bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regional variation in chronic kidney disease and associated factors in hypertensive individuals in rural South Asia: findings from control of blood pressure and risk attenuation—Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
Authors: Feng Liang , de Silva Hithanadura Asita , Jehan Imtiaz , Naheed Aliya , Kasturiratne Anuradhani , Himani Gulshan , Hasnat Mohammad Abul , Jafar Tazeen H
Published: May 2018

Background

We aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its cross-country variation among hypertensive individuals in rural Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. We also explored the factors associated with CKD in these populations.

Method

We studied baseline data from the Control of Blood Pressure and Risk Attenuation-Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka (COBRA-BPS) trial, an ongoing cluster randomized controlled trial on 2643 hypertensive adults ≥40 years of age from 30 randomly selected rural clusters, 10 in each of the three countries. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 or a urine albumin:creatinine ratio (UACR)  ≥30 mg/g. Determinants for CKD were assessed using logistic regression analysis.

Results

The overall prevalence of CKD was 38.1% (95% confidence interval 36.2–40.1%): 21.5% with eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and 24.4% with UACR ≥30 mg/g. CKD prevalence varied across the three countries (58.3% in Sri Lanka, 36.4% Bangladesh and 16.9% Pakistan; P <0.001). The factors independently associated with higher odds of CKD were older age, being unmarried, higher 24-h urinary sodium excretion, presence of diabetes, elevated systolic blood pressure, diuretic use and living in Bangladesh or Sri Lanka (versus Pakistan).

Conclusions

The prevalence of CKD is alarmingly high in community-dwelling hypertensive adults, with significant cross-country variation in South Asia. Our findings underscore the urgency for further research into the etiology of CKD and address associated factors in targeted public health strategies with hypertension care outreach services in rural South Asia.

ClinicalTrials.gov

NCT02657746
Inflammation Associates With Impaired Small Arterial Elasticity Early in HIV Disease
Authors: Peterson Tess E , Huppler Hullsiek Katherine , Wyman Engen Nicole , Kumarasamy Nagalingeswaran , Lebech Anne-Mette , Liappis Angelike , Papadopoulos Antonios , Polizzotto Mark N , Schreiner Pamela J , Duprez Daniel , Baker Jason V ,   INSIGHT START (Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment) Study Group
Published: May 2018

We estimated small arterial elasticity and used linear regression to evaluate its association with inflammatory biomarkers among antiretroviral therapy–naïve, HIV-positive patients with high CD4+ counts. After adjustment, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 were inversely associated with small arterial elasticity. These data suggest that systemic inflammation may contribute to vascular dysfunction even in very early HIV disease.
Utility of Immunohistochemistry in Distinguishing Primary Adnexal Carcinoma From Metastatic Breast Carcinoma to Skin and Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Valencia-Guerrero Aida , Dresser Karen , Cornejo Kristine M.
Published: May 2018

The distinction between primary adnexal carcinoma (PAC) from metastatic breast carcinoma (BrCa) to skin and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), particularly those with ductal differentiation (SCCDD), can be quite challenging, despite adequate history. The aim of the study was to determine the utility of an immunohistochemistry (IHC) panel to differentiate these entities and apply them to ambiguous tumors. Twenty-seven PAC, 7 metastatic BrCa, 28 SCC, and 16 ambiguous cases (SCCDD vs. PAC, n = 13 and metastatic BrCa vs. PAC, n = 3) were analyzed using CD23, PAX5, D2-40, P63, and CD117 immunohistochemistry. A total of 9 (33%) PAC were CD117 positive, whereas all metastatic BrCa and SCC were negative (P = 0.0002). D2-40 was expressed in 16 (59%) PAC and 16 (57%) SCC cases, but none of the metastatic BrCa cases (P = 0.0041). Of the 13 ambiguous tumors with a differential diagnosis of SCCDD versus PAC, all were positive for P63, 10 were positive for D2-40, and 1 was positive for CD117. Of the 3 ambiguous tumors with a differential diagnosis of PAC versus metastatic BrCA, 2 were positive for CD117, whereas none showed reactivity for D2-40 or P63. All cases were negative for CD23 and PAX5. Our study indicates that CD117 reactivity favors a PAC with a sensitivity and specificity of 33% and 100%, respectively. D2-40 and P63 expression highlighted both PAC and SCC and seems to be useful in excluding metastatic BrCa with a sensitivity and specificity of 58% and 100%, and 98% and 100%, respectively. Despite previous reports, CD23 and PAX5 do not seem to be useful.
A systematic review of biodegradable biliary stents: promising biocompatibility without stent removal
Authors: Siiki Antti , Sand Juhani , Laukkarinen Johanna
Published: May 2018

Biodegradable self-expanding stents are an emerging alternative to standard biliary stents as the development of endoscopic insertion devices advances. The aim was to systematically review the existing literature on biodegradable biliary stents. In-vivo studies on the use of biodegradable stents in the biliary duct were systematically reviewed from 1990 to 2017. Despite extensive research on the biocompatibility of stents, the experience so far on their clinical use is limited. A few favorable reports have recently been presented on endoscopically and percutaneously inserted self-expanding biodegradable polydioxanone stents in benign biliary strictures. Another potential indication appears to be postcholecystectomy leak of the cystic duct. The main benefit of biodegradable stents is that stent removal can be avoided. The biocompatibility of the current biodegradable stent materials, most prominently polydioxanone, is well documented. In the few studies currently available, biodegradable stents are reported to be feasible and safe, also in humans. The initial results of the endoscopic use of these stents in benign biliary stricture management and for treating postcholecystectomy bile leaks are promising. Further controlled studies on long-term clinical results and cost-effectiveness are needed.
Healthy ageing delays the neural processing of face features relevant for behaviour by 40 ms
Authors: Jaworska Katarzyna , Yi Fei , Ince Robin A.A. , van Rijsbergen Nicola J. , Schyns Philippe G. , Rousselet Guillaume A.
Published: May 2018

Fast and accurate face processing is critical for everyday social interactions, but it declines and becomes delayed with age, as measured by both neural and behavioural responses. Here, we addressed the critical challenge of understanding how ageing changes neural information processing mechanisms to delay behaviour. Young (20-36 years) and older (60-86 years) adults performed the basic social interaction task detecting a face vs. noise while we recorded their electroencephalogram (EEG). In each participant, using a new information theoretic framework we reconstructed the features supporting face detection behaviour, and also where, when and how EEG activity represents them. We found that occipital-temporal pathway activity dynamically represents the eyes of the face images for behaviour ∼170 ms post-stimulus, with a 40 ms delay in older adults that underlies their 200 ms behavioural deficit of slower reaction times. Our results therefore demonstrate how ageing can change neural information processing mechanisms that underlie behavioural slow down.

Author summary

Older adults are consistently slower than young adults in a variety of behavioural perceptual tasks. So far, it has been unclear if the underlying cause of the behavioural delay relates to attentional or perceptual differences in encoding visual information, or slower neural processing speed, or other neural factors. Our study addresses these questions by showing that in a basic social interaction task (discriminating faces from noise), young and older adults encoded the same visual information (eyes of the face) to perform the task. Moreover, early brain activity (within 200 ms following stimulus onset) encoded the same visual information (again, eyes of the face) in both groups, but was delayed and weaker in older adults. These early delays in information encoding were directly related to the observed behavioural slowing in older adults, showing that differences in early perceptual brain processes can contribute to the motor response.
Fundamental Differences: A Basis Set for Characterizing Inter-Individual Variation in Resting State Connectomes
Authors: Sripada Chandra , Angstadt Mike , Rutherford Saige , Kessler Daniel , Kim Yura , Yee Mike , Levina Liza
Published: May 2018

Resting state functional connectomes are massive and complex. It is an open question, however, whether connectomes differ across individuals in a correspondingly massive number of ways, or whether most differences take a small number of characteristic forms. We systematically investigated this question and found clear evidence of low-rank structure in which a modest number of connectomic components, around 50-150, account for a sizable portion of inter-individual connectomic variation. This number was convergently arrived at with multiple methods including estimation of intrinsic dimensionality and assessment of reconstruction of out-of-sample data. We demonstrate that these connectomic components enable prediction of a broad array of neurocognitive and clinical variables. In addition, using stochastic block modeling-based methods, we show these components exhibit extensive community structure reflecting interrelationships between intrinsic connectivity networks. We propose that these connectivity components form an effective basis set for quantifying and interpreting inter-individual connectomic differences, and for predicting behavioral/clinical phenotypes.
Nucleo-cytoplasmic trafficking regulates nuclear surface area during nuclear organogenesis
Authors: Boudreau Vincent , Hazel James , Sellinger Jake , Chen Pan , Manakova Kathryn , Radzyminski Rochelle , Garcia Hernan , Allard Jun , Gatlin Jesse , Maddox Paul
Published: May 2018

Throughout development, nuclei must be assembled following every cell division to establish a functional organelle from compact, mitotic chromatin. During nuclear organogenesis, chromatin expands to establish a nucleus of a given size seperate from the cytoplasm. Determining how nuclear organogenesis is regulated is particularly significant in the context of certain cancers in which scaling relationships between cell and nuclear sizes are not maintained. Controlling cell size in vitro using a microfluidics approach, we determined that neither nuclear volume nor surface area scale directly with cell size. Looking to explain differential nuclear scaling relationships, we developed a simple mechano-chemical mathematical model. In simulating biological perturbations in silico, our model predicted crucial roles for nucleo-cytoplasmic trafficking in regulating nuclear expansion and in restricting the recruitment of a potential nuclear surface area factor. In mammalian tissue culture, inhibiting nuclear export increased nuclear expansion rates and reduced the amount of nuclear lamin, a candidate surface area factor, being recruited to assembling nuclei, supporting our model’s predictions. Targeting the principal nuclear export component in the Drosophila syncytial embryo, Embargoed, we show that nuclear expansion rates are also increased in this developmental context, consistent with our model. Using the MS2-reporter system in fly embryos, we demonstrate a role for nuclear export in regulating transcription activation timing and dynamics, suggesting that regulating nuclear assembly is crucial for downstream nuclear function. Taken together, we propose a simple model through which nuclear organogenesis is achieved and demonstrate a role for nuclear export in regulating nuclear assembly.
Fast open modification spectral library searching through approximate nearest neighbor indexing
Authors: Bittremieux Wout , Meysman Pieter , Noble William Stafford , Laukens Kris
Published: May 2018

Open modification searching (OMS) is a powerful search strategy that identifies peptides carrying any type of modification by allowing a modified spectrum to match against its unmodified variant by using a very wide precursor mass window. A drawback of this strategy, however, is that it leads to a large increase in search time. Although performing an open search can be done using existing spectral library search engines by simply setting a wide precursor mass window, none of these tools have been optimized for OMS, leading to excessive runtimes and suboptimal identification results. Here we present the ANN-SoLo tool for fast and accurate open spectral library searching. ANN-SoLo uses approximate nearest neighbor indexing to speed up OMS by selecting only a limited number of the most relevant library spectra to compare to an unknown query spectrum. This approach is combined with a cascade search strategy to maximize the number of identified unmodified and modified spectra while strictly controlling the false discovery rate, as well as a shifted dot product score to sensitively match modified spectra to their unmodified counterparts. ANN-SoLo achieves state-of-the-art performance in terms of speed and the number of identifications. On a previously published human cell line data set, ANN-SoLo confidently identifies more spectra than SpectraST or MSFragger and achieves a speedup of an order of magnitude compared to SpectraST.

ANN-SoLo is implemented in Python and C++. It is freely available under the Apache 2.0 license athttps://github.com/bittremieux/ANN-SoLo.
GREIN: An Interactive Web Platform for Reanalyzing GEO RNA-seq Data
Authors: Mahi Naim Al , Najafabadi Mehdi Fazel , Pilarczyk Marcin , Kouril Michal , Medvedovic Mario
Published: May 2018

The vast amount of RNA-seq data deposited in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and Sequence Read Archive (SRA) is still a grossly underutilized resource for biomedical research. To remove technical roadblocks for reusing these data, we have developed a web-application GREIN (GEO RNA-seq Experiments Interactive Navigator) which provides user-friendly interfaces to manipulate and analyze GEO RNA-seq data. GREIN is powered by the back-end computational pipeline for uniform processing of RNA-seq data and the large number (>6,500) of already processed datasets. The front-end user interfaces provide a wealth of user-analytics options including sub-setting and downloading processed data, interactive visualization, statistical power analyses, construction of differential gene expression signatures and their comprehensive functional characterization, and connectivity analysis with LINCS L1000 data. The combination of the massive amount of back-end data and front-end analytics options driven by user-friendly interfaces makes GREIN a unique open-source resource for re-using GEO RNA-seq data. GREIN is accessible at:https://shiny.ilincs.org/grein, the source code at:https://github.com/uc-bd2k/grein, and the Docker container at:https://hub.docker.com/r/ucbd2k/grein.
Recurrent loss-of-function mutations reveal costs to OAS1 antiviral activity in primates
Authors: Carey Clayton M. , Govande Apurva , Cooper Juliane M. , Hartley Melissa K. , Kranzusch Philip J. , Elde Nels C.
Published: May 2018

Immune responses counteract infections and can also cause collateral damage to hosts. We investigated functional outcomes of variation in the rapidly evolving antiviral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) sensing factor Oligoadenylate Synthetase 1 (OAS1) in primates as a model for understanding how individual immune pathways evolve to minimize deleterious effects on host fitness. Upon binding of dsRNAs, OAS1 polymerizes ATP into 2′–5′ linked oligoadenylate (2-5A), which in turn activates Latent Ribonuclease (RNase L) to kill virus infected cells. OAS1 can undergo auto-activation by host encoded RNAs, raising the question of how it might evolve to mitigate RNase L-mediated cytotoxicity. Using a new yeast-based growth assay, we observed a pattern of frequent loss of 2-5A synthesis by OAS1 from several species. In gorillas, we identified a polymorphism in a conserved substrate binding residue that severely decreases catalytic function. In contrast, lowered 2-5A generation previously associated with variation in humans results from production of unstable OAS1 isoforms. Examination of OAS1 function in monkeys revealed a spectrum of activities, including the complete loss of 2-5A synthesis in tamarins. Frequent loss of catalytic activity in primates suggests that costs associated with OAS1 activation can be so detrimental to host fitness that its pathogen-protective effects are repeatedly forfeited.
CRISPRO Identifies Functional Protein Coding Sequences Based on Genome Editing Dense Mutagenesis
Authors: Schoonenberg Vivien A. C. , Cole Mitchel A. , Yao Qiuming , Macias-Treviño Claudio , Sher Falak , Schupp Patrick G. , Canver Matthew C. , Maeda Takahiro , Pinello Luca , Bauer Daniel E.
Published: May 2018

CRISPR/Cas9 pooled screening permits parallel evaluation of comprehensive guide RNA libraries to systematically perturb protein coding sequences in situ and correlate with functional readouts. For the analysis and visualization of the resulting datasets we have developed CRISPRO, a computational pipeline that maps functional scores associated with guide RNAs to genome, transcript, and protein coordinates and structure. No available tool has similar functionality. The ensuing genotype-phenotype linear and 3D maps raise hypotheses about structure-function relationships at discrete protein regions. Machine learning based on CRISPRO features improves prediction of guide RNA efficacy. The CRISPRO tool is freely available at gitlab.com/bauerlab/crispro.
Temperature-dependent nanomechanics and topography of bacteriophage T7
Authors: Vörös Zsuzsanna , Csík Gabriella , Herényi Levente , Kellermayer Miklós
Published: May 2018

Viruses are nanoscale infectious agents which may be inactivated by heat treatment. Although heat inactivation is thought to be caused by the release of genetic material from the capsid, the thermally-induced structural changes in viruses are little known. Here we measured the heat-induced changes in the properties of T7 bacteriophage particles exposed to two-stage (65 °C and 80 °C) thermal effect by using AFM-based nanomechanical and topographical measurements. We found that exposure to 65 °C caused the release of genomic DNA due to the loss of the capsid tail which leads to a destabilization of the T7 particles. Further heating to 80 °C surprisingly led to an increase in mechanical stability due to partial denaturation of the capsomeric proteins kept within the global capsid arrangement.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus CC22-MRSA-IV as an Agent of Dairy Cow Intramammary Infections
Authors: Magro Giada , Rebolini Marta , Berettac Daniele , Piccinini Renata
Published: May 2018

Methicillin-resistantS. aureus(MRSA) lineages have become major responsible of healthcare-and community-associated infections in human population. Bovine MRSA are sporadically detected in the dairy herd, but its presence might enhance the risk of zoonosis. Some lineages are able to lose the specific host tropism, being easily transmitted from animals to humans and vice-versa. The present study aims at clarifying the epidemiology of MRSA intramammary infections in a closed dairy herd, which was running a mastitis control program since years. Quarter milk samples were collected from all lactating cows once a week for 9 weeks and bacteriologically tested. At the end of the follow-up period, also a self taken nasal swab of the milker was analysed. Three cows (12.5%) were MRSA positive, a four showed a transient infection and an MRSA was isolated also from the milker. Somatic cell counts of the infected quarters fluctuated from 1,000 to 1,800,000 cells/mL. All isolates were genotyped using DNA microarrays and identified as the epidemic UK-EMRSA-15 grouping in CC22. All strains carried the genes for β-lactam and macrolide resistance. The milker isolate differed from cow isolates mainly for the absence of the untruncated β-haemolysin and the presence of the immune evasion cluster. The milker had been volunteering in a nursing home since months, thus playing the role of MRSA vector into the herd. Our results showed the adaptive capacity of such MRSA to the bovine host. Therefore, we suggest that CC22-MRSA should be regarded as a potential cause of humanosis in dairy cattle herds.
Piwi mutant germ cells transmit a form of heritable stress that promotes longevity
Authors: Heestand Bree , McCarthy Ben , Simon Matt , Lister-Shimauchi Evan H. , Frenk Stephen , Ahmed Shawn
Published: May 2018

TheC. elegansArgonaute protein PRG-1/Piwi and associated piRNAs protect metazoan genomes by silencing transposons and other types of foreign DNA. Asprg-1mutants are propagated, their fertility deteriorates prior to the onset of a reproductive arrest phenotype that resembles a starvation-induced stress response. We found that late-generationprg-1mutants with substantially reduced fertility were long-lived, whereas early- or mid-generationprg-1mutants had normal lifespans. Loss of the stress response transcription factor DAF-16 caused mid- or late-generationprg-1mutants to live very short lives, whereas overexpression of DAF-16 enabled both mid- and late-generationprg-1mutants to live long. Cytoplasmic P-bodies that respond to stress increased in long-lived late-generationprg-1mutants and were transmitted to F1 but not F2 cross-progeny. Moreover, moderate levels of heritable stress shorten late-generationprg-1mutant longevity when DAF-16 or P bodies are deficient. Together, these results suggest that the longevity of late-generationprg-1mutants is a hormetic stress response. However, dauer larvae that occur in response to stress were not observed in late-generationprg-1mutants. Small germ cell nucleoli that depended on germline DAF-16 were present in late-generationprg-1mutants but were not necessary for their longevity. We propose thatprg-1mutant germ cells transmit a form of heritable stress, high levels of which promote longevity and strongly reduce fertility. The heritable stress transmitted by PRG-1/Piwi mutant germ cells may be generally relevant to epigenetic inheritance of longevity.

Core message of paper

prg-1/Piwi mutants with strongly reduced fertility live long and longevity is transmitted for one generation to F1 cross progeny. Stress granules are increased and germ cell nucleoli are small for long-lived Piwi mutants and their F1 progeny. Loss ofdaf-16stress response transcription factor ordcap-1P body protein causes very short life for worms whenprg-1mutant fertility is moderately reduced, whereas moderate fertility is sufficient to extend lifespan when somatic DAF-16 is overexpressed. We propose thatprg-1mutant germ cells transmit a heritable epigenetic factor that is stressful and elicits two hormetic stress responses: reproductive arrest and longevity.
Novel Molecular Classification of Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Opens New Treatment Opportunities
Authors: Trilla-Fuertes Lucía , Gámez-Pozo Angelo , Prado-Vázquez Guillermo , Zapater-Moros Andrea , Díaz-Almirón Mariana , Arevalillo Jorge M , Ferrer-Gómez María , Navarro Hilario , Maín Paloma , Espinosa Enrique , Pinto Álvaro , Fresno Vara Juan Ángel
Published: May 2018

Background

Muscle-invasive bladder tumors are associated with high risk of relapse and metastasis even after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radical cystectomy. Therefore, further therapeutic options are needed and molecular characterization of the disease may help to identify new targets.

Objective

The aim of this work is to characterize muscle-invasive bladder tumors at molecular levels using computational analyses.

Design, Settings and Participants

The TCGA cohort of muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients was used to describe these tumors.

Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis

Probabilistic graphical models, layer analyses based on sparse k-means coupled with Consensus Cluster, and Flux Balance Analysis were applied to characterize muscle-invasive bladder tumors at functional level.

Results

Luminal and Basal groups were identified, and an immune molecular layer with independent value was also described. Luminal tumors had decreased activity in the nodes of epidermis development and extracellular matrix, and increased activity in the node of steroid metabolism leading to a higher expression of androgen receptor.

This fact points to androgen receptor as a therapeutic target in this group. Basal tumors were highly proliferative according to Flux Balance Analysis, which make these tumors good candidates for neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Immune-high group had higher expression of immune biomarkers, suggesting that this group may benefit from immune therapy.

Conclusions

Our approach, based on layer analyses, established a Luminal group candidate for androgen receptor inhibitor therapy, a proliferative Basal group which seems to be a good candidate for chemotherapy, and an immune-high group candidate for immunotherapy.

Patient Summary

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer has a poor prognosis in spite of appropriate therapy. Therefore, it is still necessary to characterize these tumors to propose new therapeutic targets. In this work we used computational analyses to characterize these tumors and propose treatments.
Electric field dependent effects of motor cortical TDCS
Authors: Laakso Ilkka , Mikkonen Marko , Koyama Soichiro , Ito Daisuke , Yamaguchi Tomofumi , Hirata Akimasa , Tanaka Satoshi
Published: May 2018

Transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) can modulate motor cortical excitability. However, its after-effects are highly variable between individuals. Individual cranial and brain anatomy may contribute to this variability by producing varying electric fields in each subject’s brain. Here we show that these fields are related to excitability changes following anodal TDCS of the primary motor cortex (M1). We found in two experiments (N=28 and N=9) that the after-effects of TDCS were proportional to the individual electric field in M1, calculated using MRI-based models. Individuals with the lowest and highest local electric fields in M1 tended to produce opposite changes in excitability. Furthermore, the effect was field-direction dependent and non-linear with stimulation duration or other experimental parameters. The electric field component pointing into the brain was negatively proportional to the excitability changes following 1 mA 20 min TDCS of right M1 (N=28); the effect was opposite after 1 mA 10 min TDCS of left M1 (N=9). Our results demonstrate that a large part of variability in the after-effects of motor cortical TDCS is due to inter-individual differences in the electric fields. We anticipate that individualized electric field dosimetry could be used to control the neuroplastic effects of TDCS, which is increasingly being explored as a treatment for various neuropsychiatric diseases.
Workplace incivility, psychological distress, and the protective effect of co-worker support
Authors: Geldart Sybil , Langlois Lacey , Shannon Harry S. , Cortina Lilia M. , Griffith Lauren , Haines Ted
Published: May 2018

Purpose

Previous in-depth focus groups found that postal workers employed by a crown corporation in Canada identified a lack of respect in the workplace. A lack of respect or discourteous behavior might be better understood as a phenomenon of workplace incivility. The purpose of this paper is to report a larger cross-sectional survey to determine: the magnitude of workplace incivility among Canadian postal workers; any association between incivility and indicators of worker well-being; and, the potential buffering benefits of social support from co-workers.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaire packages were mailed to nearly 2,000 employees of Canada Post Corporation, asking for anonymous responses to questions about their job, demographics, satisfaction and commitment, treatment in the workplace, and well-being.

Findings

More than 82 percent of 950 respondents reported at least some workplace incivility. After controlling for demographic and work factors, incivility explained significant variation in worker burnout, anxiety, depression, and hostility (i.e. adjustedR2values ranged from 5 to 46). In addition, the association between incivility and worker anxiety, depression, and hostility was reduced when workers reported greater social support from co-workers.

Research limitations/implications

Incivility is more than just a minor or infrequent source of psychological distress for people working in service. However, a positive outcome is that co-worker support helps reduce the adverse effects of rude and discourteous behavior.

Originality/value

To our knowledge, this was the first large-scale survey exploring workplace incivility in the public postal service. The data from a large sample of postal workers across Canada suggest that the treatment of employees is an ongoing problem at this organization. This research is relevant for understanding workplace interactions and health in the service sector in Canada, though the authors expect it is germane also to other occupations worldwide.
Selection for seed size: The unexpected effects of water availability and density
Authors: Larios Eugenio , Venable David Lawrence
Published: May 2018

Seed size is a functional trait with important fitness consequences that potentially extend throughout the life cycle of plants. Dithyrea californica experiences selection for larger seeds in postgermination stages but it is still uncertain how environmental factors mediate the strength and the direction of natural selection on seed size.

Dithyrea californica represents a unique opportunity to investigate selection on seed size in natural conditions due to a persistent seed ring that stays attached to the root throughout the plant’s life. This makes it possible to unearth plants at any stage and measure the size of the seed from which they originated.

We conducted a factorial experiment manipulating water availability and intraspecific competition using plants that naturally germinated in the wild.

Selection on seed size via survivorship was nil because all individuals survived to reproduce. The strength and the direction of selection on seed size via fecundity depended on water availability and conspecific density.

Contrary to our predictions, increasing conspecific density relaxed directional selection favouring larger seeds, but only in the wettest conditions and an increase in water availability strengthened it, but only at low density. A possible explanation of these counter‐intuitive results relies on the observed absence of survival selection and increased plant growth rates under high water and low density.

Larger seeds require more resources to construct, and when this cost is taken into account, there is no overall fitness increase with seed size. This nicely follows the life‐history theory predictions for optimal seed size. At the evolutionary equilibrium, if seeds could be larger, per seed fitness would still increase, which is what we observed, but cost‐corrected fitness should be flat. Maternal fitness equals per seed fitness times seed number, so any increase to per seed fitness of making a bigger seed is balanced by the resulting cost to seed number. Our results indicate flat cost‐corrected fitness of seed size as theory predicts.

A plain language summary is available for this article.
The balance of canopy and soil effects determines intraspecific differences in foundation species’ effects on associated plants
Authors: Pistón Nuria , Michalet Richard , Schöb Christian , Macek Petr , Armas Cristina , Pugnaire Francisco I.
Published: May 2018

The impact of plant–plant interactions on species diversity patterns has been broadly addressed in stressful environments, such as alpine ecosystems, where foundation species promote species richness by creating habitat for other species. However, foundation species with contrasting phenotypes might modify the microhabitat differently, which would alter the subordinate community composition, and coincide with distinct feedback effects of those subordinate species on the foundation species. However, the precise interaction mechanisms that facilitate species are not fully understood, especially the relative contribution of above‐ and below‐ground compartments of foundation species to subordinate species and the potential feedbacks they receive.

We explored whether two contrasted canopy phenotypes (tight and loose) of the shrub Cytisus galianoi differed in their effects on the microhabitat and on subordinate plant community composition in a dry subalpine system. We also experimentally distinguished the relative contribution of above‐ (canopy) and below‐ground (soil) effects of C. galianoi on the most frequent subordinate species, Festuca indigesta, as well as the reciprocal effects of F. indigesta on C. galianoi.

We performed observational and manipulative experiments to assess the influence of phenotypic differences of the shrub on understorey microhabitat and subordinate plant community composition. Reciprocal effects were assessed by removing either F. indigesta from the understorey of the two shrub phenotypes or the C. galianoi canopy from the immediate vicinity of F. indigesta.

The two C. galianoi phenotypes differed in mean values of functional traits (like stem density or plant height), modified their understorey microhabitats differently and hosted distinct subordinate communities. Loose phenotypes had more positive effects on community composition and diversity than tight phenotypes. In addition, tight phenotypes simultaneously showed both more positive above‐ground and more negative below‐ground effects on F. indigesta than loose phenotypes. There were no significant feedback effects of F. indigesta on C. galianoi.

The two phenotypes of the foundation species C. galianoi showed contrasting effects on the subordinate plant community: Compared to the tight phenotype, the loose phenotype had higher associated species diversity and reduced reciprocal interaction intensities above‐ and below‐ground with the subordinate species F. indigesta. This highlights the impact of phenotypic variation for plant interactions and community‐level diversity.

A plain language summary is available for this article.
Stochastic and deterministic effects on interactions between canopy and recruiting species in forest communities
Authors: Alcántara Julio M. , Pulgar Manuel , Trøjelsgaard Kristian , Garrido José L. , Rey Pedro J.
Published: May 2018

Interactions between established (canopy) and recruiting individuals (recruits) are pervasive in plant communities. Studies on recruitment in forests have mainly focused on negative density‐dependent conspecific interactions, while the outcomes of heterospecific canopy–recruit interactions have received much less attention and are generally assumed to be driven by stochastic processes.

Herein, we explore the relative influence of stochastic (abundance) and deterministic (species identity and phylogenetic distance) effects on the frequency of canopy–recruit interactions and characterize the interactions in terms of their spatial consistency and effect on recruitment (depressing, neutral or enhancing).

In 12 plots (50 × 50 m) of mixed pine–oak forests in southern Spain, we identified all saplings recruiting beneath 56 shrub and tree species, and in open areas not covered by woody plants. We used generalized linear mixed models to investigate the influence of stochastic and deterministic processes on the frequency of canopy–recruit interactions, on their spatial consistency and their effects on recruitment, and applied neutral null models to evaluate the spatial consistency in the occurrence of interactions across plots.

Deterministic and stochastic interactions were equally common, emphasizing the prevalence of non‐neutral effects. Among the realized interactions, 36.8% enhanced recruitment, 49.05% were neutral, and 14.1% depressed recruitment. Many potential interactions (42.08%) were not observed in any study sites, presumably due to the scarcity of the interacting species. Moreover, the probability that two species formed a canopy–recruit interaction, the frequency of their interaction and the probability that the interaction had an enhancing effect on recruitment, all increased with the phylogenetic distance between the interacting species. However, the prevalence of these effects depended on the recruitment environment (heterospecific, conspecific or open). Recruitment‐enhancing interactions between heterospecifics were more consistently realized in different sites than neutral or depressing interactions.

The establishment of canopy–recruit interactions (which species recruits beneath which others, and how often) is not simply determined by stochastic events. Indeed, due to their prevalence, we argue that deterministic canopy–recruit interactions are important drivers of plant community dynamics.

A plain language summary is available for this article.
Constraints on the functional trait space of aquatic invertebrates in bromeliads
Authors: Céréghino Régis , Pillar Valério D. , Srivastava Diane S. , de Omena Paula M. , MacDonald A. Andrew M. , Barberis Ignacio M. , Corbara Bruno , Guzman Laura M. , Leroy Céline , Ospina Bautista Fabiola , Romero Gustavo Q. , Trzcinski M. Kurtis , Kratina Pavel , Debastiani Vanderlei J. , Gonçalves Ana Z. , Marino Nicholas A. C. , Farjalla Vinicius F. , Richardson Barbara A. , Richardson Michael J. , Dézerald Olivier , Gilbert Benjamin , Petermann Jana , Talaga Stanislas , Piccoli Gustavo C. O. , Jocqué Merlijn , Montero Guillermo
Published: May 2018

Functional traits are commonly used in predictive models that link environmental drivers and community structure to ecosystem functioning. A prerequisite is to identify robust sets of continuous axes of trait variation, and to understand the ecological and evolutionary constraints that result in the functional trait space occupied by interacting species. Despite their diversity and role in ecosystem functioning, little is known of the constraints on the functional trait space of invertebrate biotas of entire biogeographic regions.

We examined the ecological strategies and constraints underlying the realized trait space of aquatic invertebrates, using data on 12 functional traits of 852 taxa collected in tank bromeliads from Mexico to Argentina. Principal Component Analysis was used to reduce trait dimensionality to significant axes of trait variation, and the proportion of potential trait space that is actually occupied by all taxa was compared to null model expectations. Permutational Analyses of Variance were used to test whether trait combinations were clade‐dependent.

The major axes of trait variation represented life‐history strategies optimizing resource use and antipredator adaptations. There was evidence for trophic, habitat, defence and life‐history niche axes. Bromeliad invertebrates only occupied 16%–23% of the potential space within these dimensions, due to greater concentrations than predicted under uniform or normal distributions. Thus, despite high taxonomic diversity, invertebrates only utilized a small number of successful ecological strategies.

Empty areas in trait space represented gaps between major phyla that arose from biological innovations, and trait combinations that are unviable in the bromeliad ecosystem. Only a few phylogenetically distant genera were neighbouring in trait space. Trait combinations aggregated taxa by family and then by order, suggesting that niche conservatism was a widespread mechanism in the diversification of ecological strategies.

A plain language summary is available for this article.
The indicator side of tree microhabitats: A multi‐taxon approach based on bats, birds and saproxylic beetles
Authors: Paillet Yoan , Archaux Frédéric , du Puy Solène , Bouget Christophe , Boulanger Vincent , Debaive Nicolas , Gilg Olivier , Gosselin Frédéric , Guilbert Eric
Published: May 2018

National and international forest biodiversity assessments largely rely on indirect indicators, based on elements of forest structure that are used as surrogates for species diversity. These proxies are reputedly easier and cheaper to assess than biodiversity. Tree microhabitats—tree‐borne singularities such as cavities, conks of fungi or bark characteristics—have gained attention as potential forest biodiversity indicators. However, as with most biodiversity indicators, there is a lack of scientific evidence documenting their quantitative link with the biodiversity they are supposed to assess.

We explored the link between microhabitat indices and the richness and abundance of three taxonomic groups: bats, birds and saproxylic beetles. Using a nation‐wide multi‐taxon sampling design in France, we compared 213 plots located inside and outside strict forest reserves. We hypothesized that the positive effect setting aside forest reserves has on biodiversity conservation is indirectly due to an increase in the proportion of large structural elements (e.g., living trees, standing and lying deadwood). These, in turn, are likely to favour the quantity and diversity of microhabitats. We analysed the relationship between the abundance and species richness of different groups and guilds (e.g., red‐listed species, forest specialists, cavity dwellers) and microhabitat density and diversity. We then used confirmatory structural equation models to assess the direct and indirect effects of management abandonment, large structural elements and microhabitats on the biodiversity of the target species.

For several groups of birds and bats, the indirect effect of management abandonment and large structural elements on biodiversity was mediated by microhabitats. However, the magnitude of the link between microhabitat indices and biodiversity was moderate. In particular, saproxylic beetles’ biodiversity was poorly explained by microhabitats, large structural elements or management abandonment.

Synthesis and applications. Tree microhabitats may serve as indicators for bats and birds, but they are not a universal biodiversity indicator. Rather, compared to large structural elements, they most likely have a complementary role to biodiversity. In terms of forest management and conservation, preserving diversity of microhabitats at the local scale benefits several groups of both bats and birds.
Linking species abundance and overyielding from experimental communities with niche and fitness characteristics
Authors: Dostál Petr , Tasevová Karolina , Klinerová Tereza
Published: May 2018

So far, the principal force shaping local plant abundance patterns remains unclear. Rarity can result not only from poor competitive ability or from small vegetative or generative reproduction, but also from strong self‐limitation. The same mechanisms can drive species‐specific overyielding, that is, increased species productivity at high community diversity. Rare species can then benefit more (i.e., overyield to a larger extent) from growing in species‐rich communities because of altered competitive hierarchies or smaller conspecific frequencies. Here, we test which mechanism is the most important determinant of species rarity and of species‐specific productivity across a diversity gradient ranging from 1‐ to 60‐species plots.

For that, we measured vegetative growth, competitive ability (competitive effect), and negative frequency dependence for 49 perennial grassland species from Central Europe. We then linked these characteristics with species abundance (measured as species biomass from 60‐species plots) and with species‐specific overyielding in The Jena Experiment.

Species with higher rates of vegetative growth (when grown without neighbours) were also more abundant in the Jena Experiment. Larger species‐specific overyielding was then associated with a stronger negative frequency dependence. As species with greater vegetative growth were also more self‐limited, larger overyielding in species‐rich communities was characteristic for common rather than for rare species, refuting our initial hypothesis. Finally, path analysis indicated that species with poor capacity to suppress neighbours also profited more from growing in diverse communities.

Synthesis. Our results identify key mechanisms driving abundance and productivity of species in synthetic communities differing in species richness. While vegetative reproduction was closely associated with abundance, intraspecific interactions (strength of negative frequency dependence) shaped species productivity across a richness gradient. Our study sheds light on the abundance patterns of species and their influence on community functions, such as biomass production, of species‐rich and ‐poor vegetation.
A Small Entrepreneurial City in Action: Policy Mobility, Urban Entrepreneurialism, and Politics of Scale in Jiyuan, China
Authors: He Shenjing , Li Lingyue , Zhang Yong , Wang Jun
Published: May 2018

This research details the mundane practices of policy mobility and entrepreneurial endeavour in Jiyuan in relation to the city's changing administrative position, and is one of the first attempts at understanding how entrepreneurial policies are mobilized, mutated and diffused in a small inland Chinese city. We interpret Jiyuan's evolving development strategies and trajectory through two interrelated conceptual lenses—policy mobility and urban entrepreneurialism—bridged by an analysis of the politics of scale. Over the past three decades, governance strategies in Jiyuan have evolved from policy imitation, during the germination of urban entrepreneurialism, to policy mutation and diffusion, under the amplification of entrepreneurialism, as the city has moved up the administrative levels and urban hierarchy. Policy mobility and urban entrepreneurialism in Jiyuan, involving a multi‐scalar process, are being shaped by the interactions between the city, the region, the central state and global capital under the confluence of globalization and marketization. The ‘successful’ story of a small entrepreneurial city tells a new tale that can inform wider contexts by painting a fuller portrait of the evolution of an entrepreneurial city across different scales and time and bringing cities hitherto ‘off the map’ back into the picture of urban entrepreneurialism against the backdrop of globalization.