bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Understanding post‐traumatic growth following pediatric‐onset spinal cord injury: the critical role of coping strategies for facilitating positive psychological outcomes
Authors: January Alicia M , Zebracki Kathy , Chlan Kathleen M , Vogel Lawrence C 
Published: June 2015

AimThe aim of this study was to explore positive psychological growth in individuals who had sustained spinal cord injuries (SCIs) in childhood, and to identify factors correlating with such growth.MethodData were drawn from ongoing research aimed at assessing the long‐term outcomes of pediatric‐onset SCIs in adults. Participants were assessed using measures of demographics, coping ability, post‐traumatic growth, life satisfaction, happiness, and mental health. The study sample included 161 adults with a mean age of 33 years and 2 months (SD 7y 3mo, range 19–50y). The participants had sustained SCIs between the ages of 7 years and 18 years (mean 14y 10mo, SD 2y 6mo) and were injured for an average of 17 years and 9 months (SD 7y 7mo, range 1–36y). Sixty‐four percent of participants were male, 81% were white, 63% had tetraplegia, and 70% had complete injuries.ResultsThe vast majority of participants (99%) recognized that at least one positive change had occurred in their life as a result of their SCI. Post‐traumatic growth was significantly associated with behavioral (r=0.29, p<0.001) and cognitive (r=0.39, p<0.001) coping strategies, as well as with increased life satisfaction (r=0.18, p=0.024) and happiness (r=0.27, p=0.001), but was unrelated to psychological distress. Additional analyses indicated that post‐traumatic growth mediated effects of cognitive coping on happiness, but not on life satisfaction.InterpretationThe majority of individuals with pediatric‐onset SCIs experienced positive psychological growth. Coping strategies are crucial to this growth process.
Association of Right Atrial Mechanics with Hemodynamics and Physical Capacity in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Insight from a Single‐Center Cohort in Northern Sweden
Authors: Saha Samir Kanti , Söderberg Stefan , Lindqvist Per 
Published: June 2015

AimsRole of right atrial mechanics has not been studied in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). We sought to investigate the correlation between the right sided, particularly right atrial mechanics, hemodynamic parameters, and functional capacity prior to initiation of treatment.Methods and ResultsTwenty‐five subjects (63 ± 17 years, 13 males) with newly diagnosed IPAH by right heart catheterization (RHC) underwent speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) of the right ventricle (RV) and right atrium (RA). All the patients had a six‐minute walk test (6MWD) performed, functional class (WHO‐FC) assessed, and plasma NT‐proBNP estimated. STE strain imaging of RA and RV was performed offline. STE of the RA myocardium yielded characteristic strain (S%) and strain rate (SR) curves with clear delineation of its reservoir (RA‐RS%), conduit (RA‐SR E), and booster pump functions (RA‐SR A). In IPAH, RHC‐obtained pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP), respectively, were 7.3 ± 5.6 Wood units and 66 ± 24 mmHg. RA‐RS% was associated negatively with PVR (r = −0.46; P < 0.05) and positively with stroke volume and cardiac output (all P < 0.05). Both right atrial pressure (RAP) obtained by RHC as well as RA‐SR E had significant association with WHO‐FC (Multiple R = 0.7; P = 0. 01 and 0.007, respectively). RA strain rate during systole and RAP had significant association with 6MWD (Multiple R = 0.7; P = 0.01 and 0.006, respectively).ConclusionRight atrium mechanics not only correlate well with RHC‐obtained hemodynamics, but also correlate with functional capacity in treatment‐naive IPAH.
DOES BANKRUPTCY LAW AFFECT BUSINESS TURNOVER? EVIDENCE FROM NEW AND EXISTING BUSINESS
Authors: Rohlin Shawn M. , Ross Amanda 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThis study examines how differences in state bankruptcy laws, specifically the homestead exemption, affect business turnover by studying both new and existing businesses. We focus on areas just near state boundaries to control for unobserved local attributes to better isolate the effect of more wealth protection. We find that an increase in the homestead exemption attracts new businesses but also has a positive impact on existing businesses, suggesting that asset protection through bankruptcy law encourages successful entrepreneurs to incur the risks. Our results indicate that the personal bankruptcy law is an important policy tool that governments can use to encourage business growth without causing business turnover. (JEL K30, K36, R11, R1)
The effect of antibiotic pastes on microhardness of dentin
Authors: Yilmaz Sehnaz , Dumani Aysin , Yoldas Oguz 
Published: June 2015

AbstractAimThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of various endodontic regeneration agents on the microhardness of human root dentin after contact for various time intervals.Materials and methodsThirty‐five extracted human maxillary incisors were selected. The canals were enlarged and fixed in acrylic resin blocks. Two sections were obtained from the middle‐third of each root (n = 70). The root discs were divided randomly into three groups of 20 and a control group of 10. Baseline microhardness testing was completed using a microhardness tester. The root discs were placed in Petri dishes and then assigned randomly to triple antibiotic paste (TAP), double antibiotic paste (DAP), calcium hydroxide paste (CH) and the control group. The CH and two antibiotic pastes were placed in the Petri dishes, and the discs were covered completely with the mixtures. Microhardness tests were repeated in the same manner after weeks 1, 2 and 3. Data were analysed statistically with a chi‐square and Fisher's exact test at the 5% significance level and post hoc analysis was performed.ResultsNo significant change in dentin microhardness occurred in the control group (P > 0.05). Overall, the dentin microhardness values decreased after treatment with the CH and antibiotic pastes over all time intervals. The DAP group showed reduced Knoop hardness number (KHN) values compared with the TAP group at the 1 measurements (P < 0.01). Statistically significant differences were found among the control, DAP and TAP groups, but no difference was seen between the control and CH groups at the week 1 measurement. No significant difference was found between the DAP and TAP groups at the week 4 measurement.ConclusionsApplying DAP and TAP for 4 weeks significantly reduced the microhardness values of dentin discs compared with the baseline values.
Effect of powder‐to‐water ratio on the push‐out bond strength of white mineral trioxide aggregate
Authors: Türker Sevinç Aktemur , Uzunoğlu Emel 
Published: June 2015

AbstractAimTo evaluate the effect of powder‐to‐water ratio on the retention characteristics of white mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA; Angelus, Londrina, Pr, Brazil) over time.MethodsOne hundred and thirty‐five root dentin slices from extracted single‐rooted human mandibular premolar teeth were instrumented to achieve a diameter of 1.3 mm. Three MTA groups were prepared using 4:1, 3:1, and 2:1 powder‐to‐water ratios. The samples were stored for 96 h and 7 and 28 days at 37°C. The push‐out bond strengths were measured using an Instron testing machine. Data were analyzed using two‐way analysis of variance (anova) with Bonferroni correction.ResultsThere was a statistically significant difference between the experimental groups at the 96‐h and 7‐day study periods (P = 0.002). At 96 h, the materials prepared at 2:1 ratio had the lowest bond strength than the samples prepared at the other two ratios (P < 0.001). There was a significant difference between the findings at 96‐h and 28‐day study periods for 2:1 and 4:1 ratios. The highest bond strength value was found at 28 days of exposure (P < 0.001).ConclusionThe powder‐to‐water ratio significantly interfered with the bond strength properties of white MTA.
Creating a curriculum on psychosis: a pilot training programme with youth workers
Authors: Hassab Errasoul Ahmed , Sutton Marie , Doran Cormac , Robertson Ger , Fenlon Nicholas P. , Turner Niall , Clarke Mary 
Published: June 2015

AbstractAimsPublic education may constitute an effective early intervention strategy to reduce delays in the treatment of psychotic disorders and thereby improve outcome. The purpose of this project was to design, implement and validate a curriculum on early intervention in psychosis for youth workers.MethodA training intervention on early intervention in psychosis was designed and delivered through 1‐day workshops. Objective and self‐perceived competencies were measured before and after the intervention and at 3‐month follow up. An additional question was added to assess social distancing from subjects with psychosis.ResultsCompared with baseline, the training programme resulted in an improvement in problem identification and symptom recognition skills for vignettes on psychosis (P < 0.05), and in advice on help‐seeking behaviour (P < 0.001) and in self‐perceived competencies (P < 0.001). Additionally, there was a reduction in social distancing (P < 0.001). These desired outcomes were found to be sustained over a 3‐month period.ConclusionsThe training course improved case recognition skills and advice on help‐seeking behaviour and resulted in reduction in social distancing in this cohort of youth workers.
Short‐Term Nutritional Limitation Affects Mating Behaviour and Reproductive Output in Dwarf Spiders
Authors: Kunz Katrin , Uhl Gabriele 
Published: June 2015

AbstractMating decisions can vary considerably depending on individual experience, mate availability and nutritional status. Here, we applied short‐term dietary restrictions to adult female spiders that were well fed during the juvenile stage in an effort to understand whether and how brief periods of food shortage can influence male and female mating decisions and mating behaviour. To assess whether responses vary between closely related species, we conducted the same experiment on the dwarf spiders Oedothorax retusus and O. apicatus. During courtship and mating, males of both species offer secretion to females from glandular tissue in their prosoma. Females were subject to food shortage over a period of 3 wks (‘low‐diet’ treatment, LD) or fed regularly (‘high‐diet’ treatment, HD). We compared courtship probability, mating probability/behaviour, and reproductive output between dietary groups and species. In both Oedothorax species, females in the LD treatment were less likely to mate and more aggressive towards males. Furthermore, LD females produced egg sacs that were significantly lighter than were those of the HD females. Effects of food deprivation on copulation duration, gustatory behaviour and oviposition latency differed between species. Our study shows that short periods of dietary restriction during the adult stage can strongly affect mating behaviour and reproductive output with differences between closely related species.
Resistance to European Law and Constitutional Identity in Germany: Herbert Kraus and Solange in its Intellectual Context
Authors: Davies Bill 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThis article recasts our understanding of the Federal Constitutional Court's Solange decision by tracing its lineage within the domestic context and as part of a new history of EU law. The external dynamic of the decision, a moment of judicial discourse between two of Europe's highest panels, has been the focus of many studies. Much rarer are attempts to embed the decision within its internal context: the struggle within the German legal academy to accept the primacy of EU law. Central to this contextualisation is the reinvigoration of the ‘structural congruence’ theory of Herbert Kraus, which long shaped the German reception of EU law. This article recounts Kraus' theory, tracing the struggle for the German legal consciousness between three positions: constitutionalists, traditionalists, and the congruence advocates. While Hallstein's constitutionalism is most closely associated with Germany's early Europhilia, even he admitted by 1975 that Kraus had won the day.
Wolbachiastrains for disease control: ecological and evolutionary considerations
Authors: Hoffmann Ary A. , Ross Perran A. , Rašić Gordana 
Published: June 2015

AbstractWolbachiaare endosymbionts found in many insects with the potential to suppress vectorborne diseases, particularly through interfering with pathogen transmission.Wolbachiastrains are highly variable in their effects on hosts, raising the issue of which attributes should be selected to ensure that the best strains are developed for disease control. This depends on their ability to suppress viral transmission, invade host populations, persist without loss of viral suppression and not interfere with other control strategies. The potential to achieve these objectives is likely to involve evolutionary constraints; viral suppression may be limited by the ability of infections to spread due to deleterious host fitness effects. However, there are exceptions to these patterns in both natural infections and in novel associations generated following interspecific transfer, suggesting that pathogen blockage, deleterious fitness effects and changes to reproductive biology might be at least partly decoupled to achieve ideal infection attributes. The stability of introducedWolbachiaand its effects on viral transmission remain unclear, but rapid evolutionary changes seem unlikely. Although deliberate transfers ofWolbachiaacross species remain particularly challenging, the availability of strains with desirable attributes should be expanded, taking advantage of the diversity available across thousands of strains in natural populations.
A scientific alternative to moratoria for rebuilding depleted international tuna stocks
Authors: Hillary Richard M , Preece Ann L , Davies Campbell R , Kurota Hiroyuki , Sakai Osamu , Itoh Tomoyuki , Parma Ana M , Butterworth Doug S , Ianelli James , Branch Trevor A 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThere is considerable international concern and scientific debate about the current state and future of tuna stocks worldwide and the capacity of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations to manage the associated fisheries effectively. In some cases, this concern has extended to predictions of imminent collapse with minimal chances of recovery, even under a commercial catch moratorium. As a viable alternative to a full fishery closure, the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) has adopted a scientifically tested, adaptive rebuilding strategy for the depleted southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) stock. The management procedure (MP) adopted involves a harvest control rule that fully specifies the total allowable catch as a function of key indicators of stock status, adjusting future harvest levels every three years so as to meet the rebuilding targets agreed by CCSBT. It was chosen from a subset of candidate MPs selected following extensive simulation testing. This involved first selecting a wide range of plausible scenarios for stock status and input data, ranging from pessimistic to optimistic, against which the alternative candidate MPs were tested to ensure that they were robust to important uncertainties. This is the first time that a comprehensively evaluated MP has been adopted for an internationally managed tuna stock. Both the process and the outcomes have broad applicability to other internationally managed stocks.
The crystal structure of Helicobacter pylori HP1029 highlights the functional diversity of the sialic acid‐related DUF386 family
Authors: Vallese Francesca , Percudani Riccardo , Fischer Wolfgang , Zanotti Giuseppe 
Published: June 2015

The proteins of the YhcH/YjgK/YiaL (DUF386) family have been implicated in the bacterial metabolism of host‐derived sialic acids and biofilm formation, although their precise biochemical function remains enigmatic. We present here the crystal structure of protein HP1029 from Helicobacter pylori. The protein is a homodimer, in which each monomer comprises a molecular core formed by 12 antiparallel β‐strands arranged in two β‐sheets flanked by helices. The sandwich formed by the sheets assumes the shape of a funnel opened at one end, with a zinc ion present at the bottom of the funnel. The crystal structure unequivocally shows that HP1029 belongs to the DUF386 family. Although no bioinformatics evidence has been found for sialic acid catabolism in H. pylori, the genomic context of HP1029 in Helicobacter and related organisms suggests a possible role in the metabolism of bacterial surface saccharides, such as pseudaminic acid and its derivatives.
Divergent phenotypic responses to predators and cyanobacteria in Daphnia lumholtzi
Authors: Whittington Deirdre , Walsh Matthew R. 
Published: June 2015

Summary

Daphnia lumholtzi is an exotic species of zooplankton that was first introduced in Texas, U.S.A., and has since spread across most of the areas in the country. Research has focussed on the importance of the production of morphological defences in response to predator exposure as a key explanation for the spread of this species. Very little is known about the influence of other common environmental stressors on the fitness of this species or the potential role for genetic variation in plasticity in the spread of this species.

We assessed the effects of two common environmental stressors, invertebrate predator cues and increasing concentrations of cyanobacteria, on the life‐history traits in D. lumholtzi. This study also included clones from three reservoirs in Texas to measure potential genetic variation in plasticity.

We found that the expression of life‐history traits depended strongly upon the combined effects of predator exposure and food quality. Increasing concentrations of cyanobacteria resulted in delayed maturation, slower growth, a smaller size at maturation, declines in clutch size and slower rate of population growth. Yet, such declines were much smaller in the presence of predator cues. Divergent responses observed were the size of defence traits; Daphnia reared in the absence of predator cues increased the size of spines as the concentrations of cyanobacteria increased, while the opposite pattern was observed in the presence of predator cues.

This study also revealed extensive genetic variation in the magnitude and direction of phenotypic responses to predators and cyanobacteria. These latter results illustrate that significant clonal variation in plasticity may help promote the spread of this species.
Woodland recovery following drought‐induced tree mortality across an environmental stress gradient
Authors: Redmond Miranda D. , Cobb Neil S. , Clifford Michael J. , Barger Nichole N. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractRecent droughts and increasing temperatures have resulted in extensive tree mortality across the globe. Understanding the environmental controls on tree regeneration following these drought events will allow for better predictions of how these ecosystems may shift under a warmer, drier climate. Within the widely distributed piñon–juniper woodlands of the southwestern USA, a multiyear drought in 2002–2004 resulted in extensive adult piñon mortality and shifted adult woodland composition to a juniper‐dominated, more savannah‐type ecosystem. Here, we used pre‐ (1998–2001) and 10‐year post‐ (2014) drought stand structure data of individually mapped trees at 42 sites to assess the effects of this drought on tree regeneration across a gradient of environmental stress. We found declines in piñon juvenile densities since the multiyear drought due to limited new recruitment and high (>50%) juvenile mortality. This is in contrast to juniper juvenile densities, which increased over this time period. Across the landscape, piñon recruitment was positively associated with live adult piñon densities and soil available water capacity, likely due to their respective effects on seed and water availability. Juvenile piñon survival was strongly facilitated by certain types of nurse trees and shrubs. These nurse plants also moderated the effects of environmental stress on piñon survival: Survival of interspace piñon juveniles was positively associated with soil available water capacity, whereas survival of nursed piñon juveniles was negatively associated with perennial grass cover. Thus, nurse plants had a greater facilitative effect on survival at sites with higher soil available water capacity and perennial grass cover. Notably, mean annual climatic water deficit and elevation were not associated with piñon recruitment or survival across the landscape. Our findings reveal a clear shift in successional trajectories toward a more juniper‐dominated woodland and highlight the importance of incorporating biotic interactions and soil properties into species distribution modeling approaches.
Evaluation of the ECOSSE model for simulating soil organic carbon under Miscanthus and short rotation coppice‐willow crops in Britain
Authors: Dondini Marta , Richards Mark , Pogson Mark , Jones Edward O. , Rowe Rebecca L. , Keith Aidan M. , McNamara Niall P. , Smith Joanne U. , Smith Pete 
Published: June 2015

AbstractIn this paper, we focus on the impact on soil organic carbon (SOC) of two dedicated energy crops: perennial grass Miscanthus x Giganteus (Miscanthus) and short rotation coppice (SRC)‐willow. The amount of SOC sequestered in the soil is a function of site‐specific factors including soil texture, management practices, initial SOC levels and climate; for these reasons, both losses and gains in SOC were observed in previous Miscanthus and SRC‐willow studies. The ECOSSE model was developed to simulate soil C dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions in mineral and organic soils. The performance of ECOSSE has already been tested at site level to simulate the impacts of land‐use change to short rotation forestry (SRF) on SOC. However, it has not been extensively evaluated under other bioenergy plantations, such as Miscanthus and SRC‐willow. Twenty‐nine locations in the United Kingdom, comprising 19 paired transitions to SRC‐willow and 20 paired transitions to Miscanthus, were selected to evaluate the performance of ECOSSE in predicting SOC and SOC change from conventional systems (arable and grassland) to these selected bioenergy crops. The results of the present work revealed a strong correlation between modelled and measured SOC and SOC change after transition to Miscanthus and SRC‐willow plantations, at two soil depths (0–30 and 0–100 cm), as well as the absence of significant bias in the model. Moreover, model error was within (i.e. not significantly larger than) the measurement error. The high degrees of association and coincidence with measured SOC under Miscanthus and SRC‐willow plantations in the United Kingdom, provide confidence in using this process‐based model for quantitatively predicting the impacts of future land use on SOC, at site level as well as at national level.