bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic yield of electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy
Authors: Al-Jaghbeer Mohammed , Marcus Mathew , Durkin Martin , McGuire Franklin R. , Iftikhar Imran H.
Published: March 2016

Objectives:

Peripheral lung nodules (PLNs) are a common and diagnostically challenging finding. Electronavigational bronchoscopy (ENB) is used to increase the diagnostic yield and is considered safe. Multiple factors have been correlated with a better diagnostic yield. We sought to assess the effect of nodule characteristics and prior workup on the diagnostic yield in ENB.

Methods:

This was a retrospective chart review of 98 ENB procedures in a community referral center. Two investigators reviewed patients’ charts and images independently. Multiple logistic regression analyses was used to determine if factors such as bronchus sign, ground glass opacification (GGO), distance from pleura, prior use of endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) and positron emission tomography (PET) had an impact on the diagnostic yield.

Results:

We evaluated 98 ENBs performed in 92 patients. Most of the lesions were in the upper lobes. The diagnostic yield was 60%. A PET scan was performed prior to ENB in 47% of cases. EBUS was performed in 24% of cases. Bronchus sign was present in 60% of cases and GGO in only 6% of nodules. The odds ratio for diagnostic yield with a bronchus sign was 1.89 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.83–4.33] and with nodules showing GGO characteristics it was 4.51 (95% CI: 0.51–39.68). Pneumothorax occurred in 6% of cases.

Conclusion:

In our cohort, diagnostic yield was 60% with a 6% pneumothorax rate. A suggestive trend for the presence of bronchus sign on computed tomography scan, albeit statistically nonsignificant, as a predictor for improved diagnostic yield needs to be validated in a larger cohort.
Ranolazine and Ivabradine: two different modalities to act against ischemic heart disease
Authors: Cacciapuoti Federico
Published: March 2016

Among the innovative drugs recently introduced for the management of chronic stable angina, Ranolazine and ivabradine represent two most true innovations. In fact, even if both drugs act by reducing myocardial work and thus oxygen consumption, this happens by a peculiar mechanism unlike that of conventional antischemic drugs. Ranolazine mediates its antianginal effects by the inhibition of cardiac late sodium current. This improves myocardial relaxation favoring myocardial perfusion. Ivabradine is a selective If channel blocker and acts by reducing firing rate of pacemaker cells in the sinoatrial node, without affecting the duration of action potential. The reduction of heart rate causes a reduction of left ventricular end diastolic pressure and increases the time useful to coronary flow by a prolongation of the diastole. A body of evidence found that two drugs are useful in ischemic patients whether at rest or during exercise. In addition, they can be used in monotherapy or in association with other conventional anti-ischemic drugs. The two medications could be used with advantage also in microvascular angina when standard therapy is ineffective. Thus, the two drugs represent an adjunctive and powerful therapeutic modality for the treatment of chronic stable angina, especially when conventional antianginal drugs were insufficient or inadequate.
Improving Diagnostic Accuracy and Efficiency of Suspected Bone Stress Injuries
Authors: Nye Nathaniel S. , Covey Carlton J. , Sheldon Lucas , Webber Bryant , Pawlak Mary , Boden Barry , Beutler Anthony
Published: March 2016

Context:

Lower extremity stress fractures among athletes and military recruits cause significant morbidity, fiscal costs, and time lost from sport or training. During fiscal years (FY) 2012 to 2014, 1218 US Air Force trainees at Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland, Texas, were diagnosed with stress fracture(s). Diagnosis relied heavily on bone scans, often very early in clinical course and often in preference to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), highlighting the need for an evidence-based algorithm for stress injury diagnosis and initial management.

Evidence Acquisition:

To guide creation of an evidence-based algorithm, a literature review was conducted followed by analysis of local data. Relevant articles published between 1995 and 2015 were identified and reviewed on PubMed using search terms stress fracture, stress injury, stress fracture imaging, and stress fracture treatment. Subsequently, charts were reviewed for all Air Force trainees diagnosed with 1 or more stress injury in their outpatient medical record in FY 2014.

Study Design:

Clinical review.

Level of Evidence:

Level 4.

Results:

In FY 2014, 414 trainees received a bone scan and an eventual diagnosis of stress fracture. Of these scans, 66.4% demonstrated a stress fracture in the symptomatic location only, 21.0% revealed stress fractures in both symptomatic and asymptomatic locations, and 5.8% were negative in the symptomatic location but did reveal stress fracture(s) in asymptomatic locations. Twenty-one percent (18/85) of MRIs performed a mean 6 days (range, 0- 21 days) after a positive bone scan did not demonstrate any stress fracture.

Conclusion:

Bone stress injuries in military training environments are common, costly, and challenging to diagnose. MRI should be the imaging study of choice, after plain radiography, in those individuals meeting criteria for further workup.
Preexisting Rotator Cuff Tears as a Predictor of Outcomes in National Football League Athletes
Authors: Gibbs Daniel B. , Lynch T. Sean , Gombera M. Mustafa , Saltzman Matthew D. , Nuber Gordon W. , Schroeder Gregory D. , Labelle Mark , Hollett Brian P.
Published: March 2016

Background:

A preexisting rotator cuff tear may affect the draft status and career performance of National Football League (NFL) players.

Hypothesis:

Preexisting rotator cuff tears decrease a player’s draft status, performance, and longevity in the NFL.

Study Design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Level of Evidence:

Level 3.

Methods:

Medical reports of prospective NFL players during the NFL Scouting Combine from 2003 to 2011 were evaluated to identify players with a previous rotator cuff tear. Athletes were matched to control draftees without documented shoulder pathology by age, position, year drafted, and round drafted. Career statistics and performance scores were calculated.

Results:

Between 2003 and 2011, 2965 consecutive athletes were evaluated. Forty-nine athletes had preexisting rotator cuff tears: 22 athletes underwent surgical intervention for their tear and 27 were treated nonoperatively. Those with a rotator cuff tear were significantly less likely to be drafted than those without a previous injury (55.1% vs 77.5%, P = 0.002). The 27 drafted athletes with preexisting rotator cuff tears started significantly fewer games (23.7 vs 43.0, P = 0.02) and played significantly fewer years (4.3 vs 5.7, P = 0.04) and significantly fewer games (47.1 vs 68.4, P = 0.04) than matched control athletes without rotator cuff tears.

Conclusion:

Athletes with a preexisting rotator cuff tear were less likely to be drafted and had decreased career longevity.
Effective Preparation Program Features
Authors: Crow Gary M. , Whiteman Rodney S.
Published: March 2016

This article is a summary of a report prepared for the University Council for Educational Administration Program Improvement Project for the Wallace Foundation. This explores the research base for educational leadership preparation programs, specifically examining literature on program features. The review covers context, candidates, faculty, curriculum, design, delivery, pedagogy, internships, student assessment, mentoring and coaching, comprehensive leadership development, and program evaluation. In addition to summarizing the major findings in these program feature areas, the article provides a critical evaluation of the substantive and methodological gaps and future research directions.
Long-Term Outcomes after Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation
Authors: Pareek Ayoosh , Carey James L. , Reardon Patrick J. , Peterson Lars , Stuart Michael J. , Krych Aaron J.
Published: March 2016

Objective

Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) has not been proven to be durable over the long-term. The purpose of this systematic review was (1) to evaluate activity level and knee function, (2) to evaluate reoperation and failure rates, and (3) to analyze risk factors for reoperation and failure of ACI at minimum long-term follow-up.

Design

A comprehensive review was performed for studies with long-term outcomes after ACI for cartilage defect repair. Studies reported outcome scores such as Tegner score, Lysholm score, and International Knee Documentation Society (IKDC) score along with rates of failure and reoperation. Modified Coleman Methodology Scores were calculated to assess study methodological quality.

Results

Nine studies with a total of 771 patients with a mean age of 33.4 ± 2.5 years, mean defect size of 5.9 ± 1.6 cm2, and mean follow-up of 11.4 years were included. Tegner score, Lysholm score, and IKDC score change from preoperative to final follow-up was 1.1 (95% CI 0.8-1.4, P < 0.001), 24.9 points (95% CI 18.8-31, P < 0.001), and 16.5 points (95% CI 5.4-27.5, P < 0.01), respectively. The mean failure and reoperation rates were 18% and 37%, respectively. Increased age and lesion size (>4.5 cm2) were significantly correlated with increased risk of reoperation and failure.

Conclusions

Overall, ACI demonstrated successful outcomes in 82% of patients over the long-term. Increased patient age and lesion size greater than 4.5 cm2 were risk factors for a higher reoperation and failure rate. Nonetheless, this review is limited by heterogeneity in surgical technique, and lesion and patient characteristics.
Contextual perceived group threat and radical right-wing populist party preferences: Evidence from Switzerland
Authors: Berning Carl C.
Published: March 2016

Existing studies suggest that perceived group threat is an important influence on radical right-wing populist party preferences. However, most have focused on perceived group threat at the individual level, overlooking the ideological climate. I examine how an ideological climate of group threat perception as a contextual factor can shape individual preferences for radical right-wing populist party preferences. I argue that above and beyond personal perceived group threat, the prevalence of local perceived group threat exerts a normative influence on personal preferences. Using voting preferences for the Swiss People’s Party, I employ multilevel structural equation modeling to examine the theoretical model. I find clear evidence for a contextual effect of perceived group threat on individual-level Swiss People’s Party preferences.
Addressing the Need for Mental Health Screening of Newly Resettled Refugees
Authors: Polcher Kelly , Calloway Susan
Published: March 2016

Background and Purpose: Refugees resettling to the United States are at increased risk for mental health disorders, which can lead to difficulty with adaptation and poor health outcomes. Standardized mental health screening of refugees is often neglected at primary care and community health clinics. A pilot project aimed to initiate early mental health screening for newly resettled adult refugees was implemented at a community health center in Fargo, North Dakota. Methods: Current refugee screening processes were evaluated to determine appropriate timing for refugee mental health screening. This took into consideration time, staffing, interpreter availability and the refugee “honeymoon” phase following resettlement. The Refugee Health Screener–15 (RHS-15) was identified as an efficient, valid, and reliable tool for assessing emotional distress in this population and was integrated into refugee health screening practices. Results: The RHS-15 was administered to 178 adult refugees with arrival dates between August 1, 2013 and July 31, 2014. Of those screened, 51 (28.6%) screened positive for risk of emotional distress. Follow-up with primary care provider was completed with 30 (59%) of those who screened positive. Half (15) requested mental health treatment. Although the largest group of refugees during this period of time were resettling from Bhutan, refugees from Iraq had greater incidence of positive screening compared with those from Bhutan. Refugees from Iraq were also found to have significantly higher scores on the RHS-15. Conclusions: Although there are some challenges to implementing a standardized mental health screening for refugees, this pilot reiterates the need for standardized mental health screening of refugees. Routine mental health screening should be a part of the overall comprehensive health assessment provided to refugees nationwide. Considerations should be taken in regards to how refugees from Iraq have even greater risk of mental health disorders compared to other refugee groups.
Bank Decapitalization and Credit Union Capitalization
Authors: Klinedinst Mark A.
Published: March 2016

This article looks at the theory and empirical findings of excessive compensation on the recent financial implosion across institutional forms in banking. Compensation levels have gone up dramatically over the last 30 years as deregulation and concentration have grown. Some banks and quite a few credit unions avoided closure by prudent portfolio selection and keeping reserves up by maintaining compensation levels closer to the median level. Empirical findings here are based on a unique panel data set on U.S. commercial banks, thrifts, and credit unions from 1994 through 2010 (more than 300,000 observations) that provide evidence that the firms with the highest net worth typically are smaller institutions, are credit unions, have smaller insider loans as a percentage of assets, and have lower average pay levels. The favorable results here for credit unions, financial cooperatives, should help guide policy when deciding which type of financial institutions should be encouraged.
“The Inner Theater”
Authors: Brück Carolin , Gößling-Arnold Christina , Wertheimer Jürgen , Wildgruber Dirk
Published: March 2016

Nonverbal affective signals may not only serve as a valuable guide in any day-to-day social encounter, but their role may also translate to the world of literature and storytelling. This article presents a series of three experiments aimed at investigating the processing of emotional facial expressions and nonverbal vocal signals (e.g., prosody, laughter) described in literature. Experiments addressed research questions relating to processes of imagery and simulation that may guide the decoding of described vocal and facial cue with the experimental designs relying on both behavioral and psychophysiological measures (e.g., ratings of emotional valence, auditory and visual imagery, and skin conductance response). Results obtained in these studies indicated that not only the codes and symbols used to convey emotional information in literature may resemble real-life experiences, but similarities may also emerge with respect to the perceptual mechanisms used to derive meaning from described emotional cues. Observations of a vivid, modality-specific mental imagery evoked during reading suggest that reader may, in fact, emulate perceptual experiences associated with actually seeing or hearing similar affective cues during everyday social exchange. Latter assumptions are further corroborated by the observations of emotion-modulated changes in skin conductance responses elicited during reading suggesting that mental representations formed in the process may not only include vivid visual or auditory impressions of described facial and vocal cues but may also comprise bodily representations of the emotional states associated with the depicted affective cues.
A Network Analysis of Developmental Change in ADHD Symptom Structure From Preschool to Adulthood
Authors: Martel Michelle M. , Levinson Cheri A. , Langer Julia K. , Nigg Joel T.
Published: March 2016

Although there is substantial support for the validity of the diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), there is considerable disagreement about how to best capture developmental changes in the expression of ADHD symptomatology. This article examines the associations among the 18 individual ADHD symptoms using a novel network analysis approach, from preschool to adulthood. The 1,420 participants were grouped into four age brackets: preschool (ages 3–6, n = 109), childhood (ages 6–12, n = 548), adolescence (ages 13–17, n = 357), and young adulthood (ages 18–36, n = 406). All participants completed a multistage, multi-informant diagnostic process, and self and informant symptom ratings were obtained. Network analysis indicated ADHD symptom structure became more differentiated over development. Two symptoms, often easily distracted and difficulty sustaining attention, appeared as central, or core, symptoms across all age groups. Thus, a small number of core symptoms may warrant extra weighting in future diagnostic systems.
The Epidemiology of Hip/Groin Injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey
Authors: Dalton Sara L. , Zupon Alyssa B. , Gardner Elizabeth C. , Djoko Aristarque , Dompier Thomas P. , Kerr Zachary Y.
Published: March 2016

Background:

There is limited research regarding the epidemiology of hip/groin injuries in ice hockey, the majority of which is restricted to time-loss injuries only.

Purpose:

To describe the epidemiology of hip/groin injuries in collegiate men’s and women’s ice hockey from 2009-2010 through 2014-2015.

Study Design:

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods:

Hip/groin injury data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance Program (NCAA-ISP) during the 2009-2010 through 2014-2015 seasons were analyzed. Injury rates, rate ratios (RRs), and injury proportion ratios (IPRs) were reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results:

During the 2009-2010 through 2014-2015 seasons, 421 and 114 hip/groin injuries were reported in men’s and women’s ice hockey, respectively, leading to injury rates of 1.03 and 0.78 per 1000 athlete-exposures (AEs), respectively. The hip/groin injury rate was greater in men than in women (RR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.08-1.63). In addition, 55.6% and 71.1% of hip/groin injuries in men’s and women’s ice hockey, respectively, were non–time loss (NTL) injuries (ie, resulted in participation restriction time <24 hours); 7.6% and 0.9%, respectively, were severe (ie, resulted in participation restriction time >3 weeks). The proportion of hip/groin injuries that were NTL injuries was greater in women than in men (IPR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.11-1.48). Conversely, the proportion of hip/groin injuries that were severe was greater in men than in women (IPR, 8.67; 95% CI, 1.20-62.73). The most common hip/groin injury diagnosis was strain (men, 67.2%; women, 76.3%). Also, 12 (2.9%) and 3 (2.6%) cases of hip impingement were noted in men’s and women’s ice hockey, respectively.

Conclusion:

Hip/groin injury rates were greater in men’s than in women’s ice hockey. Time loss varied between sexes, with men sustaining more injuries with time loss over 3 weeks. Despite increasing concerns of femoroacetabular impingement in ice hockey players, few cases of hip impingement were reported in this dataset.
Circulating T follicular helper cells with increased function during chronic graft-versus-host disease
Authors: Forcade Edouard , Kim Haesook T. , Cutler Corey , Wang Kathy , Alho Ana C. , Nikiforow Sarah , Ho Vincent T. , Koreth John , Armand Philippe , Alyea Edwin P. , Blazar Bruce R. , Soiffer Robert J. , Antin Joseph H. , Ritz Jerome
Published: March 2016

Key Points

cTFH are activated and skewed toward a Th2/Th17 phenotype promoting their B-cell help function during cGVHD. cTFH activation signature correlates with memory B-cell and plasmablast phenotype in cGVHD patients.
Stepwise approach for combining many sources of evidence for site-recognition in genomic sequences
Authors: Pérez-Rodríguez Javier , García-Pedrajas Nicolás
Published: March 2016

Background

Recognizing the different functional parts of genes, such as promoters, translation initiation sites, donors, acceptors and stop codons, is a fundamental task of many current studies in Bioinformatics. Currently, the most successful methods use powerful classifiers, such as support vector machines with various string kernels. However, with the rapid evolution of our ability to collect genomic information, it has been shown that combining many sources of evidence is fundamental to the success of any recognition task. With the advent of next-generation sequencing, the number of available genomes is increasing very rapidly. Thus, methods for making use of such large amounts of information are needed.

Results

In this paper, we present a methodology for combining tens or even hundreds of different classifiers for an improved performance. Our approach can include almost a limitless number of sources of evidence. We can use the evidence for the prediction of sites in a certain species, such as human, or other species as needed. This approach can be used for any of the functional recognition tasks cited above. However, to provide the necessary focus, we have tested our approach in two functional recognition tasks: translation initiation site and stop codon recognition. We have used the entire human genome as a target and another 20 species as sources of evidence and tested our method on five different human chromosomes. The proposed method achieves better accuracy than the best state-of-the-art method both in terms of the geometric mean of the specificity and sensitivity and the area under the receiver operating characteristic and precision recall curves. Furthermore, our approach shows a more principled way for selecting the best genomes to be combined for a given recognition task.

Conclusions

Our approach has proven to be a powerful tool for improving the performance of functional site recognition, and it is a useful method for combining many sources of evidence for any recognition task in Bioinformatics. The results also show that the common approach of heuristically choosing the species to be used as source of evidence can be improved because the best combinations of genomes for recognition were those not usually selected. Although the experiments were performed for translation initiation site and stop codon recognition, any other recognition task may benefit from our methodology.
Comparative study of equine mesenchymal stem cells from healthy and injured synovial tissues: an in vitro assessment
Authors: Fülber Joice , Maria Durvanei A. , Silva Luis Cláudio Lopes Correia da , Massoco Cristina O. , Agreste Fernanda , Baccarin Raquel Y. Arantes
Published: March 2016

Background

Bone marrow and adipose tissues are known sources of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in horses; however, synovial tissues might be a promising alternative. The aim of this study was to evaluate phenotypic characteristics and differentiation potential of equine MSCs from synovial fluid (SF) and synovial membrane (SM) of healthy joints (SF-H and SM-H), joints with osteoarthritis (SF-OA and SM-OA) and joints with osteochondritis dissecans (SF-OCD and SM-OCD) to determine the most suitable synovial source for an allogeneic therapy cell bank.

Methods

Expression of the markers CD90, CD105, CD44, and CD34 in SF-H, SM-H, SF-OA, SM-OA, SF-OCD and SM-OCD was verified by flow cytometry, and expression of cytokeratin, vimentin, PGP 9.5, PCNA, lysozyme, nanog, and Oct4 was verified by immunocytochemistry. MSCs were cultured and evaluated for their chondrogenic, osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation potential. Final quantification of extracellular matrix and mineralized matrix was determined using AxioVision software. A tumorigenicity test was conducted in Balb-Cnu/nu mice to verify the safety of the MSCs from these sources.

Results

Cultured cells from SF and SM exhibited fibroblastoid morphology and the ability to adhere to plastic. The time elapsed between primary culture and the third passage was approximately 73 days for SF-H, 89 days for SF-OCD, 60 days for SF-OA, 68 days for SM-H, 57 days for SM-OCD and 54 days for SM-OA. The doubling time for SF-OCD was higher than that for other cells at the first passage (P < 0.05). MSCs from synovial tissues showed positive expression of the markers CD90, CD44, lysozyme, PGP 9.5, PCNA and vimentin and were able to differentiate into chondrogenic (21 days) and osteogenic (21 days) lineages, and, although poorly, into adipogenic lineages (14 days). The areas staining positive for extracellular matrix in the SF-H and SM-H groups were larger than those in the SF-OA and SM-OA groups (P < 0.05). The positive mineralized matrix area in the SF-H group was larger than those in all the other groups (P < 0.05). The studied cells exhibited no tumorigenic effects.

Conclusions

SF and SM are viable sources of equine MSCs. All sources studied provide suitable MSCs for an allogeneic therapy cell bank; nevertheless, MSCs from healthy joints may be preferable for cell banking purposes because they exhibit better chondrogenic differentiation capacity.
Dynamic internalization and recycling of a metal ion transporter: Cu homeostasis and CTR1, the human Cu+ uptake system
Authors: Clifford Rebecca J. , Maryon Edward B. , Kaplan Jack H.
Published: March 2016

Cu ion (Cu) entry into human cells is mediated by CTR1 (also known as SLC31A1), the high-affinity Cu transporter. When extracellular Cu is raised, the cell is protected against excess accumulation by rapid internalization of the transporter. When Cu is lowered, the transporter returns to the membrane. We show in HEK293 cells overexpressing CTR1 that expression of either the C-terminal domain of AP180 (also known as SNAP91), a clathrin-coat assembly protein that sequesters clathrin, or a dominant-negative mutant of dynamin, decreases Cu-induced endocytosis of CTR1, as does a dynamin inhibitor and clathrin knockdown using siRNA. Utilizing imaging, siRNA techniques and a new high-throughput assay for endocytosis employing CLIP-tag methodology, we show that internalized CTR1 accumulates in early sorting endosomes and recycling compartments (containing Rab5 and EEA1), but not in late endosomes or lysosomal pathways. Using live cell fluorescence, we find that upon extracellular Cu removal CTR1 recycles to the cell surface through the slower-recycling Rab11-mediated pathway. These processes enable cells to dynamically alter transporter levels at the plasma membrane and acutely modulate entry as a safeguard against excess cellular Cu.
Deep RNA profiling identified CLOCK and molecular clock genes as pathophysiological signatures in collagen VI myopathy
Authors: Scotton Chiara , Bovolenta Matteo , Schwartz Elena , Falzarano Maria Sofia , Martoni Elena , Passarelli Chiara , Armaroli Annarita , Osman Hana , Rodolico Carmelo , Messina Sonia , Pegoraro Elena , D'Amico Adele , Bertini Enrico , Gualandi Francesca , Neri Marcella , Selvatici Rita , Boffi Patrizia , Maioli Maria Antonietta , Lochmüller Hanns , Straub Volker , Bushby Katherine , Castrignanò Tiziana , Pesole Graziano , Sabatelli Patrizia , Merlini Luciano , Braghetta Paola , Bonaldo Paolo , Bernardi Paolo , Foley Reghan , Cirak Sebahattin , Zaharieva Irina , Muntoni Francesco , Capitanio Daniele , Gelfi Cecilia , Kotelnikova Ekaterina , Yuryev Anton , Lebowitz Michael , Zhang Xiping , Hodge Brian A. , Esser Karyn A. , Ferlini Alessandra
Published: March 2016

Collagen VI myopathies are genetic disorders caused by mutations in collagen 6 A1, A2 and A3 genes, ranging from the severe Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy to the milder Bethlem myopathy, which is recapitulated by collagen-VI-null (Col6a1−/−) mice. Abnormalities in mitochondria and autophagic pathway have been proposed as pathogenic causes of collagen VI myopathies, but the link between collagen VI defects and these metabolic circuits remains unknown. To unravel the expression profiling perturbation in muscles with collagen VI myopathies, we performed a deep RNA profiling in both Col6a1−/− mice and patients with collagen VI pathology. The interactome map identified common pathways suggesting a previously undetected connection between circadian genes and collagen VI pathology. Intriguingly, Bmal1−/− (also known as Arntl) mice, a well-characterized model displaying arrhythmic circadian rhythms, showed profound deregulation of the collagen VI pathway and of autophagy-related genes. The involvement of circadian rhythms in collagen VI myopathies is new and links autophagy and mitochondrial abnormalities. It also opens new avenues for therapies of hereditary myopathies to modulate the molecular clock or potential gene–environment interactions that might modify muscle damage pathogenesis.
Morphology and motion: hindlimb proportions and swing phase kinematics in terrestrially locomoting charadriiform birds
Authors: Kilbourne Brandon M. , Andrada Emanuel , Fischer Martin S. , Nyakatura John A.
Published: March 2016

Differing limb proportions in terms of length and mass, as well as differences in mass being concentrated proximally or distally, influence the limb's moment of inertia (MOI), which represents its resistance to being swung. Limb morphology—including limb segment proportions—thus likely has direct relevance for the metabolic cost of swinging the limb during locomotion. However, it remains largely unexplored how differences in limb proportions influence limb kinematics during swing phase. To test whether differences in limb proportions are associated with differences in swing phase kinematics, we collected hindlimb kinematic data from three species of charadriiform birds differing widely in their hindlimb proportions: lapwings, oystercatchers, and avocets. Using these three species, we tested for differences in maximum joint flexion, maximum joint extension, and range of motion (RoM), in addition to differences in maximum segment angular velocity and excursion. We found that the taxa with greater limb MOI—oystercatchers and avocets—flex their limbs more than lapwings. However, we found no consistent differences in joint extension and RoM among species. Likewise, we found no consistent differences in limb segment angular velocity and excursion, indicating that differences in limb inertia in these three avian species do not necessarily underlie the rate or extent of limb segment movements. The observed increased limb flexion among these taxa with distally heavy limbs resulted in reduced MOI of the limb when compared to a neutral pose. A trade-off between exerting force to actively flex the limb and potential savings by a reduction of MOI is skewed towards reducing the limb's MOI due to MOI being in part a function of the radius of gyration squared. Increased limb flexion likely is a means to lower the cost of swinging the limbs.
Inadequate food intake at high temperatures is related to depressed mitochondrial respiratory capacity
Authors: Salin Karine , Auer Sonya K. , Anderson Graeme J. , Selman Colin , Metcalfe Neil B.
Published: March 2016

Animals, especially ectotherms, are highly sensitive to the temperature of their surrounding environment. Extremely high temperature, for example, induces a decline of average performance of conspecifics within a population, but individual heterogeneity in the ability to cope with elevating temperatures has rarely been studied. In this study, we examined inter-individual variation in feeding ability and consequent growth rate of juvenile brown trout Salmo trutta acclimated to a high temperature (19°C), and investigated the relationship between these metrics of whole-animal performances and among-individual variation in mitochondrial respiration capacity. Food was provided ad libitum yet intake varied ten-fold amongst individuals, resulting in some fish losing weight whilst others continued to grow. Almost half of the variation in food intake was related to variability in mitochondrial capacity: low intake (and hence growth failure) was associated with high leak respiration rates within liver and muscle mitochondria, and a lower coupling of muscle mitochondria. These observations, combined with the inability of fish with low food consumption to increase their intake despite ad libitum food levels, suggest a possible insufficient capacity of the mitochondria for maintaining ATP homeostasis. Individual variation in thermal performance is likely to confer variation in the upper limit of an organism's thermal niche and in turn affect the structure of wild populations in warming environments.
Juvenile Antarctic rockcod,Trematomus bernacchii, are physiologically robust to CO2–acidified seawater
Authors: Davis Brittany E. , Miller Nathan A. , Flynn Erin E. , Todgham Anne E.
Published: March 2016

To date, numerous studies have shown negative impacts of CO2-acidified seawater (i.e. ocean acidification, OA) on marine organisms including calcifying invertebrates and fishes; however, limited research has been conducted on the physiological effects of OA on polar fishes and even less on the impacts of OA on early developmental stages of polar fishes. We evaluated aspects of aerobic metabolism and cardiorespiratory physiology of juvenile emerald rockcod Trematomus bernacchii, an abundant fish in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, to elevated partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) (420 [Ambient], 650 [Moderate] and 1050 [High] μtam pCO2) over a one-month period. We examined cardiorespiratory physiology including heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output and ventilation, whole organism metabolism via oxygen consumption rate, and sub-organismal aerobic capacity by citrate synthase enzyme activity. Juvenile fish showed an increase in ventilation rate under High pCO2 compared to Ambient pCO2, while cardiac performance, oxygen consumption, and citrate synthase activity were not significantly affected by elevated pCO2. Acclimation time did have a significant effect on ventilation rate, stroke volume, cardiac output and citrate synthase activity, such that all metrics increased over the 4-week exposure period. These results suggest that juvenile emerald rockcod are robust to near-future increases in OA and may have the capacity to adjust for future increases in pCO2 by increasing acid-base compensation through increased ventilation.
An animal homolog of plant Mep/Amt transporters promotes ammonia excretion by the anal papillae of the disease vector mosquito,Aedes aegypti
Authors: Chasiotis Helen , Ionescu Adrian , Misyura Lidiya , Bui Phuong , Fazio Kimberly , Wang Jason , Patrick Marjorie , Weihrauch Dirk , Donini Andrew
Published: March 2016

The transcripts of three putative ammonia (NH3/NH4+) transporters, Rhesus-like glycoproteins AeRh50-1, AeRh50-2 and Amt/Mep-like AeAmt1 were detected in the anal papillae of larval Aedes aegypti. Quantitative PCR studies revealed 12-fold higher transcript levels of AeAmt1 in anal papillae relative to AeRh50-1, and levels of AeRh50-2 were even lower. Immunoblotting revealed AeAmt1 in anal papillae as a preprotein with putative monomeric and trimeric forms. AeAmt1 was immunolocalized to the basal side of the anal papillae epithelium where it co-localized with Na+/K+-ATPase. Ammonium concentration gradients were measured adjacent to anal papillae using the scanning ion-selective electrode technique (SIET) and used to calculate ammonia efflux by the anal papillae. dsRNA-mediated reductions in AeAmt1 decreased ammonia efflux at larval anal papillae and significantly increased ammonia levels in hemolymph, indicating a principal role for AeAmt1 in ammonia excretion. Pharmacological characterization of ammonia transport mechanisms in the anal papillae suggest that, in addition to AeAmt1, the ionomotive pumps V-type H+-ATPase and Na+/K+-ATPase as well as NHE3 are involved in ammonia excretion at the anal papillae.
The effects of call-like masking diminish after nightly exposure to conspecific choruses in green treefrogs (Hyla cinerea)
Authors: Gall Megan D. , Wilczynski Walter
Published: March 2016

One of the major difficulties encountered by animals that select mates using acoustic signals is discriminating individual calls from the background noise generated by other conspecifics. Reducing the effects of conspecific masking could improve discrimination of individual calls from background noise. We used auditory evoked potentials to investigate the effects of forward masking on the responses to artificial calls in male and female treefrogs (Hyla cinerea), as well as whether hearing advertisement calls over several nights, as happens in natural frog choruses, could modify the effects of masking. We found that response amplitude decreased with decreasing interstimulus interval when the masker was equal in amplitude to the stimulus. We also found evidence of a priming effect, whereby response amplitude at lower masker amplitudes was greater than when the target stimulus was not preceded by a masker. Finally, we found that the effect of masking was diminished by 10 nights of chorus exposure (i.e. responses were stronger to target stimuli), while there was no change in response in the control group. Our results show that hearing dynamic social stimuli, like frog choruses, can alter the responses of the auditory periphery in a way that could enhance the detection of and response to conspecific acoustic communication signals.
Neck length and mean arterial pressure in the sauropod dinosaurs
Authors: Hughes S. , Barry J. , Russell J. , Bell R. , Gurung S.
Published: March 2016

How blood was able to reach the heads of the long-necked sauropod dinosaurs has long been a matter of debate and several hypotheses have been presented. For example, it has been proposed that sauropods either had exceptionally large hearts, multiple ‘normal’ sized hearts spaced at regular intervals up the neck, held their necks horizontal, or the siphon effect was in operation. By means of an experimental model, we demonstrate that the siphon principle is able to explain how blood was able to adequately perfuse the sauropod brain. The return venous circulation may have been protected from complete collapse by a structure akin to the vertebral venous plexus. We derive an equation relating neck height and mean arterial pressure, which indicates that with a mean arterial pressure similar to the giraffe, the maximum safe vertical distance between heart and head would have been about 12 m. A hypothesis is presented that the maximum neck length in the fossil record is due to the siphon height limit. The equation indicates that to migrate over high ground, sauropods would either have had to significantly increase their mean arterial pressure or keep their necks below a certain height dependent on altitude.
Oxygen and energy availability interact to determine flight performance in the Glanville fritillary butterfly
Authors: Fountain Toby , Melvin Richard G. , Ikonen Suvi , Ruokolainen Annukka , Woestmann Luisa , Hietakangas Ville , Hanski Ilkka
Published: March 2016

Flying insects have the highest known mass-specific demand for oxygen, which makes it likely that reduced availability of oxygen, as in hypoxia, may limit sustained flight instead of or in addition to the limitation due to metabolite resources. The Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) occurs as a large metapopulation in which adult butterflies frequently disperse between small local populations. Here, we examine how the interaction between oxygen availability and fuel use affects flight performance in the Glanville fritillary. Individuals were flown under either normoxic (21 kPa O2) or hypoxic (10 kPa O2) conditions and their flight metabolism was measured. To determine resource use, levels of circulating glucose, trehalose and whole-body triglyceride were recorded after flight. Flight performance was significantly reduced in hypoxic conditions. When flown under normoxic conditions, we observed a positive correlation among individuals between post-flight circulating trehalose levels and flight metabolic rate, suggesting that low levels of circulating trehalose constrains flight metabolism. To test this hypothesis experimentally, we measured the flight metabolic rate of individuals injected with a trehalase inhibitor. In support of the hypothesis, experimental butterflies showed significantly reduced flight metabolic rate, but not resting metabolic rate, in comparison with control individuals. On the other hand, under hypoxia there was no relationship between trehalose and flight metabolic rate. Additionally, in this case flight metabolic rate was reduced in spite of circulating trehalose levels that were high enough to support high flight metabolic rate under normoxic conditions. These results demonstrate a significant interaction between oxygen and energy availability in controlling flight performance.
Plasticity of upper thermal limits to acute and chronic temperature variation in Manduca sexta larvae
Authors: Kingsolver Joel G. , MacLean Heidi J. , Goddin Silvan B. , Augustine Kate E.
Published: March 2016

In many ectotherms, exposure to high temperatures can improve subsequent tolerance to higher temperatures. However, the differential effects of single, repeated, or continuous exposure to high temperatures are less clear. We measured the effects of single heat shocks and of diurnally fluctuating or constant rearing temperatures on the critical thermal maximum temperatures (CTmax) for final instar larvae of Manduca sexta. Brief (2h) heat shocks at temperatures of 35°C and above significantly increased CTmax relative to control temperatures (25°C). Increasing mean temperatures (from 25 to 30°C) or greater diurnal fluctuations (from constant to ±10°C) during larval development also significantly increased CTmax. Combining these data showed that repeated or continuous temperature exposure during development improved heat tolerance beyond the effects of a single exposure to the same maximum temperature. These results suggest that both acute and chronic temperature exposure can result in adaptive plasticity of upper thermal limits.
Efeitos dos surfactantes aniônicos LAS e LESS no desenvolvimento e na morfologia da cianobactéria Planktothrix agardhii CCIBt3125
Authors: Santos Valdilene Maria dos , Santos Kleber Renan de Souza , Carvalho Luciana Retz de , Sant'Anna Célia Leite
Published: March 2016

Os surfactantes aniônicos Linear Alquilbenzeno Sulfonato (LAS) e Lauril Éter Sulfato de Sódio (LESS) estão entre as principais substâncias utilizadas nas formulações de detergentes comerciais, e são lançados em redes de esgoto poluindo rios e mananciais, habitados por milhares de microorganismos, entre os quais estão as cianobactérias. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos dos surfactantes LAS e LESS sobre o crescimento da linhagem cianobacteriana Planktothrix agardhii CCIBt3125. O experimento teve a duração de 16 dias sendo a contagem dos tricomas feita a cada dois dias, em câmara de Fuchs Rosenthal. O meio BG-11 foi utilizado como controle e os seguintes tratamentos foram testados (n = 3): BG-11+4% de LAS (concentração 4,13 mM) e BG-11+4% de LESS (concentração 5,32 mM), mantidos em temperatura de 23ºC±1, fotoperíodo 14/10 luz/escuro e irradiância 40-50 µmol fótons m-2.s-1. Na condição controle, a cepa apresentou crescimento exponencial do segundo ao décimo dia e taxa de crescimento de 0,17 (µ dia-1) enquanto que, comparativamente, os surfactantes promoveram uma resposta inibitória no desenvolvimento da biomassa: no décimo dia foi observada redução da densidade dos tricomas de 69% no tratamento com LAS e de 70% no tratamento com LESS; no décimo sexto dia houve redução de 88% (LAS) e de 90% (LESS), não havendo diferença significativa entre os dois tratamentos. Segundo a literatura, nossos resultados são os primeiros a mostrar esses efeitos sobre a espécie P. agardhii e estão em concordância com as informações já existentes sobre a ação inibitória de surfactantes no crescimento de outras espécies de cianobactérias; além disso, também mostram a necessidade de maior controle na destinação de efluentes contendo detergentes, devido aos seus efeitos negativos sobre a biota aquática.
Trends and biases in the scientific literature on Brazilian watersheds
Authors: Machado Karine Borges , Borges Pedro Paulino , Cunha Hélida Ferreira da , Nabout João Carlos
Published: March 2016

Brazilian watersheds have a high species and natural resources biodiversity. To know the features of scientific production on these regions is important to adjust study focus and to determine publication biases. This study aims at characterizing the scientific literature about Brazilian watersheds on scientometric grounds. For this purpose, we performed a search of articles in the ISI Web of Science database of the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI). The search returned 2,945 articles: 1,613 on the Amazon basin, 584 on the La Plata basin, 262 on the São Francisco basin, 190 on the Tocantins basin, 117 on the Southeast Coastal basin, 70 on the Eastern Northeast Coastal basin, 48 on the Parnaíba basin, 45 on the South Coastal basin, 14 on the North Coastal basin and two on the Western Northeast Coastal basin. The highest number of articles, journal diversity and impact factor was for the Amazon basin. Generally, the increase of the number of articles on the coastal basins over the years is lower. A keyword analysis shows that the study of most basins deals with similar subjects. However, researches on the Amazon and La Plata basins follow lines that are very different both from each other and from the other basins. In view of such results, incentives for new studies must focus on coastal basins. It is also recommended to submit works to good quality journals.
Cadmium concentrations in Sotalia guianensis (Van Bénéden, 1864) in a tropical estuary, southeast of Brazil.
Authors: Salgado Lilian Dalago , Carvalho Neto Fernando da Silva , Filla Gislaine de Fátima
Published: March 2016

Cadmium concentrations were assessed in the hepatic tissues of 27 dolphins of the Sotalia guianensis species that were found stranded in the estuary Complexo Estuarino Lagunar de Cananéia-Iguape, southeast of Brazil, between the years 2009 and 2012. The samples’ digestion was performed through acid digestion with HNO3 and the quantification was held by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). For 11 of the sampled animals, concentrations did not exceed the limit of quantification of 0.1µg/g-1 proposed by the method. Nevertheless, low values of the metal were commonly found in the tissues of estuarine dolphins on the Brazilian coast. In this research, the concentrations varied from 0.13 to 1.79µg/g-1 (wet weight), for a total average of 0.39µg/g-1 which is in accord with those described in literature for the specie. No differences were observed in the accumulation of cadmium between sexes, age classes nor correlation between the curvilinear length and the accumulation of the metal. The study highlights the flow through the trophic chain as being an important factor for the accumulation of Cd and supports the use of the species as a bio-indicator of the environmental quality of its habitat, due to its biological and ecological peculiarities.