bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The North Wyke Farm Platform: effect of temperate grassland farming systems on soil moisture contents, runoff and associated water quality dynamics
Authors: Orr R. J. , Murray P. J. , Eyles C. J. , Blackwell M. S. A. , Cardenas L. M. , Collins A. L. , Dungait J. A. J. , Goulding K. W. T. , Griffith B. A. , Gurr S. J. , Harris P. , Hawkins J. M. B. , Misselbrook T. H. , Rawlings C. , Shepherd A. , Sint H. , Takahashi T. , Tozer K. N. , Whitmore A.P. , Wu L. , Lee M. R. F.
Published: June 2016

The North Wyke Farm Platform was established as a United Kingdom national capability for collaborative research, training and knowledge exchange in agro‐environmental sciences. Its remit is to research agricultural productivity and ecosystem responses to different management practices for beef and sheep production in lowland grasslands. A system based on permanent pasture was implemented on three 21‐ha farmlets to obtain baseline data on hydrology, nutrient cycling and productivity for 2 years. Since then two farmlets have been modified by either (i) planned reseeding with grasses that have been bred for enhanced sugar content or deep‐rooting traits or (ii) sowing grass and legume mixtures to reduce nitrogen fertilizer inputs. The quantities of nutrients that enter, cycle within and leave the farmlets were evaluated with data recorded from sensor technologies coupled with more traditional field study methods. We demonstrate the potential of the farm platform approach with a case study in which we investigate the effects of the weather, field topography and farm management activity on surface runoff and associated pollutant or nutrient loss from soil. We have the opportunity to do a full nutrient cycling analysis, taking account of nutrient transformations in soil, and flows to water and losses to air. The NWFP monitoring system is unique in both scale and scope for a managed land‐based capability that brings together several technologies that allow the effect of temperate grassland farming systems on soil moisture levels, runoff and associated water quality dynamics to be studied in detail.

Highlights

Can meat production systems be developed that are productive yet minimize losses to the environment?

The data are from an intensively instrumented capability, which is globally unique and topical.

We use sensing technologies and surveys to show the effect of pasture renewal on nutrient losses.

Platforms provide evidence of the effect of meteorology, topography and farm activity on nutrient loss.
Cautious Crows: Neophobia in Torresian Crows (Corvus orru) Compared with Three Other Corvoids in Suburban Australia
Authors: Brown Matthew J. , Jones Darryl N.
Published: July 2016

Corvids (Family: CORVIDAE) are a clade of some 120 species widespread throughout much of the world that have attracted the interest of researchers due to their impressive cognitive abilities. The group is, however, also generally described as neophobic, a trait that increases the difficulty of undertaking such research. In Australia, Torresian crows (Corvus orru) have, like corvid species worldwide, thrived in urban environments, sharing this habitat with a number of other corvoid (Superfamily: CORVOIDEA) species. While each of these species has successfully colonised urban areas, the extent to which neophobia is present is not known. This study empirically tested the extent to which neophobia is exhibited in wild urban Torresian crows by measuring the delaying effect of a novel object to obtaining food and any changes in neophobic behaviours displayed. This was then compared with the other urban corvoid species that inhabit similar niches. This study confirmed that Torresian crows are significantly wary of a novel objects, displaying more neophobic behaviours and taking longer to attain the food. Crow behaviour provided evidence in support of both the dangerous niche hypothesis and the two‐factor model of neophobia and neophilia. Crows also displayed these behaviours to a significantly greater extent than the three other corvoids studied. However, the individual variation in crow behaviours when exposed to a novel object was extensive. This variation may be attributed to differing behavioural types between individuals, or different experiences with novel objects or humans in the bird's past.
The political ecology of gear bans in two fisheries: Florida's net ban and Alaska's Salmon wars
Authors: Loring Philip A
Published: June 2016

Parametric management in fisheries, which describes the management of how, where and when fishing occurs, is often essential for achieving sustainability. Changes to these parameters likely have impacts on stakeholders, however, for example through the costs and allocative consequences of spatial restrictions or gear changes. Here, I discuss two cases where gear bans have been implemented or proposed in response to conservation concerns: the commercial net ban enacted in Florida in 1995 and the failed ban on set gill‐nets in parts of Alaska. The two cases are remarkably similar, although the outcomes were quite different because of the social context of each fishery. Lessons from the Florida ban, which resulted in numerous negative social and ecological impacts, are informative regarding the impacts that likely would have accompanied the Alaska ban, had it proceeded. In both cases, the gear bans have had or were poised to have notable impacts on allocation, but scientific evidence for their necessity was limited. These cases show how ethical considerations can be inseparable from the ecological aspects of managing fisheries, and that when communities grapple with the sustainability of fisheries, they are simultaneously seeking to define the socially acceptable uses of those resources. I suggest a set of questions that can be asked when proposing parametric changes to fisheries, including how those changes will impact social well‐being and community resilience. These are questions that I argue must be addressed if both ethical and sustainable fisheries are the goal.
Rapid climate‐driven loss of breeding habitat for Arctic migratory birds
Authors: Wauchope Hannah S. , Shaw Justine D. , Varpe Øystein , Lappo Elena G. , Boertmann David , Lanctot Richard B. , Fuller Richard A.
Published: June 2016

Millions of birds migrate to and from the Arctic each year, but rapid climate change in the High North could strongly affect where species are able to breed, disrupting migratory connections globally. We modelled the climatically suitable breeding conditions of 24 Arctic specialist shorebirds and projected them to 2070 and to the mid‐Holocene climatic optimum, the world's last major warming event ~6000 years ago. We show that climatically suitable breeding conditions could shift, contract and decline over the next 70 years, with 66–83% of species losing the majority of currently suitable area. This exceeds, in rate and magnitude, the impact of the mid‐Holocene climatic optimum. Suitable climatic conditions are predicted to decline acutely in the most species rich region, Beringia (western Alaska and eastern Russia), and become concentrated in the Eurasian and Canadian Arctic islands. These predicted spatial shifts of breeding grounds could affect the species composition of the world's major flyways. Encouragingly, protected area coverage of current and future climatically suitable breeding conditions generally meets target levels; however, there is a lack of protected areas within the Canadian Arctic where resource exploitation is a growing threat. Given that already there are rapid declines of many populations of Arctic migratory birds, our results emphasize the urgency of mitigating climate change and protecting Arctic biodiversity.
Climate warming and heat waves affect reproductive strategies and interactions between submerged macrophytes
Authors: Li Zhongqiang , He Liang , Zhang Huan , Urrutia‐Cordero Pablo , Ekvall Mattias K. , Hollander Johan , Hansson Lars‐Anders
Published: June 2016

Extreme climatic events, such as heat waves, are predicted to increase in frequency and intensity during the next hundred years, which may accelerate shifts in hydrological regimes and submerged macrophyte composition in freshwater ecosystems. Since macrophytes are profound components of aquatic systems, predicting their response to extreme climatic events is crucial for implementation of climate change adaptation strategies. We therefore performed an experiment in 24 outdoor enclosures (400 L) separating the impact of a 4 °C increase in mean temperature with the same increase, that is the same total amount of energy input, but resembling a climate scenario with extreme variability, oscillating between 0 °C and 8 °C above present conditions. We show that at the moderate nutrient conditions provided in our study, neither an increase in mean temperature nor heat waves lead to a shift from a plant‐dominated to an algal‐dominated system. Instead, we show that species‐specific responses to climate change among submerged macrophytes may critically influence species composition and thereby ecosystem functioning. Our results also imply that more fluctuating temperatures affect the number of flowers produced per plant leading to less sexual reproduction. Our findings therefore suggest that predicted alterations in climate regimes may influence both plant interactions and reproductive strategies, which have the potential to inflict changes in biodiversity, community structure and ecosystem functioning.
Whose voices? Patient and public involvement in clinical commissioning
Authors: O'Shea Alison , Chambers Mary , Boaz Annette
Published: June 2016

Aim

This paper aims to explore patient and public representation in a NHS clinical commissioning group and how this is experienced by staff and lay members involved.

Background

Patient and public involvement is believed to foster greater public representativeness in the development and delivery of health care services. However, there is widespread debate about what representation is or what it should be. Questions arise about the different constructions of representation and the representativeness of patients and the public in decision‐making structures and processes.

Design

Ethnographic, two‐phase study involving twenty‐four observations across two types of clinical commissioning group meetings with patient and public involvement, fourteen follow‐up interviews with NHS staff and lay members, and a focus group with five lay members.

Results

Perceptions of what constitutes legitimate representativeness varied between respondents, ranging from representing an individual patient experience to reaching large numbers of people. Consistent with previous studies, there was a lack of clarity about the role of lay members in the work of the clinical commissioning group.

Conclusions

Unlike previous studies, it was lay members, not staff, who raised concerns about their representativeness and legitimacy. Although the clinical commissioning group provides resources to support patient and public involvement, there continues to be a lack of clarity about roles and scope for impact. Lay members are still some way from constituting a powerful voice at the table.
Financial incentives to work: A quasi‐experimental analysis of in‐work cash benefits for single mothers
Authors: Achdut Netta
Published: July 2016

This study examined the effectiveness of a voluntary welfare‐to‐work programme nationally implemented in Israel in 2003 and 2004. The programme included temporary in‐work benefits in the form of cash bonuses for single mothers who were receiving Income Support Benefits in 2003, when a far reaching change in the Income Support Scheme was implemented. The study focused on the effect of the bonuses on employment rate, earnings, earnings improvement and welfare exit. Based on administrative data and Propensity Score Matching, the evaluation included all single mothers who participated in the voluntary programme and a comparison group of eligible single mothers who did not participate. The programme had a positive long‐term effect on employment, earnings and earnings improvement among single mothers. However, it had no effect on their rate of exit from the Income Support Programme.
Locking the Borders
Authors: Buzby Amy
Published: June 2016

This paper highlights the means for the exclusion of groups deemed undesirable within the Lockean liberal tradition, particularly as the American Federalists modified it. It further explores the consequences of the practical application of this vision for immigration in the American case. The author contends that controversies about immigration in America demonstrate a deeply communitarian strain within Lockean liberalism that feeds rationalized exclusionary practice. This argument turns on an analysis of liberal theories of consent in Locke and early American thinkers. The goal of the paper is to make the Lockean tradition and its American adaptations speak more clearly about immigration, so that the issue can be better defined. In framing both the use and abuse of immigrants and the foundations of such behavior as problematic, the author hopes to provoke fresh thinking about the nature of and possible solutions to American exclusionism.
Laser Desorption Ionization Time‐of‐Flight Mass Spectrometry of Glasses and Amorphous Films from Ge–As–Se System
Authors: Šútorová Katarína , Prokeš Lubomír , Nazabal Virginie , Baudet Emeline , Havel Josef , Němec Petr
Published: June 2016

Laser Desorption Ionization Time‐of‐Flight Mass Spectrometry was exploited for the characterization of Ge–As–Se chalcogenide glasses and corresponding thin films fabricated using pulsed laser deposition. Main achievement of the paper is the determination of laser generated clusters’ stoichiometry. The clusters observed were Asb+ (b = 1–3), Se2−, binary AsbSe+ (b = 1–3), AsbSec− (b = 1–3, c = 1–4), Ge2Sec− (c = 2–3), As3Se2+, Ge2Asb− (b = 2–3), Ge3Asb− (b = 1–2), Ge3Se4−, As5Sec− (c = 4–5), GeAsSe4−, GeaAsSe5− (a = 1–4), GeAs2Se3−, GeAs3Se2−, Ge2As2Se2−, Ge2AsSec− (c = 6–7), and GeAs3Sec− (c = 5–6) (in positive as well as in negative ion mode). The stoichiometries of identified species are compared with the structural units of the glasses/thin films revealed via Raman scattering spectra analysis. Some species are suggested to be fragments of bulk glass as well as thin films. Described method is useful also for the evaluation of the contamination of chalcogenide glasses or their thin films.
Chemical Expansion of Yttrium‐Doped Barium Zirconate and Correlation with Proton Concentration and Conductivity
Authors: Han Donglin , Hatada Naoyuki , Uda Tetsuya
Published: June 2016

Y‐doped BaZrO3 (BZY) is a promising candidate as an electrolyte in fuel cells, and attracts increasing attention. In this work, a systematic investigation was performed on microstructure, proton concentration, proton conductivity, and hydration induced chemical expansion in Y‐doped BaZrO3. The results revealed that the bimodal microstructure in BaZr0.85Y0.15O3−δ was composed of large grains with composition close to the nominal value, and fine grains with large compositional discrepancy. This property is considered to be one of the evidences of phase separation at lower temperature than sintering temperature (1600°C), which hinders the grain growth. Thermal expansion coefficient of BZY was measured for various dopant level, and was determined to be around 10−5 K−1 in wet and dry argon atmosphere. In addition, chemical expansion effect due to hydration was confirmed by HT‐XRD in dry and wet Ar atmospheres, and suggests an interesting relationship between the lattice change ratio and proton concentration, in the BZY system with different Y content. The change ratio of lattice constant due to hydration increased obviously with the proton concentration for the sample containing the Y content of 0.02 and 0.05, but only changed slightly when the Y content was increased to 0.1 and 0.15. However, when the Y content was further increased over 0.2, the change ratio of lattice constant due to hydration starts to increase obviously again. Such results indicate a high possibility that the stable sites of protons in BZY changed with the variation in Y content.
Justice, Injustice, and Critical Potential Beyond Borders: A Multi‐Dimensional Affair
Authors: Ronzoni Miriam
Published: July 2016

Until fairly recently, positions within the global justice debate have been quite polarised along the statism/cosmopolitanism dichotomy. Recently, the dichotomy has been challenged (although somewhat unsystematically), but the idea that the proximity of a view to cosmopolitanism also tracks its critical potential in political terms has not. This article rejects this premise. In order to do so, it also provides a novel, more systematic challenge to the statism/cosmopolitanism dichotomy. The main suggestion is that we should consider two aspects simultaneously, and identify positions within the debate on the basis of how they relate to both of these. First of all, participants in the debate can make three different kinds of claims, which I shall call moral, political, and institutional. Secondly, views position themselves within a spectrum in each of the three dimensions, rather than deciding between cosmopolitanism and statism – and at different at different points of the spectrum with regard to their moral, political, and institutional commitments respectively. This account gives us a better grasp of what taking a stand in the global justice entails. Crucially, it enables us to understand that the transformative and critical potential of a specific view depends on a variety of factors, and not only on its stand at the moral level. One can be fairly critical of the status quo without endorsing a cosmopolitan, or even nearly cosmopolitan, moral outlook. In short, the moral story is not the whole story.
DLQI as a major criterion for introduction of systemic agents in patients with mild psoriasis
Authors: Mermin D. , Boursault L. , Milpied B. , Taieb A. , Ezzedine K. , Seneschal J.
Published: June 2016

Background

Psoriasis is a skin inflammatory chronic disease with negative physical, psychological and social repercussions for those affected. However, patients suffering from mild disease also complain about negative impact on their quality of life, making it difficult for physicians to choose the best treatment strategy.

Objectives

Understanding the impact of systemic treatments on Quality of Life (QoL) in patients with mild psoriasis in daily practice.

Methods

This is a monocentric retrospective study analysing patients affected by mild psoriasis [Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) ≤ 6]. Patients were divided into two groups, depending on the treatment decision taken by the physicians: patients who received local and/or UV light therapies and patients who were treated with systemic therapies as a first choice. PASI and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores were measured at each visit.

Results

Patients who received systemic therapies as a first choice reported higher QoL impairment, mainly due to psoriasis lesions localized on visible areas. During Follow‐up, this group showed better improvement of PASI score and DLQI compared to patients receiving local and/or UV light treatment.

Conclusions

Our findings highlight the potential benefit of using systemic therapies in patients with mild psoriasis and high QoL impairment. This study will help physicians to make the right therapeutic decision in patients suffering from mild psoriasis.
Optimization of Microwave Pretreatment Variables for Canola Oil Extraction
Authors: Ramos L.B. , Sánchez R.J. , De Figueiredo A.K. , Nolasco S.M. , Fernández M.B.
Published: June 2016

The influence of microwave pretreatment on the oil yield (solvent extraction) and oil quality of canola was studied. Response surface methodology was used to analyze the variables of microwave pretreatment, working with two microwave powers 80 and 100% (457 and 607 W, respectively, referred absorbed power of 1 L of water). The independent variables were initial moisture content (5–10% dry basis) and pretreatment time (10–350 s), considering five levels. Second‐order polynomial equations were used for oil yield, and first‐order polynomial for final moisture content. The response models obtained were validated with independent experiments. Under optimal pretreatment conditions, no significant differences were detected in acidity, fatty acid profile and tocopherol content between the unpretreated and pretreated samples. However, significant differences were observed for peroxide index.

Practical Applications

Canola oil is classified as one of the healthiest vegetable oils due to its fatty acid composition (low in saturated fatty acids and high in essential fatty acids). Vegetable oils are conventionally obtained by pressing or solvent extraction, the latter being the more efficient method. However, the use of organic solvents has some disadvantages such as health and safety issues, emission of volatile organic compounds, high operating costs and poor oil quality caused by the high temperatures of the process. Microwave pretreatment applied to canola seeds is a new technique that offers shorter processing times and lower energy consumption and provides better yields within short times and with reduced solvent use in the extraction step, maintaining the quality of the oil.
Online Discriminant Model of Blood Spot Eggs Based on Spectroscopy
Authors: Zhu Zhi‐Hui , Li Wan‐Qing , Wang Qiao‐Hua , Tang Yong , Cao Fan‐Long , Ma Rui
Published: June 2016

To explore the best method for online detection of blood spot eggs, fiber‐optic spectrometer was used to collect the transmission spectra of eggs. Three different kinds of wavebands were extracted using competitive adaptive reweighed sampling (CARS), interval partial least squares (IPLS) and successive projections algorithm (SPA), respectively. The discrimination results of the models established with partial least square discriminant analysis (PLSDA) and support vector machine (SVM) showed that the CARS‐screened wavebands had the best modeling results. Through stepwise Bayes discriminant analysis (SBDA) based on the spectral characteristic variables of CARS, five wavelength variables (509, 511, 526, 571 and 599 nm) were determined to be the characteristic variables for the detection of blood spot eggs finally. The detection accuracy of blood spot eggs and normal eggs by Bayes discriminant model using these five variables was 95%. These results show that stepwise Bayes discriminant model can effectively simplify the characteristic wavebands and improve the prediction accuracy, indicating that it can be applied to the real‐time online detection of blood spot eggs.

Practical Applications

This study explore three different kinds of spectral characteristic variables were extracted using CARS, IPLS and SPA, respectively, only five characteristic variables are required in the stepwise Bayes discriminant model. This model can avoid the influence of excessive spectral variables on the accuracy of the model, so it is feasible to apply this model to real‐time online detection of blood spot eggs.
Microstructure of a granular amorphous silica ceramic synthesized by spark plasma sintering
Authors: RÖDING M. , DEL CASTILLO L.A. , NYDÉN M. , FOLLINK B.
Published: June 2016

We study the microstructure of a granular amorphous silica ceramic material synthesized by spark plasma sintering. Using monodisperse spherical silica particles as precursor, spark plasma sintering yields a dense granular material with distinct granule boundaries. We use selective etching to obtain nanoscopic pores along the granule borders. We interrogate this highly interesting material structure by combining scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray computed nanotomography and simulations based on random close packed spherical particles. We determine the degree of anisotropy caused by the uni‐axial force applied during sintering, and our analysis shows that our synthesis method provides a means to avoid significant granule growth and to fabricate a material with well‐controlled microstructure.
Natural Resource Contests and Precolonial Institutions in Papua New Guinea
Authors: Larcom Shaun
Published: July 2016

This paper investigates the role that precolonial institutions play in relation to postcolonial natural resource ownership contests. Papua New Guinea provides a unique case study, as it is recorded as having the most decentralized precolonial political institutions of any postcolonial state. After an examination of its precolonial institutions, colonial land policy and three case studies, it is concluded that persistent highly decentralized customary political units, coupled with customary notions of inalienability of land and overlaid with a state property rights regime, lead to resource contests. It is concluded that resource ownership contests can have serious adverse consequences for resource management and that they are not easily overcome.
Effectiveness of Balloon Angioplasty in Children With Recurrent Aortic Coarctation Depends on the Type of Aortic Arch Pathology
Authors: Herzog Stefanie , Dave Hitendu , Schweiger Martin , Hübler Michael , Quandt Daniel , Kretschmar Oliver , Knirsch Walter
Published: June 2016

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of balloon angioplasty (BAP) for recurrent aortic coarctation (ReCoA) in infants comparing simple and complex type of aortic arch pathology (Norwood I procedure).

Background

ReCoA is a known complication after cardiovascular surgery for coarctation of the aortic arch.

Methods and Results

In a single center case study, we analyzed 20 infants undergoing BAP for ReCoA comparing simple (n = 10) and complex type of aortic arch pathology (n = 10). At catherization diameter of ReCoA stenosis was 3.2 ± 0.7 mm (mean ± SD) with short localized (11/20) or long hypoplastic stenosis (9/20) before and 4.8 ± 1.2 mm after BAP (P < 0.001). Invasive systolic pressure gradient was reduced from 27.5 ± 16.2 mmHg before to 5.1 ± 6.6 mmHg after BAP (P < 0.001), comparable in simple and complex type of ReCoA. At day 1 after catherization noninvasive systolic arterial blood pressure gradient was reduced from 20.2 ± 23.1 to 6.7 ± 9.9 mmHg (P < 0.001), respectively, calculated continuous wave Doppler echo gradient from 36.3 ± 22 to 16.8 ± 9.6 mmHg (P < 0.01). Complications were aortic arch dissection (1/20), discrete aortic arch aneurysm formation (1/20), pericardial effusion (1/20), and peripheral arterial thrombosis (4/20). At a mid‐term follow up of 9.5 months (1–40) after BAP, 3 infants needed early surgical reintervention due to secondary ReCoA, all with long hypoplastic aortic arch segments, but simple type of aortic arch pathology.

Conclusions

At mid‐term follow up, BAP remains an effective catheter intervention for ReCoA for infants with localized ReCoA, but not with long hypoplastic aortic arch segments, even in simple type of aortic arch pathology.
Effect of NADPH–cytochrome P450 reductase on all-trans-retinoic acid efficacy and cytochrome P450 26A1 expression in human myeloid leukaemia HL-60 cells
Authors: Hu Lei , Lv Jin-Feng , Zhuo Wei , Zhang Cong-Min , Zhou Hong-Hao , Fan Lan
Published: July 2016

Objectives

All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), a naturally occurring metabolite of vitamin A, has been shown to have great potential as an antitumorigenic drug to treat acute leukaemia by promoting cancer cell differentiation. Cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR) is the only obligate electron donor for all of the microsomal cytochrome P450 enzymes including CYP26A1 which is highly specific for ATRA metabolism and efficacy in human myeloid leukaemia cells. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of POR on ATRA efficacy and CYP26A1 expression in human myeloid leukaemia HL-60 cells.

Methods

Stably expressed POR and POR-RNAi HL-60 cell lines were established by transfecting POR overexpression or RNAi (RNA interference) vectors mediated by lentivirus. The protein expression of POR and CYP26A1 was examined by Western blot. The potential roles of POR on ATRA efficacy in HL-60 cells were explored by cell viability assay, cell cycle distribution, cellular differentiation and apoptosis analysis.

Key findings

All-trans-retinoic acid treatment caused the expression of POR upregulation and CYP26A1 downregulation in dose- and time-dependent manners. POR overexpression decreased CYP26A1 expression in HL-60 cells. When POR gene was interfered, the downregulation of CYP26A1 expression by ATRA was abolished. In addition, POR overexpression in HL-60 cells significantly compromised ATRA-induced cell proliferation inhibition, cell cycle arrest, differentiation and apoptosis, whereas downregulation of POR significantly potentiated ATRA effects.

Conclusions

Our study therefore suggested that POR played an important role in regulating ATRA efficacy and CYP26A1 expression in HL-60 cells.
Clinical pharmacology of analgosedatives in neonates: ways to improve their safe and effective use
Authors: Smits Anne , van den Anker John N , Allegaert Karel
Published: July 2016

Objectives

To propose approaches tailored to the specific needs of neonates, such as structured product development programmes, with the ultimate goal to improve the safe and effective use of analgosedatives in these fragile patients.

Key findings

The feasibility and relevance of a structured product development programme in neonates (optimal study design based on preliminary data; model development; internal, external and prospective evaluation; an individualized dosing regimen; long-term safety; pharmacogenetics) are illustrated for the use of morphine. Based on changes in clinical practices, similar development plans are in progress for short-acting analgosedatives such as propofol, but are in need of tailored pharmacodynamic tools to assess and quantify effects. Furthermore, for drugs like paracetamol where there is already sufficient clinical pharmacology knowledge, attention needs to be given to long-term safety aspects. Finally, new covariates such as pharmacogenetics might further improve neonatal pain management, but clearly need to be integrated with other well-established covariates like age or weight.

Product development programmes for analgosedatives in neonates are needed. These programmes should be tailored to their specific needs (short-acting sedation, pain relief), should include long-term safety and should incorporate the exploration of newer covariates like pharmacogenetics.
Antacid attenuates the laxative action of magnesia in cancer patients receiving opioid analgesic
Authors: Ibuka Hirokazu , Ishihara Masashi , Suzuki Akio , Kagaya Hajime , Shimizu Masahito , Kinosada Yasutomi , Itoh Yoshinori
Published: July 2016

Objective

This study was designed to investigate pharmacological interaction between magnesium laxative and antacid in patients receiving opioid analgesic.

Methods

Data obtained from a total of 441 eligible patients receiving opioid analgesic for the first time were retrospectively analysed. The incidence of constipation, defined as stool-free interval of 3 days and more within the first week of opioid intake, was compared between patients who took laxative alone and those who received laxative in combination with antacid.

Key findings

Laxatives were prescribed in 74% of patients, among them 61% received antacids such as proton pump inhibitor and H2 receptor blocker. Magnesia was the most commonly used laxative (89%). Constipation occurred in 21% and 55% of patients with and without laxatives, respectively. Antacids reversed the laxative action of lower doses (<2000 mg/day) but not higher doses (> 2000 mg/day) of magnesia without affecting the effects of other laxatives. Therefore, it is suggested that both acid-dependent and acid-independent mechanisms may operate in the laxative action of magnesia, in which the former may be involved in the action of lower doses of magnesia.

Conclusion

Care should be taken to avoid the unfavourable pharmacological interaction between low doses of magnesia and antacid.
The Implicit Image of God: God as Reality and Psychological Well‐Being
Authors: Testoni Ines , Visintin Emilio Paolo , Capozza Dora , Carlucci Maria Concetta , Shams Malihe
Published: June 2016

Research has widely demonstrated that religiosity is related to psychological well‐being even in situations of severe illness. To assess religious beliefs, explicit measures have generally been used. In this study, we measured the belief that God is reality as opposed to myth or abstraction by using an implicit technique (the Single Category Implicit Association Test). The study was carried out in Italy, where a large majority of the population is Catholic, and the prevailing image of God is that of a compassionate and supportive father. Participants were cancer patients identifying themselves as believers. As expected, the automatic belief that God is reality (vs. abstraction) was related to beneficial outcomes: lower reported psychophysical anxiety symptoms and a weaker use of avoidance strategies to cope with stress. Thus, also, automatic religious beliefs may affect feelings and behaviors.
Campylobacter Species and Neutrophilic Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Cats
Authors: Maunder C.L. , Reynolds Z.F. , Peacock L. , Hall E.J. , Day M.J. , Cogan T.A.
Published: June 2016

Background

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a common cause of signs of gastrointestinal disease in cats. A subset of cats with IBD has neutrophilic inflammation of the intestinal mucosa.

Hypothesis

Neutrophilic enteritis in cats is associated with mucosal invasion by microorganisms, and specifically Campylobacter spp.

Animals

Seven cats with neutrophilic IBD and 8 cats with lymphoplasmacytic IBD.

Methods

Retrospective review of duodenal biopsy specimens that were collected endoscopically for histologic examination. Cases were identified and selected by searching the histopathology archive for cats with a diagnosis of neutrophilic and lymphoplasmacytic IBD. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) targeting either all eubacteria or individual Campylobacter spp. was performed on archived samples. Neutrophils were detected on the same samples using a FISH probe for neutrophil elastase.

Results

Campylobacter coli was present in (6/7) cats with neutrophilic IBD and in (1/8) cats with lymphoplasmacytic IBD (P = .009). Cats with neutrophilic IBD had significantly higher number of C. coli (median bacteria 0.7/hpf) in the mucosa than cats with lymphoplasmacytic IBD (median bacteria 0/hpf) (P = 0.002). Colocalization of neutrophils and C. coli was demonstrated, with C. coli closer to the neutrophils than any other bacteria (P < .001).

Conclusions and clinical importance

Identification of C. coli associated with neutrophilic inflammation suggests that C. coli is able either to produce compounds which stimulate neutrophils or to induce feline intestinal cells to produce neutrophil chemoattractants. This association should allow a directed therapeutic approach in cats with neutrophilic IBD, potentially improving outcome and reducing any zoonotic risk.
Midgut fungal and bacterial microbiota of Aedes triseriatus and Aedes japonicus shift in response to La Crosse virus infection
Authors: Muturi Ephantus J. , Bara Jeffrey J. , Rooney Alejandro P. , Hansen Allison K.
Published: June 2016

Understanding how midgut microbial communities of field‐collected mosquitoes interact with pathogens is critical for controlling vector infection and disease. We used 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer sequencing to characterize the midgut bacterial and fungal communities of adult females of Aedes triseriatus and Aedes japonicus collected as pupae in tree holes, plastic bins and waste tires and their response to La Crosse virus (LACV) infection. For both mosquito species and across all habitat and virus treatments, a total of 62 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from six phyla and 21 fungal OTUs from two phyla were identified. The majority of bacterial (92%) and fungal (71%) OTUs were shared between the mosquito species; however, several OTUs were unique to each species. Bacterial and fungal communities of individuals that took either infectious or noninfectious bloodmeals were less diverse and more homogeneous compared to those of newly emerged adults. Interestingly, LACV‐infected A. triseriatus and A. japonicus had higher bacterial richness and lower fungal richness compared to individuals that took a noninfectious bloodmeal, suggesting that viral infection was associated with an increase in bacterial OTUs and a decrease in fungal OTUs. For both mosquito species, several OTUs were identified that had both high fidelity and specificity to mosquito midguts that were infected with LACV. Overall, these findings demonstrate that bacterial and fungal communities that reside in mosquito midguts respond to host diet and viral infection and could play a role in modulating vector susceptibility to LACV.
Do some deep‐sea, sediment‐dwelling species of harpacticoid copepods have 1000‐km‐scale range sizes?
Authors: Easton E. E. , Thistle D.
Published: June 2016

The range sizes of sediment‐dwelling deep‐sea species are largely unknown. Such knowledge is important because a deep sea composed in large part of species with 100‐km‐scale ranges would be very different from one composed predominantly of species with 1000‐km‐scale ranges. For example, the total species richness would be much greater in the first case than in the second. As a step towards the determination of the distribution of species’ range sizes in the deep sea, we asked whether harpacticoid copepods (Crustacea) on the continental rise in the northeastern Pacific had 1000‐km‐scale range sizes. We chose harpacticoids because they occur widely in deep‐sea sediments and thus are a typical deep‐sea taxon. In addition, they have no pelagic stage in their life history, so they allow a conservative test of hypotheses about species’ range sizes. We used morphology and gene‐sequence data to assign individuals to species. At least 13.3% of the species we studied had 1000‐km‐scale ranges, raising the question of how these species maintain genetic continuity.
Elite synchronized swimmers display decreased energy availability during intensified training
Authors: Schaal K. , Tiollier E. , Le Meur Y. , Casazza G. , Hausswirth C.
Published: July 2016

Elite synchronized swimmers follow high‐volume training regimen that result in elevated rates of exercise energy expenditure (ExEE). While adequate energy intake (EI) is important to optimize recovery, a number of sport‐specific constraints may lead to chronically low energy availability (EA = EI–ExEE). This study aimed to quantify changes in EA, endocrine markers of energy conservation, and perceived fatigue in synchronized swimmers, during a week of baseline training followed by 4 weeks of intensified training (IT). EI, ExEE, and body composition were measured in nine swimmers at Baseline, midpoint (ITWK2), and end of IT (ITWK4). Waking saliva samples were obtained to measure [leptin]s, [ghrelin]s, and [cortisol]s. Fatigue ratings were provided daily. ExEE increased by 27% during IT. Swimmers increased EI from Baseline to ITWK2, but decreased it significantly from ITWK2 to ITWK4. EA, fat mass, and [leptin]s decreased from Baseline to ITWK4, while [ghrelin]s increased significantly. Fatigue at ITWK4 was inversely correlated with Baseline EI and EA. The significant decrease in EA was accompanied by endocrine signs of energy conservation in elite swimmers. As perceived fatigue was associated with low EA, particular attention should be paid to these athletes' energy intake during phases of heavy training.
Life after Hurricane Katrina: The Resilience in Survivors of Katrina (RISK) Project
Authors: Waters Mary C.
Published: June 2016

This article presents an overview of the findings to date of the Resilience in Survivors of Katrina (RISK) Project, a longitudinal study of 1,019 young, predominantly female and African American community college students who were surveyed a year before Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and then two to three times afterward. This study combines a multidisciplinary, multimethod approach to understanding the immediate and long‐term effects of the Katrina disaster on physical and mental health, economic and social functioning, and neighborhood attainment. I discuss what we can learn from the rare inclusion of predisaster data and our unusual ability to follow participants for years after the disaster. I argue that it is important to follow the recovery of individuals and communities as well as the recovery of the city, as these are often not the same, especially in Katrina where a large proportion of the city never returned.
Defence by plant toxins in milkweed bugs (Heteroptera: Lygaeinae) through the evolution of a sophisticated storage compartment
Authors: BRAMER CHRISTIANE , FRIEDRICH FRANK , DOBLER SUSANNE
Published: June 2016

Species of the heteropteran subfamily Lygaeinae possess special subcuticular compartments to store cardiac glycosides, plant‐derived defensive compounds, which they release upon predator attack. In adults of the large milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus, these storage compartments have previously been described as a modified integument, forming a fluid‐filled dorsolateral space. Here we use three‐dimensional imaging of serial histological sections and synchrotron radiation‐based micro‐computed tomography data to reveal the morphology of these storage compartments and the mechanisms used for the release of a cardiac glycoside‐rich fluid upon attack. Our comparative analysis revealed that the morphology and release mechanism vary among the species investigated. By reconstructing these traits on a recent molecular phylogeny of the Lygaeinae, we demonstrate that the adaptations for the storage and release of cardiac glycosides have evolved in a stepwise manner.
Improving Large Area Population Mapping Using Geotweet Densities
Authors: Patel Nirav N. , Stevens Forrest R. , Huang Zhuojie , Gaughan Andrea E. , Elyazar Iqbal , Tatem Andrew J.
Published: July 2016

Many different methods are used to disaggregate census data and predict population densities to construct finer scale, gridded population data sets. These methods often involve a range of high resolution geospatial covariate datasets on aspects such as urban areas, infrastructure, land cover and topography; such covariates, however, are not directly indicative of the presence of people. Here we tested the potential of geo‐located tweets from the social media application, Twitter, as a covariate in the production of population maps. The density of geo‐located tweets in 1x1 km grid cells over a 2‐month period across Indonesia, a country with one of the highest Twitter usage rates in the world, was input as a covariate into a previously published random forests‐based census disaggregation method. Comparison of internal measures of accuracy and external assessments between models built with and without the geotweets showed that increases in population mapping accuracy could be obtained using the geotweet densities as a covariate layer. The work highlights the potential for such social media‐derived data in improving our understanding of population distributions and offers promise for more dynamic mapping with such data being continually produced and freely available.
Emotional citizenry: everyday geographies of befriending, belonging and intercultural encounter
Authors: Askins Kye
Published: July 2016

This paper develops the concept of emotional citizenry, as a process grounded in the complexities of places, lives and feelings, exceeding any fixed status of citizenship to be achieved in the formal political sphere. Drawing on encounters between refugees, asylum seekers and more settled residents in a befriending scheme in Newcastle, England, it focusses on the emotional geographies of intercultural interactions produced through everyday spaces. Contact in the scheme involves difficult negotiations of difference, yet it is precisely the emotional that opens up the potential of/for making connections, and through which nuanced relationships develop, dualisms are destabilised, and meaningful encounters emerge in fragile yet hopeful ways. I argue that these emotional encounters evidence desires to (re)make society at the local level, beyond normalised productions and practices of citizenship as bounded in/outsiders, in which a politics of engagement is enacted. Analysis suggests that the felt, interpersonal dimensions of such praxis, the emotionality of these specific notions belonging and relationality, push at the concept of cosmopolitan citizenship to register something more. This paper contributes to debate on everyday practices of citizenship as already taking place, and poses questions to how individual relations may anticipate collective change in how we live together in an era of super‐diversity.
Conjunctival mucinous adenocarcinoma in an ostrich (Struthio camelus)
Authors: Perrin Kathryn L. , Bertelsen Mads F. , Bartholin Henrik , Grøndahl Carsten , Heegaard Steffen
Published: June 2016

A 2‐year‐old male ostrich (Struthio camelus) presented with a rapidly growing soft tissue mass protruding from the ventromedial aspect of the right eye (OD). The initial physical examination revealed a soft tissue mass attached to the medial inferior conjunctiva. The mass was excised with cryosurgery, and the conjunctival tissue margins were treated with cryoablation. Histopathological examination diagnosed granulomatous inflammation associated with scattered acid‐fast bacteria. The ostrich recovered uneventfully and appeared healthy until recurrence of a grossly similar mass 2 months later. Gross examination revealed a botryoid mass attached to the inferior palpebral conjunctiva and extending onto the palpebral aspect of the nictitating membrane. Euthanasia was selected, and the histological diagnosis of the second mass was a mixed mucinous adenocarcinoma; however, no acid‐fast bacteria were seen. Granulomatous conjunctival lesions have been previously described in the ostrich, while, to the authors' knowledge, neoplastic conjunctival lesions have not. Neoplasia should be considered as a differential diagnosis for a rapidly recurring, granulomatous conjunctival mass in this species.
Prospective Evaluation of the Leipzig Stifle Distractor
Authors: Winkels Philipp , Pozzi Antonio , Cook Robert , Böttcher Peter
Published: June 2016

Objectives

To evaluate the Leipzig Stifle Distractor (LSD) for arthroscopic evaluation of the medial meniscus.

Study Design

Prospective clinical multi‐center study.

Animals

64 stifles of 64 dogs (mean body weight 35 kg) with suspected cranial cruciate ligament rupture.

Methods

The LSD was used to distract the medial compartment and to evaluate the medial meniscus. The degree of exposure of the caudal pole of the medial meniscus (CMM) and ease of diagnosis was quantified after either distraction with the LSD or manipulation of the stifle with valgus stress and external rotation. Time for pin placement, level of difficulty and associated complications with LSD application were recorded. Medial collateral ligament integrity was tested by stress radiographs.

Results

The mean time for applying the LSD was 1.4 minutes (range 0.5–3.0). Application was considered easy in 90% and moderate in 10% of joints, with no complications recorded. LSD application increased exposure (P < .001) and facilitated probing of the CMM (P < .001), allowing for the diagnosis of 10 meniscal tears missed without the LSD. The use of LSD increased the likelihood of diagnosing a meniscal tear by 1.9 times. Based on the stress radiographs, medial collateral ligament integrity was maintained in all tested stifles.

Conclusion

Diagnosis of medial meniscal tears was improved using LSD. The LSD provided a safe and effective method for improved visualization and access to the caudal portion of the medial meniscus, which may allow for better arthroscopic assessment of meniscal pathology in dogs.