bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clarity of responsibility: How government cohesion conditions performance voting
Authors: Hobolt Sara , Tilley James , Banducci Susan 
Published: September 2012

AbstractRecent literature has shown that the long established link between economic performance and electoral outcomes is conditioned by a country's institutions and government, what is often termed ‘clarity of responsibility’. In this article two distinct dimensions of the clarity of the political context are identified: institutional and government clarity. The first captures the formal dispersion of government power, both horizontally and vertically. The second captures the cohesion of the incumbent government. Analysing survey data from 27 European countries, it is shown that voters' ability to hold governments to account, for both the economy and management of public services, is primarily influenced by the extent to which there is an identifiable and cohesive incumbent, whereas formal institutional rules have no direct impact on performance voting.
Effects of Spatially Extensive Control of Invasive Rats on Abundance of Native Invertebrates in Mainland New Zealand Forests
Authors: RUSCOE WENDY A. , SWEETAPPLE PETER J. , PERRY MIKE , DUNCAN RICHARD P. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractPredation on native fauna by non‐native invasive mammals is widely documented, but effects of predation at the population level are rarely measured. Eradication of invasive mammals from islands has led to recovery of native biota, but the benefits of controlling invasive mammal populations in settings where eradication is not feasible are less understood. We used various combinations of aerially delivered toxic bait and control measures on the ground to reduce abundances of invasive rats (Rattus rattus) to low levels over large areas on mainland New Zealand and then monitored the abundance of invertebrates on replicated treatment sites to compare with abundances on similar nontreatment sites. We also assessed rat diet by examining stomach contents. Abundance of the rats’ most‐consumed invertebrate prey item, the large‐bodied Auckland tree weta (Hemideina thoracica), increased 3‐fold on treatment sites where we maintained rats at <4/ha for approximately 3 years, compared with the nontreatment sites. Auckland tree weta also increased in abundance on sites where rats were controlled with a single aerial‐poisoning operation, but rat abundance subsequently increased on these sites and tree weta abundance then declined. Nevertheless, our data suggest that biennial reduction of rat abundances may be sufficient to allow increases in tree weta populations. Other invertebrates that were consumed less often (cave weta [Rhaphidophoridae], spiders [Araneae], and cockroaches [Blattodea]) showed no systematic changes in abundance following rat control. Our results suggest that the significant threat to recruitment and individual survival that predation by rats poses for tree weta can be mitigated by wide‐scale aerial pest control.Efectos del Control Extensivo Espacial de Ratas Invasoras sobre la Abundancia de Invertebrados Nativos en Bosques de Nueva Zelanda
Science, Uncertainty, and Values in Ecological Restoration: A Case Study in Structured Decision‐Making and Adaptive Management
Authors: Failing Lee , Gregory Robin , Higgins Paul 
Published: September 2012

AbstractThis article demonstrates a structured and collaborative approach to decision‐making in the context of adaptive management experiments, using a case study involving the restoration of a hydrological regime in a regulated river in western Canada. It provides a framework based on principles of decision analysis for structuring difficult multi‐attribute decisions and building the trust and technical capacity needed to implement them. Participants included ecologists and fisheries biologists, government regulators, electric utility employees, and representatives of aboriginal communities. The case study demonstrates a values‐based approach to implementing adaptive management that addresses some of the long‐standing difficulties associated with integrating adaptive management into restoration decisions. It highlights practical methods for incorporating participants' values concerned with learning, cultural quality, and stewardship as part of developing a decision‐making and monitoring framework for restoration initiatives. It also provides an example of how to implement principles of meaningful consultation in a restoration context, with emphasis on ensuring that all voices and concerns are heard and meaningfully incorporated. Participants have adopted the framework as a model to guide future collaborative decision‐making processes involving Aboriginal communities, regulatory agencies, and other parties.
Longitudinal Deformation of Contemporary Coronary Stents: An Integrated Analysis of Clinical Experience and Observations from the Bench
Authors: ABDEL‐WAHAB MOHAMED , SULIMOV DMITRIY S. , KASSNER GUIDO , GEIST VOLKER , TOELG RALPH , RICHARDT GERT 
Published: September 2012

Objective:
To report clinical experience with longitudinal stent deformation (LSD) and observations from the bench.
Background:
LSD was recently reported with thin‐strut coronary stents. Whether it is related to a particular stent or constitutes a class‐effect remains debatable.
Methods:
After 2 cases of LSD were reported, information was sent to operators to warn of this event and identify possible cases. All cases were reviewed to ensure LSD had occurred. Simultaneously, bench testing was conducted to identify the susceptibility of stents to longitudinal compression and whether LSD detection is influenced by fluoroscopic stent visibility.
Results:
Between July 2010 and November 2011, 2,705 coronary interventions were performed with 4,588 stents (Promus Element = 41.6%, Xience Prime = 24.4%). Six patients with LSD were identified, all with Promus Element (0.31%). Wire bias was a predisposing factor in 4 cases. All patients were treated with postdilatation and/or additional stenting. No adverse events occurred (mean 5.8 months). In bench testing, LSD occured in all examined stents, but at different levels of applied force (weight). Most shortening at 50 g was observed with Promus Element (38.9%), as was the best visibility of LSD on x‐ray images. With postdilatation all stents showed some re‐elongation.
Conclusion:
In our practice LSD was a rare observation only seen with the Promus Element stent. When subjected to longitudinal compression in a bench test all contemporary stents can be compressed. Compression of Promus Element occurs at a lower force, but it is the only stent where deformations are detected with x ray. Postdilatation can partially improve LSD. (J Interven Cardiol 2012;25:576–585)
Long‐term effects of daily hemodialysis on vascular access outcomes: A prospective controlled study
Authors: Achinger Steven G. , Ikizler T. Alp , Bian Aihua , Shintani Ayumi , Ayus Juan Carlos 
Published: September 2012

AbstractDaily hemodialysis has been associated with surrogate markers of improved survival among hemodialysis patients. A potential disadvantage of daily hemodialysis is that frequent vascular access cannulations may affect long‐term vascular access patency. The study design was a 4‐year, nonrandomized, contemporary control, prospective study of 77 subjects in either 3‐h daily hemodialysis (six 3‐h dialysis treatments weekly; n = 26) or conventional dialysis (three 4‐h dialysis treatments weekly; n = 51). Outcomes of interest were vascular access procedures (fistulagram, thrombectomy and access revision). Total access procedures (fistulagram, thrombectomy and access revision) were 543.2 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 432.9, 673.0) per 1000 person‐years in the conventional dialysis group vs. 400.8 (95% CI: 270.2, 572.4) per 1000 person‐years in the daily hemodialysis dialysis group (incidence rate ratio = 0.74 with 95% CI: from 0.40 to 1.36, P = 0.33), after adjusting for age, gender, diabetes status, serum phosphorus, hemoglobin level and erythropoietin dose, there was no significant differences in incidence rate of total access procedures (P‐value > 0.05). There was no difference in time to first access revision between the daily dialysis and the conventional dialysis groups after adjustment for covariates (hazard ratio = 0.99 95% CI: 0.42, 2.36, P = 0.96). Daily hemodialysis is not associated with increased vascular access complications, or increased vascular access failure rates.
ACNP intensivist: A new ICU care delivery model and its supporting educational programs
Authors: Squiers Joshua , King Joan , Wagner Chad , Ashby Nathan , Parmley C. Lee 
Published: September 2012

AbstractThe purposes of this article are to describe a physician (MD)/acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP) intensivist model for delivery of critical care services in a tertiary academic medical center and to describe an innovative nurse practitioner educational program developed to support the model. In an effort to address the current shortage of intensivists, Vanderbilt Medical Center has developed and refined a multidisciplinary intensivist MD/ACNP teams to provide expanded critical care services. The ACNPs, in collaboration with intensivist MDs, function as intensivist teams and are responsible for developing and executing the daily medical plan, bedside procedures, and emergency response. These teams provide 24‐h a day coverage of tertiary level ICUs, and provide several unique benefits over traditional resident ICU staffing models. As the concept of the MD/ACNP intensivist team has developed, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing ACNP Program has expanded its curriculum to provide graduates with the knowledge, skills, and experiences to safely manage unstable critically ill patients. Multidisciplinary critical care teams of MD intensivists who work in collaboration with ACNP intensivists address the current shortfall of intensivists and represent a cost‐effective means for expanding ICU coverage and increasing ICU bed availability while maintaining Leap Frog ICU staffing compliance.
Transformative Mediation at the United States Postal Service
Authors: Bingham Lisa Blomgren 
Published: October 2012

AbstractThis article reviews the results of a 12‐year longitudinal research program on transformative mediation of employment discrimination complaints at the United States Postal Service. The research employed mixed methods, including quantitative and qualitative survey methods, interviews, and archival data. This article focuses on how that research examined facilitative and transformative mediation styles. The research illustrates that organizational context can shape the effects of a mediator's style. It also indicates that the transformative style – by emphasizing the goals of disputant empowerment as well as recognition and by preventing mediator evaluation – may heighten disputants’ perceptions of interpersonal justice (i.e. between the disputants) and reduce the perceptions of structural bias.
Seasonal pasture myopathy/atypical myopathy in North America associated with ingestion of hypoglycin A within seeds of the box elder tree
Authors: Valberg S. J. , Sponseller B. T. , Hegeman A. D. , Earing J. , Bender J. B. , Martinson K. L. , Patterson S. E. , Sweetman L. 
Published: September 2012

SummaryReasons for performing studyWe hypothesised that seasonal pasture myopathy (SPM), which closely resembles atypical myopathy (AM), was caused by ingestion of a seed‐bearing plant abundant in autumn pastures.ObjectivesTo identify a common seed‐bearing plant among autumn pastures of horses with SPM, and to determine whether the toxic amino acid hypoglycin A was present in the seeds and whether hypoglycin metabolites were present in SPM horse serum or urine.MethodsTwelve SPM cases, 11 SPM pastures and 23 control farms were visited to identify a plant common to all SPM farms in autumn. A common seed was analysed for amino acid composition (n = 7/7) by GC‐MS and its toxic metabolite (n = 4/4) identified in conjugated form in serum [tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS)] and urine [gas chromatography (GC) MS]. Serum acylcarnitines and urine organic acid profiles (n = 7) were determined for SPM horses.ResultsSeeds from box elder trees (Acer negundo) were present on all SPM and 61% of control pastures. Hypoglycin A, known to cause acquired multiple acyl‐CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD), was found in box elder seeds. Serum acylcarnitines and urine organic acid profiles in SPM horses were typical for MADD. The hypoglycin A metabolite methylenecyclopropylacetic acid (MCPA), known to be toxic in other species, was found in conjugated form in SPM horse serum and urine. Horses with SPM had longer turn‐out, more overgrazed pastures, and less supplemental feeding than control horses.Potential relevanceFor the first time, SPM has been linked to a toxin in seeds abundant on autumn pastures whose identified metabolite, MCPA, is known to cause acquired MADD, the pathological mechanism behind SPM and AM. Further research is required to determine the lethal dose of hypoglycin A in horses, as well as factors that affect annual seed burden and hypoglycin A content in Acer species in North America and Europe.
More than a mirage: A large‐scale assessment centre with more dimension variance than exercise variance
Authors: Guenole Nigel , Chernyshenko Oleksandr S. , Stark Stephen , Cockerill Tony , Drasgow Fritz 
Published: September 2012

Assessment centres (ACs) are widely recognized to be among the best tools for assessing and developing management talent (Assessment Centres and Global Talent Management, 2011, Gower: London). Yet, the current consensus about the construct validity of ACs is that exercises rather than dimensions explain the majority of variance in ratings. Because much of the data on which these conclusions are based are now old, it is worthwhile to periodically re‐examine this issue to see whether well‐implemented designs produce better measurements of dimensions. We present results from 1,205 executive‐level leaders from Fortune 500 firms across Europe and North America, who participated in developmental ACs that use modern design principles where assessors were formally examined to ensure they had a common frame or reference. Our results showed that while dimensions and exercises mutually determined ratings, more variation was owing to dimensions.Practitioner Points

Modern assessment centre designs can yield dimension scores that reflect dimensions more than exercises;

The psychometric characteristics of operational ACs should be regularly monitored as the characteristics of any single AC may differ widely from meta‐analytic averages.
Gingival advanced glycation end‐products in diabetes mellitus‐associated chronic periodontitis: an immunohistochemical study
Authors: Zizzi A. , Tirabassi G. , Aspriello S. D. , Piemontese M. , Rubini C. , Lucarini G. 
Published: September 2012

Background and ObjectiveThe accumulation of advanced glycation end‐products (AGEs) seems to play an important role in the development of diabetes mellitus (DM)‐associated periodontitis; however, some aspects of this issue are still scarcely known, such as the expression of AGEs in type 1 DM‐associated periodontitis and the clinical factors able to affect their accumulation. This study aimed to clarify these points by evaluating the expression of AGEs in DM‐associated periodontitis.Material and MethodsSixteen systemically and periodontally healthy subjects and 48 subjects suffering from generalized, severe, chronic periodontitis (16 with type 1 DM, 16 with type 2 DM and 16 systemically healthy subjects) were studied clinically, periodontally and metabolically. The immunohistochemical expression of AGEs in gingival tissues was also evaluated.ResultsSubjects affected with type 1 DM presented a significantly higher percentage of AGE‐positive cells than did subjects affected with type 2 DM, not only in the epithelium, but also in vessels and fibroblasts. A positive and significant correlation was found between gingival expression of AGEs and length of time affected with DM both in type 1 and type 2 DM; glycated hemoglobin, lipid profile, body mass index and age did not correlate significantly with gingival AGEs in any of the classes of subjects studied.ConclusionsGingival AGEs are increased in both type 1 and type 2 DM‐associated periodontitis; however, the clinical parameter that determines their accumulation, and therefore their degree of influence on the development of DM‐associated periodontitis, may be the duration of DM.
Natural competence in Vibrio cholerae is controlled by a nucleoside scavenging response that requires CytR‐dependent anti‐activation
Authors: Antonova Elena S. , Bernardy Eryn E. , Hammer Brian K. 
Published: September 2012

SummaryCompetence for genetic transformation in Vibrio cholerae is triggered by chitin‐induced transcription factor TfoX and quorum sensing (QS) regulator HapR. Transformation requires expression of ComEA, described as a DNA receptor in other competent bacteria. A screen for mutants that poorly expressed a comEA–luciferase fusion identified cytR, encoding the nucleoside scavenging cytidine repressor, previously shown in V. cholerae to be a biofilm repressor and positively regulated by TfoX, but not linked to transformation. A ΔcytR mutant was non‐transformable and defective in expression of comEA and additional TfoX‐induced genes, including pilA (transformation pseudopilus) and chiA‐1 (chitinase). In Escherichia coli, ‘anti‐activation’ of nucleoside metabolism genes, via protein–protein interactions between critical residues in CytR and CRP (cAMP receptor protein), is disrupted by exogenous cytidine. Amino acid substitutions of the corresponding V. cholerae CytR residues impaired expression of comEA, pilA and chiA‐1, and halted DNA uptake; while exogenous cytidine hampered comEA expression levels and prevented transformation. Our results support a speculative model that when V. cholerae reaches high density on chitin, CytR–CRP interactions ‘anti‐activate’ multiple genes, including a possible factor that negatively controls DNA uptake. Thus, a nucleoside scavenging mechanism couples nutrient stress and cell–cell signalling to natural transformation in V. cholerae as described in other bacterial pathogens.
BAT1, a putative acyltransferase, modulates brassinosteroid levels in Arabidopsis
Authors: Choi Sunhwa , Cho Young‐hyun , Kim Kangmin , Matsui Minami , Son Seung‐Hyun , Kim Seong‐Ki , Fujioka Shozo , Hwang Ildoo 
Published: September 2012

SummaryBrassinosteroids (BRs) are essential for various aspects of plant development. Cellular BR homeostasis is critical for proper growth and development of plants; however, its regulatory mechanism remains largely unknown. BAT1 (BR‐related acyltransferase 1), a gene encoding a putative acyltransferase, was found to be involved in vascular bundle development in a full‐length cDNA over‐expressor (FOX) screen. Over‐expression of BAT1 resulted in typical BR‐deficient phenotypes, which were rescued by exogenously applied castasterone and brassinolide. Analyses of BR profiles demonstrated that BAT1 alters levels of several brassinolide biosynthetic intermediates, including 6‐deoxotyphasterol, typhasterol and 6‐deoxocastasterone. BAT1 is mainly localized in the endoplasmic reticulum. BAT1 is highly expressed in young tissues and vascular bundles, and its expression is induced by auxin. These data suggest that BAT1 is involved in BR homeostasis, probably by conversion of brassinolide intermediates into acylated BR conjugates.
ZmGA3ox2, a candidate gene for a major QTL,qPH3.1, for plant height in maize
Authors: Teng Feng , Zhai Lihong , Liu Ruixiang , Bai Wei , Wang Liqiu , Huo Dongao , Tao Yongsheng , Zheng Yonglian , Zhang Zuxin 
Published: September 2012

SummaryMaize plant height is closely associated with biomass, lodging resistance and grain yield. Determining the genetic basis of plant height by characterizing and cloning plant height genes will guide the genetic improvement of crops. In this study, a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for plant height, qPH3.1, was identified on chromosome 3 using populations derived from a cross between Zong3 and its chromosome segment substitution line, SL15. The plant height of the two lines was obviously different, and application of exogenous gibberellin A3 removed this difference. QTL mapping placed qPH3.1 within a 4.0 cM interval, explaining 32.3% of the phenotypic variance. Furthermore, eight homozygous segmental isolines (SILs) developed from two larger F2 populations further narrowed down qPH3.1 to within a 12.6 kb interval. ZmGA3ox2, an ortholog of OsGA3ox2, which encodes a GA3 β‐hydroxylase, was positionally cloned. Association mapping identified two polymorphisms in ZmGA3ox2 that were significantly associated with plant height across two experiments. Quantitative RT‐PCR showed that SL15 had higher ZmGA3ox2 expression relative to Zong3. The resultant higher GA1 accumulation led to longer internodes in SL15 because of increased cell lengths. Moreover, a large deletion in the coding region of ZmGA3ox2 is responsible for the dwarf mutant d1‐6016. The successfully isolated qPH3.1 enriches our knowledge on the genetic basis of plant height in maize, and provides an opportunity for improvement of plant architecture in maize breeding.
Clinically Relevant Gram-Negative Resistance Mechanisms Have No Effect on the Efficacy of MC-1, a Novel Siderophore-Conjugated Monocarbam
Authors: McPherson Craig J. , Aschenbrenner Lisa M. , Lacey Brian M. , Fahnoe Kelly C. , Lemmon Margaret M. , Finegan Steven M. , Tadakamalla Baswanth , O'Donnell John P. , Mueller John P. , Tomaras Andrew P. 
Published: October 2012

ABSTRACT

The incidence of hospital-acquired infections with multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative pathogens is increasing at an alarming rate. Equally alarming is the overall lack of efficacious therapeutic options for clinicians, which is due primarily to the acquisition and development of various antibiotic resistance mechanisms that render these drugs ineffective. Among these mechanisms is the reduced permeability of the outer membrane, which prevents many marketed antibiotics from traversing this barrier. To circumvent this, recent drug discovery efforts have focused on conjugating a siderophore moiety to a pharmacologically active compound that has been designed to hijack the bacterial siderophore transport system and trick cells into importing the active drug by recognizing it as a nutritionally beneficial compound. MC-1, a novel siderophore-conjugated β-lactam that promotes its own uptake into bacteria, has exquisite activity against many Gram-negative pathogens. While the inclusion of the siderophore was originally designed to facilitate outer membrane penetration into Gram-negative cells, here we show that this structural moiety also renders other clinically relevant antibiotic resistance mechanisms unable to affect MC-1 efficacy. Resistance frequency determinations and subsequent characterization of first-step resistant mutants identified PiuA, a TonB-dependent outer membrane siderophore receptor, as the primary means of MC-1 entry into
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. While the MICs of these mutants were increased 32-fold relative to the parental strain
in vitro
, we show that this resistance phenotype is not relevant
in vivo
, as alternative siderophore-mediated uptake mechanisms compensated for the loss of PiuA under iron-limiting conditions.