bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Secondary metabolites ofPinus halepensisalter decomposer organisms and litter decomposition during afforestation of abandoned agricultural zones
Authors: Chomel Mathilde , Fernandez Catherine , Bousquet‐Mélou Anne , Gers Charles , Monnier Yogan , Santonja Mathieu , Gauquelin Thierry , Gros Raphael , Lecareux Caroline , Baldy Virginie 
Published: December 2013

SummaryOver a century of agricultural abandonment across the Mediterranean region has favoured the installation of the pioneer expansionist species Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensisMiller). This species synthesizes a wide range of secondary metabolites that are partially released during needle decomposition, and which can thus affect the ‘brown food chain’. Litter decomposition is a key process connecting ecosystem structure and function, and involving microbial and faunal components.The goal of this study was to determine the effect of chemical compounds from Aleppo pine needles on the litter decomposition process along a gradient of Mediterranean forest secondary succession. Usingin situlitterbags, we compared the dynamics of decomposers, particularly the relative contributions of fungal and mesofauna biomass to litter mass loss (calculations based on the measured decomposer biomass, published fungal growth efficiency and mesofauna feeding rate), against the dynamics of secondary metabolites associated with decomposed needles in three successional stages (early, middle and late, i.e. pinewoods that were aged 10, 30 and over 60 years old).Our first key finding was that fungi accounted for the largest portion of overall litter mass loss (60–79%) and detritivorous mesofauna contributed to 8–12%. In the early stage of succession, fungal biomass after 6 months of decomposition was lower than in middle and late stages, and may be responsible for the delay in litter colonization by mesofauna. We linked this result to a clearly longer residence time for phenolic compounds in young pine forest, leading to an overall slowdown in the decomposition process.Synthesis. Litter phenolic content emerged as a key functional trait for predicting litter decomposition, delaying the colonization of litter by decomposers in Mediterranean forest ecosystems. Another key finding is that the relative contributions of fungi and detritivores to needle mass loss were different between the successional stages. From the food‐web perspective, the organic matter available for higher trophic levels thus remains unchanged beyond 30 years after pine colonization.
Functional attributes change but functional richness is unchanged after fragmentation of Brazilian Atlantic forests
Authors: Magnago Luiz Fernando S. , Edwards David P. , Edwards Felicity A. , Magrach Ainhoa , Martins Sebastião V. , Laurance William F. 
Published: December 2013

Summary

Fragmentation of tropical forests is one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity. Understanding how biological and functional attributes of communities respond to fragmentation and, in turn, whether ecosystem functioning is impacted upon are critical steps for assessing the long‐term effects and conservation values of forest fragments. Ecosystem functioning can be inferred through functional diversity metrics, including functional richness, evenness and divergence, which collectively quantify the range, distribution and uniqueness of functional traits within a community.

Our study was carried out in forest remnants of the Brazilian Atlantic rain forest, which is a global hotspot of threatened biodiversity that has undergone massive deforestation and fragmentation. We focus on trees, which play critical functional roles in forest structure, food provisioning and carbon storage, to examine community organization and functional diversity across a gradient of fragmentation, from small to large fragments and at edge versus interior habitats.

The interiors of small fragments have marginally higher species richness, but similar community structures, to the interiors of bigger fragments. In contrast, fragment edges suffered significant losses of species and changes in community structure, relative to fragment interiors.

Despite shifts in community organization, functional richness was not impacted by fragmentation, with the same number of functions provided independent of fragment size or proximity to edge. However, functional evenness and functional divergence both increased with decreasing fragment size, while fragment edges had lower functional evenness than interiors did, indicating that the abundance and dominance of functional traits has changed, with negative implications for functional redundancy and ecosystem resilience. At fragment edges, large‐fruited trees, critical as resources for fauna, were replaced by early successional, small‐seeded species. The influence of fragment size was smaller, with a reduction in very large‐fruited trees in small fragments counterbalanced by increased numbers of fleshy‐ and medium‐fruited trees. Wood density was not impacted by fragmentation.

Synthesis. These results suggest that the interiors of even small fragments can contain important biodiversity, ecosystem functions and carbon stores, offering potential opportunities for cobenefits under existing carbon markets. Retaining forest fragments is an important conservation strategy within the highly threatened Brazilian Atlantic forest biome.
A philosophy of practice for systemic psychotherapy: the case for critical realism
Authors: Pocock David 
Published: December 2013

An argument is made for Bhaskar's critical realism as a more coherent, accountable and enabling philosophy of practice for systemic psychotherapy than the kinds of strong constructionism and pragmatism that are currently powerful in our field. Constructionism is positioned, not as an opponent to realism in the usual way, but – in a moderate version – as a necessary partner to give realism its critical edge. The dimensions of critical realism are sketched and its potential for the coherent support of practice is illustrated with an analysis of a moment of therapeutic change.Practitioner points
Critical realism supports the understanding of multiply interacting causal tendencies, from genetics to discourse, providing a new platform for eclecticism and integration and a renewed, though cautious, relationship with science.
The growing split between structuralism and poststructuralism is closed by critical realism, giving the potential for systemic family therapy to become a unified field.
The covert use of realism by clinicians is made accountable by critical realism.
Synthesis and Characterization of Nano‐Encapsulated Black Pepper Oleoresin using Hydroxypropyl Beta‐Cyclodextrin for Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Applications
Authors: Teixeira Bruna N. , Ozdemir Necla , Hill Laura E. , Gomes Carmen L. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractPrevious studies have reported antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of black pepper oleoresin which is associated to its phenolic compounds and piperine. The ability of cyclodextrins to form an inclusion complex with a guest molecule could improve black pepper oleoresin application, bioavailability, and stability in foods. Hydroxypropyl beta‐cyclodextrin (HPBCD) inclusion complex with black pepper olereosin were synthesized using the kneading method and characterized for its physico‐chemical properties and its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Inclusion complex size was 103.9 ± 7.6 nm and indicated to be a polydisperse system. The entrapment efficiency was 78.3 ± 3.6%, which suggests that other constituents in black pepper oleoresin have higher affinities for HPBCD than piperine (major compound in black pepper oleoresin). Thermograms showed the disappearance of oxidation peaks of black pepper oleoresin, proving complex formation with HPBCD. Phase solubility results indicated 1:1 stoichiometric inclusion complex formation and an increase of black pepper oleoresin aqueous solubility with HPBCD concentration. Nano‐encapsulation with HPBCD did not affect (P > 0.05) total phenolic content; however, it enhanced (P < 0.05) black pepper oleoresin antioxidant activity. Black pepper oleoresin and its inclusion complex were analyzed for their antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli K12 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2. Both free and encapsulated black pepper oleoresin effectively inhibited bacterial growth within the concentration range tested. Black pepper oleoresin encapsulated in HPBCD was able to inhibit Salmonella at lower (P < 0.05) concentrations than its corresponding free extract. Therefore, black pepper oleoresin‐HPBCD nanocapsules could have important applications in the food industry as antimicrobial and antioxidant system.
Virulence and polar tube protein genetic diversity of Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia) field isolates from Northern and Southern Europe in honeybees (Apis mellifera iberiensis)
Authors: Van der Zee Romee , Gómez‐Moracho Tamara , Pisa Lennard , Sagastume Soledad , García‐Palencia Pilar , Maside Xulio , Bartolomé Carolina , Martín‐Hernández Raquel , Higes Mariano 
Published: December 2013

SummaryInfection of honeybees by the microsporidian Nosema ceranae is considered to be one of the factors underlying the increased colony losses and decreased honey production seen in recent years. However, these effects appear to differ in function of the climatic zone, the distinct beekeeping practices and the honeybee species employed. Here, we compared the response of Apis mellifera iberiensis worker bees to experimental infection with field isolates of N. ceranae from an Oceanic climate zone in Northern Europe (Netherlands) and from a Mediterranean region of Southern Europe (Spain). We found a notable but non‐significant trend (P = 0.097) towards higher honeybee survival for bees infected with N. ceranae from the Netherlands, although no differences were found between the two isolates in terms of anatomopathological lesions in infected ventricular cells or the morphology of the mature and immature stages of the parasite. In addition, the population genetic survey of the N. ceranae PTP3 locus revealed high levels of genetic diversity within each isolate, evidence for meiotic recombination, and no signs of differentiation between the Dutch and Spanish populations. A cross‐infection study is needed to further explore the differences in virulence observed between the two N. ceranae populations in field conditions.
Thiazolidinediones and associated risk of bladder cancer: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Turner Richard M. , Kwok Chun S. , Chen‐Turner Chen , Maduakor Chinedu A. , Singh Sonal , Loke Yoon K. 
Published: December 2013

AimsTo determine whether thiazolidinedione use is associated with a risk of bladder cancer.MethodsWe searched MEDLINE and EMBASE in June 2012 (with PubMed update to July 2013) and conducted meta‐analysis on the overall risks of bladder cancer with pioglitazone or rosiglitazone and the risk with different categories of cumulative dose or duration of drug use.ResultsWe screened 230 citations and included 18 studies, comprising five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 13 observational studies. Meta‐analysis showed a significantly higher overall risk of bladder cancer with pioglitazone in RCTs [7878 participants; odds ratio (OR) 2.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09–5.80] and observational studies (>2.6 million patients; OR for ‘ever’ users vs. non‐users 1.21, 95% CI 1.09–1.35). Subgroup analysis of observational studies by cumulative dose showed the risk of bladder cancer to be greatest with >28.0 g of pioglitazone (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.28–2.12). A significantly increased risk was found with both 12–24 months (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.16–1.71) and >24 months (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.26–1.81) cumulative durations of pioglitazone exposure. No significant risk was seen with rosiglitazone in RCTs (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.35–2.04) or ‘ever’ users vs. non‐users in observational studies (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.94–1.12); the evidence for any relationship between bladder cancer risk and rosiglitazone cumulative duration is limited and inconsistent. Direct comparison of pioglitazone to rosiglitazone ‘ever’ users yielded an OR of 1.25 (95% CI 0.91–1.72).ConclusionsA modest but clinically significant increase in the risk of bladder cancer with pioglitazone was found, which appears to be related to cumulative dose and duration of exposure. We recommend that prescribers limit pioglitazone use to shorter durations.
Women's ministerial careers in cabinet, 1921–2010: A look at socio‐demographic traits and career experiences
Authors: Tremblay Manon , Stockemer Daniel 
Published: December 2013

AbstractThis article probes two aspects of women's ministerial careers in federal, provincial, and territorial cabinets from 1921 to December 2010. First, we examine whether the socio‐demographic profile of women ministers differ from female legislators of the governing party. Logistic regression analysis shows that women holding cabinet portfolios differ from female legislators with no ministerial responsibilities with respect to education, parliamentary experience, and age when first elected. Women legislators elected in Quebec, and more so at the federal level, were less likely to become ministers than women legislators nominated in other provinces. Second, we consider what portfolios women had over time, and how many different portfolios they were assigned to. The results are sobering: women ministers are still largely concentrated in socio‐cultural and socio‐economic portfolios, and most only occupy one or two of these portfolios. We conclude by identifying avenues for further research.
Sexual orientation, work values, pay, and preference for public and nonprofit employment: Evidence from Canadian postsecondary students
Authors: Lewis Gregory B. , Ng Eddy S. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractEvidence shows that gay men hold fewer government jobs in the US than their share of the population would predict. Two large surveys of Canadian university and college students, however, indicate no lack of interest in public sector jobs among gay, lesbian, transgender and queer people (GLBTQs). This article explores data on the differing perceptions, motivations, and expectations of GLBTQ students of public and nonprofit employment. We find that (1) GLBTQs are more likely than heterosexuals to prefer public and nonprofit sector employment; (2) GLBTQ career goals and work values predict stronger desire for public and nonprofit sector jobs than heterosexuals; and (3) GLBTQs expect to pay a smaller penalty for working in the public and nonprofit sectors.
Fetuin‐A, a new vascular biomarker of cognitive decline in older adults
Authors: Laughlin Gail A. , McEvoy Linda K. , Barrett‐Connor Elizabeth , Daniels Lori B. , Ix Joachim H. 
Published: December 2013

SummaryObjectivesFetuin‐A is an abundant plasma protein known to predict vascular disease. Fetuin‐A levels are lower in patients with Alzheimer's disease in proportion to the severity of cognitive impairment, but their association with normal cognitive ageing is unknown. We evaluated the association of serum fetuin‐A levels with cognitive function in community‐dwelling older adults.Design/Patients/MeasurementsA population‐based study of 1382 older adults (median age 75) who had plasma fetuin‐A levels and cognitive function evaluated in 1992–1996; 855 had repeat cognitive function assessment a median of 4 years later.ResultsAdjusting for age, sex, education and depression, higher levels of fetuin‐A were associated with better baseline performance on the Mini‐Mental Status Exam (MMSE; P = 0·012) and a tendency for better Trails Making B scores (P = 0·066). In longitudinal analyses, the likelihood of a major decline (highest decile of change) in Trails B was 29% lower (P = 0·010) for each SD higher baseline fetuin‐A level; odds of major decline in MMSE was 42% lower (P = 0·005) per SD higher fetuin‐A for individuals with no known CVD, but were not related to fetuin‐A in those with CVD (P = 0·33). Fetuin‐A was not related to Category Fluency performance. Results were independent of multiple vascular risk factors and comorbid conditions.ConclusionsHigher plasma fetuin‐A concentrations are associated with better performance on tests of global cognitive function and executive function and with less likelihood of major decline in these cognitive abilities over a 4‐year period. Fetuin‐A may serve as a biological link between vascular disease and normal age‐related cognitive decline.
Multidimensional Israeliness and Tel Aviv's Tachanah Merkazit: Hearing Culture in a Polyphonic Transit Hub
Authors: HANKINS SARAH 
Published: December 2013

AbstractIsrael's heated public debate over the socio‐political implications of increasing demographic diversity plays out with special prominence in Tel Aviv, home to large minority citizen populations and a destination for foreign workers and refugees from Asia and Africa. The city's New Central Bus Station, or tachanah merkazit, is a transit hub and commercial complex in which multiple ethnic groups enact aesthetic and cultural dimensions of Israeli urban and national identity in flux. This paper presents a sensory ethnography of the tachanah: sonic and musical expressions of “local” and “global” Israeliness are analyzed against a backdrop of near‐constant motion and transit. The somatic and ideological dimensions of movement enable Jewish Israelis, minority citizens and foreigners to assimilate sounds of culture within the tachanah at deeply‐felt, personal levels. The tachanah's sonic activity is inherently political, having the potential to impact collective identity and civic reality in Tel Aviv and across Israel. [soundscape, sensory ethnography, migration, ethnicity, Israel]
Putting Belonging into Place: Place Experience and Sense of Belonging amongEcuadorian Migrants in anItalianAlpine Region
Authors: RAFFAETÀ ROBERTA , DUFF CAMERON 
Published: December 2013

AbstractThis paper explores the meaning and mechanics of belonging with a particular focus on the role of place and place‐making. It explores the ways people come to achieve a sense of belonging with reference to recent theoretical treatments of place, territory, and mobility. We ground our discussion in analysis of an ethnographic case ofEcuadorian families who have migrated toTrentino in northernItaly. Most families miss the social relationships and places they left behind, but have decided to stay permanently in Italy, giving up the “myth of return” (Anwar 1979).Trentino offers more opportunities in term of employment, education, and access to services than Ecuador. Yet the decision to stay inTrentino is based on more than a simple assessment of economic advantage. Participants spoke of a slowly unfolding sense of belonging toTrentino, with strong affective dimensions born of a specific attachment to the very materiality of place inTrentino. This attachment may be regarded as an assemblage of social, material and affective resonances, experiences and resources, revealing something of the place and feeling of belonging. Hence, theEcuadorian sense of belonging does not rely on an abstract conception of cultural affiliation, nor is it a purely psychological response. Rather, belonging accrues in particular practices and material attachments. We unpack these practices by documenting the work participants put into inhabiting an unfamiliar place as “their” place, while at the same time questioning the ontological status of space.
Lymph node harvest in single incision laparoscopic surgery for colorectal malignancy
Authors: Rink A. D. , Vestweber B. , Paul C. , Vestweber K.‐H. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractAimSingle incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) has not been sufficiently evaluated with respect to its oncological equivalence to conventional laparoscopic or open surgery.MethodOf 507 patients who had SILS for colorectal diseases in our institution, 87 had segmental resection for colorectal adenocarcinoma. For each of the surgical specimens the number of lymph nodes which can be expected to be identified by the pathologist was calculated using the ACPGBI lymph node harvest model, which was developed from a nationwide database of 5845 surgical specimens. The predicted number of lymph nodes was compared with the number identified in our SILS specimens.ResultsThe median predicted number of lymph nodes was 11 (4.5–14.8) compared with 18 (5–44) in the SILS specimens (P < 0.001). In all subgroups analysed for various operations, the lymph node harvest in the SILS specimens was significantly higher than predicted.ConclusionIn terms of lymph node harvest SILS seems to be comparable to conventional open or laparoscopic surgery.
Does the calcineurin inhibitor have influence on cytomegalovirus infection in heart transplantation?
Authors: Rodríguez‐Serrano María , Sánchez‐Lázaro Ignacio , Almenar‐Bonet Luis , Martínez‐Dolz Luis , Portolés‐Sanz Manuel , Rivera‐Otero Miguel , Salvador‐Sanz Antonio 
Published: December 2013

AbstractCytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in heart transplant (HTx). Our aim was to analyze the rate of CMV infection in HTx patients receiving treatment with cyclosporine (CsA) or tacrolimus (Tac). Ninety‐five patients were randomized to receive either CsA (53.7%) or Tac (46.3%). We performed prophylaxis with valganciclovir in patients with the highest risk of CMV infection. We considered CMV infection as an increased viral load or the presence of CMV in histological samples. We analyzed baseline characteristics, CMV infection, and other complications. Event‐free rates were calculated using the Kaplan‐Meier method. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between both groups. CMV infection was detected in 31.6% of patients (in 66.7% due to asymptomatic replication). The group treated with Tac had a lower rate of CMV infection (15.9% vs. 45.1%, p = 0.002) and longer CMV infection‐free survival time (1440 vs. 899 d, p = 0.001). No differences were observed in the complications analyzed in both groups. The independent risk factors for infection identified in the multivariate analysis were treatment with CsA and bacterial infections. This was the first study to demonstrate a lower rate of CMV infection in patients treated with Tac vs. those treated with CsA after HTx.