bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rainfall and host reproduction regulate population dynamics of a specialist seed predator
Authors: Bogdziewicz Michał , Canelo Tara , Bonal Raul
Published: June 2019

1. Mast seeding is a widespread resource pulse caused by synchronized and intermittent production of a large seed crop by plant populations. The effects of masting on wildlife have been well documented in granivorous vertebrates, but less is known about its impact on population dynamics of insects.

2. This study investigated, over 6 years, variation in abundance of a specialist weevil (Curculio elephas) preying on holm oak (Quercus ilex) acorns.

3. An immediate bottom‐up effect of seed production on weevil larval abundance was detected, which was driven by an increase in realised fecundity and aggregation at seed‐rich trees. Moreover, trees producing on average more and larger acorns sustained larger weevil populations. However, no correlation was found between current and previous year adult abundance, suggesting that C. elephas did not capitalise on the reproductive bottom‐up effect.

4. It was rainfall, not masting, that most strongly shaped the temporal variation in insect abundance. Rainfall facilitates emergence after diapause at underground earth cells and was also responsible for among‐tree synchronisation in adult weevil population dynamics.

5. In spite of their trophic specialisation, not only food availability, but also weather affects weevil numbers. The present results indicate that moving beyond bottom‐up effects is required to better understand complex systems that involve masting plants and insects that consume their seeds.
The Evolving Judicial Politics of European Integration: The European Court of Justice and national courts revisited
Authors: Pavone Tommaso , Kelemen R. Daniel
Published: June 2019

This article analyzes how the judicial politics sparked by the European Union's (EU) legal development have evolved over time. Existing studies have traced how lower national courts began cooperating with the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to apply EU law because this empowered them to challenge government policies and the decisions of their domestic judicial superiors. We argue that the institutional dynamics identified by this ‘judicial empowerment thesis’ proved self‐eroding over time, incentivizing domestic high courts to reassert control over national judicial hierarchies and to influence the development EU law in ways that were also encouraged by the ECJ. We support our argument by combining an analysis of a dataset of cases referred to the ECJ with comparative case study and interview evidence. We conclude that while these evolving judicial politics signal the institutional maturation of the EU legal order, they also risk weakening the decentralized enforcement of European law.
Effect of fatigue loading on stiffness degradation, energy dissipation, and matrix cracking damage of CFRP [±45]3Scomposite laminate
Authors: Behera Alok , Dupare Prasanna , Thawre Manjusha M. , Ballal Atul R.
Published: June 2019

In this study, a concept of using experimental matrix crack density, residual stiffness, and energy dissipation as a comparative life monitoring tool for any arbitrary stacking sequence is proposed. First, IMA/M21 [±45]3Scarbon fibre‐reinforced polymer (CFRP) multidirectional (MD) laminates were fabricated by autoclaving technique. The static tension and compression tests were conducted to determine the fatigue stress levels. Then, constant amplitude tension–tension fatigue tests were carried out at two stress ratios (R = σmin/σmax) of 0.1 and 0.5. Three stress levels on the basis of cycles to failure (Nf) were chosen, ie, lower stress run‐out (LSR), lower stress fractured (LSF), and higher stress fractured (HSF). The LSF and LSR specimens primarily degraded due to matrix cracking that caused higher stiffness degradation and lower energy parameter, whereas HSF specimens having the least possibility of matrix crack growth showed lower stiffness degradation and higher energy parameter in a fibre‐dominated failure.
Advocacy channels and political resource dependence in authoritarianism: Nongovernmental organizations and environmental policies in China
Authors: Liu Dongshu
Published: June 2019

Nongovernmental organizations are important in policy processes, but most studies supporting this argument are conducted in democracies. This article, therefore, focuses on China's environmental policy to discuss how environmental NGOs (eNGOs) conduct policy advocacy in authoritarian contexts. Based on interviews with eNGOs and scholars in China, I provide a typology to describe policy advocacy channels based on their formality and consistency and explain how channels are selected based on the political resources of eNGOs. This article reveals how policy advocacy is affected by one of the prominent features of authoritarian states—a monopoly of political power—and indicates that many tactics identified in current literature can be explained by the political resource endowments of NGOs. Additionally, this article also provides insights on the potential changes of the advocacy channels when the political control is tightened in the Xi era and how eNGOs cope with the new political situation.
Modification of the DRASTIC Framework for Mapping Groundwater Vulnerability Zones
Authors: Barzegar Rahim , Asghari Moghaddam Asghar , Norallahi Shahrokh , Inam Azhar , Adamowski Jan , Alizadeh Mohammad Reza , Bou Nassar Jessica
Published: June 2019

The DRASTIC technique is commonly used to assess groundwater vulnerability. The main disadvantage of the DRASTIC method is the difficulty associated with identifying appropriate ratings and weight assignments for each parameter. To mitigate this issue, ratings and weights can be approximated using different methods appropriate to the conditions of the study area. In this study, different linear (i.e., Wilcoxon test and statistical approaches) and nonlinear (Genetic algorithm [GA]) modifications for calibration of the DRASTIC framework using nitrate (NO3) concentrations were compared through the preparation of groundwater vulnerability maps of the Meshqin‐Shahr plain, Iran. Twenty‐two groundwater samples were collected from wells in the study area, and their respective NO3 concentrations were used to modify the ratings and weights of the DRASTIC parameters. The areas found to have the highest vulnerability were in the eastern, central, and western regions of the plain. Results showed that the modified DRASTIC frameworks performed well, compared to the unmodified DRASTIC. When measured NO3 concentrations were correlated with the vulnerability indices produced by each method, the unmodified DRASTIC method performed most poorly, and the Wilcoxon–GA–DRASTIC method proved optimal. Compared to the unmodified DRASTIC method with an R2 of 0.22, the Wilcoxon–GA–DRASTIC obtained a maximum R2 value of 0.78. Modification of DRASTIC parameter ratings was found to be more efficient than the modification of the weights in establishing an accurately calibrated DRASTIC framework. However, modification of parameter ratings and weights together increased the R2 value to the highest degree.
Evolution of the use of antioxidants in anti‐ageing cosmetics
Authors: Silva S. , Ferreira M. , Oliveira A.S. , Magalhães C. , Sousa M.E. , Pinto M. , Sousa Lobo J.M. , Almeida I.F.
Published: June 2019

Objective

Skin health and beauty are a cornerstone of general well‐being in humans. Anti‐ageing cosmetics are used to provide a healthy and youthful appearance. Among the different cosmetic actives, antioxidants are incorporated in anti‐ageing products due to their beneficial effects in preventing and minimizing the signs of skin ageing. This work aims to understand how anti‐ageing formulations changed in the past 7 years regarding pure antioxidants composition.

Methods

Data were collected from anti‐ageing formulations commercialized in main stores and pharmacies in the Portuguese market. The study started on 2011 and was updated with products launched or whose composition has been renewed on 2013, 2015 or 2018.

Results

Ascorbic acid and tocopherol and their derivatives were consistently the most used antioxidants in anti‐ageing formulations; followed by niacinamide and retinyl palmitate. Seven ascorbic acid derivatives are currently used in anti‐ageing formulations while only three tocopherol derivatives were identified in this study. Several combinations of antioxidants were routinely found, mainly tocopherol (or tocopherol derivatives) with other antioxidants and tocopherol with tocopherol derivatives. We have not identified emerging antioxidants with great impact in anti‐ageing formulations even though niacinamide and retinyl palmitate exhibited over 10% more usage in 2018.

Conclusion

This insight is relevant to the cosmetic industry providing a better understanding of the scientific‐based formulation of modern cosmetics and supports the need for innovative antioxidants in anti‐ageing cosmetics.
Synthesizing the strontium carbonate and silver doped bioceramic bone graft: Structure‐properties and cell viability
Authors: Demirel Mehtap , Kaya Ali İ. , Aksakal Bünyamin
Published: June 2019

An alternative bioceramic bone graft was synthesized through the sol‐gel method by substituting strontium carbonate—SrCO3 and Silver—Ag into Ca(NO3)2·4H2O, KOH, NaNO3, P2O5, and urea compounds. Morphological properties of the fabricated grafts were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Mechanical properties were determined via the hardness and compression tests. Furthermore, the cell viability of fabricated biografts was also determined via cytotoxicity tests using the MTS (cell proliferation assay). FTIR, EDS, and XRD analyses indicated that SrCO3‐ and Ag‐substituted hydroxyapatite (Sr/Ag/HA) biograft fabrications were achieved. SEM images of the biografts showed that a low‐porous structure was formed with grains bonded through sintering. SEM images also revealed that the powder bonding increased due to the decrease in pore sizes when the amount of SrCO3 was increased. From the mechanical tests, it was obtained that, the strength and hardness increased with increased SrCO3 rates. Through the cytotoxicity tests, it was shown that the cell viability rate increased due to the presence of SrCO3 and no toxic effects were observed through the newly synthesized biografts.
A low‐cost and efficient pathway for preparation of 2D MoN nanosheets via Na2CO3‐assisted nitridation of MoS2 with NH3
Authors: Sun Guo‐Dong , Chang He‐Qiang , Zhang Guo‐Hua , Yan Bai‐Jun , Chou Kuo‐Chih
Published: June 2019

In this paper, an efficient and low‐cost method was developed for producing isolated 2D MoN nanosheets via Na2CO3‐assisted nitridation and exfoliation of natural 2H‐MoS2 by NH3 at 700‐800°C. It was found that, in the presence of Na2CO3, the nitridation of MoS2 with NH3 was a topochemical transformation. After heat treatment the mixture of MoS2 and Na2CO3 in NH3 at 700‐800°C, layered MoN with intercalated Na2S was obtained. Na2CO3 can dramatically promote the topochemical nitridation and exfoliation of MoS2 in NH3. At 750°C, the time for complete nitridation of (commercial) MoS2 can be shortened to 2 hours, which is much shorter than 40 hours in the case without the addition of Na2CO3 as reported in the previous literature. After acid‐washing, the intercalated Na2S was removed, and the generated H2S promoted the further separation of the MoN nanosheets. Finally, dispersed high crystalline 2D MoN nanosheets with thickness of a few nanometers were successfully produced. This method may be also applicable for the production of other 2D nitrides or carbides by nitridation or carbonization of various transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) with the assistance of sulfur‐fixed agent.
Tip60‐dependent acetylation of KDM2B promotes osteosarcoma carcinogenesis
Authors: Shi Xin , Fan Mingfu
Published: June 2019

Overexpression of KDM2B is frequently occurred in various human solid tumours, and the high levels of KDM2B are associated with tumourigenesis. However, whether and how its activities might be modulated to facilitate tumour progression is still unclear. Immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting were carried out to detect the acetylation of KDM2B. Nucleosomes and mononucleosomes were prepared and the demethylation activity of KDM2B was detected in these two substrates. The effects of KDM2B acetylation on the transcription of target genes, as well as tumour growth and metastasis were then studied. KDM2B was acetylated in osteosarcoma cancer cell lines (MG‐63 and HOS). This modification occurred at lysine 758 and catalysed by Tip60. Acetylation of KDM2B decreased the capacity of KDM2B in binding with nucleosomes. KDM2B acetylation diminished its demethylation activity towards nucleosomal substrates rather than towards bulk histone. Besides, acetylation of KDM2B diminished its ability to bind with the promoters of p21 and puma. Moreover, the promoting effects of KDM2B acetylation on tumour cells' proliferation and metastasis, and in vivo tumour growth were dependent on Tip60. KDM2B is acetylated at lysine 758 by Tip60 in human osteosarcoma cells. Acetylation of KDM2B diminishes its association with nucleosomes, and thus increasing methylation of H3K36 at its target genes as well as enhancing its oncogenic effects.
Species succession and the development of a lacustrine fish community in an ephemeral lake
Authors: Peel Richard A. , Hill Jaclyn M. , Taylor Geraldine C. , Tweddle Denis , Weyl Olaf L. F.
Published: June 2019

Here, we present a gillnet survey of Lake Liambezi a 370 km2 shallow ephemeral floodplain lake situated in north‐eastern Namibia, which is fed irregularly by the upper Zambezi and Kwando Rivers during years of high flooding. The lake dried up in 1985 and, with the exception of sporadic minor annual inundation events, remained dry until 2007. We describe the temporal succession of fish species over an 8 year period from initial inundation 2007 to maturation in 2014. The succession of the fish community did not follow the typical pattern of opportunistic strategists during colonisation, to periodic strategists that are eventually succeeded by equilibrium strategists. Instead, the evolution of the fish community was characterised by three distinct phases. The first phase involved the inundation and colonisation of the lake in 2007, followed by its decline until the floods that filled the lake in 2009. During this phase the lake was colonised by fishes from the adjacent upper Zambezi and Chobe River floodplains. Fish communities predominantly comprised floodplain specialists including the barbs Enteromius paludinosus and Enteromius poechii, the mormyrid Marcusenius altisambesi and catfishes Schilbe intermedius and Clarias gariepinus. The filling of the lake in the March 2009 floods marked the beginning of the second, successional phase. The barbs declined in abundance and the alestid Rhabdalestes maunensis underwent explosive population growth between 2009 and 2010, but populations crashed equally rapidly and were replaced by Brycinus lateralis which, together with S. intermedius went on to dominate the fish community 2011–2014. Larger, slower growing tilapiine cichlids increased steadily in abundance and became the dominant components in a 2700 t y–1 artisanal fishery that developed on the lake. The fish community in the ephemeral Lake Liambezi is clearly influenced by numerous factors including connectivity, lake level fluctuations, competition and the effects of fishing, which may disrupt typical succession processes in floodplain ecosystems.
Comparison of optimization approaches (response surface methodology and artificial neural network‐genetic algorithm) for a novel mixed culture approach in soybean meal fermentation
Authors: Mukherjee Runni , Chakraborty Runu , Dutta Abhishek
Published: June 2019

A mixed culture ofBacillus coagulansandLactobacillus johnsoniiis utilized to ferment soybean meal (SBM) and the effects of the fermentation conditions (temperature, time, and initial inoculums level) on the different antioxidative properties are measured. Both response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) are applied to the experimental data to suggest a better approach for modeling. It is observed that the fermentation conditions have significant effects on antioxidant activity, and by following a mixed culture approach, these properties can be increased efficiently. Although both ANN and RSM fitted to the experimental data with accuracy, it is evident from root mean squared error,R2, and average absolute deviation values that ANN is superior to RSM when predicting the responses. The results thus point to the advantage of using a properly trained ANN in cases of nonlinear fermentative systems and also for prediction of multiple responses simultaneously.

Practical applications

Conversion of low‐cost by‐products into value‐added products has always been the main focus of fermentation industry and currently its scope is being expanded to include the use of probiotics to ferment various by‐products apart from dairy products. SBM is a promising by‐product that has not yet reached its full potential use and should be explored further to widen its range of applications. The purpose to develop optimized fermentation processes needs a suitable mathematical model that has the ability to mimic the complex nonlinearity of mixed culture fermentations without compromising its prediction capabilities. The results of this study will be further used to assess the possibility of development of a fermented‐SBM‐based supplement.
Adult Day Service Use Decreases Likelihood of a Missed Physician's Appointment Among Dementia Caregivers
Authors: Parker Lauren J. , Gaugler Joseph E. , Samus Quincy , Gitlin Laura N.
Published: June 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Adult day services (ADSs) that provide community‐based supervised support for persons with dementia (PWD) may also function as a respite for familial caregivers to attend to self‐care needs. Guided by a revised version of the Andersen Healthcare Utilization Model, the objective of this study was to identify the association between use of ADSs and a missed physician's appointment among family caregivers for community‐dwelling familial PWD. A secondary objective was to identify other predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with a missed physician's appointment.

DESIGN

Secondary analysis of baseline, cross‐sectional data from two randomized controlled trials (Advancing Caregiver Training, n = 272; and Care of Persons With Dementia in Their Environments, n = 237).

SETTING

Community.

PARTICIPANTS

Community‐dwelling caregivers for PWD (n = 509).

MEASUREMENTS

Missed physician's appointment was measured using the caregivers' self‐report of one or more missed physician's appointments (yes/no) in the past 6 months. ADS use was measured using the caregivers’ self‐report of ADS use (yes/no).

RESULTS

Over a third of the caregivers utilized ADSs for their PWD. Caregivers who utilized ADSs for their familial PWD were 49% less likely (95% confidence interval = 0.32‐0.81) to miss a physician's appointment in the past 6 months. More black compared to white caregivers missed appointments regardless of ADS use. Caregivers with increased chronic health conditions were more likely to miss a physician's appointment compared to those with fewer conditions.

CONCLUSION

ADSs’ provision of respite enables caregivers the time to address self‐care needs by decreasing the likelihood that caregivers miss a physician's appointment. Findings suggest that ADSs may promote positive health behaviors for caregivers and should be expanded as part of comprehensive dementia care for families. Factors associated with missed physician appointments need further examination and intervention to support black caregivers.
Perinatal factors associate with vertebral size and shape but not lumbar lordosis in 10‐year‐old children
Authors: Pavlova Anastasia V. , Jeffrey Janet E. , Barr Rebecca J. , Aspden Richard M.
Published: June 2019

The intrauterine environment is known to influence foetal development and future health. Low birthweight has been linked to smaller vertebral canals in children and decreased adulthood spine bone mineral content. Perinatal factors affecting lumbar spine curvature have not yet been considered but could be important for adult spinal health, as lumbar movement during lifting, a risk factor for backpain, is associated with lordosis. To investigate this, lumbar spine magnetic resonance images at age 10 years and perinatal and maternal data (birthweight, placental weight, gestation length, crown‐heel length, maternal age, height, weight and smoking status) from 161 children born in Aberdeen in 1988–1989 were acquired. Statistical shape modelling, using principal component analysis, quantified variations in lumbar spine shape and resulting modes of variation were assessed in combination with perinatal data using correlations and analyses of covariance, adjusted for potential confounders. Spine modes 1–3 (SM1–SM3) captured 75% of the variation in lumbar spine shape. The first and third modes described the total amount (SM1) and evenness of curvature distribution (SM3). SM2 accounted for variations in antero‐posterior vertebral diameter relative to vertebral height, increasing positive scores representing a larger relative diameter. Adjusting for gestation length and sex, SM2 positively correlated with birthweight (r = 0.25, P < 0.01), placental weight (r = 0.20, P = 0.04), crown‐heel length (r = 0.36, P < 0.001) and maternal weight (r = 0.19, P = 0.04), and negatively with maternal age (r = −0.22, P = 0.02). SM2 scores were lower in girls (P < 0.001) and in the low birthweight group (P = 0.02). There were no significant differences in SM1 and SM3 scores between birthweight groups, boys and girls or children of smokers (31%) and non‐smokers (69%). In conclusion, some perinatal factors were associated with vertebral body morphology but had little effect on lumbar curvature.
Hindbrain neurovascular anatomy of adult goldfish (Carassius auratus)
Authors: Rahmat Sulman , Gilland Edwin
Published: June 2019

The goldfish hindbrain develops from a segmented (rhombomeric) neuroepithelial scaffold, similar to other vertebrates. Motor, reticular and other neuronal groups develop in specific segmental locations within this rhombomeric framework. Teleosts are unique in possessing a segmental series of unpaired, midline central arteries that extend from the basilar artery and penetrate the pial midline of each hindbrain rhombomere (r). This study demonstrates that the rhombencephalic arterial supply of the brainstem forms in relation to the neural segments they supply. Midline central arteries penetrate the pial floor plate and branch within the neuroepithelium near the ventricular surface to form vascular trees that extend back towards the pial surface. This intramural branching pattern has not been described in any other vertebrate, with blood flow in a ventriculo‐pial direction, vastly different than the pial‐ventricular blood flow observed in most other vertebrates. Each central arterial stem penetrates the pial midline and ascends through the floor plate, giving off short transverse paramedian branches that extend a short distance into the adjoining basal plate to supply ventromedial areas of the brainstem, including direct supply of reticulospinal neurons. Robust r3 and r8 central arteries are significantly larger and form a more interconnected network than any of the remaining hindbrain vascular stems. The r3 arterial stem has extensive vascular branching, including specific vessels that supply the cerebellum, trigeminal motor nucleus located in r2/3 and facial motoneurons found in r6/7. Results suggest that some blood vessels may be predetermined to supply specific neuronal populations, even traveling outside of their original neurovascular territories in order to supply migrated neurons.
Transdermal permeation effect of collagen hydrolysates of deer sinew on mouse skin, ex vitro, and antioxidant activity, increased type I collagen secretion of percutaneous proteins in NIH/3T3 cells
Authors: Zhang He , Pan Daian , Dong Ying , Su Wenjie , Su Hang , Wei Xinghua , Yang Chunhui , Jing Li , Tang Xiaolei , Li Xiangyan , Zhao Daqing , Sun Liwei , Qi Bin
Published: June 2019

Background

The collagen hydrolysates as a cosmetic material have already been wide application. At present, few studies concern with transdermal behavior of collagen hydrolysates in vitro.

Objective

Deer sinew contains rich collagen with a content of 82.12%. Thus, this article mainly studies the transdermal effect of collagen hydrolysates of deer sinew (DSCH) on mouse skin, ex vitro, and to explore skincare protection of percutaneous proteins.

Methods

Collagen hydrolysates of deer sinew were extracted by 0.2% HCl and a two‐step enzymatic method of pepsin‐trypsin. The content of 17 amino acids of DSCH was detected by precolumn derivatization RP‐HPLC. Using Franz diffusion cell systems studied the transdermal effect of DSCH and then examined the percutaneous rate and molecular weight distribution of percutaneous proteins (PP). Further, we studied the bioactivity of PP in vitro, such as the total antioxidant capacity and collagen secretion in NIH/3T3 cells.

Results

About 8.0% DSCH could penetrate skin of mouse, the molecular weight of PP mainly distributed in 5 ~ 13 kDa, accounted for 91.55%. Compared with the antioxidant activity of DSCH, PP had obvious antioxidant activity of scavenging radical cation. Meanwhile, PP promoted cell proliferation and collagen I secretion in fibroblast cells; however, level of type III collagen has no change.

Conclusion

Collagen hydrolysates of deer sinew may be used as cosmetic material to protect the skin from oxidative stress, to prevent premature skin aging.
The therapeutic role of bone marrow stem cell local injection in rat experimental periodontitis
Authors: Lu Lei , Liu Yang , Zhang Xu , Lin Jiang
Published: June 2019

Mesenchymal stem cell therapy brings hope for regenerating damaged periodontal tissues. The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic role of local bone marrow stem cell (BMSC) injection in ligation‐induced periodontitis and the underlying mechanisms. Alveolar bone lesion was induced by placing ligatures subgingivally around the bilateral maxillary second molars for 28 days. The alveolar bone lesion was confirmed by micro‐CT analysis and bone histomorphometry. Allogeneic BMSC transplantation was carried out at 28 day after ligation. The survival state of the transplanted BMSC was observed by bioluminescent imaging. The implantation of the BMSC into the gingival tissues and periodontal ligament was confirmed by green fluorescent protein (GFP) immunohistochemical staining. The expression level of pro‐inflammatory, tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), and receptor activator of nuclear factor‐κ B ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) in periodontal tissues were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining and real‐time PCR. Significant reverse of alveolar bone lesion was observed after BMSC transplantation. The expression of TNF‐α and IL‐1β was down‐regulated by BMSC transplantation. The number of tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)‐positive osteoclasts in the periodontal ligament was reduced, and the increased RANKL expression and decreased OPG expression were also reversed after BMSC transplantation. It is concluded that allogeneic BMSC local injection could inhibit the inflammation of the periodontitis tissue and promote periodontal tissue regeneration.
Modulatory effects of vitamin C on biochemical and oxidative changes induced by acute exposure to diazinon in rat various tissues: Prophylactic and therapeutic roles
Authors: Khazaie Saeed , Jafari Mahvash , Heydari Javad , Asgari Alireza , Tahmasebi Kavoos , Salehi Maryam , Abedini Mohammad Saleh
Published: June 2019

Diazinon (DZN) as an organophosphate pesticide may cause oxidative stress in different tissues. Antioxidants increase tissue protection from oxidative stress. The aim of the present study was to investigate prophylactic and therapeutic effects of vitamin C against oxidative stress caused by DZN in various tissues of male Wistar rats. Thirty rats were divided into five groups: control group received corn oil as DZN solvent, DZN group received 100 mg/kg of DZN, C group received 200 mg/kg of vitamin C, C‐DZN and DZN‐C groups received vitamin C before and after DZN injection. Plasma and various tissues were prepared and evaluated for measurement of the biochemical parameters and oxidative stress biomarkers. Results showed that acute administration of DZN significantly increased superoxide dismutase and glutathione‐S‐transferase activities and malondialdehyde level in all tissues, catalase (CAT) activity in liver, kidney and heart and some plasma biochemical indices, while it decreased cholinesterase and lactate dehydrogenase activities and glutathione content in all tissues. CAT activity in erythrocytes, brain and spleen was decreased in DZN‐exposed rats compared with the control group. Administration of vitamins C in both prophylactic and therapeutic groups ameliorated in these parameters, although all these tests in tissues did not return to the normal level. These data suggest that oxidative stress is an essential mechanism involved in DZN‐induced adversity effect, as evidenced by the altered activity of antioxidant enzymes, depleted GSH content and the enhanced membrane lipid peroxidation. Both the prophylactic and therapeutic treatments of rats to vitamin C have beneficial effects against oxidative stress and cholinergic hyperactivity induced by DZN in tissues especially in the brain tissue through free radical scavenging.
Corporate Logic in Clinical Care: The Case of Diabetes Management
Authors: Hunt Linda M. , Bell Hannah S. , Martinez‐Hume Anna C. , Odumosu Funmi , Howard Heather A.
Published: June 2019

As large corporations come to dominate U.S. health care, clinical medicine is increasingly market‐driven and governed by business principles. We examine ways in which health insurers and health care systems are transforming the goals and means of clinical practice. Based on ethnographic research of diabetes management in a large health care system, we argue that together these organizations redefine clinical care in terms that prioritize financial goals and managerial logics, above the needs of individual patients. We demonstrate how emphasis on quality metrics reduces clinical work to quantifiable outcomes, redefining diabetes management to be the pursuit of narrowly defined goal numbers, despite often serious health consequences of treatment. As corporate employees, clinicians are compelled to pursue goal numbers by the heavy emphasis payers and health systems place on quality metrics, and accessing the required medications becomes the central focus of clinical practice.
The type III effector RipB from Ralstonia solanacearum RS1000 acts as a major avirulence factor in Nicotiana benthamiana and other Nicotiana species
Authors: Nakano Masahito , Mukaihara Takafumi
Published: June 2019

Ralstonia solanacearum is the causal agent of bacterial wilt in solanaceous crops. This pathogen injects approximately 70 effector proteins into plant cells via the Hrp type III secretion system in an early stage of infection. To identify an as‐yet‐unidentified avirulence factor possessed by the Japanese tobacco‐avirulent strain RS1000, we transiently expressed RS1000 effectors in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves and monitored their ability to induce effector‐triggered immunity (ETI). The expression of RipB strongly induced the production of reactive oxygen species and the expressions of defence‐related genes in N. benthamiana. The ripB mutant of RS1002, a nalixidic acid‐resistant derivative of RS1000, caused wilting symptoms in N. benthamiana. A pathogenicity test using R. solanacearum mutants revealed that the two already known avirulence factors RipP1 and RipAA contribute in part to the avirulence of RS1002 in N. benthamiana. The Japanese tobacco‐virulent strain BK1002 contains mutations in ripB and expresses a C‐terminal‐truncated RipB that lost the ability to induce ETI in N. benthamiana, indicating a fine‐tuning of the pathogen effector repertoire to evade plant recognition. RipB shares homology with Xanthomonas XopQ, which is recognized by the resistance protein Roq1. The RipB‐induced resistance against R. solanacearum was abolished in Roq1‐silenced plants. These findings indicate that RipB acts as a major avirulence factor in N. benthamiana and that Roq1 is involved in the recognition of RipB.
Sporadic progressive myoclonic epilepsy with early‐onset dementia caused by a de novo mutation in PSEN1
Authors: Taminato Tomoya , Araki Manabu , Sato Noriko , Ishiura Hiroyuki , Mitsui Jun , Yoshimura Jun , Doi Koichiro , Morishita Shinichi , Tsuji Shoji , Takahashi Yuji
Published: June 2019

Progressive myoclonic epilepsy contains wide variety of diseases in which differential diagnosis is challenging. Here, we report a 36 year‐old female patient presenting with sporadic myoclonic epilepsy and cognitive decline. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed increased level of total tau and phosphorylated tau and decreased level of amyloid beta‐42 protein, although the extent was modest. Whole‐exome sequencing analysis revealed a known heterozygous de novo mutation p.Phe177Ser in PSEN1, a causative gene for familial Alzheimer's disease. A previously reported pedigree with the same mutation presented with similar phenotypes, indicating genotype‐phenotype correlation. This report illustrated that familial Alzheimer's disease with PSEN1 mutations should be considered in the differential diagnosis of progressive myoclonus epilepsy.
Evolutionary epidemiology in the field: a proactive approach for identifying herbicide resistance in problematic crop weeds
Authors: Baucom Regina S. , Busi Roberto
Published: June 2019

This article is a Commentary on Comont et al., 223: 1584–1594.
Changes in root‐exudate‐induced respiration reveal a novel mechanism through which drought affects ecosystem carbon cycling
Authors: de Vries Franciska T. , Williams Alex , Stringer Fiona , Willcocks Robert , McEwing Rosie , Langridge Holly , Straathof Angela L.
Published: June 2019

Root exudates play an important role in ecosystem response to climate change, but the functional consequences of drought‐induced changes in the quality of root exudates are unknown. Here, we addressed this knowledge gap in a unique experimental approach.

We subjected two common grassland species that differ widely in their growth strategies and root systems, the grass Holcus lanatus and the forb Rumex acetosa, to 2 wk of drought. We collected root exudates and soils at the end of the drought and after 2 wk of recovery and readded all root exudates to all soils in a fully reciprocal set‐up to measure root‐exudate‐induced respiration.

We found that soil treatment was unimportant for determining root‐exudate‐induced respiration. By contrast, root exudates collected from plants that had experienced drought clearly triggered more soil respiration than exudates from undroughted plants. Importantly, this increased respiration compensated for the lower rates of root exudation in droughted plants.

Our findings reveal a novel mechanism through which drought can continue to affect ecosystem carbon cycling, and a potential plant strategy to facilitate regrowth through stimulating microbial activity. These findings have important implications for understanding plant and ecosystem response to drought.
Political discourse in the hospital heterotopia
Authors: Carter Melody
Published: June 2019

To what extent do we pay attention to the text and images that cover our hospital walls and do we offer any critique either as professionals or service users? In the past we might have expected to see functional or helpful instructions about where to go (or not to go) and in more well‐endowed buildings, perhaps we would see some works of art, sculpture, stained glass even, with the intention to encourage, distract or even forewarn us. However, it is now common in UK hospitals, for wall space to be used as a  portal for a range of institutional political messages, that convey information about everything from its own values, behaviours to  advertisements for products and services to requirements for rule following. Michel Foucault's ideas about Heterotopic space can help us to see that hospitals tend to fall (awkwardly) between being a public and personal health care space, and this is a possible explanation for the confused material culture and messages that are shared there. This paper draws on ethnographic methods to reflect on personal experience in order to offer a critique of the contemporary political discourse which has become 'literally' written onto our hospital walls.
CD109: a multifunctional GPI‐anchored protein with key roles in tumor progression and physiological homeostasis
Authors: Mii Shinji , Enomoto Atsushi , Shiraki Yukihiro , Taki Tetsuro , Murakumo Yoshiki , Takahashi Masahide
Published: June 2019

CD109 is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol‐anchored glycoprotein and a member of the α2‐macroglobulin/C3,C4,C5 family of thioester‐containing proteins first identified as being expressed on blood cells, including activated T cells and platelets, and a subset of CD34+bone marrow cells containing megakaryocyte progenitors. Although CD109 carries the biallelic platelet‐specific alloantigen Gov, the physiological functions or roles of CD109 in human disease remain largely unknown. It was recently demonstrated that CD109 is expressed in many malignant tumors, including various squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas, and plays a role as a multifunctional coreceptor. CD109 reportedly associates with transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β receptors and negatively regulates TGF‐β signaling in keratinocytes. Additionally, CD109 is potentially related to signal transducer and activator of transcription‐3 signaling and aberrant cell proliferation. In this review, we describe recent evidence of CD109‐specific significance in malignant tumors shown in mouse models and human tissues. Furthermore, we discuss the physiological functions of CD109 in vitro and in vivo, including results of phenotype analyses of CD109‐deficient mice exhibiting epidermal hyperplasia and osteopenia.
Trade liberalization, firm entry, and income inequality
Authors: Chao Chi‐Chur , Ee Mong Shan , Nguyen Xuan , Yu Eden S. H.
Published: June 2019

This paper examines the short‐ and long‐run effects of trade liberalization via tariff reductions on income inequality in an economy, which is characterized by an imperfectly competitive urban manufacturing sector and a perfectly competitive rural agricultural sector. Tariff reductions reduce domestic output in the importable urban manufacturing sector, leading to shifts of capital from the urban sector to the rural agricultural sector. This can narrow the wage gap between skilled and unskilled labor in the short run. However, the lowered capital cost attracts new firms, and subsequently excessive entry of firms, to the urban manufacturing sector. This firm entry effect can mitigate the favorable effect of tariff reductions on wage inequality in the long run. Empirical study confirms the findings.
‘The same care providers over time who make individual adjustments and have competence’ Older South Sami People in Sweden's expectations of home nursing care
Authors: Ness Tove M. , Söderberg Siv , Hellzèn Ove
Published: June 2019

This study is part of a larger research project designed to examine the view of home nursing care from the perspective of older South Sami people in Sweden. In the present study, we present findings from the point of view of their expectations of home nursing care. The Sami are an indigenous population living in northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Kola Peninsula, and consist of different Sami people, of which the South Sami population is one. This population consists of approximately 2000 persons living in the central regions of Sweden and Norway. Fifty‐six older South Sami people participated in the study. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted over the telephone and were analysed using latent content analysis. The main findings show how older South Sami people's expectation for home nursing care contains the same care providers over time, individual adjustments and competent care providers and do not differ from the general Swedish population. Interpersonal interaction is a hallmark of nursing care and other healthcare disciplines. Ideally, interpersonal care is achieved when individual care providers have few care receivers, which promote continuity in care, individual adjustments based on the care receivers individual needs and care providers with professional and relational competence.
Germ granules in Drosophila
Authors: Trcek Tatjana , Lehmann Ruth
Published: June 2019

Germ granules are hallmarks of all germ cells. Early ultrastructural studies in Drosophila first described these membraneless granules in the oocyte and early embryo as filled with amorphous to fibrillar material mixed with RNA. Genetic studies identified key protein components and specific mRNAs that regulate germ cell‐specific functions. More recently these ultrastructural studies have been complemented by biophysical analysis describing germ granules as phase‐transitioned condensates. In this review, we provide an overview that connects the composition of germ granules with their function in controlling germ cell specification, formation and migration, and illuminate these mysterious condensates as the gatekeepers of the next generation.
A pilot study evaluating the effects of prestorage leukoreduction on markers of inflammation in critically ill dogs receiving a blood transfusion
Authors: Bosch Lozano Luis , Blois Shauna L. , Wood R. Darren , Abrams‐Ogg Anthony C. G. , Bersenas Alexa M. , Bateman Shane W. , Richardson Danielle M.
Published: June 2019

Objectives

To compare markers of inflammation after transfusion of leukoreduced (LR) packed RBCs (pRBCs) versus non‐LR pRBCs in dogs with critical illness requiring blood transfusion, and to report survival to discharge and rates of transfusion reactions in these dogs.

Design

Prospective randomized blinded clinical study June 2014–September 2015.

Setting

University veterinary teaching hospital.

Animals

Twenty‐three client‐owned critically ill dogs, consecutively enrolled.

Interventions

Dogs requiring a single pRBC transfusion were randomized into the LR or non‐LR pRBC group. Exclusion criteria included: requirement for multiple blood products, history of previous blood transfusion, and administration of anti‐inflammatory or immunosuppressive medication prior to enrollment.

Measurements

Blood samples were obtained immediately prior to transfusion, then 2 and 24 hours following transfusion. Parameters measured at each time point included: PCV, WBC count, segmented and band neutrophil counts, fibrinogen, and plasma lactate and C‐reactive protein concentrations. Acute patient physiologic and laboratory evaluation fast score was calculated on admission.

Results

Eleven dogs were included in the LR group and 12 in the non‐LR group; scores of illness severity were not significantly different between groups. Total WBC count was significantly higher in the non‐LR versus LR group 24 hours following pRBC transfusion, but this difference was not evident 2 hours following transfusion. No other inflammatory parameters at any time point were significantly different between LR versus non‐LR pRBC transfused dogs. Survival rates to discharge for LR and non‐LR groups were 8/11 and 9/12, respectively. Acute transfusion reactions were identified in 1/11 and 2/12 dogs in the LR and non‐LR group, respectively. All transfused blood was stored ≤12 days.

Conclusions

Most markers of inflammation did not significantly increase following transfusion of LR versus non‐LR pRBCs stored ≤12 days in ill dogs. Further prospective, randomized trials are needed in clinically ill dogs to determine the benefit of prestorage leukoreduction.
Surgical intervention for vertebral osteomyelitis in a calf
Authors: Shivapour Sara K. , Jackson Nicole D. , Schleining Jennifer A. , Kreuder Amanda J. , Miles Kristina G. , Jeffery Nicholas D.
Published: June 2019

Objective

To report the surgical treatment and outcome of a non‐ambulatory calf with cervical vertebral ostoeomyelitis.

Study design

Clinical report.

Sample population

One 3.5‐month‐old female mixed‐breed calf with tetraparesis of 3 months duration.

Methods

After computed tomography‐guided bone biopsy, a bacterial osteolytic lesion within the body of the fourth cervical vertebrae (C4) and resultant pathologic compression fracture clinically resulting in full tetraparesis was diagnosed in the calf. Culture results from the lesion within C4 confirmed a diagnosis of Trueperella pyogenes.

Results

Poor response to medical management justified surgical debridment of the lesion in C4 and subsequent stabilization of the cervical vertebral column. A three‐part procedure was performed including (1) debridement of the C4, (2) bilateral ventral vertebral stabilization from C3 to C5, and (3) placement of ampicillin‐impregnated plaster of Paris beads within the body of C4. With postoperative physical rehabilitation, the calf regained full ambulatory function. At 1‐month follow‐up, the calf remained ambulatory with mild proprioceptive ataxia and no evidence of implant failure. At annual recheck, the calf had gained 208 kg and remained fully ambulatory with no residual neurologic deficits.

Conclusion

Surgical intervention and use of antibiotic‐impregnated implants offered a viable alternative to long‐term medical management of vertebral osteomyelitis in the calf reported here.

Clinical significance

This case identifies surgical intervention as a potential means for improving outcomes in a historically fatal condition of production animals.
Mesenchymal stem cells prolong survival and prevent lethal complications in a porcine model of fulminant liver failure
Authors: Lin Niang‐Cheng , Wu Hao‐Hsiang , Ho Jennifer Hui‐Chun , Liu Chin‐Su , Lee Oscar Kuang‐Sheng
Published: June 2019

Background

Fulminant liver failure (FLF) is a life‐threatening disease.

Methods

Lethal FLF was induced by ischemia‐reperfusion (I‐R) injury in mini‐pigs, and MSCs were infused via splenic vein after reperfusion.

Results

Accumulated survival within 28 days was significantly improved by MSCs (P = 0.0348). Notably, MSCs maintained blood‐gas homeostasis in the first 24 hours and prevented FLF‐induced elevation of prothrombin time, international normalized ratio, and creatinine and ammonia levels in the first 3 days. With MSCs, serum levels of liver enzymes gradually decreased after 3 days, and platelet count was back to normal at 1 week of FLF. MSCs promoted liver regeneration within 2 weeks and differentiated into functional hepatocytes at 2‐4 weeks after transplantation, evidenced by increase in Ki67‐positive cells, detectable human hepatocyte growth factor, human vascular endothelial growth factor, human hepatocyte‐specific antigen, and human albumin‐expressing cells in the liver at different time points. Reactive oxidative species (ROS) were accumulated after FLF and eliminated at 4 weeks after MSC transplantation.

Conclusions

Together, MSCs prolong the survival and prevent lethal sequelae of I‐R injury‐induced FLF by maintenance of liver‐function homeostasis and rescue of ROS in the acute stage and by homing and differentiation into hepatocytes in the subacute stage.