bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous age‐dependent and age‐independent sexual selection in the lekking black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix)
Authors: Kervinen Matti , Lebigre Christophe , Soulsbury Carl D. 
Published: January 2016

Summary

Individuals' reproductive success is often strongly associated with their age, with typical patterns of early‐life reproductive improvement and late‐life senescence. These age‐related patterns are due to the inherent trade‐offs between life‐history traits competing for a limited amount of resources available to the organisms. In males, such trade‐offs are exacerbated by the resource requirements associated with the expression of costly sexual traits, leading to dynamic changes in trait expression throughout their life span.

Due to the age dependency of male phenotypes, the relationship between the expression of male traits and mating success can also vary with male age. Hence, using longitudinal data in a lekking species with strong sexual selection – the black grouse Lyrurus tetrix – we quantified the effects of age, life span and age of first lek attendance (AFL) on male annual mating success (AMS) to separate the effects of within‐individual improvement and senescence on AMS from selective (dis)appearance of certain phenotypes. Then, we used male AMS to quantify univariate and multivariate sexual selection gradients on male morphological and behavioural traits with and without accounting for age and age‐related effects of other traits.

Male AMS increased with age, and there was no significant reproductive senescence. Most males never copulated, and of the ones that did, the majority had only one successful year. Life span was unrelated to AMS, but early AFL tended to lead to higher AMS at ages 1–3. AMS was related to most morphological and behavioural traits when male age was ignored. Accounting for age and age‐specific trait effects (i.e. the interaction between a trait and age) reduced the magnitude of the selection gradients and revealed that behavioural traits are under consistent sexual selection, while sexual selection on morphological traits is stronger in old males.

Therefore, sexual selection in black grouse operates primarily on male behaviour and morphological traits may act as additional cues to supplement female choice. These results demonstrate the multifaceted influence of age on both fitness and sexual traits and highlight the importance of accounting for such effects when quantifying sexual selection.
Social inclusion and the Fatosphere: the role of an online weblogging community in fostering social inclusion
Authors: Dickins Marissa , Browning Colette , Feldman Susan , Thomas Samantha 
Published: January 2016

AbstractOverweight and obesity are one of the most salient issues within society today, and the stigmatisation of overweight individuals is prevalent and widespread. Utilising interviews with 44 individuals who blog within an online fat acceptance community known as the Fatosphere, participants’ perceptions of inclusion and exclusion were examined within their offline and online environments. Additionally, the effect this had on their offline lives was examined. Participants described a profound sense of exclusion within their offline lives through three agencies: the medicalisation of ‘fatness’, the weight loss industry and the media, which echoed descriptions of moral judgement. Furthermore, a sense of inclusion was described within the Fatosphere through the protection and support that they found within this ‘safe space’. The effects of the Fatosphere influenced their lives in both negative and positive ways, allowing them to better deal with stigma and discrimination, but sometimes effecting their offline relationships in a negative manner. The Fatosphere provides a unique opportunity for corpulent individuals to engage in a community that is removed from the prominent weight‐related discourse within modern society.
The Impact of Consumer Numeracy on the Purchase of Long‐Term Care Insurance
Authors: McGarry Brian E. , Temkin‐Greener Helena , Chapman Benjamin P. , Grabowski David C. , Li Yue 
Published: January 2016

ObjectiveTo determine the effect of consumers’ numeric abilities on the likelihood of owning private long‐term care insurance.Data SourceThe 2010 wave of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative survey of Americans age 50 and older, was used (n = 12,796).Study DesignMultivariate logistic regression was used to isolate the relationship between numeracy and long‐term care insurance ownership.Principal FindingsEach additional question answered correctly on a numeracy scale was associated with a 13 percent increase in the likelihood of holding LTCI, after controlling for predictors of policy demand, education, and cognitive function.ConclusionsPoor numeracy may create barriers to long‐term care insurance purchase. Policy efforts aimed at increasing consumer decision support or restructuring the marketplace for long‐term care insurance may be needed to increase older adults' ability to prepare for future long‐term care expenses.
Location Isn't Everything: Proximity, Hospital Characteristics, Choice of Hospital, and Disparities for Breast Cancer Surgery Patients
Authors: Keating Nancy L. , Kouri Elena M. , He Yulei , Freedman Rachel A. , Volya Rita , Zaslavsky Alan M. 
Published: January 2016

ObjectiveAssess the relative importance of proximity and other hospital characteristics in the choice of hospital for breast cancer surgery by race/ethnicity.DataSEER‐Medicare data.Study DesignObservational study of women aged >65 years receiving surgery for stage I/II/III breast cancer diagnosed in 1992–2007 in Detroit (N = 10,746 white/black), Atlanta (N = 4,018 white/black), Los Angeles (N = 9,433 white/black/Asian/Hispanic), and San Francisco (N = 4,856 white/black/Asian). We calculated the distance from each patient's census tract of residence to each area hospital. We estimated discrete choice models for the probability of receiving surgery at each hospital based on distance and assessed whether deviations from these predictions entailed interactions of hospital characteristics with the patient's race/ethnicity. We identified high‐quality hospitals by rates of adjuvant radiation therapy and by survey measures of patient experiences, and we assessed how observed surgery rates at high‐quality hospitals deviated from those predicted based on distance alone.Principal FindingsProximity was significantly associated with hospital choice in all areas. Minority more often than white breast cancer patients had surgery at hospitals with more minority patients, those treating more Medicaid patients, and in some areas, lower quality hospitals.ConclusionsResidential location alone does not explain concentration of racial/ethnic‐minority breast cancer surgery patients in certain hospitals that are sometimes of lower quality.
High Out‐of‐Pocket Medical Spending among the Poor and Elderly in Nine Developed Countries
Authors: Baird Katherine 
Published: January 2016

ObjectiveThe design of health insurance, and the role out‐of‐pocket (OOP) payments play in it, is a key policy issue as rising health costs have encouraged greater cost‐sharing measures. This paper compares the percentage of Americans spending large amounts OOP to meet their health needs with percentages in eight other developed countries. By disaggregating by age and income, the paper focuses on the poor and elderly populations within each.Data SourceThe study uses nationally representative household survey data made available through the Luxembourg Income Study. It includes nations with high, medium, and low levels of OOP spending.Study DesignHouseholds have high medical spending when their OOP expenditures exceed a threshold share of income. I calculate the share of each nation's population, as well as subpopulations within it, with high OOP expenditures.Principal FindingsThe United States is not alone in exposing large numbers of citizens to high OOP expenses. In six of the other eight countries, one‐quarter or more of low‐income citizens devoted at least 5 percent of their income to OOP expenses, and in all but two countries, more than 1 in 10 elderly citizens had high medical expenses.ConclusionsFor some populations in the sample nations, health insurance does not provide adequate financial protection and likely contributes to inequities in health care delivery and outcomes.
Measuring Children's Suggestibility in Forensic Interviews
Authors: Volpini Laura , Melis Manuela , Petralia Stefania , Rosenberg Melina D. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractAccording to the scientific literature, childrens’ cognitive development is not complete until adolescence. Therefore, the problems inherent in children serving as witnesses are crucial. In preschool‐aged children, false memories may be identified because of misinformation and insight bias. Additionally, they are susceptible of suggestions. The aim of this study was to verify the levels of suggestibility in children between three and 5 years of age. Ninety‐two children were examined (44 male, 48 female; M = 4.5 years, SD = 9.62). We used the correlation coefficient (Pearson's r) and the averages variance by SPSS statistical program. The results concluded that: younger children are almost always more susceptible to suggestibility. The dimension of immediate recall was negatively correlates with that of total suggestibility (r = −0.357 p < 0.001). Social compliance and source monitoring errors contribute to patterns of suggestibility, because older children shift their answers more often (r = 0.394 p < 0.001). Younger children change their answers more times (r = −0.395 p < 0.001).
Does host plant quality affect the oviposition decisions of an omnivore?
Authors: Vankosky Meghan A. , VanLaerhoven Sherah L. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractOptimal oviposition theory predicts a positive relationship between female preference for oviposition hosts and offspring performance. Interspecies effects on oviposition preference have been widely investigated, especially for herbivores. However, intraspecies variation, such as nitrogen content, might also influence female preference for oviposition hosts and subsequent offspring performance. To evaluate this possibility, we investigated the oviposition preference of a zoophytophagous omnivore and the development and survival of its nymphs on a single species of host plant that varied in nitrogen content. In choice and no‐choice experiments without prey, female omnivores were allowed to oviposit on plants that had been fertilized using 4 rates of nitrogen fertilizer (39, 78, 156, and 311 mg/L nitrogen) for 72 h. After 72 h, the most females were found on tomato plants receiving high concentrations of nitrogen fertilizer and more eggs were laid on those plants. First instar nymphs developed more rapidly on high‐nitrogen plants and third instar nymphs developed faster on low‐nitrogen plants. Plant nitrogen did not affect nymph survival to the adult stage, or the probability of survival over time. Although female omnivores did discriminate between potential oviposition hosts based on plant nitrogen, their choices did not significantly impact nymph development or survival. This is the first study to show that intraspecies variation in nitrogen content between plants affects the oviposition preference of female omnivores, but not offspring performance.
miR‐204 downregulates EphB2 in aging mouse hippocampal neurons
Authors: Danka Mohammed Chand Parvez , Rhee Hwanseok , Phee Bong‐Kwan , Kim Kunhyung , Kim Hee‐Jin , Lee Hyehyeon , Park Jung Hoon , Jung Jung Hee , Kim Jeong Yeon , Kim Hyoung‐Chin , Park Sang Ki , Nam Hong Gil , Kim Keetae 
Published: January 2016

SummaryHippocampal synaptic function and plasticity deteriorate with age, often resulting in learning and memory deficits. As MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of neuronal protein expression, we examined whether miRNAs may contribute to this age‐associated decline in hippocampal function. We first compared the small RNA transcriptome of hippocampal tissues from young and old mice. Among 269 hippocampal miRNAs, 80 were differentially expressed (≥ twofold) among the age groups. We focused on 36 miRNAs upregulated in the old mice compared with those in the young mice. The potential targets of these 36 miRNAs included 11 critical Eph/Ephrin synaptic signaling components. The expression levels of several genes in the Eph/Ephrin pathway, including EphB2, were significantly downregulated in the aged hippocampus. EphB2 is a known regulator of synaptic plasticity in hippocampal neurons, in part by regulating the surface expression of the NMDA receptor NR1 subunit. We found that EphB2 is a direct target of miR‐204 among miRNAs that were upregulated with age. The transfection of primary hippocampal neurons with a miR‐204 mimic suppressed both EphB2 mRNA and protein expression and reduced the surface expression of NR1. Transfection of miR‐204 also decreased the total expression of NR1. miR‐204 induces senescence‐like phenotype in fully matured neurons as evidenced by an increase in p16‐positive cells. We suggest that aging is accompanied by the upregulation of miR‐204 in the hippocampus, which downregulates EphB2 and results in reduced surface and total NR1 expression. This mechanism may contribute to age‐associated decline in hippocampal synaptic plasticity and the related cognitive functions.
How high is your hummock? The importance of Triodia height as a habitat predictor for an endangered marsupial in a fire‐prone environment
Authors: Moseby Katherine , Read John , McLean Amanda , Ward Matthew , Rogers Daniel J. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractFire and seral vegetation succession are known to influence the distribution and abundance of a wide range of arid and semi‐arid mammal species. In Triodia hummock grasslands, the gradual increase in Triodia cover after fire is a significant factor influencing mammal distribution and abundance. However, the height of fire‐adapted hummock grass species is often ignored during habitat preference studies despite the fact that taller hummocks are likely to have improved insulation properties and greater protection from predators. We tested the relative importance of a range of Triodia habitat characteristics in determining the distribution and abundance of a fire‐adapted mammal inhabiting Triodia mallee dune fields in semi‐arid Australia. We sampled 77 sites and collected information on habitat attributes including Triodia cover, height and time since fire. The 90th percentile Triodia height (>400 mm) was the most reliable predictor of sandhill dunnart abundance, and breeding, inferred through the presence of subadults. The presence of adult sandhill dunnarts was best explained by Triodia cover, increasing when cover exceeded 25%. We suggest that while Triodia cover may be an important variable for predicting the presence of adult sandhill dunnarts, the height of Triodia is important for breeding, when tall Triodia are possibly sought for nesting sites. These Triodia height and cover requirements were not recorded at sites until at least 10 years post fire but the relationship between fire and Triodia cover and height was inconsistent; after 20 years Triodia cover declined with increasing fire age while the 90th percentile Triodia height remained relatively constant. This incongruence may explain why the presence of sandhill dunnarts appears more constrained by a minimum rather than maximum time since fire and could help explain patterns of post‐fire distribution in other arid zone mammals. Importantly, the 90th percentile Triodia height highlighted the possible significance of scattered, tall Triodia hummocks for arid zone fossorial mammals.
Characterization and application of lactic acid bacteria for tropical silage preparation
Authors: Pholsen Suradej , Khota Waroon , Pang Huili , Higgs David , Cai Yimin 
Published: January 2016

AbstractStrains TH 14, TH 21 and TH 64 were isolated from tropical silages, namely corn stover, sugar cane top and rice straw, respectively, prepared in Thailand. These strains were selected by low pH growth range and high lactic acid‐producing ability, similar to some commercial inoculants. Based on the analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence and DNA‐DNA relatedness, strain TH 14 was identified as Lactobacillus casei, and strains TH 21 and TH 64 were identified as L. plantarum. Strains TH 14, TH 21, TH 64 and two commercial inoculants, CH (L. plantarum) and SN (L. rhamnosus), were used as additives to fresh and wilted purple Guinea and sorghum silages prepared using a small‐scale fermentation method. The number of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the forages before ensilage was relatively low but the numbers of coliform and aerobic bacteria were higher. Sorghum silages at 30 days of fermentation were all well preserved with low pH (3.56) and high lactic acid production (72.86 g/kg dry matter). Purple Guinea silage inoculated with LAB exhibited reduced count levels of aerobic and coliform bacteria, lower pH, butyric acid and ammonia nitrogen and increased lactic acid concentration, compared with the control. Strain TH 14 more effectively improved lactic acid production compared with inoculants and other strains. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science
Predictive value of negative 3T multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging of the prostate on 12‐core biopsy results
Authors: Wysock James S. , Mendhiratta Neil , Zattoni Fabio , Meng Xiaosong , Bjurlin Marc , Huang William C. , Lepor Herbert , Rosenkrantz Andrew B. , Taneja Samir S. 
Published: January 2016

ObjectivesTo evaluate the cancer detection rates for men undergoing 12‐core systematic prostate biopsy with negative prebiopsy multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) results.Materials and MethodsClinical data from consecutive men undergoing prostate biopsy who had undergone prebiopsy 3T mpMRI from December 2011 to August 2014 were reviewed from an institutional review board‐approved prospective database. Men with negative prebiospy mpMRI results (negMRI) before biopsy were identified for the present analysis. Clinical features, cancer detection rates and negative predictive values were summarized.ResultsSeventy five men with negMRI underwent systematic 12‐core biopsy during the study period. In the entire cohort, men with no previous biopsy, men with previously negative biopsy and men enrolled in active surveillance protocols, the overall cancer detection rates were 18.7, 13.8, 8.0 and 38.1%, respectively, and the detection rates for Gleason score (GS) ≥7 cancer were 1.3, 0, 4.0 and 0%, respectively. The NPVs for all cancers were 81.3, 86.2, 92.0, and 61.9, and for GS ≥7 cancer they were 98.7, 100, 96.0 and 100%, respectively.ConclusionsA negative prebiopsy mpMRI confers an overall NPV of 82% on 12‐core biopsy for all cancer and 98% for GS ≥7 cancer. Based on biopsy indication, these findings assist in prebiopsy risk stratification for detection of high‐risk disease and may provide guidance in the decision to pursue biopsy.
Intraplate uplift: new constraints on the Hoggar dome from the Illizi basin (Algeria)
Authors: English Kara L. , Redfern Jonathan , Bertotti Giovanni , English Joseph M. , Yahia Cherif Rachida 
Published: January 2016

AbstractZones of anomalously high topography within continental interiors, distant from active plate boundaries, are interpreted as being either dynamically supported by viscous flow in the underlying mantle or influenced by plate tectonics. Constraining the models of their genesis requires accurate data on the timing and dimensions of such features. New apatite fission‐track and thermal maturity data from the Illizi Basin in Algeria quantify the magnitude and timing of kilometre–scale uplift and exhumation of the northern flank of the Hoggar swell in North Africa. The findings of this study, integrated with previously published thermochronological data, confirm that long‐wavelength regional uplift occurred during the Cenozoic extending over a distance in excess of 1500 km from north to south. The uplift, centred on the Hoggar Massif, significantly impacted the flanking Illizi and Tim Mersoï basins. The combination of thermal history modelling and regional stratigraphic observations indicates that the onset of exhumation of the Illizi Basin likely occurred during the Eocene, broadly coincident with magmatism on the Hoggar Massif to the south and the onset of tectonic shortening in the Atlasic belt to the north.
Ligature induced peri‐implantitis: tissue destruction and inflammatory progression in a murine model
Authors: Nguyen Vo Trang N. , Hao Jia , Chou Josh , Oshima Masamitsu , Aoki Kazuhiro , Kuroda Shinji , Kaboosaya Boosana , Kasugai Shohei 
Published: January 2016

AbstractObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate tissue destruction and inflammatory progression of ligature‐induced peri‐implantitis in mice and to establish an alternative murine model of peri‐implantitis.Material and methodsSixty male C57BL/6NCrSlc mice (4‐week‐old) were used and the maxillary right first molars were extracted. Eight weeks after extraction, custom‐made pure titanium machined screw type implants (0.8 × 1.5 mm) were placed, one implant per animal. Four weeks later, 5‐0 silk ligatures were applied around implant necks to induce peri‐implantitis. Animals were sacrificed at 0 (before ligature), 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after ligature. Half of the samples were analyzed radiologically and histologically to measure bone level change, osteoclast number, density, and distribution. The rest of the samples was used to determine the relative mRNA expression levels of IL‐1 and TNF‐α with RT‐PCR analysis.ResultsBone levels at all sites (buccal, palatal, mesial, distal) decreased 40–50% significantly 28 days after ligature (P < 0.01). Osteoclast number at all post‐ligature time points increased significantly (P < 0.05). However, their density at day 28 decreased significantly compared to that of day 21 (P < 0.05). Accordingly, IL‐1 and TNF‐α mRNA expression increased significantly at the early time points but decreased significantly at day 28 after ligature (P < 0.05).ConclusionsInflammatory response followed by significant peri‐implant bone resorption suggested 28 days ligation is sufficient to successfully induce peri‐implantitis in the current mice model. This model might open a new avenue to study the pathogenesis and mechanism of peri‐implantitis.
Visual distraction in cytopathology: should we be concerned?
Authors: Evered A. , Walker D. , Watt A. , Perham N. 
Published: January 2016

ObjectiveVisual distraction in cytopathology has not been investigated previously as a source of diagnostic error, presumably because the viewing field of a conventional light microscope is considered to be large enough to minimise interference from peripheral visual stimuli. Virtual microscopy, which involves the examination of digitised images of pathology specimens on computer screens, is beginning to challenge the central role of light microscopy as a diagnostic tool in cytopathology. The relatively narrow visual angle offered by virtual microscopy makes it conceivable that users of these systems will be more vulnerable to visual interference. Using a variant of a visual distraction paradigm (the Eriksen flanker task), the aim of this study was to determine whether the accuracy and speed of the interpretation of cells on a central target screen are affected by images of cells and text displayed on neighbouring monitors under realistic reading room conditions.MethodsFollowing a brief period of training, 31 cytology novices undertook four cell interpretation tests under different conditions of visual distraction. Error rates were measured under each condition.ResultsThere was no effect of visual distraction on diagnostic accuracy.ConclusionsTo the extent that the results from cytology novices extend to experienced practitioners, visual distraction is an unlikely source of error in virtual microscopy. Efficient visual selection and spatial attention, coupled with the high perceptual load of target images and the peripheral location of distractors, provide plausible explanations for the observed results.