bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Innovative Potential of Antibody Engineering Enhanced the Clinical Value of Immunotherapy
Authors: Nazir Taha , Rashid Nazir Saeed Ur , Islam Azharul , Sultana Misbah , Riaz Humayun , Amer Muhammad , Taha Nida
Published: January 2020

The improvements of counter acting antibody generation systems of various types of immunoglobulins have been created on a vast scale. Miscellaneous scientific tools and skills used to design the most efficient and accurate method. The hybridoma innovation opened a new era in the production of antibodies against target antigens of desirable pathogens, life-threatening infections including immune system issue and various intense poisons. Despite that, these clinical acculturated or chimeric murine antibodies have a few constraints and complexities. The study aims to review and explain the advanced antibody engineering to enhance the innovative potential of antibodies. Therefore, our major effort focusing to defeat the current challenges, late advances in hereditary building methods and phage display system that permitted the creation of exceedingly particular recombinant antibodies. These antibodies have been built in the chase for novel remedial medications furnished with improved immune protective capacities. That will potential connects with the resistant effector's capacities; compel advancement of combination proteins, proficient tumor and tissue entrance and high-liking antibodies coordinated against moderated targets. Propelled counteracting agent designing systems have broad applications in the fields of immunology, biotechnology, diagnostics and helpful prescriptions. Even so, there is constrained learning with respect to element immune response improvement approaches. Along these lines, this study reaches outside of our ability to comprehend traditional polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. Besides, late advances in immunizer designing systems together with counteracting agent sections, show advances, immunomodulation and expansive utilization of antibodies are examined to upgrade creative neutralizer generation in the expedition for a more advantageous future for people.
PCBP2 post‐transcriptionally regulates sortilin expression by binding to a C‐rich element in its 3′ UTR
Authors: Yabe‐Wada Toshiki , Philpott Caroline C. , Onai Nobuyuki
Published: January 2020

Post‐transcriptional regulation of cytokine production is crucial to ensure appropriate immune responses. We previously demonstrated that poly‐rC‐binding protein‐1 (PCBP1) can act as a trans‐acting factor to stabilize transcripts encoding sortilin, which mediates cytokine trafficking. Here, we report that PCBP2, which strongly resembles PCBP1, can stabilize sortilin transcripts in macrophages using the same mechanism employed by PCBP1. PCBP2 recognized the C‐rich element in the 3′ UTR of sortilin mRNA, and PCBP2 knockdown decreased sortilin transcripts, indicating that PCBP2 stabilizes sortilin mRNA by binding to its 3′ UTR. Zn2+ reversibly inhibited the nucleotide binding ability of PCBP2 in vitro. These findings suggest that both PCBP2 and PCBP1 may control the stability of sortilin transcripts by sensing intracellular Zn2+ levels in immune cells.
Baseline Gait Muscle Activation Patterns Differ for Osteoarthritis Patients Who Undergo Total Knee Arthroplasty Five to Eight Years Later From Those Who Do Not
Authors: Hatfield Gillian L. , Costello Kerry E. , Astephen Wilson Janie L. , Stanish William D. , Hubley‐Kozey Cheryl L.
Published: January 2020

Objective

To determine if baseline quadriceps and hamstrings muscle activity patterns differed between those with medial‐compartment knee osteoarthritis (OA) who advanced to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and those who did not advance to TKA, and to examine associations between features extracted from principal component analysis (PCA) and discrete measures.

Methods

Surface electromyograms of the vastus lateralis and medialis, rectus femoris, and lateral and medial hamstrings during walking were collected from 54 individuals with knee OA. Amplitude and temporal characteristics from PCA, co‐contraction indices (CCI) for lateral and medial muscle pairs, and root mean square (RMS) amplitudes for early, mid, late, and overall stance were calculated from electromyographic waveforms. At follow‐up 5 to 8 years later, 26 participants reported having undergone TKA. Analysis of variance models tested for differences in principal component (PC) scores and discrete measures between TKA and no‐TKA groups (α = 0.05). Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficients were calculated between PC scores and discrete variables.

Results

The TKA group had higher hamstrings activity magnitudes (PC1), prolonged activity in mid stance (PC2) for all muscles, and greater lateral CCI. TKA had higher RMS hamstrings activity for all stance phases, and higher RMS mid‐ and late‐stance quadriceps activity. PC1 was highly correlated with RMS amplitude (highest overall and early stance). PC2 was correlated with mid‐ and late‐stance RMS. CCIs were correlated with PC1 and PC2, with greater variance explained for PC1.

Conclusion

Those who advanced to TKA had higher magnitudes and more prolonged agonist and antagonist activity, consistent with less joint unloading. These gait muscle activation patterns indicate a potential conservative intervention target.
Health Care Utilization for Musculoskeletal Issues During the Prediagnosis Period in Psoriatic Arthritis: A Population‐Based Study
Authors: Eder Lihi , Tu Karen , Rosen Cheryl F. , Alhusayen Raed , Cheng Stephanie Y. , Young Jacqueline , Campbell Willemina , Bernatsky Sasha , Gladman Dafna D. , Paterson J. Michael , Widdifield Jessica
Published: January 2020

Objective

Information about the prediagnosis period in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is limited. The present study was undertaken to compare health care utilization related to musculoskeletal issues during a 5‐year period prior to the diagnosis of PsA versus that of subjects with no prior inflammatory arthritis within a primary care setting.

Methods

We conducted a population‐based, matched cohort study using electronic medical records and administrative data in Ontario, Canada. Age‐ and sex‐matched cohorts of PsA patients and comparators from the same family physicians were assembled. Comparators were not allowed to have prior spondyloarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, or rheumatoid arthritis billing code diagnoses. The study outcomes included health care utilization and costs related to nonspecific musculoskeletal issues during a 5‐year period prior to the index date.

Results

We studied 462 PsA patients and 2,310 matched comparators. The odds ratio (OR) related to visiting a primary care physician for nonspecific musculoskeletal issues in patients with PsA was 2.14 (95% confidence interval 1.73–2.64) in the year immediately preceding the index date and was similarly elevated up to 5 years prior. The OR related to using other musculoskeletal‐related health care services, including musculoskeletal specialists visits, joint injections, joint imaging, and emergency department visits, was higher in PsA as early as 5 years preceding the index date. Total and musculoskeletal‐related health care costs prior to the index date were higher for patients with PsA versus comparators.

Conclusion

A prodromal PsA phase characterized by nonspecific musculoskeletal symptoms may exist. Further study is needed to determine if this represents a window for earlier diagnosis of PsA.
Exceptional Long Electron Lifetime in Methylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskite Solar Cell Made from Aqueous Lead Nitrate Precursor
Authors: Hsieh Tsung‐Yu , Pylnev Mikhail , Palomares Emilio , Wei Tzu‐Chien
Published: January 2020

Studies on the photoelectronic properties of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) made from non‐PbI2 precursors are seldom reported. In this study, a series of transient techniques are applied to investigate the charge recombination and trap distribution in an efficient PSC fabricated using a low‐toxicity Pb(NO3)2/water protocol. A device with identical conversion efficiency fabricated using a conventional PbI2/dimethylformamide protocol is also studied for comparison. Transient photovoltage and time‐resolved photoluminescence analysis reveal that the Pb(NO3)2/water‐based device exhibits a long lifetime in both bimolecular and trap‐assisted recombination. However, differential capacitance and differential charging analysis indicate that there are more charges stored in the Pb(NO3)2/water‐based perovskite layer, which stretches the energy tail from band edge to midband and should provoke serious trap‐assisted recombination. The exceptional long electron lifetime in the Pb(NO3)2/water‐based device is explained by a benign defect inactivation, which originates from water and NO3− residues from the aqueous precursor solution and is involved in the formation of perovskite crystal. Consequently, despite the perovskite film made from Pb(NO3)2/water protocol possessing high trap density, its photovoltaic device still exhibits a long electron lifetime and superior photovoltaic properties.
Synthesis of 2‐(3‐Arylallylidene)‐3‐oxindoles via Dirhodium(II)‐Catalyzed Reaction of 3‐Diazoindolin‐2‐imines with 1‐Aryl‐Substituted Allylic Alcohols and Computational Insights
Authors: Gao Ke , Kou Luyao , Fu Rui , Bao Xiaoguang
Published: January 2020

A straightforward approach for the synthesis of 2‐(3‐arylallylidene)‐3‐oxindoles has been achieved by the dirhodium(II)‐catalyzed reaction of 3‐diazoindolin‐2‐imines with 1‐aryl‐substituted allylic alcohols. This protocol employs easily accessible feedstocks to produce oxindole derivatives, which might be applicable in the dye industry. DFT calculations were carried out to gain a mechanistic insight into the reaction.

magnified image
Palladium(II)‐Catalyzed Enantioselective C−H Alkenylation of Ferrocenecarboxylic Acid
Authors: Huang Yanzhen , Pi Chao , Cui Xiuling , Wu Yangjie
Published: January 2020

The palladium‐catalyzed enantioselective C−H alkenylation of ferrocenecarboxylic acid has been developed. A series of 2‐alkenyl ferrocenecarboxylic acids with planar chirality were obtained using molecular oxygen as an oxidant. This protocol starts from less expensive and readily available starting materials and provides the target products as a key intermediate in organic synthesis.

magnified image
Basic point‐of‐care ultrasound framework based on the airway, breathing, and circulation approach for the initial management of shock and dyspnea
Authors: Kameda Toru , Kimura Akio
Published: January 2020

Ultrasound (US) carried out and interpreted by clinicians at the bedside is now called point‐of‐care US (POCUS). Clinical studies on POCUS have been carried out based on the ideas of “creation”, “extraction”, and “combination”. “Creation” refers to findings for the upper airway and lung being obtained at the bedside. “Extraction” refers to findings suitable for POCUS being extracted from comprehensive US, including echocardiography, abdominal US, and whole‐leg US. “Combination” refers to these POCUS applications being combined for the comprehensive assessment of patients with trauma, shock, or dyspnea. Emergency and critical care physicians have many opportunities to encounter trauma or non‐trauma patients with shock, dyspnea, or both. Furthermore, the scope of POCUS includes many diseases and injuries that present with both shock and dyspnea. Therefore, we propose a basic POCUS framework based on the systematic airway, breathing, and circulation approach for the initial management of shock and dyspnea in adult patients. In this article, we update and review each application of POCUS and their combination in this framework. Furthermore, we propose the practical usage of the framework based on clinical presentations to improve the management of shock and dyspnea.
Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from aqueous extract of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam and evaluation of their bio‐activities under in vitro and in vivo conditions
Authors: Ahmeda Ahmad , Zangeneh Akram , Kalbasi Roozbeh Javad , Seydi Niloofar , Zangeneh Mohammad Mahdi , Mansouri Sanaz , Goorani Samaneh , Moradi Rohallah
Published: January 2020

The purpose of this experiment was the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from aqueous extracts of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam (AgNPs@Ziziphora) and assessment of their cytotoxicity, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, and cutaneous wound‐healing effects. These nanoparticles were characterized using ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (FESEM‐EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). UV–Vis, TEM, and FESEM analyses indicated that the size of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) depended on Z. clinopodioides and AgNO3 concentrations. In vitro biological experiments indicated that AgNPs@Ziziphora has excellent antioxidant potential against DPPH, antifungal effects against Candida guilliermondii, Candida krusei, Candida glabrata, and Candida albicans, and antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus pneumonia, Salmonella typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli O157:H7. Also, these nanoparticles did not exhibit cytotoxicity property against human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). An in vivo biological test revealed that AgNPs@Ziziphora ointment significantly (p ≤ 0.01) increased the levels of wound contracture, blood vessels, hydroxyl proline, hexuronic acid, hexosamine, fibrocytes, fibroblasts, and fibrocyte/fibroblast ratio and significantly (p ≤ 0.01) decreased the wound area, and levels of total cells, neutrophils, and lymphocytes than other groups in rats. The results of UV–Vis, XRD, FESEM‐EDX, AFM, and TEM confirmed that the aqueous extract of Z. clinopodioides can be used to produce silver nanoparticles with significant antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cutaneous wound‐healing properties without any cytotoxicity.
Palladium‐catalyzed cyclization reaction of N‐(2‐Haloaryl)alkynylimines: Synthesis of 3‐acylindoles using water as the sole solvent and oxygen source
Authors: Zhang An‐An , Meng Tuanjie , Wang Wenli , Liu Xueli , Zhu Yupei , Liu Lantao
Published: January 2020

A simple and efficient strategy for the preparation of 3‐acylindoles via palladium‐catalyzed cyclization reaction of N‐(2‐haloaryl)alkynylimines in water has been developed. The reaction tolerates a wide range of functional groups, and the corresponding 3‐acylindoles were obtained in high yields using water as the sole solvent and oxygen sources. Additionally, this method could provide a short synthesis route for Pravadoline, a phase II analgesic drug.
A biogeography‐based management forMytilus chilensis: The genetic hodgepodge of Los Lagos versus the pristine hybrid zone of the Magellanic ecotone
Authors: Díaz‐Puente Borja , Pita Alfonso , Uribe Juan , Cuéllar‐Pinzón José , Guiñez Ricardo , Presa Pablo
Published: January 2020

This study was intended to identify mussel species from the Magellanic ecotone, quantifying interspecific hybridization withinMytilusand depicting the genetic architecture ofMytilus chilensisin its South Pacific range.

The analysis comprises the sub‐Antarctic Magallanes Province as a rich ecotone of climates, ecosystems and admixed faunas embedded among the biogeographic regions of the Pacific, the Atlantic, and Antarctica.

Highly conserved molecular sequences within species were used to identify species, and polymorphic microsatellites were used to calculate the genetic architecture ofM. chilensis. The absence of the invasive speciesMytilus galloprovincialisfrom theM. chilensisrange clarifies previous doubts on its expansion southward from the Arauco Gulf. The ubiquitous presence of the typicalGlu‐5′‐Me‐15/16PAP allele ofMytilus trossulusin the Northern Hemisphere might come from hull biofouling, but rather it seems to be an ancient polymorphism conserved inM. chilensisas occurs in blue mussels from other regions of the Southern Hemisphere. There is a very limited connectivity (FST= 0.167) between two latitudinal gene pools ofM. chilensisthat are highly divergent in composition, architecture, and ecological relevance.

Fifty years of aquaculture enhancement in Los Lagos explains its high diversity and genetic heterogeneity among patches, so its mussel management should seek a balance between exploitation and environmental sustainability.

The Magellanic ecotone bears a pristineM. chilensis×Mytilusedulisplatensishybrid zone around the Southern Cone, larger (450 km) than previously thought. Such a hybrid zone permeates one of the last remaining wilderness areas in the world (Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve) and is a natural laboratory for addressing introgression, hybridization, and evolution ofMytilusspp. genomes in their last southern frontier.
Viscosity Effects of Hydrophilic Polymers on Transport of Collagen Hydrolysate Across Reconstructed Human Buccal Tissue
Authors: Koo Jain , Lee Seohyun , Yeo Sooho , Kim Dohyun , Park Minwoo , Nam Tack Soo , Lee Jaehwi
Published: January 2020

Herein we investigate the influence of hydrophilic polymers on the buccal permeability of collagen hydrolysate (CGH) by performing in vitro buccal permeation test and viscosity measurements. After we demonstrated that CGH (2000–3000 Da) could be delivered across the reconstructed human buccal tissue as evaluated by hydroxyproline assay, the effects of different hydrophilic polymers, varying amounts of CGH, and hydration methods were examined to elucidate the relationship with buccal permeation behavior of CGH. The percentage of CGH permeated was found to be highest in HPMC E5 solution and greater when the viscosity of test solutions was low. Using commercially obtained CGH‐loaded buccal films, the films under higher hydration condition exhibited greater CGH permeation. This study demonstrates that CGH can be delivered via the human buccal tissue and viscosity of the solution significantly affects the CGH permeation. These findings are valuable for designing hydrophilic polymer‐based buccal film formulations for peptides like CGH.
Effect of early life stress on anxiety and depressive behaviors in adolescent mice
Authors: He Ting , Guo Chen , Wang Chunlian , Hu Chunrong , Chen Huanxin
Published: January 2020

Introduction

Adolescence is a critical period for physical and mental development. The effect of early life stress on mood disorders has been intensively studied in adults using rodent models, but it has been less studied in adolescents. The present study aimed to examine the effect of early life stress on anxiety‐related and depression‐like behaviors in adolescent C57BL/6 mice and the sex difference.

Methods

C57BL/6 mice of both sexes were used, and early life stressors included maternal separation (MS, P2‐12, 4 hr per day), restraint stress (RS, P33 to 39, 4 hr per day), and their combination (MRS). Open field test, elevated plus maze, and forced swimming test were performed at different time points during adolescence and adulthood.

Results

It was found that MS did not affect the anxiety‐related behaviors of both males and females tested on P30‐31 and P41‐42. RS decreased the anxiety level in adolescent males but did not affect it in the females. MS, RS, and MRS all significantly increased the depression‐like behavior in adolescent males, but only MRS increased the depression‐like behavior in adolescent females. All effects on adolescent males and females did not persist into adulthood.

Conclusion

The present results showed that early life stress affected anxiety‐related and depression‐like behavior in adolescent mice in manners depending on the nature of stress, the developmental period, and sex.
Holistic process development to mitigate proteolysis of a subunit rotavirus vaccine candidate produced in Pichia pastoris by means of an acid pH pulse during fed‐batch fermentation
Authors: Velez‐Suberbie M. Lourdes , Morris Stephen A. , Kaur Kawaljit , Hickey John M. , Joshi Sangeeta B. , Volkin David B. , Bracewell Daniel G. , Mukhopadhyay Tarit K.
Published: January 2020

To meet the challenges of global health, vaccine design and development must be reconsidered to achieve cost of goods as low as 15¢ per dose. A new recombinant protein‐based rotavirus vaccine candidate derived from non‐replicative viral subunits fused to a P2 tetanus toxoid CD4(+) T cell epitope is currently under clinical development. We have sought to simplify the existing manufacturing process to meet these aims. To this end, we have taken a holistic process development approach to reduce process complexity and costs while producing a product with the required characteristics. We have changed expression system from Escherichia coli to Pichia pastoris, to produce a secreted product, thereby reducing the number of purification steps. However, the presence of proteases poses challenges to product quality. To understand the effect of fermentation parameters on product quality small‐scale fermentations were carried out. Media pH and fermentation duration had the greatest impact on the proportion of full‐length product. A novel acidic pH pulse strategy was used to minimize proteolysis, and this combined with an early harvest time significantly increased the proportion of full‐length material (60–75%). An improved downstream process using a combination of CIEX and AIEX to further reduce proteases, resulted in maintaining product quality (95% yield).
Blame and Culpability in Children's Narratives of Child Sexual Abuse
Authors: Ellis Katie
Published: January 2020

Though child sexual abuse (CSA) is a global problem, victims are treated differently across the world. In the UK, there is a dominant assumption that victims are passive, which risks further marginalising those who do not identify themselves in line with prominent understanding of ‘vulnerability’. Drawing upon ethnographic fieldwork and in‐depth interviews, this paper shares the perspectives of girls who were placed in secure accommodation for their own protection, owing to professional concerns of CSA. Despite their experiences being reported almost identically in their files, this sensitive research shows that girls understood and narrated their journeys in strikingly different ways. Each shared complex relationships with their abuser and admitted to absconding with them on multiple occasions. Despite disparate narratives, the girls unanimously rejected being labelled as ‘vulnerable’ and instead felt that they were responsible for the abuse that they had endured. I argue that limited understanding of CSA problematises girls who claim sexual agency, meaning that they are consequently forced to shoulder responsibility for their own exploitation. By sharing the voices of those who are usually unheard, this paper concludes by calling for a radical reframing of the way that victims are treated, both by professionals working with them and by policies written about them.

‘This paper shares the perspectives of girls who were placed in secure accommodation for their own protection, owing to professional concerns of CSA’

Key Practitioner Messages

Girls believed that professionals held them accountable for being sexually abused.

The structural disadvantages of childhood meant that children sometimes relied on their abusers for food and shelter.

Victims sometimes felt that their abuser was their only friend.

Professionals sometimes mistook resilience for culpability.
Identification and functional analysis of long non‐coding RNAs in the synovial membrane of osteoarthritis patients
Authors: Shui Xiaolong , Xie Qipeng , Chen Shaomin , Zhou Chengwei , Kong Jianzhong , Wang Yi
Published: January 2020

Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common chronic joint disease in the elderly, has become a significant economic burden for families and societies worldwide. Although treatments are continually improving, current drugs only target joint pain, with no effective therapies modifying OA progression. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which have received increasing attention in recent years, are abnormally expressed in OA cartilage. In the present study, weighted coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was applied to identify modules related to certain OA clinical traits. In total, 4404 coding genes and 161 lncRNAs were differentially expressed based on two OA expression profile data sets and normal control samples. Subsequently, 11 independent modules were acquired, and the green module, with a total of 49 hub genes, was identified as the most relevant to OA. These hub genes were validated using the GSE12021 data set. There was only one lncRNA among the hub genes, namely, NONHSAG034351. Thus, we further explored the function of NONHSAG034351‐related genes in the network. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis showed that NONHSAG034351‐associated genes are involved in the response to lipopolysaccharide, angiogenesis, tumour necrosis factor (TNF) signalling, and mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathways. In conclusion, we identified modules through WGCNA related to OA clinical traits. NONHSAG034351, the only hub‐lncRNA, was downregulated in OA synovial tissue and might play a significant role in the pathological progression of this disease. Our findings have important clinical implications and could provide novel biomarkers that indicate the molecular mechanisms of OA and act as potential therapeutic targets.

Significance of this study

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be abnormally expressed in osteoarthritis (OA), which is the most common chronic joint disease among the elderly. In the present study, we report the expression profiles of lncRNAs in OA and the identification of modules through WGCNA related to OA clinical traits. NONHSAG034351, the only hub‐lncRNA identified to be downregulated in the synovial tissue of OA patients, might play a significant role in the pathological progression of OA. Furthermore, our findings provide novel biomarkers associated with the molecular mechanisms underlying OA pathogenesis, thus implying potential therapeutic targets with important clinical implications.
Evaluation of Sludge Digester Effluent as Feeding Solution for the Enrichment of Anammox Bacteria
Authors: Çelen‐Erdem İpek
Published: January 2020

The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of sludge digester effluent as feeding solution to enrich anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) bacteria. The performance of the two parallel pilot scale‐upflow packed bed anammox reactors (UPBAn1 and UPBAn2) are examined in terms of the enrichment of anammox bacteria. The control experiment is set up conducting synthetic wastewater as feeding solution in the UPBAn1 reactor whereas, the sludge digester effluent is fed to the nitritation reactor and then the partially nitrated digester effluent to the UPBAn2 reactor. Anammox activities are evaluated by mass balances based on ammonium (NH4+), nitrite (NO2−), and nitrate (NO3−) analysis and NRR. Microbial community of anammox bacteria is analyzed using real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results demonstrate that UPBAn 1 and UPBAn2 reactors are successfully enriched on days 64 and 40 with NRRs of 19.54 and 19.43 g N m−3 per day, respectively. This study reveals that both synthetic wastewater and digester effluent are suitable for the enrichment of anammox bacteria; however, digester effluent as feeding solution for enrichment of anammox bacteria based on the ease of process control and process stability is more advisable.
Visual pathways in the brain of the jumping spider Marpissa muscosa
Authors: Steinhoff Philip O. M. , Uhl Gabriele , Harzsch Steffen , Sombke Andy
Published: January 2020

Some animals have evolved task differentiation among their eyes. A particular example is spiders, where most species have eight eyes, of which two (the principal eyes) are used for object discrimination, whereas the other three pairs (secondary eyes) detect movement. In the ctenid spider Cupiennius salei, these two eye types correspond to two visual pathways in the brain. Each eye is associated with its own first‐ and second‐order visual neuropil. The second‐order neuropils of the principal eyes are connected to the arcuate body, whereas the second‐order neuropils of the secondary eyes are linked to the mushroom body. We explored the principal‐ and secondary eye visual pathways of the jumping spider Marpissa muscosa, in which size and visual fields of the two eye types are considerably different. We found that the connectivity of the principal eye pathway is the same as in C. salei, while there are differences in the secondary eye pathways. In M. muscosa, all secondary eyes are connected to their own first‐order visual neuropils. The first‐order visual neuropils of the anterior lateral and posterior lateral eyes are connected with a second‐order visual neuropil each and an additional shared one (L2). In the posterior median eyes, the axons of their first‐order visual neuropils project directly to the arcuate body, suggesting that the posterior median eyes do not detect movement. The L2 might function as an upstream integration center enabling faster movement decisions.
Development and implementation of a laser headlight system for electro‐optic characteristic measurement and comparison
Authors: Lin Chang‐Hua , Pai Kai‐Jun , Chen Po‐Hsun
Published: January 2020

In this study, a laser headlight driving controller (LHDC) using the controller area network (CAN)‐bus communication system was developed and implemented for vehicle headlight applications. To observe temperature variations that influence the forward‐bias voltage and optical power of laser diodes, the laser diode was placed in an ambient temperature‐testing chamber to measure the electro‐optic characteristics and calculate the electro‐optic conversion efficiencies. The optical power and conversion efficiency values obtained at different temperatures (from negative to positive temperatures) when optical power adjustment was executed using analog and pulse‐width modulation technologies were compared. Moreover, a human‐machine operating interface was developed using the LabVIEW software. Therefore, the LHDC and laser optical power can be controlled using a computer through the CAN‐bus communication system to control the LHDC and monitor it.
Cluster‐based spectrum access scheme selection and optimal relay link selection for hybrid overlay/underlay cognitive radio networks
Authors: Rajaganapathi Rajappan , Nathan P. MuthuChidambara
Published: January 2020

Cognitive radio (CR) network is the effective technique for the optimum utilization of the spectrum. The hybrid cognitive network (HCN) has been implemented to increase the utilization of the spectrum, by using both (overlay/underlay) modes of spectrum sharing. In overlay mode, cognitive radio (CR) opportunistically uses the spectrum, whereas in underlay mode, the CR uses the spectrum simultaneously with primary user (PU) with transmit power limitation. The HCN tries to use advantages of both modes of spectrum sharing. Its performance is based on the accuracy of the method used to find the PU status. Hence, in this paper, “clustering‐based spectrum access scheme selection and optimal relay link selection for hybrid overlay/underlay cognitive radio networks” have been proposed to improve the performance of the hybrid cognitive radio network. In this proposed method, the scheme selection is done in two levels. In the first level, spectrum sharing scheme is selected based on the cluster in which the SU is present, and in the second level, scheme is selected based on the PU status. The cluster‐based cooperative spectrum sensing method has been used to find the status of the PU. Compared with cooperative spectrum sensing, a cluster‐based cooperative spectrum sensing has a huge effect on sensing accuracy. While the underlay scheme is used by SU, best relay link has been selected by using particle swarm optimization technique. Thus, the best scheme selection and relay selection improve the performance of hybrid cognitive radio network. The simulation result shows that the proposed method improves the throughput of the HCN.
Hybridization patterns between two marine snails, Littorina fabalis and L. obtusata
Authors: Costa Diana , Sotelo Graciela , Kaliontzopoulou Antigoni , Carvalho João , Butlin Roger , Hollander Johan , Faria Rui
Published: January 2020

Characterizing the patterns of hybridization between closely related species is crucial to understand the role of gene flow in speciation. In particular, systems comprising multiple contacts between sister species offer an outstanding opportunity to investigate how reproductive isolation varies with environmental conditions, demography and geographic contexts of divergence. The flat periwinkles, Littorina obtusata and L. fabalis (Gastropoda), are two intertidal sister species with marked ecological differences compatible with late stages of speciation. Although hybridization between the two was previously suggested, its extent across the Atlantic shores of Europe remained largely unknown. Here, we combined genetic (microsatellites and mtDNA) and morphological data (shell and male genital morphology) from multiple populations of flat periwinkles in north‐western Iberia to assess the extent of current and past hybridization between L. obtusata and L. fabalis under two contrasting geographic settings of divergence (sympatry and allopatry). Hybridization signatures based on both mtDNA and microsatellites were stronger in sympatric sites, although evidence for recent extensive admixture was found in a single location. Misidentification of individuals into species based on shell morphology was higher in sympatric than in allopatric sites. However, despite hybridization, species distinctiveness based on this phenotypic trait together with male genital morphology remained relatively high. The observed variation in the extent of hybridization among locations provides a rare opportunity for future studies on the consequences of different levels of gene flow for reinforcement, thus informing about the mechanisms underlying the completion of speciation.
An accessible scheme for monitoring free‐roaming cat population trends
Authors: Gunther Idit , Azriel Lior , Wolf Hila , Raz Tal , Klement Eyal
Published: January 2020

Free‐roaming cats (FRCs) form nondomiciliary population groups that might lead to adverse environmental effects, as well as to welfare impairment of the cats themselves. Though criticized by ecologists, for the last two decades, the trap–neuter–return (TNR) programs were often employed aiming to manage these populations. At present, no accepted and accessible monitoring scheme exists to determine the effectiveness of those programs. In the current study, we present the reliability and validity of an applicable monitoring scheme, as an adjunct tool for a TNR program of FRC in an urban environment. The monitoring scheme is based on cat observation counts along randomly chosen transects. Fifty‐four transects were repeatedly walked for three years, between 2012‐2014, in 27 neighborhoods within an urban area of 19.3 Km2. Cat numbers counted in the 2014 observations were significantly higher than cat numbers found in the 2012 observations (prevalence ratio = 1.258, CI95%= 1.198–1.322, p < 0.001). The method revealed high reliability when different observers and different transects in the same neighborhood were compared (R2 = 0.548 and R2 = 0.391, respectively, for measuring cat counts per km, p < 0.001; and R2 = 0.5 and R2 = 0.74, respectively, for measuring neutering percentage, p < 0.001). This scheme was constructively validated by measurements of municipal data on the number of neutered cats and demonstrated high correlation (R2 = 0.59, p < 0.001). Conducting cat observations using friendly calling and feeding resulted in an increased number of FRC observed per km walk (by 79% and 22%–30%, respectively). However, these manipulations did not alter the recorded percentage of neutered cats. The proposed scheme provides spatio‐temporal data that can contribute to the management programs of such cat metapopulations in an urban environment.
Nutrient addition increases grassland sensitivity to droughts
Authors: Bharath Siddharth , Borer Elizabeth T. , Biederman Lori A. , Blumenthal Dana M. , Fay Philip A. , Gherardi Laureano A. , Knops Johannes M. H. , Leakey Andrew D. B. , Yahdjian Laura , Seabloom Eric W.
Published: January 2020

Grasslands worldwide are expected to experience an increase in extreme events such as drought, along with simultaneous increases in mineral nutrient inputs as a result of human industrial activities. These changes are likely to interact because elevated nutrient inputs may alter plant diversity and increase the sensitivity to droughts. Dividing a system’s sensitivity to drought into resistance to change during the drought and rate of recovery after the drought generates insights into different dimensions of the system’s resilience in the face of drought. Here, we examine the effects of experimental nutrient fertilization and the resulting diversity loss on the resistance to and recovery from severe regional droughts. We do this at 13 North American sites spanning gradients of aridity, five annual grasslands in California, and eight perennial grasslands in the Great Plains. We measured rate of resistance as the change in annual aboveground biomass (ANPP) per unit change in growing season precipitation as conditions declined from normal to drought. We measured recovery as the change in ANPP during the postdrought period and the return to normal precipitation. Resistance and recovery did not vary across the 400‐mm range of mean growing season precipitation spanned by our sites in the Great Plains. However, chronic nutrient fertilization in the Great Plains reduced drought resistance and increased drought recovery. In the California annual grasslands, arid sites had a greater recovery postdrought than mesic sites, and nutrient addition had no consistent effects on resistance or recovery. Across all study sites, we found that predrought species richness in natural grasslands was not consistently associated with rates of resistance to or recovery from the drought, in contrast to earlier findings from experimentally assembled grassland communities. Taken together, these results suggest that human‐induced eutrophication may destabilize grassland primary production, but the effects of this may vary across regions and flora, especially between perennial and annual‐dominated grasslands.
Young adults' partner preferences and parents' in‐law preferences across generations, genders, and nations
Authors: Locke Kenneth D. , Mastor Khairul A. , MacDonald Geoff , Barni Daniela , Morio Hiroaki , Reyes Jose Alberto S. , Vargas‐Flores José de Jesús , Ibáñez‐Reyes Joselina , Kamble Shanmukh , Ortiz Fernando A.
Published: January 2020

To examine cultural, gender, and parent–child differences in partner preferences, in eight countries undergraduates (n = 2,071) and their parents (n = 1,851) ranked the desirability of qualities in someone the student might marry. Despite sizable cultural differences—especially between Southeast Asian and Western countries—participants generally ranked kind/understanding (reflecting interpersonal communion) highest, and intelligent and healthy (reflecting mental/physical agency) among the top four. Students valued exciting, attractive partners more and healthy, religious partners less than parents did; comparisons with rankings by youth in 1984 (i.e., from the parents' generation) suggested cohort effects cannot explain most parent–child disagreements. As evolutionary psychology predicts, participants prioritized wives' attractiveness and homemaker skills and husbands' education and breadwinner skills; but as sociocultural theory predicts, variations across countries/decades in gendered spousal/in‐law preferences mirrored socioeconomic gender differences. Collectively, the results suggest individuals consider their social roles/circumstances when envisioning their ideal spouse/in‐law, which has implications for how humans’ partner‐appraisal capabilities evolved.
Discovery and identification of medium‐chain fatty acid responsive promoters in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Han Li , Han Danya , Li Lei , Huang Shen , He Peixin , Wang Qinhong
Published: January 2020

Medium‐chain fatty acids (MCFAs) and their derivatives are important chemicals that can be used in lubricants, detergents, and cosmetics. MCFAs can be produced in several microbes, although production is not high. Dynamic regulation by synthetic biology is a good method of improving production of chemicals that avoids toxic intermediates, but chemical‐responsive promoters are required. Several MCFA sensors or promoters have been reported in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, by using transcriptomic analysis of S. cerevisiae exposed to fatty acids with 6‐, 12‐, and 16‐carbon chains, we identified 58 candidate genes that may be responsive to MCFAs. Using a fluorescence‐based screening method, we identified MCFA‐responsive promoters, four that upregulated gene expression, and three that downregulated gene expression. Dose–response analysis revealed that some of the promoters were sensitive to fatty acid concentrations as low as 0.02–0.06 mM. The MCFA‐responsive promoters reported in this study could be used in dynamic regulation of fatty acids and fatty acid‐derived products in S. cerevisiae.
Watershed and ocean controls of salt marsh extent and resilience
Authors: Yousefi Lalimi Fateme , Marani Marco , Heffernan James Brendan , D'Alpaos Andrea , Murray A. Brad
Published: January 2020

The formation and evolution of tidal platforms are controlled by the feedbacks between hydrodynamics, geomorphology, vegetation, and sediment transport. Previous work mainly addresses dynamics at the scale of individual marsh platforms. Here, we develop a process‐based model to investigate salt marsh depositional/erosional dynamics and resilience to environmental change at the scale of tidal basins. We evaluate how inputs of water and sediment from river and ocean sources interact, how losses of sediment to the ocean depend on this interaction, and how erosional/depositional dynamics are coupled to these exchanges. Model experiments consider a wide range of watershed, basin, and oceanic characteristics, represented by river discharge and suspended sediment concentration, basin dimensions, tidal range, and ocean sediment concentration. In some scenarios, the vertical accretion of a tidal flat can be greater than the rate of sea level rise. Under these conditions, vertical depositional dynamics can lead to transitions between tidal flat and salt marsh equilibrium states. This type of transition occurs much more rapidly than transitions occurring through horizontal marsh expansion or retreat. In addition, our analyses reveal that river inputs can affect the existence and extent of marsh/tidal flat equilibria by both directly providing suspended sediment (favoring marshes) and by modulating water exchanges with the ocean, thereby indirectly affecting the ocean sediment input to the system (favoring either marshes or tidal flats depending on the ratio of the river and ocean water inputs and their sediment concentrations). The model proposed has the goal of clarifying the roles of the main dynamic processes at play, rather than of predicting the evolution of a particular tidal system. Our model results most directly reflect micro‐ and meso‐tidal environments but also have implications for macro‐tidal settings. The model‐based analyses presented extend our theoretical understanding of marsh dynamics to a greater range of intertidal environments. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chemical composition of cold‐pressed blackberry seed flour extract and its potential health‐beneficial properties
Authors: Choe Uyory , Li Yanfang , Yu Lu , Gao Boyan , Wang Thomas T. Y. , Sun Jianghao , Chen Pei , Yu Liangli
Published: January 2020

The blackberry seed flour was cold‐extracted using 50% acetone and examined for its phytochemical composition and health‐beneficial properties including in vitro gut microbiota modulatory, free radical scavenging, anti‐inflammatory, and antiproliferative capacities. Among identified thirteen components of blackberry seed flour extract through UHPLC‐MS analysis, sanguiin H6 was the primary component and followed by ellagic acid and pedunculagin. For health‐beneficial properties, the blackberry seed flour extract increased the total number of gut bacteria and shifted the abundance of specific bacterial phylum, family, or genus. The extract had RDSC, ORAC, HOSC, and ABTS•+ scavenging capacities of 362, 304, 2,531, and 267 μmol Trolox equivalents (TE)/g, respectively. In addition, the blackberry seed flour extract showed capacities for anti‐inflammation and antiproliferation by suppressing LPS induced IL‐1β mRNA expressions in the cultured J774A.1 mouse macrophages and the proliferation of LNCaP prostate cancer cells. The results suggest potential health benefits and further utilization of blackberry seed flour as functional foods.
Identification and characterization of virulent Aeromonas hydrophila Ah17 from infected Channa striata in river Cauvery and in vitro evaluation of shrimp chitosan
Authors: Samayanpaulraj Vignesh , Sivaramapillai Muthukumar , Palani Sankara Naynar , Govindaraj Krishnaveni , Velu Vijay , Ramesh Uthandakalaipandian
Published: January 2020

Aeromonas hydrophila, an inhabitant in the aquatic ecosystem is considered as an important foodborne bacterial zoonotic pathogen in aquaculture. The present study aimed to identify virulent A. hydrophila from naturally infected Channa striata in river Cauvery and in vitro evaluation of shrimp chitosan. Rimler Shotts (RS) and blood agar medium identified the presence of pathogenic Aeromonas sp. from the infected C. striata. A. hydrophila Ah17 was identified using 16S rRNA nucleotide sequence. Extracellular enzymes such as amylase, lipase, and protease were screened in A. hydrophila Ah17. Antibiotic susceptibility tests showed A. hydrophila Ah17 was highly resistant against β‐lactam, glycopeptide, macrolides, phosphonic, fucidin, and oxazolidinone classes of antibiotics. Virulent genes such as hemolysin (aer and hly), heat‐labile enterotoxin (act), cytotonic heat‐stable enterotoxin (ast), elastase (ahyB), and lipase (lip) were identified. Growth and the viable cell population of virulent A. hydrophila Ah17 were significantly reduced in a dose‐dependent manner against shrimp chitosan (CHS) from Penaeus indicus (P. indicus). Thus, the present study isolated virulent A. hydrophila Ah17 from the environmental source and characterized in vitro with shrimp chitosan.