bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In the absence of a “landscape of fear”: How lions, hyenas, and cheetahs coexist
Authors: Swanson Alexandra , Arnold Todd , Kosmala Margaret , Forester James , Packer Craig
Published: November 2016

Aggression by top predators can create a “landscape of fear” in which subordinate predators restrict their activity to low‐risk areas or times of day. At large spatial or temporal scales, this can result in the costly loss of access to resources. However, fine‐scale reactive avoidance may minimize the risk of aggressive encounters for subordinate predators while maintaining access to resources, thereby providing a mechanism for coexistence. We investigated fine‐scale spatiotemporal avoidance in a guild of African predators characterized by intense interference competition. Vulnerable to food stealing and direct killing, cheetahs are expected to avoid both larger predators; hyenas are expected to avoid lions. We deployed a grid of 225 camera traps across 1,125 km2 in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, to evaluate concurrent patterns of habitat use by lions, hyenas, cheetahs, and their primary prey. We used hurdle models to evaluate whether smaller species avoided areas preferred by larger species, and we used time‐to‐event models to evaluate fine‐scale temporal avoidance in the hours immediately surrounding top predator activity. We found no evidence of long‐term displacement of subordinate species, even at fine spatial scales. Instead, hyenas and cheetahs were positively associated with lions except in areas with exceptionally high lion use. Hyenas and lions appeared to actively track each, while cheetahs appear to maintain long‐term access to sites with high lion use by actively avoiding those areas just in the hours immediately following lion activity. Our results suggest that cheetahs are able to use patches of preferred habitat by avoiding lions on a moment‐to‐moment basis. Such fine‐scale temporal avoidance is likely to be less costly than long‐term avoidance of preferred areas: This may help explain why cheetahs are able to coexist with lions despite high rates of lion‐inflicted mortality, and highlights reactive avoidance as a general mechanism for predator coexistence.
Taming of Thioketones: The First Asymmetric Thia‐Diels–Alder Reaction with Thioketones as Heterodienophiles
Authors: Hejmanowska Joanna , Jasiński Marcin , Mlostoń Grzegorz , Albrecht Łukasz
Published: November 2016

An efficient application of aryl and hetaryl thioketones as dienophiles in the enantioselective thia‐Diels–Alder reaction was explored for the first time. It was found that thioketones could serve as useful heterodienophiles in aminocatalytic, trienamine‐mediated [4+2] cycloadditions with 2,4‐dienals. This enantioselective approach (up to 99:1 er) was efficiently promoted by diarylprolinol silyl ethers and led to new types of potentially relevant 5,6‐dihydro‐2H‐thiopyrans.
Analysis of aggregated functional data from mixed populations with application to energy consumption
Authors: Lenzi Amanda , de Souza Camila P.E. , Dias Ronaldo , Garcia Nancy L. , Heckman Nancy E.
Published: November 2016

Understanding energy consumption patterns of different types of consumers is essential in any planning of energy distribution. However, obtaining individual‐level consumption information is often either not possible or too expensive. Therefore, we consider data from aggregations of energy use, that is, from sums of individuals' energy use, where each individual falls into one ofCconsumer classes. Unfortunately, the exact number of individuals of each class may be unknown due to inaccuracies in consumer registration or irregularities in consumption patterns. We develop a methodology to estimate both the expected energy use of each class as a function of time and the true number of consumers in each class. To accomplish this, we use B‐splines to model both the expected consumption and the individual‐level random effects. We treat the reported numbers of consumers in each category as random variables with distribution depending on the true number of consumers in each class and on the probabilities of a consumer in one class reporting as another class. We obtain maximum likelihood estimates of all parameters via a maximization algorithm. We introduce a special numerical trick for calculating the maximum likelihood estimates of the true number of consumers in each class. We apply our method to a data set and study our method via simulation.
Utility function design for strategic radio resource management games: An overview, taxonomy, and research challenges
Authors: Yang Chungang , Li Jiandong , Ejaz Waleed , Anpalagan Alagan , Guizani Mohsen
Published: November 2016

Radio resource management is important for wireless communication networks. Game theory has been extensively used to model, analyze, and design interactive behaviors and the strategic decision‐making for radio resource management. It is known that utility function is one of the critical elements in a game, which characterizes the preferred relationship of the rational players and is a function of the action of players and their opponents. We first overview the basics of game theory and utility functions. We then present a taxonomy of utility functions with respect to different types of players, the nature of actions, and preferences in terms of the fairness, quality of service, and quality of experience. We provide some insights based on the taxonomy of utility functions, which provides the readers with a comprehensive view. Following that, we also discuss other types of traffic‐aware utility functions with different fairness and the potential and super modular game‐theoretic utility functions. In addition, we summarize the desired properties and observations for the design of suitable utility functions. Finally, we investigate impacts of the pricing in utility functions. This article ends with the conclusions and a promising view on open problems and challenges with possible future research directions.
Ascending stair evacuation: walking speed as a function of height
Authors: Delin Mattias , Norén Johan , Ronchi Enrico , Kuklane Kalev , Halder Amitava , Fridolf Karl
Published: November 2016

There is reason to believe that factors such as physical exertion and behavioural changes will influence the ascending walking speed and ultimately the possibility of satisfactory evacuation. To study these effects, a 2‐year research project was initiated with the focus on effects of physical exertion on walking speeds, physiological performance and behaviours during long ascending evacuations. Two sets of experiments on human performance during ascending long stairs, with a height of 48 and 109 m, were performed. The results include aspects such as walking speeds, physical exertion (oxygen consumption, heart rates and electromyography data), perceived exertion and behavioural changes, showing that physical work capacity affects walking speeds in case of long ascending evacuation and should be considered while using long ascending evacuation. Analysis of both walking and vertical speeds is recommended because it provides additional insights on the impact of stair configuration on vertical displacement and the importance of not using the same value for walking speed for different stairs because the design of the stairs has an impact. The novel datasets presented in this paper are deemed to provide useful information for fire safety engineers both for assisting fire safety design as well as the calibration of evacuation modelling tools. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Patterns of late‐life depressive symptoms and subsequent declines in cognitive domains
Authors: Gillis J. Cai , Chang Shun‐Chiao , Devore Elizabeth E. , Rosner Bernard A. , Grodstein Francine , Okereke Olivia I.
Published: November 2016

Background

Depression frequently co‐occurs with cognitive decline, but the nature of this association is unclear. We examined relations of late‐life depressive symptom patterns to subsequent domain‐specific cognitive changes.

Methods

Depressive symptoms were measured at up to 3 timepoints among 11,675 Nurses' Health Study participants prior to cognitive testing. Depressive symptom patterns were categorized as non‐depressed, variable or persistent, based on published severity cutpoints. Outcomes were global, verbal, and executive function‐attention composite scores.

Results

Participants with persistent depressive symptoms had worse executive function‐attention decline compared with non‐depressed participants (multivariable‐adjusted mean difference = −0.03 units/year, 95% CI: −0.05, −0.01; p = 0.003); this difference was comparable with 8 years of aging. However, being in the persistent versus non‐depressed group was not significantly related to verbal (p = 0.71) or global score (p = 0.09) decline. By contrast, compared with the non‐depressed group, those with variable depressive symptoms had worse verbal memory decline (multivariable‐adjusted mean difference = −0.01 units/year, 95% CI: −0.02, −0.002; p = 0.03); this group showed no differences for global or executive function‐attention decline.

Conclusions

A variable pattern of depressive symptom severity related to subsequent decline in verbal memory, while a persistent pattern related to decline in executive function‐attention. Findings could signal differences in underlying neuropathologic processes among persons with differing depression patterns and late‐life cognitive decline. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Combined magnetic resonance elastography and collagen molecular magnetic resonance imaging accurately stage liver fibrosis in a rat model
Authors: Zhu Bo , Wei Lan , Rotile Nicholas , Day Helen , Rietz Tyson , Farrar Christian T. , Lauwers Gregory Y. , Tanabe Kenneth K. , Rosen Bruce , Fuchs Bryan C. , Caravan Peter
Published: November 2016

Hepatic fibrosis is associated with an overproduction of matrix proteins and a pathological increase of liver stiffness. Noninvasive magnetic resonance (MR) quantification of matrix can be assessed with a collagen‐binding molecular MR probe and stiffness by MR elastography, complementary techniques. This study used both imaging techniques to more accurately stage hepatic fibrosis in a rat model. Thirty rats with varying levels of diethylnitrosamine‐induced liver fibrosis were imaged before and 45 minutes after injection of collagen‐specific probe EP‐3533. MR elastography was performed in the same imaging session. Changes in liver relaxation rate post–EP‐3533 and liver stiffness were compared to the collagen proportional area determined by histology and to Ishak scoring using receiver operating characteristic analysis. Collagen imaging was most sensitive to early fibrosis, while elastography was more sensitive to advanced fibrosis. This complementary feature enabled the formulation of a composite model using multivariate analysis of variance. This model incorporated the discriminating advantages of both MR techniques, resulting in more accurate staging throughout fibrotic progression. Conclusion: Collagen molecular MR imaging is complementary to MR elastography, and combining the two techniques in a single exam leads to increased diagnostic accuracy for all stages of fibrosis. (Hepatology 2017;65:1015‐1025)
Banking and Currency Crises: Differential Diagnostics for Developed Countries
Authors: Joy Mark , Rusnák Marek , Šmídková Kateřina , Vašíček Bořek
Published: November 2016

We identify a set of ‘rules of thumb’ that characterize economic, financial and structural conditions preceding the onset of banking and currency crises in 36 advanced economies over 1970–2010. We use the classification and regression tree methodology and its random forest extension, which permits the detection of key variables driving binary crisis outcomes, allows for interactions among key variables and determines critical tipping points. We distinguish between basic country conditions, country structural characteristics and international developments. We find that crises are more varied than they are similar. For banking crises, we find that low net interest rate spreads in the banking sector and a shallow, or inverted, yield curve is their most important forerunners in the short term. In the longer term, it is high house price inflation. For currency crises, high domestic short‐term rates coupled with overvalued exchange rates are the most powerful short‐term predictors. We find that both country structural characteristics and international developments are relevant banking‐crisis predictors. Currency crises, however, seem to be driven more by country idiosyncratic, short‐term developments. We find that some variables, such as the domestic credit gap, provide important unconditional signals, but it is difficult to use them as conditional signals and, more importantly, to find relevant threshold values. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PDLLA scaffolds with Cu‐ and Zn‐doped bioactive glasses having multifunctional properties for bone regeneration
Authors: Bejarano Julian , Detsch Rainer , Boccaccini Aldo R. , Palza Humberto
Published: November 2016

Novel multifunctional scaffolds for bone regeneration can be developed by incorporation of bioactive glasses (BG) doped with therapeutic and antibacterial metal ions, such as copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), into a biodegradable polymer. In this context, porous composite materials of biodegradable poly(d,l‐lactide) (PDLLA) mixed with sol‐gel BG of chemical composition 60SiO2; 25CaO; 11Na2O; and 4P2O5(mol %) doped with either 1 mol % of CuO or ZnO, and with both metals, were prepared. The cytocompatibility of the scaffolds on bone marrow stromal cells (ST‐2) depended on both, the amount of glass filler and the concentration of metal ion, as evaluated by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, cell viability (water‐soluble tetrazolium salt [WST‐8]), and by cell morphology (scanning electron microscopy [SEM]) tests. In particular, scaffolds having a filler content of 10 wt % showed the highest cytocompatibility. In addition, compared to the neat polymer, the scaffolds containing Cu promoted the angiogenesis marker (Vascular endothelial growth factor concentration) to a larger extent while scaffolds containing Zn increased the osteogenesis marker (specific alkaline phosphatase‐activity). Noteworthy, the scaffolds with both metal ions showed a combined effect on both properties. Cu‐ and Zn‐doped glasses also provided higher antibacterial capacity to PDLLA‐based scaffolds against methicillin‐resistantS. aureusbacteria than undoped glass. In combination, our results showed that by a proper addition of Cu‐ and Zn‐doped BG to a PDLLA matrix, multifunctional composite scaffolds with enhanced biological activity can be designed for bone tissue regeneration. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 746–756, 2017.
Exploring the Role of PGC‐1α in Defining Nuclear Organisation in Skeletal Muscle Fibres
Authors: Ross Jacob Alexander , Pearson Adam , Levy Yotam , Cardel Bettina , Handschin Christoph , Ochala Julien
Published: November 2016

Muscle fibres are multinucleated cells, with each nucleus controlling the protein synthesis in a finite volume of cytoplasm termed the myonuclear domain (MND). What determines MND size remains unclear. In the present study, we aimed to test the hypothesis that the level of expression of the transcriptional coactivator PGC‐1α and subsequent activation of the mitochondrial biogenesis are major contributors. Hence, we used two transgenic mouse models with varying expression of PGC‐1α in skeletal muscles. We isolated myofibres from the fast twitch extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and slow twitch diaphragm muscles. We then membrane‐permeabilised them and analysed the 3D spatial arrangements of myonuclei. In EDL muscles, when PGC‐1α is over‐expressed, MND volume decreases; whereas, when PGC‐1α is lacking, no change occurs. In the diaphragm, no clear difference was noted. This indicates that PGC‐1α and the related mitochondrial biogenesis programme are determinants of MND size. PGC‐1α may facilitate the addition of new myonuclei in order to reach MND volumes that can support an increased mitochondrial density. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 1270–1274, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Load‐induced changes in the diffusion tensor of ovine anulus fibrosus: A pilot MRI study
Authors: Tourell Monique C. , Kirkwood Margaret , Pearcy Mark J. , Momot Konstantin I. , Little J. Paige
Published: November 2016

Purpose

To assess the feasibility of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for evaluating changes in anulus fibrosus (AF) microstructure following uniaxial compression.

Materials and Methods

Six axially aligned samples of AF were obtained from a merino sheep disc; two each from the anterior, lateral, and posterior regions. The samples were mechanically loaded in axial compression during five cycles at a rate and maximum compressive strain that reflected physiological conditions. DTI was conducted at 7T for each sample before and after mechanical testing.

Results

The mechanical response of all samples in unconfined compression was nonlinear. A stiffer response during the first loading cycle, compared to the remaining cycles, was observed. Change in diffusion parameters appeared to be region‐dependent. The mean fractional anisotropy increased following mechanical testing. This was smallest in the lateral (2% and 9%) and largest in the anterior and posterior samples (17–25%). The mean average diffusivity remained relatively constant (<2%) after mechanical testing in the lateral and posterior samples, but increased (by 5%) in the anterior samples. The mean angle made by the principal eigenvector with the spine axis in the lateral samples was 73° and remained relatively constant (<2%) following mechanical testing. This angle was smaller in the anterior (55°) and posterior (47°) regions and increased by 6–16° following mechanical testing.

Conclusion

These preliminary results suggest that axial compression reorients the collagen fibers, such that they become more consistently aligned parallel to the plane of the endplates.

Level of Evidence: 1

Technical Efficacy: Stage 1

J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;45:1723–1735
Sex differences in the immune response to experimental stroke: Implications for translational research
Authors: Dotson Abby L. , Offner Halina
Published: November 2016

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. It is known that males and females respond differently to stroke. Depending on age, the incidence, prevalence, mortality rate, and disability outcome of stroke differ between the sexes. Females generally have strokes at older ages than males and, therefore, have a worse stroke outcome. There are also major differences in how the sexes respond to stroke at the cellular level. Immune response is a critical factor in determining the progress of neurodegeneration after stroke and is fundamentally different for males and females. Additionally, females respond to stroke therapies differently from males, yet they are often left out of the basic research that is focused on developing those therapies. With a resounding failure to translate stroke therapies from the bench to the bedside, it is clearer than ever that inclusion of both sexes in stroke studies is essential for future clinical success. This Mini‐Review examines sex differences in the immune response to experimental stroke and its implications for therapy development. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sex differences in stress effects on emotional learning
Authors: Merz Christian J. , Wolf Oliver T.
Published: November 2016

Stress influences emotional learning and memory processes. These effects are thought to underlie stress‐associated mental disorders. Sex differences in stress reactivity and in central nervous system stress sensitivity illustrate the important modulatory role of sex hormones. This Review outlines how stress hormones influence different stages of the fear conditioning process, such as fear acquisition, extinction, and retrieval. Results will be compared with findings on the impact of stress on episodic memory. The focus is on the available human data on sex differences and the impact sex hormones have on the stress effects on emotional learning and memory. It will become apparent that the menstrual cycle but also the intake of hormonal contraceptives modulates the impact of stress on brain and behavior. Additional basic research is needed for a deeper insight regarding the interplay between stress and sex hormones in emotion and cognition. In addition, new treatment options might be derived to optimize existing strategies such as exposure therapy, which relies on the principles of fear conditioning. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sex differences in associations of arginine vasopressin and oxytocin with resting‐state functional brain connectivity
Authors: Rubin Leah H. , Yao Li , Keedy Sarah K. , Reilly James L. , Bishop Jeffrey R. , Carter C. Sue , Pournajafi‐Nazarloo Hossein , Drogos Lauren L. , Tamminga Carol A. , Pearlson Godfrey D. , Keshavan Matcheri S. , Clementz Brett A. , Hill Scot K. , Liao Wei , Ji Gong‐Jun , Lui Su , Sweeney John A.
Published: November 2016

Oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) exert robust and sexually dimorphic influences on cognition and emotion. How these hormones regulate relevant functional brain systems is not well understood. OT and AVP serum concentrations were assayed in 60 healthy individuals (36 women). Brain functional networks assessed with resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs‐fMRI) were constructed with graph theory–based approaches that characterize brain networks as connected nodes. Sex differences were demonstrated in rs‐fMRI. Men showed higher nodal degree (connectedness) and efficiency (information propagation capacity) in left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG) and higher nodal degree in left rolandic operculum. Women showed higher nodal betweenness (being part of paths between nodes) in right putamen and left inferior parietal gyrus (IPG). Higher hormone levels were associated with less intrinsic connectivity. In men, higher AVP was associated with lower nodal degree and efficiency in left IFG (pars orbitalis) and left STG and less efficiency in left IFG (pars triangularis). In women, higher AVP was associated with lower betweenness in left IPG, and higher OT was associated with lower nodal degree in left IFG (pars orbitalis). Hormones differentially correlate with brain networks that are important for emotion processing and cognition in men and women. AVP in men and OT in women may regulate orbital frontal cortex connectivity, which is important in emotion processing. Hormone associations with STG and pars triangularis in men and parietal cortex in women may account for well‐established sex differences in verbal and visuospatial abilities, respectively. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sex and the development of Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Pike Christian J.
Published: November 2016

Men and women exhibit differences in the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The factors underlying the sex differences in AD are not well understood. This Review emphasizes the contributions of sex steroid hormones to the relationship between sex and AD. In women, events that decrease lifetime exposure to estrogens are generally associated with increased AD risk, whereas estrogen‐based hormone therapy administered near the time of menopause may reduce AD risk. In men, estrogens do not exhibit age‐related reduction and are not significantly associated with AD risk. Rather, normal age‐related depletions of testosterone in plasma and brain predict enhanced vulnerability to AD. Both estrogens and androgens exert numerous protective actions in the adult brain that increase neural functioning and resilience as well as specifically attenuating multiple aspects of AD‐related neuropathology. Aging diminishes the activational effects of sex hormones in sex‐specific manners, which is hypothesized to contribute to the relationship between aging and AD. Sex steroid hormones may also drive sex differences in AD through their organizational effects during developmental sexual differentiation of the brain. Specifically, sex hormone actions during early development may confer inherent vulnerability of the female brain to development of AD in advanced age. The combined effects of organizational and activational effects of sex steroids yield distinct sex differences in AD pathogenesis, a significant variable that must be more rigorously considered in future research. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Complementarity of sex differences in brain and behavior: From laterality to multimodal neuroimaging
Authors: Gur Ruben C. , Gur Raquel E.
Published: November 2016

Although, overwhelmingly, behavior is similar in males and females, and, correspondingly, the brains are similar, sex differences permeate both brain and behavioral measures, and these differences have been the focus of increasing scrutiny by neuroscientists. This Review describes milestones from more than 3 decades of research in brain and behavior. This research was necessarily bound by available methodology, and we began with indirect behavioral indicators of brain function such as handedness. We proceeded to the use of neuropsychological batteries and then to structural and functional neuroimaging that provided the foundations of a cognitive neuroscience‐based computerized neurocognitive battery. Sex differences were apparent and consistent in neurocognitive measures, with females performing better on memory and social cognition tasks and males on spatial processing and motor speed. Sex differences were also prominent in all major brain parameters, including higher rates of cerebral blood flow, higher percentage of gray matter tissue, and higher interhemispheric connectivity in females, compared with higher percentage of white matter and greater intrahemispheric connectivity as well as higher glucose metabolism in limbic regions in males. Many of these differences are present in childhood, but they become more prominent with adolescence, perhaps linked to puberty. Overall, they indicate complementarity between the sexes that would result in greater adaptive diversity. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of chromosomal sex and hormonal influences on shaping sex differences in brain and behavior: Lessons from cases of disorders of sex development
Authors: Bramble Matthew S. , Lipson Allen , Vashist Neerja , Vilain Eric
Published: November 2016

Sex differences in brain development and postnatal behavior are determined largely by genetic sex and in utero gonadal hormone secretions. In humans however, determining the weight that each of these factors contributes remains a challenge because social influences should also be considered. Cases of disorders of sex development (DSD) provide unique insight into how mutations in genes responsible for gonadal formation can perturb the subsequent developmental hormonal milieu and elicit changes in normal human brain maturation. Specific forms of DSDs such as complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS), congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), and 5α‐reductase deficiency syndrome have variable effects between males and females, and the developmental outcomes of such conditions are largely dependent on sex chromosome composition. Medical and psychological works focused on CAH, CAIS, and 5α‐reductase deficiency have helped form the foundation for understanding the roles of genetic and hormonal factors necessary for guiding human brain development. Here we highlight how the three aforementioned DSDs contribute to brain and behavioral phenotypes that can uniquely affect 46,XY and 46,XX individuals in dramatically different fashions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Why sex hormones matter for neuroscience: A very short review on sex, sex hormones, and functional brain asymmetries
Authors: Hausmann Markus
Published: November 2016

Biological sex and sex hormones are known to affect functional cerebral asymmetries (FCAs). Men are generally more lateralized than women. The effect size of this sex difference is small but robust. Some of the inconsistencies in the literature may be explained by sex‐related hormonal differences. Most studies focusing on neuromodulatory properties of sex hormones on FCAs have investigated women during the menstrual cycle. Although contradictions exist, these studies have typically shown that levels of estradiol and/or progesterone correlate with the degree of FCAs, suggesting that sex differences in FCAs partially depend on hormonal state and day of testing. The results indicate that FCAs are not fixed but are hormone dependent, and as such they can dynamically change within relatively short periods throughout life. Many issues raised in this Mini‐Review refer not only to FCAs but also to other aspects of functional brain organization, such as functional connectivity within and between the cerebral hemispheres. Our understanding of sex differences in brain and behavior as well as their clinical relevance will improve significantly if more studies routinely take sex and sex hormones into account. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sex differences in nicotine preference
Authors: Pogun Sakire , Yararbas Gorkem , Nesil Tanseli , Kanit Lutfiye
Published: November 2016

Smoking is the major cause of preventable deaths worldwide, and although there is a decline in overall smoking prevalence in developed countries, the decline in women is less pronounced than in men. Women become dependent faster and experience greater difficulties in quitting. Similar trends have been observed in animal models of nicotine/tobacco addiction. Individual differences in vulnerability to drug abuse are also observed in nicotine/tobacco addiction and point to the importance of sex differences. This Review, summarizes findings from three experimental approaches used to depict nicotine preference in animal models, intravenous and oral nicotine self‐administration and nicotine‐induced conditioned place preference. Nicotine preference is considered to be reflected in the animal's motivation to administer the drug (intravenously or orally) or to prefer an environment paired with the presence of the drug (conditioned place preference). These approaches all point to the importance of sex and age of the subjects; the preference of females and adolescents appear to be more pronounced than that of males and adults, respectively. A closer look at these factors will help us understand the mechanisms that underlie nicotine addiction and develop strategies to cope. Ignoring sex differences and reaching conclusions based only on studies using male subjects has resulted in erroneous generalizations in the past. Sex differences in nicotine preference have been clearly documented, and awareness on this aspect of nicotine dependence will significantly impact our success in translational research. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Impact of gender on corticotropin‐releasing factor and noradrenergic sensitivity in cocaine use disorder
Authors: McRae‐Clark Aimee L. , Cason Angie M. , Kohtz Amy S. , Moran Santa‐Maria Megan , Aston‐Jones Gary , Brady Kathleen T.
Published: November 2016

Responses to stress may be important in understanding gender differences in substance use disorders and may also be a target for development of treatment interventions. A growing body of both preclinical and clinical research supports important underlying gender differences in the corticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF) and noradrenergic systems, which may contribute to drug use. Preclinical models have demonstrated increased sensitivity of females to CRF and noradrenergic‐induced drug reinstatement compared with males, and, consistent with these findings, human laboratory studies have demonstrated greater sensitivity to corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH) and noradrenergic stimulation in cocaine‐dependent women compared with men. Furthermore, neuroimaging studies have demonstrated increased neural response to stressful stimuli in cocaine‐dependent women compared with men as well as showing significant sex differences in the sensitivity of brain regions responsible for regulating the response to CRH. Development of interventions targeting the noradrenergic system and stress response in drug‐dependent individuals could have important clinical implications for both women and men. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sex differences in nonhuman primate behavioral development
Authors: Lonsdorf Elizabeth V.
Published: November 2016

Sex differences in behavior and developmental trajectories in human children are of great interest to researchers in a variety of fields, and a persistent topic of discussion and debate is the relative contribution of biological vs. social influences to such differences. Given the potentially large effects of cultural and social influences on human child development, nonhuman primates are important model species for investigating the biological and evolutionary roots of sex differences in human development. This Mini‐Review briefly summarizes the existing literature on sex‐biased behavior toward infant nonhuman primates by mothers and other social partners, followed by a review of findings on sex differences (or lack thereof) in primate behavioral development from a variety of species in wild and naturalistic settings. These include differences in physical and social development, including play, grooming, and object manipulation patterns, as well as nursing and the development of foraging behavior. The Mini‐Review concludes by providing potential avenues for future research. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sexual dimorphism of Broca's region: More gray matter in female brains in Brodmann areas 44 and 45
Authors: Kurth Florian , Jancke Lutz , Luders Eileen
Published: November 2016

Although a sexual dimorphism in brain structure is generally well established, evidence for sex differences in Brodmann areas (BA) 44 and 45 is inconclusive. This may be due to the difficulty of accurately defining BA 44 and BA 45 in magnetic resonance images, given that these regions are variable in their location and extent and that they do not match well with macroanatomic landmarks. Here we set out to test for possible sex differences in the local gray matter of BA 44/45 by integrating imaging‐based signal intensities with cytoarchitectonically defined tissue probabilities in a sample of 50 male and 50 female subjects. In addition to testing for sex differences with respect to left‐ and right‐hemispheric measures of BA 44/45, we also assessed possible sex differences in BA 44/45 asymmetry. Our analyses revealed significantly larger gray matter volumes in females compared with males for BA 44 and BA 45 bilaterally. However, there was a lack of significant sex differences in BA 44/45 asymmetry. These results corroborate reports of a language‐related female superiority, particularly with respect to verbal fluency and verbal memory tasks. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sex differences and estrogen regulation of BDNF gene expression, but not propeptide content, in the developing hippocampus
Authors: Kight Katherine E. , McCarthy Margaret M.
Published: November 2016

Sex differences in adult brain function are frequently determined developmentally through the actions of steroid hormones during sensitive periods of prenatal and early postnatal life. In rodents, various cellular end points of the developing brain are affected by estradiol that is derived from the aromatization of circulating testosterone and/or synthesized within the brain. We have previously described a sex difference in neurogenesis in the hippocampus of neonatal rats that is modulated by estradiol. In this report, we examined a potential downstream regulator of the effects of estradiol on hippocampal cell proliferation by measuring gene expression of brain‐derived neurotrophin (BDNF) in male and female neonatal rats in response to estradiol. Males had higher baseline BDNF gene expression in dentate gyrus and CA1 regions of the hippocampus compared with females. Neonatal administration of exogenous estradiol resulted in opposite effects on BDNF expression in these areas of the neonatal hippocampus, such that BDNF transcripts increased in CA1 but decreased in dentate. Blocking endogenous estradiol signaling by antagonizing estrogen receptors decreased BDNF expression in the dentate of males, but not females, and had no effect in CA1. Interestingly, this sex difference and response to estradiol was not mirrored by translational output, as no differences in BDNF precursor peptide were observed. The sex‐ and region‐specific effects of estradiol on BDNF expression in the neonatal hippocampus suggest a complex functional relationship between these pleiotropic factors in regulating developmental neurogenesis. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cognitive, behavioral, and neural consequences of sex chromosome aneuploidy
Authors: Printzlau Frida , Wolstencroft Jeanne , Skuse David H.
Published: November 2016

The X chromosome has played a critical role in the development of sexually selected characteristics for over 300 million years, and during that time it has accumulated a disproportionate number of genes concerned with mental functions. There are relatively specific effects of X‐linked genes on social cognition, language, emotional regulation, visuospatial, and numerical skills. Many human X‐linked genes outside the X–Y pairing pseudoautosomal regions escape X‐inactivation. Dosage differences in the expression of such genes (which constitute at least 15% of the total) are likely to play an important role in male–female neural differentiation, and in cognitive deficits and behavioral characteristics, particularly in the realm of social communication, that are associated with sex chromosome aneuploidies. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sex differences, gender and addiction
Authors: Becker Jill B. , McClellan Michele L. , Reed Beth Glover
Published: November 2016

This review discusses alcohol and other forms of drug addiction as both a sociocultural and biological phenomenon. Sex differences and gender are not solely determined by biology, nor are they entirely sociocultural. The interactions among biological, environmental, sociocultural, and developmental influences result in phenotypes that may be more masculine or more feminine. These gender‐related sex differences in the brain can influence the responses to drugs of abuse, progressive changes in the brain after exposure to drugs of abuse and whether addiction results from drug‐taking experiences. In addition, the basic laboratory evidence for sex differences is discussed within the context of four types of sex/gender differences. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evaluating social defeat as a model for psychopathology in adult female rodents
Authors: Solomon Matia B.
Published: November 2016

Social conflict is a predominant stressor in humans and is associated with increased risk for developing psychological illnesses including depression and anxiety. Overwhelmingly, more women suffer from these disorders, which may be due to increased stress sensitivity. Like humans, rodents experience a myriad of physiological and behavioral sequelae due to prolonged stress exposure. Although the motivation for social conflict may differ between humans and rodents, female rodents may provide an opportunity to explore the underlying mechanisms by which stress confers risk for psychopathology in women. Because most female rodents do not express spontaneous aggression, the majority of basic research examines the physiological and behavioral outcomes of social conflict in male rodents. However, there are instances where female rodents exhibit territorial (California mice and Syrian hamsters) and maternal aggression (rats, mice, and hamsters) creating a venue to examine sex differences in physiology and behavior in response to stress. While many studies rely upon nonsocial behavioral assays (e.g., elevated plus maze, forced swim test) to assess the impact of stress on emotionality, here we primarily focus on behavioral outcomes in social‐based assays in rodents. This is critically important given that disruptions in social relationships can be a cause and consequence of neuropsychiatric diseases. Next, we briefly discuss how sex differences in the recruitment of neural circuitry and/or neurochemistry in response to stress may underlie sex differences in neuroendocrine and behavioral stress responses. Finally, the translational value of females in rodent stress models and considerations regarding behavioral interpretations of these models are discussed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Do sex differences in rumination explain sex differences in depression?
Authors: Shors Tracey J. , Millon Emma M. , Chang Han Yan M. , Olson Ryan L. , Alderman Brandon L.
Published: November 2016

It is generally accepted that women tend to ruminate more than men do and these thought patterns are often associated with depressive symptoms (Nolen‐Hoeksema et al., ). Based on these findings, we considered whether the relationship between rumination and depression is stronger in women than in men and if so, whether this might explain the higher prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) in women and finally, whether the association can be disrupted through a mind/body intervention. Adult men and women, most of whom were clinically depressed, participated in an intervention known as MAP Training, which combines “mental” training with silent meditation and “physical” training with aerobic exercise (Shors et al., ). After eight weeks of training, both men and women reported significantly fewer symptoms of depression and fewer ruminative thoughts (Alderman et al., ). Statistical correlations between depressive symptoms and ruminative thoughts were strong and significant (rho > 0.50; p < 0.05) for both men and women before and after MAP Training. However, only in women did depressive symptoms relate to “reflective” ruminations, which involve analyses of past events, feelings, and behaviors. This is also the only relationship that dissipated after the intervention. In general, these analyses suggest that the strength of the relationship between depressive symptoms and rumination does not necessarily explain sex differences in depression; but because the relationship is strong, targeting rumination through intervention can reduce the incidence of MDD, which is more prevalent among women. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation on carbon and nitrogen distribution and grain yield and nutritional quality in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Zhang Xue , Wang Li , Ma Fang , Yang Jixian , Su Meng
Published: November 2016

BACKGROUND

The importance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) for nutrient uptake and growth in rice has been widely recognized. However, little is known about the distribution of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in rice under AMF inoculation, which can affect grain yield and quality. This study was conducted to investigate the distribution of C and N within rice plants under AMF inoculation and the effects on grain yield and quality.

RESULTS

AMF inoculation significantly increased N accumulation and distribution in vegetative tissues at tillering, and N translocation into seeds from heading to maturity. Consequently, AMF inoculation more strongly impacted the distribution of N than that of C in seeds, with significantly reduced C:N ratios and increased protein content (by 7.4%). Additionally, AMF inoculation significantly increased grain yield by 28.2% through increasing the grain:straw ratio by 18.4%. In addition, the roots of inoculated rice exhibited greater change in C distribution, with significantly higher C concentrations, C accumulations, and C:N ratios at tillering and maturity.

CONCLUSION

AMF inoculation affected the distribution of N in seeds and C in roots. As such, AMF inoculation may be a potential method for improving grain yield and quality. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Differences in clinical characteristics and prognosis of sudden low‐ and high‐frequency hearing loss
Authors: Choo Oak‐Sung , Yang Suk Min , Park Hun Yi , Lee Jong Bin , Jang Jeong Hun , Choi Seong Jun , Choung Yun‐Hoon
Published: November 2016

Objectives/Hypothesis

We compared the clinical characteristics between acute low‐ and high‐frequency hearing loss (LF and HF, respectively) patients, and the efficacy of three different treatment protocols (systemic steroids, intratympanic steroid injection, and combination therapy).

Study Design

Prospective, randomized controlled study.

Methods

A total of 111 patients diagnosed with LF or HF were treated on an outpatient basis. Each group was randomly divided into three equal subgroups based on therapy: oral steroid, intratympanic dexamethasone injection (IT), and combination therapy. Hearing gain was estimated by comparing pre‐ and post‐treatment pure‐tone averages. Recovery rate was assessed by Clinical Practice Guideline: Sudden Hearing Loss from the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery.

Results

In comparison of chief complaints, ear fullness and hearing loss were more common in the LF and HF group, respectively (P = .033 and P = .001, respectively). Hearing recovery rates were significantly different between the two groups (i.e., 74.1% [40/54] in the LF group and 45.6% [26/57] in the HF group; P < .001). Oral steroid therapy was most effective in the LF group (P = .017). In the HF group, all three modalities showed similar results, although IT tended to be the most effective (P = .390).

Conclusions

There were differences in chief complaints and treatment responses between LF and HF patients. Although they showed similar partial damage in the cochlea, the pathophysiology of LF and HF may be quite different.

Level of Evidence

1b. Laryngoscope, 127:1878–1884, 2017
An analytical approach on the tribological behaviour of pocketed slider bearings with boundary slip including cavitation
Authors: Muchammad M. , Tauviqirrahman Mohammad , Jamari J. , Schipper Dirk Jan
Published: November 2016

Slider bearing performance depends on the boundary conditions at the interface between the solid surfaces and the fluid. This paper presents the combined effect of pockets and boundary slip on the load support and friction of parallel sliding systems using analytical solutions for a simple pocketed bearing. The effect of cavitation was of particular interest with respect to the inlet suction mechanism. It was demonstrated that applying boundary slip in a pocketed slider bearing gives a reduction in load support compared with the textured bearing without wall slip. Adding slip over the whole surface could retard the presence of cavitation. The influence of boundary slip is explored, and was found to significantly affect the frictional behaviour. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of Sulfonation Level on Sulfonated Aromatic Poly(ether sulfone) Membranes as Polymer Electrolyte for High‐Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
Authors: Feng Shiyan , Sasaki Kazunari , Nishihara Masamichi
Published: November 2016

Sulfonated poly(ether sulfone)s (SPESs) are developed which have different sulfonation level as a polymer electrolyte membrane for high‐temperature operation. The sulfonation level of SPESs is calculated by 1H NMR, and the molecular structure and crystalline structure of SPESs are evaluated by Fourier transform infrared and X‐ray diffraction. SPES membranes are thermally stable up to 250 °C. SPES membranes can keep their shapes at 120 °C and 23%RH. Water uptake at 120 °C and 23%RH is 5.7–6.4 wt%, while Nafion 212 shows 2.4 wt%. Proton conductivity measurements of SPESs are carried out from 30 to 120 °C at different relative humidity. With increasing sulfonation level of SPES, proton conductivity increases in all humidity. The proton conductivity obtained from all SPESs is more than 100 mS cm–1 at 120 °C in high humidity (>90%RH), and high‐sulfonation SPES shows higher conductivities than Nafion 212 at 120 °C, 20%RH.

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