. The results demonstrated sex‐specific features in MBs, with tumours from females showing a higher apoptosis/proliferation ratio and less tumour vascularization than tumours from males. MBs were negative for ERα and AR, but expressed ERβ isoforms at similar levels between the sexes. Altogether, these findings indicate that signalling mechanisms that control cell turnover and angiogenesis operate more efficiently in females than in males. The lack of sex differences in the hormone receptor profiles suggests that circulating oestrogens could be the major determinants of the sexual dimorphism observed in MB features.

Conclusions

Here, we provide molecular support for epidemiological data showing sex differences in MB incidence and outcome, completely defining the hormone receptor profile of the tumours.
Geologic evidence for late Quaternary repetitive surface faulting on the Isurugi fault along the northwestern margin of the Tonami Plain, north‐central Japan
Authors: Maruyama Tadashi , Saito Masaru
Published: July 2015

Our detailed field investigation, paleoseismic trenching, and airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR)‐derived topographic data provides the first direct evidence for late Quaternary repetitive surface faulting on the northeast‐striking Isurugi fault along the northwestern margin of the Tonami Plain in the Hokuriku region of north‐central Japan. This fault has been interpreted previously by different researchers as both inactive and active, owing to a lack of geologic evidence and a failure to identify fault‐related geomorphic features. Our mapping of LiDAR topography revealed a series of northeast‐trending warped fluvial terraces, about 1.5 km long and 170 m wide, with an age of ≤ 29 ka. We interpreted these geomorphologic features to represent an active pop‐up structure bounded to the southeast by the northwest‐dipping main thrust of the Isurugi fault and to the northwest by a southeast‐dipping backthrust that splays off the main thrust in the shallow subsurface. Paleoseismic trenching across the northwestern part of an elongate terrace exposed a series of southeast‐dipping backthrusts and associated northwest‐verging monoclines. The deformation and depositional age of the strata provide evidence for repetitive surface rupturing on the backthrusts since the latest Pleistocene; the latest of these events occurred in the Holocene between about 4.0 and 0.9 ka. Despite the poor preservation of the surface expression of the Isurugi fault, repetitive scarp‐forming faulting in the late Quaternary and the proximity of the Oyabe River and its tributaries to the fault trace suggest that there may be an extension of the Isurugi fault to the northeast and southwest beneath the Tonami Plain that makes the fault long enough to generate a large earthquake (Mw ≥ 6.8) accompanied by surface rupture.
Carbonate sedimentation in seagrass beds on Ishigaki‐jima, Ryukyu Islands, southwestern Japan
Authors: Fujita Keita , Asami Ryuji , Takayanagi Hideko , Iryu Yasufumi
Published: July 2015

In order to investigate biota and sedimentary facies, and to delineate processes of carbonate sedimentation in seagrass beds, we conducted sedimentological investigations along three onshore–offshore transects at two sites (Nagura and Yoshihara) on Ishigaki‐jima, Ryukyu Islands. Along the transects, the seagrass beds extended seaward 20–40 m from shore, and their widths parallel to the shore ranged from 60 to >110 m. The seagrass was dominated by Thalassia hemprichii, Cymodocea rotundata and subordinate C. serrulata. Seasonal changes in seagrass coverage were evident, with mean coverage relatively higher in summer and fall (July and October) than in winter and spring (January and April). The surface sediment throughout the seagrass beds was dominated by medium to very coarse sand‐sized bioclasts displaying grainstone/packstone fabrics. Bioclasts were dominated by corals and coralline algae, with lesser benthic foraminifers, mollusks, echinoids, and Halimeda. The grainstone/packstone was underlain by gravelly sediment with coral clasts, showing a rudstone fabric, at the Nagura Site. The lower part of the core sediment was blackened, indicating a reducing environment. Two dates of corals collected at the Nagura and Yoshihara sites (24.5 cm and 16.5 cm below the sea bottom) were 2781–2306 and 4374–3805 cal BP (2σ age range), respectively, suggesting extremely low sedimentation rates (<0.1 mm/year). Sediment influx was higher during July–January than during January–July. The relatively large influx during summer and fall is caused by massive sediment transport during typhoons and storms. The total sediment influx (i.e., suspension‐load sediment transportation) is 74–96 kg CaCO3/m2/year at the Nagura Site and 21–57 kg CaCO3/m2/year at the Yoshihara Site. Sediment influx was significantly greater in the seagrass beds than in surrounding areas, providing supporting evidence for an sediment trapping function of seagrass beds. Our data indicate that seagrass beds in the Ryukyu Islands are characterized by high sediment fluxes and extremely low sedimentation rates.
Population structure and dispersal patterns in Scottish Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos revealed by molecular genetic analysis of territorial birds
Authors: Ogden Rob , Heap Elizabeth , McEwing Ross , Tingay Ruth , Whitfield D. Philip
Published: July 2015

Conservation management of species distributed across fragmented habitats requires consideration of population genetic structure and relative levels of genetic diversity throughout the relevant geographical range. The Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos is monitored within Scotland to ensure its survival in the face of land‐use pressure, persecution and future climate change. In this study we constructed DNA profiles for 271 individual birds using a collection of over 1600 moulted feathers collected from 148 territories, representing 34% of known Scottish territories in the largest population genetic study of Golden Eagles undertaken to date. The results, based on data from 10 nuclear microsatellite loci, revealed previously unreported genetic structure between the islands of the Outer Hebrides and the rest of Scotland (FST = 0.03), together with evidence of reduced genetic diversity in the Outer Hebridean population compared with mainland Scotland. Analysis of gene flow supports a hypothesis of limited, predominantly male‐mediated, dispersal from the Outer Hebrides to mainland Scotland. The persistence of this pattern is discussed with respect to variation in population density and persecution pressure across Scotland. A finding of non‐random mating within the Outer Hebrides is interpreted as evidence of natal philopatry that was revealed by more intensive sampling in these islands, and is likely to be accentuated by the apparent degree of isolation of the islands from the rest of Scotland.
Mercury(II) determination in commercial cosmetics and local Thai traditional medicines by flow injection spectrophotometry
Authors: Prasertboonyai K. , Liawraungrath B. , Pojanakaroon T. , Liawraungrath S.
Published: July 2015

Synopsis

Objective

The proposed method was developed for the enhancement of sensitivity for Hg(II) determination using dithizone by adding SDS in the presence of ascorbic acid in sulphuric acid medium.

Method

The method was based on the reaction between Hg(II) and 1,5‐diphenylthiocarbazone (dithizone), in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) as an anionic surfactant (to avoid solvent extraction) and ascorbic acid in a slightly acidic medium resulting in a soluble orange coloured Hg(II)–dithizone complex which gave the maximum absorption at 490 nm. No extraction system was required in this method.

Result

Under the optimum conditions, a linear calibration graph was obtained over the concentration range of 0.05–1.50 μg mL−1. The method was characterized by a limit of detection (LOD, defined as 3σ) and limit of quantification (LOQ, defined as 10σ) of 0.03 and 0.14 μg mL−1, respectively. The relative standard deviations for replicate injection were 1.32 and 0.78% (n = 11) for 0.05 and 0.20 μg mL−1 of Hg(II) standard solutions, respectively. The developed method has been satisfactorily applied for Hg(II) determination in commercial cosmetics and local Thai traditional medicines. Results obtained by the proposed method are compared favourably with those analysed by ICP‐MS.

Conclusion

Enhancement of sensitivity and rapidity for Hg(II) assay by FIA could be achieved by adding SDS in ascorbic acid. The method would be useful for routine analysis of Hg(II) in real samples.
Non‐Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in children and adolescents with Prader–Willi Syndrome (PWS)
Authors: Fintini D. , Inzaghi E. , Colajacomo M. , Bocchini S. , Grugni G. , Brufani C. , Cappa M. , Nobili V. , Cianfarani S. , Crinò A.
Published: July 2015

We tested the hypothesis that patients with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) may be at lower risk of developing non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) because of a higher insulin sensitivity. Twenty‐one PWS patients and 42 control subjects closely similar for age, gender, pubertal stage and body mass index (CNT), were studied. Metabolic profile and body composition were assessed. NAFLD was established by a validated method of US grading (range from G0 to G3). PWS patients showed a significantly better metabolic profile (lower waist circumference, fasting glucose levels, HOMA‐IR, cholesterol, transaminase levels and trunk fat mass/fat mass ratio). Furthermore, NAFLD G1stage was significantly more frequent in PWS subjects (P < 0.05), whereas G2 stage was significantly more frequent in control patients (P < 0.05). NAFLD grading seems to correlate with body composition in PWS, also after adjustment for sex and GH treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first report suggesting a reduced risk of NAFLD in PWS children.
Glycogenic hepatopathy is an under‐recognised cause of hepatomegaly and elevated liver transaminases in type 1 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Irani N. R. , Venugopal K. , Kontorinis N. , Lee M. , Sinniah R. , Bates T. R.
Published: July 2015

Glycogenic hepatopathy (GH) is an under‐recognised complication of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) not controlled to target resulting in hepatomegaly and elevated liver transaminases. We report the case of a 19‐year‐old man with T1DM not controlled to target who presented with abdominal pain, hepatomegaly and deranged liver transaminases. He was subsequently diagnosed with GH on liver biopsy, with the mainstay of treatment being reduction in caloric intake and insulin.
Tailoring the Structure and Luminescence of Nanostructured Er3+ and Er3+/Yb3+‐Activated Hafnia‐Based Systems
Authors: Cunha César dos Santos , Ferrari Jefferson Luis , Ribeiro Sidney José Lima , Ferrari Maurizio , Gonçalves Rogéria Rocha
Published: July 2015

Nanostructured Er3+‐ and Er3+/Yb3+‐activated hafnium oxide films and nanoparticles were prepared from a stable colloidal suspension and investigated by several techniques such as transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, and photoluminescence. Low roughness and crack‐free films were deposited by dip‐coating and spin‐coating techniques on vitreous SiO2 and Si substrates. Nanostructured particles were also synthesized. Remarkable structural and spectroscopic differences were observed for hafnium oxide‐based materials as a function of the Er3+ and Er3+/Yb3+ concentration. The 4I13/2 → 4I15/2 emission bandwidth and the lifetime of the 4I13/2 metastable state of Er3+ was tailored through the rare‐earth concentration. The Er3+ emission in HfO2 can be explored for photonic applications.
Starch Consolidation Casting of Cordierite Precursor Mixtures—Rheological Behavior and Green Body Properties
Authors: Sandoval María Laura , Talou Mariano H. , Tomba Martinez Analía G. , Camerucci María Andrea , Gregorová Eva , Pabst Willi
Published: July 2015

The rheology of suspensions and mechanical properties of green bodies with cordierite composition (raw materials 37 wt% kaolin, 41 wt% talc, 22 wt% alumina, resulting in 46.6 wt% SiO2, 38.1 wt% Al2O3, 13.6 wt% MgO) and two types of starch (corn or potato) are investigated. Rotational viscometry of suspensions with solids loading 50, 60, and 70 wt% without starch showed that all tend to be shear‐thinning with a small degree of thixotropy. Suspensions with a total solids loading of 60 wt% with 25 wt% replaced by starch exhibited higher viscosity and thixotropy, but the viscometric behavior is almost identical for the two starch types (apparent viscosities 130–50 mPa·s). Oscillatory rheometry shows that for suspensions with potato starch the onset temperature for gelatinization is 61°C–63°C, that is, lower than for corn starch (72°C–73°C). Maximum storage moduli and phase shift values after gelatinization are similar for both systems. The mechanical properties of green disks, measured via diametral compression tests, reveal clear differences between materials prepared with corn and potato starch, with the latter showing higher elastic modulus, higher strength, and higher deformation at fracture, obviously because of incompletely gelatinized starch granules in the green bodies prepared with corn starch.
Investigating how telomere dynamics, growth and life history covary along an elevation gradient in two passerine species
Authors: Stier Antoine , Delestrade Anne , Bize Pierre , Zahn Sandrine , Criscuolo François , Massemin Sylvie
Published: July 2015

Telomeres are specialized non‐coding DNA sequences that cap the end of chromosomes and protect genome integrity. Because telomeres shorten during development and their length at maturity is often associated with survival, one hypothesis is that telomere erosion during early growth is closely associated with life history trajectories of individuals and species. Elevation gradients lead to systematic changes in environmental factors, and thus they provide unique opportunities to explore how life history trajectories and telomere dynamics can covary under various environmental conditions. Here, we address this question in chicks of two tit species distributed foremost at low elevation (the great tit Parus major) or at high elevation (the coal tit Periparus ater). With increasing elevation, great tits showed delayed breeding, and their chicks a slower development, higher telomere erosion and shorter telomere length at day 16. Although coal tit parents delayed also their breeding with increasing elevation, their chicks had a faster development, higher telomere erosion but no reduced telomere length at day 16. This last result is explained by coal tit chicks having longer telomeres at day 7 at high than low elevation, thus mitigating effects of fast telomere erosion before fledging. Our findings on life histories support the idea that great tits and coal tits are best adapted to low and high elevation, respectively. Our data on telomere provide however no support for a direct link between early growth rate and telomere dynamics, but underline complex interplays between telomere dynamics and environmental conditions experienced early in life, thereby urging for studies identifying how early life conditions actually determine fledgling's telomere length.