bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brain hyper‐connectivity and operation‐specific deficits during arithmetic problem solving in children with developmental dyscalculia
Authors: Rosenberg‐Lee Miriam , Ashkenazi Sarit , Chen Tianwen , Young Christina B. , Geary David C. , Menon Vinod
Published: August 2014

Developmental dyscalculia (DD) is marked by specific deficits in processing numerical and mathematical information despite normal intelligence (IQ) and reading ability. We examined how brain circuits used by young children with DD to solve simple addition and subtraction problems differ from those used by typically developing (TD) children who were matched on age, IQ, reading ability, and working memory. Children with DD were slower and less accurate during problem solving than TD children, and were especially impaired on their ability to solve subtraction problems. Children with DD showed significantly greater activity in multiple parietal, occipito‐temporal and prefrontal cortex regions while solving addition and subtraction problems. Despite poorer performance during subtraction, children with DD showed greater activity in multiple intra‐parietal sulcus (IPS) and superior parietal lobule subdivisions in the dorsal posterior parietal cortex as well as fusiform gyrus in the ventral occipito‐temporal cortex. Critically, effective connectivity analyses revealed hyper‐connectivity, rather than reduced connectivity, between the IPS and multiple brain systems including the lateral fronto‐parietal and default mode networks in children with DD during both addition and subtraction. These findings suggest the IPS and its functional circuits are a major locus of dysfunction during both addition and subtraction problem solving in DD, and that inappropriate task modulation and hyper‐connectivity, rather than under‐engagement and under‐connectivity, are the neural mechanisms underlying problem solving difficulties in children with DD. We discuss our findings in the broader context of multiple levels of analysis and performance issues inherent in neuroimaging studies of typical and atypical development.
The volatile organic compounds of introduced and native dung and carrion and their role in dung beetle foraging behaviour
Authors: STAVERT JAMIE R. , DRAYTON BRADLEY A. , BEGGS JACQUELINE R. , GASKETT ANNE C.
Published: August 2014

1. The decomposition of biological material produces a plethora of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are implicated in the foraging behaviour of coprophagous and necrophagous insects. Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) have an acute olfactory system used to locate food resources. Accordingly, identification of food resource VOCs potentially used in food location is integral to understanding dung beetle foraging ecology.

2. In this study, volatile emissions from dung and carrion of native and introduced animals in New Zealand were analysed using solid‐phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). Volatile profiles were compared via principal component analyses (PCAs) and cluster solutions based on attractiveness using canonical discriminant analysis (CDA).

3. A total of 115 compounds were detected from 21 food types. Statistical analyses showed that dung and carrion volatile profiles clustered according to attractiveness to the dung beetle Saphobius edwardsi, and that different dung types formed distinct clusters and grouped separately from carrion.

4. This study suggests that volatile profiles emitted by food resources used by dung beetles are complex, producing distinct odours, which potentially mediate foraging decisions.
Natural selection acts in opposite ways on correlated hormonal mediators of prenatal maternal effects in a wild bird population
Authors: Tschirren Barbara , Postma Erik , Gustafsson Lars , Groothuis Ton G. G. , Doligez Blandine
Published: August 2014

Maternal hormones are important mediators of prenatal maternal effects. Although many experimental studies have demonstrated their potency in shaping offspring phenotypes, we know remarkably little about their adaptive value. Using long‐term data on a wild collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis) population, we show that natural selection acts in opposite ways on two maternally derived androgens, yolk androstenedione (A4) and yolk testosterone (T). High yolk A4 concentrations are associated with higher fitness, whereas high yolk T concentrations are associated with lower fitness. Natural selection thus favours females that produce eggs with high A4 and low T concentrations. Importantly, however, there exists a positive (non‐genetic) correlation between A4 and T, which suggests that females are limited in their ability to reach this adaptive optimum. Thereby, these results provide strong evidence for an adaptive value of differential maternal androgen deposition, and a mechanistic explanation for the maintenance of variation in maternal investment in the wild.
Experimental Change of the Orientation of Two Populations of Talitrus saltator (Crustacea Amphipoda Talitridae) from Cap Bon (North‐Eastern Tunisia)
Authors: El Gtari Mohamed , Bourigua Nawzet , Bouslama Mohamed Fadhel , Charfi‐Cheikhrouha Faouzia , Scapini Felicita
Published: August 2014

The orientation of sandhopper populations is adapted to the direction of the shoreline of the sandy beaches where they live; this behaviour was shown to be inherited in some Mediterranean populations. The question was open whether this behaviour could be adaptively modified in case of changing shoreline or passive transfer to a new differently oriented shoreline. The Cap Bon beaches in north‐eastern Tunisia are particularly interesting because they belong to two different Mediterranean Basins, the central and the eastern one, and their supra‐tidal populations do not come together. This work verified the effect of experimental change of the shoreline direction in two populations of Talitrus saltator from Cap Bon (north‐eastern Tunisia) through a displacement experiment. We transferred samples of T. saltator from two different localities (Korba and Ratiba) from their original beach to the familiar one and tested their solar and landscape orientation on the new beach that had an almost opposite direction with respect to the previous one. The comparisons of the results on the home beach and the new one confirmed the use of the solar compass in both populations, as well as the importance of landscape view and optical local sky factor in adjusting the escape direction. In both populations, an increase of scatter was observed on the new beach, especially when individuals could see the landscape. Also, a clear behavioural difference between the two populations was recorded, being Ratiba population not significantly oriented to the shoreline when tested on the unfamiliar beach, while Korba population maintained its home direction also on the new beach.
On the Advantages of Mixed‐Species Groups: Impalas Adjust Their Vigilance When Associated With Larger Prey Herbivores
Authors: Pays Olivier , Ekori Alice , Fritz Hervé
Published: August 2014

Prey can obtain valuable benefits from associating with other species if heterospecifics help to detect predators or locate good food patches. In mixed‐species groups, how species respond to the presence of other species remains a poorly explored question although it might give crucial insights into mechanisms underlying the interspecific coexistence. We studied temporary mixed‐species groups of large herbivores inHwangeNationalPark (Zimbabwe) between the common impala (Aepyceros melampus), the focal species here, and bigger species including the plains zebra (Equus quagga), the greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) or the blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus). In theHwange savanna, the focal and smaller species are exposed to a larger range of predators than the associated species. In this context, we investigated how impalas adjusted their vigilance with group size comparing impala‐only and mixed‐species groups and whether the identity of heterospecifics affected vigilance of impalas. Our study showed that the time impalas spent in vigilance significantly decreased with group size when they formed impala‐only groups, whereas it did not significantly vary with group size in mixed‐species groups. Moreover, in mixed‐species groups, impalas did not adjust their time spent in vigilance with the proportion of conspecifics and the identity of the associated species. Thus, the mechanism underlying the difference of impalas' behavioural adjustment of vigilance with group size between single‐ and mixed‐species groups seemed to be related to the presence but not to the number and the identity of heteropecifics. Finally, we discuss the concept that larger and dominant heterospecifics were likely to increase competition for food access, thereby forcing higher vigilance of impalas, outweighing any reduction from collective vigilance.
Nonselective computed tomography angiography for detecting arterial blood flow to the distal limb following trauma in two small equids
Authors: Walker W. T. , Ducharme N. G. , Tran J. , Scrivani P. V.
Published: August 2014

Two equids weighing <250 kg were examined several days after suffering severe mid‐diaphyseal dorsal metatarsal lacerations. Distal limb vascular disruption was suspected in both cases. Nonselective computed tomography angiography with contrast medium injected peripherally via the jugular veins was used to evaluate the vascular supply to the distal limb. The use of this imaging technique demonstrated either intact or disrupted distal limb vasculature. The imaging results were verified with a positive long‐term outcome in the case with a diagnosis of an intact vasculature and with histological findings of avascular necrosis in the case with a diagnosis of disrupted vasculature.
Outsourcing and Firm Productivity in a Specific Local Production System: Evidence from Reggio Emilia (Italy)
Authors: Antonioli Davide , Mazzanti Massimiliano , Montresor Sandro , Pini Paolo
Published: August 2014

This paper investigates the impact of outsourcing on the labor productivity of firms in a specific local production system. A number of hypotheses about the location‐specific effects of outsourcing are put forward and tested on a sample of firms in the province of Reggio Emilia (within the Emilia‐Romagna region, in North‐East Italy). The relationship between outsourcing and productivity turns out positive only if considering the externalization of high value‐added activities. On the contrary, it is negative in the case of low value‐added activities. This occurs to a greater extent for firms in mature industrial districts, whose socio‐economic conditions however do not arrive to magnify the productivity premium of externalizing high value‐added ones. The technological innovativeness of the firms instead helps with that, pointing to a developmental use of outsourcing in the area.
JSAP1 and JLP are required for ARF6 localization to the midbody in cytokinesis
Authors: Tuvshintugs Baljinnyam , Sato Tokiharu , Enkhtuya Radnaa , Yamashita Katsumi , Yoshioka Katsuji
Published: August 2014

The ADP‐ribosylation factor 6 (ARF6) GTPase is important in cytokinesis and localizes to the midbody. However, the mechanism and regulation of ARF6's recruitment to the midbody are largely unknown. Here, we investigated the functions of two binding partners of active ARF6, c‐Jun NH2‐terminal kinase (JNK)/stress‐activated protein kinase‐associated protein 1 (JSAP1) and JNK‐associated leucine zipper protein (JLP), by gene knockout and rescue experiments in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Depleting both JSAP1 and JLP impaired ARF6's localization to the midbody and delayed cytokinesis. These defects were almost completely rescued by wild‐type JSAP1 or JLP, but not by JSAP1 or JLP mutants that were unable to interact with active ARF6 or with the kinesin heavy chain (KHC) of kinesin‐1. In transfected cells, a constitutively active form of ARF6 associated with KHC only when co‐expressed with wild‐type JSAP1 or JLP and not with a JSAP1 or JLP mutant. These findings suggest that JSAP1 and JLP, which might be paralogous to each other, are critical and functionally redundant in cytokinesis and control ARF6 localization to the midbody by forming a tripartite complex of JSAP1/JLP, active ARF6, and kinesin‐1.
The Stroke ‘Act FAST’ Campaign: Remembered but Not Understood?
Authors: Dombrowski Stephan U. , White Martin , Mackintosh Joan E. , Gellert Paul , Araujo-Soares Vera , Thomson Richard G. , Rodgers Helen , Ford Gary A. , Sniehotta Falko F.
Published: August 2014

Background

The stroke awareness raising campaign ‘Act FAST’ (Face, Arms, Speech: Time to call Emergency Medical Services) has been rolled out in multiple waves in England, but impact on stroke recognition and response remains unclear.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to test whether providing knowledge of the FAST acronym through a standard Act FAST campaign leaflet increases accurate recognition and response in stroke-based scenario measures.

Methods

This is a population-based, cross-sectional survey of adults in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, sampled using the electoral register, with individuals randomized to receive a questionnaire and Act FAST leaflet ( n = 2500) or a questionnaire only ( n = 2500) in 2012. Campaign message retention, stroke recognition, and response measured through 16 scenario-based vignettes were assessed. Data were analyzed in 2013.

Results

Questionnaire return rate was 32·3% ( n = 1615). No differences were found between the leaflet and no-leaflet groups in return rate or demographics. Participants who received a leaflet showed better campaign recall (75·7% vs. 68·2%, P = 0·003) and recalled more FAST mnemonic elements (66·1% vs. 45·3% elements named correctly, P < 0·001). However, there were no between-group differences for stroke recognition and response to stroke-based scenarios ( P > 0·05).

Conclusions

Despite greater levels of recall of specific ‘Act FAST’ elements among those receiving the Act FAST leaflet, there was no impact on stroke recognition and response measures.
Midgut lysozymes of Lucilia sericata – new antimicrobials involved in maggot debridement therapy
Authors: Valachova I. , Takac P. , Majtan J.
Published: August 2014

Larvae of Lucilia sericata are used for maggot debridement therapy (MDT) because of their ability to remove necrotic tissue and eradicate bacterial pathogens of infected wounds. So far, very few antibacterial factors have been fully characterized (eg lucifensin). Using a molecular approach, some other putative antimicrobial compounds, including three novel lysozymes, have been previously identified and predicted to be involved in MDT. Nevertheless, data on lysozymes tissue origin and their functions have never been elucidated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the expression of three lysozymes in L. sericata and confirm their antibacterial effects within MDT. Moreover, we characterized the eradication process of bacteria within the digestive system of maggots and determined the role of lysozymes in this process. We found that three lysozymes are expressed in specific sections of the L. sericata midgut. Recombinant lysozymes displayed comparable antibacterial activity against Micrococcus luteus. Furthermore, the majority of Gram‐positive bacteria were destroyed in vivo within the particular section of the L. sericata midgut where lysozymes are produced. Larval ingestion and subsequent eradication of wound pathogens during their passage through the intestine of maggots are due to, at least in part, antibacterial action of three midgut lysozymes.
Estimation of ancestral inbreeding effects on stillbirth, calving ease and birthweight in German Holstein dairy cattle
Authors: Hinrichs D. , Bennewitz J. , Wellmann R. , Thaller G.
Published: August 2014

In this study, the effect of different measurements of ancestral inbreeding on birthweight, calving ease and stillbirth were analysed. Three models were used to estimate the effect of ancestral inbreeding, and the estimated regression coefficient of phenotypic data on different measurements of ancestral inbreeding was used to quantify the effect of ancestral inbreeding. The first model included only one measurement of inbreeding, whereas the second model included the classical inbreeding coefficients and one alternative inbreeding coefficient. The third model included the classical inbreeding coefficients, the interaction between classical inbreeding and ancestral inbreeding, and the classical inbreeding coefficients of the dam. Phenotypic data for this study were collected from February 1998 to December 2008 on three large commercial milk farms. During this time, 36 477 calving events were recorded. All calves were weighed after birth, and 8.08% of the calves died within 48 h after calving. Calving ease was recorded on a scale between 1 and 4 (1 = easy birth, 4 = surgery), and 69.95, 20.91, 8.92 and 0.21% of the calvings were scored with 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The average inbreeding coefficient of inbred animals was 0.03, and average ancestral inbreeding coefficients were 0.08 and 0.01, depending on how ancestral inbreeding was calculated. Approximately 26% of classically non‐inbred animals showed ancestral inbreeding. Correlations between different inbreeding coefficients ranged between 0.46 and 0.99. No significant effect of ancestral inbreeding was found for calving ease, because the number of animals with reasonable high level of ancestral inbreeding was too low. Significant effects of ancestral inbreeding were estimated for birthweight and stillbirth. Unfavourable effects of ancestral inbreeding were observed for birthweight. However, favourable purging effects were estimated for stillbirth, indicating that purging could be partly beneficial for genetic improvement of stillbirth.
Commentary: Response to commentary by Rutter on Munafo et al. (2014)
Authors: Munafò Marcus R. , Zammit Stanley , Flint Jonathan
Published: August 2014

Rutter's commentary (Rutter, 2014) on our article (Munafò et al., 2014) provides us the opportunity to clarify some issues that he (and therefore, we suspect, others) may have misunderstood.
Combined use of basal insulin analog and acarbose reduces postprandial glucose in patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes
Authors: Kim Ji‐Hyun , Ahn Ji‐Hyun , Kim Soo‐Kyung , Lee Dae‐Ho , Kim Hye‐Soon , Shon Ho‐Sang , Jeon Hyun‐Jeong , Kim Tae‐Hwa , Cho Yong‐Wook , Kim Jae‐Taek , Han Sung‐Min , Chung Choon‐Hee , Ryu Ohk‐Hyun , Lee Jae‐Min , Lee Soon‐Hee , Kwon Min‐Jeong , Kim Tae‐kyun , Namgoong Il‐Seong , Kim Eun‐Sook , Jung In‐Kyung , Moon Sung‐Dae , Han Je‐Ho , Kim Chong‐Hwa , Cho Eun‐Hee , Kim Ki‐Young , Park Hee‐Baek , Lee Ki‐Sang , Lee Sung‐Woo , Lee Sang‐Cheol , Kang Cheol‐Min , Jeon Byung‐Sook , Song Min‐Seop , Yun Seung‐Baik , Chung Hyung‐Keun , Seong Jong‐Ho , Jeong Jin‐Yi , Cha Bong‐Yun
Published: August 2014

Aims/Introduction

Early initiation of basal insulin therapy is recommended for normalizing fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, basal insulin treatment might not adequately control postprandial glucose levels. The present study evaluated whether the combination of the α‐glucosidase inhibitor, acarbose, and basal insulin improved blood glucose control under daily‐life treatment conditions in a large sample of Korean patients.

Materials and Methods

The present study was a multicenter, prospective, observational study under daily‐life treatment conditions. A total of 539 patients with type 2 diabetes who were treated with basal insulin and additional acarbose were enrolled and followed up for 20 weeks. Changes in hemoglobin A1c, fasting and postprandial blood glucose were evaluated at baseline and at the end of the observation period. The physician and patient satisfaction of the combination treatment and safety were assessed.

Results

Hemoglobin A1c decreased by 0.55 ± 1.05% from baseline (P < 0.0001). Fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels were reduced by 0.89 ± 3.79 and 2.59 ± 4.77 mmol/L (both P < 0.0001). The most frequently reported adverse drug reactions were flatulence (0.37%) and abnormal gastrointestinal sounds (0.37%), and all were mild in intensity and transient. In the satisfaction evaluation, 79.0% of physicians and 77.3% of patients were ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ with the combined basal insulin and acarbose therapy.

Conclusions

Combination therapy of basal insulin and acarbose in patients with type 2 diabetes improved glucose control, and had no drug‐specific safety concerns, suggesting that the treatment might benefit individuals who cannot control blood glucose with basal insulin alone.
Effects of sitagliptin on ectopic fat contents and glucose metabolism in type 2 diabetic patients with fatty liver: A pilot study
Authors: Watanabe Takahiro , Tamura Yoshifumi , Kakehi Saori , Funayama Takashi , Gastaldelli Amalia , Takeno Kageumi , Kawaguchi Minako , Yamamoto Risako , Sato Fumihiko , Ikeda Shin‐ichi , Taka Hikari , Fujimura Tsutomu , Fujitani Yoshio , Kawamori Ryuzo , Watada Hirotaka
Published: August 2014

Aims/Introduction

Recent data have shown that ectopic fat accumulation in the liver worsens hepatic glucose metabolism, suggesting that fatty liver in patients with type 2 diabetes is a therapeutic target. Glucagon‐like peptide (GLP)‐1 improves fatty liver, but the effect of dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor on fatty liver is still unclear. The present pilot study determined the effects of 12‐week treatment with sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor, on liver fat content in type 2 diabetes with fatty liver. We also evaluated intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) and glucose kinetics during oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) before and after the treatment.

Materials and Methods

The study participants were seven type 2 diabetes patients with fatty liver who were studied at baseline and 12 weeks after sitagliptin treatment. Intrahepatic lipid (IHL) and IMCL were assessed by 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Glucose kinetics was assessed during double‐tracer OGTT (U‐[13C]‐glucose orally and 6,6‐[2H2]‐glucose intravenously).

Results

Sitagliptin significantly reduced glycated hemoglobin (from 7.1 ± 0.2 to 6.5 ± 0.3%, P < 0.005), but had no effects on IHL and IMCL. The glucose level diminished, whereas GLP‐1 concentration increased during OGTT at the end of treatment. These changes were not accompanied by significant changes in insulin or glucagon levels. However, long‐term sitagliptin treatment partially decreased the rate of appearance of oral glucose during OGTT, but did not affect endogenous glucose production or the rate of disappearance.

Conclusions

It was found that 12‐week sitagliptin treatment improved glycated hemoglobin and glucose excursion during OGTT in type 2 diabetes with fatty liver, independent of changes in lipid accumulation in the liver. This trial was registered with the Japan Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN‐CTR000005666).
Effect of plant oils on quality parameters of Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) reared on liquid larval diet
Authors: Khan M.
Published: August 2014

Liquid larval diets have been developed for several tephritid fruit flies including Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Frogatt) (Q‐fly). In liquid diets, wheat germ oil (WGO) is usually added to improve performance in some quality parameters of reared flies, especially flight ability. However, for some flies, other plant oils may be more readily available, cheaper or produce flies of superior performance. In the present study, four alternative types of plant oils – rice bran, canola, vegetable, and sesame – were incorporated into a fruit fly liquid larval diet to replace the currently used wheat germ oil and their efficacy on the quality parameters of reared Q‐fly was compared to diets containing wheat germ oil or no oil. The quality parameters included: total pupal yield (N), pupal recovery (%), larval duration (days), pupal weight (mg), adult emergence (%), adult fliers (%), rate of fliers (%), sex ratio (%), F1 egg/female/day and egg hatching (%). There were significant differences among treatments in performance of Q‐fly. Vegetable oil appeared better in terms of total pupal yield, percentage of pupal recovery, percentage of adult emergence, percentage of fliers, mean egg/female/day and % F1 egg hatch compared with other oil treatments, especially from that of WGO treated diet. The result suggests that WGO can be substituted with rice bran and vegetable oil to improve the liquid larval diet for rearing of B. tryoni, with vegetable oil being the best replacement.
Commercial Yellow Sticky Strips more attractive than yellow boards to western cherry fruit fly (Dipt., Tephritidae)
Authors: Yee W. L.
Published: August 2014

Bright yellow sticky rectangles made of paper boards were previously identified as the most effective traps for capturing western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens Curran (Dipt., Tephritidae). However, no data on the effectiveness of commercial sticky yellow plastic traps against R. indifferens have been reported. In tests conducted in sweet cherry trees [Prunus avium (L.) L.] in Washington state (USA) using ammonium carbonate as the chemical lure, commercial plastic ‘Yellow Sticky Strips’ made of translucent high‐impact polystyrene captured ~two or three times more flies than commercial sticky yellow‐folded Pherocon® AM and Alpha Scents boards. Yellow Sticky Strips also minimized captures of non‐target flies and bees per surface area compared with Pherocon®AM and/or Alpha Scents boards. Trap size and adhesive type were not factors for greater catches of R. indifferens. However, more flies were caught on the shade‐facing side of Yellow Sticky Strips, which was brightly illuminated, than on the shade‐facing side of boards, which was darker, suggesting differential light passage was a factor. The Yellow Sticky Strips could be very useful for monitoring R. indifferens in detection programmes and based on the results of this study can replace yellow boards. They are also useful because they are relatively unattractive to non‐target insects.
Reproduction of an arboreal aphid pest, Elatobium abietinum, is altered under drought stress
Authors: Banfield‐Zanin J. A. , Leather S. R.
Published: August 2014

Climate change in the UK is predicted to increase both winter temperatures and the frequency of summer drought events. Elatobium abietinum, the green spruce aphid, is the most important defoliating pest of Sitka spruce, Picea sitchensis, a conifer very widely used in British forest industry. This aphid is expected to respond strongly to altered climate, with changes to population densities leading to more frequent serious outbreaks and defoliation. The impact of simulated spring–summer drought on the reproductive performance of E. abietinum was investigated under laboratory conditions. Rates were assessed under five drought treatments of differing frequencies and intensities to characterize the direction of responses under different drought scenarios, and in time‐staggered trials to explore seasonal variation. Variation in the response of reproduction to water deficit was mediated by drought frequency and magnitude. Low‐amplitude, moderate intermittent stress improved reproductive rates, while severe stress, both continuous and high‐amplitude intermittent, had a detrimental impact when compared with observations made on well‐watered controls. Season was also found to modify the response, with improvements to plant nutritional quality under high‐amplitude stress reflected by improving reproduction. Despite this, no differences in rates were found during the autumn, suggesting no advancement in spruce dormancy under drought. Drought stress therefore has the potential to alter E. abietinum population densities, structure and phenology in Sitka spruce plantations, with implications for forest management, damage levels and natural control of the aphid under future altered climate.
Isolation and characterization of 16 polymorphic microsatellite loci for Euchiloglanis kishinouyei
Authors: Li Y. , Wang J. , Zhao K. , Xie B. , Peng Z.
Published: August 2014

A total of 16 novel polymorphic microsatellite marker loci were isolated from a genomic library of Euchiloglanis kishinouyei and further characterized using a sample from a wild population consisting of 40 individuals. The number of alleles among loci ranged from three to 17 and the observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0·030 to 0·950 and 0·163 to 0·980, respectively. The average polymorphic information content (PIC) of all loci was 0·450.
A new metric for measuring condition in large predatory sharks
Authors: Irschick D. J. , Hammerschlag N.
Published: August 2014

A simple metric (span condition analysis; SCA) is presented for quantifying the condition of sharks based on four measurements of body girth relative to body length. Data on 104 live sharks from four species that vary in body form, behaviour and habitat use (Carcharhinus leucas, Carcharhinus limbatus, Ginglymostoma cirratum and Galeocerdo cuvier) are given. Condition shows similar levels of variability among individuals within each species. Carcharhinus leucas showed a positive relationship between condition and body size, whereas the other three species showed no relationship. There was little evidence for strong differences in condition between males and females, although more male sharks are needed for some species (e.g. G. cuvier) to verify this finding. SCA is potentially viable for other large marine or terrestrial animals that are captured live and then released.
Does reduced feeding prior to release improve the marine migration of hatchery brown trout Salmo trutta smolts?
Authors: Davidsen J. G. , Daverdin M. , Sjursen A. D. , Rønning L. , Arnekleiv J. V. , Koksvik J. I.
Published: August 2014

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that hatchery brown trout Salmo trutta smolts, with 50% reduced or no feeding over the last 5 months before release, were more likely to migrate to the sea than individuals with standard feeding ratios. The juvenile fish were divided into three groups 176 days before release: (A) with no feeding, (B) with 50% and (C) with 100% feeding. To study their seaward migration, 40 fish from each feeding group were tagged with acoustic transmitters and tracked by automatic listening stations in the River Nidelva, Trondheim, Norway, its estuary and in the nearest marine environment. At the time of release, mean condition factor was significantly lower in group A and the fish from groups A and B had higher levels of Na+, K+‐ATPase. Significantly more fish from group A migrated to the sea, but the rate of downstream progression from release to the estuary did not differ between the three groups. In conclusion, the S. trutta smolts with no access to food in the last 176 day before release were more likely to migrate to the sea. Fish from all three feeding groups, however, appeared to smoltify and had the same rate of downstream progression to the estuary. This indicates that differences in migratory behaviour between individuals from the three feeding groups begin from the time when the fish reach saline waters. It is suggested that feeding in hatcheries has to be greatly reduced (by 50% or more) over several months to have a pronounced effect on the migratory behaviour in S. trutta.
A dogma‐breaking concept: glutamate oxidation in astrocytes is the source of lactate during aerobic glycolysis in resting subjects
Authors: Dienel Gerald A. , McKenna Mary C.
Published: August 2014

Read the full article ‘Glutamate synthesis has to be matched by its degradation–where do all the carbons go?’ on doi: 10.1111/jnc.12812.
Inflation Risk in Corporate Bonds
Authors: KANG JOHNNY , PFLUEGER CAROLIN E.
Published: August 2014

We argue that corporate bond yields reflect fears of debt deflation. When debt is nominal, unexpectedly low inflation increases real liabilities and default risk. In a real business cycle model with optimal but infrequent capital structure choice, more uncertain or procyclical inflation leads to quantitatively important increases in corporate log yields in excess of default‐free log yields. A panel of credit spread indexes from six developed countries shows that credit spreads rise by 14 basis points if inflation volatility or the inflation‐stock correlation increases by one standard deviation.
The Pricing of Mortgage Insurance Premiums Under Systematic and Idiosyncratic Shocks
Authors: Pu Ming , Fan Gang‐Zhi , Ban Chunsheng
Published: August 2014

The recent financial crisis has posed new challenges to the pricing issue of mortgage insurance premiums. By extending an option‐based approach to this pricing issue, we attempt to tackle several key challenges including the clustering of mortgage defaults, the diversification effect of underlying property pools, and mortgage insurers' information advantages. Our model partitions the volatility of collateralized property prices into idiosyncratic volatility and systematic volatility. Our results demonstrate that although the rising number of pooled mortgage loans can reduce the volatility of average default losses, the increasing correlation between the collateralized properties can lead to the volatility clustering of these losses.
Who is Changing Health Insurance Coverage? Empirical Evidence on Policyholder Dynamics
Authors: Christiansen Marcus C. , Eling Martin , Schmidt Jan‐Philipp , Zirkelbach Lorenz
Published: August 2014

Long‐term health insurance contracts provide policyholders with the option of lapsing coverage or switching to another tariff within the same insurance company. We empirically analyze policyholder behavior regarding contract commitment in a large data set of German private health insurance contracts. We show that short‐term as well as long‐term premium development, along with premium adjustment frequency, affect lapse and tariff switch rates. Moreover, the sales channel has a strong impact on switching behavior, indicating that policyholder choice is not fully independent of sales representatives. Our results are important for risk assessment and risk management of portfolios of health insurance contracts and provide better understanding of the dynamics of policyholder behavior in health insurance.
The Cost of Counterparty Risk and Collateralization in Longevity Swaps
Authors: Biffis Enrico , Blake David , Pitotti Lorenzo , Sun Ariel
Published: August 2014

Derivative longevity risk solutions, such as bespoke and indexed longevity swaps, allow pension schemes, and annuity providers to swap out longevity risk, but introduce counterparty credit risk, which can be mitigated if not fully eliminated by collateralization. We examine the impact of bilateral default risk and collateral rules on the marking to market of longevity swaps, and show how longevity swap rates must be determined endogenously from the collateral flows associated with the marking‐to‐market procedure. For typical interest rate and mortality parameters, we find that the impact of collateralization is modest in the presence of symmetric default risk, but more pronounced when default risk and/or collateral rules are asymmetric. Our results suggest that the overall cost of collateralization is comparable with, and often much smaller than, that found in the interest rate swaps market, which may then provide the appropriate reference framework for the credit enhancement of both indemnity‐based and indexed longevity risk solutions.
Pressure‐induced Vasodilation and Reactive Hyperemia at Different Depths in Sacral Tissue Under Clinically Relevant Conditions
Authors: Bergstrand Sara , Källman Ulrika , Ek Anna‐Christina , Lindberg Lars‐Göran , Engström Maria , Sjöberg Folke , Lindgren Margareta
Published: August 2014

Objective

To characterize PIV and RH at different sacral tissue depths in different populations under clinically relevant pressure exposure.

Methods

Forty‐two subjects (<65 years), 38 subjects (≥65 years), and 35 patients (≥65 years) participated. Interface pressure, skin temperature, and blood flow at tissue depths of 1, 2, and 10 mm (using LDF and PPG) were measured in the sacral tissue before, during, and after load in a supine position.

Results

Pressure‐induced vasodilation and RH were observed at three tissue depths. At 10 mm depth, the proportion of subjects with a lack of PIV was higher compared to superficial depths. The patients had higher interface pressure during load than the healthy individuals, but there were no significant differences in blood flow. Twenty‐nine subjects in all three study groups were identified with a lack of PIV and RH.

Conclusions

Pressure‐induced vasodilation and RH can be observed at different tissue depths. A lack of these responses was found in healthy individuals as well as in patients indicating an innate susceptibility in some individuals, and are potential important factors to evaluate in order to better understand the etiology of pressure ulcers.
Pretreatment of Human Cerebrovascular Endothelial Cells with CO‐releasing Molecule‐3 Interferes with JNK/AP‐1 Signaling and Suppresses LPS‐induced Proadhesive Phenotype
Authors: Serizawa Fukashi , Patterson Eric , Potter Richard F. , Fraser Douglas D. , Cepinskas Gediminas
Published: August 2014

Objective

Exogenously administered CO interferes with PMN recruitment to the inflamed organs. The mechanisms of CO‐dependent modulation of vascular proadhesive phenotype, a key step in PMN recruitment, are unclear.

Methods

We assessed the effects/mechanisms of CO liberated from a water‐soluble CORM‐3 on modulation of the proadhesive phenotype in hCMEC/D3 in an in vitro model of endotoxemia. To this end, hCMEC/D3 were stimulated with LPS (1 μg/mL) for six hours. In some experiments hCMEC/D3 were pretreated with CORM‐3 (200 μmol/L) before LPS‐stimulation. PMN rolling/adhesion to hCMEC/D3 were assessed under conditions of laminar shear stress (0.7 dyn/cm2). In parallel, expression of adhesion molecules E‐selectin, ICAM‐1, and VCAM‐1 (qPCR), activation of transcription factors, NF‐κB and AP‐1 (ELISA), and MAPK‐signaling (expression/phosphorylation of p38, ERK1/2, and JNK1/2; western blot) were assessed.

Results

The obtained results indicate that CORM‐3 pretreatment reduces PMN rolling/adhesion to LPS‐stimulated hCMEC/D3 (p < 0.05). Decreased PMN rolling/adhesion to hCMEC/D3 was associated with CORM‐3‐dependent inhibition of MAPK JNK1/2 activation (Tyr‐phosphorylation), inhibition of transcription factor, AP‐1 (c‐Jun phosphorylation), and subsequent suppression of VCAM‐1 expression (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

These findings indicate that CORM‐3 pretreatment interferes with JNK/AP‐1 signaling and suppresses LPS‐induced upregulation of the proadhesive phenotype in hCMEC/D3.
Plant defence suppression is mediated by a fungal sirtuin during rice infection by Magnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Fernandez Jessie , Marroquin‐Guzman Margarita , Nandakumar Renu , Shijo Sara , Cornwell Kathryn M. , Li Gang , Wilson Richard A.
Published: August 2014

Crop destruction by the hemibiotrophic rice pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae requires plant defence suppression to facilitate extensive biotrophic growth in host cells before the onset of necrosis. How this is achieved at the genetic level is not well understood. Here, we report that a M. oryzae sirtuin, MoSir2, plays an essential role in rice defence suppression and colonization by controlling superoxide dismutase (SOD) gene expression. Loss of MoSir2 function in Δsir2 strains did not affect appressorial function, but biotrophic growth in rice cells was attenuated. Compared to wild type, Δsir2 strains failed to neutralize plant‐derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) and elicited robust defence responses in rice epidermal cells that included elevated pathogenesis‐related gene expression and granular depositions. Deletion of a SOD‐encoding gene under MoSir2 control generated Δsod1 deletion strains that mimicked Δsir2 for impaired rice defence suppression, confirming SOD activity as a downstream output of MoSir2. In addition, comparative protein acetylation studies and forward genetic analyses identified a JmjC domain‐containing protein as a likely target of MoSir2, and a Δsir2 Δjmjc double mutant was restored for MoSOD1 expression and defence suppression in rice epidermal cells. Together, this work reveals MoSir2 and MoJmjC as novel regulators of early rice cell infection.
Substrate recognition by the bacterial type II secretion system: more than a simple interaction
Authors: Pineau Camille , Guschinskaya Natalia , Robert Xavier , Gouet Patrice , Ballut Lionel , Shevchik Vladimir E.
Published: August 2014

Type II secretion system (T2SS) is a multiprotein trans‐envelope complex that translocates fully folded proteins through the outer membrane of Gram‐negative bacteria. Although T2SS is extensively studied in several bacteria pathogenic for humans, animals and plants, the molecular basis for exoprotein recruitment by this secretion machine as well as the underlying targeting motifs remain unknown. To address this question, we used bacterial two‐hybrid, surface plasmon resonance, in vivo site‐specific photo‐cross‐linking approaches and functional analyses. We showed that the fibronectin‐like Fn3 domain of exoprotein PelI from Dickeya dadantii interacts with four periplasmic domains of the T2SS components GspD and GspC. The interaction between exoprotein and the GspC PDZ domain is positively modulated by the GspD N1 domain, suggesting that exoprotein secretion is driven by a succession of synergistic interactions. We found that an exposed 9‐residue‐long loop region of PelI interacts with the GspC PDZ domain. This loop acts as a specific secretion signal that controls exoprotein recruitment by the T2SS. Concerted in silico and in vivo approaches reveal the occurrence of equivalent secretion motifs in other exoproteins, suggesting a plausible general mechanism of exoprotein recruitment by the T2SS.
Mechanism of mate detection in parasitoid wasps: sound and vibratory cues change with the developmental progress of future mates inside host pupal cases
Authors: Danci Adela , Inducil Cesar , Takács Stephen , Schaefer Paul W. , Gries Gerhard
Published: August 2014

Insects including parasitoid wasps use acoustic and vibratory signals in the context of sexual communication, mate recognition, courtship and mating. Males of the parasitoid wasp Pimpla disparis Viereck (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) detect insect host pupae parasitized by a conspecific female, learn their location, visit them repeatedly and remain on or near them when the prospective mate nears emergence. In the present study, the acoustic and vibratory cues that males exploit to detect the presence and track the developmental progress of a future mate inside a host pupal case are investigated. Responses are acquired from developing parasitoids (DePa) by airborne sound and laser Doppler vibrometer recordings, after gently stimulating each of 20 wax moth host pupae with a paintbrush on days 1–23 post parasitism. Sound and vibratory cues produced by DePa are detectable from day 7 onward and relate mostly to spinning movements. Parameters of sound and vibratory cues (amplitude, dominant frequency, upper limit of frequency band) change significantly over time and thus could ‘inform’ a visiting adult male about the stage of development of DePa. Adult males antennating a parasitized pupa and flying around it also induce vibrations, which in turn may inform DePa about the presence of a male. There is no experimental evidence for true signalling and rapid information exchange between DePa and adult males. Delaying reply signals may help DePa avoid attacks by illicit receivers of such signals, including female (hyper)parasitoids and invertebrate predators.
Self‐aggregation of Synthetic Zinc Chlorophyll Derivatives Possessing 31‐Hydroxy or Methoxy Group and 131‐Mono‐ or Dicyanomethylene Moiety in Nonpolar Organic Solvents as Models of Chlorosomal Bacteriochlorophyll‐d Aggregates
Authors: Tamiaki Hitoshi , Kuno Masaki , Ohata Masaki
Published: August 2014

Methyl 131‐(di)cyanomethylene‐pyropheophorbides were synthesized by Knoevenagel reactions of the corresponding 131‐oxo‐chlorins prepared from modifying chlorophyll‐a with malononitrile or cyanoacetic acid. Alternatively, methyl 131‐cyanomethylene‐pyropheophorbides were produced by Wittig reactions of 131‐oxo‐chlorins with Ph3P=CHCN. Self‐aggregation of zinc complexes of the semi‐synthetic chlorophyll derivatives possessing a hydroxy or methoxy group at the 31‐position was examined in 1%(v/v) tetrahydrofuran or dichloromethane and hexane by electronic absorption and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Although intermolecular hydrogen‐bonding between the 31‐hydroxy and 131‐oxo groups of bacteriochlorophylls‐c/d/e/f was essential for their self‐aggregation in natural light‐harvesting antenna systems (=chlorosomes), zinc 31‐hydroxy‐131‐di/monocyanomethylene‐chlorins self‐aggregated in the less/lesser polar organic solvents to form chlorosome‐like large oligomers in spite of lacking the 131‐oxo moiety as the hydrogen‐bonding acceptor. Zinc 31‐methoxy‐131‐dicyanomethylene‐chlorin gave similar self‐aggregates regardless of lack of both the 31‐hydroxy and 131‐oxo groups. The present self‐aggregation was ascribable to stronger coordination of the 31‐oxygen atom to the central zinc than the conventional systems, where the electron‐withdrawing cyano group(s) increased the coordinative ability of the central zinc through the chlorin π‐system.
Xa39, a novel dominant gene conferring broad‐spectrum resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae in rice
Authors: Zhang F. , Zhuo D.‐L. , Zhang F. , Huang L.‐Y. , Wang W.‐S. , Xu J.‐L. , Vera Cruz C. , Li Z.‐K. , Zhou Y.‐L.
Published: August 2014

Bacterial blight (BB), caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), is one of the most devastating rice diseases worldwide. In this study, a rice introgression line (IL), FF329, which was identified from a BC1F4 population derived from the cross between donor PSBRC66 (P66) and recipient Huang‐Hua‐Zhan (HHZ), exhibited a typical hypersensitive response (HR) when inoculated with all 21 representative Xoo strains, consisting of 14 Philippines races and seven Chinese pathotypes. By contrast, the parents were highly susceptible to 10 of the tested strains and resistant or moderately susceptible to 11 strains, but without HR symptoms. Genetic analysis of the F2 population derived from the HHZ/FF329 cross with virulent Philippines race 6 (P6) and Chinese pathotype V (CV) revealed that BB resistance in FF329 was controlled by a single dominant gene. Because FF329 showed broad‐spectrum BB resistance, different from both parents, the gene identified was novel and was designated Xa39. Two SSR markers, RM21 and RM206, located on rice chromosome 11, were linked to the target gene by bulked segregant analysis. A further six markers linked to Xa39 were identified in the region between RM21 and RM206 for fine gene mapping, and the Xa39 locus was refined to a 97·4 kb interval flanked by markers RM26985 and DM13 using a large F2 population. This gene provides rice breeders with a new option to incorporate BB resistance into newly developed cultivars.
Goal‐directed EEG activity evoked by discriminative stimuli in reinforcement learning
Authors: Luque David , Morís Joaquín , Rushby Jacqueline A. , Le Pelley Mike E.
Published: August 2014

In reinforcement learning (RL), discriminative stimuli (S) allow agents to anticipate the value of a future outcome, and the response that will produce that outcome. We examined this processing by recording EEG locked to S during RL. Incentive value of outcomes and predictive value of S were manipulated, allowing us to discriminate between outcome‐related and response‐related activity. S predicting the correct response differed from nonpredictive S in the P2. S paired with high‐value outcomes differed from those paired with low‐value outcomes in a frontocentral positivity and in the P3b. A slow negativity then distinguished between predictive and nonpredictive S. These results suggest that, first, attention prioritizes detection of informative S. Activation of mental representations of these informative S then retrieves representations of outcomes, which in turn retrieve representations of responses that previously produced those outcomes.