bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structured Under‐Specification of Life Cycle Impact Assessment Data for Building Assemblies
Authors: Tecchio Paolo , Gregory Jeremy , Ghattas Randa , Kirchain Randolph
Published: March 2018

The existence of uncertainties and variations in data represents a remaining challenge for life cycle assessment (LCA). Moreover, a full analysis may be complex, time‐consuming, and implemented mainly when a product design is already defined. Structured under‐specification, a method developed to streamline LCA, is here proposed to support the residential building design process, by quantifying environmental impact when specific information on the system under analysis cannot be available. By means of structured classifications of materials and building assemblies, it is possible to use surrogate data during the life cycle inventory phase and thus to obtain environmental impact and associated uncertainty. The bill of materials of a building assembly can be specified using minimal detail during the design process. The low‐fidelity characterization of a building assembly and the uncertainty associated with these low levels of fidelity are systematically quantified through structured under‐specification using a structured classification of materials. The analyst is able to use this classification to quantify uncertainty in results at each level of specificity. Concerning building assemblies, an average decrease of uncertainty of 25% is observed at each additional level of specificity within the data structure. This approach was used to compare different exterior wall options during the early design process. Almost 50% of the comparisons can be statistically differentiated at even the lowest level of specificity. This data structure is the foundation of a streamlined approach that can be applied not only when a complete bill of materials is available, but also when fewer details are known.
Attenuated behaviour in Cornelia de Lange and fragile X syndromes
Authors: Bell L. , Oliver C. , Wittkowski A. , Moss J. , Hare D.
Published: March 2018

Background

Catatonia‐like presentations in people with autism have been increasingly recognised within research and diagnostic guidelines. The recently developed Attenuated Behaviour Questionnaire has identified that attenuated behaviour [autistic catatonia] is very prevalent in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and associated with repetitive behaviour. In the current study, we investigated attenuated behaviour within two genetic syndromes associated with ASD and examined ASD and repetitive behaviour as longitudinal predictors of attenuated behaviour.

Method

The Attenuated Behaviour Questionnaire was completed by parents/carers of 33 individuals with Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) and 69 with fragile X syndrome (FXS). Information collected from the same informants 4 years previously was utilised to examine ASD and repetitive behaviour as predictors of later attenuated behaviour, controlling for age, gender and ability.

Results

Catatonia‐like attenuated behaviour was reported for individuals with CdLS (30.3%) and FXS (11.6%). Slowed movement was more prevalent in people with CdLS. No other phenotypic differences were observed. Across the two groups, repetitive behaviour predicted the presence of attenuated behaviour 4 years later, after controlling for age, gender and ability.

Conclusions

Attenuated behaviour can be identified in individuals with CdLS and FXS and may have an effect on both adaptive behaviour and quality of life. Repetitive behaviours predicted subsequent risk within both groups and should be assessed by services as part of a pro‐active strategy of support.
Neuroanatomical connections between kisspeptin neurones and somatostatin neurones in the female and male rat hypothalamus: A possible involvement of SSTR1 in kisspeptin release
Authors: Dufourny L. , Delmas O. , Teixeira‐Gomes A.‐P. , Decourt C. , Sliwowska J. H.
Published: March 2018

Somatostatin (SST), a neuropeptide involved in the central modulation of several physiological functions, is co‐distributed in the same hypothalamic areas as kisspeptin (KP), the most potent secretagogue of the gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion known to date. Because SST infused i.c.v. evoked a potent inhibition of GnRH release, we explored the neuroanatomical relationships between KP and SST populations in male and female rats. Accordingly, intact males and ovariectomised oestradiol‐replaced females were killed and their brains processed aiming to simultaneously detect KP, SST and synapsin, a marker for synapses. We observed numerous appositions of KP on SST neurones both in the female and male arcuate nucleus (ARC) and ventromedial hypothalamus. A large association between SST terminals and KP neurones at the level of the pre‐optic area was also observed in female rats and in a more limited frame in males. Finally, most KP neurones from the ARC showed SST appositions in both sexes. To determine whether SST could affect KP cell activity, we assessed whether SST receptors (SSTR) were present on KP neurones in the ARC. We also looked for the presence of SSTR1 and SSTR2A in the brain of male rats. Brains were processed using a sequential double immunocytochemistry aiming to detect KP and SSTR1 or KP and SSTR2A. We observed overlapping distributions of immunoreactive neurones for SSTR1 and KP and counted approximately one‐third of KP neurones with SSTR1. By contrast, neurones labelled for SSTR2A or KP were often juxtaposed in the ARC and the occurrence of double‐labelled neurones was sporadic (< 5%). These results suggest that the action of SST on KP neurones would pass mainly through SSTR1 at the level of the ARC.
The man who lost his body: Suboptimal multisensory integration yields body awareness problems after a right temporoparietal brain tumour
Authors: Smit Miranda , Van Stralen Haike E. , Van den Munckhof Bart , Snijders Tom J. , Dijkerman Hendrik Christiaan
Published: March 2018

Reports on patients who lack ownership over their entire body are extremely rare. Here, we present patient SA who suffered from complete body disownership after a tumour resection in the right temporoparietal cortex. Neuropsychological assessment disclosed selective bilateral ownership problems, despite intact primary visual and somatosensory senses. SA's disownership seems to stem from a suboptimal multimodal integration, as shown by the rubber hand illusion and the beneficial effect during and after simple exercises aiming at multisensory recalibration.
Radiation safety education and compliance with safety procedures—The Korea Nurses’ Health Study
Authors: Kim Oksoo , Kim Mi Sun , Jang Hee Jung , Lee Hyangkyu , Kang Younhee , Pang Yanghee , Jung Heeja
Published: March 2018

Aims and objectives

To examine the current state of radiation safety education and its influence on nurses’ compliance with safety procedures.

Background

Use of radiation in therapy and diagnosis has prolonged and improved millions of lives, but it presents potential hazards for healthcare professionals.

Design

A cross‐sectional design.

Methods

Participants included 1,672 female nurses of childbearing age who had recently been exposed to radiation‐emitting generators or radiation. Quantitative data were taken from the Korea Nurses’ Health Study, the Korean version of the Nurses’ Health Study conducted in the USA. Confounding variables included sociodemographic factors, duration of employment in a department where work involved radiation, hospital's geographical location, bed size and hospital safety climate. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation coefficients and multivariable ordinal logistic regression.

Results

Half (50.3%) of nurses received no safety training, whereas the other half received some safety training as follows: only once (14.4%), irregularly (10.2%) and regularly (25.1%). Of the six radioactive safety compliance questionnaires, 29.4%, 20.2%, 30.7% and 19.7% complied to none, one, two and more than three, respectively. After controlling for confounding variables, relative to that observed with no safety education, irregular education that occurred more than twice (OR = 1.597, CI = 1.177–2.164) and regular education (OR = 2.223, CI = 1.770–2.792) increased the likelihood that nurses would comply with safety procedures.

Conclusions

Low levels of safety education and adherence raise critical concerns regarding nurses’ well‐being. As routine safety education increases safety adherence, healthcare managers and policymakers should emphasise regular safety education.

Relevance to clinical practice

Radiation safety education for nurses and their compliance with safety procedures have seldom been discussed in South Korea. However, as nurses’ safety is directly related to the quality of patient care, additional safety education should be provided for hospital nurses to minimise their occupational exposure to harmful radioactive substances in clinical settings.
Are leptin and adiponectin involved in recurrent pregnancy loss?
Authors: Serazin Valérie , Duval Fabien , Wainer Robert , Ravel Célia , Vialard François , Molina‐Gomes Denise , Dieudonne Marie‐Noëlle , Dos Santos Esther
Published: March 2018

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate whether recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is associated with adipokine gene polymorphisms (namely the leptin −2548 (G/A), adiponectin 276 (G/T), and adiponectin 45 (T/G) polymorphisms) and/or adipokine serum levels.

Methods

A total of 145 women participated in the study. For the analysis of serum adipokine levels, 19 healthy fertile women (control group) and 60 women suffering from RPL were included. For the polymorphism analysis, 126 women suffering from RPL were included. Serum adipokine levels were determined using a commercial radioimmunoassay kit. Adipokine polymorphisms were analyzed using an allele‐specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Results

Our immunoassays revealed that serum leptin levels were similar in control and RPL groups (17.34 and 20.16 ng/mL, respectively). In contrast, serum adiponectin levels were significantly higher in women with RPL than in controls (9.83 and 6.89 μg/mL, respectively; P < 0.05). Unfortunately, our allele‐specific PCR experiments did not reveal any significant differences in allele frequency between women with RPL and NCBI allele frequencies.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that adiponectinemia is increased in patients suffering from RPL. However, association of adiponectin with adverse pregnancy outcomes remains to be elucidated.
BMI change during puberty and the risk of heart failure
Authors: Kindblom J. M. , Bygdell M. , Sondén A. , Célind J. , Rosengren A. , Ohlsson C.
Published: March 2018

Aim

Hospitalization for heart failure amongst younger men has increased. The reason for this is unknown but it coincides with the obesity epidemic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between childhood BMI (Body Mass Index) and BMI change during puberty for risk of adult heart failure in men.

Methods

Using the BMI Epidemiology Study (BEST), a population‐based study in Gothenburg, Sweden, we collected information on childhood BMI at age 8 years and BMI change during puberty (BMI at age 20 – BMI at 8) for men born 1945–1961, followed until December 2013 (n = 37 670). BMI was collected from paediatric growth charts and mandatory military conscription tests. Information on heart failure was retrieved from high‐quality national registers (342 first hospitalizations for heart failure).

Results

BMI change during puberty was independently of childhood BMI associated with risk of heart failure in a nonlinear J‐shaped manner. Subjects in the upper quartile of BMI change during puberty (Q4) had more than twofold increased risk of heart failure compared with subjects in Q1 [HR (Hazard Ratio) = 2.29, 95% CI (Confidence Interval) 1.68–3.12]. Childhood BMI was not independently associated with risk of heart failure. Boys developing overweight during puberty (HR 3.14; 95% CI 2.25–4.38) but not boys with childhood overweight that normalized during puberty (HR 1.12, 95% CI 0.63–2.00) had increased risk of heart failure compared with boys without childhood or young adult overweight.

Conclusion

BMI change during puberty is a novel risk factor for adult heart failure in men.
Defective glucose and lipid metabolism in rheumatoid arthritis is determined by chronic inflammation in metabolic tissues
Authors: Arias de la Rosa I. , Escudero‐Contreras A. , Rodríguez‐Cuenca S. , Ruiz‐Ponce M. , Jiménez‐Gómez Y. , Ruiz‐Limón P. , Pérez‐Sánchez C. , Ábalos‐Aguilera M. C. , Cecchi I. , Ortega R. , Calvo J. , Guzmán‐Ruiz R. , Malagón M. M. , Collantes‐Estevez E. , Vidal‐Puig A. , López‐Pedrera Ch. , Barbarroja N.
Published: March 2018

Background

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are at increased risk of insulin resistance (IR); however, the specific mechanisms mediating this association are currently unknown.

Objective

To investigate whether the inflammatory activity associated with RA accounts for the observed defective glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism in these patients.

Methods

We followed two main strategies: (i) extensive metabolic profiling of a RA cohort of 100 patients and 50 healthy control subjects and (ii) mechanistic studies carried out in both a collagen‐induced arthritis mouse model and 3T3‐L1 adipocytes treated with conditioned serum from RA patients.

Results

Following the exclusion of obese and diabetic subjects, data from RA patients demonstrated a strong link between the degree of systemic inflammation and the development of IR. These results were strengthened by the observation that induction of arthritis in mice resulted in a global inflammatory state characterized by defective carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in different tissues. Adipose tissue was most susceptible to the RA‐induced metabolic alterations. These metabolic effects were confirmed in adipocytes treated with serum from RA patients.

Conclusions

Our results show that the metabolic disturbances associated with RA depend on the degree of inflammation and identify inflammation of adipose tissue as the initial target leading to IR and the associated molecular disorders of carbohydrate and lipid homeostasis. Thus, we anticipate that therapeutic strategies based on tighter control of inflammation and flares could provide promising approaches to normalize and/or prevent metabolic alterations associated with RA.
Strategic budgets in sequential elimination contests
Authors: Ghosh Gagan , Stong Steven
Published: March 2018

We study a sequential elimination contest where contestants (e.g., campaigns) spend resources that are provided by strategic players called backers (e.g., donors). In the unique symmetric equilibrium, backers initially provide small budgets, increasing their contributions only if their contestant wins the preliminary round. If backers are only allowed to provide budgets at the start of the game, as opposed to before each round, spending is higher. When unspent resources are refunded to the backer, total spending is higher than when all resources are sunk costs. We also study an extension of the model with asymmetric players.
Survival Rate and Immunological Responses of Mirror Carp Selective Breeding Generations to CyHV‐3
Authors: Jia Zhiying , Wang Shihui , Bai Shanshan , Ge Yanlong , Li Chitao , Hu Xuesong , Shang Mei , Zhang Jinfeng , Li Bao , Shi Lianyu
Published: March 2018

To explore the effect of three selective generations of mirror carp, Cyprinus carpio L., resistant to Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV‐3), the mirror carp were infected with the virus, and differences of survival rate and immunity among generations were evaluated. These results demonstrated that there were significant survival rate differences between G1 and the other two generations, which implied that G2 has similar genetic resistance ability with G3. Acid phosphatase (ACP) in the spleen, glutathione (GSH) and total antioxidation capacity (T‐AOC) in the kidney, lysozyme (LZM) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) in the serum, and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) in the spleen and kidney also showed significant differences between G1 and G3 or G1 and G2/G3, while complement 3 (C3), C4, and superoxide dismutase showed no significant difference between G1 and G3. These results indicated that ACP, AKP, GSH, T‐AOC, LZM, and IgM were activated in response to infection of CyHV‐3 and helped to protect fish from virus damage. The increasing trends were concordant with the survival rate among the three generations except for the decline in the ACP activity. Therefore, these could be indicators for resistance of common carp to CyHV‐3, especially for AKP. The agreement of the significance between survival rate and immunity illustrates that G3 possesses strong resistance ability to CyHV‐3 virus and has little or no potency for further selective breeding.
Genetic Analysis for Absolute and Relative Growth of Body Weight and Main Morphological Traits in Chinese Mitten Crab, Eriocheir sinensis
Authors: Liu Xu , Zhao Jingli , Zheng Yan , Sun Na , Li Xiaodong , Yang Runqing
Published: March 2018

To estimate genetic parameters for main growth traits measured in different scales in Chinese mitten crab, a total of 1600 and 4857 individuals from 20 families were observed for body weight, body length, body width, and body depth at two measuring periods. With multivariate animal models for absolute growth, the heritabilities for these growth traits were estimated to be low and moderate at the sampling and harvesting periods, respectively, while pairwise ratios between body length, width, and depth indicated low inheritance. This suggested that the shape of the crabs can be genetically improved with family selection. Genetic correlations, which all exceeded 0.68, were consistently higher in the harvesting period than in the sampling period. A random regression model was constructed to genetically analyze multiple allometries that were used to define the relative growths of these growth traits. As a result, the heritabilities for the allometry scalings were estimated as 0.893, 0.909, and 0.488 of body length, depth, and width to body weight, respectively. Genetic correlations of the allometry scalings, which ranged from −0.975 to 0.097, considerably differed among three morphological traits. According to the genetic parameters of the allometry scalings of morphological traits to body weight, synchronous growth of body shape with body weight might be genetically regulated through selective breeding for their relative growths.
Mother‐to‐child transmission of hepatitis B: Examining viral cut‐offs, maternalHBsAg serology and infant testing
Authors: Thilakanathan Cynthuja , Wark Gabrielle , Maley Michael , Davison Scott , Lawler Joseph , Lee Aimei , Shackel Nicholas , Nguyen Vi , Jackson Kathy , Glass Anne , Locarnini Stephen A. , Levy Miriam T.
Published: March 2018

Background & Aims

Antipartum antiviral therapy in the setting of high viral load is recommended to prevent mother‐to‐child transmission of hepatitis B although recommended viral load cut‐offs vary. QuantitativeHBsAg has been proposed as an alternative screening strategy to identify high viral load in this setting. Guidelines suggest testing all infants for vaccine response and infection. We set out to re‐examine viral load cut‐offs; the predictive value of quantitativeHBsAg and the need for follow‐up infant testing in our cohort.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of 469HBsAg positive mother‐baby pairs from 2 tertiary hospitals in Sydney was performed. Antiviral therapy (lamivudine or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) was offered to women with viral load ≥6 log10 IU/mL(high) from 32 weeks gestation. Transmission and vaccine response was analysed according to viral load. The utility of quantitativeHBsAg in identifying high viral load was examined.

Results

Mother‐to‐child transmission only occurred in setting of high viral load, in 0.85% (1/117) of those who received antiviral therapy and in 8.66% (2/23) of those who chose not to. QuantitativeHBsAg did not accurately identify high‐risk mothers HBV DNA ≥6 log10 IU/mL. Successful infant vaccine response was 98.7% overall, and 99.4% when viral load was <6 log10 IU/mL.

Conclusion

Antiviral therapy initiated at 32 weeks when maternal viral load is ≥6 log10 IU/mLalmost completely abrogates transmission. QuantitativeHBsAg does not reliably predict high viral load. When maternal viral load is <6 log10 IU/mL, high vaccine efficacy and zero transmission suggests testing infants is of little value.
A microbial perspective on the life‐history evolution of marine invertebrate larvae: If, where and when to feed
Authors: Carrier Tyler J. , Macrander Jason , Reitzel Adam M.
Published: March 2018

The feeding environment for planktotrophic larvae has a major impact on development and progression towards competency for metamorphosis. High phytoplankton environments that promote growth and development also correlate with a greater abundance of environmental microbes and incidence of pathogenic microbes, making these habitats potentially risky for larvae. Trade‐offs between metabolic processes for growth and immune functionality have been described throughout the animal kingdom and may influence the life‐history evolution of marine invertebrate planktotrophic larvae. Specifically, larvae would be predicted to regulate time spent between these feeding environments to avoid potential incidences of microbial‐mediated mortality and/or dysbiosis. Using transcriptomic and microbiome data, we provide evidence for this trade‐off in larvae of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis. When cultured in a well‐fed environment, larvae upregulate genes associated with metabolism while decreasing the expression of genes associated with immune function. At the same time, the associated bacterial community shifts towards a state of dysbiosis that is followed by mortality. To test whether the environmental microbiota is a selective force on if, where and when planktotrophic larvae should feed, we conclude by presenting a strategy for determining the specific interactions of larvae and microbes at a scale representative of their pelagic environment.
Deconvoluting measurement uncertainty from the meteor speed distribution
Authors: Moorhead Althea V.
Published: March 2018

Debiasing the velocity distribution of meteors observed by the Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar (CMOR) yields a distribution with large numbers of slow meteors. The distribution also contains significant numbers of hyperbolic meteors, in conflict with the expectation that interstellar meteors should be rare. In Moorhead et al. (2017a), we noted that measurement uncertainties were possibly smoothing the speed distribution and redistributing meteors to the extreme ends of the speed distribution. In this report, we use techniques analogous to image sharpening to remove the blurring caused by measurement uncertainties. The deconvolved speed distribution appears to have no meteors slower than 14 km s−1 and none faster than 74 km s−1. The result is to substantially raise the characteristic velocity of incoming meteoroids from 12.9 to 20.0 km s−1.
In systemic sclerosis, microvascular and hands digital arteries damage correlates with serum levels of endostatin
Authors: Gigante Antonietta , Navarini Luca , Margiotta Domenico , Barbano Biagio , Afeltra Antonella , Rosato Edoardo
Published: March 2018

Objective

In SSc, vascular injury leads to endothelial dysfunction with reduced capillary blood flow and tissue hypoxia. In SSc, the angiogenesis is impaired and implicated in the microvascular damage. In severe vascular damage, VEGF is reduced and endostatin is increased. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between endostatin serum levels and microvascular and digital arteries damage.

Methods

Seventeen patients with SSc were enrolled in this study. Serum endostatin levels were determined. All patients underwent a NVC, CDUS, and LDPI.

Results

The serum level of endostatin significantly (P < .05) increased with NVC progression damage. The mean perfusion significantly (P < .05) decreased with NVC progression damage. Multiple regression analysis showed a significant correlation between endostatin serum level and RI (r = .34, P < .05), PI (r = .60, P < .01), S/D ratio (r = .76, P < .0001), and mean perfusion (r = −.68, P < .001). Endostatin serum levels significantly (P < .05) increased with progression of CDUS damage.

Conclusions

Increased serum endostatin levels are associated with digital vascular damage. In patients with SSc, endostatin is a marker of skin perfusion and digital arteries damage of hands.
Identifying evolutionarily significant units for conservation of the endangered Malus sieversii using genome‐wide RADseq data
Authors: Zhang Hong‐Xiang , Li Hai‐Yan , Li Yu‐Xiu
Published: March 2018

Malus sieversii, a wild progenitor of the domesticated apple, is an endangered species and is assigned second conservation priority by the China Plant Red Data Book. It is urgent to carry out in situ conservation of this species, but previous studies have not identified evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) for conservation management. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity and relationships of six M. sieversii populations from China using integrated analysis of microsatellite (nSSR) data, genome‐wide SNPs and previous results in order to propose a reasonable conservation management. The results showed that levels of genetic diversity were inconsistently reflected by our nSSR and previous studies, suggesting that indices of genetic diversity are not effective to identify priority conservation areas for M. sieversii. Based on the selection criteria of ESUs for endangered species conservation, ESUs should reflect lineage divergence, geographical separation and different adaptive variation. Our phylogenetic tree based on genome‐wide SNPs yielded a clear relationship of divergent lineages among M. sieversii populations, leading to new different from those of previous studies. Three independent lineages, including the pairs of populations Huocheng‐Yining, Gongliu‐Xinyuan and Tuoli‐Emin, were identified. The geographic distances between populations among the different phylogenetic lineages were much greater than those within the same phylogenetic lineage. A cluster analysis on environmental variables showed that the three independent lineages inhabit different environmental conditions, suggesting that they may have adapted to different environments. Based on the results, we propose that three independent ESUs should be recognized as conservation units for M. sieversii in China.
Anatomy and mechanical properties of the anal sphincter muscles in healthy senior volunteers
Authors: Brusa T. , Abler D. , Tutuian R. , Gingert C. , Heverhagen J. T. , Adamina M. , Brügger L. E. , Büchler P.
Published: March 2018

Background

A large proportion of age‐related fecal incontinence is attributed to weakness or degeneration of the muscles composing the anal continence organ. However, the individual role of these muscles and their functional interplay remain poorly understood.

Methods

This study employs a novel technique based on the combination of MR imaging and FLIP measurements (MR‐FLIP) to obtain anatomical and mechanical information simultaneously. Unlike previous methods used to assess the mechanics of the continence organ, MR‐FLIP allows inter‐individual comparisons and statistical analysis of the sphincter morpho‐mechanical parameters. The anatomy as well as voluntary and involuntary mechanical properties of the anal continence organ were characterized in 20 healthy senior volunteers.

Results

Results showed that the external anal sphincter (EAS) forms a funnel‐like shape with wall thickness increasing by a factor of 2.5 from distal (6 ± 0 mm) to proximal (15 ± 3 mm). Both voluntary and involuntary mechanical properties in this region correlate strongly with the thickness of the muscle. The positions of least compliance and maximal orifice closing were both located toward the proximal EAS end. In addition, maximal contraction during squeeze maneuvers was reached after 2 s, but high muscle fatigue was measured during a 7 s holding phase, corresponding to about 60% loss of the energy produced by the muscles during the contraction phase.

Conclusions

This work reports baseline parameters describing the morpho‐mechanical condition of the sphincter muscle of healthy elderly volunteers. New parameters were also proposed to quantify the active properties of the muscles based on the mechanical energy associated with muscle contraction and fatigue. This information could be used to assess patients suffering from AI or for the design of novel implants.
Sung melody enhances verbal learning and recall after stroke
Authors: Leo Vera , Sihvonen Aleksi J. , Linnavalli Tanja , Tervaniemi Mari , Laine Matti , Soinila Seppo , Särkämö Teppo
Published: March 2018

Coupling novel verbal material with a musical melody can potentially aid in its learning and recall in healthy subjects, but this has never been systematically studied in stroke patients with cognitive deficits. In a counterbalanced design, we presented novel verbal material (short narrative stories) in both spoken and sung formats to stroke patients at the acute poststroke stage and 6 months poststroke. The task comprised three learning trials and a delayed recall trial. Memory performance on the spoken and sung tasks did not differ at the acute stage, whereas sung stories were learned and recalled significantly better compared with spoken stories at the 6 months poststroke stage. Interestingly, this pattern of results was evident especially in patients with mild aphasia, in whom the learning of sung versus spoken stories improved more from the acute to the 6‐month stages compared with nonaphasic patients. Overall, these findings suggest that singing could be used as a mnemonic aid in the learning of novel verbal material in later stages of recovery after stroke.
Adaptive maternal behavioral plasticity and developmental programming mitigate the transgenerational effects of temperature in dung beetles
Authors: Macagno Anna L. M. , Zattara Eduardo E. , Ezeakudo Onye , Moczek Armin P. , Ledón-Rettig Cristina C.
Published: March 2018

Phenotypic plasticity allows organisms to cope with rapid environmental change. Yet exactly when during ontogeny plastic responses are elicited, whether plastic responses produced in one generation influence phenotypic variation and fitness in subsequent generations, and the role of plasticity in shaping population divergences, remains overall poorly understood. Here, we use the dung beetleOnthophagus taurusto assess plastic responses to temperature at several life stages bridging three generations and compare these responses across three recently diverged populations. We find that beetles reared at hotter temperatures grow less than those reared at mild temperatures, and that this attenuated growth has transgenerational consequences by reducing offspring size and survival in subsequent generations. However, we also find evidence that plasticity may mitigate these consequences in two ways: 1) mothers modify the temperature of their offspring's developmental environment via behavioral plasticity and 2) in one population, offspring exhibit accelerated growth when exposed to hot temperatures during very early development (‘developmental programming’). Lastly, our study reveals that offspring responses to temperature diverged among populations in fewer than 100 generations, possibly in response to range‐specific changes in climatic or social conditions.
Re‐evaluation of the ontogeny and reproductive biology of the Triassic fish Saurichthys (Actinopterygii, Saurichthyidae)
Authors: Maxwell Erin E. , Argyriou Thodoris , Stockar Rudolf , Furrer Heinz
Published: March 2018

Viviparity has evolved independently at least 12 times in ray‐finned fishes. However, the fossil record of actinopterygian viviparity is poor, with only two documented occurrences. Both of these are from the non‐teleost actinopterygian Saurichthys, and include S. curionii and S. macrocephalus from the Middle Triassic Meride Limestone (Monte San Giorgio, Switzerland). Here, we present new data on the reproductive biology of these species, giving unprecedented insights into their life‐history. Based on positional and preservational criteria, six specimens were identified as unambiguously gravid. Embryos were positioned dorsal to the gastrointestinal tract, parallel to the axial skeleton and to each other, in the posterior two‐thirds of the abdominal region. A minimum of 16 embryos are preserved in the most fecund females and, based on the largest preserved embryos and smallest preserved neonates, birth must have occurred at 7–12% of maternal fork length. Embryonic crania and teeth are relatively well‐ossified, however ossification of the parietal region is delayed. In the postcranium, the median scale rows and lepidotrichia are ossified, but not the lateral scale rows. Ossified squamation and gradual allometric growth suggests that neonates did not undergo metamorphosis and were relatively precocial. When considered in a phylogenetic context, neither live birth nor internal fertilization appears to represent the primitive state for saurichthyid fishes.
Identification of quantitative trait loci underlying soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) seed weight including main, epistatic and QTL × environment effects in different regions of Northeast China
Authors: Wu Depeng , Zhan Yuhang , Sun Qiuxia , Xu Lingxiu , Lian Ming , Zhao Xue , Han Yingpeng , Li Wenbin
Published: March 2018

Seed weight (SW) is the important soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.), yield component and also affected the quality of soybean‐derived foods. The aim of this study was to identify the quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying SW through 112 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the cross between “Zhongdou27” (G. max, designated by its bigger seed size, 21.9 g/100 seeds) and “Jiunong 20” (G. max, smaller seed size, 17.5 g/100 seeds). Phenotypic data were collected from this RIL population after it was grown in the sixteen tested environments. A total of eight QTL (QSW1‐1, QSW2‐1, QSW2‐2, QSW5‐1, QSW15‐1, QSW17‐1, QSW19‐1 and QSW20‐1) were identified, and they could explain 4.23%–14.65% of the phenotypic variation. Among these eight QTL, three QTL (QSW1‐1 located on the interval of Sat_159‐Satt603 of chromosome (Chr) 1 (LGD1a), QSW19‐1 located on the interval of Sat_340‐Satt523 of Chr 19 (LGL) and QSW20‐1 located on Sat_418‐Sat_105 of Chr 20 (LGI)) were newly identified and could explain 4.235%–10.08%, 8.45%–13.49% and 8.08%–10.18% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. Six of the eight identified QTL including QSW2‐2, QSW5‐1, QSW15‐1, QSW17‐1, QSW19‐1 and QSW20‐1 exhibited a significant additive (a) effect, while two QTL (QSW2‐1 and QSW19‐1) only displayed significant additive‐by‐environment (ae) effects. A total of four epistatic pairwise QTL for SW were identified in the different environments. These eight QTL and their genetic information obtained here were valuable for molecular marker‐assisted selection and the realization of a reasonable SW breeding programme in soybean.
UPLC‐HRMS‐based untargeted metabolic profiling reveals changes in chickpea (Cicer arietinum) metabolome following long‐term drought stress
Authors: Khan Naeem , Bano Asghari , Rahman Mohammad Atikur , Rathinasabapathi Bala , Babar Md Ali
Published: March 2018

Genetic improvement for drought tolerance in chickpea requires a solid understanding of biochemical processes involved with different physiological mechanisms. The objective of this study is to demonstrate genetic variations in altered metabolic levels in chickpea varieties (tolerant and sensitive) grown under contrasting water regimes through ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography/high‐resolution mass spectrometry‐based untargeted metabolomic profiling. Chickpea plants were exposed to drought stress at the 3‐leaf stage for 25 days, and the leaves were harvested at 14 and 25 days after the imposition of drought stress. Stress produced significant reduction in chlorophyll content, Fv/Fm, relative water content, and shoot and root dry weight. Twenty known metabolites were identified as most important by 2 different methods including significant analysis of metabolites and partial least squares discriminant analysis. The most pronounced increase in accumulation due to drought stress was demonstrated for allantoin, l‐proline, l‐arginine, l‐histidine, l‐isoleucine, and tryptophan. Metabolites that showed a decreased level of accumulation under drought conditions were choline, phenylalanine, gamma‐aminobutyric acid, alanine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, glucosamine, guanine, and aspartic acid. Aminoacyl‐tRNA and plant secondary metabolite biosynthesis and amino acid metabolism or synthesis pathways were involved in producing genetic variation under drought conditions. Metabolic changes in light of drought conditions highlighted pools of metabolites that affect the metabolic and physiological adjustment in chickpea that reduced drought impacts.
Early diagnosis of Lewy body disease in patients with late‐onset psychiatric disorders using clinical history of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder and [123I]‐metaiodobenzylguanidine cardiac scintigraphy
Authors: Fujishiro Hiroshige , Okuda Masato , Iwamoto Kunihiro , Miyata Seiko , Torii Youta , Iritani Shuji , Ozaki Norio
Published: March 2018

Aim

Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and psychiatric symptoms often antedate the clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease or dementia with Lewy bodies. The purpose of this study was to investigate RBD and its relevance to Lewy body disease (LBD) in patients with late‐onset psychiatric disorders.

Methods

Study subjects included 19 patients with late‐onset psychiatric disorders who exhibited REM sleep without atonia (RWA), which is a hallmark of RBD on polysomnography, at our psychiatric ward. Clinical profiles and radiological findings by cardiac [123I]‐metaiodobenzylguanidine ([123I]‐MIBG) scintigraphy and imaging for the dopamine transporter (DAT) were compared between patients with and without RBD symptoms. The correlations between the percentage of RWA in the total rapid eye movement sleep (%RWA) and radiological findings were also investigated.

Results

Nine patients reported RBD symptoms only on specific questioning, but clinical profiles, including the prevalence of antipsychotropic usage, did not differ when compared to the remaining 10 patients without RBD (incidental RWA group). The median %RWA was significantly higher in the definite RBD group than in the incidental RWA group. Although the cardiac [123I]‐MIBG uptake was significantly lower in the definite RBD group than in the incidental RWA group, there was overlap in the specific binding ratio on DAT scan.

Conclusion

The severity of %RWA was highly correlated with the value of cardiac [123I]‐MIBG uptake, but not with specific binding ratio on DAT scan. Clinical history of RBD and cardiac [123I]‐MIBG scintigraphy are helpful for an early differential diagnosis of LBD from late‐onset psychiatric disorders, even before parkinsonism or dementia appears.
Gender and leadership emergence: A meta‐analysis and explanatory model
Authors: Badura Katie L. , Grijalva Emily , Newman Daniel A. , Yan Thomas Taiyi , Jeon Gahyun
Published: March 2018

Research has shown that men tend to emerge as leaders more frequently than women. However, societal role expectations for both women and leaders have changed in the decades since the last empirical review of the gender gap in leader emergence (Eagly & Karau, 1991). We leverage meta‐analytic evidence to demonstrate that the gender gap has decreased over time, but a contemporary gap remains. To understand why this gap in leader emergence occurs, we draw on social role theory to develop a Gender‐Agency/Communion‐Participation (GAP) Model—an integrative theoretical model that includes both trait and behavioral mechanisms. Specifically, we examine a sequence of effects: from gender to agentic and communal personality traits, from these traits to behavioral participation in group activities, and ultimately from participation to leader emergence. The model is tested using original meta‐analyses of the personality and behavioral mechanisms (coding 1,632 effect sizes total). Gender differences in leadership emergence are predominately explained by agentic traits (positive) and communal traits (negative), both directly and through the mechanism of participation in group discussions. In addition, several paths in the theoretical model are moderated by situational contingencies. Our study enhances knowledge of the mechanisms and boundary conditions underlying the gender gap in leader emergence.
Natural killer cell activity irreversibly decreases after Cryptosporidium gastroenteritis in neonatal mice
Authors: Filatova N. A. , Knyazev N. A. , Skarlato S. O. , Anatskaya O. V. , Vinogradov A. E.
Published: March 2018

Cryptosporidiosis causes persistent diarrhoea in infants, immunocompromised patients and elderly persons. Long‐term consequences of the disease include increased risk of malignancy, cardiomyopathy and gastrointestinal inflammation. This study aimed to investigate prolonged effects of cryptosporidiosis on innate immunity and growth in neonatal C3HA mice. The disease was challenged by Cryptosporidium parvum oocyst inoculation into 7‐day‐old animals. The mice whose intestine smears contained 3‐5 or 6 and more oocysts per microscopic field at the day 5 after infection were considered as mildly or severely infected, correspondingly. To determine natural killer cell (NK) activity, we applied 3H‐uridine cytotoxic assay to the animals at 5‐68 days after infection using K562 cells as targets. At severe infection, there was a statistically significant 1.5‐2.0 fold decline of body mass, spleen mass and spleen cellularity that persisted in animals of all ages. Accordingly, NK cytotoxicity showed even more drastic drop reaching 2.7‐3.0 folds that was statistically significant in all animals. At mild infection, the discovered effects were less pronounced and reached significance only in some age groups. Thus, our study provides evidence that NK cells show long‐term cytotoxic activity decrease following Cryptosporidium infection in neonatal mice, particularly in severe disease.
Scheduling Public Requests for Proposals: Models and Insights
Authors: Kettunen Janne , Kwak Young Hoon
Published: March 2018

We show that the schedule for contracting public procurements can impact the number of proposals and thereby the cost of procured services or products. This holds when the market for procurement contracts is not perfectly competitive, which is typically the case for large and costly public procurements. We formalize this previously unexplored operational level problem of scheduling procurement contracting and develop an optimization framework to solve it. For large problems we propose a hierarchical optimization heuristic. Furthermore, we develop heuristics that do not require solving optimization problems, such as (i) equal number with mixed cost scheduling heuristic and (ii) equal cost scheduling heuristic. We show that depending on the characteristics of the procurement contract scheduling problem either of these approaches provides nearly the same expected total procurement cost as the optimal schedule. We apply our optimization framework to the Florida Department of Transportation's procurement contracts scheduling problems. We show that the optimized schedules are expected to yield significant cost savings over the actual schedules employed in practice. Our results have implications for public policy suggesting that the fiscal stimulus funds are cost‐effective to allocate for many small projects instead of few large projects.
On the Properties of Yield Distributions in Random Yield Problems: Conditions, Class of Distributions and Relevant Applications
Authors: Kouvelis Panos , Xiao Guang , Yang Nan
Published: March 2018

In this study, we propose two technical assumptions to ensure the unimodality of the objective functions in two classes of price and quantity decision problems with one procurement opportunity under supply random yield and deterministic demand in a price‐setting environment. The first class of problems involves a decentralized supply chain/assembly system under different configurations, and the second class focuses on a single firm's price and quantity decisions under different contracts, payment schemes and supplier portfolios. We provide appealing economic interpretations and easy‐to‐verify sufficient conditions for our proposed technical assumptions. We show that both assumptions are preserved under truncation and positive scale, and satisfied by most commonly used continuous yield distributions. Moreover, similar to the role that the increasing generalized failure rate (IGFR) property plays in analyzing operations problems with demand uncertainty, our Assumption 1 plays a fundamental role in regulating the behaviors of the objective functions for both classes of random yield problems. Assumption 2 is more general than both Assumption 1 and the IGFR property and is used to analyze the second class of problems. Finally, we discuss the difference between random yield and random demand problems, and explain the rationale for the need of different technical assumptions.
Blood calcium, glucose and haematology profiles of parturient bitches diagnosed with uterine inertia or obstructive dystocia
Authors: Frehner BL , Reichler IM , Keller S , Goericke‐Pesch S , Balogh O
Published: March 2018

Contents

Bitches with dystocia most often present with clinical signs of uterine inertia (UI). The aetiology of myometrial dysfunction in most of these cases is still not elucidated. We compared blood ionized calcium (iCa) and glucose concentrations in bitches diagnosed with primary UI (PUI, n = 14), secondary UI (SUI, n = 6) or obstructive dystocia (OD, n = 6), and we described their haematology profiles. Bitches diagnosed with UI had a patent birth canal and delivered no puppies yet (PUI) or only part of the whole litter (SUI). The OD group had no UI and showed strong abdominal contractions. Blood iCa did not differ between the PUI, SUI and OD groups and was not influenced by litter size. There was a significant positive relationship (R2 = .241, p = .013) between iCa concentrations and the dam's body weight. Glucose concentrations were also not significantly different between dystocia groups or influenced by body weight and litter size. Hypocalcaemia was detected in 11 bitches, and hypoglycaemia in two bitches. Pregnancy‐associated anaemia was seen in about one‐third of the bitches. Eight of 12 dogs had increased platelet counts, and ten had leukocytosis with mature neutrophilia.

Although iCa did not differ between dystocia groups, low concentrations may have contributed to the development of UI in some of the small size bitches. Hypoglycaemia was uncommon, and therefore, we consider low glucose concentrations not to have played an important role in the pathogenesis of UI in our study population. Pregnancy‐associated anaemia, thrombocytosis, leukocytosis and mature neutrophilia were common findings in otherwise healthy bitches diagnosed with different forms of dystocia.
Spatially Varying Auto-Regressive Models for Prediction of New Human Immunodeficiency Virus Diagnoses
Authors: Shand Lyndsay , Li Bo , Park Trevor , Albarracín Dolores
Published: March 2018

In demand of predicting new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnosis rates based on publicly available HIV data that are abundant in space but have few points in time, we propose a class of spatially varying auto-regressive models compounded with conditional auto-regressive spatial correlation structures. We then propose to use the copula approach and a flexible conditional auto-regressive formulation to model the dependence between adjacent counties. These models allow for spatial and temporal correlation as well as space–time interactions and are naturally suitable for predicting HIV cases and other spatiotemporal disease data that feature a similar data structure. We apply the proposed models to HIV data over Florida, California and New England states and compare them with a range of linear mixed models that have been recently popular for modelling spatiotemporal disease data. The results show that for such data our proposed models outperform the others in terms of prediction.