bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Spatial structure in ecological communities – a quantitative analysis
Authors: Soininen Janne 
Published: April 2015

The spatial structure of communities has recently gained much attention in ecology. Spatial structure comprises an important element in communities, but the literature lacks a thorough investigation about possible among‐organism or among‐ecosystem differences in the degree of spatial structure. Here, I conducted a quantitative review to determine if the degree of spatial structure varied predictably between the major organism types and ecosystems. Spatial structure was quantified as the relative fraction of community variation explained purely by spatial variables (fraction S/E). I integrated data from 322 variation partition analyses both in a generalized linear model (GLM) and using a boosted regression tree method, and showed that a mean of 11.0% of the variation in community composition was explained purely by spatial variables. Across all taxa, a body size–S/E relationship was positive. In GLM, fraction S/E increased highly significantly with study extent, it was highest among terrestrial taxa and higher in ectotherms than in homoiotherms. Spatial structure was also higher in omnivores than in autotrophs. These results suggest that the degree of spatial structure is jointly driven by extrinsic factors such as study extent and ecosystem type, and intrinsic factors such as body size, thermoregulation and interactions between body size and dispersal mode. These results should be important not only for basic research, but also conservation and bioassessment programs would benefit from the information about the magnitude of spatial variation in nature.SynthesisSpatial processes comprise an important element in most ecological communities, but the degree to which spatial structure varies across organisms or ecosystems is poorly known. Here, a quantitative review of 322 variation partition analyses indicated that spatial component varied predictably across ecological communities – it was driven by study extent and ecosystem type as well as by species traits such as body size and thermoregulation. These results give deep insights into the magnitude of spatial variation in nature and should be highly beneficial for conservation and bioassessment programs that are built on the information about how communities vary in space.
The roles of RgpB and Kgp in late onset gingipain activity in the vimA‐defective mutant of Porphyromonas gingivalis W83
Authors: Dou Y. , Robles A. , Roy F. , Aruni A.W. , Sandberg L. , Nothnagel E. , Fletcher H.M. 
Published: April 2015

SummaryPrevious studies have shown that VimA, an acetyltransferase, can modulate gingipain biogenesis in Porphyromonas gingivalis. Inactivation of the vimA gene resulted in isogenic mutants that showed a late onset of gingipain activity that only occurred during the stationary growth phase. To further elucidate the role and contribution of the gingipains in this VimA‐dependent process, isogenic mutants defective in the gingipain genes in the vimA‐deficient genetic background were evaluated. In contrast with the wild‐type strain, RgpB and Kgp gingipain activities were absent in exponential phase in the ∆rgpA::tetQ‐vimA::ermF mutant. However, these activities increased to 31 and 53%, respectively, of that of the wild‐type during stationary phase. In the ∆rgpA::cat‐∆kgp::tetQ‐vimA::ermF mutant, the RgpB protein was observed in the extracellular fraction but no activity was present even at the stationary growth phase. There was no gingipain activity observed in the ∆rgpB::cat‐∆kgp::tetQ‐vimA::ermF mutant whereas Kgp activity in ∆rgpA::cat‐∆rgpB::tetQ‐vimA::ermF mutant was 24% of the wild‐type at late stationary phase. In contrast to RgpA, the glycosylation profile of the RgpB catalytic domain from both W83 and P. gingivalis FLL92 (vimA::ermF) showed similarity. Taken together, the results suggest multiple gingipain activation pathways in P. gingivalis. Whereas the maturation pathways for RgpA and RgpB are different, the late‐onset gingipain activity in the vimA‐defective mutant was due to activation/maturation of RgpB and Kgp. Moreover, unlike RgpA, which is VimA‐dependent, the maturation/activation pathways for RgpB and Kgp are interdependent in the absence VimA.
White Gold and Troubled Waters in Southern Africa: Hydropolitical Policy's Effect on Peace in Lesotho and South Africa
Authors: Ryan Susannah 
Published: April 2015

Over recent decades, scholars have debated the connection between resource scarcity and conflict. Does resource scarcity produce conflict, or does scarcity demand development and international cooperation? Can environmental stress be an occasion for peace, or does international cooperation during an environmental crisis indicate local or intrastate conflicts? Toward responding to these questions, this analysis examines the effects the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) and shows that while the LHWP helped to put a stop to international conflicts between Lesotho and South Africa, the Project's consequences (ecocide, displacement, and unequal distribution of basic resources) have intensified tensions within these states.Related Articles

Bakenova, Saule. 2008. “.” Politics & Policy 36 (): 676–719. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2008.00125.x/abstract

Moreno‐Jaimes, Carlos. 2011. “.” Politics & Policy 39 (): 1021–1052. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2011.00328.x/abstract

Elliott‐Teague, Ginger. 2011. “.” Politics & Policy 39 (): 835–861. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2011.00318.x/abstract
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. 2013. “.” YouTube Video, May 27. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKj7G5QR0To

Greyl, Lucie. 2015. “.” Ejolt/Environmental Justice Atlas. http://ejatlas.org/conflict/lesotho‐highlands‐water‐project‐lesotho

. 2015. “.” http://www.lhda.org

. 2011. “.” http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/video/2011/03/15/Abundant‐Waters‐Harnessing‐Water‐Lesotho‐Future
The influence of formulation on Trichoderma biological activity and frosty pod rot management in Theobroma cacao
Authors: Crozier J. , Arroyo C. , Morales H. , Melnick R. L. , Strem M. D. , Vinyard B. T. , Collins R. , Holmes K. A. , Bailey B. A. 
Published: April 2015

Frosty pod rot (FPR), caused by Moniliophthora roreri, is responsible for significant losses in Theobroma cacao. Due to limited options for FPR management, biological control methods using Trichoderma are being studied. Combinations of three formulations and two Trichoderma isolates were studied between May 2009 and April 2011. The formulations were 0·3 mL L−1 of the surfactant BreakThru 100SL (BT), a mixture of 1% w/v Sure‐Jell (source of pectin) and 1% w/v potato dextrose broth (PDB) (PP), and an invert oil emulsion of 50% v/v corn oil/2·5% w/v lecithin/0·5% w/v PDB (COP). Water and fungicide, copper oxychloride, were included as controls. Humidity chamber studies indicated that Trichoderma conidia germinated in all formulations if free water was maintained, while only the COP formulation supported germination under drying conditions. In the field, Trichoderma ovalisporum DIS‐70a and Trichoderma harzianum DIS‐219f were applied monthly in each of the three formulations at a rate of 180 mL per tree, 2·46 × 107 conidia per mL. The COP/DIS‐70a formulation provided the largest yield increase compared to all other treatments, including the fungicide control. Averaged over the 2 years, the COP formulation increased yield to 30·7% healthy pods compared to 9·7% healthy pods in the water control. Although the formulation/isolate combinations did not consistently increase endophytic colonization, the PP/DIS‐219f, COP/DIS‐219f and COP/DIS‐70a combinations increased total endophytic/epiphytic colonization by Trichoderma. The invert corn oil formulation of DIS‐70a significantly enhanced yield of healthy cacao pods over 2 years providing a promising model for optimizing Trichoderma‐based biocontrol strategies.
Estimating time‐varying RSA to examine psychophysiological linkage of marital dyads
Authors: Gates Kathleen M. , Gatzke‐Kopp Lisa M. , Sandsten Maria , Blandon Alysia Y. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractOne of the primary tenets of polyvagal theory dictates that parasympathetic influence on heart rate, often estimated by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), shifts rapidly in response to changing environmental demands. The current standard analytic approach of aggregating RSA estimates across time to arrive at one value fails to capture this dynamic property within individuals. By utilizing recent methodological developments that enable precise RSA estimates at smaller time intervals, we demonstrate the utility of computing time‐varying RSA for assessing psychophysiological linkage (or synchrony) in husband‐wife dyads using time‐locked data collected in a naturalistic setting.
New Wine in Different Bottles: Negotiating and Selling the CAP post‐2013 Reform
Authors: Alons Gerry , Zwaan Pieter 
Published: April 2015

AbstractThis article investigates the policy discourses at European level and in France, Germany and the UK during the debate on the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) post‐2013 reform. The neoliberal discourse that has provided the intellectual justification for reform during the last decade is now increasingly combined with a ‘public goods’ discourse related to the multifunctionalist discourse of the 1990s. Innovating on earlier discursive analyses of the CAP debate, this article distinguishes between discourses used during the uploading (negotiations) and the downloading (implementation) phases. In doing so it uncovers the effects of domestic‐international interactions on the application of different competing discourses. The member states' domestic legitimating discourses applied to ‘sell’ the eventual CAP agreement tend to align with existing domestic policy paradigms rather than with dominant discourses at the EU level, indicating that discourses are prone to strategic usage.
The Psychiatrization of Poverty: Rethinking the Mental Health–Poverty Nexus
Authors: Mills China 
Published: April 2015

AbstractThe positive association between ‘mental illness’ and poverty is one of the most well established in psychiatric epidemiology. Yet, there is little conclusive evidence about the nature of this relationship. Generally, explanations revolve around the idea of a vicious cycle, where poverty may cause mental ill health, and mental ill health may lead to poverty. Problematically, much of the literature overlooks the historical, social, political, and cultural trajectories of constructions of both poverty and ‘mental illness’. Laudable attempts to explore the social determinants of mental health sometimes take recourse to using and reifying psychiatric diagnostic categories that individualize distress and work to psychiatrically reconfigure ‘symptoms’ of oppression, poverty, and inequality as ‘symptoms’ of ‘mental illness’. This raises the paradoxical issue that the very tools that are used to research the relationship between poverty and mental health may prevent recognition of the complexity of that relationship. Looking at the mental health–poverty nexus through a lens of psychiatrization (intersecting with medicalization, pathologization, and psychologization), this paper recognizes the need for radically different tools to trace the messiness of the multiple relationships between poverty and distress. It also implies radically different interventions into mental health and poverty that recognize the landscapes in which lived realities of poverty are embedded, the political economy of psychiatric diagnostic and prescribing practices, and ultimately to address the systemic causes of poverty and inequality.
Measurement of body temperature in 300 dogs with a novel noncontact infrared thermometer on the cornea in comparison to a standard rectal digital thermometer
Authors: Kreissl Hannah , Neiger Reto 
Published: April 2015

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the accuracy of obtaining body temperatures in dogs with a noncontact infrared thermometer (NCIT) on the cornea compared with a rectal digital thermometer (RDT).DesignProspective single center study.SettingUniversity teaching hospital.AnimalsThree hundred dogs presented with low, normal, or high body temperatures.InterventionsThree body temperature readings were measured by an RDT and by an NCIT on the cornea of the left eye by 2 investigators (experienced and inexperienced). Results obtained by the 2 methods were compared.Measurements and Main ResultsMedian body temperature measured by the experienced investigator with the RDT and the NCIT were 38.3°C (range 35.5°C–41.1°C; 95% CI: 38.2–38.4°C) and 37.7°C (35.9°C–40.1°C; 95% CI: 37.7°C–37.9°C), respectively.Measurement of RDT as well as of NCIT correlated well between both investigators (rRDT= 0.94; rNCIT= 0.82; respectively,P< 0.001 for both methods). Mean RDT and NCIT‐temperature correlated poorly (r= 0.43;P< 0.001) when taken by the experienced investigator and even less by the nonexperienced investigator (r= 0.38;P< 0.001). Repeatability of the NCIT revealed an unsatisfactory value (0.24°C) compared to RDT measurement (0.12°C). Agreement between both devices in measuring low, normal, and high values, calculated by Cohens–Kappa, was unsatisfactory (к= 0.201;P< 0.001). Calculating the receiver operating characteristic curve to determine the best threshold for fever (defined as RDT temperature >39.0°C) showed an area under the curve of 0.76. Mean discomfort score was significantly lower using NCIT compared to RDT measurement (P< 0.001).ConclusionsThere was poor agreement between body temperatures obtained by RDT and NCIT. The corneal NCIT measurement tends to underrecognize hypothermic and hyperthermic conditions. Although the use of the NCIT yields faster results and is significantly more comfortable for the dog than the RDT measurement, it cannot be recommended in dogs at this time.
Glycolytic Dependency of High-Level Nitric Oxide Resistance and Virulence in Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Vitko Nicholas P. , Spahich Nicole A. , Richardson Anthony R. 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTStaphylococcus aureusis a prolific human pathogen capable of causing severe invasive disease with a myriad of presentations. The ability ofS. aureusto cause infection is strongly linked with its capacity to overcome the effects of innate immunity, whether by directly killing immune cells or expressing factors that diminish the impact of immune effectors. One such scenario is the induction of lactic acid fermentation byS. aureusin response to host nitric oxide (NO·). This fermentative activity allowsS. aureusto balance redox during NO·-induced respiration inhibition. However, little is known about the metabolic substrates and pathways that support this activity. Here, we identify glycolytic hexose catabolism as being essential forS. aureusgrowth in the presence of high levels of NO·. We determine that glycolysis supportsS. aureusNO· resistance by allowing for ATP and precursor metabolite production in a redox-balanced and respiration-independent manner. We further demonstrate that glycolysis is required for NO· resistance during phagocytosis and that increased levels of extracellular glucose limit the effectiveness of phagocytic killing by enhancing NO· resistance. Finally, we demonstrate thatS. aureusglycolysis is essential for virulence in both sepsis and skin/soft tissue models of infection in a time frame consistent with the induction of innate immunity and host NO· production.IMPORTANCEStaphylococcus aureusis a leading human bacterial pathogen capable of causing a wide variety of diseases that, as a result of antibiotic resistance, are very difficult to treat. The frequency ofS. aureustissue invasion suggests that this bacterium has evolved to resist innate immunity and grow using the nutrients present in otherwise sterile host tissue. We have identified glycolysis as an essential component ofS. aureusvirulence and attribute its importance to promoting nitric oxide resistance and growth under low oxygen conditions. Our data suggest that diabetics, a patient population characterized by excess serum glucose, may be more susceptible toS. aureusas a result of increased glucose availability. Furthermore, the essential nature ofS. aureusglycolysis indicates that a newly developed glycolysis inhibitor may be a highly effective treatment forS. aureusinfections.
Characterization of H5N1 Influenza Virus Variants with Hemagglutinin Mutations Isolated from Patients
Authors: Watanabe Yohei , Arai Yasuha , Daidoji Tomo , Kawashita Norihito , Ibrahim Madiha S. , El-Gendy Emad El-Din M. , Hiramatsu Hiroaki , Kubota-Koketsu Ritsuko , Takagi Tatsuya , Murata Takeomi , Takahashi Kazuo , Okuno Yoshinobu , Nakaya Takaaki , Suzuki Yasuo , Ikuta Kazuyoshi 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACT
A change in viral hemagglutinin (HA) receptor binding specificity from α2,3- to α2,6-linked sialic acid is necessary for highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) virus subtype H5N1 to become pandemic. However, details of the human-adaptive change in the H5N1 virus remain unknown. Our database search of H5N1 clade 2.2.1 viruses circulating in Egypt identified multiple HA mutations that had been selected in infected patients. Using reverse genetics, we found that increases in both human receptor specificity and the HA pH threshold for membrane fusion were necessary to facilitate replication of the virus variants in human airway epithelia. Furthermore, variants with enhanced replication in human cells had decreased HA stability, apparently to compensate for the changes in viral receptor specificity and membrane fusion activity. Our findings showed that H5N1 viruses could rapidly adapt to growth in the human airway microenvironment by altering their HA properties in infected patients and provided new insights into the human-adaptive mechanisms of AI viruses.

IMPORTANCE
Circulation between bird and human hosts may allow H5N1 viruses to acquire amino acid changes that increase fitness for human infections. However, human-adaptive changes in H5N1 viruses have not been adequately investigated. In this study, we found that multiple HA mutations were actually selected in H5N1-infected patients and that H5N1 variants with some of these HA mutations had increased human-type receptor specificity and increased HA membrane fusion activity, both of which are advantageous for viral replication in human airway epithelia. Furthermore, HA mutants selected during viral replication in patients were likely to have less HA stability, apparently as a compensatory mechanism. These results begin to clarify the picture of the H5N1 human-adaptive mechanism.
Evaluation ofCandidaColonization and Specific Humoral Responses againstCandida albicansin Patients with Atopic Dermatitis
Authors: Javad Ghaffari , Taheri Sarvtin Mehdi , Hedayati Mohammad Taghi , Hajheydari Zohreh , Yazdani Jamshid , Shokohi Tahereh 
Published: April 2015

The aim of this study was to assess the candidal colonization and specific humoral responses againstCandida albicansin patients with atopic dermatitis. One hundred patients with atopic dermatitis and 50 healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. Skin and oral specimens from all participants were cultured on CHROMagarCandidamedium. Isolated yeasts were identified by using the sequence of the D1/D2 domain of the 26S rRNA gene. ELISA was used for detection of IgM, IgA, and IgG antibodies againstC. albicansin sera of participants.Candidaspecies were isolated from the skin and oral cavity of 31% of the patients and 12% of the controls. There was no significant difference betweenCandidacolonization in patients and controls (P>0.05).Candida albicanswas isolated from the skin and oral cavity of 23% of the patients and 6% of the controls (P< 0.05). There were no significant differences between serum levels of IgM and IgA in patients and controls (P>0.05). Serum level of IgG was significantly lower in patients than in controls (P<0.05). Type ofCandidacolonization can change in patients with atopic dermatitis. In addition, these patients have abnormalities in the production of antibodies againstCandida albicansthat may have a role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis.Corrigendum to “Evaluation ofCandidaColonization and Specific Humoral Responses againstCandida albicansin Patients with Atopic Dermatitis”
Predictors of Finding Occult Atrial Fibrillation After Cryptogenic Stroke
Authors: Favilla Christopher G. , Ingala Erin , Jara Jenny , Fessler Emily , Cucchiara Brett , Messé Steven R. , Mullen Michael T. , Prasad Allyson , Siegler James , Hutchinson Mathew D. , Kasner Scott E. 
Published: April 2015

Background and Purpose—
Occult paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) is found in a substantial minority of patients with cryptogenic stroke. Identifying reliable predictors of paroxysmal AF after cryptogenic stroke would allow clinicians to more effectively use outpatient cardiac monitoring and ultimately reduce secondary stroke burden.

Methods—
We analyzed a retrospective cohort of consecutive patients who underwent 28-day mobile cardiac outpatient telemetry after cryptogenic stroke or transient ischemic stroke. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to identify clinical, echocardiographic, and radiographic features associated with the detection of paroxysmal AF.

Results—

Of 227 patients with cryptogenic stroke (179) or transient ischemic stroke (48), 14% (95% confidence interval, 9%–18%) had AF detected on mobile cardiac outpatient telemetry, 58% of which was ≥30 seconds in duration. Age >60 years (odds ratio, 3.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.3–11) and prior cortical or cerebellar infarction seen on neuroimaging (odds ratio, 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.2–7.6) were independent predictors of AF. AF was detected in 33% of patients with both factors, but only 4% of patients with neither. No other clinical features (including demographics, CHA
2
DS
2
-VASc [combined stroke risk score: congestive heart failure, hypertension, age, diabetes, prior stroke/transient ischemic attack, vascular disease, sex] score, or stroke symptoms), echocardiographic findings (including left atrial size or ejection fraction), or radiographic characteristics of the acute infarction (including location, topology, or number) were associated with AF detection.

Conclusions—
Mobile cardiac outpatient telemetry detects AF in a substantial proportion of cryptogenic stroke patients. Age >60 years and radiographic evidence of prior cortical or cerebellar infarction are robust indicators of occult AF. Patients with neither had a low prevalence of AF.