bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eyes Wide Shut: the impact of dim‐light vision on neural investment in marine teleosts
Authors: Iglesias Teresa L. , Dornburg Alex , Warren Dan L. , Wainwright Peter C. , Schmitz Lars , Economo Evan P.
Published: May 2018

Understanding how organismal design evolves in response to environmental challenges is a central goal of evolutionary biology. In particular, assessing the extent to which environmental requirements drive general design features among distantly related groups is a major research question. The visual system is a critical sensory apparatus that evolves in response to changing light regimes. In vertebrates, the optic tectum is the primary visual processing centre of the brain and yet it is unclear how or whether this structure evolves while lineages adapt to changes in photic environment. On one hand, dim‐light adaptation is associated with larger eyes and enhanced light‐gathering power that could require larger information processing capacity. On the other hand, dim‐light vision may evolve to maximize light sensitivity at the cost of acuity and colour sensitivity, which could require less processing power. Here, we use X‐ray microtomography and phylogenetic comparative methods to examine the relationships between diel activity pattern, optic morphology, trophic guild and investment in the optic tectum across the largest radiation of vertebrates—teleost fishes. We find that despite driving the evolution of larger eyes, enhancement of the capacity for dim‐light vision generally is accompanied by a decrease in investment in the optic tectum. These findings underscore the importance of considering diel activity patterns in comparative studies and demonstrate how vision plays a role in brain evolution, illuminating common design principles of the vertebrate visual system.
Explaining the Boom–Bust Cycle in the U.S. Housing Market: A Reverse‐Engineering Approach
Authors: GELAIN PAOLO , LANSING KEVIN J. , NATVIK GISLE J.
Published: May 2018

We use a quantitative asset pricing model to “reverse‐engineer” the sequences of shocks to housing demand and lending standards needed to replicate the boom–bust patterns in U.S. housing value and mortgage debt from 1993 to 2015. Conditional on the observed paths for U.S. real consumption growth, the real mortgage interest rate, and the supply of residential fixed assets, a specification with random walk expectations outperforms one with rational expectations in plausibly matching the patterns in the data. Counterfactual simulations show that shocks to housing demand, housing supply, and lending standards were important, but movements in the mortgage interest rate were not.
Synaptic protein changes after a chronic period of sensorimotor perturbation in adult rats: a potential role of phosphorylation/O‐GlcNAcylation interplay
Authors: Fourneau Julie , Canu Marie‐Hélène , Cieniewski‐Bernard Caroline , Bastide Bruno , Dupont Erwan
Published: May 2018

In human, a chronic sensorimotor perturbation (SMP) through prolonged body immobilization alters motor task performance through a combination of peripheral and central factors. Studies performed on a rat model of SMP have shown biomolecular changes and a reorganization of sensorimotor cortex through events such as morphological modifications of dendritic spines (number, length, functionality). However, underlying mechanisms are still unclear. It is well known that phosphorylation regulates a wide field of synaptic activity leading to neuroplasticity. Another post‐translational modification that interplays with phosphorylation is O‐GlcNAcylation. This atypical glycosylation, reversible, and dynamic, is involved in essential cellular and physiological processes such as synaptic activity, neuronal morphogenesis, learning, and memory. We examined potential roles of phosphorylation/O‐GlcNAcylation interplay in synaptic plasticity within rat sensorimotor cortex after a SMP period. For this purpose, sensorimotor cortex synaptosomes were separated by sucrose gradient, in order to isolate a subcellular compartment enriched in proteins involved in synaptic functions. A period of SMP induced plastic changes at the pre‐ and post‐synaptic levels, characterized by a reduction in phosphorylation (synapsin1, α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazoleproprionic acid receptors (AMPAR) GluA2) and expression (synaptophysin, PSD‐95, AMPAR GluA2) of synaptic proteins, as well as a decrease in MAPK/ERK42 activation. Expression levels of O‐GlcNAc transferase/O‐GlcNAcase enzymes was unchanged but we observed a specific reduction of synapsin1 O‐GlcNAcylation in sensorimotor cortex synaptosomes. The synergistic regulation of synapsin1 phosphorylation/O‐GlcNAcylation could affect pre‐synaptic neurotransmitter release. Associated with other pre‐ and post‐synaptic changes, synaptic efficacy could be impaired in somatosensory cortex of SMP rat. Thus, phosphorylation/O‐GlcNAcylation interplay appears to be involved in synaptic plasticity by finely regulating neural activity.

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Rural‐Urban Differences in Human Papillomavirus‐associated Cancer Trends and Rates
Authors: Zahnd Whitney E. , Rodriguez Christofer , Jenkins Wiley D.
Published: May 2018

Purpose

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease and a known cause of many cancers. Previous research explored HPV‐associated (HPVa) cancer differences by gender or race, but rural‐urban differences in rates and trends have received little attention. This study examined rural‐urban differences in rates and temporal trends for individual HPVa cancers.

Methods

The North American Association of Central Cancer Registries public use data set, representing approximately 93% of the US population, was used to calculate age‐adjusted incidence rates and rate ratios (RR; 2009‐2013) and overall and annual percentage changes (APC; 1995‐2013) for HPVa cancers, including cervical carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas of the vagina, vulva, penis, anus, rectum, and oropharynx. Rural‐Urban Continuum Codes were dichotomized into urban (levels 1‐3) and rural (4‐9). RRs and APC analyses were stratified by cancer site, rurality, gender, and race/ethnicity.

Findings

Combined HPVa cancers were elevated in rural populations compared to urban (RR = 1.07; 95% CI = 1.06‐1.09). Rural females had significantly higher rates of cervical, vaginal, vulvar, oropharyngeal, and anal cancer compared to their urban peers, while rural males had higher rates of penile cancer. Many disparities remained after racial/ethnic stratification (eg, white and black rural females were at increased risk of cervical carcinoma). Regarding trends, rural females and males experienced greater rate increases, or smaller rate decreases, overall and by APC, for nearly every cancer site.

Conclusions

Rural populations experience consistent disparities in HPVa cancers. Further research should examine contributing behavioral and epidemiological risk factors and interventions to improve HPV vaccination.
Caffeine dosing strategies to optimize alertness during sleep loss
Authors: Vital‐Lopez Francisco G. , Ramakrishnan Sridhar , Doty Tracy J. , Balkin Thomas J. , Reifman Jaques
Published: May 2018

Sleep loss, which affects about one‐third of the US population, can severely impair physical and neurobehavioural performance. Although caffeine, the most widely used stimulant in the world, can mitigate these effects, currently there are no tools to guide the timing and amount of caffeine consumption to optimize its benefits. In this work, we provide an optimization algorithm, suited for mobile computing platforms, to determine when and how much caffeine to consume, so as to safely maximize neurobehavioural performance at the desired time of the day, under any sleep‐loss condition. The algorithm is based on our previously validated Unified Model of Performance, which predicts the effect of caffeine consumption on a psychomotor vigilance task. We assessed the algorithm by comparing the caffeine‐dosing strategies (timing and amount) it identified with the dosing strategies used in four experimental studies, involving total and partial sleep loss. Through computer simulations, we showed that the algorithm yielded caffeine‐dosing strategies that enhanced performance of the predicted psychomotor vigilance task by up to 64% while using the same total amount of caffeine as in the original studies. In addition, the algorithm identified strategies that resulted in equivalent performance to that in the experimental studies while reducing caffeine consumption by up to 65%. Our work provides the first quantitative caffeine optimization tool for designing effective strategies to maximize neurobehavioural performance and to avoid excessive caffeine consumption during any arbitrary sleep‐loss condition.
A neutron tomography study of the Seymchan pallasite
Authors: Kichanov S. E. , Kozlenko D. P. , Lukin E. V. , Rutkauskas A. V. , Krasavin E. A. , Rozanov A. Y. , Savenko B. N.
Published: May 2018

The internal structure of an olivine‐rich fragment of the Seymchan meteorite was studied using neutron tomography. The differences in the neutron attenuation coefficients of constituent elements of the studied pallasite and the application of modern mathematical algorithms for a three‐dimensional (3‐D) imaging data analysis allow us to obtain a spatial distribution of different meteorite components. The heterogeneous distribution of the nickel in the metal phase was observed. In addition to the resulting 3‐D model of the Seymchan meteorite, the distributions of the volumes, average sizes, and shape‐related parameters of the FeNi metal component and olivine grains were obtained.
From punishment to universalism
Authors: Rose David , Nichols Shaun
Published: May 2018

Many philosophers have claimed that the folk endorse moral universalism. But while some empirical evidence supports the claim that the folk endorse moral universalism, this work has uncovered intra‐domain differences in folk judgments of moral universalism. In light of all this, our question is: why do the folk endorse moral universalism? Our hypothesis is that folk judgments of moral universalism are generated in part by a desire to punish. We present evidence supporting this across three studies. On the basis of this, we argue for a debunking explanation of folk judgments of moral universalism.
Trait patterns across space and time suggest an interplay of facilitation and competition acting on Neotropical hummingbird‐pollinated plant communities
Authors: Bergamo Pedro Joaquim , Wolowski Marina , Maruyama Pietro Kiyoshi , Vizentin‐Bugoni Jeferson , Sazima Marlies
Published: May 2018

Pollinators may influence plant community assembly through biotic filtering and/or plant–plant competition and facilitation. The relative importance of each process, however, vary according to the scale and how strongly plants share their pollinators, and possibly in relation to the pollinator groups considered. We here investigated the assembly of three Atlantic forest hummingbird‐pollinated plant communities across space (among all species in the communities) and time, i.e. yearly flowering phenology (between pairs of co‐flowering species), based on the pairwise distances of multiple floral traits (corolla length, anther and stigma height, colour and nectar). Because tropical hummingbird‐pollinated plants are often subdivided in two pollination niches (hermits versus non‐hermits), we also analyzed these groups separately. We found that trait structure across space was clustered for some floral traits, suggesting biotic filtering and facilitation. All floral traits had weak phylogenetic signal, indicating that closely related species were not more similar than distantly related species. Moreover, floral traits were randomly structured along the phenology when analyzing all plants together. On the other hand, we found similar corolla length but divergent anther height in co‐flowering pairs within the same pollination niche. Thus, plants may benefit from flowering together and avoid competition through fine adjustments in reproductive traits. The results also suggest that clear signals of competition and facilitation among plants are only apparent when species strongly share their pollinators and depending on the traits that are considered. Our study illustrates a complex interplay of biotic filtering, facilitation and competition as processes structuring guilds of plants sharing the same functional group of pollinators.
Anthologies and canon formation in China and the West
Authors: Beecroft Alexander
Published: May 2018

Anthologies and anthologizers have long played a major role in the establishment of literary canons. In the Chinese tradition, the anthology has an especially long and influential history, through such works as the Chu ci (Songs of Chu), containing poems from (perhaps) the fourth century BC through the first two centuries AD, and including later anthologizing acts such as the Wen xuan, (Selections of Refined Poetry), assembled by Xiao Tong c.530 AD, and the Yutai xinyong (New Songs from a Jade Terrace), assembled at nearly the same time. European traditions placed less emphasis on the anthology. Still, from the Hellenistic creation of a lyric canon of nine poets, through the Imperial and Late Antique anthologies of epigrams in Greek, the anthology has a significant place in our understanding of Greek literature. This paper will undertake a comparative exploration of these early processes of anthologization in both China and Europe, and will assess whether or not that comparative study reveals common patterns in anthology‐making. Do anthologies have similar causes, and consequences, in both China and Europe? And can the patterns by which anthologies are constructed yield any clues as to the works that were excluded, and why?
Contact dermatitis to training toilet seat (potty seat dermatitis)
Authors: Dorfman Claire O. , Barros Mark A. , Zaenglein Andrea L.
Published: May 2018

Allergic contact dermatitis from various components of toilet seats has been well described. We report a case of a young boy presenting with an atypical pattern of dermatitis who was found to be allergic to his training toilet seat. This case highlights the importance of recognizing this diagnosis and the role of potty seats as the causative factor.
Philosophical analyses of scientific concepts: A critical appraisal
Authors: Kraemer Daniel Mark
Published: May 2018

Philosophical analyses of scientific concepts are legion. However, this literature is replete with methodological errors that have largely gone unnoticed. Five distinct projects are conflated which has led to faulty inferences, ambiguities, and mischaracterizations. There has also been some recent enthusiasm for approaches that attempt to rectify problematic scientific concepts but the motivations for these approaches are questionable. I am hopeful that by bringing these various issues to light that it will lead practitioners to be more explicit about their aims and subsequently result in better analyses.
The plant hormone auxin directs timing of xylem development by inhibition of secondary cell wall deposition through repression of secondary wall NAC‐domain transcription factors
Authors: Johnsson Christoffer , Jin Xu , Xue Weiya , Dubreuil Carole , Lezhneva Lina , Fischer Urs
Published: May 2018

Wood formation in higher plants is a complex and costly developmental process regulated by a complex network of transcription factors, short peptide signals and hormones. Correct spatiotemporal initiation of differentiation and downstream developmental stages is vital for proper wood formation. Members of the NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2 and CUC) family of transcription factors are described as top level regulators of xylem cell fate and secondary cell wall (SCW) deposition, but the signals initiating their transcription have yet to be elucidated. We found that treatment of Populus stems with auxin repressed transcription of NAC transcription factors associated with fiber and SCW formation and induced vessel‐specific NACs, whereas gibberellic acid (GA) induced the expression of both classes of NAC domain transcription factors involved in wood formation. These transcriptional changes were reflected in alterations of stem anatomy, i.e. auxin treatment reduced cell wall thickness, whereas GA had a promotive effect on SCW deposition and on the rate of wood formation. Similar changes were observed on treatment of Arabidopsis thaliana stems with GA or the synthetic auxin NAA. We also observed corresponding changes in PIN5 overexpressing lines, where interference with auxin transport leads to premature SCW deposition and formation of additional fiber bundles. Together, this suggests wood formation is regulated by an integrated readout of both auxin and GA, which, in turn, controls expression of fiber and vessel specific NACs.
Childhood memories of threatening experiences and submissiveness and its relationship to hallucination proneness and ideas of reference: The mediating role of dissociation
Authors: Bellido‐Zanin Gloria , Perona‐Garcelán Salvador , Senín‐Calderón Cristina , López‐Jiménez Ana María , Ruiz‐Veguilla Miguel , Rodríguez‐Testal Juan Francisco
Published: May 2018

Recent studies have emphasized the importance of childhood memories of threatening experiences and submissiveness in a diversity of psychological disorders. The purpose of this work was to study their specific relationship with hallucination proneness and ideas of reference in healthy subjects. The ELES scale for measuring memory of adverse childhood experiences, the DES‐II scale for measuring dissociation, the LSHS‐R scale for measuring hallucination proneness, and the REF for ideas of reference were applied to a sample of 472 subjects. A positive association was found between childhood memories of adverse experiences and hallucination proneness and ideas of reference, on one hand, and dissociation on the other. A mediation analysis showed that dissociation was a mediator between the memory of adverse childhood experiences and hallucination proneness on one hand, and ideas of reference on the other. When the role of mediator of the types of dissociative experiences was studied, it was found that absorption and depersonalization mediated between adverse experiences and hallucination proneness. However, this mediating effect was not found between adverse experiences and ideas of reference. The relationship between these last two variables was direct. The results suggest that childhood memories of adverse experiences are a relevant factor in understanding hallucination proneness and ideas of reference. Similarly, dissociation is a specific mediator between adverse childhood experiences and hallucination proneness.
The Interaction Order and Musical Sound: Shopping with Erving Goffman
Authors: Walsh Michael James
Published: May 2018

Drawing on qualitative interviews and extending insights provided by Erving Goffman (1983, 1971), this article argues that music plays a crucial role in the interaction order of retail environments. I suggest music permeates these locations of consumption; shoppers are presented as perceiving musical sounds as both “territorial offenses” and sounds that can also represent an “intimate ally.” Crucial here is the nature of territoriality that manages an individual's exposure through the symbolic and literal placement of boundaries around the self, covering and protecting the self while navigating public space, tacitly securing rights in relation to others, and minimizing encroachments upon the “territories of the self.” I contend that when shopping, participants can feel “at home” in these locations thanks in part to the role of music but also in other cases actively avoid these situations, using privatizing music as a means of regaining auditory discretion. The contribution of this article extends Goffman's formulation of the interaction order, accounting for the dual role that music represents, as both a territorial offense and an intimate ally for shoppers.
Community‐acquired respiratory virus lower respiratory tract disease in allogeneic stem cell transplantation recipient: Risk factors and mortality from pulmonary virus‐bacterial mixed infections
Authors: Piñana José Luis , Gómez María Dolores , Pérez Ariadna , Madrid Silvia , Balaguer‐Roselló Aitana , Giménez Estela , Montoro Juan , González Eva María , Vinuesa Víctor , Moles Paula , Hernández‐Boluda Juan Carlos , Salavert Miguel , Calabuig Marisa , Sanz Guillermo , Solano Carlos , Sanz Jaime , Navarro David
Published: May 2018

Risk factors (RFs) and mortality data of community‐acquired respiratory virus (CARVs) lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) with concurrent pulmonary co‐infections in the setting of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo‐HSCT) is scarce. From January 2011 to December 2017, we retrospectively compared the outcome of allo‐HSCT recipients diagnosed of CARVs LRTD mono‐infection (n = 52, group 1), to those with viral, bacterial, or fungal pulmonary CARVs LRTD co‐infections (n = 15, group 2; n = 20, group 3, and n = 11, group 4, respectively), and with those having bacterial pneumonia mono‐infection (n = 19, group 5). Overall survival (OS) at day 60 after bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was significantly higher in group 1, 2, and 4 compared to group 3 (77%, 67%, and 73% vs 35%, respectively, P = .012). Recipients of group 5 showed a trend to better OS compared to those of group 3 (62% vs 35%, P = .1). Multivariate analyses showed bacterial co‐infection as a RF for mortality (hazard ratio[HR] 2.65, 95% C.I. 1.2‐6.9, P = .017). We identified other 3 RFs for mortality: lymphocyte count <0.5 × 109/L (HR 2.6, 95% 1.1‐6.2, P = .026), the occurrence of and CMV DNAemia requiring antiviral therapy (CMV‐DNAemia‐RAT) at the time of BAL (HR 2.32, 95% C.I. 1.1‐4.9, P = .03), and the need of oxygen support (HR 8.3, 95% C.I. 2.9‐35.3, P = .004). CARV LRTD co‐infections are frequent and may have a negative effect in the outcome, in particular in the context of bacterial co‐infections.
DNA sequence and shape are predictive for meiotic crossovers throughout the plant kingdom
Authors: Demirci Sevgin , Peters Sander A. , de Ridder Dick , van Dijk Aalt D.J.
Published: May 2018

A better understanding of genomic features influencing the location of meiotic crossovers (COs) in plant species is both of fundamental importance and of practical relevance for plant breeding. Using CO positions with sufficiently high resolution from four plant species [Arabidopsis thaliana, Solanum lycopersicum (tomato), Zea mays (maize) and Oryza sativa (rice)] we have trained machine‐learning models to predict the susceptibility to CO formation. Our results show that CO occurrence within various plant genomes can be predicted by DNA sequence and shape features. Several features related to genome content and to genomic accessibility were consistently either positively or negatively related to COs in all four species. Other features were found as predictive only in specific species. Gene annotation‐related features were especially predictive for maize, whereas in tomato and Arabidopsis propeller twist and helical twist (DNA shape features) and AT/TA dinucleotides were found to be the most important. In rice, high roll (another DNA shape feature) and low CA dinucleotide frequency in particular were found to be associated with CO occurrence. The accuracy of our models was sufficient for Arabidopsis and rice (area under receiver operating characteristic curve, AUROC > 0.5), and was high for tomato and maize (AUROC ≫ 0.5), demonstrating that DNA sequence and shape are predictive for meiotic COs throughout the plant kingdom.
Microeconomic adjustments during an export boom: Argentina, 2003–11
Authors: Albornoz Facundo , García Lembergman Ezequiel , Juarez Leticia
Published: May 2018

This paper examines Argentine exports at the firm level between 2003 and 2011, a period of exceptional and sustained export growth. While at the product level, the pattern of specialisation barely changed, exporters exhibit new dynamics in international markets: firms not only expanded sales abroad by increasing their exports in existing markets, but also by entering into new destinations and adding new products. That is, new export strategies allowed exporters achieve greater resistance to the variations in the macroeconomic environment. We find that the importance of the different export margins changes overtime: while the currency is depreciated, the intensive margin explains most of export growth, whereas the subextensive and extensive margins become the main source of export growth once the currency appreciates. We also uncover a strong complementarity between import and export growth.
Dichotomous parvalbumin interneuron populations in dorsolateral and dorsomedial striatum
Authors: Monteiro Patricia , Barak Boaz , Zhou Yang , McRae Rebecca , Rodrigues Diana , Wickersham Ian R. , Feng Guoping
Published: May 2018

Key points

There are two electrophysiological dichotomous populations of parvalbumin (PV) interneurons located in the dorsal striatum.

Striatal PV interneurons in medial and lateral regions differ significantly in their intrinsic excitability.

Parvalbumin interneurons in the dorsomedial striatum, but not in the dorsolateral striatum, receive afferent glutamatergic input from cingulate cortex.

Dorsomedial striatum circuitry is involved in goal‐directed actions or movements that become habits upon repetition, as encoded by the dorsolateral striatum. An inability to shift from habits can compromise action‐control and prevent behavioural adaptation. Although these regions appear to be clearly behaviourally distinct, little is known about their distinct physiology. Parvalbumin (PV) interneurons are a major source of striatal inhibition and are usually considered as a homogeneous population in the entire dorsal striatum. In the present study, we recorded PV interneurons in dorsal striatum slices from wild‐type male mice and suggest the existence of two electrophysiological dichotomous populations. We found that PV interneurons located at the dorsomedial striatum region have increased intrinsic excitability compared to PV interneurons in dorsolateral region. We also found that PV interneurons in the dorsomedial region, but not in the dorsolateral striatum region, receive short‐latency excitatory inputs from cingulate cortex. Therefore, the results of the present study demonstrate the importance of considering region specific parvalbumin interneuron populations when studying dorsal striatal function.
Exploring the autoinhibitory domain of the electrogenic Na+/HCO3− transporter NBCe1‐B, from residues 28 to 62
Authors: Lee Seong‐Ki , Boron Walter F.
Published: May 2018

Key points

Slc4a4 (mouse) encodes at least five variants of the electrogenic sodium/bicarbonate transporter NBCe1. The initial 41 cytosolic amino acids of NBCe1‐A and ‐D are unique; NBCe1‐A has high activity. The initial 85 amino acids of NBCe1‐B, ‐C and ‐E are unique; NBCe1‐B and ‐C have low activity.

Previous work showed that deleting residues 1–85 or 40–62 of NBCe1‐B, or 1–87 of NBCe1‐C, eliminates autoinhibition. These regions also include binding determinants for IRBIT (inositol trisphosphate (IP3)‐receptor binding protein released with IP3), which relieves autoinhibition.

Here, systematically replacing/deleting residues 28–62, we find that only the nine amino acid cationic cluster (residues 40–48) of NBCe1‐B is essential for autoinhibition. IRBIT stimulates all but one low‐activity construct.

We suggest that electrostatic interactions – which IRBIT presumably interrupts – between the cationic cluster and the membrane or other domains of NBCe1 play a central role in tempering the activity of NBCe1‐B in the pancreas, brain and other organs.

Variant B of the electrogenic Na+/HCO3− cotransporter (NBCe1‐B) contributes to the vectorial transport of HCO3− in epithelia (e.g. pancreatic ducts) and to the maintenance of intracellular pH in the central nervous systems (e.g. astrocytes). NBCe1‐B has very low basal activity due to an autoinhibitory domain (AID) located, at least in part, in the unique portion (residues 1–85) of the cytosolic NH2‐terminus. Previous work has shown that removing 23 amino acids (residues 40–62) stimulates NBCe1‐B. Here, we test the hypothesis that a cationic cluster of nine consecutive positively charged amino acids (residues 40−48) is a necessary part of the AID. Using two‐electrode voltage clamping of Xenopus oocytes, we assess the activity of human NBCe1‐B constructs in which we systematically replace or delete residues 28–62, which includes the cationic cluster. We find that replacing or deleting all residues within the cationic cluster markedly increases NBCe1‐B activity (i.e. eliminates autoinhibition). On the background of a cationic clusterless construct, systematically restoring Arg residues restores autoinhibition in two distinct quanta, with one to three Arg residues restoring ∼50%, and four or more Arg residues restoring virtually all autoinhibition. Systematically deleting residues before the cluster reduces autoinhibition by, at most, a small amount. Replacing or deleting residues after the cluster has no effect. For constructs with low NBCe1 activity (but good surface expression, as assessed by biotinylation), co‐expression with super‐IRBIT (lacking PP1‐binding site) restores full activity (i.e. relieves autoinhibition). In summary, the cationic cluster is a necessary component of the AID of NBCe1‐B.
Effects of Athlete-Dependent Traits on Joint and System Countermovement-Jump Power
Authors: Williams Kym J. , Chapman Dale W. , Phillips Elissa J. , Ball Nick
Published: May 2018

Purpose: To establish the influence of athlete-dependent characteristics on the generation and timing of system and individual joint powers during a countermovement jump (CMJ). Methods: Male national representative athletes from volleyball (n = 7), basketball (n = 6), and rugby (n = 7) performed a set of 3 CMJs at relative barbell loads of 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% of absolute back-squat strength. Ground-reaction forces and joint kinematics were captured using a 16-camera motion-capture system integrated with 2 in-ground force plates. Limb lengths and cross-sectional areas were defined using 3-dimensional photonic scans. A repeated-measures analysis of variance determined the interaction between system and joint load–power profiles, whereas a multiregression analysis defined the explained variance of athlete-dependent characteristics on the load that maximized system power. Results: System and isolated hip, knee, and ankle peak powers were maximized across a spectrum of loads between and within sports; power values were not significantly different across loads. A positive shift in the timing of hip and ankle peak powers corresponded to a significant (P < .05) positive shift in the timing of system peak power to occur closer to toe-off. An optimal 3-input combination of athlete-dependent characteristics accounted for 68% (P < .001) of the explained variance in the load that maximized system peak power. Conclusion: The load maximizing system power is athlete-dependent, with a mixture of training and heredity-related characteristics influencing CMJ load–power profiles. The authors recommend that a combination of relative loads be individually prescribed to maximize the generation and translation of system CMJ power.
Effects of Rapid Weight Loss on Balance and Reaction Time in Elite Judo Athletes
Authors: Morales Jose , Ubasart Carla , Solana-Tramunt Mónica , Villarrasa-Sapiña Israel , González Luis-Millán , Fukuda David , Franchini Emerson
Published: May 2018

Balance, reaction time, and strength are key factors affecting judo performance. Although ample research has been done examining potential strength changes caused by weight loss prior to competition, changes in balance and reaction time have been overlooked. Purpose: To examine the effects of rapid and progressive weight loss (RWL and PWL) on balance, reaction time, and strength in a group of elite judo athletes. Methods: A total of 38 female and male judo athletes (age = 20.6 [2.6] y) completed balance, reaction-time, and strength assessments 1 wk prior to an official weigh-in (pretest) and immediately after the weigh-in (posttest). The athletes were divided into 3 groups, 1 control group who maintained regular training and eating habits, 1 experimental group who engaged in PWL (<3% reductions in body mass), and a second experimental group who used RWL techniques (>3% reductions in body mass). Results: The RWL group showed significant decreases (P < .05) in balance performance (ellipse area: 4.83 [0.87] vs 6.31 [1.39] mm2 with eyes closed; mean mediolateral velocity: 2.07 [0.2] vs 2.52 [0.45] mm·s−1 with eyes closed; and mean anteroposterior velocity: 2.25 [0.20] vs 2.51 [0.32] mm·s−1 with eyes open and 2.44 [0.26] vs 3.06 [0.56] mm·s−1 with eyes closed) and reaction time (0.38 [0.04] vs 0.42 [0.06] s) with no changes in strength from pretesting to posttesting. The athletes in the PWL and control groups maintained performance in all variables. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate negative effects on perceptual motor-skill performance in judo athletes engaging in RWL strategies prior to competition.
Training Prescription Guided by Heart-Rate Variability in Cycling
Authors: Javaloyes Alejandro , Sarabia Jose Manuel , Lamberts Robert Patrick , Moya-Ramon Manuel
Published: May 2018

Purpose: Road cycling is a sport with extreme physiological demands. Therefore, there is a need to find new strategies to improve performance. Heart-rate variability (HRV) has been suggested as an effective alternative for prescribing training load against predefined training programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of training prescription based on HRV in road cycling performance. Methods: Seventeen well-trained cyclists participated in this study. After an initial evaluation week, cyclists performed 4 baseline weeks of standardized training to establish their resting HRV. Then, cyclists were divided into 2 groups, an HRV-guided group and a traditional periodization group, and they carried out 8 training weeks. Cyclists performed 2 evaluation weeks, after and before a training week. During the evaluation weeks, cyclists performed a graded exercise test to assess maximal oxygen uptake, peak power output, and ventilatory thresholds with their corresponding power output (VT1, VT2, WVT1, and WVT2, respectively) and a 40-min simulated time trial. Results: The HRV-guided group improved peak power output (5.1% [4.5%]; P = .024), WVT2 (13.9% [8.8%]; P = .004), and 40-min all-out time trial (7.3% [4.5%]; P = .005). Maximal oxygen uptake and WVT1 remained similar. The traditional periodization group did not improve significantly after the training week. There were no differences between groups. However, magnitude-based inference analysis showed likely beneficial and possibly beneficial effects for the HRV-guided group instead of the traditional periodization group in 40-min all-out time trial and peak power output, respectively. Conclusion: Daily training prescription based on HRV could result in a better performance enhancement than a traditional periodization in well-trained cyclists.
One-Repetition-Maximum Measures or Maximum Bar-Power Output: Which Is More Related to Sport Performance?
Authors: Loturco Irineu , Suchomel Timothy , Bishop Chris , Kobal Ronaldo , Pereira Lucas A. , McGuigan Michael
Published: May 2018

Purpose: To compare the associations between optimum power loads and 1-repetition-maximum (1RM) values (assessed in half-squat and jump-squat exercises) and multiple performance measures in elite athletes. Methods: Sixty-one elite athletes (15 Olympians) from 4 different sports (track and field [sprinters and jumpers], rugby sevens, bobsled, and soccer) performed squat and countermovement jumps, half-squat exercise (to assess 1RM), half-squat and jump-squat exercises (to assess bar-power output), and sprint tests (60 m for sprinters and jumpers and 40 m for the other athletes). Pearson product–moment correlation test was used to determine relationships between 1RM and bar-power outputs with vertical jumps and sprint times in both exercises. Results: Overall, both measurements were moderately to near perfectly related to speed performance (r values varying from −.35 to −.69 for correlations between 1RM and sprint times, and from −.36 to −.91 for correlations between bar-power outputs and sprint times; P < .05). However, on average, the magnitude of these correlations was stronger for power-related variables, and only the bar-power outputs were significantly related to vertical jump height. Conclusions: The bar-power outputs were more strongly associated with sprint-speed and power performance than the 1RM measures. Therefore, coaches and researchers can use the bar-power approach for athlete testing and monitoring. Due to the strong correlations presented, it is possible to infer that meaningful variations in bar-power production may also represent substantial changes in actual sport performance.
Muscle Activity Patterns do not Differ Between Push-Up and Bench Press Exercises
Authors: Gottschall Jinger S. , Hastings Bryce , Becker Zachary
Published: May 2018

Popular topics for upper-body resistance training involve the differences between hand positions, open versus closed chain exercises, and movement variations for the novice to the advanced. It was hypothesized that there will be no difference between closed (push-up) versus open (bench press) chain exercises for the primary muscle group activity nor would there be a difference between push-ups on the toes versus knees with respect to the percent contribution of each muscle. Surface muscle activity was measured for 8 upper-body and core muscles during a sequence of push-up and bench press variations with a normalized weight for 12 active men. Each participant completed push-ups and bench press exercises at each of 3 hand positions. The results demonstrated that there were few differences between closed versus open chain exercises for the primary muscle groups with the exception of core activation. In addition, in general, narrow hand positions yielded greater activation, and there were no significant differences between push-ups on the toes versus knees with respect to the percent contribution for the primary muscle groups. In conclusion, closed chain exercises may be preferred for functional training, and knee push-ups may be ideal as a novice push-up variation.
Lumbar Hyperextension in Baseball Pitching: A Potential Cause of Spondylolysis
Authors: Singh Hardeep , Lee Mark , Solomito Matthew J. , Merrill Christian , Nissen Carl
Published: May 2018

Symptomatic spondylolysis/spondylolisthesis is thought to be caused by repetitive lumbar extension. About 8.9% of baseball pitchers that experience back pain will be diagnosed with spondylolysis. Therefore, this study aims to identify and quantify lumbar extension experienced during baseball pitching. It was hypothesized that young pitchers would exhibit less lumbar extension than older pitchers. A total of 187 healthy pitchers were divided into 3 age groups: youth, adolescent, and college. Kinematic data were collected at 250 Hz using a 3-D motion capture system. Lumbar motion was calculated as the difference between upper thoracic motion and pelvic motion over the pitching cycle. Lumbar “hyperextension” was defined as ≥20° past neutral. College pitchers had significantly greater lumbar extension compared with youth and adolescent pitchers at the point of maximum external rotation of the glenohumeral joint during the pitch cycle (−25° [13°], P = .04). For all age groups, lumbar hyperextension was present during the first 66% of the pitch cycle. Most pitchers spent 45% of pitch cycle in ≥30° of lumbar extension. Understanding that lumbar extension and hyperextension are components of the complex, multiplanar motions of the spine associated with baseball pitching can potentially help in both the prevention and management of symptomatic spondylolysis/spondylolisthesis.
Effect of Impact Mechanism on Head Accelerations in Men’s Lacrosse Athletes
Authors: Vollavanh Lydia R. , O’Day Kathleen M. , Koehling Elizabeth M. , May James M. , Breedlove Katherine M. , Breedlove Evan L. , Nauman Eric A. , Bradney Debbie A. , Eric Goff J. , Bowman Thomas G.
Published: May 2018

Quantifying head impacts is a vital component to understanding and preventing head trauma in sport. Our objective was to establish the frequency and magnitude of head impact mechanisms in men’s lacrosse athletes. Eleven male lacrosse athletes wore xPatch sensors during activity. Video footage of practices and games was analyzed to verify impacts and code them with impact mechanisms. The authors calculated incidence rates (IRs) per 1000 exposures with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and used multivariate analysis of variances to compare the linear (g) and rotational (rad/s2) accelerations between mechanisms. A total of 167 head impacts were successfully verified and coded with a mechanism using video footage during 542 total exposures. The highest IR was head to body (IR = 118.08; 95% CI, 89.15–147.01), and the lowest was head to ball (IR = 3.69; 95% CI, 0–8.80) (incidence rate ratio = 32.00; 95% CI, 67.83–130.73). Analysis indicated that impact mechanism failed to significantly alter the combined dependent variables (multivariate F10,306 = 1.79, P = .06, η2 = .06, 1−β = 0.83). While head to head, body to head, and stick to head mechanisms are penalty-inducing offenses in men’s lacrosse, head to ground, head to ball, and combination impacts have similar head accelerations. If penalties and rules are created to protect players from traumatic head injury, the authors recommend stricter enforcement.
Prediction of Knee Joint Contact Forces From External Measures Using Principal Component Prediction and Reconstruction
Authors: Saliba Christopher M. , Clouthier Allison L. , Brandon Scott C.E. , Rainbow Michael J. , Deluzio Kevin J.
Published: May 2018

Abnormal loading of the knee joint contributes to the pathogenesis of knee osteoarthritis. Gait retraining is a noninvasive intervention that aims to reduce knee loads by providing audible, visual, or haptic feedback of gait parameters. The computational expense of joint contact force prediction has limited real-time feedback to surrogate measures of the contact force, such as the knee adduction moment. We developed a method to predict knee joint contact forces using motion analysis and a statistical regression model that can be implemented in near real-time. Gait waveform variables were deconstructed using principal component analysis, and a linear regression was used to predict the principal component scores of the contact force waveforms. Knee joint contact force waveforms were reconstructed using the predicted scores. We tested our method using a heterogenous population of asymptomatic controls and subjects with knee osteoarthritis. The reconstructed contact force waveforms had mean (SD) root mean square differences of 0.17 (0.05) bodyweight compared with the contact forces predicted by a musculoskeletal model. Our method successfully predicted subject-specific shape features of contact force waveforms and is a potentially powerful tool in biofeedback and clinical gait analysis.
Phagocytosed photoreceptor outer segments activate mTORC1 in the retinal pigment epithelium
Authors: Yu Bo , Egbejimi Anuoluwapo , Dharmat Rachayata , Xu Pei , Zhao Zhenyang , Long Bo , Miao Hongyu , Chen Rui , Wensel Theodore G. , Cai Jiyang , Chen Yan
Published: May 2018

The metabolic regulator mTORC1 is activated every morning in the retinal pigment epithelium.
The
Lactobacillus
Bile Salt Hydrolase Repertoire Reveals Niche-Specific Adaptation
Authors: O’Flaherty Sarah , Briner Crawley Alexandra , Theriot Casey M. , Barrangou Rodolphe
Published: May 2018

Bile acids play an integral role in shaping the gut microbiota and host physiology by regulating metabolic signaling, weight gain, and serum cholesterol and liver triglyceride levels. Given these important roles of bile acids, we investigated the presence of bile salt hydrolase (BSH) in
Lactobacillus
genomes representing 170 different species, determined strain- and species-specific patterns of occurrences, and expanded on the diversity of the BSH repertoire in this genus. While our data showed that 28% of
Lactobacillus
species encode BSH proteins, these species are associated mainly with vertebrate-adapted niches, demonstrating selective pressure on lactobacilli to evolve to adapt to specific environments. These new data will allow targeted selection of specific strains of lactobacilli and BSH proteins for future mechanistic studies to explore their therapeutic potential for treating metabolic disorders.
Acute macular neuroretinopathy: pathogenetic insights from optical coherence tomography angiography
Authors: Casalino Giuseppe , Arrigo Alessandro , Romano Francesco , Munk Marion R , Bandello Francesco , Parodi Maurizio Battaglia
Published: May 2018

Aim

To describe the optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) features of patients affected by acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMN).

Methods

This is a prospective, observational, cross-sectional study. Multimodal imaging, including spectral domain OCT (Spectralis HRA+OCT; Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) and 6×6 mm swept source OCT-A (ZEISS PLEX Elite 9000; ZEISS, Dublin, California), was performed on all patients. The primary outcome measure was assessment of the vascular alterations of the superficial (SCP) and deep (DCP) capillary plexuses and choriocapillaris (CC). A segmentation of the AMN lesions using enface OCT images of photoreceptors-retinal pigment epithelium complex was used to discriminate intralesional and extralesional regions on the OCT-A enface slabs of the DCP and CC reconstructions. Each OCT-A slab was imported into ImageJ V.1.50 and digitally binarised for quantitative analyses.

Results

Overall, seven patients (mean age 19.4±3.2 years, six women) affected by AMN were included. The mean best-corrected visual acuity was 0.00±0.00 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution. Twelve healthy age-matched subjects (mean age 22±3.4 years, 10 women) represented the control group. The quantitative analysis of global vessel densities showed that the CC vessel density was significantly lower in patients with AMN (0.495±0.03) compared with the age-matched controls (0.545±0.02) (corrected p=0.0003). The intralesional vessel density of the DCP was 0.349±0.04 in AMN and vs 0.497±0.02 in the controls (corrected p=0.0002).

Conclusions

Our study confirmed inner choroidal vascular flow void as a possible pathogenetic mechanism of AMN. We also found a focal impairment of the DCP within the AMN lesions. Future studies are needed to clarify which is the primary location of the vascular insult in this condition.