bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
When is a native species invasive? Incursion of a novel predatory marsupial detected using molecular and historical data
Authors: Campbell Catriona D. , Sarre Stephen D. , Stojanovic Dejan , Gruber Bernd , Medlock Kathryn , Harris Stephen , MacDonald Anna J. , Holleley Clare E.
Published: February 2018

Aim

Range expansions facilitated by humans or in response to local biotic or abiotic stressors provide the opportunity for species to occupy novel environments. Classifying the status of newly expanded populations can be difficult, particularly when the timing and nature of the range expansion are unclear. Should native species in new habitats be considered invasive pests or actively conserved? Here, we present an analytical framework applied to an Australian marsupial, the sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps), a species that preys upon on an endangered parrot in Tasmania, and whose provenance was uncertain.

Location

Tasmania, Australia.

Methods

We conducted an extensive search of historical records for sugar glider occurrences in Tasmania. Source material included museum collection data, early European expedition logs, community observation records, and peer‐reviewed and grey literature. To determine the provenance of the Tasmanian population, we sequenced two mitochondrial genes and one nuclear gene in Tasmanian animals (n = 27) and in individuals across the species' native range. We then estimated divergence times between Tasmania and southern Australian populations using phylogenetic and Bayesian analyses.

Results

We found no historical evidence of sugar gliders occurring in Tasmania prior to 1835. All Tasmanian individuals (n = 27) were genetically identical at the three genes surveyed here with those individuals being 0.125% divergent from individuals from a population in Victoria. Bayesian analysis of divergence between Tasmanian individuals and southern Australian individuals suggested a recent introduction of sugar gliders into Tasmania from southern Australia.

Main conclusions

Molecular and historical data demonstrate that Tasmanian sugar gliders are a recent, post‐European, anthropogenic introduction from mainland Victoria. This result has implications for the management of the species in relation to their impact on an endangered parrot. The analytical framework outlined here can assist environmental managers with the complex task of assessing the status of recently expanded or introduced native species.
Insuring Climate Change: New Risks and the Financialization of Nature
Authors: Keucheyan Razmig
Published: February 2018

Insurance is a central institution in modern societies. Economic and technological developments generate ‘new risks’, which are often covered by new forms of insurance. Because of its underlying uncertainty — the difficulty both of predicting its effects and evaluating its costs — climate change represents a major challenge for the insurance industry. It also represents a challenge for states, who have historically played the role of insurers ‘of last resort’ in the event of catastrophes. This article examines the ongoing financialization of climate risk insurance, which is part of a larger trend of financialization of nature. Financialization, through measures such as ‘catastrophe bonds’, is the neoliberal solution to the rising costs of natural disasters which the insurance industry has experienced since the 1990s. The article analyses the effects of financialization on the insurance industry, on the state's role as insurer ‘of last resort’, and on associated forms of knowledge production (big data), critiquing the process of financialization on both economic and political grounds.
Development of bimanual performance in young children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Klevberg Gunvor L , Elvrum Ann‐Kristin G , Zucknick Manuela , Elkjær Sonja , Østensjø Sigrid , Krumlinde‐Sundholm Lena , Kjeken Ingvild , Jahnsen Reidun
Published: February 2018

Aim

To describe the development of bimanual performance among young children with unilateral or bilateral cerebral palsy (CP).

Method

A population‐based sample of 102 children (53 males, 49 females), median age 28.5 months (interquartile range [IQR] 16mo) at first assessment and 47 months (IQR 18mo) at last assessment, was assessed half‐yearly with the Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA) or the Both Hands Assessment (BoHA) for a total of 329 assessments. Developmental limits and rates were estimated by nonlinear mixed‐effects models. Developmental trajectories were compared between levels of manual ability (Mini‐Manual Ability Classification System [Mini‐MACS] and MACS) and AHA or BoHA performance at 18 months of age (AHA‐18/BoHA‐18) for both CP subgroups, and additionally between children with bilateral CP with symmetric or asymmetric hand use.

Results

For both CP subgroups, children classified in Mini‐MACS/MACS level I, and those with high AHA‐18 or BoHA‐18 reached the highest limits of performance. For children with bilateral CP the developmental change was small, and children with symmetric hand use reached the highest limits.

Interpretation

Mini‐MACS/MACS levels and AHA‐18 or BoHA‐18 distinguished between various developmental trajectories both for children with unilateral and bilateral CP. Children with bilateral CP changed their performance to a smaller extent than children with unilateral CP.

What this paper adds

Manual Ability Classification System levels and Assisting Hand Assessment/Both Hands Assessment performance at 18 months are important predictors of hand use development in cerebral palsy (CP).

Children with bilateral CP improved less than those with unilateral CP.

Children with bilateral CP and symmetric hand use reached higher limits than those with asymmetry.
Effect of olive oil phenolic compounds on osteoblast differentiation
Authors: Melguizo‐Rodríguez Lucía , Manzano‐Moreno Francisco Javier , De Luna‐Bertos Elvira , Rivas Ana , Ramos‐Torrecillas Javier , Ruiz Concepción , García‐Martínez Olga
Published: February 2018

Background

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder characterized by compromised bone strength that predisposes individuals to an increased risk of fracture. Previous in vivo and in vitro studies have reported that phenolic compounds present in extra virgin olive oil have a beneficial effect on osteoblasts in terms of increase cell proliferation. The aim of this study was to determine whether phenolic compounds present in olive oil could modify the expression of cell differentiation markers on osteoblasts.

Study design

An in vitro experimental design was performed using MG‐63 osteoblasts cell line.

Methods

MG63 cells were exposed to different doses of luteolin, apigenin, or p‐coumaric, caffeic or ferulic acid. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was evaluated by spectrophotometry and antigen expression (cluster of differentiation [CD] 54, CD80, CD86 and HLA‐DR) by flow cytometry.

Results

At 24 hour, treated groups showed an increased ALP and modulated antigen profile, with respect to the nontreated group.

Conclusion

These results demonstrate that the phenolic compounds studied induce cell maturation in vitro, increasing ALP synthesis and reducing the expression of antigens involved in immune functions of the osteoblast which would improve bone density.
Serum neurofilament light as diagnostic biomarker for acute cerebral ischemia: a promising tool
Authors: Al‐Khaled M.
Published: February 2018

Click here to view the accompanying paper in this volume.
Female assessment of male functional fertility during mate choice in a promiscuous fish
Authors: Scarponi Valentina , Godin Jean‐Guy J.
Published: February 2018

Sexual selection should favour females that can assess the functional fertility of available sexual partners and avoid mating with recently mated, sperm‐depleted males. Our current understanding of the sensory mechanism(s) underlying female assessment of males based on their functional fertility and avoidance of sperm‐depleted males is incomplete. Female Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) are known to avoid mating with males that they had previously observed mating with other females. Here, we investigated experimentally the proximate sensory cues that they use to distinguish between paired size‐ and colour‐matched mated and unmated males in the absence of visual public information on their prior mating histories. When only water‐borne chemical cues from the males were available, females avoided the previously mated male and preferred the unmated one, but they chose randomly when only male visual cues (and no chemical cues) were available. They also preferred unmated over mated males when freely swimming with them in a more sensorially complex environment with multiple male cues (i.e., visual, chemical and mechanical cues) concurrently available. Females exhibited no preference for either stimulus males when both were unmated, irrespectively of the sensory environment. These novel results suggest that, in the absence of prior visual public information on the recent mating histories of males, female guppies use olfactory cues putatively emitted by mated males to avoid mating with them. The source and nature of the implicated olfactory cues and the fitness benefits gained by female guppies in sexually preferring males that have not recently mated remain unknown and warrant further research.
Male mate choice and the potential for complex mating dynamics in the tree lizard (Urosaurus ornatus)
Authors: Krohmaly Kylie I. , Martin Zachary W. , Lattanzio Matthew S.
Published: February 2018

A growing body of literature is recognizing that males may also play a role in the mating process by behaving non‐randomly toward potential female mates during courtship. In numerous species, discrete color polymorphisms in males are inferred to represent alternative mating tactics, which often correspond with concomitant asymmetries in ecology and behavior. In terms of their mating behavior, these ecological outcomes of a color polymorphism should affect a morph's likelihood and frequency of encountering females in a population, possibly favoring the evolution of morph‐specific mating preferences. Knowledge of how male morphs contribute to a species’ overall mating dynamics will improve our understanding of how sexual selection shapes phenotypic diversity in color polymorphic systems. We conducted a mate choice experiment to evaluate the extent and morph specificity of non‐random mating preferences by male ornate tree lizards, Urosaurus ornatus. We observed the behavior of blue and yellow males in an experimental arena in response to a choice between an orange or yellow female. We found that blue males preferred yellow females over orange females, and although yellow males visited females more often than blue males overall, their attention was not morph‐specific. Given male morph differences in choosiness, and their differences in social dominance, we conclude that female throat color may be partly under sexual selection in U. ornatus. However, a lack of concordance between male and female mating preferences (drawn from an earlier study) suggests that overall mating dynamics may serve to maintain, rather than enhance, color morph differences in this species.
Clinical effect of corticosteroids in asthma‐affected horses: A quantitative synthesis
Authors: Calzetta L. , Rogliani P. , Page C. , Roncada P. , Pistocchini E. , Soggiu A. , Piras C. , Urbani A. , Matera M.G.
Published: February 2018

Background

There are limited findings from low‐powered studies based on few number of subjects with equine asthma. Furthermore, no studies have been performed to assess a meaningful clinically detectable impact of corticosteroids in equine asthma.

Objectives

To assess and compare the clinical effect of inhaled and systemic corticosteroids in equine asthma and identify a quantitative clinical score suitable to assess the Minimal Important Difference (MID), expressed as the Minimally Clinically Detectable Difference (MCDD).

Study design

Pair‐wise and network meta‐analysis.

Methods

Literature searches for studies on corticosteroid therapy in equine asthma were performed. The risk of publication bias was assessed by Funnel plots and Egger's test. The effect on changes in clinical scores vs. control was analysed via random‐effects models and Bayesian networks.

Results

Corticosteroids significantly improved the clinical condition (Standardised Mean Difference: −1.52, 95% CrI −2.07 to −0.98; P<0.001 vs. control). No difference was detected between inhaled and systemic corticosteroids with regard to the changes in clinical scores (Relative Effect: 0.08, 95% CrI −1.45 to 1.32; P = 0.8). An Improved clinically Detectable Equine Asthma Scoring System (IDEASS) indicated that corticosteroids improved the clinical condition of asthmatic horses by 30% compared with controls (IDEASSvalue: −2.36, 95%CI−3.39 to −1.33; P<0.001). A one‐point change inIDEASSrepresented theMCDDin equine asthma.

Main limitations

Moderate quality of evidence for systemic corticosteroids.

Conclusions

Inhaled corticosteroids are effective in improving the clinical condition of horses with equine asthma and prevent exacerbations. Systemic corticosteroids should be used only in selected cases with symptomatic airway hyperresponsiveness during exacerbation.IDEASSrequires further validation but may represent a suitable approach to rank the level of asthma severity and assess the clinical effect of pharmacotherapy in horses with equine asthma.
Estimating the square root of probability density function on Riemannian manifold
Authors: Hong Xia , Gao Junbin
Published: February 2018

We propose that the square root of a probability density function can be represented as a linear combination of Gaussian kernels. It is shown that if the Gaussian kernel centres and kernel width are known, then the maximum likelihood parameter estimator can be formulated as a Riemannian optimisation problem on sphere manifold. The first order Riemannian geometry of the sphere manifold and vector transport are initially explored, then the well‐known Riemannian conjugate gradient algorithm is used to estimate the model parameters. For completeness, the k‐means clustering algorithm and a grid search are employed to determine the centres and kernel width, respectively. Simulated examples are employed to demonstrate that the proposed approach is effective in constructing the estimate of the square root of probability density function.
Weibull triaxiality: A novel constraint assessment parameter for cleavage fracture in ductile to brittle transition region
Authors: Tiwari A. , Singh R.N. , Ståhle P.
Published: February 2018

The cleavage fracture probability of ferritic and ferritic/martensitic steels is generally computed using Beremin's model. In this work, a novel approach is developed for Beremin's model to be applicable to crack tip conditions under nonself similar stress field. The modification of Beremin's model corrects the inaccurate integration of local cleavage fracture probabilities of reference volume elements due to the incorrect assumption of self similar stress field under large‐scale yielding. Under small‐scale yielding condition, where stresses remain self similar, integration of local cleavage failure probability is accurate. However, when the stresses differ along the thickness due to constraint loss, the integration of local cleavage fracture probability is inaccurate due to the fact that the stress levels are not same in all the reference volume elements. The modification developed in this work in the form of a parameter named Weibull Triaxiality, which measures the deviation of a crack tip volume from one under self similar stress field.
Increased intrusion of warming Atlantic water leads to rapid expansion of temperate phytoplankton in the Arctic
Authors: Neukermans Griet , Oziel Laurent , Babin Marcel
Published: February 2018

The Arctic Ocean and its surrounding shelf seas are warming much faster than the global average, which potentially opens up new distribution areas for temperate‐origin marine phytoplankton. Using over three decades of continuous satellite observations, we show that increased inflow and temperature of Atlantic waters in the Barents Sea resulted in a striking poleward shift in the distribution of blooms of Emiliania huxleyi, a marine calcifying phytoplankton species. This species' blooms are typically associated with temperate waters and have expanded north to 76°N, five degrees further north of its first bloom occurrence in 1989. E. huxleyi's blooms keep pace with the changing climate of the Barents Sea, namely ocean warming and shifts in the position of the Polar Front, resulting in an exceptionally rapid range shift compared to what is generally detected in the marine realm. We propose that as the Eurasian Basin of the Arctic Ocean further atlantifies and ocean temperatures continue to rise, E. huxleyi and other temperate‐origin phytoplankton could well become resident bloom formers in the Arctic Ocean.
Fatal primary diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma of the maxillary sinus initially treated as an infectious disease in an elderly patient: A clinicopathologic report
Authors: de Castro Mayara Santos , Ribeiro Cínthia Magalhães , de Carli Marina Lara , Pereira Alessandro Antônio Costa , Sperandio Felipe Fornias , de Almeida Oslei Paes , Hanemann João Adolfo Costa
Published: February 2018

Objective

To report a case of primary diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the maxillary sinus in an 82‐year‐old Caucasian woman.

Background

Diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma of the maxillary sinus has non‐specific signs and symptoms that may be confused with benign inflammatory conditions and upper respiratory infections.

Methods

An incisional biopsy was performed. CD20+/CD3–/Ki‐67: 95% cells were observed.

Conclusion

A good medical history, clinical and imaging evaluations and immunohistochemical reactions are crucial to establish a correct and early diagnosis of DLBCL.
Brain aging: Evaluation of pH using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Authors: Cichocka Monika , Kozub Justyna , Urbanik Andrzej
Published: February 2018

Aim

Very important aspects of aging include age‐related changes occurring in the brain. The aim of the present study was to identify the standard pH value in the entire brain volume using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy in healthy individuals of both sexes in different age groups, and then to determine whether there are differences in these values.

Methods

A total of 65 individuals aged 20–32 years (mean age 24.5 ± 2.1 years, 31 women and 34 men) and 31 individuals aged 60–81 years (mean age 64.9 ± 5.5 years, 17 women and 14 men) were studied. The phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy examination was carried out using a 1.5‐T magnetic resonance system. The signal was acquired from the volume of interest that covered the whole brain.

Results

A vast majority of the examined individuals had slightly alkaline brain pH regardless of age. In the ≥20 years group, pH was 7.09 ± 0.11, and in the ≥60 years group, the average pH was 7.03 ± 0.05. This comparison of the pH identified in all the tested individuals shows a negative correlation of pH with age.

Conclusions

The present findings might provide a valuable basis for further research into “healthy aging” as well as pathology in older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 881–885
Increased expression of senescence‐associated cell cycle regulators in the progression of biliary atresia: an immunohistochemical study
Authors: Sasaki Motoko , Kuo Fang‐Ying , Huang Chao‐Cheng , Swanson Paul E , Chen Chao‐Long , Chuang Jiin‐Haur , Yeh Matthew M
Published: February 2018

Aims

Cellular senescence plays a role in tumour suppression and in the pathogenesis of various non‐neoplastic diseases, including primary biliary cholangitis and other adult cholangiopathies. Less is known about the role of cellular senescence in cholangiopathies in children. With that in mind, we examined the expression of senescence‐associated cell cycle regulators in biliary atresia, the most common form of paediatric obliterative cholangiopathy.

Methods and results

The expression of senescence‐associated cell cycle regulators (p16Ink4a and p21WAF1/Cip1) and a ductular reaction related marker (neural cell adhesion molecule: NCAM) was examined in bile ducts and bile ductules in liver samples taken from the patients with biliary atresia [n = 80; including 23 samples at the time of the Kasai procedure (KP) and 63 obtained from the explanted liver (LT) (six cases with samples at both surgical stages of disease)] and from appropriate controls (n = 17). The degree of ductular reaction and cholestasis was significantly more extensive in LT than KP (P < 0.01). The expression of p16INK4a and NCAM was significantly more extensive in bile ducts and bile ductules in ductular reaction in both KP and LT compared to controls and in LT compared to KP (P < 0.05). The expression of p21WAF1/Cip1 was significantly more extensive in bile ducts and bile ductules in KP compared to both LT and controls (P < 0.01).

Conclusions

Cellular senescence may play a role in the progression of bile duct loss in biliary atresia in a manner similar to that of adult cholangiopathies.
The good, the (not so) bad and the ugly of immune homeostasis in melanoma
Authors: da Gama Duarte Jessica , Woods Katherine , Andrews Miles C , Behren Andreas
Published: February 2018

Within the immune system multiple mechanisms balance the need for efficient pathogen recognition and destruction with the prevention of tissue damage by excessive, inappropriate or even self‐targeting (auto)immune reactions. This immune homeostasis is a tightly regulated system which fails during tumor development, often due to the hijacking of its essential self‐regulatory mechanisms by cancer cells. It is facilitated not only by tumor intrinsic properties, but also by the microbiome, host genetics and other factors. In certain ways many cancers can therefore be considered a rare failure of immune control rather than an uncommon or rare disease of the tissue of origin, as the acquisition of potentially oncogenic traits through mutation occurs constantly in most tissues during proliferation. Normally, aberrant cells are well‐controlled by cell intrinsic (repair or apoptosis) and extrinsic (immune) mechanisms. However, occasionally oncogenic cells survive and escape control. Melanoma is one of the first cancer types where treatments aimed at restoring and enhancing an immune response to regain control over the tumor have been used with various success rates. With the advent of “modern” immunotherapeutics such as anti‐CTLA‐4 or anti‐PD‐1 antibodies that both target negative immune‐regulatory pathways on immune cells resulting in durable responses in a proportion of patients, the importance of the interplay between the immune system and cancer has been established beyond doubt.
A multiscale methodology quantifying the sintering temperature‐dependent mechanical properties of oxide matrix composites
Authors: Jiang Ru , Yang Lingwei , Liu Haitao , Tan Wei , Sun Xun , Cheng Haifeng , Mao Weiguo
Published: February 2018

A novel methodology combining multiscale mechanical testing and finite element modeling is proposed to quantify the sintering temperature‐dependent mechanical properties of oxide matrix composites, like aluminosilicate (AS) fiber reinforced Al2O3 matrix (ASf/Al2O3) composite in this work. The results showed a high‐temperature sensitivity in the modulus/strength of AS fiber and Al2O3 matrix due to their phase transitions at 1200°C, as revealed by instrumented nanoindentation technique. The interfacial strength, as measured by a novel fiber push‐in technique, was also temperature‐dependent. Specially at 1200°C, an interfacial phase reaction was observed, which bonded the interface tightly, as a result, the interfacial shear strength was up to ≈450 MPa. Employing the measured micro‐mechanical parameters of the composite constituents enabled the prediction of deformation mechanism of the composite in microscale, which suggested a dominant role of interface on the ductile/brittle behavior of the composite in tension and shear. Accordingly, the ASf/Al2O3 composite exhibited a ductile‐to‐brittle transition as the sintering temperature increased from 800 to 1200°C, due to the prohibition of interfacial debonding at higher temperatures, in good agreement with numerical predictions. The proposed multiscale methodology provides a powerful tool to study the mechanical properties of oxide matrix composites qualitatively and quantitatively.
Imagine Me and You, I Do: Effects of imagined intergroup contact on anti‐fat bias in the context of job interviews
Authors: Merritt Stephanie , Gardner Cari , Huber Kelli , Wexler Breanna , Banister Christina , Staley Amy
Published: February 2018

Imagined intergroup contact (IIC) has been demonstrated to alleviate prejudice toward social groups as a whole, but the extent to which it prevents biases in ratings of individual job candidates has not yet been examined. This study uses a simulated employment interview where a female candidate either higher or lower in body fat is rated by participants who have undergone an IIC or a control manipulation. IIC successfully alleviated discrimination in ratings of interviewee competence but had no significant effect on ratings of warmth. Competence ratings fully mediated the effect of the two‐way interaction of IIC and interviewee body fat on a dichotomous hiring recommendation provided 1 week later. IIC may be an effective and inexpensive intervention for reducing bias in job interview contexts.
Male song diversity and its relation to breeding success in southern house wrensTroglodytes aedon chilensis
Authors: dos Santos Ednei B. , Llambías Paulo E. , Rendall Drew
Published: February 2018

Theory proposes an adaptive relationship between male song complexity, including large song repertoires, and improved breeding success. Evidence supporting these relationships exists but is sometimes mixed or weak. Here we provide a first comprehensive study of the relationship between male song diversity and breeding success in a non‐migratory, austral population of house wrensTroglodytes aedon chilensisbreeding in Mendoza, Argentina. During a two‐year field study, we measured breeding success for a population of 62 males and recorded more than 34 000 songs from a subsample of 26 males. For the latter subsample, we tested for correlations between six measures of song diversity and four canonical measures of annual breeding success. Males that sang with greater overall syllable type diversity and that had larger song repertories paired with females that bred earlier and laid more eggs over the course of the breeding season. However, these males also showed lower levels of immediate song type diversity, as measured by the Levenshtein distance between successive songs. We discuss implications for the evolution of song complexity in this exceptionally widespread species and the selective mechanisms that might influence song complexity in resident populations in the Neotropics compared to migratory populations in the northern hemisphere.
The emerging role of long non‐coding RNA in spinal cord injury
Authors: Shi Zhongju , Pan Bin , Feng Shiqing
Published: February 2018

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a significant health burden worldwide which causes permanent neurological deficits, and there are approximately 17,000 new cases each year. However, there are no effective and current treatments that lead to functional recovery because of the limited understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of SCI. In recent years, the biological roles of long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in SCI have attracted great attention from the researchers all over the world, and an increasing number of studies have investigated the regulatory roles of lncRNAs in SCI. In this review, we summarized the biogenesis, classification and function of lncRNAs and focused on the investigations on the roles of lncRNAs involved in the pathogenic processes of SCI, including neuronal loss, astrocyte proliferation and activation, demyelination, microglia activation, inflammatory reaction and angiogenesis. This review will help understand the molecular mechanisms of SCI and facilitate the potential use of lncRNAs as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for SCI treatment.
High‐level expression of ARID1A predicts a favourable outcome in triple‐negative breast cancer patients receiving paclitaxel‐based chemotherapy
Authors: Lin Yuan‐Feng , Tseng Ing‐Jy , Kuo Chih‐Jung , Lin Hui‐Yu , Chiu I‐Jen , Chiu Hui‐Wen
Published: February 2018

Paclitaxel‐based chemotherapy is a common strategy to treat patients with triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC). As paclitaxel resistance is still a clinical issue in treating TNBCs, identifying molecular markers for predicting pathologic responses to paclitaxel treatment is thus urgently needed. Here, we report that an AT‐rich interaction domain 1A (ARID1A) transcript is up‐regulated in paclitaxel‐sensitive TNBC cells but down‐regulated in paclitaxel‐resistant cells upon paclitaxel treatment. Moreover, ARID1A expression was negatively correlated with the IC50 concentration of paclitaxel in the tested TNBC cell lines. Kaplan‐Meier analyses revealed that ARID1A down‐regulation was related to a poorer response to paclitaxel‐based chemotherapy in patients with TNBCs as measured by the recurrence‐free survival probability. The pharmaceutical inhibition with p38MAPK‐specific inhibitor SCIO‐469 revealed that p38MAPK‐related signalling axis regulates ARID1A expression and thereby modulates paclitaxel sensitivity in TNBC cells. These findings suggest that ARID1A could be used as a prognostic factor to estimate the pathological complete response for TNBC patients who decide to receive paclitaxel‐based chemotherapy.
Baicalein inhibits cell growth and increases cisplatin sensitivity of A549 and H460 cells via miR‐424‐3p and targeting PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathway
Authors: Lu Chunya , Wang Huaqi , Chen Shanshan , Yang Rui , Li Hui , Zhang Guojun
Published: February 2018

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death in individuals with malignant disease. Non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer, and chemotherapy drugs such as cisplatin are the most widely used treatment for this disease. Baicalein is a purified flavonoid compound that has been reported to inhibit cancer cell growth and metastasis and increase sensitization to chemotherapeutic drugs via different pathways. Therefore, we assessed the effects of baicalein on the proliferation, apoptosis and cisplatin sensitivity in the NSCLC A549 and H460 cell lines and determined the pathways through which baicalein exerts its effects. Baicalein was slightly toxic to normal human bronchial NHBE cells but inhibited growth, induced apoptosis and increased cisplatin sensitivity in A549 and H460 cells. Baicalein down‐regulated miR‐424‐3p, up‐regulated PTEN expression and down‐regulated expression of PI3K and p‐Akt in A549 and H460 cells. Dual‐luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that PTEN is a target gene of miR‐424‐3p, and overexpression of miR‐424‐3p or silencing of PTEN partially attenuated the effects of baicalein on A549 and H460 cells. Taken together, we concluded that baicalein inhibits cell growth and increases cisplatin sensitivity to A549 and H460 cells via down‐regulation of miR‐424‐3p and targeting the PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathway.
Effect of pH on whitening efficacy of 35% hydrogen peroxide and enamel microhardness
Authors: Jurema Ana Luiza Barbosa , de Souza Mauricio Yugo , Torres Carlos Rocha Gomes , Borges Alessandra Bühler , Caneppele Taciana Marco Ferraz
Published: February 2018

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of 35% hydrogen peroxide at different pH values and the degree of tooth staining on whitening efficacy and enamel microhardness.

Materials and Methods

90 enamel‐dentin specimens were obtained from bovine incisors. They were randomly divided into 2 groups (n = 45), 1 group was immersed in a staining broth for 14 days, and another group was not stained and kept in distilled water at 37°C. Twenty‐four hours after the staining procedure, each group was distributed into 3 subgroups that were whitened by 35% hydrogen peroxide with different pH values (5, 7, and 8.4) for 30 minutes. The color was measured at baseline and 7 days after whitening. Microhardness was measured at baseline, immediate, 24 hours, and 1 month after the whitening procedure. Data were submitted to 2‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey test for multiple comparisons for color analysis. Repeated measures ANOVA and the Tukey test were used to analyze microhardness data.

Results

The color change of the stained groups (ΔE00 = 4.6) was significantly higher than that of the nonstained groups (ΔE00 = 3.7). Microhardness value decreased significantly immediately after whitening for all subgroups and did not return to initial values. For each measurement time, microhardness was not significantly different among subgroups with different pH values.

Conclusions

Despite the effectiveness of 35% hydrogen peroxide, changes on gel pH did not affect the whitening efficacy, and the enamel was superficially demineralized, regardless of pH values.

Clinical Significance

Independently of the pH value of whitening gel, enamel undergoes superficial demineralization and with a reduction in superficial microhardness that does not return to the initial values. However, using hydrogen peroxide with different pH values does not alter the whitening effect.
Higher Order Effects in Asset Pricing Models with Long‐Run Risks
Authors: POHL WALTER , SCHMEDDERS KARL , WILMS OLE
Published: February 2018

This paper shows that the latest generation of asset pricing models with long‐run risk exhibit economically significant nonlinearities, and thus the ubiquitous Campbell‐Shiller log‐linearization can generate large numerical errors. These errors translate in turn to considerable errors in the model predictions, for example, for the magnitude of the equity premium or return predictability. We demonstrate that these nonlinearities arise from the presence of multiple highly persistent processes, which cause the exogenous states to attain values far away from their long‐run means with nonnegligible probability. These extreme values have a significant impact on asset price dynamics.
Clinical diagnosis of temporomandibular joint arthritis
Authors: Alstergren P. , Pigg M. , Kopp S.
Published: February 2018

Evidence‐based clinical diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthritis are not available. To establish (i) criteria for clinical diagnosis of TMJ arthritis and (ii) clinical variables useful to determine inflammatory activity in TMJ arthritis using synovial fluid levels of inflammatory mediators as the reference standard. A calibrated examiner assessed TMJ pain, function, noise and occlusal changes in 219 TMJs (141 patients, 15 healthy individuals). TMJ synovial fluid samples were obtained with a push–pull technique using the hydroxycobalamin method and analysed for TNF, TNFsRII, IL‐1β, IL‐1ra, IL‐1sRII, IL‐6 and serotonin. If any inflammatory mediator concentration exceeded normal, the TMJ was considered as arthritic. In the patient group, 71% of the joints were arthritic. Of those, 93% were painful. About 66% of the non‐arthritic TMJs were painful to some degree. Intensity of TMJ resting pain and TMJ maximum opening pain, number of jaw movements causing TMJ pain and laterotrusive movement to the contralateral side significantly explained presence of arthritis (AUC 0.72, P < .001). Based on these findings, criteria for possible, probable and definite TMJ arthritis were determined. Arthritic TMJs with high inflammatory activity showed higher pain intensity on maximum mouth opening (P < .001) and higher number of painful mandibular movements (P = .004) than TMJs with low inflammatory activity. The combination TMJ pain on maximum mouth opening and Contralateral laterotrusion <8 mm appears to have diagnostic value for TMJ arthritis. Among arthritic TMJs, higher TMJ pain intensity on maximum mouth opening and number of mandibular movements causing TMJ pain indicates higher inflammatory activity.
Sociocultural Influences on the Association Between Negative Romantic Experiences and Psychological Maladjustment in Mexican Adolescents
Authors: Reid Alexander , Halgunseth Linda C. , Espinosa‐Hernandez Graciela , Vasilenko Sara A.
Published: February 2018

The goal of this study was to examine whether cultural values (familismo, female virginity) and gender moderated the associations between negative romantic experiences and psychological maladjustment (depressive, anxiety symptoms) in a sample of Mexican adolescents. Self‐report survey data were collected from 973 adolescents (M = 15.14 years old; 56% girls) in Mexico. Findings revealed more depressive and anxiety symptoms among adolescents who reported more negative romantic experiences. These associations were stronger for female adolescents reporting greater beliefs of familismo and female virginity. Mental health practitioners may consider negative romantic experiences and cultural values when working with Mexican adolescents.
Effect of benazepril and pimobendan on serum angiotensin‐converting enzyme activity in dogs
Authors: King J. N. , Christinaz C. , Strehlau G. , Hornfeld J.
Published: February 2018

To support their combined use, the objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of benazepril and pimobendan on serum angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) activity in dogs. A total of 48 healthy beagle dogs were randomized into four groups (n = 12 per group) in a parallel‐group design study: A (control, placebo twice daily (BID)); B (0.5–1.0 mg/kg benazepril once daily (SID) in the morning, placebo in the evening); C (0.25–0.5 mg/kg benazepril BID); D (0.25–0.5 mg/kg benazepril and 0.125–0.25 mg/kg pimobendan, both BID). The test items were administered orally for 15 days. Serum ACE activity was measured on days 1 and 15. Groups B, C and D had significantly lower average serum ACE activity compared to baseline and to the control group, on both days 1 and 15. There were no significant differences in average ACE activity between groups B, C and D. Noninferiority of group C to B was demonstrated. In conclusion, 0.25–0.5 mg/kg benazepril administered BID produced noninferior inhibition of serum ACE activity compared to 0.5–1.0 mg/kg benazepril dosed SID. Pimobendan had no significant effect on benazepril's action on serum ACE activity. The results support the use of benazepril BID in dogs and in combination with pimobendan.
Induction of female‐to‐male sex change in a large protogynous fish, Choerodon schoenleinii
Authors: Sato Taku , Kobayashi Masato , Takebe Takayuki , Hirai Narisato , Okuzawa Koichi , Sawaguchi Sayumi , Matsubara Takahiro , Yamaguchi Tomofumi , Shinoda Rihito , Koiso Masahiko , Teruya Kazuhisa
Published: February 2018

Most behavioral studies on hermaphroditic fishes have focused on small‐sized species, which are tractable for research. Although many species of large hermaphroditic fishes are important fishery resources, their proximate mechanisms (visual, chemical and/or behavioral cues) in the social regulation of sex change have not been determined. Determination of these would inform resource management and aquaculture. In order to get closer to understanding the proximate mechanisms underlying the social regulation of female‐to‐male sex change in large hermaphroditic fishes, this study reports situations that induced female‐to‐male sex change in black‐spot tuskfish, Choerodon schoenleinii, a species of large protogynous fish, in massive laboratory tanks. The situations differed in the possibility of male‐to‐female tactile contact and in the group sex ratio, enabling us to infer plausible proximate mechanisms underlying sex change induction. Tactile contact between individuals is suspected to be closely related to the incidence of female‐to‐male sex change in C. schoenleinii. Visual and chemical cues alone may be insufficient to inhibit such sex changes. Male‐to‐female tactile contact may have an important influence on female‐to‐male sex change, i.e., inhibition of this sex change, in this species. The effect of sex ratio of a social group on the incidence of sex change may be due to the relative frequency and intensity of male tactile contact with each female, which may vary with the number of females. In the absence of a dominant male, tactile contact among females may affect the incidence of sex change, as well as determine which individuals change sex.
Early childhood growth and cognitive outcomes: Findings from theMAL‐EDstudy
Authors: Scharf Rebecca J. , Rogawski Elizabeth T. , Murray‐Kolb Laura E. , Maphula Angelina , Svensen Erling , Tofail Fahmida , Rasheed Muneera , Abreu Claudia , Vasquez Angel Orbe , Shrestha Rita , Pendergast Laura , Mduma Estomih , Koshy Beena , Conaway Mark R. , Platts‐Mills James A. , Guerrant Richard L. , DeBoer Mark D.
Published: February 2018

Although many studies around the world hope to measure or improve developmental progress in children to promote community flourishing and productivity, growth is sometimes used as a surrogate because cognitive skills are more difficult to measure. Our objective was to assess how childhood measures of anthropometry correlate with measures of child development in low‐income settings with high prevalence of poor nutrition and enteric disease, to inform studies considering growth outcomes in the absence of direct child developmental skill assessment. Children from the MAL‐ED study were followed from birth to 24 months of age in field sites in 8 low‐ and middle‐income countries across 3 continents. Monthly weight, length, and head circumference measurements were performed. At 24 months, the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development was administered. We correlated cognitive measures at 24 months with anthropometric measurements from birth to 2 years comparing 3 constructs: absolute attained monthly measures, summative difference in measures from the mean growth curve, and rate of change in measures. Growth faltering at multiple time periods is related to Bayley cognitive outcomes at 24 months. Birthweight, overall growth by 18–24 months, and rate of growth in the 6‐ to 18‐month period were most associated with 24‐month developmental scores. In this study, head circumference measurements, compared with length, was more closely linked to cognitive scores at 24 months. Notably, all studies between growth and cognitive outcomes exhibited lowr2values (0.001–0.049). Anthropometric measures, particularly head circumference, were related to cognitive development, although explaining a low percent of variance. When feasible, direct measures of child development may be more useful.
Dissecting the virulence‐related functionality and cellular transcription mechanism of a conserved hypothetical protein in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae
Authors: Wang Bo , Wu Guichun , Zhang Yuqiang , Qian Guoliang , Liu Fengquan
Published: February 2018

Hypothetical proteins without defined functions are largely distributed in all sequenced bacterial genomes. Understanding their potent functionalities is a basic demand for bacteriologists. Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), the causal agent of bacterial leaf blight of rice, is one of the model systems for the study of molecular plant pathology. One‐quarter of proteins in the genome of this bacterium are defined as hypothetical proteins, but their roles in Xoo pathogenicity are unknown. Here, we generated in‐frame deletions for six hypothetical proteins selected from strain PXO99A and found that one of them (PXO_03177) is required for the full virulence of this strain. PXO_03177 is conserved in Xanthomonas, and is predicted to contain two domains relating to polysaccharide synthesis. However, we found that mutation of this gene did not affect the production or modification of extracellular polysaccharides (EPSs) and lipopolysaccharides (LPSs), two major polysaccharides produced by Xoo relating to its infection. Interestingly, we found that inactivation of PXO_03177 significantly impaired biofilm formation and tolerance to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), both of which are considered to play key roles during Xoo infection in rice leaves. These findings thus enable us to define a function for PXO_03177 in the virulence of Xoo. Furthermore, we also found that the global regulator Clp controls the transcription of PXO_03177 by direct binding to its promoter region, presenting the first cellular regulatory pathway for the modulation of expression of this hypothetical protein gene. Our results provide reference information for PXO_03177 homologues in Xanthomonas.
A population genetics analysis in clinical isolates of Sporothrix schenckii based on calmodulin and calcium/calmodulin‐dependent kinase partial gene sequences
Authors: Rangel‐Gamboa Lucia , Martinez‐Hernandez Fernando , Maravilla Pablo , Flisser Ana
Published: February 2018

Sporotrichosis is a subcutaneous mycosis that is caused by diverse species of Sporothrix. High levels of genetic diversity in Sporothrix isolates have been reported, but few population genetics analyses have been documented. To analyse the genetic variability and population genetics relations of Sporothrix schenckii Mexican clinical isolates and to compare them with other reported isolates. We studied the partial sequences of calmodulin and calcium/calmodulin‐dependent kinase genes in 24 isolates; 22 from Mexico, one from Colombia, and one ATCC®6331™; the latter was used as a positive control. In total, 24 isolates were analysed. Phylogenetic, haplotype and population genetic analyses were performed with 24 sequences obtained by us and 345 sequences obtained from GenBank. The frequency of S. schenckii sensu stricto was 81% in the 22 Mexican isolates, while the remaining 19% were Sporothrix globosa. Mexican S. schenckii sensu stricto had high genetic diversity and was related to isolates from South America. In contrast, S. globosa showed one haplotype related to isolates from Asia, Brazil, Spain and the USA. In S. schenckii sensu stricto, S. brasiliensis and S. globosa, haplotype polymorphism (θ) values were higher than the nucleotide diversity data (π). In addition, Tajima's D plus Fu and Li's tests analyses displayed negative values, suggesting directional selection and arguing against the model of neutral evolution in these populations. In addition, analyses showed that calcium/calmodulin‐dependent kinase was a suitable genetic marker to discriminate between common Sporothrix species.
Does genotypic and species diversity of mycorrhizal plants and fungi affect ecosystem function?
Authors: Hazard Christina , Johnson David
Published: February 2018

Contents

Summary
1122

I.
Introduction
1122

II.
Are there consistent patterns in diversity of mycorrhizal fungal genotypes and species across space?
1125

III.
What is the variation in functional traits and genes of mycorrhizal fungi at different taxonomic scales?
1125

IV.
How will environmental change impact the relationships between genotypic and species diversity of mycorrhizal fungi and ecosystem function?
1126

V.
Conclusions: considerations for future MEF research
1127

Acknowledgements
1127

References
1127

Both genotypes and species of mycorrhizal fungi exhibit considerable variation in traits, and this variation can result in their diversity regulating ecosystem function. Yet, the nature of mycorrhizal fungal diversity–ecosystem function (MEF) relationships for both genotypes and species is currently poorly defined. New experiments should reflect the richness of genotypes and species in nature, but we still lack information about the extent to which fungal populations in particular are structured. Sampling designs should quantify the diversity of mycorrhizal fungal genotypes and species at three key broad spatial scales (root fragment, root system and interacting root systems) in order to inform manipulation experiments and to test how mycorrhizal fungal diversity both responds, and confers resilience to, environmental drivers.