bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute Mortality, Bacterial Load, and Pathology of Select Lines of Adult Rainbow Trout Challenged with Weissella sp. NC36
Authors: Marancik David P. , Welch Timothy J. , Leeds Timothy D. , Wiens Gregory D.
Published: December 2013

A challenge for improving disease resistance in fish through genetics is to understand specificity of resistance and whether selection for one pathogen alters the response to unrelated pathogenic microorganisms. Adult Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss that had been bred for differential susceptibility to Flavobacterium psychrophilum, the causative agent of bacterial cold water disease (BCWD) and designated ARS-Fp-R (resistant), ARS-Fp-S (susceptible), and ARS-Fp-C (control line), as well as a pool of commercial-stock Rainbow Trout, were intraperitoneally challenged with Weissella sp. NC36. Clinical signs, survival, and innate mechanisms affecting disease resistance were monitored over 9 d. Acute disease signs included exophthalmia associated with retrobulbar inflammation and hemorrhage, cerebral hemorrhage, and mild to moderate granulomatous pericarditis. The ARS-Fp-R line did not demonstrate significant survival differences over a 9-d period compared with the ARS-Fp-C and ARS-Fp-S lines (P ≥ 0.09) indicating that during the acute phase of disease, the resistance factors that limit BCWD do not confer cross protection against Weissella sp. NC36. The linear effect of body weight at challenge was statistically significant, as each 10-g increase in body weight increased the hazard of death by 1% (P = 0.02). Bacterial loads on day 3, assessed by splenic and cerebral CFU counts, did not differ between ARS-Fp-R and ARS-Fp-S trout and there was no correlation between CFU counts and body weight. These findings help elucidate the specificity of disease resistance in selectively bred lines and contribute to our understanding of disease caused by Weissella sp., a recently described pathogen found in cultured Rainbow Trout.

Received June 19, 2013; accepted June 23, 2013
Comparative Analysis of the Acute Response of Zebrafish Danio rerio Skin to Two Different Bacterial Infections
Authors: Lü Aijun , Hu Xiucai , Wang Yi , Shen Xiaojing , Zhu Aihua , Shen Lulu , Ming Qinglei , Feng Zhaojun
Published: December 2013

Skin is an important innate immune organ in fish; however, little is known about the skin's immune response to infectious pathogens. We conducted a comparative analysis of the acute immune response of Zebrafish Danio rerio skin against gram-positive (Staphylococcus chromogenes) and gram-negative (Citrobacter freundii) bacterial infections. Gene expression profiles induced from the two different infections were identified by microarray hybridization, with many genes demonstrating an acute immune response in the skin. Differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in response to stress and stimulus, complement activation, acute-phase response, and defense and immune response. Compared with transcription patterns of skin from the two infections, a similar innate immunity (e.g., transferrin, coagulation factor, complements, and lectins) was observed but with different acute-phase genes (e.g., ceruloplasmin, alpha-1-microglobulin, vitellogenin, and heat shock protein). These results suggest that the skin of fish plays an important role in the innate immune responses to bacterial infection.

Received March 20, 2013; accepted July 19, 2013
Triploid Grass Carp Susceptibility and Potential for Disease Transfer when used to Control Aquatic Vegetation in Reservoirs with Avian Vacuolar Myelinopathy
Authors: Haynie Rebecca S. , Bowerman William W. , Williams Sarah K. , Morrison John R. , Grizzle John M. , Fischer John M. , Wilde Susan B.
Published: December 2013

Avian vacuolar myelinopathy (AVM) is an often-lethal neurologic disease that affects waterbirds and their avian predators (i.e., bald eagles Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in the southern United States. Feeding trials and field surveys provided evidence that AVM is caused by a toxin-producing, undescribed cyanobacterium (UCB), which grows as an epiphyte on the leaves of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). Reservoirs with documented AVM epornitics support dense growth of nonnative SAV. Waterbirds ingest the toxin when feeding on aquatic plants with the epiphytic UCB, and secondary intoxication occurs when raptors consume these birds. Vegetation management has been proposed as a means to reduce waterbird exposure to the putative toxin. We fed aquatic vegetation with and without the UCB to triploid Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella in laboratory and field trials. Only Grass Carp that ingested aquatic vegetation with the UCB developed lesions in the central nervous system. The lesions (viewed using light microscopy) appeared similar to those in birds diagnosed with AVM. Grass Carp that received aquatic vegetation without the UCB were unaffected. Grass Carp tissues from each treatment were fed to domestic chickens Gallus domesticus (an appropriate laboratory model for AVM) in a laboratory trial; the chickens displayed no neurologic signs, and histology revealed a lack of the diagnostic lesions in brain tissues. Results from our trials suggest that (1) triploid Grass Carp are susceptible to the AVM toxin, although no fish mortalities were documented; and (2) the toxin was not accumulated in Grass Carp tissues, and the risk to piscivorous avifauna is likely low. However, a longer exposure time and analysis of sublethal effects may be prudent to further evaluate the efficacy and risk of using triploid Grass Carp to manage aquatic vegetation in a system with frequent AVM outbreaks.

Received December 3, 2012; accepted August 2, 2013
Ammocoetes of Pacific Lamprey Are Not Susceptible to Common Fish Rhabdoviruses of the U.S. Pacific Northwest
Authors: Kurath G. , Jolley J. C. , Thompson T. M. , Thompson D. , Whitesel T. A. , Gutenberger S. , Winton J. R.
Published: December 2013

Pacific Lampreys Entosphenus tridentatus have experienced severe population declines in recent years and efforts to develop captive rearing programs are under consideration. However, there is limited knowledge of their life history, ecology, and potential to harbor or transmit pathogens that may cause infectious disease. As a measure of the possible risks associated with introducing wild lampreys into existing fish culture facilities, larval lampreys (ammocoetes) were tested for susceptibility to infection and mortality caused by experimental exposures to the fish rhabdovirus pathogens: infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) and viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV). Two IHNV isolates, representing the U and M genogroups, and one VHSV isolate from the IVa genotype were each delivered to groups of ammocoetes by immersion at moderate and high viral doses, and by intraperitoneal injection. Ammocoetes were then held in triplicate tanks with no substrate or sediment. During 41 d of observation postchallenge there was low or no mortality in all groups, and no virus was detected in the small number of fish that died. Ammocoetes sampled for incidence of infection at 6 and 12 d after immersion challenges also had no detectable virus, and no virus was detected in surviving fish from any group. A small number of ammocoetes sampled 6 d after the injection challenge had detectable virus, but at levels below the original quantity of virus injected. Overall there was no evidence of infection, replication, or persistence of any of the viruses in any of the treatment groups. Our results suggest that Pacific Lampreys are highly unlikely to serve as hosts that maintain or transmit these viruses.

Received May 25, 2013; accepted August 23, 2013
Reimagining Religious Identity: The Moor in Dutch and English Pamphlets, 1550–1620*
Authors: Waite Gary K.
Published: December 2013

This essay examines how Dutch and English vernacular writers portrayed the Moor in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, when their respective governments were engaged in diplomatic and trade discussions with Morocco. It aims for a better understanding of the difference in religious attitudes and cultures between these two Protestant realms by arguing that their respective approaches to internal religious toleration significantly influenced how their residents viewed Muslims. Dutch writers adopted a less hostile tone toward the Moor than English writers due to the republic’s principled defense of freedom of conscience, its informal system of religious toleration in the private sector, and its merchantRealpolitik. Unlike in England, Dutch conversos were allowed to be Jews. A number of Moroccan Muslims also resided in Holland, lobbying on behalf of the Muslim King of Morocco. The Moroccan Jewish Pallache family played prominent roles with the government and in two of the pamphlets examined here, including one that interprets a Moroccan civil war through the lens of demonic sorcery. So too did Jan Theunisz, a liberal Mennonite of Amsterdam who collaborated with both Jews and Muslims in his home. As Dutch citizens were adapting to a new religious environment that effectively privatized religious practice, they were better equipped than their English counterparts to acclimatize to Jews inside and the Moor outside their borders.
Eigenanalysis-based task mapping on parallel computers with cellular networks
Authors: Zhang Peng , Gao Yuxiang , Fierson Janet , Deng Yuefan
Published: December 2013

Through eigenanalysis of communication matrices, we develop a new objective function formulation for mapping tasks to parallel computers with cellular networks. This new formulation significantly speeds up the solution process through consideration of the symmetries in the supply matrix of a network and a transformation of the demand matrix of any application. The extent of the speedup is not easily obtainable through analytical means for most production networks. However, numerical experiments of mapping wave equations on 2D mesh onto 3D torus networks by simulated annealing demonstrate a far superior convergence rate and quicker escape from local minima with our new formulation than with the standard graph theory-based one.
Biological Therapy in a Pediatric Crohn Disease Population at a Referral Center
Authors: Nuti Federica , Viola Franca , Civitelli Fortunata , Alessandri Claudia , Aloi Marina , Dilillo Anna , Del Giudice Emanuela , Cucchiara Salvatore
Published: December 2013

Objective:

The antitumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) antibodies infliximab and adalimumab are effective in inducing and maintaining remission in pediatric patients with Crohn disease (CD). The aim of the study was to evaluate the long‐term efficacy and safety of biological therapy in pediatric patients with CD followed at a referral center.

Methods:

This work is a retrospective observational study enrolling patients with CD treated with infliximab or adalimumab beyond the induction protocol. The patients' data were collected from the unit's IBD database (maximum follow‐up evaluation after 36 months of treatment). The efficacy was evaluated by the Pediatric Crohn Disease Activity Index score and by analysis of the cumulative probability of continuing therapy; the safety was assessed in terms of adverse events.

Results:

We enrolled 78 patients; the mean therapy duration was 27.2 ± 16.7 months, and the mean age at enrollment was 15 ± 3.1 years. The Kaplan‐Meier analysis showed a cumulative probability of continuing therapy of 81%, 54%, and 33% at 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively, from the introduction of therapy. No association between the patients' baseline characteristics and the long‐term outcome was found. The evaluation of the concomitant therapy with immunomodulators and anti‐TNFα therapy versus anti‐TNFα alone did not show a different outcome. No serious adverse events were recorded.

Conclusions:

The study indicates that biological therapy is effective and safe in pediatric patients with CD in a longer follow‐up period. The response to treatment was not influenced by the patients' baseline characteristics or by the immunomodulator association.
Visual Accountability
Authors: Neyland Daniel , Coopmans Catelijne
Published: December 2013

In this article, we draw attention to the way in which accountability relations are manifested in and through the use of visual evidence. Through their status as representations of what is the case, evidentiary visual images frequently provide a basis for giving accounts and for raising questions regarding distributions of accountability. At the same time, and in a similar manner to numbers ( Munro, 2001 ), such images become part of organized relations of accountability that can be noted as having ‘hailing’ effects: they call for and prefigure a certain kind of response and dispersing of responsibility. Here we examine how the use of visual evidence is embedded in discursive and material practices that variously create or inhibit possibilities for questioning, or interrogating, this evidence. Drawing on elements of ethnomethodology and actor-network theory, we use ‘interrogation’ as the basis for depicting a three-part analytical schema focused on opening up, closing down and temporality to explore how visual accountability is worked out in surveillance, traffic management and breast screening images.
How does(n't) Urban Shrinkage get onto the Agenda? Experiences from Leipzig, Liverpool, Genoa and Bytom
Authors: Bernt Matthias , Haase Annegret , Großmann Katrin , Cocks Matthew , Couch Chris , Cortese Caterina , Krzysztofik Robert
Published: December 2013

This article discusses the question of how urban shrinkage gets onto the agenda of public‐policy agencies. It is based on a comparison of the agenda‐setting histories of four European cities, Liverpool (UK), Leipzig (Germany), Genoa (Italy) and Bytom (Poland), which have all experienced severe population losses but show very different histories with respect to how local governments reacted to them. We use the political‐science concepts of ‘systemic vs. institutional agendas’ and ‘policy windows’ as a conceptual frame to compare these experiences. The article demonstrates that shrinkage is hardly ever responded to in a comprehensive manner but rather that policies are only implemented in a piecemeal way in selected fields. Moreover, it is argued that variations in institutional contexts and political dynamics lead to considerable differences with regard to the chances of making shrinkage a matter of public intervention. Against this background, the article takes issue with the idea that urban shrinkage only needs to be ‘accepted’ by policymakers who would need to overcome their growth‐oriented cultural perceptions, as has been suggested in a number of recent writings, and calls for a more differentiated, context‐sensitive view.
When the Use of Positive Language Backfires: The Joint Effect of Tone, Readability, and Investor Sophistication on Earnings Judgments
Authors: TAN HUN‐TONG , YING WANG ELAINE , ZHOU BO
Published: December 2013

Recent studies document that market participants react positively to the positive language sentiment or tone embedded in financial disclosures, and that investors’ reactions to negative news are more muted with poor disclosure readability. However, while language sentiment and readability co‐occur in practice, their joint effects remain largely unexplored. In an experiment with MBA students as participants, we investigate how the effect of language sentiment varies with readability and investor sophistication level. We find that language sentiment influences investors’ judgments when readability is low, but not when readability is high. Specifically, when readability is low, disclosures couched in positive language lead to higher earnings judgments for less sophisticated investors, but lower earnings judgments for more sophisticated investors. These findings show that the main effects of readability and language sentiment documented in prior studies have boundary effects, and may reverse when both variables are jointly considered along with investor sophistication.
The psychologisation of employment relations?
Authors: Godard John
Published: December 2013

This article argues thatHRMis by nature a multidisciplinary subject area, and that it has traditionally been closely associated with the field of industrial relations (IR). However, it appears to have increasingly been taken over by industrial and organisational (I‐O) psychology, and in the process increasingly associated with organisational behaviour, which has also been taken over byI‐Opsychology. Coupled with the narrowing and marginalisation ofIR, this has meant an increasing ‘psychologisation’ not only of the study ofHRM, but of the study of employment relations in general. This article discusses why this appears to have been happening, what its implications might be and what (if anything) might be done about it. Focus is on developments withinNorthAmerica, although the issues raised apply, perhaps, to different degrees, across liberal market countries and possibly beyond.
Large Tetrapod Burrows from the Permian Naobaogou Formation of the Daqingshan Area, Nei Mongol, China
Authors: LIU Jun , LI Lu
Published: December 2013

Two new tetrapod burrow casts from the Naobaogou Formation (Middle or Late Permian) of Nei Mongol, China are described. It marks the first pre‐Cenozoic tetrapod burrow from China, and one of the earliest records of tetrapod burrows. Comparison to other Permian and Triassic burrows suggests that these burrows were created by tetrapod slightly smaller than Lystrosaurus. Deduced from the morphology and sizes of two burrows and known tetrapods of the Naobaogou Formation, the burrow should be the production of a therapsid, most likely a dicynodon. These burrows indicate a seasonal climate and this area was semiarid or arid during that time.
Early Miocene Mosses from Weichang, North China, and their Environmental Significance
Authors: GUO Caiqing , YAO Jianxin , WU Pengcheng , LI Chengsen
Published: December 2013

Twenty‐seven moss specimens collected from the Guangfayong section (Early Miocene, 22.1 Ma) of the Weichang District, North China were investigated in the present study. Based on the morphological and anatomical features of gametophytes, all specimens were found to belong to three species: Leptodictyum riparium, Drepanocladus subtrichophyllus sp. nov., and Amblystegium varium, all of which belong to the family Amblystegiaceae. The microhabitats and living environments of fossil mosses were also investigated based on comparison with living mosses. The results suggest that these mosses grew primarily at the edges of rivers, streams, and lakes and favored being submerged in streams or lakes in the Weichang District in the Early Miocene.
Digital Geological Mapping of Sinus Iridum Area of the Moon Based on the Chang'E‐I Data
Authors: DING Xiaozhong , HAN Kunying , PANG Jianfeng , WANG Liang , HAN Tonglin , JU Yuanjing , DING Weicui
Published: December 2013

Based on the CCD images, IIM data and DEM data of China's lunar exploration project (Chang'E‐I) and related processed and analytic results, an integrated study of regional geology of Sinus Iridum and its adjacent area was conducted, and a series of relevant researches and analyses were carried out, including analysis of impact craters and their extrusive and accumulative materials, division of stratigraphic and tectonic units and classification of rock types, integrated analysis of chronology and lunar evolution history. In consideration of crater's shape features, quantity and preserving status of filling materials, the lunar impact craters can be divided into 7 types and 11 subtypes, and the accumulative materials of craters are divided into 6 types and 9 accumulative groups. According to the content and distribution of TiO2 and image characteristics, the basalts are divided into high‐TiO2, medium‐TiO2 and low‐TiO2 basalts. Discussion was made on division of tectonic units and evolution features in the study area. The geological map of the Sinus Iridum Quadrangle (LQ‐4) at a scale of 1:2.5 M was preliminarily compiled with the ArcGIS system, and the spatial database of the map was established. Related technical specification, procedure and method for lunar geological mapping have been worked out, so as to lay a foundation for the forthcoming geological mapping of the global Moon in China by using the data of Chang'E‐II and also for comprehensive study and geological mapping of other celestial bodies in the future.
Phase Equilibria in the Ternary Systems KBr–K2B4O7–H2O and KCl–K2B4O7–H2O at 373 K
Authors: CUI Ruizhi , SANG Shihua , HU Yongxia , HU Jiawen
Published: December 2013

According to the compositions of the underground gasfield brines in the west of Sichuan Basin, the phase equilibria in the ternary systems KBr–K2B4O7–H2O and KCl–K2B4O7–H2O at 373 K were studied using the isothermal dissolution equilibrium method. The solubilities of salts and the densities of saturated solutions in these ternary systems were determined. Using the experimental data, phase diagrams and density‐composition diagrams were constructed. The two phase diagrams were simple co‐saturation type, each having an invariant point, two univariant curves and two crystallization regions. The equilibrium solid phases in the ternary system KBr–K2B4O7–H2O are potassium bromide (KBr) and potassium tetraborate tetrahydrate (K2B4O7·4H2O), and those in the ternary system KCl–K2B4O7–H2O are potassium chloride (KCl) and potassium tetraborate tetrahydrate (K2B4O7·4H2O). Comparisons of the phase diagrams of the two systems at different temperatures show that there is no change in the crystallization phases, but there are changes in the size of the crystallization regions. As temperature increases, the solubility of K2B4O7·4H2O increases rapidly, so the crystallization field of K2B4O7·4H2O becomes smaller.
Global Health and Emergency Care: A Postgraduate Medical Education Consensus‐based Research Agenda
Authors: Martin Ian B.K. , Jacquet Gabrielle A. , Levine Adam C. , Douglass Kate , Pousson Amelia , Dunlop Stephen , Khanna Kajal , Bentley Suzanne , Tupesis Janis P.
Published: December 2013

Global emergency medicine (EM) is a rapidly growing field within EM, as evidenced by the increasing number of trainees and clinicians pursuing additional experiences in global health and emergency care. In particular, many trainees now desire opportunities at the postgraduate level by way of global EM fellowship programs. Despite this growing popularity, little is known of the effects of postgraduate training in global health and emergency care on learners and patients in the United States and abroad. During the 2013 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference on global health and emergency care, a group of leading educators at the postgraduate medical education level convened to generate a research agenda of pressing questions to be answered in this area. The consensus‐based research agenda is presented in this article.
The Role of Graduate Medical Education in Global Health: Proceedings From the 2013 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference
Authors: Tupesis Janis P. , Jacquet Gabrielle A. , Hilbert SueLin , Pousson Amelia , Khanna Kajal , Ross Joshua , Butteris Sabrina , Martin Ian B.K.
Published: December 2013

The past 40 years have seen expanded development of emergency medicine (EM) postgraduate residency training programs worldwide. An important part of this educational experience is the ability of resident trainees to participate in experiences abroad. However, little is known about how these experiences shape trainees and the populations they serve. During the 2013 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference, a group of educators met to define and outline current trends in graduate medical education (GME) emergency care research. The authors discuss future research questions bridging the gap of GME and global health.
Emergency Care and Health Systems: Consensus‐based Recommendations and Future Research Priorities
Authors: Calvello Emilie J. B. , Broccoli Morgan , Risko Nicholas , Theodosis Christian , Totten Vicken Y. , Radeos Michael S. , Seidenberg Phil , Wallis Lee
Published: December 2013

The theme of the 14th annualAcademic Emergency Medicineconsensus conference was “Global Health and Emergency Care: A Research Agenda.” The goal of the conference was to create a robust and measurable research agenda for evaluating emergency health care delivery systems. The concept of health systems includes the organizations, institutions, and resources whose primary purpose is to promote, restore, and/or maintain health. This article further conceptualizes the vertical and horizontal delivery of acute and emergency care in low‐resource settings by defining specific terminology for emergency care platforms and discussing how they fit into broader health systems models. This was accomplished through discussion surrounding four principal questions touching upon the interplay between health systems and acute and emergency care. This research agenda is intended to assist countries that are in the early stages of integrating emergency services into their health systems and are looking for guidance to maximize their development and health systems planning efforts.
Does news play an important role in the correction process of the accrual anomaly?
Authors: Kang Pyung K. , Palmon Dan , Yezegel Ari
Published: December 2013

We examine whether the financial press plays an important role in the correction of the accruals anomaly. Using 83,016 Wall Street Journal news articles published during 1993–2006, we find that a significant fraction of abnormal returns associated with the accruals trading strategy is concentrated on news days. The clustering of returns on news announcements is consistent with the financial press revealing information valuable for the correction of accruals mispricing. Further, we find that earnings‐related news is more influential in the correction process than non‐earnings‐related news. Collectively, the results suggest that the financial press provides useful information to capital market participants.
Identification and genetic effect of a variable duplication in the promoter region of the cattle ADIPOQ gene
Authors: Zhang L. , Yang M. , Li C. , Xu Y. , Sun J. , Lei C. , Lan X. , Zhang C. , Chen H.
Published: December 2013

In cattle, the ADIPOQ gene is located in the vicinity of the quantitative trait locus (QTL) affecting marbling, the ribeye muscle area and fat thickness on BTA1. In our study, a novel variable duplication (NW_003103812.1:g.9232067_9232133dup) in the bovine ADIPOQ promoter region was identified and genotyped in seven Chinese cattle breeds. Using a reporter assay, we demonstrated that g.9232067_9232133dup decreased the basal transcriptional activity of the ADIPOQ gene in the 3T3‐L1 and C2C12 cells. Furthermore, g.9232067_9232133dup suppressed the mRNA expression of the gene in adipose and muscle tissues. An association analysis indicated that the incremental variable duplication was associated with body measurements.
Establishment of hemiparasitic Rhinanthus spp. in grassland restoration: lessons learned from sowing experiments
Authors: Mudrák Ondřej , Mládek Jan , Blažek Petr , Lepš Jan , Doležal Jiří , Nekvapilová Eliška , Těšitel Jakub
Published: December 2013

Questions

What are the factors limiting the establishment of hemiparasitic Rhinanthus spp., ecosystem engineers promoting diversity and stability of communities, in restoration of species‐rich meadows? How can these constraints be overcome?

Location

Czech Republic, Central Europe.

Methods

Sowing of Rhinanthus seeds in grasslands of different history, biotic and abiotic properties accompanied by a variety of management practices. Followed by consequent monitoring of establishment and population dynamics and synthesis of relevant literature resources.

Results

Appropriate timing of seed sowing is needed for successful Rhinanthus introduction. Rhinanthus seeds must be sown at latest in November to break their dormancy (valid for Central European populations; might be different e.g. in oceanic regions). Rhinanthus is able to establish a viable population mainly in low‐ to moderately‐productive grasslands with biomass production below 500 g·DW·m−2. Its establishment is difficult in grasslands of higher productivity due to the effect of competition for light on the seedlings. Rhinanthus requires grasslands with appropriate management including mowing and removal of litter, if it accumulates. Otherwise, the litter layer strongly suppresses seedling establishment. Litter removal can allow establishment even in some productive communities such as stands of Calamagrostis epigejos. However, early mowing (i.e. mowing conducted before ripening of seeds) can lead to a strong decline or even local eradication of the hemiparasitic annuals. Soil conditions on the site of seed origin and the target site can play an important role, as indicated by failures of establishment of Rhinanthus originating from slightly acidic soils on sites with soil pH values around 8. Suitability of a given site for Rhinanthus introduction can be estimated on the basis of its species composition using the Beals index or less formal expert knowledge of local floristic associations of Rhinanthus spp. In the case of suitable conditions, sowing density of 200–500 seeds·m−2 should be sufficient for Rhinanthus establishment.

Conclusion

Mowing or grazing, litter removal, proper timing of sowing, and use of the seeds from local seed sources should considerably increase probability of Rhinanthus successful introduction. However, stochastic events like adverse weather conditions or damage through herbivory make the prediction of introduction success difficult.
Functional diversity of ground‐layer plant communities in old‐growth and managed northern hardwood forests
Authors: Sabatini Francesco M. , Burton Julia I. , Scheller Robert M. , Amatangelo Kathryn L. , Mladenoff David J.
Published: December 2013

Questions

Do ecological sorting processes and functional diversity of forest ground‐layer plant communities vary among mature (65–85‐yr‐old) even‐aged, managed uneven‐aged and old‐growth forest stands? How does functional diversity relate to environmental variables within stands?

Location

Northern temperate deciduous forests of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA.

Methods

Ground‐layer species cover and light availability were measured at each of four old‐growth, even‐aged second‐growth, and managed uneven‐aged stands (n = 12 stands total). We used mixed‐effect models and fourth‐corner analysis to assess relationships among forest structure, species traits and the three components of functional diversity (functional richness, evenness, divergence) based on 32 leaf, reproductive and whole plant traits from 111 species.

Results

We identified differences in leaf phenology and morphology, life form and dispersal among stand types at the community level. Ground‐layer plant communities of even‐aged and uneven‐aged stands were at opposite ends of a spectrum of strategies aimed at tolerating stressful vs competitive environments, respectively. In even‐aged stands, communities were characterized by species adapted to relatively dark and closed conditions (heavy‐seeded tree saplings, spring ephemerals). In contrast, managed uneven‐aged stands were characterized by species with potential for quick returns on investment of nutrients and dry mass in leaves (i.e. early summer species with high specific leaf area, low leaf dry matter content and high phosphorus concentration). Old‐growth stands had fewer trait associations than managed stands, and were characterized by ferns and species with either ballistic or wind‐assisted seed dispersal. Functional diversity metrics were related in complex ways to light, management and soil texture. Managed stands had higher functional richness and divergence than old‐growth stands, which, instead, showed higher functional evenness.

Conclusions

Even‐aged and managed stands support ground‐layer species with a distinct set of traits relative to those found in old‐growth forests. Although there is broad interest in uneven‐aged management as a means to restore the structures and functions of old‐growth forests, uneven‐aged management does not, at least initially, produce ground‐layer plant communities more similar to old‐growth forests than even‐aged management.
Female vulnerability for thyroid function abnormality in bipolar disorder: role of lithium treatment
Authors: Özerdem Ayşegül , Tunca Zeliha , Çımrın Dilek , Hıdıroğlu Ceren , Ergör Gül
Published: December 2013

Background

Previous studies have provided evidence of subtle thyroid hormone metabolism abnormalities in patients with mood disorders. Although these studies are informative, the precise role of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐thyroid axis in bipolar disorder, especially in women, remains unclear. We sought to further corroborate thyroid function in patients with bipolar disorder in comparison to patients with other psychiatric, as well as non‐psychiatric, diagnoses.

Methods

In this retrospective, cross‐sectional, naturalistic study, serum thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in a total sample of 3,204 patients were compared. The study sample included patients with bipolar disorder (n = 469), unipolar depression (n = 615), and other psychiatric diagnoses (n = 999), patients from endocrinology clinics (n = 645), and patients from dermatology clinics (n = 476). Analyses were completed using two different normal ranges for TDH: a high normal range (0.4–5.0 μIU/mL) and a low normal range (0.3–3.0 μIU/mL).

Results

Patients with bipolar disorder showed significantly higher serum TSH levels compared to all other groups. In women, the rate of above normal range TSH was highest in patients with bipolar disorder for both high (5.0 μIU/mL; 12.1%) and low (3.0 μIU/mL; 30.4%) upper normal limits. In patients with bipolar disorder, serum TSH levels did not differ significantly between different mood states. In the lithium‐treated patients (n = 240), a significantly lower percentage of women (55.9%) compared to men (71.2%) fell within the 0.3–3.0 μIU/mL normal TSH window (p = 0.016). For the high normal range (0.4–5.0 μIU/mL), serum lithium levels above 0.8 mmol/L were associated with a significantly lower proportion of female patients (59.2%) falling within the normal range than male patients (88.9%). Non‐lithium treatment was not associated with a gender difference.

Conclusions

Our findings show a higher rate of TSH abnormality in patients with bipolar disorder, particularly those taking lithium, compared to those with other psychiatric and medical conditions. Lithium‐associated thyroid dysregulation occurs more frequently in female patients. Using the low normal range TSH values at follow‐up can increase sensitivity in recognizing hyperthyroidism in lithium‐treated female patients, and help in preventing the development of subclinical hypothyroidism and an adverse course of illness.
Inhibition of inflammasome activation improves the impaired pattern of healing in genetically diabetic mice
Authors: Bitto Alessandra , Altavilla Domenica , Pizzino Gabriele , Irrera Natasha , Pallio Giovanni , Colonna Michele R , Squadrito Francesco
Published: December 2013

Background and Purpose

Type 2 diabetes impairs the healing process because of an exaggerated and persistent inflammatory response, and an altered expression pattern of angiogenic molecules. We investigated the effects of inflammasome blockade in diabetes‐related wound‐healings defects, in genetically diabetic mice.

Experimental Approach

An incisional skin wound model was produced on the back of female diabetic C57BL/KsJ‐m +/+ Leptdb mice (db+/db+) and their normal littermates (db+/m+). Animals were treated daily with two inflammasome blocking agents, BAY 11‐7082 (20 mg·kg−1 i.p.), or Brilliant Blue G (BBG, 45.5 mg·kg−1 i.p.), or vehicle. Mice were killed on 3, 6 and 12 days after skin injury to measure expression of the NOD‐like receptor NLRP3, caspase‐1, VEGF, the inflammasome adapter protein apoptosis‐associated speck‐like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC) and the chemokine CXCL12. Wound levels of IL‐1β and IL‐18 were also measured, along with histological assessments of wound tissue and the time to complete wound closure.

Key Results

During healing, the diabetic mice exhibited increased activation of NLRP3, caspase‐1, ASC, IL‐1β and IL‐18. They also showed a reduced expression of VEGF and CXCL12.Treatment with BAY 11‐7082 or BBG, to block activation of the inflammasome, decreased the levels of pro‐inflammatory molecules. Histological evaluation indicated that inflammasome blockade improved the impaired healing pattern, at day 12 in diabetic mice, along with a decreased time to complete skin healing.

Conclusions and Implications

These data strongly suggest that activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is one of the key contributors to the delayed healing of wounds in diabetic mice.
Global Perspectives on Resilience in Children and Youth
Authors: Masten Ann S.
Published: December 2013

Global concerns about the consequences of disasters, political violence, disease, malnutrition, maltreatment, and other threats to human development and well‐being have sparked a surge of international interest in resilience science. This article highlights progress and issues in research that aims to understand variations in human adaptation to adverse experiences. Two key questions are considered: Why is a new wave of global research on resilience important for developmental science? and Why is developmental science important for global resilience? The conclusion calls for developmental scientists to engage in international efforts to promote resilience.
Crawling and Walking Infants See the World Differently
Authors: Kretch Kari S. , Franchak John M. , Adolph Karen E.
Published: December 2013

How does visual experience change over development? To investigate changes in visual input over the developmental transition from crawling to walking, thirty 13‐month‐olds crawled or walked down a straight path wearing a head‐mounted eye tracker that recorded gaze direction and head‐centered field of view. Thirteen additional infants wore a motion tracker that recorded head orientation. Compared to walkers, crawlers' field of view contained less walls and more floor. Walkers directed gaze straight ahead at caregivers, whereas crawlers looked down at the floor. Crawlers obtained visual information about targets at higher elevations—caregivers and toys—by craning their heads upward and sitting up to bring the room into view. Findings indicate that visual experiences are intimately tied to infants' posture.
Clinical significance of small airway obstruction markers in patients with asthma
Authors: Gonem S. , Natarajan S. , Desai D. , Corkill S. , Singapuri A. , Bradding P. , Gustafsson P. , Costanza R. , Kajekar R. , Parmar H. , Brightling C. E. , Siddiqui S.
Published: December 2013

Background

The role of small airway obstruction in the clinical expression of asthma is incompletely understood.

Objective

We tested the hypotheses that markers of small airway obstruction are associated with (i) increased asthma severity, (ii) impaired asthma control and quality of life and (iii) frequent exacerbations.

Methods

Seventy‐four adults with asthma and 18 healthy control subjects underwent impulse oscillometry (IOS), multiple breath inert gas washout (MBW), body plethysmography, single‐breath determination of carbon monoxide uptake and spirometry. Patients completed the six‐point Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ‐6) and standardized Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire [AQLQ(S)]. Asthma severity was classified according to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) treatment steps.

Results

The putative small airway obstruction markers Sacin, resistance at 5 Hz minus resistance at 20 Hz (R5‐R20) and reactance area (AX) were not independently associated with asthma severity, control, quality of life or exacerbations. In contrast, markers of total (R5) and mean airway resistance of large and small airways (R20) were significantly higher in the severe asthma group compared with the mild–moderate group (0.47 vs. 0.37, P < 0.05 for R5; 0.39 vs. 0.31, P < 0.01 for R20). The strongest independent contributors to ACQ‐6 score were R20 and forced expiratory volume in one second (% pred.), and the strongest independent contributors to AQLQ(S) score were R20 and forced vital capacity (% pred.). A history of one or more exacerbations within the previous year was independently associated with R20.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

Previously reported markers of small airway obstruction do not appear to be independently associated with asthma disease expression. In contrast, the IOS parameter R20, a marker of mean airway resistance of both large and small airways, appears to have independent clinical significance. These observations require confirmation in prospective longitudinal studies.
DFNB16 is a frequent cause of congenital hearing impairment: implementation of STRC mutation analysis in routine diagnostics
Authors: Vona B. , Hofrichter M.A.H. , Neuner C. , Schröder J. , Gehrig A. , Hennermann J.B. , Kraus F. , Shehata‐Dieler W. , Klopocki E. , Nanda I. , Haaf T.
Published: December 2013

Increasing attention has been directed toward assessing mutational fallout of stereocilin (STRC), the gene underlying DFNB16. A major challenge is due to a closely linked pseudogene with 99.6% coding sequence identity. In 94 GJB2/GJB6‐mutation negative individuals with non‐syndromic sensorineural hearing loss (NSHL), we identified two homozygous and six heterozygous deletions, encompassing the STRC region by microarray and/or quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis. To detect smaller mutations, we developed a Sanger sequencing method for pseudogene exclusion. Three heterozygous deletion carriers exhibited hemizygous mutations predicted as negatively impacting the protein. In 30 NSHL individuals without deletion, we detected one with compound heterozygous and two with heterozygous pathogenic mutations. Of 36 total patients undergoing STRC sequencing, two showed the c.3893A>G variant in conjunction with a heterozygous deletion or mutation and three exhibited the variant in a heterozygous state. Although this variant affects a highly conserved amino acid and is predicted as deleterious, comparable minor allele frequencies (MAFs) (around 10%) in NSHL individuals and controls and homozygous variant carriers without NSHL argue against its pathogenicity. Collectively, six (6%) of 94 NSHL individuals were diagnosed with homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations causing DFNB16 and five (5%) as heterozygous mutation carriers. Besides GJB2/GJB6 (DFNB1), STRC is a major contributor to congenital hearing impairment.
Comparison of three in vitro implant leakage testing methods
Authors: Al‐Jadaa Anas , Attin Thomas , Peltomäki Timo , Schmidlin Patrick R.
Published: December 2013

Aims

To assess the accuracy and sensitivity in detecting implants leakage with a gas‐enhanced permeation test (GEPT) and to compare with a molecular‐ and a bacterial‐based leakage tests.

Materials and methods

Three implants systems were tested (n = 20 per group): Nobel Biocare (NB), Astra Tech (AT) and Biomet 3i (B3i). Implants were mounted in PVC disks and were first tested for gas pressure change and infiltrated saline volume over 40 min. The same implants were then subjected to a molecular leakage evaluation using fluorescent Dextran for 28 days. After cleaning and sterilization, bacterial permeation (E. faecalis) was evaluated by selective media turbidity for another 28 days. Slopes in the pressure change and the perfused saline rate were used as a measure of leakage in the GEPT model and the times of positive events, that is, color change, after molecular and bacterial tests were recorded. Data were analyzed using Kolmogorov–Smirnov/Shapiro–Wilk, Kruskal–Wallis H and Spearman's Rho tests (P < 0.05).

Results

The gas and saline (ml) leakage values accounted for 0.85 ± 0.71 and 0.56 ± 0.50 ml (AT), 0.23 ± 0.030 and 0.12 ± 0.20 ml (NB) and 0.01 ± 0.01 and 0 ± 0 ml (B3i), respectively, and were significantly different from each other (P < 0.001). Slope in the pressure change over time showed a significant positive correlation with the collected saline solution (r = 0.91; P < 0.001). Molecular and bacterial leakage was positive at the same implants, which also showed increased leakage values in the GEPT setup. The development of positive events in the timeline of the bacterial leakage evaluation corresponded well to the GEPT leakage model.

Conclusion

The GEPT proved to be a reliable method to quantify leakage. The B3i showed the best sealing among the tested systems.
First report: robotic pelvic exenteration for locally advanced rectal cancer
Authors: Shin J. W. , Kim J. , Kwak J. M. , Hara M. , Cheon J. , Kang S. H. , Kang S. G. , Stevenson A. R. L. , Coughlin G. , Kim S. H.
Published: December 2013

Aim

The aim of this study was to present the feasibility and surgical outcome of robotic en bloc resection of the rectum and with prostate and seminal vesicle invaded by rectal cancer.

Method

The details of three consecutive cases involving male patients in their forties, with locally invasive low rectal cancers are presented. The da Vinci robotic system was used by experienced colorectal and urological surgeons to perform en bloc resection of the rectum, prostate and seminal vesicles.

Results

In the first case, coloanal and vesico‐urethral anastomoses were performed, and the second included an end colostomy and vesico‐urethral anastomosis. The bladder and bulbar urethra were also removed en bloc in the third case, with robotic intracorporeal ileal conduit formation and end colostomy. There was no major complication postoperatively. In the second patient there was a minor leakage at the vesico‐urethral anastomosis. The third was readmitted the following week with a urinary infection which settled with intravenous antibiotics. In the first case, the circumferential resection margin was microscopically positive but the patient is currently free of recurrence after 14 months. In the second and third cases, all margins were clear.

Conclusion

This the first report of the use of the da Vinci robotic system for pelvic exenteration in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer invading the prostate and seminal vesicles. The robot may have a potential role in selected patients requiring exenterative pelvic surgery particularly in men.
White Knights from the Gulf: Sovereign Wealth Fund Investment and the Evolution of German Industrial Finance
Authors: Haberly Daniel
Published: December 2013

The period leading up to and following the global financial crisis has been characterized by rising global financial diversity and multipolarity, a process underscored by the growth of so‐called sovereign wealth funds (SWFs). To date there has not been any systematic examination of the interactions between this rising global financial diversity and national economic institutional diversity. Here I apply an institutional “comparative capitalisms” perspective to the analysis of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) SWF investment in German industry since the onset of the global financial crisis. The evidence demonstrates that a growing number of German industrial firms—particularly the major automotive firms at the heart of German industry—have recruited long‐term GCC SWF investment as an adaptive response to the stresses of financial restructuring, most importantly the appearance of hostile takeovers as a feature of the German corporate governance landscape. These patterns lend partial support to “varieties of capitalism” (VOC) arguments that institutional complementarity and comparative institutional advantage are likely to produce path dependent trajectories of national institutional evolution. They also lend partial support to critiques of VOC, emphasizing, on the one hand, the importance of the Polanyian “double movement” of market expansion and containment and, on the other, the transnational foundations of national institutional diversity. I conclude that to fully explain these patterns, both VOC theories of institutional complementarity and comparative advantage, and Polanyian theories of the double movement, must be grounded in a “generalized Darwinian” analysis of population‐level selection dynamics.