bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Universal and Cultural Dimensions of Optimal Experiences
Authors: Csikszentmihalyi Mihaly , Asakawa Kiyoshi 
Published: January 2016

AbstractIn the past 40 years, the phenomenon of flow—the full involvement with what one is doing, which is experienced as enjoyable and uplifting—has been found to be recognized in every culture where it has been studied. On the other hand, research has also shown that in different cultures, the experience itself might be different. In this paper we try to describe first what the flow experience consists of, what its evolutionary significance might be, and then focus on a peculiarly Japanese way in which flow seems to be experienced—the culturally specific concern for living up to the expectations of the culture—or Jujitsu‐kan. We argue that this concern for an external standard, which in Western cultures would interrupt the flow experience, in the context of Japanese culture might play a significant role in enhancing it.
The silencing of cathepsin K used in gene therapy for periodontal disease reveals the role of cathepsin K in chronic infection and inflammation
Authors: Chen W. , Gao B. , Hao L. , Zhu G. , Jules J. , MacDougall M. J. , Wang J. , Han X. , Zhou X. , Li Y.‐P. 
Published: January 2016

Background and ObjectivePeriodontitis is a severe chronic inflammatory disease and one of the most prevalent non‐communicable chronic diseases that affects the majority of the world's adult population. While great efforts have been devoted toward understanding the pathogenesis of periodontitis, there remains a pressing need for developing potent therapeutic strategies for targeting this dreadful disease. In this study, we utilized adeno‐associated virus (AAV) expressing cathepsin K (Ctsk) small hairpin (sh)RNA (AAV‐sh‐Ctsk) to silence Ctsk in vivo and subsequently evaluated its impact in periodontitis as a potential therapeutic strategy for this disease.Material and MethodsWe used a known mouse model of periodontitis, in which wild‐type BALB/cJ mice were infected with Porphyromonas gingivalis W50 in the maxillary and mandibular periodontium to induce the disease. AAV‐sh‐Ctsk was then administrated locally into the periodontal tissues in vivo, followed by analyses to assess progression of the disease.ResultsAAV‐mediated Ctsk silencing drastically protected mice (> 80%) from P. gingivalis‐induced bone resorption by osteoclasts. In addition, AAV‐sh‐Ctsk administration drastically reduced inflammation by impacting the expression of many inflammatory cytokines as well as T‐cell and dendritic cell numbers in periodontal lesions.ConclusionAAV‐mediated Ctsk silencing can simultaneously target both the inflammation and bone resorption associated with periodontitis through its inhibitory effect on immune cells and osteoclast function. Thereby, AAV‐sh‐Ctsk administration can efficiently protect against periodontal tissue damage and alveolar bone loss, establishing this AAV‐mediated local silencing of Ctsk as an important therapeutic strategy for effectively treating periodontal disease.
Annual plant diversity decreases across scales following widespread ecosystem engineer shrub mortality
Authors: Hoffman Oren , de Falco Natalie , Yizhaq Hezi , Boeken Bertrand 
Published: January 2016

AbstractQuestionEcosystem engineer patch dynamics can drive biodiversity patterns by controlling habitat heterogeneity. We studied changes to composition and diversity of shrub patch understorey plant communities to patch stage at a small scale, and to patch dynamics at larger scales. These patch dynamics were driven by widespread mortality of the facilitating engineer shrub Noaea mucronata, following a drought period.LocationPark Shaked LTER station, semi‐arid northern Negev Desert, Israel.MethodsWe used diversity partitioning and similarity‐based metrics to relate annual plant diversity to shrub state at the scale of individual patches, and to the ecosystem engineer shrub mortality rates at larger scales. We separately tested changes to species diversity within patches and to assemblage variation among patches.Results(1) At the patch scale, annual plant richness and diversity decreased following the loss of shrub canopy. (2) Community similarity among patches increased following shrub mortality, with a significant increase in the abundance of one dominant grass species and a decrease of most other species. (3) Taken together, these factors led to a plot‐scale loss of diversity under high rates of shrub mortality. (4) Species richness and evenness metrics were significantly correlated with the shrub mortality gradient. (5) Overall, high mortality rates resulted in landscapes that were more homogeneous in both habitat structure and community composition.ConclusionsEcosystem engineer population dynamics and the dynamics of their patches can drive community‐level processes. In our case, biodiversity patterns are strongly driven by shrub patch dynamics at all scales examined. In other ecosystems where the engineer patches are well studied and easily recognized, they can be used as indicators of ecosystem and community state.
Testing L2 Talk: A Review of Empirical Studies on Second‐Language Oral Proficiency Testing
Authors: Sandlund Erica , Sundqvist Pia , Nyroos Lina 
Published: January 2016

AbstractIn this review article, empirical studies published from 2004 through 2014 on second‐language (L2) oral proficiency testing are analyzed, with a specific focus on discourse and social interaction in such tests. Taking three common test setups, oral proficiency interviews (OPIs), paired peer tests, and group peer tests as an organizing principle for the studies examined, recent developments in L2 oral proficiency testing research are situated, reviewed, and discussed, with a particular focus on tests conducted in face‐to‐face contexts. Findings from the review of selected journals, databases, monographs, and edited collections indicate (1) a prevalence of studies of the OPI format, but a growing research base on paired and group tests, (2) an absence of oral test studies in discourse journals, and (3) an emphasis on assessment, validation, and rater perspectives, as opposed to detailed analyses of interaction in L2 tests.
Willingness to Communicate: Rise, Development, and Some Future Directions
Authors: Zarrinabadi Nourollah , Tanbakooei Nooshin 
Published: January 2016

AbstractIn the last 20 years, several scholars have referred to willingness to communicate (WTC) as a useful construct in explaining an individual's first (L1) and second language (L2) communication. WTC in L2 is defined as a readiness to initiate discourse with specific person(s) at a particular time, using an L2 (MacIntyre, Dörnyei, Clément, and Noels ). This paper presents a sketch of the current themes and research directions in WTC, which are particularly novel or forward‐looking. The survey is divided into several main sections: the origin and theoretical advancements, orientations in research methodology, and directions for future research. The paper discusses how WTC was originally conceptualized with reference to L1 communication and, later, introduced as welcome appendage to L2 pedagogy. Furthermore, it compares trait‐like and situational views toward L2 WTC and argues for the importance of facilitating WTC in language learners. Finally, the paper outlines some possible venues for further research that can expand advance in L2 WTC research.
Biological matrices for sampling free‐ranging cetaceans and the implications of their use for reproductive endocrine monitoring
Authors: de Mello Daniela Magalhães Drummond , de Oliveira Cláudio Alvarenga 
Published: January 2016

Abstract
Monitoring reproductive rates in wild cetaceans is a crucial step towards adequate management of their populations. Their reproductive hormone profiles can be of importance, especially when combined with behavioural or life history monitoring. Sampling biological matrices of wild, free‐ranging cetaceans can be a difficult task.
The purposes of this review are: to describe briefly the different methods available for monitoring the reproductive endocrine parameters of wild and captive cetaceans, and to evaluate the feasibility of using various matrices – blood, urine, faeces, saliva, bubbler, muscle, ocular secretions, blow (respiratory vapour), milk, baleen, and earplug materials – to measure sex hormones in free‐ranging cetaceans.
We performed a retrospective analysis of the measurement and sample collection methods and the most commonly used matrices for constructing reproductive hormone profiles. The PubMed and Google Scholar data bases were used, and scientific articles and book chapters published from 1980 to the present were considered.
In the past, the most commonly used matrix for measuring hormones of free‐ranging cetaceans was blood. This has been changing since studying live whales became more common: researchers have dispensed with using blood samples from dead animals. Matrices such as blow, which can be obtained non‐invasively, and other matrices that can be obtained with minimal invasion, such as blubber, appear to be feasible options for monitoring the hormones of live, free‐ranging cetaceans.
Exploring natural variation ofPinus pinasterAiton using metabolomics: Is it possible to identify the region of origin of a pine from its metabolites?
Authors: Meijón Mónica , Feito Isabel , Oravec Michal , Delatorre Carolina , Weckwerth Wolfram , Majada Juan , Valledor Luis 
Published: January 2016

AbstractNatural variation of the metabolome ofPinus pinasterwas studied to improve understanding of its role in the adaptation process and phenotypic diversity. The metabolomes of needles and the apical and basal section of buds were analysed in ten provenances ofP. pinaster, selected from France, Spain and Morocco, grown in a common garden for 5 years. The employment of complementary mass spectrometry techniques (GC‐MSandLC‐Orbitrap‐MS) together with bioinformatics tools allowed the reliable quantification of 2403 molecular masses. The analysis of the metabolome showed that differences were maintained across provenances and that the metabolites characteristic of each organ are mainly related to amino acid metabolism, while provenances were distinguishable essentially through secondary metabolism when organs were analysed independently. Integrative analyses of metabolome, environmental and growth data provided a comprehensive picture of adaptation plasticity in conifers. These analyses defined two major groups of plants, distinguished by secondary metabolism: that is, either Atlantic or Mediterranean provenance. Needles were the most sensitive organ, where strong correlations were found between flavonoids and the water regime of the geographic origin of the provenance. The data obtained point to genome specialization aimed at maximizing the drought stress resistance of trees depending on their origin.
Natural history collections as windows on evolutionary processes
Authors: Holmes Michael W. , Hammond Talisin T. , Wogan Guinevere O. U. , Walsh Rachel E. , LaBarbera Katie , Wommack Elizabeth A. , Martins Felipe M. , Crawford Jeremy C. , Mack Katya L. , Bloch Luke M. , Nachman Michael W. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractNatural history collections provide an immense record of biodiversity on Earth. These repositories have traditionally been used to address fundamental questions in biogeography, systematics and conservation. However, they also hold the potential for studying evolution directly. While some of the best direct observations of evolution have come from long‐term field studies or from experimental studies in the laboratory, natural history collections are providing new insights into evolutionary change in natural populations. By comparing phenotypic and genotypic changes in populations through time, natural history collections provide a window into evolutionary processes. Recent studies utilizing this approach have revealed some dramatic instances of phenotypic change over short timescales in response to presumably strong selective pressures. In some instances, evolutionary change can be paired with environmental change, providing a context for potential selective forces. Moreover, in a few cases, the genetic basis of phenotypic change is well understood, allowing for insight into adaptive change at multiple levels. These kinds of studies open the door to a wide range of previously intractable questions by enabling the study of evolution through time, analogous to experimental studies in the laboratory, but amenable to a diversity of species over longer timescales in natural populations.
The evolution of highly variable immunity genes across a passerine bird radiation
Authors: O'Connor E. A. , Strandh M. , Hasselquist D. , Nilsson J.‐Å. , Westerdahl H. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractTo survive, individuals must be able to recognize and eliminate pathogens. The genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) play an essential role in this process in vertebrates as their diversity affects the repertoire of pathogens that can be recognized by the immune system. Emerging evidence suggests that birds within the parvorder Passerida possess an exceptionally high number of MHC genes. However, this has yet to be directly investigated using a consistent framework, and the question of how this MHC diversity has evolved has not been addressed. We used next‐generation sequencing to investigate how MHC class I gene copy number and sequence diversity varies across the Passerida radiation using twelve species chosen to represent the phylogenetic range of this group. Additionally, we performed phylogenetic analyses on this data to identify, for the first time, the evolutionary model that best describes how MHC class I gene diversity has evolved within Passerida. We found evidence of multiple MHC class I genes in every family tested, with an extremely broad range in gene copy number across Passerida. There was a strong phylogenetic signal in MHC gene copy number and diversity, and these traits appear to have evolved through a process of Brownian motion in the species studied, that is following the pattern of genetic drift or fluctuating selection, as opposed to towards a single optimal value or through evolutionary ‘bursts’. By characterizing MHC class I gene diversity across Passerida in a systematic framework, this study provides a first step towards understanding this huge variation.
Patterns of cryptic host specificity in duck lice based on molecular data
Authors: ESCALANTE G. C. , SWEET A. D. , MCCRACKEN K. G. , GUSTAFSSON D. R. , WILSON R. E. , JOHNSON K. P. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractDocumenting patterns of host specificity in parasites relies on the adequate definition of parasite species. In many cases, parasites have simplified morphology, making species delimitation based on traditional morphological characters difficult. Molecular data can help in assessing whether widespread parasites harbour cryptic species and, alternatively, in guiding further taxonomic revision in cases in which there is morphological variation. The duck louse genus Anaticola (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae), based on current taxonomy, contains both host‐specific and widespread species. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences of samples from this genus were used to document patterns of host specificity. The comparison of these patterns with morphological variations in Anaticola revealed a general correspondence between the groups identified by DNA sequences and morphology, respectively. These results suggest that a more thorough taxonomic review of this genus is needed. In general, the groups identified on the basis of molecular data were associated with particular groups of waterfowl (e.g. dabbling ducks, sea ducks, geese) or specific biogeographic regions (e.g. North America, South America, Australia, Eurasia).
Genome evolution of ferns: evidence for relative stasis of genome size across the fern phylogeny
Authors: Clark James , Hidalgo Oriane , Pellicer Jaume , Liu Hongmei , Marquardt Jeannine , Robert Yannis , Christenhusz Maarten , Zhang Shouzhou , Gibby Mary , Leitch Ilia J. , Schneider Harald 
Published: January 2016

Summary

The genome evolution of ferns has been considered to be relatively static compared with angiosperms. In this study, we analyse genome size data and chromosome numbers in a phylogenetic framework to explore three hypotheses: the correlation of genome size and chromosome number, the origin of modern ferns from ancestors with high chromosome numbers, and the occurrence of several whole‐genome duplications during the evolution of ferns.

To achieve this, we generated new genome size data, increasing the percentage of fern species with genome sizes estimated to 2.8% of extant diversity, and ensuring a comprehensive phylogenetic coverage including at least three species from each fern order.

Genome size was correlated with chromosome number across all ferns despite some substantial variation in both traits. We observed a trend towards conservation of the amount of DNA per chromosome, although Osmundaceae and Psilotaceae have substantially larger chromosomes. Reconstruction of the ancestral genome traits suggested that the earliest ferns were already characterized by possessing high chromosome numbers and that the earliest divergences in ferns were correlated with substantial karyological changes.

Evidence for repeated whole‐genome duplications was found across the phylogeny. Fern genomes tend to evolve slowly, albeit genome rearrangements occur in some clades.
Successful ageing in lesbian, gay and bisexual older people: a concept analysis
Authors: Caceres Billy A. , Frank Mayu O. 
Published: January 2016

Aims and objectivesThe aim of this study was to report on an analysis of the concept of successful ageing in lesbian, gay and bisexual older people.BackgroundResearch indicates that lesbian, gay and bisexual older people experience significant health disparities. Yet there is a lack of understanding on what factors contribute to successful ageing in this population. Nursing has lagged behind other disciplines in investigating the health of lesbian, gay and bisexual older people.DesignA concept analysis using Rodgers' evolutionary method.Data sourcesTwenty studies were retrieved by searching PubMed, CINAHL, PsycInfo, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Scopus for English‐language peer‐reviewed studies published from January 2004 to March 2014.MethodsThe antecedents, attributes and consequences of the concept were identified through the Rodgers' method of concept analysis.ResultsAttributes included support from families of origin and/or families of choice, access to lesbian, gay, and bisexual‐friendly services and crisis competence. Self‐realisation of lesbian, gay and bisexual identity (coming out to oneself) and age >50 were identified as antecedents. Three consequences of successful ageing in lesbian, gay and bisexual older people were social engagement, optimism and resilience.ConclusionSuccessful ageing in lesbian, gay and bisexual older people is defined as a subjective and multifactorial concept that is characterised by support from families of origin/families of choice, access to lesbian, gay, and bisexual‐friendly services and the development of crisis competence skills which impact the ageing experience of LGB individuals.Implications for practiceSuccessful ageing models can provide a roadmap for developing culturally competent interventions to address key healthcare issues present in this population. The nursing profession's multidisciplinary knowledge and competence in providing health promotion makes nurses well positioned to take a leading role in reducing disparities of lesbian, gay and bisexual older people.
Six minute walk test versus incremental shuttle walk test in cystic fibrosis
Authors: Saglam Melda , Vardar‐Yagli Naciye , Savci Sema , Inal‐Ince Deniz , Aribas Zeynep , Bosnak‐Guclu Meral , Arikan Hulya , Calik‐Kutukcu Ebru , Gunes‐Yalcin Ebru 
Published: January 2016

AbstractBackgroundAlthough both self‐paced and externally paced field tests are widely used in cystic fibrosis (CF), it is still unclear whether they induce clinically relevant and similar cardiorespiratory responses. The aim of this study was therefore to compare the incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) and 6 min walk test (6MWT), and to determine the factors influencing exercise capacity in CF.MethodsFifty clinically stable CF patients were included in the study. Pulmonary function, peripheral and respiratory muscle strength were assessed, anthropometric measurements were recorded, and 6MWT and ISWT carried out.ResultsThe CF patients covered significantly more distance in the ISWT than 6MWT (P < 0.001). Heart rate response and dyspnea score at the end of the tests and during the recovery phase were significantly higher in the ISWT compared with the 6MWT (P < 0.05). The 6MWT and ISWT had similar moderate–strong correlations with age, height, weight, pulmonary function, respiratory and peripheral muscle strength (P < 0.05). Forty‐nine percent of the variance in 6MWT distance was explained by age and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1; R2 = 0.49, F(2–48) = 22.033, P < 0.001). The variables contributing to ISWT distance were FEV1, inspiratory muscle strength, and body mass index (R2 = 0.596, F(3–44) = 20.176, P < 0.001).ConclusionsThe ISWT is a better reflection of exercise tolerance in CF than 6MWT. ISWT is a preferable alternative assessment of exercise tolerance in terms of cardiorespiratory response.
Cross‐protective efficacy from a immunogen firstly identified in Leishmania infantum against tegumentary leishmaniasis
Authors: Martins V. T. , Lage D. P. , Duarte M. C. , Costa L. E. , Chávez‐Fumagalli M. A. , Roatt B. M. , Menezes‐Souza D. , Tavares C. A. P. , Coelho E. A. F. 
Published: January 2016

SummaryExperimental vaccine candidates have been evaluated to prevent leishmaniasis, but no commercial vaccine has been proved to be effective against more than one parasite species. LiHyT is a Leishmania‐specific protein that was firstly identified as protective against Leishmania infantum. In this study, LiHyT was evaluated as a vaccine to against two Leishmania species causing tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL): Leishmania major and Leishmania braziliensis. BALB/c mice were immunized with rLiHyT plus saponin and lately challenged with promastigotes of the two parasite species. The immune response generated was evaluated before and 10 weeks after infection, as well as the parasite burden at this time after infection. The vaccination induced a Th1 response, which was characterized by the production of IFN‐γ, IL‐12 and GM‐CSF, as well as by high levels of IgG2a antibodies, after in vitro stimulation using both the protein and parasite extracts. After challenge, vaccinated mice showed significant reductions in their infected footpads, as well as in the parasite burden in the tissue and organs evaluated, when compared to the control groups. The anti‐Leishmania Th1 response was maintained after infection, being the IFN‐γ production based mainly on CD4+ T cells. We described one conserved Leishmania‐specific protein that could compose a pan‐Leishmania vaccine.