bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Moderation and Competence: How a Party's Ideological Position Shapes Its Valence Reputation
Authors: Johns Robert , Kölln Ann‐Kristin
Published: November 2019

We combine several strands of research from electoral behavior and party politics to suggest that ideological moderation will boost a party's perceived competence. Less radical parties are seen as readier to compromise, more realistic about what can be achieved, and less prone to simplistic solutions. The results of conjoint experiments with party profiles show that while an ideological leaning carries no cost, any appreciably left‐ or right‐wing position eroded a party's perceived competence among a representative sample of around 2,000 British citizens. This effect holds when controlling for respondents’ ideological proximity to the party in question, and it looks to operate through all three of the proposed mechanisms suggested above—especially willingness to compromise. These findings have important implications both for party strategy and for voting research, highlighting a key channel through which ideological moderation yields electoral gains.
Primary baerveldt versus trabeculectomy study after 5 years of follow‐up
Authors: Islamaj Esma , Wubbels René J. , de Waard Peter W. T.
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Although the Baerveldt glaucoma implant (BGI) initially was reserved for refractory glaucoma, its role in the surgical management of glaucoma has shifted towards a primary treatment choice. We performed a randomized prospective study to compare BGI surgery and trabeculectomy (TE) in patients without previous ocular surgery.

Methods

We included 119 glaucoma patients without previous ocular surgery. One eye of each subject was randomized to either a BGI or TE. Follow‐up visits were at 1 day, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years postoperatively. Primary outcomes were intraocular pressure (IOP) and failure rate. Secondary outcomes were medication, anterior chamber laser flare value and complications.

Results

After 5 years, an IOP of 12.7 ± 3.9 mmHg (mean ± SD) was achieved in the TE group and 12.9 ± 3.9 mmHg in the BGI group. We found no statistically significant difference in failure rate between the groups (p = 0.72). More BGI patients needed additional medication to control their IOP (85%; 1.9 ± 1.2 types of glaucoma medication) compared to the TE patients (57%; 0.5 ± 0.9 types of glaucoma medication). Diplopia was significantly more present in the BGI group than in the TE group (27% versus 4%; p < 0.001). The self‐limiting complication rate was similar in both groups.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that, in the long term, the final IOP and failure rate are similar after TE and BGI surgery. However, the need for additional medication after BGI surgery is higher than after TE. Also, the increased risk of developing diplopia after BGI surgery must be taken into consideration.
Magnolol additive improves carcass and meat quality ofLinwuducks by modulating antioxidative status
Authors: Lin Qian , Peng Simin , Li Yinghui , Jiang Guitao , Liao Zhenzhang , Fan Zhiyong , He Xi , Dai Qiuzhong
Published: November 2019

Magnolol rich inMagnolia officinalisis a bioactive polyphenolic compound. The aim of this study was to clarify the effects of magnolol additive (MA) on carcass and meat quality, biochemical characteristics and antioxidative capacity ofLinwuducks, by comparing it to that of antibiotic additive (colistin sulphate, CS). A total of 275 49‐d‐old ducks were randomly assigned to 5 groups with 5 cages of 11 ducks each and fed by the diets supplemented with 0, 100, 200 and 300 mg of MA/kg and 30 mg of CS/kg for 3 weeks, respectively. The results revealed that MA administration not only increased dressed percentage (calculated as a percentage of live weight), percentage of breast muscle, leg muscle and lean meat (calculated as a percentage of eviscerated weight), but also remarkably increased a*45 minand pH45 minof leg muscle. Moreover, MA administration decreased the percentage of abdominal fat (calculated as a percentage of eviscerated weight), 45‐min cooking loss, water loss rate of leg muscle, 45‐min cooking loss and drip loss of breast muscle at 24 hr and 48 hr. Furthermore, MA administration enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in serum or liver, serum total antioxidant capacity and hepatic reduced glutathione concentration significantly, compared with the basal diet or CS group (p < .05). On the other hand, triglyceride, total cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl and 8‐hydroxy‐2'‐deoxyguanosine contents in serum and liver were significantly increased inLinwuducks fed with CS, compared with MA groups (p < .05). Taken together, these data demonstrated that magnolol could effectively improve the carcass and meat quality ofLinwuducks by regulating the in vivo antioxidant status and would be a potential candidate to replace antibiotic.
Magnetoencephalography resting‐state spectral fingerprints distinguish bipolar depression and unipolar depression
Authors: Jiang Haiteng , Dai Zhongpeng , Lu Qing , Yao Zhijian
Published: November 2019

Objectives

In clinical practice, bipolar depression (BD) and unipolar depression (UD) appear to have similar symptoms, causing BD being frequently misdiagnosed as UD, leading to improper treatment decision and outcome. Therefore, it is in urgent need of distinguishing BD from UD based on clinical objective biomarkers as early as possible. Here, we aimed to integrate brain neuroimaging data and an advanced machine learning technique to predict different types of mood disorder patients at the individual level.

Methods

Eyes closed resting‐state magnetoencephalography (MEG) data were collected from 23 BD, 30 UD, and 31 healthy controls (HC). Individual power spectra were estimated by Fourier transform, and statistic spectral differences were assessed via a cluster permutation test. A support vector machine classifier was further applied to predict different mood disorder types based on discriminative oscillatory power.

Results

Both BD and UD showed decreased frontal‐central gamma/beta ratios comparing to HC, in which gamma power (30‐75 Hz) was decreased in BD while beta power (14‐30 Hz) was increased in UD vs HC. The support vector machine model obtained significant high classification accuracies distinguishing three groups based on mean gamma and beta power (BD: 79.9%, UD: 81.1%, HC: 76.3%, P < .01).

Conclusions

In combination with resting‐state MEG data and machine learning technique, it is possible to make an individual and objective prediction for mode disorder types, which in turn has implications for diagnosis precision and treatment decision of mood disorder patients.
Cultural response to Middle Holocene sea‐level fluctuations in eastern China: a multi‐proxy approach
Authors: He Ke‐Yang , Lu Hou‐Yuan , Li Yong‐Ning , Ding Feng‐Ya , Zhang Jianping , Wang Can
Published: November 2019

The Middle Holocene period witnessed significant environmental and cultural transitions regarding the deceleration of sea‐level rise and the emergence of early agriculture, which profoundly moulded human–environment interactions in coastal regions. The Hemudu Culture (7000–5000 cal. a BP) is primarily distributed in eastern China coastal plains and marks a milestone in the origin of rice agriculture, and thus serves as an ideal case for examining these dramatic transitions. However, most existing studies have only focused on one particular aspect of the interactions amongst cultural evolution, subsistence strategies and sea‐level fluctuations in the Yaojiang Valley, and comprehensive understanding of cultural responses to Middle Holocene sea‐level fluctuations across the Ningshao Plain remains ambiguous. In this multi‐proxy study, pollen, phytolith and diatom remains from a high‐resolution profile of the Xiawangdu site (Hangzhou Bay, eastern China), along with a systematic collection of archaeological sites and radiocarbon dates for the Hemudu and Liangzhu cultures, were employed to assess human adaptation to the coastal environment. Coinciding with the cultural interruption between 6200 and 5600 cal. a BP, induced by Middle Holocene sea‐level transgression, Hemudu Culture diffused from the Yaojiang Valley northward to the Zhoushan Islands and southward to the Ningbo Plain, e.g. the Xiawangdu site. The regional ecological environment has experienced an evolutionary sequence from marine transgression (6200–5600 cal. a BP), to coastal lagoon (5600–5300 cal. a BP), through to freshwater wetland (5300–4300 cal. a BP). Settlements of pile dwellings and terraces were constructed to adapt to the hydrological transition from coastal lagoon to freshwater wetland around 5300 cal. a BP. In addition, evidence of both rice phytoliths and Poaceae pollen suggests that rice had already been domesticated by 5600 cal. a BP. Thus, the dispersal, settlement and subsistence of Hemudu Culture in the coastal lowlands of eastern China were largely dependent upon sea‐level fluctuations.
Functional organization of woody plant assemblages along precipitation and human disturbance gradients in a seasonally dry tropical forest
Authors: Zorger Bianca B. , Tabarelli Marcelo , de Queiroz Rubens T. , Rosado Bruno H. P. , Pinho Bruno X.
Published: November 2019

Chronic anthropogenic disturbances (CAD) and rainfall are important drivers of plant community assembly, but little is known about the role played by inter‐ and intraspecific trait variation as communities respond to these pervasive forces. Here, we examined the hypothesis that lower precipitation and higher CAD reduce both intra‐ and interspecific trait variation in Caatinga dry forests. We sampled woody plants across 15 plots along precipitation and CAD gradients and measured resource‐use traits. The effects of precipitation and CAD on RaoQ functional diversity were decomposed into species turnover and intraspecific variability. We used “T‐statistics” to assess the trait sorting from the regional pool to local communities (i.e., external filtering), and within‐community forces leading to low trait overlap (i.e., internal filtering) at individual and species levels. Intraspecific variability explained at least one‐third of the total trait variation and 46% of variation in multitrait diversity across communities. Increasing disturbance reduced multitrait diversity, while precipitation affected some particular traits, such as wood density. Overall, precipitation determined species sorting across communities, while disturbance relaxed internal filters, leading to higher trait overlap within communities due to higher intraspecific variability. Our results suggest that the woody Caatinga flora contains a substantial amount of both inter‐ and intraspecific trait variation. This variation is not randomly distributed within and across communities, but varies according to rainfall conditions and disturbance intensity. These findings reinforce the emerging idea that human disturbances can reorganize plant communities at multiple scales and highlight trait variability as a key biological asset for the resilience of dry forests.
Ubiquitin carboxyl‐terminal hydrolase L1 promotes hypoxia‐inducible factor 1‐dependent tumor cell malignancy in spheroid models
Authors: Li Xuebing , Hattori Akira , Takahashi Senye , Goto Yoko , Harada Hiroshi , Kakeya Hideaki
Published: November 2019

Hypoxia‐inducible factor 1 (HIF‐1) is a critical heterodimeric transcription factor for tumor malignancy. Recently, ubiquitin carboxyl‐terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) has been reported to function as a deubiquitinating enzyme for the stabilization of its α subunit (HIF‐1α). In the present study, we showed that UCHL1 inhibition can be an effective therapeutic strategy against HIF‐1‐dependent tumor malignancy. In 2D monolayer culture, a UCHL1 inhibitor suppressed HIF activity and decreased the transcription of HIF downstream genes by inhibiting the UCHL1‐mediated accumulation of HIF‐1α. Phenotypically, UCHL1 inhibition remarkably blocked cell migration. In 3D spheroid culture models, ectopic expression of UCHL1 significantly upregulated malignancy‐related factors such as solidity, volume, as well as viable cell number in an HIF‐1α‐dependent manner. Conversely, inhibition of the UCHL1‐HIF‐1 pathway downregulated these malignancy‐related factors and also abolished UCHL1‐mediated cell proliferation and invasiveness. Finally, inhibition of UCHL1 promoted HIF‐1α degradation and lowered the expression of HIF‐1 target genes in the 3D model, as also observed in 2D monolayer culture. Our research indicates that the UCHL1‐HIF‐1 pathway plays a crucial role in tumor malignancy, making it a promising therapeutic target for cancer chemotherapy.
Low immune index correlates with favorable prognosis but with reduced benefit from chemotherapy in gallbladder cancer
Authors: Wang Jie , Bo Xiaobo , Wang Changcheng , Xin Yanlei , Nan Lingxi , Luo Rongkui , Chen Lingli , Shi Xiao , Suo Tao , Ni Xiaoling , Liu Han , Shen Sheng , Li Min , Lu Pinxiang , Wang Yueqi , Liu Houbao
Published: November 2019

Use of immune index is a new potential approach for cancer classification and prediction. To investigate the status and clinical effect of immune index in gallbladder cancer (GBC), 238 GBC patients from Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University were involved in the present study, including 113 patients in a training set and 125 patients in a validation set. Five immune cells (macrophages, neutrophils, regulatory T cells, cytotoxic T cells and mast cells) were selected based on a literature review and the immune index for each patient was calculated using the LASSO regression. A low immune index (<1) was defined as immunotype A and a high immune index (≥1) was defined as immunotype B. The 5‐year overall survival rate for immunotype A was higher than that for immunotype B in the training set and the validation set (70.0% vs 37.0%, P < 0.001; 68.9% vs 47.5%, P = 0.002; respectively). Moreover, the immune index showed higher prediction efficiency compared with all the single immune cells which we selected. When combined with the immune index, the areas under the curve (AUC) of the TNM staging system in both sets were elevated from 0.677 to 0.787 and from 0.631 to 0.694, respectively. Interestingly, gemcitabine‐based chemotherapy only benefits stage II patients of immunotype B and stage III patients of both immunotype A and immunotype B (P = 0.015, P = 0.030, P = 0.011, respectively) but does not work in stage II patients of immunotype A (P = .307). Taken together, the immune index could effectively predict prognosis and the benefits of gemcitabine‐based chemotherapy and might improve on the TNM staging system.
Phenotypic delineation of the retinal arterial macroaneurysms with supravalvular pulmonic stenosis syndrome
Authors: Alkuraya Hisham , Patel Nisha , Ibrahim Niema , Al Ghamdi Bandar , Alsulaiman Sulaiman M. , Nowilaty Sawsan R. , Abboud Emad , Alturki Ramadan , Alkharashi Abdullah , Eyaid Wafaa , Almasseri Zainab , Alzaidan Hamad , Alotaibi Mohammed D. , Abu El‐Asrar Ahmed M. , Alamro Bandar , Helaby Rana , Elshaer Amani , Almontashiri Naif A.M. , Al‐Hussaini Abdulrahman A. , Alkuraya Fowzan S.
Published: November 2019

Retinal arterial macroaneurysms with supravalvular pulmonic stenosis (RAMSVPS), also known as Familial Retinal Arterial Macroaneurysms (FRAM) syndrome, is a very rare multisystem disorder. Here, we present a case series comprising ophthalmologic and systemic evaluation of patients homozygous for RAMSVPS syndrome causative IGFBP7 variant. New clinical details on 22 previously published and 8 previously unpublished patients are described. Age at first presentation ranged from 1 to 34 years. The classical feature of macroaneurysms and vascular beading involving the retinal arteries was universal. Follow up extending up to 14 years after initial diagnosis revealed recurrent episodes of bleeding and leakage from macroaneurysms in 55% and 59% of patients, respectively. The majority of patients who underwent echocardiography (18/23) showed evidence of heart involvement, most characteristically pulmonary (valvular or supravalvular) stenosis, often requiring surgical correction (12/18). Four patients died in the course of the study from complications of pulmonary stenosis, cerebral hemorrhage, and cardiac complications. Liver involvement (usually cirrhosis) was observed in eight patients. Cerebral vascular involvement was observed in one patient, and stroke was observed in two. We conclude that RAMSVPS is a recognizable syndrome characterized by a high burden of ocular and systemic morbidity, and risk of premature death. Recommendations are proposed for early detection and management of these complications.
Null variants in AGRN cause lethal fetal akinesia deformation sequence
Authors: Geremek Maciej , Dudarewicz Lech , Obersztyn Ewa , Paczkowska Magdalena , Smyk Marta , Sobecka Katarzyna , Nowakowska Beata
Published: November 2019

We present a case of lethal fetal akinesia deformation sequence (FADS) caused by a frameshift variant in trans with a 148 kbp deletion encompassing 3‐36 exons of AGRN. Pathogenic variants in AGRN have been described in families with a form of congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS), manifesting in the early childhood with variable fatigable muscle weakness. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of FADS caused by defects in AGRN gene. FADS has been reported to be caused by pathogenic variants in genes previously associated with CMS including these involved in endplate development and maintenance: MuSK, DOK7, and RAPSN. FADS seems to be the most severe form of CMS. None of the reported in the literature CMS cases associated with AGRN had two null variants, like the case presented herein. This indicates a strong genotype‐phenotype correlation.
Surgical procedures for soft tissue augmentation at implant sites. A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Cairo Francesco , Barbato Luigi , Selvaggi Filippo , Baielli Maria G. , Piattelli Adriano , Chambrone Leandro
Published: November 2019

Background

Different procedures were proposed to augment soft tissue around dental implants.

Objective

Aims of this Systematic Review (SR) were to evaluate (a) clinical benefit of soft tissue augmentation at implant sites (b) which is the best surgical procedure to augment soft tissue.

Materials and Methods

Manual/electronic searches were performed to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Change in keratinized tissue thickness (STT) and height (KT) were primary outcomes. Random effects meta‐analyses were performed where suitable and expressed as weighted mean differences (MD) with their associated 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

Fourteen RCTs accounting for 475 patients and 538 implants were included. Only five studies were judged at low risk of bias. In the single studies, soft augmentation lead to higher STT and KT compared to no augmentation. Considering primary outcomes, connective tissue graft (CTG) was more effective than xenogeneic collagen matrix (XCM) to improve STT (MD: −0.30 mm; 95% CI −0.43; −0.17; P < .00001) in the meta‐analysis for different techniques for augmentation.

Conclusions

Even if further studies at low risk of bias are needed, soft tissue augmentation techniques improved quantity and quality of peri‐implant soft tissue. Among the augmentation procedures, CTG was associated to higher STT change compared to XCM.
Atlastin‐1 modulates seizure activity and neuronal excitability
Authors: Lu Xi , Yang Min , Yang Yong , Wang Xue‐Feng
Published: November 2019

Epilepsy is a neurological disease, and the main clinical manifestation is recurrent seizures. The exact etiology of epilepsy and the pathogenesis of the disorder are not yet fully understood. Atlastin‐1, a dynamin‐like GTPase, interacts with microtubules and is responsible for vesicle formation, both of which are highly associated with the development of epilepsy. Here, we reported that the expression level of atlastin‐1 protein was reduced in the temporal neocortex of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and in the hippocampus and adjacent cortex of a pentylenetetrazol‐kindled epileptic mouse model. Cells expressing atlastin‐1 coexpressed the inhibitory synaptic marker GAD67 in the temporal cortex and hippocampus of patients with epilepsy and an epileptic mouse model. The lentivirus‐mediated overexpression of atlastin‐1 protein in the hippocampus of mice suppressed seizure activity in behavioral experiments. Patch‐clamp recordings in the Mg2+‐free epilepsy cell model showed that atlastin‐1 overexpression inhibited neuronal excitability by suppressing the discharge frequency of spontaneous action potentials rather than by changing the passive and active properties of action potentials. Inhibitory synaptic transmission, but not excitatory synaptic currents, increased after atlastin‐1 overexpression. These findings suggest that atlastin‐1 likely contributes to the occurrence and development of epilepsy through inhibitory synaptic transmission.
Intelligent methodologies for cardiac sound signals analysis and characterization in cepstrum and time‐scale domains
Authors: El‐Dahshan El‐Sayed A. , Bassiouni Mahmoud M.
Published: November 2019

Biometric authentication is the process that allows an individual to be identified based on a set of unique biological features data. In this study, we present different experiments to use the cardiac sound signals (phonocardiogram “PCG”) as a biometric authentication trait. We have applied different features extraction approaches and different classification techniques to use the PCG as a biometric trait. Through all experiments, data acquisition is based on collecting the cardiac sounds from HSCT‐11 and PASCAL CHSC2011 datasets, while preprocessing is concerned with de‐noising of cardiac sounds using multiresolution‐decomposition and multiresolution‐reconstruction (MDR‐MRR). The de‐noised signal is then segmented based on frame‐windowing and Shanon energy (SE) methods. For feature extraction, Cepstral (Cp) domain (based on mel‐frequency) and time‐scale (T‐S) domain (based on Wavelet Transform) features are extracted from the de‐noised signal after segmentation. The features, extracted from the Cp‐domain and the T‐S domain, are fed to four different classifiers: Artificial neural networks (ANN), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF) and K‐nearest neighbor (KNN). The performance of the classifications is assessed based on the k‐fold cross validation. The computation complexity of the feature extraction domains is expressed using the Big‐O measurements. The T‐S features are superior to PCG heart signals in terms of the classification accuracy. The experiments' results give the highest classification accuracy with lowest computation complexity for RF in the Cp domain and SVM and ANN in the T‐S domain.
Synthesising polymeric dispersants to apply to carbon black pigmented mill bases for use in ink‐jet inks
Authors: Yoon Chun , Choi Jae‐Hong
Published: November 2019

Dyes are an important component of drop‐on‐demand ink‐jet inks and are commonly used in desktop printers. While they offer bright, vivid colour, these dyes exhibit poor light and water fastness. To combat this, researchers have started using pigmented ink‐jet inks instead of dye‐based inks to improve light and water fastness, but the pigments are insoluble in ink vehicles. To use pigments, dispersants must be applied; however, this is a delicate process because the properties of the dispersant substantially affect how the pigmented mill base must be prepared. In this study, polymeric dispersants are synthesised based on the properties and ratios of monomers and the molecular weights of polymers. In total, 14 types of polymeric dispersants are synthesised and examined, with special attention paid to the dispersing properties of particle size reduction and the stability of the pigmented mill base used to prepare drop‐on‐demand ink‐jet inks. This study describes the synthesis of the dispersants in terms of their suitability for commercial application.
A review of the NG17 recommendations for the use of basal insulin in type 1 diabetes
Authors: Bain S. , Feher M. , Fisher M. , Hex N. , Lee K. C. S. , Mahon J. , Russell‐Jones D. , Schou H. , Wilmot E. G. , Baxter M.
Published: November 2019

Aims

To revisit the data analysis used to inform National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) NG17 guidance for initiating basal insulin in adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus (diabetes).

Methods

We replicated the data, methodology and analysis used by NICE diabetes in the NG17 network meta‐analysis (NMA). We expanded this data cohort to a more contemporary data set (extended 2017 NMA) and restricted the studies included to improve the robustness of the data set (restricted 2017 NMA) and in a post hoc analysis, changed the index comparator from neutral protamine Hagedorn (NPH) insulin twice daily to insulin detemir twice daily.

Results

The absolute changes in HbA1c were similar to those reported in the NG17. However, all 95% credible intervals for change in HbA1c point estimates crossed the line of null effect, except for detemir twice daily (in the NICE and extended 2017 NMAs) and NPH four times daily. In the detemir twice‐daily centred post hoc analysis, the 95% credible intervals for change in HbA1c crossed the line of null effect for all basal therapies, except NPH.

Conclusions

In NG17, comparisons of basal insulins were based solely on efficacy of glycaemic control. Many of the trials used in this analysis were treat‐to‐target, which minimize differences in HbA1c. In the NMAs, statistical significance was severely undermined by the wide credible intervals. Despite these limitations, point estimates of HbA1c were used to rank the insulins and formed the basis of NG17 guidance. This study queries whether such analyses should be used to make specific clinical recommendations.
An artificial nucleoside that simultaneously detects and combats drug resistance to doxorubicin
Authors: Choi Jung‐Suk , Berdis Anthony
Published: November 2019

Objectives

Doxorubicin is a DNA‐damaging agent used to treat hematological cancers. Unfortunately, drug resistance can occur by defective DNA repair activity coupled with the ability of DNA polymerases to misreplicate unrepaired DNA lesions. This study demonstrates that the efficacy of doxorubicin can be improved by using an artificial nucleoside to efficiently and selectively inhibit this activity.

Methods

In vitro studies using acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines define the mechanism of cell death caused by combining an artificial nucleoside with doxorubicin.

Results

Flow cytometry experiments demonstrate that combining an artificial nucleoside with doxorubicin potentiates the cell killing effects of the drug by increasing apoptosis. The potentiation effect correlates with expression of TdT, a specialized DNA polymerase overexpressed in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cell cycle experiments demonstrate that this combination blocks cells at S‐phase prior to inducing apoptosis. Finally, the unique chemical composition of the nucleoside analog was used to visualize the replication of damaged DNA in TdT‐positive cells. This represents a potential diagnostic tool to easily identify doxorubicin‐resistant cancer cells.

Conclusion

Studies demonstrate that a novel artificial nucleoside improves the therapeutic efficacy of doxorubicin, thereby reducing the risk of potential side effects caused by the DNA‐damaging agent.
Can genetic assignment tests provide insight on the influence of captive egression on the epizootiology of chronic wasting disease?
Authors: Miller William L. , Walter W. David
Published: November 2019

Identifying the sources of ongoing and novel disease outbreaks is critical for understanding the diffusion of epizootic diseases. Identifying infection sources is difficult when few physical differences separate individuals with different origins. Genetic assignment procedures show great promise for assessing transmission dynamics in such situations. Here, we use genetic assignment tests to determine the source of chronic wasting disease infections in free‐ranging white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations. Natural dispersal is thought to facilitate the geographic diffusion of chronic wasting disease, but egression from captive cervid populations represents an alternative source of infection that is difficult to detect due to physical similarities with wild deer. Simulated reference populations were created based on allele frequencies from 1,912 empirical microsatellite genotypes collected in four sampling subregions and five captive facilities. These reference populations were used to assess the likelihood of ancestry and assignment of 1,861 free‐ranging deer (1,834 noninfected and 27 infected) and 51 captive individuals to captive or wild populations. The ancestry (Q) and assignment scores (A) for free‐ranging deer to wild populations were high (average Qwild = 0.913 and average Awild = 0.951, respectively), but varied among subregions (Qwild = 0.800–0.947, Awild = 0.857–0.976). These findings suggest that captive egression and admixture are rare, but risk may not be spatially uniform. Ancestry and assignment scores for two free‐ranging deer with chronic wasting disease sampled in an area where chronic wasting disease was previously unobserved in free‐ranging herds indicated a higher likelihood of assignment and proportion of ancestry attributable to captive populations. While we cannot directly assign these individuals to infected facilities, these findings suggest that rare egression events may influence the epizootiology of chronic wasting disease in free‐ranging populations. Continued disease surveillance and genetic analyses may further elucidate the relative disease risk attributable to captive and wild sources.
Comparing raccoon major histocompatibility complex diversity in native and introduced ranges: Evidence for the importance of functional immune diversity for adaptation and survival in novel environments
Authors: Biedrzycka Aleksandra , Konopiński Maciej , Hoffman Eric , Trujillo Alexa , Zalewski Andrzej
Published: November 2019

The adaptive potential of invasive species is related to the genetic diversity of the invader, which is influenced by genetic drift and natural selection. Typically, the genetic diversity of invaders is studied with neutral genetic markers; however, the expectation of reduced diversity has not been consistently supported by empirical studies. Here, we describe and interpret genetic diversity at both neutral microsatellite loci and the immune‐related MHC‐DRB locus of native and invasive populations of raccoon to better understand of how drift and selection impact patterns of genetic diversity during the invasion process. We found that despite the loss of many MHC (major histocompatibility complex) alleles in comparison with native populations, functional MHC supertypes are preserved in the invasive region. In the native raccoon population, the number of supertypes within individuals was higher than expected under a neutral model. The high level of individual functional divergence may facilitate the adaptation to local conditions in the invasive range. In the invasive populations, we also detected increased population structure at microsatellites compared to the MHC locus, further suggesting that balancing selection is acting on adaptively important regions of the raccoon genome. Finally, we found that alleles known to exhibit resistance to rabies in the native range, Prlo‐DRB*4, Prlo‐DRB*16 and Prlo‐DRB*102, were the most common alleles in the European populations, suggesting directional selection is acting on this locus. Our research shows empirical support for the importance of functional immune diversity for adaptation and survival in novel environments.
Sorting nexin 11 knockout mice exhibit enhanced thermosensing behaviour
Authors: Huang Hua‐Lin , Li Caiyue , Ma Wenbo , Yin Shikui , Zhao Huifan , Deng Sihao , Shu Xiaodong , Wu Donghai , Li Ji , Huang Rongqi , Cheng Na , Huang Jufang , Li Zhiyuan
Published: November 2019

Temperature sensing is an important adaptive mechanism for warm‐blooded animals such as humans. ThermoTRP ion channels are activated by distinct but overlapping physiological temperatures. Our previous research demonstrated that sorting nexin 11 (SNX11) regulates lysosomal degradation of plasma membrane TRPV3, one of ThermoTRP ion channel proteins. Here, we found that SNX11, a vesicular trafficking protein, modulates mouse behaviour in response to temperature changes. Snx11‐knockout mice exhibit a stronger preference for mild temperatures along with enhanced sensitivity to harmful heat. Mechanistically, keratinocytes from Snx11‐knockout mice exhibit a larger temperature‐gated TRPV3 membrane current and have enhanced thermoTRPV3 expression in the plasma membrane compared to wild‐type keratinocytes. Additionally, Snx11‐knockout mice show higher endogenous TRPV3 protein levels in skin tissues than wild‐type mice do. Therefore, our results indicate that SNX11 may regulate thermal perception via alteration of functional thermoTRPV3 on the plasma membrane of thermally sensitive cells, which is the first link between vesicular trafficking and thermal transduction.
Assessment of yield gaps on global grazed‐only permanent pasture using climate binning
Authors: Monteiro Leonardo A. , Allee Andrew M. , Campbell Eleanor E. , Lynd Lee R. , Soares Johnny R. , Jaiswal Deepak , de Castro Oliveira Julianne , dos Santos Vianna Murilo , Morishige Ashley E. , Figueiredo Gleyce K. D. A. , Lamparelli Rubens A. C. , Mueller Nathaniel D. , Gerber James , Cortez Luis A. B. , Sheehan John J.
Published: November 2019

To meet rising demands for agricultural products, existing agricultural lands must either produce more or expand in area. Yield gaps (YGs)—the difference between current and potential yield of agricultural systems—indicate the ability to increase output while holding land area constant. Here, we assess YGs in global grazed‐only permanent pasture lands using a climate binning approach. We create a snapshot of circa 2000 empirical yields for meat and milk production from cattle, sheep, and goats by sorting pastures into climate bins defined by total annual precipitation and growing degree‐days. We then estimate YGs from intra‐bin yield comparisons. We evaluate YG patterns across three FAO definitions of grazed livestock agroecosystems (arid, humid, and temperate), and groups of animal production systems that vary in animal types and animal products. For all subcategories of grazed‐only permanent pasture assessed, we find potential to increase productivity several‐fold over current levels. However, because productivity of grazed pasture systems is generally low, even large relative increases in yield translated to small absolute gains in global protein production. In our dataset, milk‐focused production systems were found to be seven times as productive as meat‐focused production systems regardless of animal type, while cattle were four times as productive as sheep and goats regardless of animal output type. Sustainable intensification of pasture is most promising for local development, where large relative increases in production can substantially increase incomes or “spare” large amounts of land for other uses. Our results motivate the need for further studies to target agroecological and economic limitations on productivity to improve YG estimates and identify sustainable pathways toward intensification.
The potential role of species and functional composition in generating historical constraints on ecosystem processes
Authors: Ordonez Alejandro , Svenning Jens‐Christian
Published: November 2019

Aim

Biogeographical processes and past environmental conditions are known to constrain current patterns of species, functional and phylogenetic diversity. An unanswered question is whether such constraints to biodiversity also affect ecosystem processes.

Location

Global.

Time period

Neogene and Quaternary.

Major taxa studied

Vascular plants.

Methods

We propose that evolution, migration‐lag in response to environmental changes, and extinction may result in historical legacies in current ecosystem composition (species and functional) that can lead to historical legacies in ecosystem processes – that is, deviations from the potential rates or magnitudes of ecosystem processes, given current environmental conditions and the habitat‐suitable native species and trait pools that exist under such circumstances.

Results

Historical legacies in ecosystem processes may begin with changes in species richness and composition in response to environmental shifts. These changes are mediated by response traits that determine how species react to environmental changes and track suitable environmental conditions. Response traits are often associated with effect traits, which determine the rates and magnitude of ecosystem processes. Via this association, environmentally driven response‐trait determined changes in species diversity may cascade to ecosystem processes through effect trait compositional changes. These changes could lead to ecosystem processes deviating from a potential state defined by current environmental conditions and the overall species pool. We populate this conceptual framework with cases that show how historical legacies in biodiversity translate to historical legacies in ecosystem processes, and we discuss the implications of the concept for global change ecology.

Main conclusions

We need to rethink our expectations of future ecological dynamics as past, and current, environmental changes may push ecosystem processes away from their environmentally and compositionally defined potential state.
Estimation of lucerne yield stability for enabling effective cultivar selection under rainfed conditions
Authors: Hakl Josef , Mofidian Seyed Mohammad Ali , Kozová Zdeňka , Fuksa Pavel , Jaromír Šantrůček
Published: November 2019

Evaluation of crop and forage yield stability is of increasing relevance in the context of current and recent environmental changes but, in contrast to other field crops, there are no published systematic analyses among forage crops in Europe. A study of stability performance was conducted with 13 Czech cultivars of lucerne at four locations over a 2‐year period with the following aims: (a) to evaluate yield stability of varieties across different environments and (b) to calculate measurable benefits of variety selection in relation to the specific environment. The cultivar Vlasta was identified as the highest yielding cultivar (annual yield 16.0 t DM/ha), whereas the lowest yielding cv. Magda, Tereza and Oslava averaged around 14.9 t DM/ha. Effect of genotype × environment interaction (G × E) was two times higher than for genotype alone. Additive main effects and the multiplicative interaction (AMMI) model showed that the highest yielding cultivars may not be stable across environments. This study demonstrated further that significant yield improvement could be detected, even among a relatively homogenous group of domestic cultivars, and this was driven mainly by site productivity: the improvement was +10% in low‐yielding sites, compared with +3% in high‐yielding sites. Results highlight that advanced agronomy should also consider stability parameters such as AMMI stability value or superiority measures for forage crops in response to the challenges associated with climate change.
Enacting everyday feminist collaborations: Reflexive becoming, proactive improvisation and co‐learning partnerships
Authors: Long Ziyu , Linabary Jasmine R. , Buzzanell Patrice M. , Mouton Ashton , Rao Ranjani L.
Published: November 2019

We trace back our own multi‐year teaching and writing collaboration in academia to theorize feminist collaboration. Drawing from feminist theories and our autoethnographic reflections, we surface three metaphorical processes that constitute feminist collaboration. We consider feminist collaboration as: (i) reflexive becoming, that is, feminist collaborators constantly make sense of what counts as feminist as the group and context evolve; (ii) proactive improvisation, that is, feminist collaborators collectively strive for everyday transformations within situated constraints; and (iii) co‐learning partnerships, that is, feminist collaborators relate to one another in ways that uphold commitments to reflexivity, equity and care. Enacting these processes are fraught with tensions that intertwine with one another to constrain and enable feminist collaboration. We conclude the article by calling for continued theorization and engagement with feminist collaboration.
Zinc deficiency as an independent prognostic factor for patients with early hepatocellular carcinoma due to hepatitis virus
Authors: Hiraoka Atsushi , Nagamatsu Kensuke , Izumoto Hirofumi , Adachi Tomoko , Yoshino Takeaki , Tsuruta Miho , Aibiki Toshihiko , Okudaira Tomonari , Yamago Hiroka , Iwasaki Ryuichiro , Suga Yoshifumi , Mori Kenichiro , Miyata Hideki , Tsubouchi Eiji , Ninomiya Tomoyuki , Kawasaki Hideki , Hirooka Masashi , Matsuura Bunzo , Abe Masanori , Hiasa Yoichi , Michitaka Kojiro
Published: November 2019

Aim

Although a reduced serum zinc level is often observed in patients with chronic liver disease due to hepatitis virus, its prognostic importance has not been adequately investigated. This study aimed to elucidate the association of zinc deficiency with prognosis, especially in early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.

Methods

From 2005 to 2018, 466 patients with naïve HCC due to hepatitis virus were enrolled (327 men, 139 women; median age 70 years; hepatitis C virus [HCV] n = 389, hepatitis B virus [HBV] n = 69, hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus n = 8; Child–Pugh A n = 367, Child–Pugh B n = 82; Child–Pugh C n = 17; TNM‐LCSGJ stage I n = 150, stage II n = 181, stage III n = 91, stage IVa n = 26, state IVb n = 18). Of the 466 patients, 287 were within the Milan criteria (early HCC) and treated curatively. Zinc deficiency was defined as <60 μg/dL. Clinical records and prognostic factors were retrospectively evaluated.

Results

The levels of serum zinc became lower with chronic liver disease progression (Child–Pugh A, B, C: 64.3 ± 14.3, 52.3 ± 15.7, 48.4 ± 13.5 μg/dL, respectively; P < 0.001). In early HCC patients treated curatively, overall survival and recurrence rates were better in patients treated curatively and without zinc deficiency as compared with patients with zinc deficiency (3‐year overall survival 86.5% vs. 77.2%, 5‐year overall survival 73.5% vs. 43.8%, P < 0.001; 3‐year recurrence 44.8% vs. 58.3%, 5‐year recurrence 56.8% vs. 77.5%, P = 0.002). Not only infection control of hepatitis virus (sustained virological response in HCV or nucleos(t)ide analogs in HBV; HR 0.078, P < 0.001), but also zinc deficiency (HR 1.773, P = 0.041) were significant prognostic factors for death.

Conclusion

Serum levels of zinc were reduced in association with chronic liver disease grade progression. In addition to infection control of hepatitis virus, zinc deficiency might be a significant prognostic factor for survival in patients with early HCC due to viral hepatitis treated curatively.
Evaluation of treatment with zinc acetate hydrate in patients with liver cirrhosis complicated by zinc deficiency
Authors: Ozeki Itaru , Nakajima Tomoaki , Suii Hirokazu , Tatsumi Ryoji , Yamaguchi Masakatsu , Arakawa Tomohiro , Kuwata Yasuaki , Toyota Joji , Karino Yoshiyasu
Published: November 2019

Aim

In Japan, no zinc preparation had been approved for therapeutic purposes before March 2017. Zinc acetate hydrate was recently approved for the treatment of hypozincemia. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of treatment with zinc acetate hydrate.

Methods

A total of 97 patients with cirrhosis complicated by hypozincemia were treated with zinc acetate hydrate, and their serum zinc normalization rates; factors contributing to normalization; changes in blood ammonia levels; branched‐chain amino acids‐to‐tyrosine ratios; levels of albumin, hemoglobin, alkaline phosphatase, serum copper, and iron; incidence of adverse events; improvement in subjective symptoms; and serum zinc levels taken at 3 months post‐treatment were determined.

Results

The cumulative serum zinc normalization rates, when normalization was defined as achievement of a serum zinc level ≥80 μg/dL, after 2, 4, and 6 months of treatment were 64.9%, 80.3%, and 82.5%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified an albumin level of ≥3.3 g/dL and branched‐chain amino acids to tyrosine ratio of ≥3.46 as factors contributing to zinc normalization within 3 months of treatment. Treatment resulted in a significant decrease in blood ammonia and serum copper levels, and significant increases in branched‐chain amino acids‐to‐tyrosine ratios and alkaline phosphatase levels. Seven (7.2%) patients prematurely discontinued treatment due to hypocupremia. By the end of treatment, subjective symptoms had resolved in 46.2% of patients. By 3 months post‐treatment, serum zinc levels had reverted to levels close to those at baseline.

Conclusions

Treatment with zinc acetate hydrate resulted in normalization of serum zinc levels at a high rate. The main reasons for discontinuation of treatment included hypocupremia.
Pressureless sintering and properties of boron carbide composite materials
Authors: Martin Hans‐Peter , Feng Bing , Michaelis Alexander
Published: November 2019

Boron carbide and Tantalum boride composites were prepared by pressureless sintering of B4C with addition of TaC powder. The effect of TaC addition on the sinterability of boron carbide was studied. High densified ceramic with a relative density of 98.7% was obtained at sintering temperature of 2250°C. The composition and the microstructure of the dense composites are characterized by means of x‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy‐dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy (EDX). The studies show that the composites contain boron carbide, TaB2, and carbon phases with a homogeneous structure. In addition, the correlation between the composition and the electrical conductivity was investigated. The electrical conductivity of the composite increased with increasing addition of TaC, and a change in conduction behavior from semiconducting to metallic was observed. High hardness value of 28.49 ± 1.33 GPa was obtained by the sample with 30 wt% TaC addition.
Knockout of beta‐2 microglobulin reduces stem cell‐induced immune rejection and enhances ischaemic hindlimb repair via exosome/miR‐24/Bim pathway
Authors: Zhang Yuqing , Wang Yanli , Shao Lianbo , Pan Xiangbin , Liang Chun , Liu Bin , Zhang Yu , Xie Wenping , Yan Bing , Liu Feng , Yu Xi‐yong , Li Yangxin
Published: November 2019

Generating universal human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells (UMSCs) without immune rejection is desirable for clinical application. Here we developed an innovative strategy using CRISPR/Cas9 to generate B2M‐UMSCs in which human leucocyte antigen (HLA) light chain β2‐microglobulin (B2M) was deleted. The therapeutic potential of B2M‐UMSCs was examined in a mouse ischaemic hindlimb model. We show that B2M‐UMSCs facilitated perfusion recovery and enhanced running capability, without inducing immune rejection. The beneficial effect was mediated by exosomes. Mechanistically, microRNA (miR) sequencing identified miR‐24 as a major component of the exosomes originating from B2M‐UMSCs. We identified Bim as a potential target of miR‐24 through bioinformatics analysis, which was further confirmed by loss‐of‐function and gain‐of‐function approaches. Taken together, our data revealed that knockout of B2M is a convenient and efficient strategy to prevent UMSCs‐induced immune rejection, and it provides a universal clinical‐scale cell source for tissue repair and regeneration without the need for HLA matching in the future.