bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evolution of a sexually dimorphic trait in a broadly distributed topminnow (Fundulus olivaceus)
Authors: Schaefer Jacob F. , Duvernell David D. , Kreiser Brian R. , Champagne Charles , Clark Scott R. , Gutierrez Melissa , Stewart Laura K. , Coleman Chazz 
Published: June 2012

AbstractUnderstanding the interaction between sexual and natural selection within variable environments is crucial to our understanding of evolutionary processes. The handicap principle predicts females will prefer males with exaggerated traits provided those traits are indicators of male quality to ensure direct or indirect female benefits. Spatial variability in ecological factors is expected to alter the balance between sexual and natural selection that defines the evolution of such traits. Male and female blackspotted topminnows (Fundulidae: Fundulus olivaceus) display prominent black dorsolateral spots that are variable in number across its broad range. We investigated variability in spot phenotypes at 117 sites across 13 river systems and asked if the trait was sexually dimorphic and positively correlated with measures of fitness (condition and gonadosomatic index [GSI]). Laboratory and mesocosm experiments assessed female mate choice and predation pressure on spot phenotypes. Environmental and community data collected at sampling locations were used to assess predictive models of spot density at the individual, site, and river system level. Greater number of spots was positively correlated with measures of fitness in males. Males with more spots were preferred by females and suffered greater mortality due to predation. Water clarity (turbidity) was the best predictor of spot density on the drainage scale, indicating that sexual and natural selection for the trait may be mediated by local light environments.
Sex‐specific effects of developmental environment on reproductive trait expression in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Edward Dominic A. , Chapman Tracey 
Published: June 2012

AbstractVariation in the expression of reproductive traits provides the raw material upon which sexual selection can act. It is therefore important to understand how key factors such as environmental variation influence the expression of reproductive traits, as these will have a fundamental effect on the evolution of mating systems. It is also important to consider the effects of environmental variation upon reproductive traits in both sexes and to make comparisons with the environment to which the organism is adapted. In this study, we addressed these issues in a systematic study of the effect of a key environmental factor, variation in larval density, on reproductive trait expression in male and female Drosophila melanogaster. To do this, we compared reproductive trait expression when flies were reared under controlled conditions at eight different larval densities that covered a 20‐fold range. Then, to place these results in a relevant context, we compared the results to those from flies sourced directly from stock cages. Many reproductive traits were surprisingly insensitive to variation in larval density. A notable exception was nonlinear variation in female fecundity. In contrast, we found much bigger differences in comparisons with flies from stock cages—including differences in body size, latency to mate, copulation duration, fecundity, and male share of paternity in a competitive environment. For a number of traits, even densities of 1000 larvae per vial (125 larvae per mL of food) did not phenocopy stock cage individuals. This study reveals novel patterns of sex‐specific sensitivity to environmental variation that will influence the strength of sexual selection. It also illustrates the importance of comparisons with the environment to which individuals are adapted.
Understanding of the impact of chemicals on amphibians: a meta‐analytic review
Authors: Egea‐Serrano Andrés , Relyea Rick A. , Tejedo Miguel , Torralva Mar 
Published: June 2012

AbstractMany studies have assessed the impact of different pollutants on amphibians across a variety of experimental venues (laboratory, mesocosm, and enclosure conditions). Past reviews, using vote‐counting methods, have described pollution as one of the major threats faced by amphibians. However, vote‐counting methods lack strong statistical power, do not permit one to determine the magnitudes of effects, and do not compare responses among predefined groups. To address these challenges, we conducted a meta‐analysis of experimental studies that measured the effects of different chemical pollutants (nitrogenous and phosphorous compounds, pesticides, road deicers, heavy metals, and other wastewater contaminants) at environmentally relevant concentrations on amphibian survival, mass, time to hatching, time to metamorphosis, and frequency of abnormalities. The overall effect size of pollutant exposure was a medium decrease in amphibian survival and mass and a large increase in abnormality frequency. This translates to a 14.3% decrease in survival, a 7.5% decrease in mass, and a 535% increase in abnormality frequency across all studies. In contrast, we found no overall effect of pollutants on time to hatching and time to metamorphosis. We also found that effect sizes differed among experimental venues and among types of pollutants, but we only detected weak differences among amphibian families. These results suggest that variation in sensitivity to contaminants is generally independent of phylogeny. Some publication bias (i.e., selective reporting) was detected, but only for mass and the interaction effect size among stressors. We conclude that the overall impact of pollution on amphibians is moderately to largely negative. This implies that pollutants at environmentally relevant concentrations pose an important threat to amphibians and may play a role in their present global decline.
p53 suppresses type II endometrial carcinomas in mice and governs endometrial tumour aggressiveness in humans
Authors: Wild Peter J. , Ikenberg Kristian , Fuchs Thomas J. , Rechsteiner Markus , Georgiev Strahil , Fankhauser Niklaus , Noske Aurelia , Roessle Matthias , Caduff Rosmarie , Dellas Athanassios , Fink Daniel , Moch Holger , Krek Wilhelm , Frew Ian J. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractType II endometrial carcinomas are a highly aggressive group of tumour subtypes that are frequently associated with inactivation of the TP53 tumour suppressor gene. We show that mice with endometrium‐specific deletion of Trp53 initially exhibited histological changes that are identical to known precursor lesions of type II endometrial carcinomas in humans and later developed carcinomas representing all type II subtypes. The mTORC1 signalling pathway was frequently activated in these precursor lesions and tumours, suggesting a genetic cooperation between this pathway and Trp53 deficiency in tumour initiation. Consistent with this idea, analyses of 521 human endometrial carcinomas identified frequent mTORC1 pathway activation in type I as well as type II endometrial carcinoma subtypes. mTORC1 pathway activation and p53 expression or mutation status each independently predicted poor patient survival. We suggest that molecular alterations in p53 and the mTORC1 pathway play different roles in the initiation of the different endometrial cancer subtypes, but that combined p53 inactivation and mTORC1 pathway activation are unifying pathogenic features among histologically diverse subtypes of late stage aggressive endometrial tumours.
Eating Disorders in the General Practice: A Case–Control Study on the Utilization of Primary Care
Authors: Van Son Gabriëlle E. , Hoek Hans W. , Van Hoeken Daphne , Schellevis François G. , Van Furth Eric F. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate primary care utilization between patients with an eating disorder (ED) and other patient groups, and between the ED subgroups anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN).MethodThe present study was an observational case–control study. In total, 167 patients with ED were matched with two control groups (with and without mental disorders). General practitioners (GPs) kept electronic records and provided all patient contacts, prescriptions and referrals with a diagnostic code.ResultsAlthough patients with BN have the highest number of face‐to‐face contacts compared with all other groups, these patients less often seek help for eating problems compared with patients with AN, even when the ED diagnosis is known to the GP. Overall, patients with mental disorders showed a comparable rate of GP care, which was elevated compared with patients without mental disorders.DiscussionPatients with BN might need more active encouragement by the GP to talk about their eating problems because there are indications that point at an unmet need for GP care. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.
Evaluation in Latin America: Paradigms and practices
Authors: Neirotti Nerio 
Published: June 2012

AbstractThis chapter addresses the development of evaluation, as a practice and as a field of knowledge, throughout Latin America in relation to the sociopolitical context, including characteristics of the state and its relations with civil society. It comes from the perspectives of evaluation as a learning tool, as a means to improve accountability and transparency in public administration, and as a dialogic device. The political context is described in terms of three historical moments: (a) the existence of the welfare state, (b) the withdrawal of the state in the framework of the Washington consensus and the emergence of neoconservative policies, and (c) the return of the state and the rise of civil society and active politics. Finally, there is an analysis of opportunities and challenges facing contemporary policy evaluators and decision makers. ©Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association.
Evaluation, public policies, and human rights
Authors: Guendel Ludwig 
Published: June 2012

AbstractThe chapter addresses the role of social evaluation in the systematization of public value and documents the adoption and implementation of public policy for human rights. Public policy with a human rights approach arises from a political, legal, and institutional acknowledgment of the social subject. It is an intricate process, part of global discussions about how to reconfigure economic, cultural, and social policy and the administration of justice. Its complexity involves multiple dimensions and organizational and institutional processes as they occur with any other government or state policy (Mény & Thoenig, 1992). ©Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association.
Evaluating with at‐risk communities: Learning from a social program in a Brazilian slum
Authors: Carolina Letichevsky Ana , Penna Firme Thereza 
Published: June 2012

AbstractThis chapter describes a 2‐year evaluation of a social program in a Brazilian slum troubled by poverty, unemployment, drug‐related threats, and violence, where self‐protecting attitudes have led to inhabitant behaviors of fear and silence. Evaluation experience in this unique environment taught us how not to conduct evaluations. Our strategies made more sense where they were informed by what not to do. Trust building as the basis for data collection and data utilization was of utmost importance. Inclusion and empowerment ensured key community member involvement, stakeholder safety and integrity, and just as important, data quality. Emphasis on appreciative inquiry facilitated utilization of findings for community betterment. The significant lesson that emerged astonished the program staff, sponsors, evaluators, and evaluees alike: Evaluation became meaningful to this community. ©Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association.
Performance measurement and evaluation systems: Institutionalizing accountability for governmental results in Latin America
Authors: Cunill‐Grau Nuria , Ospina Sonia M. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractResults‐based performance measurement and evaluation (PME) systems are part of a global current in public administration. In the Latin American context, this trend is also a reflection of the broader processes of reform of the latter half of the 20th century, including the modernization of public administration, as well as broad processes of decentralization and democratization, both of which are dimensions of development in Latin America, regardless of the political and ideological orientation of specific governments. This chapter documents the development of such evaluative approaches to organizational quality and raises some issues for further discussion. ©Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association.
Floral biodiversity and geology of the Talcher Basin, Orissa, India during the Permian–Triassic interval
Authors: Goswami Shreerup , Singh Kamal Jeet 
Published: June 2012

The review paper provides an updated account of the previous and recently published records concerning the palaeobiology and the geology of the Talcher Basin of Orissa State, India. We conclude that fossil floral species in this basin originated in the earliest Permian Talchir Formation and evolved and diversified through the Karharbari Fm., Barakar Fm., Barren Measures Fm. and the uppermost Kamthi Fm. (Late Permian–Triassic). The megaflora and the palynology of the different formations of the basin are also discussed briefly. The geological setting of the basin along with the status of different formations (especially the Kamthi Formation) has been redefined. The post‐Barakar Fm. rocks, earlier retained in the Raniganj/Kamthi, Panchet and Mahadeva formations in this basin, have been critically assessed and redefined as the Lower and Upper Kamthi formations of Late Permian and Triassic ages, respectively. Accordingly, the geological map of the basin has been modified. Permian deposits (particularly the Barakar and the lower Kamthi formations) not only have the best preserved flora but also possess the highest diversity, whereas the upper Kamthi Triassic sediments have a meagre number of taxa. The plant diversity of the basin has been discussed in detail to interpret the development of the flora, evolutionary trends and palaeoenvironments of the basin. The patchy Gangamopteris vegetation of the Talchir glacial phase has ultimately evolved and diversified through time (Karharbari Fm. to Lower Kamthi Fm.) and gave rise to the thick dense swampy forests consisting of large Glossopteris trees and other shade‐loving under‐storied pteridophytes. Several groups of plants including spores and pollen have disappeared in a ladder pattern during the Permian–Triassic interval (Lower Kamthi–Upper Kamthi Fm.) and, similarly, in steps, many new fore‐runners appeared in the Upper Kamthi Formation.Records of marine acritarchs and ichnofossils in this basin at various Permian–Triassic levels demonstrate that there were marine influences. These features suggest a paralic (coastal marine to deltaic) mode of origin of the coal beds and associated sediments in the basin. The present study also advocates the continued survival of plants, rather than a mass extinction near the vicinity of the Permian–Triassic (P–T) boundary in this basin. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Review of Web‐Based Dietary Interventions: From the Human–Computer Interaction Practitioners' Perspective
Authors: Kwon Bum chul , Hur Inkyoung , Yi Ji Soo 
Published: June 2012

AbstractDespite the popularity of web‐based dietary interventions, there are few evidence‐based, practical guidelines that help human–computer interaction (HCI) practitioners design new dietary intervention systems. We suspect that a lack of such guidelines is partly due to a chasm between two major research domains, healthcare and HCI. We believe that technologies developed in HCI are not used and evaluated by healthcare researchers, so we fail to accumulate experiences to develop guidelines. To assess the gap, we carefully selected 86 papers that employed and evaluated various web‐based dietary interventions in both fields and analyzed general characteristics, behavior change strategies, intervention media, and research outcomes used in each paper. Through this review, we reaffirmed our belief about the discrepancies between healthcare and HCI, and additional findings helped us offer some suggestions to close the gap. We also identified several interesting patterns among behavior change strategies, intervention media, and outcomes that provide potential topics for future research. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Chronic disease and disability among Iraqi populations displaced in Jordan and Syria
Authors: Doocy Shannon , Sirois Adam , Tileva Margarita , Storey J. Douglas , Burnham Gilbert 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACTThe Iraq conflict resulted in the largest displacement in the Middle East since the Palestinian crisis, and provision of health services to the displaced population presents a critical challenge. The study aimed to provide information on chronic medical conditions and disability to inform humanitarian assistance planning. Nationally representative cross‐sectional surveys of Iraqi populations displaced in Jordan and Syria were conducted in late 2008 and early 2009. Clusters of 10 household were randomly selected using probability‐based sampling; a total of 1200 and 813 Iraqi households in Jordan and Syria, respectively, were interviewed. The majority of respondents in both countries perceived healthcare as unaffordable but accessible; cost was an important barrier to care. In Jordan, most routine health expenditures were for medications where in Syria, expenses were divided between medical consultations and medication. Chronic disease prevalence among adults was 51.5% (confidence interval (CI): 49.4–53.5) in Syria and 41.0% (CI: 39.4–42.7) in Jordan, most common were hypertension and musculoskeletal problems. Overall disability rates were 7.1% (CI: 6.3–8.0) in Syria and 3.4% (CI: 3.0–3.9) in Jordan. In both countries, the majority of disability was attributed to conflict, prevalence was higher in men than women, and depression was the leading cause of mental health disability. Chronic illnesses, disabilities and psychological health are key challenges for the Iraqi population and the health systems in Jordan and Syria. Continued attention to the development of systems to manage conditions that require secondary and tertiary care is essential, particularly given reported difficulties in accessing care and the anticipated prolonged displacement. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Brain structure and spatial sensitivity profile assessing by near‐infrared spectroscopy modeling based on 3D MRI data
Authors: Chuang Ching‐Cheng , Chen Chung‐Ming , Hsieh Yao‐Sheng , Liu Tsan‐Chi , Sun Chia‐Wei 
Published: June 2012

AbstractThe goal of this study is to prove that the light propagation in the head by used the 3‐D optical model from in vivo MRI data set can also provide significant characteristics on the spatial sensitivity of cerebral cortex folding geometry based on Monte Carlo simulation. Thus, we proposed a MRI based approach for 3‐D brain modeling of near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). In the results, the spatial sensitivity profile of the cerebral cortex folding geometry and the arrangement of source‐detector separation have being necessarily considered for applications of functional NIRS. The optimal choice of source‐detector separation is suggested within 3–3.5 cm by the received intensity with different source‐detector separations and the ratio of received light from the gray and white matter layer is greater than 50%. Additionally, this study has demonstrated the capability of NIRS in not only assessing the functional but also detecting the structural change of the brain by taking advantage of the low scattering and absorption coefficients observed in CSF of sagittal view. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Photonic crystal biosensors towards on‐chip integration
Authors: Threm Daniela , Nazirizadeh Yousef , Gerken Martina 
Published: June 2012

AbstractPhotonic crystal technology has attracted large interest in the last years. The possibility to generate highly sensitive sensor elements with photonic crystal structures is very promising for medical or environmental applications. The low‐cost fabrication on the mass scale is as advantageous as the compactness and reliability of photonic crystal biosensors. The possibility to integrate microfluidic channels together with photonic crystal structures allows for highly compact devices. This article reviews different types of photonic crystal sensors including 1D photonic crystal biosensors, biosensors with photonic crystal slabs, photonic crystal waveguide biosensors and biosensors with photonic crystal microcavities. Their applications in biomolecular and pathogen detection are highlighted. The sensitivities and the detection limits of the different biosensors are compared. The focus is on the possibilities to integrate photonic crystal biosensors on‐chip. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Force field development for cofactors in the photosystem II
Authors: Zhang Lu , Silva Daniel‐Adriano , Yan YiJing , Huang Xuhui 
Published: June 2012

AbstractWe present a set of force field (FF) parameters compatible with the AMBER03 FF to describe five cofactors in photosystem II (PSII) of oxygenic photosynthetic organisms: plastoquinone‐9 (three redox forms), chlorophyll‐a, pheophytin‐a, heme‐b, and β‐carotene. The development of a reliable FF for these cofactors is an essential step for performing molecular dynamics simulations of PSII. Such simulations are important for the calculation of absorption spectrum and the further investigation of the electron and energy transfer processes. We have derived parameters for partial charges, bonds, angles, and dihedral‐angles from solid theoretical models using systematic quantum mechanics (QM) calculations. We have shown that the developed FF parameters are in good agreement with both ab initio QM and experimental structural data in small molecule crystals as well as protein complexes. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On the importance of excited state dynamic response electron correlation in polarizable embedding methods
Authors: Eriksen Janus J. , Sauer Stephan P. A. , Mikkelsen Kurt V. , Jensen Hans J. Aa. , Kongsted Jacob 
Published: June 2012

AbstractWe investigate the effect of including a dynamic reaction field at the lowest possibleab initowave function level of theory, namely the Hartree‐Fock (HF) self‐consistent field level within the polarizable embedding (PE) formalism. We formulate HF based PE within the linear response theory picture leading to the PE–random‐phase approximation (PE–RPA) and bridge the expressions to a second‐order polarization propagator approximation (SOPPA) frame such that dynamic reaction field contributions are included at the RPA level in addition to the static response described at the SOPPA level but with HF induced dipole moments. We conduct calculations onpara‐nitro‐aniline andpara‐nitro‐phenolate using said model in addition to dynamic PE–RPA and PE–CAM–B3LYP. We compare the results to recently published PE–CCSD data and demonstrate how the cost effective SOPPA‐based model successfully recovers a great portion of the inherent PE–RPA error when the observable is the solvatochromic shift. We furthermore demonstrate that whenever the change in density resulting from the ground state‐excited state electronic transition in the solute is not associated with a significant change in the electric field, dynamic response contributions formulated at the HF level of theory manage to capture the majority of the system response originating from derivative densities. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.