bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Postmastectomy Radiation Therapy and Two-Stage Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction: Is There a Better Time to Irradiate?
Authors: Santosa Katherine B. , Chen Xiaoxue , Qi Ji , Ballard Tiffany N. S. , Kim Hyungjin M. , Hamill Jennifer B. , Bensenhaver Jessica M. , Pusic Andrea L. , Wilkins Edwin G.
Published: September 2016

Background:

The ideal timing of postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) in the setting of two-stage implant-based breast reconstruction remains unclear. In this cohort study, the authors sought to determine whether complication rates differed between patients who received PMRT following tissue expander placement (TE-XRT) and those who received PMRT after exchange for permanent implants (Implant-XRT) utilizing using prospective, multicenter data.

Methods:

Eligible patients in the Mastectomy Reconstruction Outcomes Consortium study from 11 institutions across North America were included in the analysis. All patients had at least 6-month follow-up after their last intervention (i.e., implant exchange for TE-XRT patients, and radiation for Implant-XRT patients). Complications including seroma, hematoma, infection, wound dehiscence, capsular contracture, and implant loss were recorded.

Results:

The authors identified a total of 150 patients who underwent immediate, two-stage implant-based breast reconstruction and received PMRT. Of these, there were TE-XRT 104 patients (69.3 percent) and 46 (30.7 percent) Implant-XRT patients. There were no differences in the incidence of any complications or complications leading to reconstructive failure between the two cohorts. After adjusting for patient characteristics and site effect, the timing of PMRT (i.e., TE-XRT versus Implant-XRT) was not a significant predictor in the development of any complication, a major complication, or reconstructive failure.

Conclusion:

In the setting of PMRT and two-stage implant-based reconstruction, patients who received PMRT after expander placement (TE-XRT) did not have a higher incidence or increased odds of developing complications than those who received PMRT after exchange for a permanent implant (Implant-XRT).

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, III.
Predictors of Complications and Comparison of Outcomes Using SurgiMend Fetal Bovine and AlloDerm Human Cadaveric Acellular Dermal Matrices in Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction
Authors: Ricci Joseph A. , Treiser Matthew D. , Tao Ran , Jiang Wei , Guldbrandsen Gretchen , Halvorson Eric , Hergrueter Charles A. , Chun Yoon S.
Published: September 2016

Background:

Implant-based breast reconstruction with an acellular dermal matrix is one of the most common procedures performed by plastic surgeons. Although numerous matrices are available, there is little literature comparing them. This study compares the rates of complications between two commonly used products: AlloDerm (human cadaveric) and SurgiMend (fetal bovine) acellular dermal matrices.

Methods:

A retrospective review of a single center’s 6-year experience was performed for consecutive, immediate breast reconstructions with acellular dermal matrix from 2009 to 2014. The authors compared demographics and surgical characteristics between patients receiving AlloDerm versus SurgiMend. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine any association between type of matrix and surgical complications and to identify other clinical predictors for complications.

Results:

A total of 640 patients underwent 952 reconstructions using AlloDerm [578 breasts (61 percent)] or SurgiMend [374 breasts (39 percent)]. The average follow-up was 587 days. Multivariate analysis revealed that type of matrix was not an independent risk factor for the development of complications. However, smoking, age, radiotherapy, and initial tissue expander fill volume were associated with increased risk of postoperative complications.

Conclusions:

Both AlloDerm and SurgiMend acellular dermal matrices demonstrate similar rates of major complications when used in immediate implant-based breast reconstruction. In contrast, preoperative radiation therapy, smoking, increasing age, and initial tissue expander fill volume are independent risk factors for postoperative complications. Reconstructive surgeons should take these findings into consideration when performing implant-based breast reconstruction with a dermal matrix.
A Comparison of Psychological Response, Body Image, Sexuality, and Quality of Life between Immediate and Delayed Autologous Tissue Breast Reconstruction: A Prospective Long-Term Outcome Study
Authors: Zhong Toni , Hu Jiayi , Bagher Shaghayegh , Vo Anthony , O'Neill Anne C. , Butler Kate , Novak Christine B. , Hofer Stefan O. P. , Metcalfe Kelly A.
Published: September 2016

Background:

This is the first study to use generic distress, cancer-specific, and procedure-specific measures to prospectively evaluate psychological responses, body image, sexuality, and health-related quality of life in immediate compared with delayed breast reconstruction.

Methods:

Consecutive patients undergoing autologous immediate and delayed breast reconstruction (June of 2009 to December of 2010) completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Body Image Scale, Sexuality Scale, and BREAST-Q preoperatively and postoperatively (6, 12, and 18 months). Linear mixed-effects analyses between each outcome and time point were performed.

Results:

One hundred six women underwent mastectomy with immediate (n = 30) and delayed breast reconstruction (n = 76). Before reconstruction, 26 percent of patients had abnormal anxiety scores and 9 percent had abnormal depression scores, with no significant differences between groups. Patients awaiting delayed breast reconstruction had significantly impaired prereconstruction body image (p = 0.01) and sexuality (p = 0.01) and worse satisfaction with breast (p < 0.01), psychological (p < 0.01), and sexual well-being (p < 0.01). At 18 months after immediate and delayed breast reconstruction, there was significant improvement in anxiety, depression, body image, sexuality, and health-related quality of life.

Conclusions:

This single-center study shows that mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction may protect breast cancer patients from a period of psychosocial distress, poor body image, and diminished sexual well-being compared with those waiting for delayed breast reconstruction. In patients who are oncologically eligible and strongly interested in breast reconstruction, efforts should be made to provide immediate breast reconstruction to decrease the interval of psychosocial distress, poor body image, and impaired sexuality.
An Evidence-Based Approach to Nonsynostotic Plagiocephaly
Authors: Weissler E. Hope , Sherif Rami D. , Taub Peter J.
Published: September 2016

This article provides an evidence-based review of the literature concerning the cause, diagnosis, manifestations, and treatment of nonsynostotic plagiocephaly, with a particular focus on recently published studies of helmet therapy. It is designed to serve as an overview of this very common abnormality and a stimulus for discussion about management paradigms and future research priorities.
Regulation of ADSC Osteoinductive Potential Using Notch Pathway Inhibition and Gene Rescue: A Potential On/Off Switch for Clinical Applications in Bone Formation and Reconstructive Efforts
Authors: Lough Denver M. , Chambers Christopher , Germann Gunter , Bueno Ruben , Reichensperger Joel , Swanson Edward , Dyer Mary , Cox Lisa , Harrison Carrie , Neumeister Michael W.
Published: September 2016

Background:

Although there has been tremendous research in the ability of mesenchymal-derived adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) to form bone, less is known regarding the molecular mechanisms that regulate the osteogenic potential of ADSCs. Notch, which consists of a key family of regulatory ligands involved in bone formation, is expressed in the bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cell niche and is critical for proliferation, migration, and ultimately osseous differentiation. The authors investigate how Notch impacts ADSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation to determine a translatable application of these cells in bone regeneration.

Methods:

Enriched ADSC populations were isolated from tissue and examined for their ability to respond to Notch pathway signaling events. Proliferation, viability, extracellular matrix deposition, and osteoinduction were assessed following Notch activation and inhibition. Notch pathway rescue was conducted using a lentiviral vector encoding a downstream Notch-1 intracellular domain (NICD).

Results:

Proliferation, osteogenic induction, and the ability to form bone elements were reduced following Notch inhibition (p < 0.05). However, ADSCs, while in the presence of the Notch inhibition, were able to be rescued following lentiviral transduction with NICD, restoring osteogenic potential at both the molecular and cellular functional levels (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

These data suggest a potential translatable “on/off switch,” using endogenous Notch signaling to regulate the proliferation, differentiation, and osteogenic potential of ADSCs. Although Notch inhibition reduced ADSC proliferation and down-regulated osteoinduction, targeted gene therapy and the delivery of the downstream NICD peptide restored bone formation, suggesting pragmatic clinical utility of ADSCs for bone regeneration.
Flow-Induced Axial Vascularization: The Arteriovenous Loop in Angiogenesis and Tissue Engineering
Authors: Leibig Nico , Wietbrock Johanna O. , Bigdeli Amir K. , Horch Raymund E. , Kremer Thomas , Kneser Ulrich , Schmidt Volker J.
Published: September 2016

Fabrication of a viable vascular network providing oxygen supply is identified as one crucial limiting factor to generate more complex three-dimensional constructs. The arteriovenous loop model provides initial blood supply and has a high angioinductive potency, making it suitable for vascularization of larger, tissue-engineered constructs. Also because of its angiogenic capabilities the arteriovenous loop is recently also used as a model to evaluate angiogenesis in vivo. This review summarizes the history of the arteriovenous loop model in research and its technical and surgical aspects. Through modifications of the isolation chamber and its containing matrices, tissue generation can be enhanced. In addition, matrices can be used as release systems for local application of growth factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor, to affect vascular network formation. A special focus in this review is set on the assessment of angiogenesis in the arteriovenous loop model. This model provides good conditions for assessment of angiogenesis with the initial cell-free environment of the isolation chamber, which is vascularized by the arteriovenous loop. Because of the angiogenic capabilities of the arteriovenous loop model, different attempts were performed to create functional tissue in the isolation chamber for potential clinical application. Arteriovenous loops in combination with autologous bone marrow aspirate were already used to reconstruct large bone defects in humans.
The Effect of Smoking on Necrosis Rate in Digital Replantation and Revascularization with Prostaglandin E1 Therapy: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Nishijima Akio , Yamamoto Naoto , Yanagibayashi Satoshi , Yoshida Ryuichi , Takikawa Megumi , Kouno Rie , Gosho Masahiko
Published: September 2016

Background:

Most microsurgeons believe that smoking and severity of injury adversely affect the outcome of digital replantation surgery. As countermeasures, several pharmacologic agents have been used for the perioperative period. The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine whether the rate of necrosis is appreciably different across smokers versus nonsmokers with prostaglandin E1 therapy.

Methods:

The authors’ study subjects included 144 patients (184 digits) who underwent replantation or revascularization between August of 2013 and August of 2015.The primary outcome was the incidence of total necrosis after replantation surgery, and the secondary outcomes were the rate of overall necrosis, proportion of total necrosis to overall necrosis, and total success. Intravenous administration of prostaglandin E1 was performed at the rate of 120 μg/day for 7 days after surgery in all patients. These outcomes of each injury type were compared between smoking and nonsmoking groups.

Results:

Among the 184 injured digits, the incidence of total necrosis in smokers (23 percent) was higher than that in nonsmokers (17 percent), although no significant difference was shown (p = 0.36). The adjusted odds ratio was 1.17 (95 percent CI, 0.51 to 2.69). Similarly, there was no significant difference in the secondary outcomes between the two groups.

Conclusion:

The authors’ retrospective study found no significant difference in the formation or extent of necrosis after replantation or revascularization between smoking and nonsmoking groups when all patients were treated with prostaglandin E1.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Risk, II.
Proximal-to-Distally Elevated Superficial Circumflex Iliac Artery Perforator Flap Enabling Hybrid Reconstruction
Authors: Yoshimatsu Hidehiko , Yamamoto Takumi , Hayashi Akitatsu , Iida Takuya
Published: September 2016

Background:

Most authors elevate the superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flap from the lateral edge of the skin paddle, and begin by dissecting a perforator perfusing the skin paddle. In this article, the authors introduce a modified technique for elevation of a superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flap, beginning with identification of the pedicle arteries, allowing inclusion of a variety of anatomical structures.

Methods:

From August of 2012 to August of 2015, 27 patients with soft- and bony-tissue defects underwent reconstruction using proximal-to-distally elevated superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flaps. There were 18 male and nine female patients, with an average age was 54.3 years.

Results:

The average size and pedicle length of the flap was 59 cm2 and 6 cm, respectively. Chimeric fabrication consisted of vascularized iliac bone in four patients, the sartorius muscle in three patients, vascularized lymph node in two patients, vascularized deep fascia in one patient, and the intercostal nerve in one patient. The superficial branch of the superficial circumflex iliac artery was used as the only pedicle in 20 cases, the deep branch of the superficial circumflex iliac artery was used as the only pedicle in three cases, and both branches were used as the pedicle in four cases. Flaps survived completely in all but three cases. In the cases with integrated nerves or fascia, satisfactory functional recovery was observed.

Conclusion:

With its minimal donor-site morbidity and a wide variety of anatomical structures that can be procured with the skin paddle, the proximal-to-distally elevated superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flap may be useful for reconstruction of defects of small to moderate size.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, IV.
The Longitudinal Relation Between Accumulation of Adverse Life Events and Body Mass Index From Early Adolescence to Young Adulthood
Authors: Elsenburg Leonie K. , Smidt Nynke , Liefbroer Aart C.
Published: September 2016

Objective

Stressors, such as adverse life events, can cause weight changes through behavioral and biological mechanisms. Whether the accumulation of adverse life events is related to body mass index (BMI) across multiple time points from early adolescence to young adulthood has not been investigated to date.

Methods

Data are from 2188 children participating at T1 (10–12 years), T3 (14–18 years), and/or T5 (21–23 years) of the prospective Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey cohort study. Adverse events before T1 and between T1, T3, and T5 were measured with a parent interview at T1 and a semistructured interview (Event History Calendar) with the adolescent at T3 and T5. An adverse events score was calculated per wave. Body mass index z-scores were determined from objectively measured height and weight using the LMS (skewness, median, and coefficient of variation) reference curves of the International Obesity Task Force for children 18 years or younger. Data were analyzed using a modified bivariate autoregressive cross-lagged structural equation model.

Results

Adverse events before T1 and between T3 and T5 were related to BMI at T5 (β = 0.06, p = .001 and β = −0.04, p = .04, respectively). Specifically, health events before T1 were associated with a higher BMI at T5, and events related to relationships and victimhood events between T3 and T5 were associated with a lower BMI at T5.

Conclusions

Adverse relationship and victimhood events in their recent past were related to a lower BMI in young adults, whereas adverse health events during childhood were related to a higher BMI in young adults. No relationships were found between adverse life events with BMI in children and adolescents.
Cholinergic Changes in Aging and Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Lagarde Julien , Sarazin Marie , Chauviré Valérie , Stankoff Bruno , Kas Aurélie , Lacomblez Lucette , Peyronneau Marie-Anne , Bottlaender Michel
Published: September 2016

The central cholinergic system undergoes changes during the physiological process of aging and the pathologic process of Alzheimer disease (AD). We aimed to analyze the impairment of cholinergic pathways by positron emission tomography using the [18F]-F-A-85380 (FA85) tracer, which has a high affinity for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Aging was assessed by comparing young (n=10) and elderly (n=4) healthy subjects, and the pathologic process of AD was assessed by comparing elderly controls and age-matched AD patients (n=8). We measured an index of the nAChR density in the cortex and the hippocampus and the total number of FA85-binding sites by taking into account the volume changes. In AD, the nAChR density was preserved in both the cortex and hippocampus. The total estimated number of FA85-binding sites was decreased in the hippocampus despite the lack of a significant loss of volume, whereas the difference in the cortex did not withstand the adjustment for multiple comparisons despite a significant loss of volume. In contrast, in aging, the estimated number of FA85-binding sites was decreased in both the cortex and hippocampus with significant hippocampal atrophy. These findings suggest a preferential impairment of cholinergic pathways in the cortex during aging, whereas in AD, this damage predominated in the hippocampus with a potential compensatory cholinergic effect in the cortex.
Is there a trade-off between peak performance and performance breadth across temperatures for aerobic scope in teleost fishes?
Authors: Nati Julie J. H. , Lindström Jan , Halsey Lewis G. , Killen Shaun S.
Published: September 2016

The physiology and behaviour of ectotherms are strongly influenced by environmental temperature. A general hypothesis is that for performance traits, such as those related to growth, metabolism or locomotion, species face a trade-off between being a thermal specialist or a thermal generalist, implying a negative correlation between peak performance and performance breadth across a range of temperatures. Focusing on teleost fishes, we performed a phylogenetically informed comparative analysis of the relationship between performance peak and breadth for aerobic scope (AS), which represents whole-animal capacity available to carry out simultaneous oxygen-demanding processes (e.g. growth, locomotion, reproduction) above maintenance. Literature data for 28 species indicate that peak aerobic capacity is not linked to thermal performance breadth and that other physiological factors affecting thermal tolerance may prevent such a trade-off from emerging. The results therefore suggest that functional links between peak and thermal breadth for AS may not constrain evolutionary responses to environmental changes such as climate warming.
Mimics here and there, but not everywhere: Müllerian mimicry inCeroglossusground beetles?
Authors: Muñoz-Ramírez Carlos P. , Bitton Pierre-Paul , Doucet Stéphanie M. , Knowles Lacey L.
Published: September 2016

The ground beetle genusCeroglossuscontains co-distributed species that show pronounced intraspecific diversity in the form of geographical colour morphs. While colour morphs among different species appear to match in some geographical regions, in others, there is little apparent colour matching. Mimicry is a potential explanation for covariation in colour patterns, but it is not clear whether the degree of sympatric colour matching is higher than expected by chance given the obvious mismatches among morphs in some regions. Here, we used reflectance spectrometry to quantify elytral coloration from the perspective of an avian predator to test whether colour similarity between species is, indeed, higher in sympatry. After finding no significant phylogenetic signal in the colour data, analyses showed strong statistical support for sympatric colour similarity between species despite the apparent lack of colour matching in some areas. We hypothesize Müllerian mimicry as the responsible mechanism for sympatric colour similarity inCeroglossusand discuss potential explanations and future directions to elucidate why mimicry has not developed similar levels of interspecific colour resemblance across space.
Food limitation constrains host immune responses to nematode infections
Authors: Forbes Kristian M. , Mappes Tapio , Sironen Tarja , Strandin Tomas , Stuart Peter , Meri Seppo , Vapalahti Olli , Henttonen Heikki , Huitu Otso
Published: September 2016

Trade-offs in the allocation of finite-energy resources among immunological defences and other physiological processes are believed to influence infection risk and disease severity in food-limited wildlife populations. However, this prediction has received little experimental investigation. Here we test the hypothesis that food limitation impairs the ability of wild field voles (
Microtus agrestis
) to mount an immune response against parasite infections. We conducted a replicated experiment on vole populations maintained in large outdoor enclosures during boreal winter, using food supplementation and anthelmintic treatment of intestinal nematodes. Innate immune responses against intestinal parasite infections were compared between food-supplemented and non-supplemented voles. Voles with high food availability mounted stronger immune responses against intestinal nematode infections than food-limited voles. No food effects were seen in immune responses to intracellular coccidian parasites, possibly owing to their ability to avoid activation of innate immune pathways. Our findings demonstrate that food availability constrains vole immune responses against nematode infections, and support the concept that spatio-temporal heterogeneity in food availability creates variation in infectious disease susceptibility.
Onychophoran-like musculature in a phosphatized Cambrian lobopodian
Authors: Zhang Xi-Guang , Smith Martin R. , Yang Jie , Hou Jin-Bo
Published: September 2016

The restricted, exclusively terrestrial distribution of modern Onychophora contrasts strikingly with the rich diversity of onychophoran-like fossils preserved in marine CambrianLagerstätten. The transition from these early forebears to the modern onychophoran body plan is poorly constrained, in part owing to the absence of fossils preserving details of the soft anatomy. Here, we report muscle tissue in a new early Cambrian (Stage 3) lobopodian,Tritonychus phanerosarkusgen. et sp. nov., preserved in the Orsten fashion by three-dimensional replication in phosphate. This first report of Palaeozoic onychophoran musculature establishes peripheral musculature as a characteristic of the ancestral panarthropod, but documents an unexpected muscular configuration. Phylogenetic analysis reconstructsT. phanerosarkusas one of a few members of the main onychophoran lineage—which was as rare and as cryptic in the Cambrian period as it is today.
Predicting range-shift success potential for tropical marine fishes using external morphology
Authors: Smith Shannen M. , Fox Rebecca J. , Donelson Jennifer M. , Head Megan L. , Booth David J.
Published: September 2016

With global change accelerating the rate of species' range shifts, predicting which are most likely to establish viable populations in their new habitats is key to understanding how biological systems will respond. Annually, in Australia, tropical fish larvae from the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) are transported south via the East Australian Current (EAC), settling into temperate coastal habitats for the summer period, before experiencing near-100% mortality in winter. However, within 10 years, predicted winter ocean temperatures for the southeast coast of Australia will remain high enough for more of these so-called ‘tropical vagrants’ to survive over winter. We used a method of morphological niche analysis, previously shown to be an effective predictor of invasion success by fishes, to project which vagrants have the greatest likelihood of undergoing successful range shifts under these new climatic conditions. We find that species from the family of butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae), and the moorish idol,
Zanclus cornutus
, are most likely to be able to exploit new niches within the ecosystem once physiological barriers to overwintering by tropical vagrant species are removed. Overall, the position of vagrants within the morphospace was strongly skewed, suggesting that impending competitive pressures may impact disproportionately on particular parts of the native community.
Is the enhanced dispersal rate seen at invasion fronts a behaviourally plastic response to encountering novel ecological conditions?
Authors: Pettit Lachlan J. , Greenlees Matthew J. , Shine Richard
Published: September 2016

As a population expands into novel areas (as occurs in biological invasions), the range edge becomes dominated by rapidly dispersing individuals—thereby accelerating the rate of population spread. That acceleration has been attributed to evolutionary processes (natural selection and spatial sorting), to which we add a third complementary process: behavioural plasticity. Encountering environmental novelty may directly elicit an increased rate of dispersal. When we reciprocally translocated cane toads (
Rhinella marina
) among study sites in southern Australia, the transported animals massively increased dispersal rates relative to residents (to an extent similar to the evolved increase between range-core versus invasion-front toad populations in Australia). The responses of these translocated toads show that even range-core toads are capable of the long-distance dispersal rates of invasion-front conspecifics and suggest that rapid dispersal (rather than evolving
de novo
) has simply been expanded from facultative to constitutive expression.
Auditory mechanics in a bush-cricket: direct evidence of dual sound inputs in the pressure difference receiver
Authors: Jonsson Thorin , Montealegre-Z Fernando , Soulsbury Carl D. , Robson Brown Kate A. , Robert Daniel
Published: September 2016

The ear of the bush-cricket,Copiphora gorgonensis,consists of a system of paired eardrums (tympana) on each foreleg. In these insects, the ear is backed by an air-filled tube, the acoustic trachea (AT), which transfers sound from the prothoracic acoustic spiracle to the internal side of the eardrums. Both surfaces of the eardrums of this auditory system are exposed to sound, making it a directionally sensitive pressure difference receiver. A key feature of the AT is its capacity to reduce the velocity of sound propagation and alter the acoustic driving forces at the tympanum. The mechanism responsible for reduction in sound velocity in the AT remains elusive, yet it is deemed to depend on adiabatic or isothermal conditions. To investigate the biophysics of such multiple input ears, we used micro-scanning laser Doppler vibrometry and micro-computed X-ray tomography. We measured the velocity of sound propagation in the AT, the transmission gains across auditory frequencies and the time-resolved mechanical dynamics of the tympanal membranes inC. gorgonensis. Tracheal sound transmission generates a gain of approximately 15 dB SPL, and a propagation velocity ofca255 m s−1, an approximately 25% reduction from free field propagation. Modelling tracheal acoustic behaviour that accounts for thermal and viscous effects, we conclude that reduction in sound velocity within the AT can be explained, among others, by heat exchange between the sound wave and the tracheal walls.
Differential phenotypic and genetic expression of defence compounds in a plant–herbivore interaction along elevation
Authors: Salgado Ana L. , Suchan Tomasz , Pellissier Loïc , Rasmann Sergio , Ducrest Anne-Lyse , Alvarez Nadir
Published: September 2016

Elevation gradients impose large differences in abiotic and biotic conditions over short distances, in turn, likely driving differences in gene expression more than would genetic variationper se, as natural selection and drift are less likely to fix alleles at such a narrow spatial scale. As elevation increases, the pressure exerted on plants by herbivores and on arthropod herbivores by predators decreases, and organisms spanning the elevation gradient are thus expected to show lower levels of defence at high elevation. The alternative hypothesis, based on the optimal defence theory, is that defence allocation should be higher in low-resource habitats such as those at high elevation, due to higher costs associated with tissue replacement. In this study, we analyse variation with elevation in (i) defence compound content in the plantLotus corniculatusand (ii) gene expression associated with defence against predators in the specific phytophagous moth,Zygaena filipendulae. Both species produce cyanogenic glycosides (CNglcs) such as lotaustralin and linamarin as defence mechanisms, with the moth, in addition, being able to sequester CNglcs from its host plant. Specifically, we tested the assumption that the defence-associated phenotype in plants and the gene expression in the insect herbivore should covary between low- and high-elevation environments. We found thatL. corniculatusaccumulated more CNglcs at high elevation, a result in agreement with the optimal defence theory. By contrast, we found that the levels of expression in the defence genes ofZ. filipendulaelarvae were not related to the CNglc content of their host plant. Overall, expression levels were not correlated with elevation either, with the exception of theUGT33A1gene, which showed a marginally significant trend towards higher expression at high elevation when using a simple statistical framework. These results suggest that the defence phenotype of plants against herbivores, and subsequent herbivore sequestration machineries andde novoproduction, are based on a complex network of interactions.
Enhancing endorsement of scientific inquiry increases support for pro-environment policies
Authors: Drummond Aaron , Palmer Matthew A. , Sauer James D.
Published: September 2016

Pro-environment policies require public support and engagement, but in countries such as the USA, public support for pro-environment policies remains low. Increasing public scientific literacy is unlikely to solve this, because increased scientific literacy does not guarantee increased acceptance of critical environmental issues (e.g. that climate change is occurring). We distinguish between scientific literacy (basic scientific knowledge) and endorsement of scientific inquiry (perceiving science as a valuable way of accumulating knowledge), and examine the relationship between people's endorsement of scientific inquiry and their support for pro-environment policy. Analysis of a large, publicly available dataset shows that support for pro-environment policies is more strongly related to endorsement of scientific inquiry than to scientific literacy among adolescents. An experiment demonstrates that a brief intervention can increase support for pro-environment policies via increased endorsement of scientific inquiry among adults. Public education about the merits of scientific inquiry may facilitate increased support for pro-environment policies.
Packing and deploying Soft Origami to and from cylindrical volumes with application to automotive airbags
Authors: Bruton Jared T. , Nelson Todd G. , Zimmerman Trent K. , Fernelius Janette D. , Magleby Spencer P. , Howell Larry L.
Published: September 2016

Packing soft-sheet materials of approximately zero bending stiffness using Soft Origami (origami patterns applied to soft-sheet materials) into cylindrical volumes and their deployment via mechanisms or internal pressure (inflation) is of interest in fields including automobile airbags, deployable heart stents, inflatable space habitats, and dirigible and parachute packing. This paper explores twofold patterns, the ‘flasher’ and the ‘inverted-cone fold’, for packing soft-sheet materials into cylindrical volumes. Two initial packing methods and mechanisms are examined for each of the flasher and inverted-cone fold patterns. An application to driver’s side automobile airbags is performed, and deployment tests are completed to compare the influence of packing method and origami pattern on deployment performance. Following deployment tests, two additional packing methods for the inverted-cone fold pattern are explored and applied to automobile airbags. It is shown that modifying the packing method (using different methods to impose the same base pattern on the soft-sheet material) can lead to different deployment performance. In total, two origami patterns and six packing methods are examined, and the benefits of using Soft Origami patterns and packing methods are discussed. Soft Origami is presented as a viable method for efficiently packing soft-sheet materials into cylindrical volumes.
An aquatic vertebrate can use amino acids from environmental water
Authors: Katayama Noboru , Makoto Kobayashi , Kishida Osamu
Published: September 2016

Conventional food-web theory assumes that nutrients from dissolved organic matter are transferred to aquatic vertebrates via long nutrient pathways involving multiple eukaryotic species as intermediary nutrient transporters. Here, using larvae of the salamanderHynobius retardatusas a model system, we provide experimental evidence of a shortcut nutrient pathway by showing thatH. retardatuslarvae can use dissolved amino acids for their growth without eukaryotic mediation. First, to explore which amino acids can promote larval growth, we kept individual salamander larvae in one of eight different high-concentration amino acid solutions, or in control water from which all other eukaryotic organisms had been removed. We thus identified five amino acids (lysine, threonine, serine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine) as having the potential to promote larval growth. Next, using15N-labelled amino acid solutions, we demonstrated that nitrogen from dissolved amino acids was found in larval tissues. These results suggest that salamander larvae can take up dissolved amino acids from environmental water to use as an energy source or a growth-promoting factor. Thus, aquatic vertebrates as well as aquatic invertebrates may be able to use dissolved organic matter as a nutrient source.
Evolution of transgenerational immunity in invertebrates
Authors: Pigeault R. , Garnier R. , Rivero A. , Gandon S.
Published: September 2016

Over a decade ago, the discovery of transgenerational immunity in invertebrates shifted existing paradigms on the lack of sophistication of their immune system. Nonetheless, the prevalence of this trait and the ecological factors driving its evolution in invertebrates remain poorly understood. Here, we develop a theoretical host–parasite model and predict that long lifespan and low dispersal should promote the evolution of transgenerational immunity. We also predict that in species that produce both philopatric and dispersing individuals, it may pay to have a plastic allocation strategy with a higher transgenerational immunity investment in philopatric offspring because they are more likely to encounter locally adapted pathogens. We review all experimental studies published to date, comprising 21 invertebrate species in nine different orders, and we show that, as expected, longevity and dispersal correlate with the transfer of immunity to offspring. The validity of our prediction regarding the plasticity of investment in transgenerational immunity remains to be tested in invertebrates, but also in vertebrate species. We discuss the implications of our work for the study of the evolution of immunity, and we suggest further avenues of research to expand our knowledge of the impact of transgenerational immune protection in host–parasite interactions.
One fly to rule them all—muscid flies are the key pollinators in the Arctic
Authors: Tiusanen Mikko , Hebert Paul D. N. , Schmidt Niels Martin , Roslin Tomas
Published: September 2016

Global change is causing drastic changes in the pollinator communities of the Arctic. While arctic flowers are visited by a wide range of insects, flies in family Muscidae have been proposed as a pollinator group of particular importance. To understand the functional outcome of current changes in pollinator community composition, we examined the role of muscids in the pollination of a key plant species, the mountain avens (Dryas). We monitored the seed set ofDryasacross 15 sites at Zackenberg, northeast Greenland, and used sticky flower mimics and DNA barcoding to describe the flower-visiting community at each site. To evaluate the consequences of shifts in pollinator phenology under climate change, we compared the flower visitors between the early and the late season. Our approach revealed a diverse community of insects visitingDryas, including two-thirds of all insect species known from the area. Even against this diverse background, the abundance of muscid flies emerged as a key predictor for seed set inDryas, whereas overall insect abundance and species richness had little or no effect. With muscid flies as the main drivers of the pollinating function in the High Arctic, a recently observed decline in their abundances offers cause for concern.
Maternal stress has divergent effects on gene expression patterns in the brains of male and female threespine stickleback
Authors: Metzger David C. H. , Schulte Patricia M.
Published: September 2016

Maternal stress can have long-term effects on neurodevelopment that can influence offspring performance and population evolutionary trajectories. To examine the mechanistic basis for these neurodevelopmental effects of maternal stress, we used RNA-seq to assess differential gene expression across the brain transcriptome of adult male and female threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) from stressed and unstressed mothers. We identified sexually divergent effects of maternal stress on the brain transcriptome. In males, genes that were upregulated by maternal stress were enriched for processes involved in synaptic function and organization and steroid hormone-mediated signalling pathways, whereas in females genes that were upregulated by maternal stress were enriched for processes involved in protein translation and metabolic functions. The expression of several genes involved in the hypothalamic–pituitary–interrenal response to stress and epigenetic processes such as the regulation of DNA methylation patterns and miRNAs increased in males and not in females. These data suggest that maternal stress has markedly different effects on cellular pathways in the brains of male and female offspring of mothers that are exposed to stress, which could have important implications when assessing the long-term ecological and evolutionary impacts of stress across generations.
Prevalence of Zika virus infection in wild African primates
Authors: Buechler Connor R. , Bailey Adam L. , Weiler Andrea M. , Barry Gabrielle L. , Jasinska Anna J. , Freimer Nelson B. , Apetrei Cristian , Phillips-Conroy Jane E. , Jolly Clifford J. , Rogers Jeffrey , Friedrich Thomas C. , O’Connor David H.
Published: September 2016

The recent spread of Zika virus (ZIKV) is alarming due to its association with birth defects. Though the natural reservoir of ZIKV remains poorly defined, the virus was first described in a captive “sentinel” macaque in Africa. Here, we examined blood from 239 wild African monkeys and found variable seropositivity.
Pathway-based dissection of the genomic heterogeneity of cancer hallmarks’ acquisition with SLAPenrich
Authors: Iorio Francesco , Garcia-Alonso Luz , Brammeld Jonathan S. , Martincorena Iñigo , Wille David R. , McDermott Ultan , Saez-Rodriguez Julio
Published: September 2016

Cancer hallmarks are evolutionary traits required by a tumour to develop. While extensively characterised, the way these traits are achieved through the accumulation of somatic mutations in key biological pathways is not fully understood. To shed light on this subject, we characterised the landscape of pathway alterations associated with somatic mutations observed in 4,415 patients across ten cancer types, using 374 orthogonal pathway gene-sets mapped onto canonical cancer hallmarks. Towards this end, we developed SLAPenrich: a computational method based on population-level statistics, freely available as an open source R package. Assembling the identified pathway alterations into sets of hallmark signatures allowed us to connect somatic mutations to clinically interpretable cancer mechanisms. Further, we explored the heterogeneity of these signatures, in terms of ratio of altered pathways associated with each individual hallmark, assuming that this is reflective of the extent of selective advantage provided to the cancer type under consideration. Our analysis revealed the predominance of certain hallmarks in specific cancer types, thus suggesting different evolutionary trajectories across cancer lineages.

Finally, although many pathway alteration enrichments are guided by somatic mutations in frequently altered high-confidence cancer genes, excluding these driver mutations preserves the hallmark heterogeneity signatures, thus the detected hallmarks’ predominance across cancer types. As a consequence, we propose the hallmark signatures as a ground truth to characterise tails of infrequent genomic alterations and identify potential novel cancer driver genes and networks.
Resting high frequency heart rate variability is not associated with the recognition of emotional facial expressions in healthy human adults
Authors: Beffara Brice , Vermeulen Nicolas , Mermillod Martial
Published: September 2016

This study explores whether the myelinated vagal connection between the heart and the brain is involved in emotion recognition. The Polyvagal theory postulates that the activity of the myelinated vagus nerve underlies socio-emotional skills. It has been proposed that the perception of emotions could be one of this skills dependent on heart-brain interactions. However, this assumption was differently supported by diverging results suggesting that it could be related to confounded factors. In the current study, we recorded the resting state vagal activity (reflected by High Frequency Heart Rate Variability, HF-HRV) of 77 (68 suitable for analysis) healthy human adults and measured their ability to identify dynamic emotional facial expressions. Results show that HF-HRV is not related to the recognition of emotional facial expressions in healthy human adults. We discuss this result in the frameworks of the polyvagal theory and the neurovisceral integration model.
Real-time observation of replicative helicase assembly onto single-stranded DNA
Authors: Dulin David , Yu Zhongbo , Cui Tao Ju , Berghuis Bojk A. , Depken Martin , Dekker Nynke H.
Published: September 2016

Replicative helicases load onto DNA at the start of replication, and play a vital role by driving the replication fork forward. These helicases assemble into closed multimeric rings that need to encircle single-stranded (ss)DNA to be activated. Though helicase loading on substrates with accessible free ends has been well characterized for the T7 gp4 helicase, a model system for superfamily IV replicative helicases, the physiologically more relevant loading onto exposed ssDNA without free ends remains less well understood. Here, using a label-free assay that exploits changes in the DNA hairpin hopping dynamics to detect gp4 binding and activity, we characterize loading and activation of gp4 on exposed ssDNA without free ends, and find clear evidence of stepwise assembly of the helicase at the fork at physiologically relevant concentrations. The gradual loading onto ssDNA, rather than pre-forming in solution followed by spontaneous ring opening which appears favored at higher concentrations, suggests a new paradigm of stepwise assembly for the helicases in superfamily IV that do not require a separate loading enzyme.
The hemodynamic signal as a first-order low-pass temporal filter: Evidence and implications for neuroimaging studies
Authors: Sauvage Antoine , Hubert Guillaume , Touboul Jonathan , Ribot Jérôme
Published: September 2016

Neuronal activation triggers blood flow and hemoglobin deoxygenation. These hemodynamic signals can be recorded through magnetic resonance or optical imaging, and allows inferring neural activity in response to stimuli. These techniques are widely used to uncover functional brain architectures. However, their accuracy suffers from distortions inherent to hemodynamic responses and noise. The analysis of these signals currently relies on models of impulse hemodynamic responses to brief stimuli. Here, in order to infer precise functional architectures, we focused on integrated signals associated to the dynamical response of functional maps. To this end, we recorded orientation and direction maps in cat primary visual cortex and confronted two protocols: the conventional episodic stimulation technique and a continuous, periodic stimulation paradigm. Conventional methods show that the dynamics of activation and deactivation of the functional maps follows a linear first-order differential equation representing a low-pass filter. Comparison with the periodic stimulation methods confirmed this observation: the phase shifts and magnitude attenuations extracted at various frequencies were consistent with a low-pass filter with a 5 s time constant. This dynamics open new avenues in the analysis of neuroimaging data that differs from common methods based on the hemodynamic response function. In particular, we demonstrate that inverting this first-order low-pass filter minimized the distortions of the signal and enabled a much faster and accurate reconstruction of functional maps.
DNA Compass: a secure, client-side site for navigating personal genetic information
Authors: Curnin Charles , Gordon Assaf , Erlich Yaniv
Published: September 2016

Motivation

Millions of individuals have access to raw genomic data using direct-to-consumer companies. The advent of large-scale sequencing projects, such as the Precision Medicine Initiative, will further increase the number of individuals with access to their own genomic information. However, querying genomic data requires a computer terminal – an impediment for the general public.

Results

DNA Compass is a website designed to empower the public by enabling simple navigation of personal genomic data. Users can query the status of their genomic variants for over 400 conditions or tens of millions of documented SNPs. DNA Compass presents the relevant genotypes of the user side-by-side with explanatory scientific resources. The genotypes data never leaves the user’s computer, a feature that provides improved security and performance. Nearly 2500 unique users have used our tool, mainly from the general genetic genealogy community, demonstrating its utility.

Availability

DNA Compass is freely available onhttps://compass.dna.land.

Contact

yaniv@cs.columbia.edu