bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A multivariate approach to the analysis of within lifetime variation in life history
Authors: Billman Eric J. , Rasmussen Josh E. , Creighton J. Curtis , Johnson Jerald B. , Belk Mark C.
Published: June 2014

Ecological and environmental gradients create varying selective pressures on organisms that result in differences in optimal life history tactics. Moreover, life histories are inherently multivariate, consisting of a coordinated suite of life history traits that vary over an organism's lifetime. Such variation can be described as a trajectory of phenotypic change through time in multivariate space defined by a set of life history traits.

We demonstrate the use of phenotypic trajectory analysis as a multivariate analytical approach for quantifying and comparing phenotypic change in life history throughout an organism's life. Life history trajectories have attributes – magnitude, direction, and shape – that can be quantified and statistically compared. We demonstrate the construction of trajectories using levels characterized by individuals with the same age or similar state, and we show how this approach can be used to evaluate the evolution of life history strategies given predictions from life history theory.

We demonstrate the utility of phenotypic trajectory analysis for life histories using two examples. We compare life history trajectories of burying beetles and show that females balance costs of reproduction differently based on resource availability. We also characterize life history trajectories of livebearing fish in different predation environments. We show that females in non‐predator environments, but not predator environments, exhibit trajectories consistent with the terminal investment hypothesis.

While analysing life history variation in a multivariate framework is not novel, we show that phenotypic trajectory analysis provides a method to statistically test age‐ and state‐based predictions of life history theory.
Multiple queens and biased sex ratios in the independent‐founding Ropalidia Guérin‐Méneville, 1831 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) wasps
Authors: Henshaw Michael T , Woller‐Skar M Megan , Pence Aimee N
Published: June 2014

The social wasp genus Ropalidia includes both ‘swarm‐founding’ species with large, multi‐queen colonies, and ‘independent‐founding’ species that have smaller colonies and fewer queens. Swarm‐founding evolved from independent‐founding, and a key element of this transition was the evolution of queen cycling, which elevates relatedness despite high average queen numbers. Queen cycling is a form of split‐sex ratios; colonies with few queens specialise on new queen production, while colonies with many queens specialise on male production. This is consistent with worker preferences resulting from relatedness asymmetry (RA) to male and female brood but can also result from other factors. We characterised the demographic and genetic structure of colonies from three species of independent‐founding Ropalidia (R. excavata, R. revolutionalis and R. gregaria) to better understand the evolutionary origins of split‐sex ratios and queen cycling in their swarm‐founding relatives. We found that colonies of all three species varied in genetic structure, driving variation in RA. In colonies where the workers' RA was high (i.e. workers were more related to female than male brood), the proportion of males in the brood was lower, consistent with the relatedness‐based preferences of the workers. We also found that the proportion of males decreased in colonies with more mated and reproductively developed females. Our model explained 23% of the deviance in sex ratio across all three species and suggests that the workers manipulate the sex ratio in response to RA but that other factors are clearly important also. These results further suggest that split‐sex ratios and queen cycling in the swarm‐founding wasps are rooted in worker control of the colony sex ratio, and that such worker control may have occurred in their independent‐founding ancestors, enabling the subsequent evolution of large, multi‐queen societies.
Swallowed topical corticosteroids reduce the risk for long‐lasting bolus impactions in eosinophilic esophagitis
Authors: Kuchen T. , Straumann A. , Safroneeva E. , Romero Y. , Bussmann C. , Vavricka S. , Netzer P. , Reinhard A. , Portmann S. , Schoepfer A. M.
Published: June 2014

Background

Long‐lasting food impactions requiring endoscopic bolus removal occur frequently in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and harbor a risk for severe esophageal injuries. We evaluated whether treatment with swallowed topical corticosteroids is able to reduce the risk of occurrence of this complication.

Methods

We analyzed data from the Swiss EoE Cohort Study. Patients with yearly clinic visits, during which standardized assessment of symptoms, endoscopic, histologic, and laboratory findings was carried out, were included.

Results

A total of 206 patients (157 males) were analyzed. The median follow‐up time was 5 years with a total of 703 visits (mean 3.41 visits/patient). During the follow‐up period, 33 patients (16 % of the cohort) experienced 42 impactions requiring endoscopic bolus removal. We evaluated the following factors regarding the outcome ‘bolus impaction’ by univariate logistic regression modeling: swallowed topical corticosteroid therapy (OR 0.503, 95%‐CI 0.255–0.993, P = 0.048), presence of EoE symptoms (OR 1.150, 95%‐CI 0.4668–2.835, P = 0.761), esophageal stricture (OR 2.832, 95%‐CI 1.508–5.321, P = 0.001), peak eosinophil count >10 eosinophils/HPF (OR 0.724, 95%‐CI 0.324–1.621, P = 0.433), blood eosinophilia (OR 1.532, 95%‐CI 0.569–4.118, P = 0.398), and esophageal dilation (OR 1.852, 95%‐CI 1.034–3.755, P = 0.017). In the multivariate model, the following factors were significantly associated with bolus impaction: swallowed topical corticosteroid therapy (OR 0.411, 95%‐CI 0.203–0.835, P = 0.014) and esophageal stricture (OR 2.666, 95%‐CI 1.259–5.645, P = 0.01). Increasing frequency of use of swallowed topical steroids was associated with a lower risk for bolus impactions.

Conclusions

Treatment of EoE with swallowed topical corticosteroids significantly reduces the risk for long‐lasting bolus impactions.
Satisfaction of farm animal behavioral needs in behaviorally restricted systems: Reducing stressors and environmental enrichment
Authors: Ninomiya Shigeru
Published: June 2014

In modern intensive husbandry, systems often restrict farm animal behavior. Behavioral needs will be generated by external stimuli such as stressors deriving from environmental factors or the method of animal care, or some internal factor in farm animals. This means that behavioral restriction would induce maladaptation to stressors or chronic stress. Such a risk of behavioral restriction degrades an animal's physical and mental health and leads to economic loss at a farm. Methods to reduce the risk of behavioral restrictions are to ameliorate the source of a stressor through adequate animal management or to carry out environmental enrichment. This review is intended to describe the relation between animal management and behavioral needs from the perspective of animal motivation.
Stimulation of Erythrocyte Cell Membrane Scrambling by Nystatin
Authors: Malik Abaid , Bissinger Rosi , Jilani Kashif , Lang Florian
Published: June 2014

The antifungal ionophore nystatin dissipates the Na+ and K+ gradients across the cell membrane, leading to cellular gain of Na+ and cellular loss of K+. The increase of cellular Na+ concentration may result in Ca2+ accumulation in exchange for Na+. Increase of cytosolic Ca2+ activity ([Ca2+]i) and loss of cellular K+ foster apoptosis‐like suicidal erythrocyte death or eryptosis, which is characterised by cell shrinkage and cell membrane scrambling leading to phosphatidylserine exposure at the erythrocyte surface. The present study explored whether nystatin stimulates eryptosis. Cell volume was estimated from forward scatter (FSC), phosphatidylserine exposure from annexin V binding and [Ca2+]i from Fluo3‐fluorescence in flow cytometry. A 48‐hr exposure to nystatin (15 μg/ml) was followed by a significant increase of [Ca2+]i, a significant increase of annexin V binding and a significant decrease of FSC. The annexin V binding after nystatin treatment was significantly blunted in the nominal absence of extracellular Ca2+. Partial replacement of extracellular Na+ with extracellular K+ blunted the nystatin‐induced erythrocyte shrinkage but increased [Ca2+]i and annexin V binding. Nystatin triggers cell membrane scrambling, an effect at least partially due to entry of extracellular Ca2+.
Enzyme Kinetics Studies on 29‐kDa Human Liver Cathepsin L
Authors: Pietra Daniele , Borghini Alice , Ricci Claudio , Bianucci Anna M.
Published: June 2014

Enzyme kinetics studies reported in the literature showed that human liver Cathepsin L is active only at lysosomal acidic pH values, while biochemical studies in living cells showed that the enzyme works even at neutral pH values (in a condition compatible with the extracellular compartment). Such an apparent ambiguity highlighted the need of analysing in depth the kinetics of ~29‐kDa Cathepsin L, which is the form commonly used in experiments. The stability and catalytic activity of this enzyme were investigated at different pH values, reducing and non‐reducing environments, presence of copper, iron and zinc ions, and presence of the natural modulator/inhibitor cystatin B. Our experiments showed that ~29‐kDa human liver Cathepsin L is stable and catalytically functional even at neutral pH values and under non‐reducing conditions, which simulate the extracellular compartment. Under these conditions, Cathepsin L was also proved to interact with cystatin B, being also modulated by physiological concentrations of Cu++, Fe++ and Zn++. This paper suppose an advance in the comprehension of the catalytic properties of human liver Cathepsin L, its implications in different physiological processes and its potential use within a drug screening programme in which agents acting extracellularly are being considered.
Divergent mucosal and systemic responses in children in response to acute otitis media
Authors: Verhoeven D , Pichichero M E
Published: June 2014

Acute otitis media (AOM), induced by respiratory bacteria, is a significant cause of children seeking medical attention worldwide. Some children are highly prone to AOMs, suffering three to four recurrent infections per year (prone). We previously determined that this population of children could have diminished anti-bacterial immune responses in peripheral blood that could fail to limit bacterial colonization in the nasopharynx (NP). Here, we examined local NP and middle ear (ME) responses and compared them to peripheral blood to examine whether the mucosa responses were similar to the peripheral blood responses. Moreover, we examined differences in effector cytokine responses between these two populations in the NP, ME and blood compartments at the onset of an AOM caused by either Streptococcus pneumoniae or non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae. We found that plasma effector cytokines patterned antigen-recall responses of CD4 T cells, with lower responses detected in prone children. ME cytokine levels did not mirror blood, but were more similar to the NP. Interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-17 in the NP were similar in prone and non-prone children, while IL-2 production was higher in prone children. The immune responses diverged in the mucosal and blood compartments at the onset of a bacterial ME infection, thus highlighting differences between local and systemic immune responses that could co-ordinate anti-bacterial immune responses in young children.
Rituximab impairs immunoglobulin (Ig)M and IgG (subclass) responses after influenza vaccination in rheumatoid arthritis patients
Authors: Westra J , van Assen S , Wilting K R , Land J , Horst G , de Haan A , Bijl M
Published: June 2014

Rituximab (RTX) treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients severely hampers humoral response after influenza vaccination as determined by haemagglutination inhibition assay (HI). It is not known whether HI reflects both immunoglobulin (Ig)M and IgG (subclass) influenza response, and whether IgM antibodies contribute to the low rate of influenza infection seen in RA patients. Twenty RA patients on methotrexate (MTX), 23 on RTX and 28 healthy controls (HC) received trivalent influenza subunit vaccination. Before and 28 days after vaccination, H1N1- and H3N2-specific antibodies were measured by HI and by IgM and IgG (subclass) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). B cell activating factor (BAFF) levels were determined in serum samples before vaccination. Vaccination induced a significant increase of IgM and IgG (IgG1 and IgG3) antibodies against both strains in the HC and MTX groups (all P < 0·01), but not in the RTX group. HI correlated significantly in all cases with IgG (IgG1) but not with IgM. In RTX late patients (RTX treatment 6–10 months before vaccination), IgG (IgG1 and IgG3) response to vaccination was restored, but not IgM response. BAFF levels were significantly increased in RA-RTX patients and correlated with total IgG levels. Haemagglutination inhibition assay, used as gold standard, detects primarily IgG (IgG1) responses. IgM- and IgG influenza-specific antibodies increase after vaccination in HC and RA patients except in patients on RTX treatment. BAFF levels are increased in both early and late RTX-treated patients, but do not correlate with an influenza-specific antibody response.
Lung cancer is associated with decreased expression of perforin, granzyme B and interferon (IFN)-γ by infiltrating lung tissue T cells, natural killer (NK) T-like and NK cells
Authors: Hodge G , Barnawi J , Jurisevic C , Moffat D , Holmes M , Reynolds P N , Jersmann H , Hodge S
Published: June 2014

There is a limited understanding how of lung cancer cells evade cytotoxic attack. Previously, we have shown reduced production of the cytotoxic mediator granzyme B by CD8+ T cells in lung cancer tissue. We hypothesized that lung cancer would be further associated with decreased production of granzyme B, perforin and proinflammatory cytokines by other cytotoxic lymphocytes, natural killer (NK) T-like and NK cells, and that this would result from soluble mediators released by the cancer cells. Lung cancer and non-cancer tissue from five patients was identified by experienced pathologists. Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-γ, granzyme B and perforin were measured in CD4 and CD8+ T, NK T-like cells and NK cells by flow cytometry. Correlation between cancer stage and granzyme B was analysed retrospectively for 21 patients. The effects of soluble factors released by lung cancer cells on production of cytotoxic mediators and cytokines was assessed, and the role of prostaglandin E2 (PGE)2/COX investigated using indomethacin inhibition. There were significantly decreased percentages of T, NK T-like and NK cells expressing perforin, TNF-α and IFN-γ in cancer versus non-cancer tissue, and of CD8+ T cells and CD8+ NK T-like cells expressing granzyme B (e.g. NK T-like cells: non-cancer 30% ± 7 versus cancer 6% ± 2·5). Cancer cells released soluble factors that inhibited granzyme B, perforin and IFN-γ production that was partially associated with the PGE2/COX2 pathway. Thus, lung cancer is associated with decreased expression of granzyme B, perforin and IFN-γ by infiltrating T cells, NK T-like and NK cells, possibly as a result of soluble factors produced by the cancer cells including PGE2. This may be an important immune evasion mechanism.
Parental military service and adolescent well‐being: mental health, social connections and coping among youth in the USA
Authors: Lucier‐Greer Mallory , Arnold Amy Laura , Grimsley Rebecca Neilann , Ford James L. , Bryant Chalandra , Mancini Jay A.
Published: June 2014

The association between parental military work factors and adolescent's well‐being was examined. Data were collected from 1036 military youth. Using a within‐group design, we examined adolescent's well‐being related to parental absence, school and neighbourhood transitions, paygrade/rank and participation in military‐sponsored activities, and differentiated outcomes by sex and age. Two parental work factors primarily influenced adolescent's well‐being, parental paygrade/rank and engagement in military‐sponsored activities. Parental paygrade/rank was the only factor uniformly related to poorer well‐being, and this variable likely represents a more complex set of family circumstances. Engaging in military‐sponsored activities served as a resource and was related to enhanced well‐being. Individual‐level differences and implications for social workers are discussed.
Analogy‐driven 3D style transfer
Authors: Ma Chongyang , Huang Haibin , Sheffer Alla , Kalogerakis Evangelos , Wang Rui
Published: June 2014

Style transfer aims to apply the style of an exemplar model to a target one, while retaining the target's structure. The main challenge in this process is to algorithmically distinguish style from structure, a high‐level, potentially ill‐posed cognitive task. Inspired by cognitive science research we recast style transfer in terms of shape analogies. In IQ testing, shape analogy queries present the subject with three shapes: source, target and exemplar, and ask them to select an output such that the transformation, or analogy, from the exemplar to the output is similar to that from the source to the target. The logical process involved in identifying the source‐to‐target analogies implicitly detects the structural differences between the source and target and can be used effectively to facilitate style transfer. Since the exemplar has a similar structure to the source, applying the analogy to the exemplar will provide the output we seek. The main technical challenge we address is to compute the source to target analogies, consistent with human logic. We observe that the typical analogies we look for consist of a small set of simple transformations, which when applied to the exemplar generate a continuous, seamless output model. To assemble a shape analogy, we compute an optimal set of source‐to‐target transformations, such that the assembled analogy best fits these criteria. The assembled analogy is then applied to the exemplar shape to produce the desired output model. We use the proposed framework to seamlessly transfer a variety of style properties between 2D and 3D objects and demonstrate significant improvements over the state of the art in style transfer. We further show that our framework can be used to successfully complete partial scans with the help of a user provided structural template, coherently propagating scan style across the completed surfaces.
3D Timeline: Reverse engineering of a part‐based provenance from consecutive 3D models
Authors: Doboš Jozef , Mitra Niloy J. , Steed Anthony
Published: June 2014

We present a novel tool for reverse engineering of modeling histories from consecutive 3D files based on a timeline abstraction. Although a timeline interface is commonly used in 3D modeling packages for animations, it has not been used on geometry manipulation before. Unlike previous visualization methods that require instrumentation of editing software, our approach does not rely on pre‐recorded editing instructions. Instead, each stand‐alone 3D file is treated as a keyframe of a construction flow from which the editing provenance is reverse engineered. We evaluate this tool on six complex 3D sequences created in a variety of modeling tools by different professional artists and conclude that it provides useful means of visualizing and understanding the editing history. A comparative user study suggests the tool is well suited for this purpose.
Parallel generation of architecture on the GPU
Authors: Steinberger Markus , Kenzel Michael , Kainz Bernhard , Müller Jörg , Peter Wonka , Schmalstieg Dieter
Published: June 2014

In this paper, we present a novel approach for the parallel evaluation of procedural shape grammars on the graphics processing unit (GPU). Unlike previous approaches that are either limited in the kind of shapes they allow, the amount of parallelism they can take advantage of, or both, our method supports state of the art procedural modeling including stochasticity and context‐sensitivity. To increase parallelism, we explicitly express independence in the grammar, reduce inter‐rule dependencies required for context‐sensitive evaluation, and introduce intra‐rule parallelism. Our rule scheduling scheme avoids unnecessary back and forth between CPU and GPU and reduces round trips to slow global memory by dynamically grouping rules in on‐chip shared memory. Our GPU shape grammar implementation is multiple orders of magnitude faster than the standard in CPU‐based rule evaluation, while offering equal expressive power. In comparison to the state of the art in GPU shape grammar derivation, our approach is nearly 50 times faster, while adding support for geometric context‐sensitivity.
Sterility and lack of pollinator services explain reproductive failure in non‐invasive ornamental plants
Authors: Bufford Jennifer L. , Daehler Curtis C.
Published: June 2014

Aim

Mutualisms, including pollination, have been hypothesized to influence establishment and success of introduced species. However, lack of pollinators has rarely been demonstrated as a barrier to plant invasion. We examined barriers to seed set in nine introduced non‐invasive tropical ornamental plants which do not regularly produce seeds in Hawai'i.

Location

Hawai'i.

Methods

We tested for pollen viability using 1% thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) stain. We also supplementally hand‐pollinated flowers and examined subsequent fruit set.

Results

We found that four species had non‐viable pollen, as measured by pollen staining, and failed to produce seeds. By contrast, the milkweedCalotropis gigantea, though invasive elsewhere, produced seeds only when hand‐pollinated, indicating that natural seed set is prevented by lack of legitimate pollen deposition. The remaining four species apparently had viable pollen, but did not set seed when hand‐pollinated. Seed set in these species may be limited by lack of compatible mates in Hawai'i.

Main conclusions

Lack of seed production due to pollen sterility or lack of compatible pollen can function as an early barrier to invasion success in ornamental plants, helping to explain why some ornamental species fail to invade. Additionally, we document one of the first concrete examples of a lack of pollinator services inhibiting invasion success in a species outside of the genusFicus. Understanding the nature of early barriers to invasion can help us evaluate the future invasion risks posed by these species in Hawai'i and elsewhere.
Association between participation in a brief diabetes education programme and glycaemic control in adults with newly diagnosed diabetes
Authors: Weaver R. G. , Hemmelgarn B. R. , Rabi D. M. , Sargious P. M. , Edwards A. L. , Manns B. J. , Tonelli M. , James M. T.
Published: June 2014

Aims

To determine the association between participation in a brief introductory didactic diabetes education programme and change in HbA1c among individuals with newly diagnosed diabetes.

Methods

We identified a population‐based cohort of adults newly diagnosed with diabetes between October 2005 and June 2008 in Calgary, Canada, and conducted a retrospective cohort study by linking administrative and laboratory data with programme attendance data. We matched individuals who attended the programme within the first 6 months after diagnosis with those who did not attend, based on their propensity scores. We measured the change in HbA1c between time of diagnosis and 6–18 months later to determine the association between programme participation and change in HbA1c.

Results

HbA1c was measured at baseline and follow‐up for 7793 individuals, including 803 programme participants. After propensity score matching, programme participation was associated with a significantly greater adjusted mean reduction in HbA1c between baseline and follow‐up of 3.3 mmol/mol (95% CI 2.2–4.3) or 0.30% (95% CI 0.20–0.39). There was a significant interaction between baseline HbA1c and programme participation—the difference in adjusted mean reduction in HbA1c associated with programme participation ranged from 2.7 mmol/mol (0.25%) at baseline HbA1c of 53 mmol/mol (7%) to 6.2 mmol/mol (0.56%) at baseline HbA1c of 97 mmol/mol (11%).

Conclusion

Despite its brevity, participation in a diabetes education programme was associated with an additional reduction in HbA1c in newly diagnosed people that was comparable with that reported in trials of programmes targeted at those with prevalent diabetes.
School Leader Appraisal — A Tool to Strengthen School Leaders' Pedagogical Leadership and Skills for Teacher Management?
Authors: Radinger Thomas
Published: June 2014

With increasing school autonomy, often coupled with greater accountability requirements, school leaders are increasingly responsible for new human resource management tasks. Policies to improve the teaching workforce, therefore, cannot do without policies to improve the school leadership profession. Teachers' effectiveness depends, among others, on effective school leaders who shape teachers' working environment and influence their motivations. Furthermore, as recent research indicates, school leaders are the second most important school‐level factor affecting, even if mainly indirectly through their influence on teachers, student learning after classroom instruction. Considering the role school leaders play for the effective school‐level management of teachers and for teaching and learning through their pedagogical leadership, it is essential that school leaders are adequately prepared and supported for their role. As part of their school reform programmes, more and more countries have been introducing a range of evaluation and assessment policies to improve school, school leadership and teaching practices. The individual appraisal of schools leaders and teachers is a key component of evaluation and assessment policies. This article explores if, and how, individual school leader appraisal can develop school leaders' pedagogical leadership, a key element of which is teacher management. It analyses the policy approaches of several European countries and the extent to which formal frameworks in these countries focus on developing pedagogical leadership. The article concludes with ideas for policy to strengthen appraisal as a tool to improve school leaders' practices and behaviours and their competencies for pedagogical leadership and teacher management.
A pediatric prognostic score for patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Arndt Clemens , Beck James F. , Gruhn Bernd
Published: June 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to find and evaluate risk factors influencing the outcome of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in children and to develop a score stratifying patients by their risk of mortality.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the effects of patient and donor characteristics as well as laboratory data including liver, iron, and inflammation parameters on the overall survival of 131 children and young adults with malignant and non‐malignant diseases undergoing allogeneic HSCT.

Results

In univariate analysis, 5‐yr overall survival decreased significantly in patients with high disease risk (38% vs. 74%, P < 0.001), peripheral blood as graft source (47% vs. 73% for bone marrow, P < 0.001), ferritin >1500 ng/mL (41% vs. 79%, P = 0.001), C‐reactive protein >10 mg/L (55% vs. 69%, P = 0.019), lactate dehydrogenase >6 μm∙s (22% vs. 67%, P = 0.001), gamma‐glutamyl transpeptidase >1 μm∙s (43% vs. 68%, P = 0.035), and cholinesterase <60 μm∙s (36% vs. 70%, P = 0.002). For HLA recipient–donor match, there was a 5‐yr overall survival of 81% for matched related, 58% for matched unrelated, 56% for mismatched unrelated, and 50% for haploidentical related donors (P = 0.020). We subsequently developed a score of parameters significant in multivariate analysis, that is, disease risk (HR = 4.1, P = 0.027), ferritin (HR = 6.4, P = 0.002), and cholinesterase (HR = 5.3, P = 0.027). For this score, 5‐yr overall survival was 92% for the low‐risk group, 66% for the intermediate‐risk group, and 17% for the high‐risk group (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Disease risk, ferritin, and cholinesterase are factors decisively influencing the prognosis after HSCT and should be evaluated in further trials.
Saccade deficits in amnestic mild cognitive impairment resemble mild Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Peltsch Alicia , Hemraj Alisha , Garcia Angeles , Munoz Douglas P.
Published: June 2014

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a disorder of progressive memory loss and executive dysfunction. Little is known about the progression from amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI; isolated memory loss) to AD. Studies have found impairments in mild‐stage AD and aMCI in specific tests of executive function. Here, we used objective saccade tasks to determine if they can effectively assess executive function deficits otherwise assessed by neuropsychological testing. To determine which executive function deficits the saccade tasks are most sensitive to, we also investigated the relationship between performance on saccade tasks and neuropsychological test scores. Twenty‐two aMCI patients (63–90 years), 24 mild AD patients (61–87 years) and 76 healthy controls (60–85 years) performed a battery of neuropsychological tests, and two saccade tasks designed to probe sensory, motor and cognitive function. The prosaccade task requires a fast, automatic saccade toward an eccentric visual stimulus. The antisaccade task requires additional executive processing to inhibit the automatic prosaccade toward the stimulus, so that a voluntary saccade can be initiated to a location opposite the stimulus. Antisaccade performance was impaired similarly in aMCI and AD patients relative to controls; both groups were slower to initiate correct antisaccades and they made more direction errors (erroneous prosaccades), suggesting similar brain deficits. Scores on the Stroop task were inversely correlated with the percentage of short‐latency direction errors in the antisaccade task for controls and aMCI patients, whereas other more global measures of executive function were not related to saccade measures in any subject group. Our results show that the antisaccade task is useful for detecting executive dysfunction in aMCI and AD, especially dysfunction in selective attention. Saccade tasks may therefore have potential to assess executive dysfunction when use of neuropsychological tests is not possible.
Diet‐specific biomarkers show that high‐quality phytoplankton fuels herbivorous zooplankton in large boreal lakes
Authors: Galloway Aaron W. E. , Taipale Sami J. , Hiltunen Minna , Peltomaa Elina , Strandberg Ursula , Brett Michael T. , Kankaala Paula
Published: June 2014

The zooplankton is a key link in the transfer of energy from primary producers up through aquatic food webs. Previous efforts to quantify the importance of basal resources to aquatic consumers have used stable isotopes (SI) and simple ternary models, including only ‘bulk’ phytoplankton, bacteria or terrestrial particulate organic matter (t‐POM).

We used a novel Bayesian mixing model based on fatty acids (FA) to quantify the dietary assimilation of seven basal resources, including five phytoplankton groups, pelagic bacteria and t‐POM, to Cladocera in large boreal lakes in Finland. To account for trophic enrichment of FA from the diet to consumers, we parameterised the model with a resource library, from many feeding trials, consisting of Daphnia magna fed 22 diverse basal taxa.

The results of the feeding trials show that the distinctive FA profiles of algal groups are transferred to consumers. Moreover, the large number of FA variables (n = 22) used in the model avoids the limitations of underdetermined mixing problems, common to SI modelling, in cases when the number of resources outnumbers the tracer variables.

We show that cladocerans were generally supported by phytoplankton (86–94%), with little use of t‐POM (1–9%) and bacteria (1–3%). Cladocerans used primarily high‐quality phytoplankton (cryptophytes, diatoms and dinoflagellates) in both summer (51 ± 22%) and autumn (79 ± 12%), and the relative importance of medium‐quality resources (cyanobacteria, chlorophytes and chrysophytes) declined from 37 ± 23% in the summer to 8 ± 2% in the autumn.

High‐quality resources, rich in essential biochemical compounds, are critical in fuelling food webs in large lakes, even those with high concentrations of allochthonous organic matter.
Miscanthus × giganteus nutrient concentrations and uptakes in autumn and winter harvests as influenced by soil texture, irrigation and nitrogen fertilization in the Mediterranean
Authors: Roncucci Neri , Nassi O Di Nasso Nicoletta , Tozzini Cristiano , Bonari Enrico , Ragaglini Giorgio
Published: June 2014

Fertilization has a great impact on GHG emissions and crop nutrient requirements play an important role on the sustainability of cropping systems. In the case of bioenergy production, low concentration of nutrients in the biomass is also required for specific conversion processes (e.g. combustion). In this work, we investigated the influence of soil texture, irrigation and nitrogen fertilization rate on nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium concentrations and uptakes in Miscanthus × giganteus when harvested at two different times: early (autumn) and late (winter). Our results confirmed winter harvest to significantly reduce nutrient removals by as much as 80% compared to autumn. On the other hand, a few attempts have been made to investigate the role of soil texture and irrigation on nutrients in miscanthus biomass, particularly in the Mediterranean. We observed an effect of soil mainly on nutrient concentrations. Similarly, irrigation led to higher nutrient concentrations, while its effect on nutrient uptakes was less straightforward. Overall, the observed differences in miscanthus nutrient uptakes as determined by the crop management (i.e. irrigation and nitrogen fertilization) were highlighted for autumn harvest only, while uptakes in all treatments were lowered to similar values when winter harvest was performed. This study stressed the importance of the time of harvest on nutrient removals regardless of the other management options. Further investigation on the environmental and economic issues should be addressed to support decisions on higher yields‐higher nutrient requirements (early harvest) vs. lower yields‐lower nutrient requirements (late harvest).
Making decisions about chronic disease treatment: a comparison of parents and their adolescent children
Authors: Lipstein Ellen A. , Dodds Cassandra M. , Lovell Daniel J. , Denson Lee A. , Britto Maria T.
Published: June 2014

Objective

To compare factors considered by parents to those considered by adolescents making decisions about chronic disease treatments.

Methods

We conducted individual interviews with 15 parent–adolescent dyads in which the adolescent had either juvenile idiopathic arthritis or Crohn's disease. Questions focused on treatment decisions, with an emphasis on the factors that influenced each individual's preferences related to biologic therapies. A multidisciplinary team developed a coding structure. All interviews were coded by two people with disagreements resolved through discussion. We used content analysis and coding matrices to examine decision factors within and between parent–adolescent dyads.

Results

Parents and adolescents both participated in decisions about treatment with biologic therapies but considered decision factors differently. In only half of cases did parents and adolescents agree on the factor that most influenced their decision. Although their decision factors often fell into similar categories (e.g. treatment risks, quality of life), in many cases the specifics varied between adolescents and their parents. Adolescents were more likely to focus on immediate treatment effects and quality of life while parents took a longer term view of the decision. Agreement within dyads was most consistent when a special circumstance influenced the treatment decision.

Conclusions

Differences regarding influential decision factors exist within parent–adolescent dyads. Continued research is needed to determine the extent to which such differences are due to individual preferences or to variations in the information available to each person. Future decision support interventions will need to address parents’ and adolescents’ potentially disparate views and information needs.
Younger age, recent HIV diagnosis, no welfare support and no annual sexually transmissible infection screening are associated with nonuse of antiretroviral therapy among HIV‐positive gay men in Australia
Authors: Mao L , de Wit JB , Kippax SC , Prestage G , Holt M
Published: June 2014

Objectives

With the increasing momentum to maximize the benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART), better understanding of opportunities and challenges in increasing ART coverage and promoting early ART initiation is urgently needed. Key sociodemographic, clinical and behavioural factors associated with Australian HIV‐positive gay men's current nonuse of ART were systematically examined.

Methods

Data were based on 1911 responses from HIV‐positive men who had participated in the Australian Gay Community Periodic Surveys (GCPS) between 2010 and 2012. Stratified univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used.

Results

A majority of the participants were recruited from gay community venues and events and self‐identified as gay or homosexual. On average, they were 44 years old and had been living with HIV for at least 10 years. Close to 80% (n = 1555) were taking ART, with >90% further reporting an undetectable viral load at the time of the survey. From 2010 to 2012, there had been a moderate increase in ART uptake [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.40; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20–1.65]. In addition, younger age (AOR 1.66; 95% CI 1.45–1.92), recent HIV diagnosis (AOR 1.78; 95% CI 1.59–1.98), not receiving any social welfare payments (AOR 2.20; 95% CI 1.05–2.54) and no annual screening for sexually transmissible infections (AOR 1.55; 95% CI 1.03–2.34) were independently associated with ART nonuse.

Conclusions

Current ART coverage among HIV‐positive gay men in Australia is reasonably high. To further increase ART coverage and promote early ART initiation in this population, better clinical care and sustained structural support are needed for HIV management throughout their life course.
Chlorapatite Glass‐Ceramics
Authors: Chen Xiaojing , Hill Robert , Karpukhina Natalia
Published: June 2014

Apatite glass‐ceramics are attractive for medical and dental applications, and fluorapatite glass‐ceramics based on aluminosilicate glasses have been extensively studied. This study is the first study of chlorapatite glass‐ceramics based on calcium chloride‐containing Q2 bioactive phosphosilicate glasses. The crystallization behavior of oxychloride glasses is examined and compared with mixed oxychloride/fluoride and oxyfluoride glasses. The glass transition temperature decreased for all three series with increasing halogen content. On increasing the halogen content, there was an increasing tendency of the glasses to crystallize. The halogen‐free glass surface crystallized to pseudowollastonite and an apatite. On incorporating a halide, the glasses exhibited largely bulk crystallization to a haloapatite. In the case of chloride, the glasses crystallized to chlorapatite. This is the first time to our knowledge that chlorapatite has been shown to crystallize from a glass. Chlorapatite is very attractive for medical applications because it converts to hydroxyapatite the mineral phase of tooth and bone on immersion in water.
Automated quantification of apoptosis in B‐cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders: a prognostic variable obtained with the Cell‐Dyn Sapphire (Abbott) automated hematology analyzer
Authors: Fumi M. , Martins D. , Pancione Y. , Sale S. , Rocco V.
Published: June 2014

Introduction

B‐chronic lymphocytic leukemia CLL, a neoplastic clonal disorder with monomorphous small B lymphocytes with scanty cytoplasm and clumped chromatin, can be morphologically differentiated in typical and atypical forms with different prognosis: Smudge cells (Gumprecht's shadows) are one of the well‐known features of the typical CLL and are much less inconsistent in other different types CLPD. Abbott Cell‐Dyn Sapphire uses the fluorescence after staining with the DNA fluorochrome propidium iodide for the measurement of nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs) and nonviable cells (FL3+ cell fraction): We have studied the possible correlation between presence and number of morphologically identifiable smudge cells on smears and the percentage of nonviable cells produced by Cell‐Dyn Sapphire.

Methods

305 blood samples from 224 patients with B‐cell lymphoproliferative disorders and 40 healthy blood donors were analyzed by CBC performed by Cell‐Dyn Sapphire, peripheral blood smear, and immunophenotype characterization.

Result

FL3+ fraction in CLPD directly correlated with the percentage of smudge cells and is significantly increased in patients with typical B‐CLL. This phenomenon is much less evident in patients with atypical/mixed B‐CLL and B‐NHL.

Conclusion

In small laboratories without FCM and cytogenetic, smudge cells%, can be utilized as a preliminary diagnostic and prognostic tool in differential diagnosis of CLPD.
Temporary Agency Work and Firm Competitiveness: Evidence from German Manufacturing Firms
Authors: Nielen Sebastian , Schiersch Alexander
Published: June 2014

This paper addresses the relationship between the utilization of temporary agency workers by firms and their competitiveness measured by unit labor costs, using a rich, newly built, dataset of German manufacturing enterprises. We conduct the analysis by applying different panel data models while taking the inherent selection problem into account. Making use of dynamic panel data models allows us to control for firm‐specific fixed effects as well as for potential endogeneity of explanatory variables. The results indicate an inverse U‐shaped relationship between the extent that temporary agency workers are used and the competitiveness of firms.
The Impact of Collective Bargaining Legislation on Strike Activity and Wage Settlements
Authors: Campolieti Michele , Hebdon Robert , Dachis Benjamin
Published: June 2014

We examine the effects of collective bargaining legislation, such as (among others) bans on replacement workers and reinstatement rights, on private sector strike activity and wage settlements using Canadian data from 1978 to 2008. Our estimates indicate that this legislation does not have a statistically significant effect on the incidence of strikes. However, we do find that some of the policy variables have a statistically significant effect on strike duration and wage settlements.
The Relationships of Informal High Performance Work Practices to Job Satisfaction and Workplace Profitability
Authors: Yanadori Yoshio , van Jaarsveld Danielle D.
Published: June 2014

Recent empirical evidence reveals considerable divergence between management reports and employee reports regarding organizational high performance work practices (HPWPs). This divergence implies that employees may not participate in some HPWPs that are formally present in their organizations, but also, that employees may participate in HPWPs that are not formally present in their organizations. In this study, we examine the implication of the latter case (i.e., employee participation in “informal” HPWPs) for employee‐level and organization‐level outcomes. Our analyses, using data from the Statistics Canada Workplace and Employee Survey, suggest that employee participation in informal HPWPs is associated with enhanced job satisfaction and workplace profitability in a similar way as employee participation in formal HPWPs is associated with these outcomes.
Preparation of Technical Grade Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) (Mr20,000)‐N6‐(2‐Aminoethyl‐NADH by a Procedure Adaptable to Large‐Scale Synthsis
Authors: Buückmann Andreas F. , Morr Michael , Kula Maria‐Regina
Published: June 2014

A procedure for the preparation of technical grade PEG (Mr 20,000)‐N6(2‐aminoethyl)NADH was developed. Using the reaction mixture after the alkylation of NAD by ethyleneimine, containing 25% unreacted NAD, 67% N( 1 )‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐NAD, and 8% N( I )‐NAD by products, technical grade PEG (Mr, 20,000)‐N( 1 )‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐NAD was synthesized by the carbodiimide coupHng method. After chemical reduction to PEG (Mr, 20,000)‐N6( 1 )‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐NADH and Dimroth rearrangement, technical grade PEG (M, 20,OOO)‐N6‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐ NADH was obtained with an overall yield of 33.5%. By insertion of a cation‐exchange purification step in batch mode after the coupling step and partitioning in PEG‐NADH/Na2CO3aqueous two‐pbase systems before and after the Dimroth‐rearrangement step, >98% of the uncoupled NAD(H). N( 1 )‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐NAD(H), and alkylated NAD(H) by‐products could be removed. Because large volumes may be handled easily in these operations, the procedure developed for the preparation of technical grade PEG Mr, 20,000)‐N6‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐NADH now can be adapted to large‐scale synthesis.
At What Age Do You Expect to Retire? Retirement Expectations and Increases in the Statutory Retirement Age
Authors: Coppola Michela , Wilke Christina Benita
Published: June 2014

We analyse the extent to which an increase in the statutory retirement age affects individuals' retirement expectations. Understanding how individuals adjust their expectations is crucial to the evaluation of this policy, since retirement expectations directly affect other important decisions such as labour supply, engagement in (further) education and, of course, savings and investments. We consider the 2007 German pension reform that legislated an increase in the statutory retirement age from 65 years to 67. Our analysis is based on a longitudinal study that directly asks respondents at what age they expect to retire. Using a difference‐in‐differences approach, we look at the changes in subjective retirement expectations over time and estimate the extent to which they can be attributed to the 2007 reform.

We find that the reform shifted the retirement expectations of the younger cohorts, although there is some heterogeneity in the way individuals adjusted. While there are no significant differences between men and women, lower‐educated individuals failed to revise their expectations. As these individuals usually acquire both lower pension claims and lower private savings, the fact that they have been slower in updating their retirement expectations causes concern regarding their income security after retirement.
Reticulated Porous Foam Ceramics with Different Surface Chemistries
Authors: Voigt Claudia , Zienert Tilo , Schubert Pia , Aneziris Christos G. , Hubálková Jana
Published: June 2014

The aim of this study was to discuss the influence of different filter surface chemistries on the properties of foam filters. For reliable results, it is essential to ensure comparable structural properties (cell size and strut thickness) for all different surface chemistries (Al2O3, MgAl2O4, 3Al2O3·2SiO2, SiO2, and TiO2) possess the same structural properties (cell size and strut thickness). Filters made of 100% of the investigated materials and alumina skeletons coated with the investigated materials were prepared. The coated alumina samples were sintered in one and two steps. The processing route with two sintering steps resulted in improved mechanical properties and comparable shrinkage and strut thickness. The 100% bulk foams possessed different pore sizes due to the differences of the material shrinkage. In this study, a comparison of the experimental investigated properties of the ceramic foam filters and the theoretically calculated values for foam materials derived from the bulk material properties is established.