bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Mixed‐Methods Study on Factors Influencing Prenatal Weight Gain in Ethnic‐Minority Women
Authors: Hackley Barbara , Kennedy Holly Powell , Berry Diane C. , Melkus Gail D'Eramo 
Published: July 2014

IntroductionGaining too much weight in pregnancy is associated with perinatal complications and increases the risks of future obesity for both women and their infants. Unfortunately, women enrolled in intervention trials have seen little improvement in adherence to prenatal weight gain recommendations compared to women receiving standard prenatal care. Therefore, the purpose of this descriptive mixed‐methods study was to explore factors related to excessive weight gain in pregnancy.MethodsNonpregnant nulliparous women, currently pregnant women, and postpartum women (N = 43) were recruited from a health center serving an inner‐city minority community. Women completed questionnaires on knowledge, self‐efficacy, and behaviors related to nutrition, exercise, and prenatal weight gain. Fifteen of these women participated in focus groups. Focus group data were analyzed using ATLAS.ti (Scientific Software Development GmbH, Berlin, Germany). Codes were created, themes were identified, and consensus was reached through multiple iterations of the analysis by study personnel.ResultsExcessive weight gain was common. Nutritional knowledge was poor and significantly lower among nonpregnant nulliparous women. Women felt sure that they could engage in healthy behaviors, but few did so. Participants in focus groups identified multiple barriers to healthy behaviors in pregnancy and made suggestions on how to help women more readily make improvements in these behaviors.DiscussionStrategies identified in this study such as providing focused education directed at nonpregnant nulliparous women, stressing portion control, helping women better manage their cravings, and providing more pragmatic support and resources need to be explored in future research.
Elevation of striatal urate in experimental models of Parkinson's disease: a compensatory mechanism triggered by dopaminergic nigrostriatal degeneration?
Authors: De Luca Maria Antonietta , Cauli Omar , Morelli Micaela , Simola Nicola 
Published: July 2014

AbstractEpidemiological studies have indicated an inverse association between high uricemia and incidence of Parkinson's disease (PD). To investigate the link between endogenous urate and neurotoxic changes involving the dopaminergic nigrostriatal system, this study evaluated the modifications in the striatal urate levels in two models of PD. To this end, a partial dopaminergic degeneration was induced by 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in mice, while a severe dopaminergic degeneration was elicited by unilateral medial forebrain bundle infusion of 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) in rats. Urate levels were measured by in vivo microdialysis at 7 or 14 days from toxin exposure. The results obtained demonstrated higher urate levels in the dopamine‐denervated striatum of 6‐OHDA‐lesioned rats compared with the intact striatum. Moreover, an inverse correlation between urate and dopamine levels was observed in the same area. In contrast, only a trend to significant increase in striatal urate was observed in MPTP‐treated mice. These results demonstrate that a damage to the dopaminergic nigrostriatal system elevates the striatal levels of urate, and suggest that this could be an endogenous compensatory mechanism to attenuate dopaminergic neurodegeneration. This finding may be important in light of the epidemiological and preclinical evidences that indicate a link between urate and development of PD.
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This study evaluated the in vivo modifications in the striatal urate levels in the mouse MPTP and the rat 6‐OHDA models of Parkinson's disease‐like dopaminergic nigrostriatal toxicity. The results obtained demonstrated that dopaminergic neurotoxicity is associated with higher urate levels in the striatum, which would strengthen the idea of a link between endogenous urate and Parkinson's disease.
Glutamate synthesis has to be matched by its degradation – where do all the carbons go?
Authors: Sonnewald Ursula 
Published: July 2014

AbstractThe central process in energy production is the oxidation of acetyl‐CoA to CO2 by the tricarboxylic acid (TCA, Krebs, citric acid) cycle. However, this cycle functions also as a biosynthetic pathway from which intermediates leave to be converted primarily to glutamate, GABA, glutamine and aspartate and to a smaller extent to glucose derivatives and fatty acids in the brain. When TCA cycle ketoacids are removed, they must be replaced to permit the continued function of this essential pathway, by a process termed anaplerosis. Since the TCA cycle cannot act as a carbon sink, anaplerosis must be coupled with cataplerosis; the exit of intermediates from the TCA cycle. The role of anaplerotic reactions for cellular metabolism in the brain has been studied extensively. However, the coupling of this process with cataplerosis and the roles that both pathways play in the regulation of amino acid, glucose, and fatty acid homeostasis have not been emphasized. The concept of a linkage between anaplerosis and cataplerosis should be underscored, because the balance between these two processes is essential. The hypothesis that cataplerosis in the brain is achieved by exporting the lactate generated from the TCA cycle intermediates into the blood and perivascular area is presented. This shifts the generally accepted paradigm of lactate generation as simply derived from glycolysis to that of oxidation and might present an alternative explanation for aerobic glycolysis.image
Intermediates leave the tricarboxylic acid cycle and must be replaced by a process termed anaplerosis that must be coupled to cataplerosis. We hypothesize that cataplerosis is achieved by exporting the lactate generated from the cycle into the blood and perivascular area. This shifts the paradigm of lactate generation as solely derived from glycolysis to that of oxidation and might present an alternative explanation for aerobic glycolysis.
Corporate Governance and Cash Holdings: Evidence From the U.S. Property–Liability Insurance Industry
Authors: Hsu Wen‐Yen , Huang Yenyu (Rebecca) , Lai Gene 
Published: July 2014

AbstractThis article examines the impact of board and finance committee characteristics on insurers' cash holdings using a sample of 1,454 U.S. stock property–liability insurer‐year observations. We focus on the roles of independent board members and independent finance committee members. Our results suggest that independent board members allow managers to hold excess cash holdings to avoid underinvestment and play a monitoring role in managers' cash spending behavior in a regulated industry. The overall findings are consistent with the independent director responsibility hypothesis, which suggests that independent directors play a monitoring role in managers' cash spending behavior and avoiding underinvestment problems.
Validation of an Ultrasound Imaging Technique of the Tympanic Bullae for the Diagnosis of Otitis Media in Calves
Authors: Bernier Gosselin V. , Babkine M. , Gains M.J. , Nichols S. , Arsenault J. , Francoz D. 
Published: July 2014

BackgroundOtitis media is a common disease in calves that can be subclinical, making antemortem on‐farm diagnosis challenging.ObjectivesTo evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography of tympanic bullae for the diagnosis of clinical and subclinical otitis media and to evaluate the reproducibility of the technique.AnimalsForty calves 19–50 days of age were selected from a veal calf farm.MethodsProspective study. Ultrasonography was first performed on the farm by ultrasonographer A (US A). Ultrasonography was repeated by ultrasonographer A (US A') and another ultrasonographer (US B) at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vétérinaire. Images were later reread by both examiners and a diagnosis was recorded. The calves were euthanized and submitted for necropsy, and histopathologic diagnosis was used as the gold standard.ResultsForty‐five bullae were affected by otitis media and 35 bullae were normal. Sensitivity and specificity of the ultrasound technique ranged from 32 to 63% and 84 to 100%, respectively, depending on the examiner and classification of suspicious ultrasonography results. Kappa analysis to evaluate interobserver agreement between A' and B yielded a к value of 0.53. Agreement within the same examiner (A versus A') yielded a к value of 0.48, and real‐time ultrasound versus rereading of recorded images for A' and B yielded к values of 0.58 and 0.75, respectively.ConclusionsSensitivity and specificity of the ultrasound imaging technique are, respectively, low and high for diagnosis of clinical and subclinical otitis media in calves, with moderate reproducibility.
Seeing through the skin: dermal light sensitivity provides cryptism in moorish gecko
Authors: Fulgione D. , Trapanese M. , Maselli V. , Rippa D. , Itri F. , Avallone B. , Van Damme R. , Monti D. M. , Raia P. 
Published: July 2014

AbstractConcealment by means of colour change is a pre‐eminent deceptive mechanism used by both predators and prey. The moorish gecko Tarentola mauritanica is able to blend into the background by either darkening or paling according to the substrate darkness. Here we examined the functioning of background perception in moorish gecko. We experimentally excluded the involvement of melanophore‐stimulating hormone in camouflage. Blindfolded individuals change their colour consistently with the background. Surprisingly, individuals with covered flanks were not able to change colour, no matter whether they were allowed to see the substrate or not. Accordingly, we found high levels of opsin transcript and protein in the flank region of the gecko. These observations suggest that T. mauritanica skin melanophores are able to activate a process of colour change autonomously. This study yields the first evidence of crypsis mediated by dermal light sensitivity in amniotes.
The Wage Gap against Gay Men: The Leveling of the Playing Field
Authors: Elmslie Bruce , Tebaldi Edinaldo 
Published: July 2014

SummaryThis study uses data from the March Supplement Current Population Survey (CPS) to examine the wage differential against gay men from 1995 to 2011 in the United States. A wage equation is estimated using the Heckman two‐stage method, which addresses the sample selection bias inherent in wage equation estimations. We find evidence that in the United States the wage gap against gay men has significantly decreased over the last two decades. We also find that evidence that the wage gap has become concentrated in three occupations: managerial, sales, and protective services. We conclude that the evidence is most consistent with the hypothesis that discrimination is decreasing, and possibly non‐existent and that any lingering discrimination is based on the taste for discrimination by employees against being managed by a gay man and by customers.
Needs‐Based Targeting or Favoritism? The Regional Allocation of Multilateral Aid within Recipient Countries
Authors: Öhler Hannes , Nunnenkamp Peter 
Published: July 2014

SUMMARYThe regional allocation of aid within recipient countries has been largely ignored. We use geocoded data on the location of aid projects financed by the World Bank and the African Development Bank within a sample of 27 recipient countries to assess the claim of donors that their aid targets needy population segments. We also assess whether political leaders in these countries direct aid funds to their home region. We do not find that the multilateral institutions take regional needs into account. Instead, favoritism appears to play an important role for location choices, in particular for physical infrastructure projects.
Crusading Gone Global? The Icelandic Magnussona Saga's Visions of the World and Home
Authors: Norako Leila K. 
Published: July 2014

AbstractThough the crusades have garnered significant critical interest of late, little attention has been paid to the effects of the crusades on the literature of medieval Scandinavia. This article seeks to shed light on this understudied area by exploring the representation of crusading in the Old Icelandic Magnussona Saga, a narrative that tells the story of Sigurðr I of Norway and his crusade to the Holy Land in the early 12th century. Exploring the saga's global vision – and how it differs from that seen in other European texts – allows for a fuller understanding of the representations of the crusades during the global Middle Ages, particularly in terms of how these campaigns affected European literatures, even those produced on the fringes of the known world.
Magnitude and determinants of malnutrition among pregnant women in eastern Ethiopia: evidence from rural, community‐based setting
Authors: Kedir Haji , Berhane Yemane , Worku Alemayehu 
Published: July 2014

AbstractMaternal malnutrition is a worldwide public health problem affecting a high proportion of pregnant women. This study aimed to determine the magnitude and determinants of malnutrition among pregnant women in eastern Ethiopia. A cross‐sectional study was conducted on 1731 pregnant women selected by a cluster random sampling method. Data on maternal anthropometry and other factors were gathered by trained data collectors. Mid‐upper arm circumference < 22 cm defined malnutrition. Mixed‐effect, multilevel logistic regression was used to control clustering effect. On average, 19.06% of subjects were malnourished, while 23.3% study participants were underweight (body mass index < 19.8 kg m−2). In the final adjusted analysis, the risk of malnutrition was more than twofold higher in pregnant women with low (adjusted odds ratio = 2.47, 95% confidence interval = 1.41–4.34) and medium (adjusted odds ratio = 2.74, 95% confidence interval = 1.40–5.35) autonomy of household decision‐making than those who had high level of autonomy in household decision‐making. Husband illiteracy and not owning livestock were associated with increased risk of malnutrition. Women in the second and third trimester had a 66% and nearly twofold increased risk of malnutrition compared with their counterparts in the first trimester, respectively. Women who improved their eating habits had a 53% lower risk of malnutrition than those who did not. The risk of malnutrition was 39% lower in respondents who received prenatal dietary advice than in those who did not. Malnutrition affects at least one of every five pregnant women studied, calling for priority attention. Interventions that improve maternal involvement in household decision‐making autonomy and provision of prenatal dietary advice are recommended.
Vahid,Burge, and Perceptual Entitlement
Authors: Altschul Jon , Brueckner Anthony , Buford Christopher 
Published: July 2014

AbstractHamidVahid criticizesTylerBurge's account of perceptual entitlement.Vahid argues thatBurge's account fails to satisfy a criterion of adequacy that any correct account of perceptual warrant must satisfy. According toVahid, a correct account of perceptual warrant must allow for perceptual beliefs which are produced by a properly functioning perceptual system yet which lack warrant. The present article argues thatVahid's critique ofBurge fails. It presents numerous examples of such beliefs that are consistent with Burge's account of perceptual entitlement.
Whole Lives and Good Deaths
Authors: Behrendt Kathy 
Published: July 2014

AbstractThis article discusses two views associated with narrative conceptions of the self. The first view asserts that our whole life is reasonably regarded as a single unit of meaning. A prominent strand of the philosophical narrative account of the self is the representative of this view. The second view—which has currency beyond the confines of the philosophical narrative account—is that the meaning of a life story is dependent on what happens at the end of it. The article argues that the connection between these two views is more tentative than often supposed: philosophical narrativists that see life as a single unit of value and meaning nonetheless provide grounds for arguing that the end of life is not the best and may be a particularly bad time to approach and intervene in the matter of how well one's life as a whole has gone.
Biofilm formation by Bacillus subtilis: new insights into regulatory strategies and assembly mechanisms
Authors: Cairns Lynne S. , Hobley Laura , Stanley‐Wall Nicola R. 
Published: July 2014

SummaryBiofilm formation is a social behaviour that generates favourable conditions for sustained survival in the natural environment. For the Gram‐positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis the process involves the differentiation of cell fate within an isogenic population and the production of communal goods that form the biofilm matrix. Here we review recent progress in understanding the regulatory pathways that control biofilm formation and highlight developments in understanding the composition, function and structure of the biofilm matrix.
A framework to gauge the epidemic potential of plant pathogens in environmental reservoirs: the example of kiwifruit canker
Authors: Bartoli Claudia , Lamichhane Jay Ram , Berge Odile , Guilbaud Caroline , Varvaro Leonardo , Balestra Giorgio M. , Vinatzer Boris A. , Morris Cindy E. 
Published: July 2014

SummaryNew economically important diseases on crops and forest trees emerge recurrently. An understanding of where new pathogenic lines come from and how they evolve is fundamental for the deployment of accurate surveillance methods. We used kiwifruit bacterial canker as a model to assess the importance of potential reservoirs of new pathogenic lineages. The current kiwifruit canker epidemic is at least the fourth outbreak of the disease on kiwifruit caused byPseudomonas syringaein the mere 50 years in which this crop has been cultivated worldwide, with each outbreak being caused by different genetic lines of the bacterium. Here, we ask whether strains in natural (non‐agricultural) environments could cause future epidemics of canker on kiwifruit. To answer this question, we evaluated the pathogenicity, endophytic colonization capacity and competitiveness on kiwifruit ofP. syringaestrains genetically similar to epidemic strains and originally isolated from aquatic and subalpine habitats. All environmental strains possessing an operon involved in the degradation of aromatic compounds via the catechol pathway grew endophytically and caused symptoms in kiwifruit vascular tissue. Environmental and epidemic strains showed a wide host range, revealing their potential as future pathogens of a variety of hosts. Environmental strains co‐existed endophytically withCFBP7286, an epidemic strain, and shared about 20 virulence genes, but were missing six virulence genes found in all epidemic strains. By identifying the specific gene content in genetic backgrounds similar to known epidemic strains, we developed criteria to assess the epidemic potential and to survey for such strains as a means of forecasting and managing disease emergence.
Derivative of plant phenolic compound inhibits the type III secretion system of Dickeya dadantii via HrpX/HrpY two‐component signal transduction and Rsm systems
Authors: Li Yan , Hutchins William , Wu Xiaogang , Liang Cuirong , Zhang Chengfang , Yuan Xiaochen , Khokhani Devanshi , Chen Xin , Che Yizhou , Wang Qi , Yang Ching‐Hong 
Published: July 2014

SummaryThe type III secretion system (T3SS) is a major virulence factor in many Gram‐negative bacterial pathogens and represents a particularly appealing target for antimicrobial agents. Previous studies have shown that the plant phenolic compound p‐coumaric acid (PCA) plays a role in the inhibition of T3SS expression of the phytopathogen Dickeya dadantii 3937. This study screened a series of derivatives of plant phenolic compounds and identified that trans‐4‐hydroxycinnamohydroxamic acid (TS103) has an eight‐fold higher inhibitory potency than PCA on the T3SS of D. dadantii. The effect of TS103 on regulatory components of the T3SS was further elucidated. Our results suggest that TS103 inhibits HrpY phosphorylation and leads to reduced levels of hrpS and hrpL transcripts. In addition, through a reduction in the RNA levels of the regulatory small RNA RsmB, TS103 also inhibits hrpL at the post‐transcriptional level via the rsmB‐RsmA regulatory pathway. Finally, TS103 inhibits hrpL transcription and mRNA stability, which leads to reduced expression of HrpL regulon genes, such as hrpA and hrpN. To our knowledge, this is the first inhibitor to affect the T3SS through both the transcriptional and post‐transcriptional pathways in the soft‐rot phytopathogen D. dadantii 3937.
Spatial and temporal variation in plant hydraulic traits and their relevance for climate change impacts on vegetation
Authors: Anderegg William R. L. 
Published: July 2014

SummaryPlant hydraulics mediate terrestrial woody plant productivity, influencing global water, carbon, and biogeochemical cycles, as well as ecosystem vulnerability to drought and climate change. While inter‐specific differences in hydraulic traits are widely documented, intra‐specific hydraulic variability is less well known and is important for predicting climate change impacts. Here, I present a conceptual framework for this intra‐specific hydraulic trait variability, reviewing the mechanisms that drive variability and the consequences for vegetation response to climate change. I performed a meta‐analysis on published studies (n = 33) of intra‐specific variation in a prominent hydraulic trait – water potential at which 50% stem conductivity is lost (P50) – and compared this variation to inter‐specific variability within genera and plant functional types used by a dynamic global vegetation model. I found that intra‐specific variability is of ecologically relevant magnitudes, equivalent to c. 33% of the inter‐specific variability within a genus, and is larger in angiosperms than gymnosperms, although the limited number of studies highlights that more research is greatly needed. Furthermore, plant functional types were poorly situated to capture key differences in hydraulic traits across species, indicating a need to approach prediction of drought impacts from a trait‐based, rather than functional type‐based perspective.
A new look at water transport regulation in plants
Authors: Martínez‐Vilalta Jordi , Poyatos Rafael , Aguadé David , Retana Javier , Mencuccini Maurizio 
Published: July 2014

SummaryPlant function requires effective mechanisms to regulate water transport at a variety of scales. Here, we develop a new theoretical framework describing plant responses to drying soil, based on the relationship between midday and predawn leaf water potentials. The intercept of the relationship (Λ) characterizes the maximum transpiration rate per unit of hydraulic transport capacity, whereas the slope (σ) measures the relative sensitivity of the transpiration rate and plant hydraulic conductance to declining water availability.This framework was applied to a newly compiled global database of leaf water potentials to estimate the values of Λ and σ for 102 plant species.Our results show that our characterization of drought responses is largely consistent within species, and that the parameters Λ and σ show meaningful associations with climate across species. Parameter σ was ≤1 in most species, indicating a tight coordination between the gas and liquid phases of water transport, in which canopy transpiration tended to decline faster than hydraulic conductance during drought, thus reducing the pressure drop through the plant.The quantitative framework presented here offers a new way of characterizing water transport regulation in plants that can be used to assess their vulnerability to drought under current and future climatic conditions.