bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Age and sex affect quantitative genetic parameters for dominance rank and aggression in free‐living greylag geese
Authors: Weiß B. M. , Foerster K. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractKnowledge of the genetic and environmental influences on a character is pivotal for understanding evolutionary changes in quantitative traits in natural populations. Dominance and aggression are ubiquitous traits that are selectively advantageous in many animal societies and have the potential to impact the evolutionary trajectory of animal populations. Here we provide age‐ and sex‐specific estimates of additive genetic and environmental components of variance for dominance rank and aggression rate in a free‐living, human‐habituated bird population subject to natural selection. We use a long‐term data set on individually marked greylag geese (Anser anser) and show that phenotypic variation in dominance‐related behaviours contains significant additive genetic variance, parental effects and permanent environment effects. The relative importance of these variance components varied between age and sex classes, whereby the most pronounced differences concerned nongenetic components. In particular, parental effects were larger in juveniles of both sexes than in adults. In paired adults, the partner's identity had a larger influence on male dominance rank and aggression rate than in females. In sex‐ and age‐specific estimates, heritabilities did not differ significantly between age and sex classes. Adult dominance rank was only weakly genetically correlated between the sexes, leading to considerably higher heritabilities in sex‐specific estimates than across sexes. We discuss these patterns in relation to selection acting on dominance rank and aggression in different life history stages and sexes and suggest that different adaptive optima could be a mechanism for maintaining genetic variation in dominance‐related traits in free‐living animal populations.
Effects of Media on Recovery of Escherichia coliO157:H7 and Pseudomonas fluorescens from Spinach
Authors: Olanya O. Modesto , Annous Bassam A. , Niemira Brendan A. , Ukuku Dike O. , Sommers Christopher 
Published: November 2012

AbstractEscherichia coli O157:H7 is an important foodborne pathogen implicated in contamination of leafy greens and can cause hemorrhagic colitis in humans. Efficient recovery and enumeration of E. coli O157:H7 (Ec) and Pseudomonas fluorescens from produce are crucial for efficacy of biocontrol of Ec. Biocontrol refers to the suppression, reduction or control of one organism with another. P. fluorescens (Pf) is used for biocontrol research due to its colonization potential and suppressive activity against many microbes. We evaluated the sensitivity and selectivity of Restaino and Frampton (R & F) E. coli O157:H7 chromogenic medium (RFCM) and the effect of storage time and temperature on recovery of Ec and Pf from cultures and spinach. Ec and Pf were inoculated at the same level. Microbial counts differed between media and Ec was identified on RFCM based on color (blue‐black precipitate), while Pf had distinct white/translucent colonies that fluoresce under ultraviolet light. Bacterial populations from mixed cultures plated on media and recovered ranged from 3.6–8.7 and 4.2–7.7 log cfu/mL for Ec and Pf, respectively. Microbial counts on spinach ranged from 6.0–8.2 and 6.5–8.6 log cfu/g for the above bacteria. Bacterial recovery increased with storage time of 0–48 h, implying a possible increase of contact time for bacterial attachment. The RFCM was best suited for simultaneous recovery of Ec and Pf based on differentiation of colonies on media and can be an effective tool for biocontrol research.Practical ApplicationsEfficient recovery and accurate enumeration of Escherichia coli O157:H7, the human pathogen and Pseudomonas fluorescens, the biocontrol agent, from leafy greens are crucial for assessment of biocontrol efficacy. P. fluorescens has been used for biocontrol of some foodborne and plant pathogenic microbes from leafy greens, phyllosphere and rhizosphere of agronomic crops based on its competitive and antagonistic ability. Other than the generation of antibiotic resistant strains (foodborne pathogens) or use of green fluorescent‐labeled mutants, there are limited options available for simultaneous recovery and enumeration of biocontrol and pathogenic bacteria. This research provides information on the recovery and differentiation of E. coli O157:H7 and P. fluorescens from media and inoculated spinach. The potential implication is a methodology for evaluation of the effectiveness of a biocontrol agent, with applications to other leafy greens. Accurate recovery and enumeration of biocontrol and pathogenic bacteria would promote optimal determination of biocontrol efficacy, a component of postharvest intervention strategy. This study validates the use of selective medium with specific applications for this type of research.
Outsourcing Mutual Fund Management: Firm Boundaries, Incentives, and Performance
Authors: CHEN JOSEPH , HONG HARRISON , JIANG WENXI , KUBIK JEFFREY D. 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACTWe investigate the effects of managerial outsourcing on the performance and incentives of mutual funds. Fund families outsource the management of a large fraction of their funds to advisory firms. These funds underperform those run internally by about 52 basis points per year. After instrumenting for a fund's outsourcing status, the estimated underperformance is three times larger. We hypothesize that contractual externalities due to firm boundaries make it difficult to extract performance from an outsourced relationship. Consistent with this view, outsourced funds face higher powered incentives; they are more likely to be closed after poor performance and excessive risk‐taking.
On the High‐Frequency Dynamics of Hedge Fund Risk Exposures
Authors: PATTON ANDREW J. , RAMADORAI TARUN 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACTWe propose a new method to model hedge fund risk exposures using relatively high‐frequency conditioning variables. In a large sample of funds, we find substantial evidence that hedge fund risk exposures vary across and within months, and that capturing within‐month variation is more important for hedge funds than for mutual funds. We consider different within‐month functional forms, and uncover patterns such as day‐of‐the‐month variation in risk exposures. We also find that changes in portfolio allocations, rather than in the risk exposures of the underlying assets, are the main drivers of hedge funds' risk exposure variation.
Uncovering Hedge Fund Skill from the Portfolio Holdings They Hide
Authors: AGARWAL VIKAS , JIANG WEI , TANG YUEHUA , YANG BAOZHONG 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACTThis paper studies the “confidential holdings” of institutional investors, especially hedge funds, where the quarter‐end equity holdings are disclosed with a delay through amendments to Form 13F and are usually excluded from the standard databases. Funds managing large risky portfolios with nonconventional strategies seek confidentiality more frequently. Stocks in these holdings are disproportionately associated with information‐sensitive events or share characteristics indicating greater information asymmetry. Confidential holdings exhibit superior performance up to 12 months, and tend to take longer to build. Together the evidence supports private information and the associated price impact as the dominant motives for confidentiality.
Occurrence of the New York Strain of Soil‐Borne Wheat Mosaic Virus in Northern Germany
Authors: Ziegler Angelika , Golecki Bettina , Kastirr Ute 
Published: November 2012

AbstractSequence analysis has shown that diseased wheat plants in Northern Germany were infected with the New York strain of soil‐borne wheat mosaic virus (SBWMV). This is in contrast to the only other confirmed site of SBWMV occurring in Germany, where a variant closely related to the Nebraska‐type strain of SBWMV was found. The results indicate that there have been at least two separate introductions of SBWMV strains to Germany. A survey is required to study the actual distribution of SBWMV in Germany.
Survival of Sclerotia of Rhizoctonia solani AG3PT and Effect of Soil‐Borne Inoculum Density on Disease Development on Potato
Authors: Ritchie Faye , Bain Ruairidh , Mcquilken Mark 
Published: November 2012

AbstractSclerotia produced by a single isolate of Rhizoctonia solani AG3PT were buried in small plot experiments to investigate the effects of sclerotial production method, soil type and burial depth on sclerotial viability in field soil. The factor with the greatest effect on sclerotial viability, defined as the percentage of sclerotia germinating on agar following retrieval, in all experiments was the duration of burial. After 18 months, on average across all experiments, 20% of retrieved sclerotia were viable. A comparison between sclerotia produced in vitro on malt yeast extract agar and in vivo using micropropagated tubers in field soil found no significant differences between the two production methods on sclerotial viability. Burial in field soil at 20‐cm depth was found to significantly reduce sclerotial viability to 50% compared to 60% at 5 cm. In two pot experiments, amending the growing medium and soil with increasing inoculum densities of R. solani was found to increase stem number, stem canker and black scurf severity regardless of whether this soil‐borne inoculum was derived from mycelium or sclerotia. Black scurf incidence and severity were assessed 30–32 days posthaulm destruction and found to be similar for a range of sclerotial soil‐borne inoculum densities (1.0 × 10−1 g/kg d.w. soil to 6 × 10−3 g/kg d.w. soil). The significance of these findings in relation to pathogen survival, detection in soil and disease development is discussed.
Compared Anatomy of Young Leaves of Prunus persica (L.) Batsch with Different Degrees of Susceptibility to Taphrina deformans (Berk.) Tul
Authors: Giordani Edgardo , Padula Giuseppe , Radice Silvia 
Published: November 2012

AbstractAnatomical observations of leaves infected by Taphrina deformans were studied in tolerant peach trees (TPT) and in very susceptible (VSPT) ones. Leaves from the first sampling (2nd April) showed hyphae penetrating through the stomata or into the cuticle of the host tissue; anatomical structures of leaf sections were similar for both TPT and VSPT. The ultrastructure of the leaves of TPT showed seemingly normal mesophyll cells. In contrast, mesophyll cells of the VSPT showed important signs of degradation. Cells were organelle‐free and the middle lamella was expanded and invaded by hyphae of T. deformans. In some samples, the leaves of TPT showed deformed epidermal cells, loss of some spongy cells and increase of the intercellular spaces and division of the palisade cells. The pathogen proliferation in the leaves of the VSPT was considerably superior. In this case, stimulation of cell division occurred in the abaxial epidermis. Cells showed periclinal and oblique divisions, with an increased number of plasmodesmata; palisade or spongy cells were not differentiable. Leaves from TPT collected on 26th April showed hyphae with a non‐cylindrical section and with a squashed aspect. The hyphae were very evident in the intercellular spaces, showing abundant endoplasmic reticulum of rough type (RER) in the cytoplasm. On the other hand, epidermis of the leaves of the VSPT had numerous hyphae under the cuticle, which were growing in a thick pectin matrix. Leaves from TPT and VSPT collected on 6th May showed relevant differences. The leaves of TPT had a palisade mesophyll with fewer cells but with active chloroplasts. In contrast, the leaves from VSPT showed empty mesophyll cells, the cytoplasm was collapsed and the adaxial epidermis was covered with the fungus fructification. The observed anatomical and ultrastructural differences of leaves from TPT and VSPT confirm a different behaviour in plant‐host reaction at early stages of infection.
Role of probiotics in prevention of Candida infection in critically ill children
Authors: Kumar Suresh , Singhi Sunit 
Published: November 2012

SummaryCandidiasis accounts for 10–20% of bloodstream infections in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) and a significant increase in morbidity, mortality, and length of hospital stay. Enteric colonisation by Candida species is one of the most important risk factor for invasive candidiasis. The local defence mechanisms may be altered in critically ill patients, thus facilitating Candida overgrowth and candidiasis. Systemic antifungals have been proven to be effective in reducing fungal colonisation and invasive fungal infections, but their use is not without harms. Early restoration or maintenance of intestinal microbial flora using probiotics could be one of the important tools for reducing Candida infection. A few studies have demonstrated that probiotics are able to prevent Candida growth and colonisation in neonates, whereas their role in preventing invasive candidiasis in such patients is still unclear. Moreover, there are no published data on role of probiotics supplementation in the prevention of candidiasis in critically ill children beyond neonatal period. There are gap in our knowledge regarding efficacy, cost effectiveness, risk‐benefit potential, optimum dose, frequency and duration of treatment of probiotics in prevention of fungal infections in critically ill children. Studies exploring and evaluating the role of probiotics in prevention of Candida infection in critically ill children are needed.
Irritable bowel syndrome: is the colonic mucosa to blame?
Authors: Hoffman Jill M. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by chronic abdominal pain or discomfort and altered gastrointestinal function of unknown etiology. Studies of colonic mucosal biopsies from patients with IBS have suggested altered immune system function as a potential mechanism in the pathophysiology of IBS, but efforts to identify the mucosal mediators responsible for the manifestation of symptoms that define the disorder have been limited. In this issue of Neurogastroenterology and Motility, Buhner et al. and Balestra et al. report findings from studies linking increased excitability of the enteric nervous system with mucosal mediators released from biopsies of patients with IBS. These studies provide evidence for the concept that mediators present in the colonic mucosa may contribute to the manifestation of clinical symptoms present in IBS.
Association of personality with the development and persistence of obesity: a meta‐analysis based on individual–participant data
Authors: Jokela M. , Hintsanen M. , Hakulinen C. , Batty G. D. , Nabi H. , Singh‐Manoux A. , Kivimäki M. 
Published: November 2012

SummaryPersonality is thought to affect obesity risk but before such information can be incorporated into prevention and intervention plans, robust and converging evidence concerning the most relevant personality traits is needed. We performed a meta‐analysis based on individual–participant data from nine cohort studies to examine whether broad‐level personality traits predict the development and persistence of obesity (n = 78,931 men and women; mean age 50 years). Personality was assessed using inventories of the Five‐Factor Model (extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience). High conscientiousness – reflecting high self‐control, orderliness and adherence to social norms – was associated with lower obesity risk across studies (pooled odds ratio [OR] = 0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.80–0.88 per 1 standard deviation increment in conscientiousness). Over a mean follow‐up of 5.4 years, conscientiousness predicted lower obesity risk in initially non‐obese individuals (OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.85–0.92; n = 33,981) and was associated with greater likelihood of reversion to non‐obese among initially obese individuals (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.01–1.14; n = 9,657). Other personality traits were not associated with obesity in the pooled analysis, and there was substantial heterogeneity in the associations between studies. The findings indicate that conscientiousness may be the only broad‐level personality trait of the Five‐Factor Model that is consistently associated with obesity across populations.
The Life‐giving Force of “Ren” and Dai Zhen’s Conception of Desire
Authors: Lan Fei 
Published: November 2012

AbstractThis article examines the vitalistic meaning of “ren” (仁) with its focus of discussion on the 18th century Confucian thinker Dai Zhen’s (戴震 1724–1777) reading of the concept. I argue that Dai Zhen, in both continuation with and departure from the Neo‐Confucian thought on the vitalism of ren provides a unique interpretation of this key Confucian notion in terms of the creative creativity of shengsheng (生生) and thereby throws a fresh light on the age‐old subject of human desire.
Religion and the American West
Authors: Newell Quincy D. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractThe standard narrative of American religious history largely omits the story of religion and the American West. Integrating this story would produce a more coherent history of American religion, allowing nuanced consideration of interactions between Native Americans and colonists and eliminating gaps in the traditional narrative. The West serves as a microcosm and predictor of national religious developments and also contributes to the study of world religions. Five themes have emerged in recent scholarship on religion and the American West: race and ethnicity; transnationalism; the construction of the category of religion; religion and the environment; and the myth of the American West. Scholars in the field face four challenges: learning from Western history’s definitional debates and defining the boundaries of religion and the American West; showing that the American West is a useful unit of regional analysis; constructing synthetic narratives of religion and the American West; and integrating the story of religion and the American West into the story of American religion as a whole.
Patient satisfaction with electronic medical/health record: a systematic review
Authors: Liu Jialin , Luo Li , Zhang Riu , Huang Tingting 
Published: November 2012

Rationale and aimFacilitators and barriers to satisfaction after implementation of the electronic medical/health record (EMR/EHR) are important to understand as patient satisfaction is linked with improvement in health care and meaningful use of EMR/EHR. The objectives of this systematic review were to evaluate patient satisfaction after implementation and to synthesize available factors regarding the estimates of the patient satisfaction with EMR/EHR. These factors may help vendors to better design EMR/EHR and to assist in providing direction for progression of research in this field.MethodsData sources for the study included reports of studies from the Medline, Ovid, Springerlink, EBSCOhost, Embase and Wiley Online Library, and searching of bibliographies of review and other articles. Our inclusion criteria were the descriptions of patient satisfaction after implementation of EMR/EHR.ResultsSearching the online database resulted in 1425 articles and 58 articles from reference lists. After removing duplicates and assessing against the selection criteria, 41 articles were for further full‐text review. After careful analysis, 33 articles were excluded. Eventually, a total of eight articles met inclusion criteria and were assessed.ConclusionsThese studies showed a positive patient satisfaction with EMR/EHR, but more rigorous studies should be carried out to more precisely quantify and describe the impact of EMR/EHR on patient satisfaction. Due to many factors influencing patient satisfaction with EMR/EHR, more research is needed to understand these factors before more concrete measurements of satisfaction can be developed to help researchers develop effective evaluation satisfaction.
Arabidopsis A BOUT DE SOUFFLE is a putative mitochondrial transporter involved in photorespiratory metabolism and is required for meristem growth at ambient CO2 levels
Authors: Eisenhut Marion , Planchais Severine , Cabassa Cécile , Guivarc'h Anne , Justin Anne‐Marie , Taconnat Ludivine , Renou Jean‐Pierre , Linka Marc , Gagneul David , Timm Stefan , Bauwe Hermann , Carol Pierre , Weber Andreas P.M. 
Published: November 2012

SummaryPhotorespiratory metabolism is essential in all oxygenic photosynthetic organisms. In plants, it is a highly compartmentalized pathway that involves chloroplasts, peroxisomes, mitochondria and the cytoplasm. The metabolic pathway itself is well characterized, and the enzymes required for its function have been identified. However, very little information is available on the transport proteins that catalyze the high metabolic flux between the involved compartments. Here we show that the A BOUT DE SOUFFLE (BOU) gene, which encodes a mitochondrial carrier, is involved in photorespiration in Arabidopsis. BOU was found to be co‐expressed with photorespiratory genes in leaf tissues. The knockout mutant bou‐2 showed the hallmarks of a photorespiratory growth phenotype, an elevated CO2 compensation point, and excessive accumulation of glycine. Furthermore, degradation of the P‐protein, a subunit of glycine decarboxylase, was demonstrated for bou‐2, and is reflected in strongly reduced glycine decarboxylase activity. The photorespiration defect in bou‐2 has dramatic consequences early in the seedling stage, which are highlighted by transcriptome studies. In bou‐2 seedlings, as in shm1, another photorespiratory mutant, the shoot apical meristem organization is severely compromised. Cell divisions are arrested, leading to growth arrest at ambient CO2. Although the specific substrate for the BOU transporter protein remains elusive, we show that it is essential for the function of the photorespiratory metabolism. We hypothesize that BOU function is linked with glycine decarboxylase activity, and is required for normal apical meristems functioning in seedlings.
Cytokinin‐dependent specification of the functional megaspore in the Arabidopsis female gametophyte
Authors: Cheng Chia‐Yi , Mathews Dennis E. , Eric Schaller G. , Kieber Joseph J. 
Published: November 2012

SummaryThe life cycle of higher plants alternates between the diploid sporophytic and the haploid gametophytic phases. In angiosperms, male and female gametophytes develop within the sporophyte. During female gametophyte (FG) development, a single archesporial cell enlarges and differentiates into a megaspore mother cell, which then undergoes meiosis to give rise to four megaspores. In most species of higher plants, including Arabidopsis thaliana, the megaspore closest to the chalaza develops into the functional megaspore (FM), and the remaining three megaspores degenerate. Here, we examined the role of cytokinin signaling in FG development. We characterized the FG phenotype in three triple mutants harboring non‐overlapping T–DNA insertions in cytokinin AHK receptors. We demonstrate that even the strongest mutant is not a complete null for the cytokinin receptors. Only the strongest mutant displayed a near fully penetrant disruption of FG development, and the weakest triple ahk mutant had only a modest FG phenotype. This suggests that cytokinin signaling is essential for FG development, but that only a low threshold of signaling activity is required for this function. Furthermore, we demonstrate that there is elevated cytokinin signaling localized in the chalaza of the ovule, which is enhanced by the asymmetric localization of cytokinin biosynthetic machinery and receptors. We show that an FM‐specific marker is absent in the multiple ahk ovules, suggesting that disruption of cytokinin signaling elements in Arabidopsis blocks the FM specification. Together, this study reveals a chalazal‐localized sporophytic cytokinin signal that plays an important role in FM specification in FG development.