bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differential effects of emerging broad-spectrum streetlight technologies on landscape-scale bat activity
Authors: Williams Rowland , Walters Charlotte , Gibb Rory , Browning Ella , Tipping David , Jones Kate E.
Published: January 2019

Urbanization has greatly reduced the extent of high quality habitat available to wildlife with detrimental consequences documented across a range of taxa. Roads and artificial lighting regimes are dominant features of the modern environment, and there is currently a rapid worldwide transition towards energy-efficient, broad-spectrum white-light streetlight technologies such as metal halide (MH) and more recently, light-emitting diode (LED), despite little being known about their broad ecological impacts. Here, in a five-year citizen science study across the island of Jersey, we combine detailed lighting and habitat data with ultrasonic bat survey data collected from 2011 to 2015 (before and after a LED lighting technology transition), to analyse the landscape-scale effects of different broad-spectrum streetlight technologies on activity of a widespread, generalist bat species. In contrast to many experimental studies, we show that the local density of both traditional yellow high-pressure sodium (HPS) and more modern LED streetlights have significant negative effects on activity of the common pipistrelle (Pipistrelluspipistrellus) compared to unlit areas, while accounting for spatial bias, bat population trends over time, surrounding habitat type and road-type. In contrast, we find no discernable impact of the density of ultra-violet emitting MH lighting on bat activity. This is the first large-scale evidence that emerging artificial lighting technologies have differential impacts on activity, even for a bat species generally characterised as light-tolerant and commonly found in urban areas. Importantly, our landscape-level approach also demonstrates that the degree of urbanization and road type have even larger negative impacts on bat activity, independent of artificial lighting regime. Our findings emphasise the need for improving landscape-scale understanding of the ecological impacts of new lighting technologies prior to widespread uptake, and have important implications for future streetlight installation programmes and urban planning more generally.
p63 cooperates with CTCF to modulate chromatin architecture in skin keratinocytes
Authors: Qu Jieqiong , Yi Guoqiang , Zhou Huiqing
Published: January 2019

The transcription factor p63 regulates epidermal genes and the enhancer landscape in skin keratinocytes. Its molecular function in controlling the chromatin structure is however not yet completely understood. Here we integrated multi-omics profiles, including the transcriptome, transcription factor DNA-binding and chromatin accessibility, in skin keratinocytes isolated from EEC syndrome patients carrying p63 mutations, to examine the role of p63 in shaping the chromatin architecture. We found decreased chromatin accessibility in p63-and CTCF-bound open chromatin regions that potentially contributed to gene deregulation in mutant keratinocytes. Cooperation of p63 and CTCF seemed to assist chromatin interactions between p63-bound enhancers and gene promoters in skin keratinocytes. Our study suggests an intriguing model where cell type-specific transcription factors such as p63 cooperate with the genome organizer CTCF in the three-dimensional chromatin space to regulate the transcription program important for the proper cell identity.
Accurate detection of m6A RNA modifications in native RNA sequences
Authors: Liu Huanle , Begik Oguzhan , Lucas Morghan C , Mason Christopher E. , Schwartz Schraga , Mattick John S. , Smith Martin A. , Novoa Eva Maria
Published: January 2019

The field of epitranscriptomics has undergone an enormous expansion in the last few years; however, a major limitation is the lack of generic methods to map RNA modifications transcriptome-wide. Here we show that using Oxford Nanopore Technologies, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modifications can be detected with high accuracy, in the form of systematic errors and decreased base-calling qualities. Our results open new avenues to investigate the universe of RNA modifications with single nucleotide resolution, in individual RNA molecules.
Synapse-specific Opioid Modulation of Thalamo-cortico-striatal Circuits
Authors: Birdsong William T. , Jongbloets Bart C. , Engeln Kim A. , Wang Dong , Scherrer Gregory , Mao Tianyi
Published: January 2019

The medial thalamus (MThal), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and striatum play important roles in affective-motivational pain processing and reward learning. Opioids affect both pain and reward through uncharacterized modulation of this circuitry. This study examined opioid actions on glutamate transmission between these brain regions in mouse. Mu-opioid receptor (MOR) agonists potently inhibited MThal inputs without affecting ACC inputs to individual striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs). MOR activation also inhibited MThal inputs to the pyramidal neurons in the ACC. In contrast, delta-opioid receptor (DOR) agonists disinhibited ACC pyramidal neuron responses to MThal inputs by suppressing local feed-forward GABA signaling from parvalbumin-positive interneurons. As a result, DOR activation in the ACC facilitated poly-synaptic (thalamo-cortico-striatal) excitation of MSNs by MThal inputs. These results suggest that opioid effects on pain and reward may be shaped by the relative selectivity of opioid drugs to the specific circuit components.
CTCF-mediated Chromatin Structures Dictate the Spatio-temporal Propagation of Replication Foci
Authors: Su Qian Peter , Zhao Ziqing Winston , Meng Luming , Ding Miao , Zhang Weiwei , Li Yongzheng , Liu Mengzhu , Li Rongqin , Gao Yi-Qin , Xie Xiaoliang Sunney , Sun Yujie
Published: January 2019

Mammalian DNA replication is initiated at numerous replication origins, which are clustered into thousands of replication domains (RDs) across the genome. However, it remains unclear whether the replication origins within each RD are activated stochastically. To understand how replication is regulated at the sub-RD level, we directly visualized the spatio-temporal organization, morphology, andin situepigenetic signatures of individual replication foci (RFi) across S-phase using super-resolution stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM). Importantly, we revealed a hierarchical radial pattern of RFi propagation that reverses its directionality from early to late S-phase, and is diminished upon caffeine treatment or CTCF knockdown. Together with simulation and bioinformatic analyses, our findings point to a ‘CTCF-organized REplication Propagation’ (CoREP) model. The CoREP model suggests a non-random selection mechanism for replication activation mediated by CTCF at the sub-RD level, as well as the critical involvement of local chromatin environment in regulating replication in space and time.
Distribution and characterization of Aegilops cylindrica species from Iran
Authors: Bakhshi Behnam , Aghaei Mohammad Jaffar , Zarifi Eissa , Bihamta Mohammad Reza , Fard Ehsan Mohseni
Published: January 2019

Jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica Host; 2n = 4x = 28, CcCcDcDc) is a tetraploid remote relative of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L; 2n=6x=42, AABBDD) with 2 genomes and 28 chromosomes. The diversity center of this species is in the Fertile Crescent and in central Asia and could also be found in many places in Iran. In this experiment, 359 accessions provided by National Plant Gene Bank of Iran (NPGBI) were used. Based on the geographical distribution, the highest distribution of Ae. cylindrica are from North, West and North West regions of Iran. The distribution data of Ae. cylindrica showed that the distribution centers in Iran are more than those reported in previous studies in Iran. Chromosome counting showed that all Ae. cylindrica accessions are tetraploid (2n=4x=28). Results of factor analysis for 9 morphological chromosome traits showed that karyotypic variation within accessions are related to the length of chromosomes and there is difference between accessions for their total chromosome length, but the karyotype of different accessions were almost the same for the symmetry. Low coefficient of variation in morphological traits as well as symmetric karyotypes of Ae. cylindrica species observed in this study could lead us to more confidently say that Ae. cylindrica could be a recently evolved species among remote relatives of bread wheat.
Whole Aegilops tauschii transcriptome investigation revealed nine novel miRNAs involved in stress response
Authors: Bakhshi Behnam , Fard Ehsan Mohseni
Published: January 2019

Aegilops tauschii is wild relative of bread wheat. This species has been reported as donor of bread wheat D genome. There are also many reports that mentioned Ae. tauschii importance in biotic and abiotic stress resistance. Thus, it is important to investigate regulatory mechanisms involved in Ae. tauschii stress tolerance. MiRNAs have been reported as essential regulatory elements in stress response. In this study, using ESTs/TSAs databases nine novel miRNA stem-loops have been identified including ata-miRNovel_1 to 9. MiR156, miR168, miR169, miR319, miR397 and miR530 are some miRNA families that their mature miRNAs could be matched with these novel stem-loop miRNAs. We have also observed wheat ESTs/TSAs as similar as Ae. tauschii ESTs/TSAs that could produce new miRNA stem-loops in wheat. These novel miRNA stem-loops could play important role in transcription regulation involved in stress response.
EVALUATION OF FEMALE SEXUAL FUNCTION IN PERSONS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS SEEN IN A TERTIARY HOSPITAL IN SOUTH EAST NIGERIA WITH EMPHASIS ON ITS FREQUENCY AND PREDICTORS
Authors: Ezeani Ignatius , Onyeonoro Ugochukwu , Ugwu Ejiofor
Published: January 2019

Background

women with diabetes are at increased risk of sexual problems, however, this problem is under reported hence the need for this study.

Methods

This was a cross sectional case-controlled study. Seventy-five consenting females with type 2 DM were enrolled from the Diabetes Clinic of the Federal Medical Center, Umuahia, while Seventy-five persons which included hospital workers and female companions of subjects were recruited as control. Sexual dysfunction in both groups was diagnosed and characterized using the female sexual function index (FSFI). Data obtained from this study was presented as Mean±SD and analyzed using SPSS 17 software.

Results

The mean age of the T2DM group and control were 44.5 years and 38.9 years respectively. The mean total female sexual score (TFSS) was 22.10±6.66 in the T2DM subjects, while in the control subjects, it was 22.43±5.29. This was not statistically significant. The FSF scores in the desire, lubrication and orgasm domains were all lower in the diabetic women and this was statistically significant (P< 0.05). The domains of pain and arousal were also lower in the diabetic women although this was not statistically significant (P >0.05). The proportion of diabetic females who reported problems in the arousal, lubrication, orgasm and pain domains were higher (40.0, 36.4, 32.7, 29.1) than the controls (27.9, 16.2, 14.7, 19.1) {p<0.05}.

Conclusion

The prevalence of female sexual dysfunction was high from our study. Similarly, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) score was low in women with diabetes when compared with controls. The domains of arousal, pain, orgasm and satisfaction were the most affected domains in subjects with DM Age, marital status, BMI, FBS and hypertension were predictive of sexual dysfunction in the diabetic women.
Genetic diversity analysis of an isolate of microsporidia infesting Athetis lepigone
Authors: Zhang Haijian , Song Jian , Yang Yunhe , An Jingjie , Ma Hongxia , Li Yaofa
Published: January 2019

In this study, PCR amplification, cloning and sequencing analysis were adopted to explore genetic diversity of microsporidia (LEP9557) infecting Athetis lepigone. The small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA), internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and intergenic spacers (IGS) of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) were cloned from the strain and sequenced. By means of multiple sequence alignment, we found that the three gene regions had different levels of polymorphism. There was greater polymorphism in ITS (74 variable sites) and IGS (55.59%) regions than in the SSU rDNA (17 variable sites). Phylogenetic analysis was performed using Kimura 2-parameter with neighbor joining and the results showed that LEP9557 had a close relationship with Nosema bombycis. Sequences of each clone were submitted to Genbank (Accession number: MF150254-MF150258). All of the results indicated the presence of genetic diversity in LEP9557, which established the foundation for identifying the phylogeny and relationships with other microsporidian strains, and had significant biological meaning for maintaining the survival and population continuity of the strain.
Multi-Cell ECM compaction is predictable via superposition of nonlinear cell dynamics linearized in augmented state space
Authors: Mayalu Michaelle N , Kim Min-Cheol , Asada Harry
Published: January 2019

Cells interacting through an extracellular matrix (ECM) exhibit emergent behaviors resulting from collective intercellular interaction. In wound healing and tissue development, characteristic compaction of ECM gel is induced by multiple cells that generate tensions in the ECM fibers and coordinate their actions with other cells. Computational prediction of collective cell-ECM interaction based on first principles is highly complex especially as the number of cells increase. Here, we introduce a computationally-efficient method for predicting nonlinear behaviors of multiple cells interacting mechanically through a 3-D ECM fiber network. The key enabling technique is superposition of single cell computational models to predict multicellular behaviors. While cell-ECM interactions are highly nonlinear, they can be linearized accurately with a unique method, termed Dual-Faceted Linearization. This method recasts the original nonlinear dynamics in an augmented space where the system behaves more linearly. The independent state variables are augmented by combining auxiliary variables that inform nonlinear elements involved in the system. This computational method involves a) expressing the original nonlinear state equations with two sets of linear dynamic equations b) reducing the order of the augmented linear system via principal component analysis and c) superposing individual single cell-ECM dynamics to predict collective behaviors of multiple cells. The method is computationally efficient compared to original nonlinear dynamic simulation and accurate compared to traditional Taylor expansion linearization. Furthermore, we reproduce reported experimental results of multi-cell induced ECM compaction.

Author summary

Collective behaviors of multiple cells interacting through an ECM are prohibitively complex to predict with a mechanistic computational model due to its highly nonlinear dynamics and high dimensional space. We introduce a methodology where nonlinear dynamics of single cells are superposed to predict collective multi-cellular behaviors through a developed linearization method. We represent nonlinear single cell dynamics with linear state equations by augmenting the independent state variables with a set of auxiliary variables. We then transform the linear augmented state equations to a low-dimensional latent model and superpose the linear latent models of individual cells to predict collective behaviors that emerge from multi-cellular interactions. The method successfully reproduced experimental results of cell-induced ECM compaction.
Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy with efficient X-ray fluorescence detection (STXM-XRF) for biomedical applications in the soft and tender energy range
Authors: Lühl Lars , Andrianov Konstantin , Dierks Hanna , Haidl Andreas , Dehlinger Aurelie , Heine Markus , Heeren Jörg , Nisius Thomas , Wilhein Thomas , Kanngießer Birgit
Published: January 2019

Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy, especially in combination with X-ray fluorescence detection (STXM-XRF) in the soft X-ray energy range, is becoming an increasingly important tool for life sciences. Using X-ray fluorescence detection, the study of biochemical mechanisms becomes accessible. As biological matrices generally have a low fluorescence yield and thus a low fluorescence signal, high detector efficiency (e.g. large solid angle) is indispensable for avoiding long measurement times and radiation damage. Here, the new AnImaX STXM-XRF microscope equipped with a large solid angle of detection enabling fast scans and the first proof-of-principle measurements on biomedical samples are described. In addition, characterization measurements for future quantitative elemental imaging are presented.
Deducing density and strength of nanocrystalline Ta and diamond under extreme conditions from X-ray diffraction
Authors: Zhang Y. Y. , Tang M. X. , Cai Y. , E J. C. , Luo S. N.
Published: January 2019

In situ X-ray diffraction with advanced X-ray sources offers unique opportunities for investigating materials properties under extreme conditions such as shock-wave loading. Here, Singh's theory for deducing high-pressure density and strength from two-dimensional (2D) diffraction patterns is rigorously examined with large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of isothermal compression and shock-wave compression. Two representative solids are explored: nanocrystalline Ta and diamond. Analysis of simulated 2D X-ray diffraction patterns is compared against direct molecular dynamics simulation results. Singh's method is highly accurate for density measurement (within 1%) and reasonable for strength measurement (within 10%), and can be used for such measurements on nanocrystalline and polycrystalline solids under extreme conditions (e.g. in the megabar regime).
Epitaxial growth and structure of cobalt ferrite thin films with large inversion parameter on Ag(001)
Authors: De Santis Maurizio , Bailly Aude , Coates Ian , Grenier Stéphane , Heckmann Olivier , Hricovini Karol , Joly Yves , Langlais Véronique , Ramos Aline Y. , Richter Christine , Torrelles Xavier , Garaudée Stéphanie , Geaymond Olivier , Ulrich Olivier
Published: January 2019

Cobalt ferrite ultrathin films with the inverse spinel structure are among the best candidates for spin filtering at room temperature. High-quality epitaxial CoFe2O4 films about 4 nm thick have been fabricated on Ag(001) following a three-step method: an ultrathin metallic CoFe2 alloy was first grown in coherent epitaxy on the substrate and then treated twice with O2, first at room temperature and then during annealing. The epitaxial orientation and the surface, interface and film structure were resolved using a combination of low-energy electron diffraction, scanning tunnelling microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy and in situ grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction. A slight tetragonal distortion was observed, which should drive the easy magnetization axis in-plane due to the large magneto-elastic coupling of such a material. The so-called inversion parameter, i.e. the Co fraction occupying octahedral sites in the ferrite spinel structure, is a key element for its spin-dependent electronic gap. It was obtained through in situ resonant X-ray diffraction measurements collected at both the Co and Fe K edges. The data analysis was performed using FDMNES, an ab initio program already extensively used to simulate X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and shows that the Co ions are predominantly located on octahedral sites with an inversion parameter of 0.88 (5). Ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy gives an estimation in accordance with the values obtained through diffraction analysis.
Co-crystals of an organic triselenocyanate with ditopic Lewis bases: recurrent chalcogen bond interactions motifs
Authors: Riel Asia Marie S. , Jeannin Olivier , Berryman Orion B. , Fourmigué Marc
Published: January 2019

Organic selenocyanates R–Se–CN can act as an amphoteric chalcogen bond (ChB) donor (through the Se atom) and acceptor (through the N atom lone pair). Co-crystallization of tri-substituted 1,3,5-tris(selenocyanatomethyl)-2,4,6-trimethylbenzene (1) is investigated with different ditopic Lewis bases acting as chalcogen bond (ChB) acceptors to investigate the outcome of the competition, as ChB acceptor, between the nitrogen lone pair of the SeCN group and other Lewis bases involving pyridinyl or carbonyl functions. In the presence of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), benzoquinone (BQ) and para-dinitrobenzene (pDNB) as ditopic Lewis bases, a recurrent oligomeric motif stabilized by six ChB interactions is observed, involving six SeCN groups and the ChB acceptor sites of TMP, BQ and pDNB in the 2:1 adducts (1)2·TMP, (1)2·BQ and (1)2·pDNB.
Review of short-text classification
Authors: Alsmadi Issa , Gan Keng Hoon
Published: January 2019

Purpose

Rapid developments in social networks and their usage in everyday life have caused an explosion in the amount of short electronic documents. Thus, the need to classify this type of document based on their content has a significant implication in many applications. The need to classify these documents in relevant classes according to their text contents should be interested in many practical reasons. Short-text classification is an essential step in many applications, such as spam filtering, sentiment analysis, Twitter personalization, customer review and many other applications related to social networks. Reviews on short text and its application are limited. Thus, this paper aims to discuss the characteristics of short text, its challenges and difficulties in classification. The paper attempt to introduce all stages in principle classification, the technique used in each stage and the possible development trend in each stage.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper as a review of the main aspect of short-text classification. The paper is structured based on the classification task stage.

Findings

This paper discusses related issues and approaches to these problems. Further research could be conducted to address the challenges in short texts and avoid poor accuracy in classification. Problems in low performance can be solved by using optimized solutions, such as genetic algorithms that are powerful in enhancing the quality of selected features. Soft computing solution has a fuzzy logic that makes short-text problems a promising area of research.

Originality/value

Using a powerful short-text classification method significantly affects many applications in terms of efficiency enhancement. Current solutions still have low performance, implying the need for improvement. This paper discusses related issues and approaches to these problems.
Three challenging trends for marketing strategy – and B2B – doctoral education
Authors: Scheer Lisa
Published: January 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to share personal observations regarding three trends that pose challenges for marketing doctoral programs and the development of B2B scholar-researchers.

Design/methodology/approach

The author raises questions and looks to the body of marketing and B2B scholars to seek answers – if they agree that these trends threaten to undermine the strength of marketing doctoral education.

Findings

The study has no findings, just observations and thoughts from a marketing strategy and B2B researcher who has been involved in doctoral education in various ways.

Originality/value

This paper represents only the author’s perspective.
The Volkswagen recovery: leaving scandal in the dust
Authors: Welch James
Published: January 2019

Purpose

Following the diesel emissions debacle of 2015, Volkswagen Group has rebounded significantly in terms of sales and market value. When examining Volkswagen’s dramatic recovery, it is clear to notice four distinct elements that helped to bring about this rapid turnaround. To push through the public relations nightmare and regain sales traction, Volkswagen embarked on a four-step process that centered on four key words: Replace, Restructure, Redevelop and Rebrand. The purpose of this study is to examine that process.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is a case study examining the performance of Volkswagen Group and their recovery from the 2015 diesel emissions scandal. To achieve their significant turnaround, the company sought to: replace the leadership, restructure the organization, redevelop the strategy and rebrand the product. This study examines those four steps in the recovery process as a model for other firms.

Findings

To try and achieve an unprecedented turnaround, the company sought to: replace the leadership, restructure the organization, redevelop the strategy and rebrand the product. These four strategic elements formed the basis of a newly focused company and continue to push the company forward and further away from the scandal. This four-step process of recovery provides an excellent case study for other firms who may find themselves in the midst of turmoil and crisis.

Originality/value

To push through the public relations nightmare and regain sales traction following their 2015 emissions testing scandal, Volkswagen embarked on a four-step process that centered on four key words: Replace, Restructure, Redevelop and Rebrand. These four strategic elements formed the basis of a newly focused company and continue to push the company forward and further away from the scandal. This four-step process of recovery provides an excellent case study for other firms who may find themselves in the midst of turmoil and crisis.
Secrets of succession: how one family business reached the ninth generation
Authors: Fendri Chamsa , Nguyen Pascal
Published: January 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the specific structures and routines of family firms and to highlight their strengths and weaknesses using a case study.

Design/methodology/approach

The case describes a French SME in the construction sector that is undergoing succession from the eighth to the ninth generation. Both generations have offered their viewpoints. The succession context allows us to better distinguish what makes a family firm uniquely resilient and what may easily turn into a weakness.

Findings

The case indicates that the trust that family owners have cultivated with employees allows the firm to operate less formally and with less rigid procedures. It also encourages employees to take initiatives and contributes to their greater engagement. On the other hand, it may expose the firm to more structured and well-organized competitors.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations are those relative to the use of a single case.

Practical implications

Succession is a delicate process that needs to be well prepared and executed without any haste. It involves retaining the firm’s strengths, such as the social capital that the family has patiently amassed. But it also represents an opportunity to review the firm’s practices and to introduce a good dose of innovation.

Originality/value

The case provides a vivid illustration of what makes family firms so distinctive. Theoretical concepts and empirical findings from the literature are put together in a single consistent picture.
Re-distribution and promotion practices for suboptimal foods – commercial and social initiatives for the reduction of food waste
Authors: Bech-Larsen Tino , Ascheman-Witzel Jessica , Kulikovskaja Viktorija
Published: January 2019

Purpose

The increased acknowledgement of the problems associated with food waste has triggered a number of social and commercial initiatives for the re-distribution of suboptimal foods (SOFs). This paper aims to explore a variety of such initiatives and discuss their prospects, considering the commercial contingencies of the food supply system.

Design/methodology/approach

The exploration is based on a multi-country study of cases representing three initiatives related to the reduction of waste from SOFs, i.e. social supermarkets (SSMs), food banks and expiration date-based pricing practices. The collected data comprise expert interviews, store-check observations and secondary material; the data are analyzed from a marketing practice perspective.

Findings

The analyses indicate that the distribution and re-distribution of SOFs are moving toward normalization, that the diffusion of expiration date-based pricing through all food retailing formats is likely to continue, that food banks – despite reports of dwindling supplies of SOFs – are likely to increase their expansion and that SSMs face a variety of challenges, e.g. as regards their supply of SOFs and their customers’ preferences for stable assortments.

Originality/value

By synthesizing data from various European implementations of re-distribution practices, this article contributes to the understanding of the viability of such practices. Developing this understanding should benefit social and commercial entrepreneurs, as well as policymakers, when designing and implementing initiatives for the reduction of waste from SOFs.
Pembrolizumab resolves adult ashy dermatosis developing in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung
Authors: Takeda Kana , Fujimura Taku , Tsuchiyama Kenichiro , Lyu Chunbing , Aiba Setsuya
Published: January 2019

Ashy dermatosis is a rare cutaneous disorder of unknown etiology. We describe a case of adult ashy dermatosis developing in a patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, which was resolved by the administration of pembrolizumab in parallel with multiple vitiligo. Interestingly, immunohistochemical staining revealed that lesional skin of the ashy dermatosis contained cytotoxic T cells and programmed death ligand 1 expressing cells. To our knowledge, this is the first case of adult ashy dermatosis resolved by pembrolizumab.
The diversity of eco‐evolutionary dynamics: Comparing the feedbacks between ecology and evolution across scales
Authors: Brunner Franziska S. , Deere Jacques A. , Egas Martijn , Eizaguirre Christophe , Raeymaekers Joost A. M.
Published: January 2019

Evidence of reciprocal influences between ecological and evolutionary processes (eco‐evolutionary dynamics) is accumulating at different levels of biological organisation, ranging from populations to communities and even ecosystems.

This special feature showcases the state‐of‐the art knowledge on eco‐evolutionary dynamics and dissects the feedback types, the biological and spatial scales as well as the agents of selection underlying the interactions between ecology and evolution.

Theoretical approaches to eco‐evolutionary feedbacks can draw on a wide range of fields and have a long history within evolutionary ecology. The integration of theoretical approaches from quantitative genetics, evolutionary ecology, and metapopulation ecology is necessary to advance our understanding of rapid evolution and associated eco‐evolutionary dynamics.

Empirical studies in this special feature focus on the evolution‐to‐ecology pathway by which evolutionary processes influence ecological dynamics (the direction in eco‐evolutionary dynamics less well studied). Advancing towards the study of complete (i.e. reciprocal) eco‐evolutionary feedbacks requires unravelling both the ecology‐to‐evolution and the evolution‐to‐ecology pathways in isolation and understanding how they are coupled. This endeavour will require a combination of laboratory, semi‐natural (e.g. mesocosm) and field studies.

As the field of eco‐evolutionary dynamics matures, it moves from proof‐of‐principle studies to understanding increasingly complex biological systems. This Special Feature provides necessary tools and approaches, both theoretical and empirical, to achieve this new aim.
Combined effects of seed provenance, plant facilitation and restoration site on revegetation success
Authors: Fedriani Jose M. , Garrote Pedro J. , Calvo Gemma , Delibes Miguel , Castilla Antonio R. , Żywiec Magdalena
Published: January 2019

Plant provenance, plant facilitation and the characteristics of restoration sites are critical determinants of revegetation success. Surprisingly, however, very little is known about how these key factors interact, both with each other and to complex patterns of recruitment in target plant species.

We investigated, for the first time, the potential of combining seed provenance, plant facilitation and restoration site characteristics to guide revegetation efforts. As a model system, we used the Iberian pear (Pyrus bourgaeana) and three potential nurse shrub species. To this end, we completed a comprehensive reciprocal transplant experiment in five P. bourgaeana populations within a fragmented landscape at the Doñana Biosphere Reserve (SW Spain).

There were marked differences among provenances for seedling emergence and growth, as well as for recruitment, but no evidence of local adaptation was found. Shrubs generally had a positive or neutral effect on P. bourgaeana seedling performance with, for example survival underneath shrubs being, on average, twice as high as in open microhabitats. Interestingly, however, the magnitude and even the sign of such plant–plant interactions changed with both sowing locality and seed provenance. For instance, shrubs enhanced seedling survival and recruitment at the end of the study in four of the five sowing localities, whereas it decreased it in the remaining locality. Also, although nurse shrubs lessened seedling size of two provenances, it did not have a significant effect on the other three.

Synthesis and applications. We show how revegetation success can be maximized, not only by selecting the most appropriate plant material, taking advantage of plant facilitative interactions and selecting the right restoration site, but also by using these factors in an integrated fashion. We propose local managers efficiently undertake future revegetation campaigns by mixing seeds from several genetically adequate source populations in numbers weighted according to previously estimated provenance‐specific recruitment successes. Our novel approach can help to guide revegetation of many tree and plant species living in stressful conditions, such as arid, semi‐arid and high mountain habitats.
Pollination by wild bees yields larger strawberries than pollination by honey bees
Authors: MacInnis Gail , Forrest Jessica R. K.
Published: January 2019

A diverse array of wild bee species may provide more effective pollination than the widely employed European honey bee (Apis mellifera L.). High species richness within crop pollinator assemblages has been linked to enhanced fruit and seed yields, but species richness is often confounded with abundance in studies of pollinator communities.

We investigated the effects of bee diversity and species identity on pollen deposition and crop yield in the strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) variety Jewel through a field experiment that independently manipulated the species richness and abundance of flower visitors. We used a new pollen deposition measurement technique to determine the pollen contribution of individual bees in an assemblage of flower visits. We compared the performance of wild bee species and managed honey bees, as pollinators of strawberry. We also calculated the influence of species richness, visit frequency and visitor identity on fruit mass, using the fruit that developed from each sampled flower.

Species richness of flower visitors did not influence floral pollen loads or strawberry mass. Honey bees and wild bees deposited the same amount of pollen per visited flower. However, strawberries that developed from flowers visited by wild bees were heavier than flowers visited by honey bees. In addition, flowers visited by a combination of wild and honey bees produced strawberries that weighed less than flowers receiving purely WB visits.

Synthesis and applications. Our findings show that honey bee pollination results in lower yields than wild bee pollination in a strawberry crop. Consequently, if managed honey bees in strawberry fields displace wild pollinators, growers may obtain suboptimal yields. Management efforts aimed at the maintenance or enhancement of wild pollinator populations may therefore be a cost‐effective way to increase both crop yield and biodiversity on strawberry farms.
Patterns of modern pollen and plant richness across northern Europe
Authors: Reitalu Triin , Bjune Anne E. , Blaus Ansis , Giesecke Thomas , Helm Aveliina , Matthias Isabelle , Peglar Sylvia M. , Salonen J. Sakari , Seppä Heikki , Väli Vivika , Birks H. John B.
Published: January 2019

Sedimentary pollen offers excellent opportunities to reconstruct vegetation changes over past millennia. Number of different pollen taxa or pollen richness is used to characterise past plant richness. To improve the interpretation of sedimentary pollen richness, it is essential to understand the relationship between pollen and plant richness in contemporary landscapes. This study presents a regional‐scale comparison of pollen and plant richness from northern Europe and evaluates the importance of environmental variables on pollen and plant richness.

We use a pollen dataset of 511 lake‐surface pollen samples ranging through temperate, boreal and tundra biomes. To characterise plant diversity, we use a dataset formulated from the two largest plant atlases available in Europe. We compare pollen and plant richness estimates in different groups of taxa (wind‐pollinated vs. non‐wind‐pollinated, trees and shrubs vs. herbs and grasses) and test their relationships with climate and landscape variables.

Pollen richness is significantly positively correlated with plant richness (r = 0.53). The pollen plant richness correlation improves (r = 0.63) when high pollen producers are downweighted prior to estimating richness minimising the influence of pollen production on the pollen richness estimate. This suggests that methods accommodating pollen‐production differences in richness estimates deserve further attention and should become more widely used in Quaternary pollen diversity studies.

The highest correlations are found between pollen and plant richness of trees and shrubs (r = 0.83) and of wind‐pollinated taxa (r = 0.75) suggesting that these are the best measures of broad‐scale plant richness over several thousands of square kilometres.

Mean annual temperature is the strongest predictor of both pollen and plant richness. Landscape openness is positively associated with pollen richness but not with plant richness. Pollen richness values from extremely open and/or cold areas where pollen production is low should be interpreted with caution because low local pollen production increases the proportion of extra‐regional pollen.

Synthesis. Our results confirm that pollen data can provide insights into past plant richness changes in northern Europe, and with careful consideration of pollen‐production differences and spatial scale represented, pollen data make it possible to investigate vegetation diversity trends over long time‐scales and under changing climatic and habitat conditions.
Quantitative assessment of oral phase efficiency: validation of the Test of Masticating and Swallowing Solids (TOMASS)
Authors: Lamvik‐Gozdzikowska Kristin , Guiu Hernandez Esther , Apperley Olivia , McIntosh Theresa , Huckabee Maggie‐Lee
Published: January 2019

Background

The Test of Masticating and Swallowing Solids (TOMASS) has been developed to provide clinicians with objective data regarding the efficiency of oral phase function and solid bolus ingestion.

Aims

To determine if the TOMASS will detect changes in the oral phase of swallowing imposed by topical anaesthesia, thus providing validation of its clinical utility.

Methods & Procedures

Per the standard protocol, 10 healthy participants ate one‐quarter of an Arnotts SaladaTM biscuit. The number of bites per cracker, number of masticatory cycles, number of swallows and total time taken were recorded at baseline, following application of topical oral anaesthetic; this was additionally compared with a post‐anaesthetic condition. Median and interquartile range (IQR) were calculated. Wilcoxon signed‐rank tests were conducted to evaluate trial effect, and Friedman's tests were used to detect differences in the number of bites, number of swallows, number of chews and time taken to eat the crackers.

Outcomes & Results

Results indicated that the number of both bites and swallows did not significantly change across conditions (χ²(2) = 0.105, p = 0.949, χ²(2) = 1.357, p = 0.507); however, the number of chews for the anaesthetic condition was significantly higher when compared with the baseline (p = 0.02) and post‐anaesthesia conditions (p = 0.02). Further, the durations of ingestion in the anaesthetic condition were significantly longer than the baseline (p = 0.01) and post‐anaesthesia (p = 0.01) conditions. Across all measures, there were no differences between baseline and post‐anaesthesia conditions.

Conclusions & Implications

Although further exploration is required, these early data suggest the TOMASS is a sensitive measure in the evaluation of the oral‐phase preparation of solid textures.
Cross‐domain comparison and the politics of difference
Authors: Brubaker Rogers , Fernández Matías
Published: January 2019

This paper makes the case for cross‐domain comparison as an undertheorized form of comparative analysis. The units of analysis in such comparisons are not (as in most comparative analysis) predefined units within a domain or system of formally similar yet substantively different categories or entities; they are the domains or systems of categorically organized differences themselves. Focusing on domains of categorical difference that are central to the contemporary politics of difference, we consider two examples of cross‐domain comparison. The first compares sex/gender and race/ethnicity as systems of ascribed identities that are increasingly, yet to differing degrees and in differing ways, open to choice and change. The second compares religion and language as domains of categorically organized cultural difference that are centrally implicated in the politics of cultural pluralism. We situate these cross‐domain comparisons, premised on a logic of ‘different differences’, between generalizing and particularizing approaches to the politics of difference, arguing that these domains are similar enough to make comparison meaningful yet different enough to make comparison interesting. We outline five analytical focal points for cross‐domain comparison: the criteria of membership and belonging, the categorical versus gradational structure of variation within domains of difference, the consolidation or proliferation of categories of difference, the procedures for dealing with mixed or difficult‐to‐classify instances, and the relation between categories of difference and the production and reproduction of inequality. We conclude by considering several potential objections to cross‐domain comparison.
The Evidentiary Significance of Automotive Paint from the Northeast: A Study of Red Paint
Authors: Kruglak Kaitlin J. , Dubnicka Mara , Kammrath Brooke , Maxwell Virginia , Reffner John A.
Published: January 2019

This population study was conducted to assess the frequency of physical, microscopical, and chemical properties of automotive paint chips. Population studies of trace evidence provide valuable analytical data for criminalists to assess evidentiary significance. Two‐hundred automotive paint chips were collected from auto body shops from the Northeastern United States. All samples were analyzed using stereomicroscopy, brightfield, and polarized light microscopy. Red paints were targeted for further analysis using a sequence of modern instrumental techniques commonly used by forensic paint examiners: Fourier‐transform infrared (FT‐IR), Raman, and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) microspectroscopy. The discrimination potential of each analytical method was evaluated by inter‐comparing the paint samples. Results demonstrated that macroscopic and microscopic properties were able to differentiate 99.995% of the population (one undifferentiated pair out of 19,900). When combined with either FT‐IR or UV–Vis microspectroscopy, all paints were differentiated. The results of this research lead to the conclusion that one would not expect to encounter two indistinguishable paint chips originating from different sources during the investigation of a single event.
Effects on Surface and Physicochemical Properties of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma‐Treated Whey Protein Concentrate/Wheat Cross‐Linked Starch Composite Film
Authors: Song Jingxin , Jiang Bingxue , Wu Yuanyuan , Chen Shanshan , Li Shuai , Sun Huimin , Li Xinxin
Published: January 2019

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma is a new type of polymer surface modification technology. This study is mainly about the changes in film surface structure and physicochemical properties of whey protein concentrate (WPC)/wheat cross‐linked starch (WCS) composite films after DBD plasma treatment with different plasma parameters. The results show that the proper plasma treatment parameters (400 W to 60 s) can increase the surface roughness, tensile strength, barrier properties, and thermal stability of the edible film and decrease elongation at break and the water contact angle. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction showed that DBD plasma treatment could increase the content of oxygen‐containing groups on the WPC/WCS film surfaces instead of damaging the internal crystal structure. The results showed that use of proper DBD plasma treatment technology has a positive effect on the mechanical and barrier properties and thermal stability of WPC/WCS films.

Practical Application

DBD plasma treatment can improve the mechanical, barrier, and thermal properties of WPC/WCS films without generating any pollution. The DBD plasma can be potentially applied in the enhancement of edible film properties. WPC/WCS films are more environmentally friendly than plastics and can be a replacement for traditional plastics.
Corticotropin‐releasing factor induces inflammatory cytokines via the NLRP6‐inflammatory cytokine axis in a murine model of irritable bowel syndrome
Authors: Yu Lei Min , Zhao Ke Jia , Wang Shuang Shuang , Wang Xi , Lu Bin
Published: January 2019

Objective

This study aimed to determine the effect of corticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF) on regulating the NOD‐like receptor pyrin domain‐containing protein 6 (NLRP6)‐inflammatory cytokine axis in a murine model of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Methods

C57BL/6 mice were subjected to water avoidance stress (WAS) for 1 h per day for 10 days, and the abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) and colonic inflammation were assessed. We also measured the levels of CRF, NLRP6 inflammasome components, myeloperoxidase, D‐lactate, interleukin (IL)‐1β, and IL‐18. In vitro experiments with Caco‐2 cell line were also performed. In addition, we assessed the effect of Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum) on IBS mice.

Results

IBS mice exhibited visceral hypersensitivity and inflammation, accompanied by increases in CRF, myeloperoxidase, D‐lactate, IL‐1β, and IL‐18 levels, but a decrease in NLRP6 expression. In vitro data showed that CRF suppressed NLRP6, but induced IL‐1β and IL‐18 levels, in Caco‐2 cells. C. butyricum restored CRF levels and maintained the NLRP6‐inflammatory cytokine axis in IBS mice.

Conclusions

CRF induces the NLRP6‐inflammatory cytokine axis in IBS mice. C. butyricum could be beneficial in controlling IBS.