bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temporal sampling and abundance measurement influences support for occupancy–abundance relationships
Authors: Dallas Tad A. , Pöyry Juha , Leinonen Reima , Ovaskainen Otso
Published: September 2019

Aim

Species occupying a greater fraction of habitat patches tend to also be more locally abundant. The relationship between the fraction of occupied habitat patches and mean abundance (i.e. occupancy–abundance relationships) are a common macroecological observation, though they are far from ubiquitous. The aim of this work was to examine occupancy–abundance relationships in a large set of Finnish moth species, and determine the sensitivity of the strength and sign of these relationships to abundance estimation approach and temporal sampling scale.

Location

Finland.

Taxa

Lepidoptera.

Methods

Using data on Finnish moth communities sampled over a period of 20 years, we examine species occupancy (fraction of sampled patches that were occupied) and mean abundance over time. We examine both intraspecific—the scaling of occupancy and local mean abundance for a single species—and interspecific—the scaling of occupancy and total mean abundance combining occupancy–abundance relationships for all species.

Results

We found evidence for both intraspecific and interspecific occupancy–abundance relationships, dependent on the temporal sampling scale and how species abundance was estimated. The effect of seasonality on moth population dynamics was evident in the occupancy–abundance relationships, where finer temporal scales lead to ‘stronger’ relationships.

Main conclusions

Together, we provide support for both intraspecific and interspecific occupancy–abundance relationships for a large set of Finnish moth species, but demonstrate sensitivity of support as a function of temporal sampling scale and abundance measurement.
E2‐mediated EMT by activation of β‐catenin/Snail signalling during the development of ovarian endometriosis
Authors: Xiong Wenqian , Zhang Ling , Liu Hengwei , Li Na , Du Yu , He Haitang , Zhang Zhibing , Liu Yi
Published: September 2019

Endometriosis is an oestrogen‐dependent disease, and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in the process of endometriosis. Whether oestrogen could induce EMT in endometriosis remains largely unknown. Here, we reported that up‐regulated expression of EMT markers in ovarian chocolate cyst is accompanied by high expression 17β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (17β‐HSD1), and exposure of primary human endometrial epithelial cells to oestradiol conditions could promote EMT occurrence and activate both β‐catenin and Snail signalling. Furthermore, we found nuclear β‐catenin and Snail expression was closely linked in ovarian endometriosis, and β‐catenin knockdown abrogated oestrogen‐induced Snail mediated EMT in vitro. This is due to that β‐catenin/ TCF‐3 could bind to Snail promoter and activate its transcription. These results suggested that β‐catenin signalling functions as the Snail activator and plays a critical role in oestradiol‐induced EMT in endometriosis.
The effects of bioavailable gluconate chelated stannous fluoride dentifrice on gingival bleeding: Meta‐analysis of eighteen randomized controlled trials
Authors: Biesbrock Aaron , He Tao , DiGennaro Joe , Zou Yuanshu , Ramsey Dave , Garcia‐Godoy Franklin
Published: September 2019

Aim

To estimate gingivitis effects of a bioavailable gluconate chelated 0.454% stannous fluoride (SnF2) family of dentifrices in adult subjects versus positive (triclosan) and negative (NaF or MFP) controls when used ≤3 months.

Materials and methods

A meta‐analysis evaluated bioavailable gluconate chelated SnF2 dentifrices versus a negative or positive control for gingival bleeding.

Results

In 18 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 2,890 subjects assessing SnF2 paste versus a negative or positive control, the average number of bleeding sites was reduced by 51% and 31%, respectively. The average change (95% CI) in number of bleeding sites was −16.3 (−27.8, −4.9) versus the negative control and −3.6 (−5.4, −1.8) versus the positive control. Subjects with localized or generalized gingivitis had 3.7 times better odds (95% CI [2.8, 5.0]) of shifting to generally healthy using SnF2 versus a negative control and 2.8 times better odds (95% CI [2.1, 3.9]) of shifting to generally healthy using SnF2 versus a positive control. The individual study risk of bias was deemed to be low in all categories of bias.

Conclusion

This meta‐analysis demonstrates significant gingivitis benefits of bioavailable SnF2 dentifrices when used ≤3 months versus positive (triclosan) and negative (NaF or MFP) controls.
Compliance with supportive periodontal/peri‐implant therapy: A systematic review
Authors: Amerio Ettore , Mainas Giuseppe , Petrova Dafina , Giner Tarrida Luis , Nart José , Monje Alberto
Published: September 2019

Aim

The present systematic review aimed at assessing the degree of compliance with supportive periodontal/peri‐implant therapy as well as identifying patient‐related factors that could potentially play a role on patient compliance.

Methods

Electronic and manual literature searches were carried out to assess patient compliance during maintenance. Main outcomes were compliance definition, degree of compliance and patient‐related factors. Owing to the heterogeneity of the data reported across the studies, descriptive statistics were performed to shed light on compliance rate and the patient‐related factors.

Results

A total of 39 articles were included. No consensus regarding the definition of “compliance” was found in the analysed literature. The percentage of fully compliers and non‐compliers ranged between 3.3%–86.8% and 1.69%–64.4%, respectively. Smoking habit and history of periodontal disease were found to be associated with patients’ compliance. Inadequate information/motivation was found as the main patient‐reported reason for non‐compliance.

Conclusions

Despite the high variability across studies, compliance with the supportive periodontal/peri‐implant maintenance therapy was found to be unsatisfactory. Attitudes, psychological traits and construct associated with compliance remain largely unknown, and still, lack of information and motivation are paramount to be addressed during the periodontal/implant therapy to increase patient compliance.
Linkage between patients’ characteristics and prescribed systemic treatments for psoriasis: a semantic connectivity map analysis of the Swiss Dermatology Network for Targeted Therapies registry
Authors: Cazzaniga S. , Anzengruber F. , Augustin M. , Boehncke W.H. , Borradori L. , Conrad C. , Cozzio A. , Djamei V. , French L.E. , Gilliet M. , Häusermann P. , Heidemeyer K. , Itin P. , Kolios A.G.A. , Laffitte E. , Maul J.‐T. , Mainetti C. , Naldi L. , Navarini A.A. , Rustenbach S.J. , Simon D. , Sorbe C. , Streit M. , Yawalkar N.
Published: September 2019

Background

Several treatment options are currently available for the treatment of psoriasis.

Objective

To explore the main associations between patients’ characteristics and systemic treatments prescribed for psoriasis in a large group of patients observed in real‐life clinical practice.

Methods

This was a retrospective analysis of baseline data collected within the Swiss Dermatology Network for Targeted Therapies registry in Switzerland between March 2011 and December 2017. Semantic map analysis was used in order to capture the best associations between variables taking into account other covariates in the system.

Results

A total of 549 patients (mean age 46.7 ± 14.7 years) were included in the analysis. Conventional therapies such as retinoids and methotrexate were associated with no previous systemic therapies for psoriasis, a moderate quality of life (QoL) at therapy onset and older age (≥60 years). Fumaric acid derivatives were associated with mild psoriasis (psoriasis area severity index < 10) and long disease duration (≥20 years). On the other side, cyclosporine and psoralen and ultraviolet A/ultraviolet B treatments were linked to a more severe condition, including impaired QoL, hospitalization and inability to work. Regarding biological therapies, both infliximab and adalimumab were connected to the presence of psoriatic arthritis, severe disease condition and other comorbidities, including chronic liver or kidney diseases and tuberculosis. Etanercept, ustekinumab and secukinumab were all connected to a complex history of previous systemic treatments for psoriasis, moderate disease condition, overweight and university education.

Conclusions

The analysis shows multifaceted associations between patients’ characteristics, comorbidities, disease severity and systemic treatments prescribed for psoriasis. In particular, our semantic map indicates that comorbidities play a central role in decision‐making of systemic treatments usage for psoriasis. Future studies should further investigate specific connections emerging from our data.
Neutrophilic urticarial dermatosis: an entity bridging monogenic and polygenic autoinflammatory disorders, and beyond
Authors: Gusdorf L. , Lipsker D.
Published: September 2019

Neutrophilic urticarial dermatosis (NUD) has been described in 2009. Clinically, it is an eruption of rose or red macules or slightly elevated plaques, vanishing within 24 h. It occurs mostly on the trunk and the limbs. Extracutaneous signs such as fever or joint pain can be associated. The histopathological findings are a dense perivascular and interstitial infiltrate of neutrophils with leucocytoclasia but without vasculitis. It is often associated with other systemic diseases such as Schnitzler syndrome, adult‐onset Still disease (AOSD), cryopyrin‐associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) and Lupus erythematosus (LE). The pathogenesis of NUD is not well established but its association with CAPS and AOSD suggests that NUD is linked to autoinflammation. The management of NUD depends on the clinical findings and the potential associated systemic condition. Neutrophil migration inhibitors, such as dapsone or colchicine, and IL‐1 antagonists, in particular, anakinra, are the main therapeutic options for the treatment of NUD. The prognostic value of NUD, especially when occurring in the setting of LE is not known and needs to be further investigated.
Three New Freshwater Cochliopodium Species (Himatismenida, Amoebozoa) from the Southeastern United States
Authors: Melton James T. , Singla Mandakini , Wood Fiona C. , Collins Shawndasia J. , Tekle Yonas I.
Published: September 2019

Cochliopodium is a lens‐shaped genus of Amoebozoa characterized by a flexible layer of microscopic dorsal scales. Recent taxonomic and molecular studies reported cryptic diversity in this group and suggested that the often‐used scale morphology is not a reliable character for species delineation in the genus. Here, we described three freshwater Cochliopodium spp. from the southeastern United States based on morphological, immunocytochemistry (ICC), and molecular data. A maximum‐likelihood phylogenetic analysis and pairwise comparison of COI sequences of Cochliopodium species showed that each of these monoclonal cultures were genetically distinct from each other and any described species with molecular data. Two of the new isolates, “crystal UK‐YT2” (Cochliopodium crystalli n. sp.) and “crystal‐like UK‐YT3” (C. jaguari n. sp.), formed a clade with C. larifeili, which all share a prominent microtubule organizing center (MTOC) and have cubical‐shaped crystals. The “Marrs Spring UK‐YT4” isolate, C. marrii n. sp., was 100% identical to “Cochliopodium sp. SG‐2014 KJ569724.” These sequences formed a clade with C. actinophorum and C. arabianum. While the new isolates can be separated morphologically, most of the taxonomic features used in the group show plasticity; therefore, Cochliopodium species can only be reliably identified with the help of molecular data.
Molecular Phylogenetic Position of Hoplonympha natator (Trichonymphea, Parabasalia): Horizontal Symbiont Transfer or Differential Loss?
Authors: Mee Evan D. , Gaylor Maya G. , Jasso‐Selles Daniel E. , Mizumoto Nobuaki , Gile Gillian H.
Published: September 2019

Hoplonympha natator is an obligate symbiont of Paraneotermes simplicicornis (Kalotermitidae), from southwestern North America. Another Hoplonympha species inhabits Hodotermopsis sjostedti (Archotermopsidae), from montane Southeast Asia. The large phylogenetic and geographical distance between the hosts makes the distribution of Hoplonympha puzzling. Here, we report the phylogenetic position of H. natator from P. simplicicornis through maximum likelihood and Bayesian analysis of 18S rRNA genes. The two Hoplonympha species form a clade with a deep node, making a recent symbiont transfer unlikely. The distribution of Hoplonympha may be due to an ancient transfer or strict vertical inheritance with differential loss from other hosts.
Modulation of hippocampal neuronal resilience during aging by the Hsp70/Hsp90 co‐chaperone STI1
Authors: Lackie Rachel E. , Razzaq Abdul R. , Farhan Sali M. K. , Qiu Lily R. , Moshitzky Gilli , Beraldo Flavio H. , Lopes Marilene H. , Maciejewski Andrzej , Gros Robert , Fan Jue , Choy Wing‐Yiu , Greenberg David S. , Martins Vilma R. , Duennwald Martin L. , Lerch Jason P. , Soreq Hermona , Prado Vania F. , Prado Marco A. M.
Published: September 2019

Chaperone networks are dysregulated with aging, but whether compromised Hsp70/Hsp90 chaperone function disturbs neuronal resilience is unknown. Stress‐inducible phosphoprotein 1 (STI1; STIP1; HOP) is a co‐chaperone that simultaneously interacts with Hsp70 and Hsp90, but whose function in vivo remains poorly understood. We combined in‐depth analysis of chaperone genes in human datasets, analysis of a neuronal cell line lacking STI1 and of a mouse line with a hypomorphic Stip1 allele to investigate the requirement for STI1 in aging. Our experiments revealed that dysfunctional STI1 activity compromised Hsp70/Hsp90 chaperone network and neuronal resilience. The levels of a set of Hsp90 co‐chaperones and client proteins were selectively affected by reduced levels of STI1, suggesting that their stability depends on functional Hsp70/Hsp90 machinery. Analysis of human databases revealed a subset of co‐chaperones, including STI1, whose loss of function is incompatible with life in mammals, albeit they are not essential in yeast. Importantly, mice expressing a hypomorphic STI1 allele presented spontaneous age‐dependent hippocampal neurodegeneration and reduced hippocampal volume, with consequent spatial memory deficit. We suggest that impaired STI1 function compromises Hsp70/Hsp90 chaperone activity in mammals and can by itself cause age‐dependent hippocampal neurodegeneration in mice.

image

Cover Image for this issue: doi: 10.1111/jnc.14749.
Connections Between Benthic Populations and Local Strandings of the Southern Bull Kelp Durvillaea Antarctica Along the Continental Coast of Chile1
Authors: Schreiber Lennart , López Boris A. , Rivadeneira Marcelo M. , Thiel Martin
Published: September 2019

Floating seaweeds are important dispersal vectors in marine ecosystems. However, the relationship between benthic populations and stranded seaweeds has received little attention. After detachment, a fraction of floating specimens returns to the shore, resulting in strandings that fluctuate in space and time. It has been hypothesized that the availability of stranded seaweeds is related to their benthic abundance on adjacent coasts. Using the large fucoid Durvillaea antarctica, we tested whether stranded biomasses are higher at sites with dense adjacent benthic populations. Benthic abundance of D. antarctica along the continental coast of Chile was estimated using three approximations: (i) availability of potentially suitable habitat (PSH), (ii) categorical visual abundance estimates in the field, and (iii) abundance measurements in the intertidal zone. Higher PSH for D. antarctica was observed between 31° S–32° S and 40° S–42° S than between 33° S and 39° S. Lowest benthic biomasses were estimated for the northern latitudes (31° S–32° S). Regression models showed that the association between stranded biomass and PSH was highest when only the extent of rocky shore 10 km to the south of each beach was included, suggesting relatively short‐distance dispersal and asymmetrical transport of floating kelps, which is further supported by low proportions of rafts with Lepas spp. (indicator of rafting). The results indicate that stranded biomasses are mostly subsidized by nearby benthic populations, which can partly explain the low genetic connectivity among populations in the study region. Future studies should also incorporate other local factors (e.g., winds, currents, wave‐exposure) that influence stranding dynamics.
Predictors of hepatitis B surface antigen loss, relapse and retreatment after discontinuation of effective oral antiviral therapy in noncirrhotic HBeAg‐negative chronic hepatitis B
Authors: Papatheodoridi Margarita , Hadziyannis Emilia , Berby Françoise , Zachou Kalliopi , Testoni Barbara , Rigopoulou Eirini , Gatselis Nikolaos K. , Lyberopoulou Aggeliki , Vlachogiannakos Ioannis , Manolakopoulos Spilios , Dalekos George N. , Zoulim Fabien , Papatheodoridis George V.
Published: September 2019

Reliable predictors of outcomes after treatment discontinuation in HBeAg‐negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients have not been established. We investigated the role of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), interferon‐inducible protein‐10 (IP10) and hepatitis B core‐related antigen (HBcrAg) serum levels as predictors of HBsAg loss, relapse and retreatment in noncirrhotic HBeAg‐negative CHB patients who discontinued long‐term antiviral therapy. All HBsAg‐positive (n = 57) patients of the prospective DARING‐B study were included and followed monthly for 3 months, every 2/3 months until month‐12 and every 3/6 months thereafter. HBsAg, IP10 and HBcrAg levels were measured by enzyme immunoassays, and SCALE‐B score was calculated. Twelve patients achieved HBsAg loss before retreatment with 18‐month cumulative incidence of 25%. Independent predictors of HBsAg loss were baseline HBsAg and month‐1 IP10 levels. Of 10 patients with baseline HBsAg ≤100 IU/mL, 70% cleared HBsAg and 10% required retreatment. Of 23 patients with baseline HBsAg >1000 IU/mL, 4% cleared HBsAg and 43% required retreatment. Of 24 patients with intermediate baseline HBsAg (100‐1000 IU/mL), 17% cleared HBsAg and 21% required retreatment; in this subgroup, month‐1 IP10 was significantly associated with HBsAg loss, which occurred in 30% and 7% of cases with IP10 >150 and ≤150 pg/mL, respectively. Baseline HBcrAg was undetectable in all patients who cleared HBsAg and was associated with retreatment. SCALE‐B was associated with HBsAg loss but not with relapse or retreatment. In conclusion, HBsAg, IP10 and HBcrAg serum levels can be useful for the decisions and management of treatment discontinuation in noncirrhotic Caucasian patients with HBeAg‐negative CHB.
New observations on high‐pressure phases in a shock melt vein in the Villalbeto de la Peña meteorite: Insights into the shock behavior of diopside
Authors: Martinez Marina , Brearley Adrian J. , Trigo‐Rodríguez Josep M. , Llorca Jordi
Published: September 2019

The petrology and mineralogy of shock melt veins in the L6 ordinary chondrite host of Villalbeto de la Peña, a highly shocked, L chondrite polymict breccia, have been investigated in detail using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and electron probe microanalysis. Entrained olivine, enstatite, diopside, and plagioclase are transformed into ringwoodite, low‐Ca majorite, high‐Ca majorite, and an assemblage of jadeite‐lingunite, respectively, in several shock melt veins and pockets. We have focused on the shock behavior of diopside in a particularly large shock melt vein (10 mm long and up to 4 mm wide) in order to provide additional insights into its high‐pressure polymorphic phase transformation mechanisms. We report the first evidence of diopside undergoing shock‐induced melting, and the occurrence of natural Ca‐majorite formed by solid‐state transformation from diopside. Magnesiowüstite has also been found as veins injected into diopside in the form of nanocrystalline grains that crystallized from a melt and also occurs interstitially between majorite‐pyrope grains in the melt‐vein matrix. In addition, we have observed compositional zoning in majorite‐pyrope grains in the matrix of the shock‐melt vein, which has not been described previously in any shocked meteorite. Collectively, all these different lines of evidence are suggestive of a major shock event with high cooling rates. The minimum peak shock conditions are difficult to constrain, because of the uncertainties in applying experimentally determined high‐pressure phase equilibria to complex natural systems. However, our results suggest that conditions between 16 and 28 GPa and 2000–2200 °C were reached.
Protein kinase B controls Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth via phosphorylation of the transcriptional regulator Lsr2 at threonine 112
Authors: Alqaseer Kawther , Turapov Obolbek , Barthe Philippe , Jagatia Heena , De Visch Angélique , Roumestand Christian , Wegrzyn Malgorzata , Bartek Iona L. , Voskuil Martin I. , O'Hare Helen M. , Ajuh Paul , Bottrill Andrew R. , Witney Adam A. , Cohen‐Gonsaud Martin , Waddell Simon J. , Mukamolova Galina V.
Published: September 2019

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is able to persist in the body through months of multi‐drug therapy. Mycobacteria possess a wide range of regulatory proteins, including the protein kinase B (PknB) which controls peptidoglycan biosynthesis during growth. Here, we observed that depletion of PknB resulted in specific transcriptional changes that are likely caused by reduced phosphorylation of the H‐NS‐like regulator Lsr2 at threonine 112. The activity of PknB towards this phosphosite was confirmed with purified proteins, and this site was required for adaptation of Mtb to hypoxic conditions, and growth on solid media. Like H‐NS, Lsr2 binds DNA in sequence‐dependent and non‐specific modes. PknB phosphorylation of Lsr2 reduced DNA binding, measured by fluorescence anisotropy and electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and our NMR structure of phosphomimetic T112D Lsr2 suggests that this may be due to increased dynamics of the DNA‐binding domain. Conversely, the phosphoablative T112A Lsr2 had increased binding to certain DNA sites in ChIP‐sequencing, and Mtb containing this variant showed transcriptional changes that correspond with the change in DNA binding. In summary, PknB controls Mtb growth and adaptations to the changing host environment by phosphorylating the global transcriptional regulator Lsr2.
Acute hemichorea with T1 ischemic hyperintensity associated with steno‐occlusive middle cerebral artery dissection
Authors: Chee Yong Chuan , Ong Beng Hooi
Published: September 2019

Acute hemichorea with accompanying T1 hyperintensity on magnetic resonance imaging has never been reported in steno‐occlusive middle cerebral artery (MCA) dissection. This characteristic radiological finding which differs from known ischemic changes has been attributed to incomplete infarction with selective neuronal loss. Arguments have also shuttled between gemistocytic astrocyte accumulation, tissue calcification, and paramagnetic substance deposition. We report an unusual case of acute hemichorea caused by proximal MCA dissection with characteristic imaging appearance of delayed ischemic hyperintensity.
Amantadine regulates the severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Authors: Fukumoto Yuta , Miyamoto Katsuichi , Moriguchi Kota , Kusunoki Susumu
Published: September 2019

Background

Amantadine has been reported to have a neuroprotective effect, and it is therefore expected to have further clinical application.

Aim

In this study, we examined the therapeutic effect of the N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist amantadine on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis was induced in C57BL/6 mice. Amantadine was administered at doses of 40 mg/kg dissolved in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) by feeding cannula every other day. The control group received PBS only. The immunized mice were examined and scored daily until day 35. T‐cell proliferation assay, pathological analysis, and analysis of regulatory cells were performed.

Results

Although amantadine did not significantly suppress the incidence or severity of EAE, it significantly reduced clinical symptoms in the recovery phase. There was also a significant increase in CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ T cells in response to amantadine treatment. These results suggest that amantadine promotes symptom recovery in EAE by acting in an immunosuppressive manner.

Conclusion

Amantadine may be an effective therapy for inflammatory neurological diseases such as MS.
Heterostemma trilobatum sp. nov. (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae) from Thailand
Authors: Kidyoo Aroonrat , Thaithong Obchant
Published: September 2019

A new species, Heterostemma trilobatum A. Kidyoo & Thaithong has been discovered in northern, northeastern and southeastern Thailand. It is here described, illustrated and meticulously compared with a morphologically similar species, H. xuansonense T. B. Tran & J. Hw. Kim. Both species resemble each other, having sessile to subsessile cymes, five glands on the inside of the calyx and dark red to purplish red ovate corona lobes. However, H.trilobatum is markedly differentiated by much smaller size of flowers and the presence of peculiar trilobed corona appendages.
Linkage‐linkage disequilibrium dissection of the epigenetic quantitative trait loci (epiQTLs) underlying growth and wood properties in Populus
Authors: Lu Wenjie , Xiao Liang , Quan Mingyang , Wang Qingshi , El‐Kassaby Yousry A. , Du Qingzhang , Zhang Deqiang
Published: September 2019

Increasing evidence indicates that DNA methylation is heritable and serves as an essential marker contributing to phenotypic variation.

Linkage‐linkage disequilibrium mapping was used to decipher the epigenetic architecture underlying nine growth and wood property traits in a linkage population (550 F1 progeny) and a natural population (435 unrelated individuals) of Populus using methylation‐sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP)‐based analysis. The interactions between genetic and epigenetic variants in the causative genes was further unveiled using expression quantitative trait methylation (eQTM) and nucleotide (eQTN) mapping strategies.

A total of 163 epigenetic quantitative trait loci (epiQTLs; LOD ≥ 3.0), explaining 1.7–44.5% of phenotypic variations, were mapped to a high‐resolution epigenetic map with 19 linkage groups, which was supported by the significant MSAP associations (P < 0.001) in the two populations. There were 23 causal genes involved in growth regulation and wood formation, whose markers were located in epiQTLs and associated with the same traits in both populations. Further eQTN and eQTM mapping showed that causal genetic and epigenetic variants within the 23 candidate genes may interact more in trans in gene expression and phenotype.

The present study provides strategies for investigating epigenetic architecture and the interaction between genetic and epigenetic variants modulating complex traits in forest trees.
Keratinocyte cadherin desmoglein 1 controls melanocyte behavior through paracrine signaling
Authors: Arnette Christopher R. , Roth‐Carter Quinn R. , Koetsier Jennifer L. , Broussard Joshua A. , Burks Hope E. , Cheng Kathleen , Amadi Christine , Gerami Pedram , Johnson Jodi L. , Green Kathleen J.
Published: September 2019

The epidermis is the first line of defense against ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun. Keratinocytes and melanocytes respond to UV exposure by eliciting a tanning response dependent in part on paracrine signaling, but how keratinocyte:melanocyte communication is regulated during this response remains understudied. Here, we uncover a surprising new function for the keratinocyte‐specific cell–cell adhesion molecule desmoglein 1 (Dsg1) in regulating keratinocyte:melanocyte paracrine signaling to promote the tanning response in the absence of UV exposure. Melanocytes within Dsg1‐silenced human skin equivalents exhibited increased pigmentation and altered dendrite morphology, phenotypes which were confirmed in 2D culture using conditioned media from Dsg1‐silenced keratinocytes. Dsg1‐silenced keratinocytes increased melanocyte‐stimulating hormone precursor (Pomc) and cytokine mRNA. Melanocytes cultured in media conditioned by Dsg1‐silenced keratinocytes increased Mitf and Tyrp1 mRNA, TYRP1 protein, and melanin production and secretion. Melanocytes in Dsg1‐silenced skin equivalents mislocalized suprabasally, reminiscent of early melanoma pagetoid behavior. Together with our previous report that UV reduces Dsg1 expression, these data support a role for Dsg1 in controlling keratinocyte:melanocyte paracrine communication and raise the possibility that a Dsg1‐deficient niche contributes to pagetoid behavior, such as occurs in early melanoma development.
Patients and their family members prioritize post‐transplant survival over waitlist survival when considering donor hearts for transplantation
Authors: Godown Justin , Schumacher Kurt R. , Butler Alison , Chapman Gretchen , Dipchand Anne I. , Kaslow Whitney W. , Bearl David W. , Kirk Richard
Published: September 2019

Heart transplant providers often focus on post‐transplant outcomes when making donor decisions, potentially at the expense of higher waitlist mortality. This study aimed to assess public opinion regarding the selection of donor hearts and the balance between pre‐ and post‐transplant risk. The authors generated a survey to investigate public opinion regarding donor acceptance. The survey was shared freely online across social media platforms in April‐May 2019. A total of 718 individuals responded to the survey, with an equal distribution between patients and family members. Respondents consistently favored post‐transplant outcomes over waitlist outcomes. About 83.9% of respondents favored a hospital with longer waitlist times, worse waitlist outcomes, but excellent post‐transplant survival over a hospital with short waitlist times, a high waitlist survival, and inferior post‐transplant survival. This preference was no different between pediatric and adult populations (P = .7), patient and family members (P = .935), or those with a pre‐ vs post‐transplant perspective (P = .985). Patients and their family members consistently favor improved post‐transplant survival over waitlist survival when considering the risks of accepting a donor organ. These findings suggest that current practice patterns of donor selection align with the opinions of patients and family members with heart failure or who have undergone heart transplantation.
Caring E‐mails for Military and Veteran Suicide Prevention: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Luxton David D. , Smolenski Derek J. , Reger Mark A. , Relova Rona Margaret V. , Skopp Nancy A.
Published: September 2019

Objective

The purpose of this multisite study was to conduct a randomized controlled trial of an e‐mail version of the caring letters (CL) suicide prevention intervention to determine whether the intervention is efficacious in preventing suicide behaviors among U.S. service members and veterans.

Method

Psychiatric inpatients (N = 1,318) were recruited from four military medical centers and two VA hospitals and randomized to receive either 13 caring e‐mails over two years or usual care.

Results

There were 10 deaths from any cause in the CL group (three suicides) and 14 in the usual care group (seven suicides) during the individual two‐year follow‐up intervals. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of all‐cause hospital readmission between the study groups (RR = 1.13; 95% CI = 0.94, 1.36). There were no differences observed between groups on self‐reported psychiatric hospital readmissions, self‐reported suicide attempts, or other measures associated with risk for suicide.

Conclusions

No firm conclusions about the efficacy of the intervention can be made because the study was inadequately powered. There were no adverse events associated with the intervention, and implementation of the procedures was feasible in the military and veteran hospital settings. These results provide important methodological considerations for caring contact trials in military populations.
Children and the Modern Farming Movement
Authors: Dreby Joanna , Carr Mairead
Published: September 2019

In the twenty‐first century, a small percentage of U.S. children have ties to family‐based agriculture. Yet with the rise of the modern farming movement that emphasizes local and family‐based production, new spaces may exist for involving children and youth in farming. This article focuses on the social value of children to family‐based agriculture in the contemporary era. Drawing on a qualitative study of families that farm in the capital region of New York—an epicenter for the modern food movement—we consider why families farm, how they involve children in their farms, and how they understand children's contributions. Interviews with 76 adult members of 50 families show children to be central to families' goals; they often rationalize farming as a lifestyle choice undertaken for the benefit of their children. Families also actively involve their own children—and other people's children—in their farms. By documenting the way families talk about children and farming, we shed light on the logic used to incorporate children into modern productive enterprises. The centrality of children, we argue, helps explain the success of the modern food movement and the persistence of family‐based agriculture despite conditions that make it economically difficult to accomplish.
‘Farming is not Just an Occupation [but] a Whole Lifestyle’: A Qualitative Examination of Lifestyle and Cultural Factors Affecting Mental Health Help‐Seeking in Australian Farmers
Authors: Vayro Caitlin , Brownlow Charlotte , Ireland Michael , March Sonja
Published: September 2019

The aim of this study was to understand the ‘farming life’ factors that affect the mental health help‐seeking of farmers. Semi‐structured interviews were completed with 10 farmers, 10 farmers’ partners, and eight General Practitioners (GPs), covering mental health help‐seeking. Interview data were then analysed using thematic analysis resulting in three themes: Lifestyle and culture, farming priorities, and the challenges of farming. The findings showed that the lifestyle and culture of farming values traits such as stoicism and self‐reliance, which is ingrained in farmers’ identities and appears antithetical to mental health help‐seeking. The farming priorities theme highlighted that farmers are time‐poor and believe mental health help‐seeking to be time‐consuming and an interference to their work, which is their primary priority. Lastly, this research revealed that farming challenges, such as financial volatility, increase the need for help, but can also reduce the ability to seek help. Implications of the findings highlight a need to carefully engage with farming cultures more broadly when seeking to support the mental health of the farming community.
Comparative study into facial sebum level, pore size, and skin hydration between oily‐skinned and dry‐skinned Thai women
Authors: Thadanipon Kunlawat , Kitsongsermthon Jutarat
Published: September 2019

Background

Subjective facial skin type is most frequently determined by the amount of sebum, which showed trends across subjective skin types in most previous studies while not in some. This study was conducted to evaluate the associations among subjective skin type, amount of sebum, stratum corneum hydration, and pore size in Thai women.

Methods

Sixty‐two healthy women with either self‐described subjective oily or dry skin type were included and casual sebum level (CSL), sebum excretion rate (SER), clinical pore size score, mean pore area, and stratum corneum hydration were measured at several facial sites. Correlation coefficients between amount of sebum and other parameters were estimated.

Results

Casual sebum level and sebum excretion rate were significantly higher in oily‐skinned than dry‐skinned group by 1.6‐2.1 times. Mean pore area and clinical pore size score were not different between the 2 groups, nor did they correlate with CSL or SER. Corneometry was shown to be significantly higher in dry‐skinned than oily‐skinned group. Significant, negative correlations between corneometry and CSL were also found.

Conclusion

The subjective facial skin types were consistent with the amount of sebum, but not pore size or corneometry, among Thai women.
3D surface texture analysis of high‐resolution normal fields for facial skin condition assessment
Authors: Seck Alassane , Dee Hannah , Smith William , Tiddeman Bernard
Published: September 2019

Background

This paper investigates the use of a light stage to capture high‐resolution, 3D facial surface textures and proposes novel methods to use the data for skin condition assessment.

Materials and Methods

We introduce new methods for analysing 3D surface texture using high‐resolution normal fields and apply these to the detection and assessment of skin conditions in human faces, specifically wrinkles, pores and acne. The use of high‐resolution normal maps as input to our texture measures enables us to investigate the 3D nature of texture, while retaining aspects of some well‐known 2D texture measures. The main contributions are as follows: the introduction of three novel methods for extracting texture descriptors from high‐resolution surface orientation fields; a comparative study of 2D and 3D skin texture analysis techniques; and an extensive data set of high‐resolution 3D facial scans presenting various skin conditions, with human ratings as “ground truth.”

Results

Our results demonstrate an improvement on state‐of‐the‐art methods for the analysis of pores and comparable results to the state of the art for wrinkles and acne using a considerably more compact model.

Conclusions

The use of high‐resolution normal maps, captured by a light stage, and the methods described, represent an important new set of tools in the analysis of skin texture.
A plant RNA virus hijacks endocytic proteins to establish its infection in plants
Authors: Wu Guanwei , Cui Xiaoyan , Dai Zhaoji , He Rongrong , Li Yinzi , Yu Kangfu , Bernards Mark , Chen Xin , Wang Aiming
Published: September 2019

Endocytosis and endosomal trafficking play essential roles in diverse biological processes including responses to pathogen attack. It is well established that animal viruses enter host cells through receptor‐mediated endocytosis for infection. However, the role of endocytosis in plant virus infection still largely remains unknown. Plant dynamin‐related proteins 1 (DRP1) and 2 (DRP2) are the large, multidomain GTPases that participate together in endocytosis. Recently, we have discovered that DRP2 is co‐opted by Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) for infection in plants. We report here that DRP1 is also required for TuMV infection. We show that overexpression of DRP1 from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtDRP1A) promotes TuMV infection, and AtDRP1A interacts with several viral proteins including VPg and cylindrical inclusion (CI), which are the essential components of the virus replication complex (VRC). AtDRP1A colocalizes with the VRC in TuMV‐infected cells. Transient expression of a dominant negative (DN) mutant of DRP1A disrupts DRP1‐dependent endocytosis and supresses TuMV replication. As adaptor protein (AP) complexes mediate cargo selection for endocytosis, we further investigated the requirement of AP in TuMV infection. Our data suggest that the medium unit of the AP2 complex (AP2β) is responsible for recognizing the viral proteins as cargoes for endocytosis, and knockout of AP2β impairs intracellular endosomal trafficking of VPg and CI and inhibits TuMV replication. Collectively, our results demonstrate that DRP1 and AP2β are two proviral host factors of TuMV and shed light into the involvement of endocytosis and endosomal trafficking in plant virus infection.
Geographies of the book (shop): Reading women’s geographies in Enlightenment Edinburgh
Authors: Dodds Phil
Published: September 2019

This paper examines the place of women’s geographical reading in a centre of Enlightenment: Edinburgh, 1770–1810. It analyses two sets of booksellers’ records to identify key sites – women’s private libraries, Georgian domestic spaces, and women’s schools and boarding houses – in which women engaged with the geographical materials sold in the city’s bookshops: maps, globes, travel accounts, gazetteers, guidebooks, books of roads, geographical dictionaries and grammars. Women used these diverse materials to transform spaces into sites of geographical education and discussion. Crucially, this paper makes the case for understanding these spaces as key sites in Edinburgh’s Enlightenment topography. These were spaces where women oversaw the circulation and appraisal of geographical information: women, in the absence of men, interrogated geographical publications and promoted particular methods of reading and ways of understanding the world. Indeed, this paper goes beyond the familiar argument that women’s reading enabled their participation in the male‐dominated debates of the Scottish Enlightenment. Of course it did this, by ensuring they could invoke geographical examples and comparisons. (Women were, the evidence suggests, comparatively better acquainted than many men were with geography, which was the crucial basis of Enlightenment reasoning.) But their reading represented not a means to an Enlightenment end but an Enlightenment process in itself. In contradistinction to Scottish Enlightenment histories and historiography that have interpreted women’s role relative to men – as constrained from accessing male‐dominated Scottish Enlightenment culture – the analysis here emphasises women’s spaces and the practices of geographical reading that took place within them as key sites and processes of Enlightenment. In so doing, the paper deepens our understanding of Enlightenment and contributes to a feminist historiography of geography.
Ocular findings and selected ophthalmic diagnostic tests in a group of young commercially available Guinea and Skinny pigs (Cavia porcellus)
Authors: Wu Doris , de Linde Henriksen Michala , Grant Krystan , Lyakhova Tanya , Sharp Julia L. , Daniels Joshua B.
Published: September 2019

Objective

The purpose of this study is to evaluate a group of young commercially available Skinny pigs, to gain information regarding ocular findings in this breed of guinea pig. Comparisons of ocular findings are to be made between Skinny pigs and haired guinea pigs.

Animal studied

Ten haired guinea pigs and ten Skinny pigs were examined.

Procedure

A complete ophthalmic examination including Schirmer tear test‐II (STT‐II), phenol red thread test (PRTT), rebound tonometry with TonoVet PLUS, Fluorescein and Rose Bengal stain was performed. Microbiology swabs for aerobic bacterial growth were collected from conjunctiva of both eyes prior to the ophthalmic examination.

Results

The ophthalmic examination revealed seven abnormal ocular findings: trichiasis, mucopurulent discharge, hyperemia/chemosis of the conjunctiva, corneal fibrosis, corneal vascularization, and foreign body on the cornea or conjunctiva. Skinny pigs had a significantly higher amount of mucopurulent discharge (P = .0133) and a significantly higher STT‐II (P < .001) than haired guinea pigs. Although not significant, trichiasis, keratitis with corneal vascularization, and foreign body presence were more common in Skinny pigs. Significantly more Skinny pigs had Pasteurellaceae isolated from their conjunctiva than haired guinea pigs (P = .0112). Antimicrobial susceptibility for the five Pasteurellaceae organisms isolated revealed susceptibility toward oxytetracycline, tobramycin, ciprofloxacin, and ofloxacin, whereas resistance was found toward erythromycin, trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole, and moxifloxacin.

Conclusion

Young Skinny pigs have a higher risk of Pasteurellaceae‐associated conjunctivitis. Oxytetracycline, tobramycin, ciprofloxacin, and ofloxacin were identified as topical antibiotics that may be useful for Pasteurellaceae‐associated conjunctivitis in Skinny pigs.
Modification of the CO‐rebreathing method to determine haemoglobin mass and blood volume in patients suffering from chronic mountain sickness
Authors: Wachsmuth Nadine , Soria Rudy , Jimenez Jesus , Schmidt Walter
Published: September 2019

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Is it necessary to modify the CO‐rebreathing method to acquire reliable measurements of haemoglobin mass in patients with chronic mountain sickness?

What is the main finding and its importance?

The CO‐rebreathing method must be modified because of the prolonged CO‐mixing time in patients with chronic mountain sickness. After adaptation of the blood sampling method, reliable and valid results were attained. With this modification, it is possible to quantify the extent of polycythaemia and to distinguish between a haemoconcentration and an exclusive enhancement of erythrocyte volume.

Patients suffering from chronic mountain sickness (CMS) exhibit extremely high haemoglobin concentrations. Their haemoglobin mass (Hbmass), however, has rarely been investigated. The CO‐rebreathing protocol for Hbmass determination in those patients might need to be modified because of restricted peripheral perfusion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the CO uptake and carboxyhaemoglobin‐mixing time in the blood of CMS patients and to adapt the CO‐rebreathing method for this group. Twenty‐five male CMS patients living at elevations between 3600 and 4100 m above sea level were compared with ethnically matched healthy control subjects from identical elevations (n = 11) and near sea level (n = 9) and with a Caucasian group from sea level (n = 6). CO rebreathing was performed for 2 min, and blood samples were taken for the subsequent 30 min. After the method was modified, its reliability was evaluated in test–retest experiments (n = 28), and validity was investigated by measuring the Hbmass before and after the phlebotomy of 500 ml (n = 4). CO uptake was not affected by CMS. The carboxyhaemoglobin mixing was completed after 8 min in the Caucasian group but after 14 min in the groups living at altitude. When blood was sampled 14–20 min after inhalation, the typical error of the method was 1.6% (confidence limits 1.2–2.5%). After phlebotomy, Hbmass decreased from 1779 ± 123 to 1650 ± 129 g, and no difference was found between the measured and calculated Hbmass (1666 ± 122 g). When the time of blood sampling was adapted to accommodate a prolonged carboxyhaemoglobin‐mixing time, the CO‐rebreathing method became a reliable and valid tool to determine Hbmass in CMS patients.
El juicio de Sócrates desde el punto de vista ateniense
Authors: Hansen Morgens Herman
Published: September 2019

Este estudio reconstruye el juicio de Sócrates, especialmente, el caso levantado por los acusadores. La primera parte es una discusión sobre las fuentes que tenemos disponibles para reconstruir el juicio, especialmente el análisis de Jenofonte en Memorabilia. La segunda parte reconstruye el juicio basados en una nueva evaluación de las fuentes. La tercera parte discute los aspectos políticos del juicio, y argumenta que haber levantado acusaciones políticas contra Sócrates no era necesariamente una infracción a la amnistía del 403. Más aún, un estudio prosopográfico del círculo social alrededor de Sócrates muestra que un alto número de sus “amigos” eran ciudadanos que se habían unido a la revolución oligárquica del 411 y del 404-403 y habían sido condenados por traición y/o impiedad. Finalmente, se presenta un diálogo pseudo-platónico entre Sócrates y Ánito en el que Sócrates tiene que admitir que la democracia es la mejor constitución posible.