bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Breakeven prices for recording of indicator traits to reduce the environmental impact of milk production
Authors: Hansen Axelsson H. , Thomasen J.R. , Sørensen A.C. , Rydhmer L. , Kargo M. , Johansson K. , Fikse W.F. 
Published: August 2014

SummaryA breeding scheme using genomic selection and an indicator trait for environmental impact (EI) was studied to find the most effective recording strategy in terms of annual monetary genetic gain and breakeven price for the recording of indicator traits. The breakeven price shows the investment space for developing a recording system for an indicator trait. The breeding goal consisted of three traits – milk production, functional trait and environmental impact – with economic values of €83, €82 and €−83, respectively. The first scenario included only breeding goal traits and no indicator traits (NoIT). The other scenarios included all three breeding goal traits and one indicator trait (IT) for EI. The indicator traits were recorded on a large scale (stayability after first lactation and stature), medium scale (live weight and greenhouse gases (GHG) measured in the breath of the cow during milking) or small scale (residual feed intake and total enteric methane measured in a respiration chamber). In the scenario with stayability, the genetic gain in EI was over 11% higher than it was in NoIT. The breakeven price of recording stayability was €8 per record. Stayability is easy to record in the national milk recording system, and its use as an indicator trait for EI would not generate any additional recording costs. Therefore, stayability would be a good indicator trait to use to mitigate EI. The highest genetic gain in EI (23% higher compared to NoIT) was achieved when the GHG measured in the breath of the cow was used as indicator trait. The breakeven price for this indicator trait was €29 per record in the reference population. Ideally the recording of a specific indicator trait for EI would take place when: (i) the genetic correlation between the IT and EI is high; and (ii) the number of phenotypic records for the indicator trait is high enough to achieve a moderately high reliability of direct genomic values.
Late Quaternary climate change, relict populations and present‐day refugia in the northern Atacama Desert: a case study from Quebrada La Higuera (18° S)
Authors: Mujica María Isabel , Latorre Claudio , Maldonado Antonio , González‐Silvestre Leticia , Pinto Raquel , de Pol‐Holz Ricardo , Santoro Calogero M. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractAimIn deserts, past climate change (and particularly past rainfall variability) plays a large role in explaining current plant species distributions. We ask which species were most and which were least affected by changes in rainfall during the late Quaternary in northernmost Chile.LocationQuebrada La Higuera (QLH; 18° S), a shallow canyon that cuts east–west through the western Andean precordillera of northern Chile, connecting the Altiplano with the hyperarid Atacama Desert.MethodsWe collected and dated 22 rodent middens from elevations of 3100–3500 m in QLH. These were analysed for identifiable plant macrofossils and pollen. We also measured chinchilla rat (Abrocoma cinerea) faecal pellets in the youngest middens to explore how they relate to past ecological and climatic change.ResultsThe three oldest middens dated to more than 37 ka (thousand calibrated 14C years), four middens dated to 14.4–11.6 ka, and fifteen middens spanned the last 650 years. During all the intervals examined, extralocal species (those found today at higher elevations and indicative of positive rainfall anomalies) were present at our midden sites. In the youngest interval, Parastrephia pollen (indicating increased rainfall) increased abruptly at ad 1760 and remained high until the mid‐1800s. This increase was also seen in our faecal pellet record.Main conclusionsExtralocal species were prevalent in late Pleistocene middens at lower elevations when the climate was wetter. When combined with other regional midden records, we postulate that many species found today in the Altiplano were displaced to lower elevations during the late Pleistocene. The recent large‐scale mortality documented among arboreal cactus populations along the present upper margins of the Atacama suggests that these are relict populations that are likely to have flourished during a wetter period in the early 1800s.
Communities of wood‐inhabiting bryophytes and fungi on dead beech logs in Europe – reflecting substrate quality or shaped by climate and forest conditions?
Authors: Heilmann‐Clausen Jacob , Aude Erik , van Dort Klaas , Christensen Morten , Piltaver Andrej , Veerkamp Mirjam , Walleyn Ruben , Siller Irén , Standovár Tibor , Òdor Péter 
Published: August 2014

AbstractAimFungi are drivers of wood decay in forested ecosystem, while bryophytes use dead wood as a platform for their autotrophic lifestyle. We tested the hypothesis that fungal communities on beech logs are mainly structured by substrate quality, while bryophyte communities are structured by climatic gradients. In addition, we tested whether community structure in both organism groups is altered along a gradient from nearly pristine forest to forests heavily affected by management and human disturbance in the past.LocationEurope.MethodsWe surveyed 1207 fallen beech logs in 26 of the best‐preserved forest stands across six European countries, representing a gradient in overall naturalness of the forest landscape. Recorded species were classified into ecological guilds. Indirect ordination and variation partitioning was used to analyse the relationship between species composition and environmental variables, recorded at log or site level.ResultsIn total, 10,367 bryophyte and 15,575 fungal records were made, representing 157 and 272 species, respectively. Fungal communities were more clearly structured by substrate quality than were bryophyte communities. In both groups a distinct turnover in species composition was evident along a longitudinal gradient from Central to Western Europe. Fungi specialized in trunk rot and specialized epixylic bryophytes were scarcely represented in Atlantic regions, and partly replaced by species belonging to less specialized guilds. Variables related to climate and forest conditions were confounded along this main geographical gradient in community composition.Main conclusionsWe found that bryophyte and fungal communities co‐occurring on fallen beech logs in European beech forest reserves differed in their responses to biogeographical drivers and local‐scale habitat filters. Both groups responded to major gradients in climate and forest conditions, but the loss of specialist guilds in degraded forest landscapes points to a functionally important effect of forest landscape degradation at the European continental scale.
Impact of baseline microbiological status on clinical outcomes in generalized aggressive periodontitis patients treated with or without adjunctive amoxicillin and metronidazole: an exploratory analysis from a randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Guerrero Adrián , Nibali Luigi , Lambertenghi Roberta , Ready Derren , Suvan Jean , Griffiths Gareth S. , Wilson Michael , Tonetti Maurizio S. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractAimTo explore whether subjects harbouring A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis or T. forsythia at baseline showed increased clinical benefits with the adjunctive use of systemic amoxicillin and metronidazole (AMX‐MET) during non‐surgical treatment of generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAgP).Material and MethodsForty one subjects were included in this 6‐month randomized placebo‐controlled clinical trial using a 7‐day course of systemic AMX‐MET or placebo as adjuncts to non‐surgical periodontal therapy. Clinical and microbiological parameters were collected at baseline, 2 and 6 months after treatment. Microbiological cultures were processed for pooled subgingival samples and identities of isolates were determined by PCR for A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis and T. forsythiaResultsAt 6 months, the test treatment resulted in significant additional improvements in the primary outcome variable compared to placebo, and the effect of the adjunctive antimicrobials was not modified by the baseline microbiological status in the primary analysis. However, secondary exploratory subgroup analyses showed improved clinical outcomes in subjects harbouring A. actinomycetemcomitans at baseline compared to subjects who did not harbour this pathogen.ConclusionsAll subjects benefited from the tested adjunctive antimicrobial regimen, although subjects who harboured A. actinomycetemcomitans at baseline may show greater clinical benefits. Larger appropriately powered studies are needed to confirm whether adjunctive AMX‐MET is more beneficial for GAgP patients who harbour A. actinomycetemcomitans, along with other key periodontal pathogens.
Neurocognitive predictors of substance use disorders and nicotine dependence in ADHD probands, their unaffected siblings, and controls: a 4‐year prospective follow‐up
Authors: Groenman Annabeth P. , Oosterlaan Jaap , Greven Corina U. , Vuijk Pieter Jelle , Rommelse Nanda , Franke Barbara , Hartman Catharina A. , Hoekstra Pieter J. , Sergeant Joseph , Faraone Stephen V. , Buitelaar Jan 
Published: August 2014

BackgroundAttention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a risk factor for substance use disorders (SUDs) and nicotine dependence (ND). Neurocognitive deficits may predict the increased risk of developing SUDs and nicotine dependence.MethodsThis study comprised three groups derived from the Dutch part of the International Multicenter ADHD Genetics (IMAGE) study: ADHD probands (n = 294), unaffected siblings (n = 161), and controls (n = 214). At baseline (age = 12.2), a range of neurocognitive functions was assessed including executive functions (inhibition, working memory, timing), measures of motor functioning (motor timing and tracking) and IQ. After a mean follow‐up of 4.2 years, SUDs and ND were assessed.ResultsNone of the neurocognitive functions predicted later SUDs or ND in ADHD probands, even after controlling for medication use and conduct disorder. Slower response inhibition predicted later nicotine dependence in unaffected siblings (OR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.22–3.48), and lower IQ predicted increased risk for SUDs in controls (OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.12–3.44).ConclusionsCold executive functions, motor functioning, and IQ did not predict the elevated risk of SUDs and ND in ADHD. Future studies should target ‘hot’ executive functions such as reward processing as risk factors for SUDs or ND.
Validation of a web‐based questionnaire to assess the dietary intake of Brazilian children aged 7–10 years
Authors: Davies V. F. , Kupek E. , de Assis M. A. , Natal S. , Di Pietro P. F. , Baranowski T. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractBackgroundThe Food Intake and Physical Activity of School Children (CAAFE) comprises an online questionnaire to self‐report diet and physical activity of Brazilian schoolchildren.BackgroundThe present study aimed to assess the validity (matches, omissions and intrusions) and moderating factors of the CAAFE.MethodsDirect observation was made of foods consumed (five public schools) and child self‐reporting on the CAAFE. Additional data included school grade, gender, body mass index, completion of food diary, socioeconomic status and access to computer. Data were analysed using regression.ResultsIn total, 602 children participated in the study [mean (SD) age 9.5 (1.24) years; 53.6% boys]. On average, there were 43% matches, 29% intrusions and 28% omissions. Matches doubled in third grade compared to the second grade (P = 0.004); matches almost tripled for afternoon snack compared to morning snack (P < 0.001); and matches were 69% higher for children with access to a computer at home (P < 0.01). Intrusions decreased by almost one‐half in fifth compared to fourth grades (P = 0.004). Omissions declined significantly in the third and fourth grades but increased in the fifth grade. Omissions were 47% lower for children in the highest income and lower among children who completed the food diary. No differences were found for gender or body mass index.ConclusionsChildren older than 8 years old, who owned a computer and completed a food diary, performed better in the CAAFE. A high incidence of disagreement was found in relation to the schools and the type of meal. Overall matches (43%), intrusions (29%) and omissions (28%) indicate that further studies are required to improve the validity of the CAAFE.
Determinants of Capital Structure: United Kingdom Versus Continental European Countries
Authors: Acedo‐Ramírez Miguel A. , Ruiz‐Cabestre Francisco J. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractIn this paper, we analyze how country‐specific differences influence capital structure indirectly through firm‐specific variables. We apply a system Generalized Method of Moments technique to a panel data sample of companies from five countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) during the period 1998–2008. As the different financial systems of European economies (bank‐oriented or market‐oriented) may influence capital structure differently through firm‐specific variables, we first examine the determinants of capital structure for each country separately and we then analyze whether the observed differences between the United Kingdom and the continental European countries are relevant. The results show that there are substantial differences in the capital structure choices of firms across five major European countries. These differences are motivated by the type of financial systems of the countries (bank‐oriented and market‐oriented) and influence the capital structure indirectly through the firm‐specific variables. Overall, our results support the relevance of the differences in the capital structure choices of firms across five major European countries, and in particular, the singularity of the United Kingdom (a market‐oriented economy) as opposed to continental European countries (bank‐oriented economies).
Organisation, practice and experiences of mouth hygiene in stroke unit care: a mixed‐methods study
Authors: Horne Maria , McCracken Giles , Walls Angus , Tyrrell Pippa J , Smith Craig J 
Published: August 2014

Aims and objectivesTo (1) investigate the organisation, provision and practice of oral care in typical UK stroke units; (2) explore stroke survivors', carers' and healthcare professionals' experiences and perceptions about the barriers and facilitators to receiving and undertaking oral care in stroke units.BackgroundCerebrovascular disease and oral health are major global health concerns. Little is known about the provision, challenges and practice of oral care in the stroke unit setting, and there are currently no evidence‐based practice guidelines.DesignCross‐sectional survey of 11 stroke units across Greater Manchester and descriptive qualitative study using focus groups and semi‐structured interviews.MethodsA self‐report questionnaire was used to survey 11 stroke units in Greater Manchester. Data were then collected through two focus groups (n = 10) with healthcare professionals and five semi‐structured interviews with stroke survivors and carers. Focus group and interview data were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using framework approach.ResultsEleven stroke units in Greater Manchester responded to the survey. Stroke survivors and carers identified a lack of oral care practice and enablement by healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals identified a lack of formal training to conduct oral care for stroke patients, inconsistency in the delivery of oral care and no set protocols or use of formal oral assessment tools.ConclusionOral care post‐stroke could be improved by increasing healthcare professionals' awareness, understanding and knowledge of the potential health benefits of oral care post‐stroke. Further research is required to develop and evaluate the provision of oral care in stroke care to inform evidence‐based education and practice.Relevance to clinical practiceDevelopment of staff training and education, and evidence‐based oral care protocols may potentially benefit patient care and outcomes and be implemented widely across stroke care.
Evolution of wild emmer wheat and crop improvement
Authors: NEVO Eviatar 
Published: August 2014

AbstractAllotetraploid wild emmer wheat, Triticum dicoccoides (TD) 2n = 28, the progenitor of most cultivated bread wheat, is an ecological specialist and excellent model organism for advancing evolutionary theory, wheat evolution, and wheat improvement. The center of origin and diversity of TD is northeastern Upper Galilee and the Golan. Elsewhere in the Fertile Crescent, it occurs in semi‐isolated and isolated populations. The genetic structure is generally an “archipelago.” Regional and local genetic patterns are partly or largely adaptive at the protein and DNA levels, both at coding and noncoding genomes, correlated with and predictable by environmental abiotic and biotic stresses. TD is a rich, mostly untapped, genetic resource for improving cultivated wheat, harboring drought, salt, mineral, and disease resistances, grain proteins, and with high variation in photosynthetic yield. TD was chromosomally mapped with 549 molecular markers and 70 QTLs for 11 traits of agricultural importance and domestication. Prospects include sequencing its genome; including 80% repeat elements for structural, functional, and regulatory polymorphisms, epigenetics, and genetic resources for wheat improvement. TD is affected by global warming both phenotypically (advancing flowering time) and genotypically (genetic erosion, SSR allelic turn‐over, and novel drought resistant alleles). Hence, it should be conserved in situ and ex situ, to safeguard the arguably best source for wheat improvement and future food production in an exploding world population.
The effect of interpreters on eliciting information, cues to deceit and rapport
Authors: Ewens Sarah , Vrij Aldert , Leal Sharon , Mann Samantha , Jo Eunkyung , Fisher Ronald P. 
Published: August 2014

BackgroundThe present experiment examined how the presence of an interpreter during investigative interviews affects eliciting information, cues to deceit and rapport.MethodA total of 60 native English speakers were interviewed in English and 183 non‐native English speakers were interviewed in English (a foreign language) or through an interpreter who interpreted their answers sentence by sentence (short consecutive interpretation) or summarized their answers (long consecutive interpretation). Interviewees discussed the job they had (truth tellers) or pretended to have (liars).ResultsInterviewees who spoke through an interpreter provided less detail than interviewees who spoke in their first language and a foreign language (English) without an interpreter. Additionally, cues to deceit occurred more frequently when interviewees spoke without an interpreter. The presence of an interpreter had no effect on rapport.ConclusionThe findings suggest that at present there are no benefits to using an interpreter with regard to eliciting information. Future research should investigate how best to utilize an interpreter to gain maximum detail from an interview.
The post‐translational modification of the Clostridium difficile flagellin affects motility, cell surface properties and virulence
Authors: Faulds‐Pain Alexandra , Twine Susan M. , Vinogradov Evgeny , Strong Philippa C. R. , Dell Anne , Buckley Anthony M. , Douce Gillian R. , Valiente Esmeralda , Logan Susan M. , Wren Brendan W. 
Published: August 2014

SummaryClostridium difficile is a prominent nosocomial pathogen, proliferating and causing enteric disease in individuals with a compromised gut microflora. We characterized the post‐translational modification of flagellin in C. difficile 630. The structure of the modification was solved by nuclear magnetic resonance and shown to contain an N‐acetylglucosamine substituted with a phosphorylated N‐methyl‐l‐threonine. A reverse genetics approach investigated the function of the putative four‐gene modification locus. All mutants were found to have truncated glycan structures by LC‐MS/MS, taking into account bioinformatic analysis, we propose that the open reading frame CD0241 encodes a kinase involved in the transfer of the phosphate to the threonine, the CD0242 protein catalyses the addition of the phosphothreonine to the N‐acetylglucosamine moiety and CD0243 transfers the methyl group to the threonine. Some mutations affected motility and caused cells to aggregate to each other and abiotic surfaces. Altering the structure of the flagellin modification impacted on colonization and disease recurrence in a murine model of infection, showing that alterations in the surface architecture of C. difficile vegetative cells can play a significant role in disease. We show that motility is not a requirement for colonization, but that colonization was compromised when the glycan structure was incomplete.
Molecular surveillance of the subtle septum: discovering a new mode of peptidoglycan synthesis in streptococci
Authors: Cadby Ian T. , Lovering Andrew L. 
Published: August 2014

SummaryThe process of septation requires precise temporal and spatial organization of penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) and associated proteins for the deposition of new cell wall material. In most bacteria, the filamentous protein FtsZ organises PBPs into assemblies at the midcell which then constrict inwards as peptidoglycan is synthesised, eventually closing the septa. Tsui et al. (2014), through the use of fluorescent d‐amino acids and high resolution microscopy, report that PBP2x of Streptococcus pneumoniae is directed to a discrete location within the septal aperture during the later stages of cell division. Once at this new site, PBP2x catalyses the de novo synthesis of peptidoglycan, which is imaged by the authors as a central ‘spot’, distinct from material made by other PBPs at the outer ring. This discovery, which represents a novel mode of cell wall assembly, was made in a directed capsular knockout of strain D39, thereby avoiding potential mechanistic complications in commonly used laboratory strain R6. These findings prompt not only a partial rethink of septum formation in S. pneumoniae, but consideration of the modes of PBP localization and the subtleties that can influence phenotypic study.
Differentiation of DctA and DcuS function in the DctA/DcuS sensor complex of Escherichia coli: function of DctA as an activity switch and of DcuS as the C4‐dicarboxylate sensor
Authors: Steinmetz Philipp Aloysius , Wörner Sebastian , Unden Gottfried 
Published: August 2014

SummaryThe C4‐dicarboxylate responsiveness of the sensor kinase DcuS is only provided in concert with C4‐dicarboxylate transporters DctA or DcuB. The individual roles of DctA and DcuS for the function of the DctA/DcuS sensor complex were analysed. (i) Variant DctA(S380D) in the C4‐dicarboxylate site of DctA conferred C4‐dicarboxylate sensitivity to DcuS in the DctA/DcuS complex, but was deficient for transport and for growth on C4‐dicarboxylates. Consequently transport activity of DctA is not required for its function in the sensor complex. (ii) Effectors like fumarate induced expression of DctA/DcuS‐dependent reporter genes (dcuB–lacZ) and served as substrates of DctA, whereas citrate served only as an inducer of dcuB–lacZ without affecting DctA function. (iii) Induction of dcuB–lacZ by fumarate required 33‐fold higher concentrations than for transport by DctA (Km = 30 μM), demonstrating the existence of different fumarate sites for both processes. (iv) In titration experiments with increasing dctA expression levels, the effect of DctA on the C4‐dicarboxylate sensitivity of DcuS was concentration dependent. The data uniformly show that C4‐dicarboxylate sensing by DctA/DcuS resides in DcuS, and that DctA serves as an activity switch. Shifting of DcuS from the constitutive ON to the C4‐dicarboxylate responsive state, required presence of DctA but not transport by DctA.