bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Drivers of euphausiid distribution and abundance in the Northeast U.S. Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem
Authors: Lowe Michael R , Lawson Gareth L , Fogarty Michael J
Published: December 2017

Euphausiids, or krill, often dominate the biomass of zooplankton communities in high latitude marine ecosystems and are recognized as a key component of food webs. Compared to other ecosystems, however, there is scant information regarding the broad-scale distribution of euphausiids in the Northeast U.S. Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem (NEUS-LME). Using long-term (1977–2011) zooplankton survey data, we examine the drivers of the broad-scale spatial distribution and inter-annual variability in euphausiid abundance throughout the entire NEUS-LME. Our results show strong seasonal patterns in both the abundance and spatial distribution of euphausiids, which were commonly associated with waters exceeding 100 m, the continental shelf break (SB), and warmer and more saline bottom waters. Inter-annual patterns in euphausiid abundance were positively correlated with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and bottom salinity, and inter-annual variation was most conspicuous at the outer continental shelf and SB. Assemblage analyses indicated that Euphausia krohnii, Thysanoessa gregaria, T. longicaudata, and Nematoscelis megalops dominated in waters associated with the outer shelf and SB, while Meganyctiphanes norvegica was more important in the Gulf of Maine. These results improve our understanding of the distribution and abundance of euphausiids and provide important information for effective ecosystem-based fisheries management for the NEUS-LME.
Complex Relationships between Chromatin Accessibility, Sequence Divergence, and Gene Expression in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Alexandre Cristina M , Urton James R , Jean-Baptiste Ken , Huddleston John , Dorrity Michael W , Cuperus Josh T , Sullivan Alessandra M , Bemm Felix , Jolic Dino , Arsovski Andrej A , Thompson Agnieszka , Nemhauser Jennifer L , Fields Stan , Weigel Detlef , Bubb Kerry L , Queitsch Christin
Published: December 2017

Variation in regulatory DNA is thought to drive phenotypic variation, evolution, and disease. Prior studies of regulatory DNA and transcription factors across animal species highlighted a fundamental conundrum: Transcription factor binding domains and cognate binding sites are conserved, while regulatory DNA sequences are not. It remains unclear how conserved transcription factors and dynamic regulatory sites produce conserved expression patterns across species. Here, we explore regulatory DNA variation and its functional consequences within Arabidopsis thaliana, using chromatin accessibility to delineate regulatory DNA genome-wide. Unlike in previous cross-species comparisons, the positional homology of regulatory DNA is maintained among A. thaliana ecotypes and less nucleotide divergence has occurred. Of the ∼50,000 regulatory sites in A. thaliana, we found that 15% varied in accessibility among ecotypes. Some of these accessibility differences were associated with extensive, previously unannotated sequence variation, encompassing many deletions and ancient hypervariable alleles. Unexpectedly, for the majority of such regulatory sites, nearby gene expression was unaffected. Nevertheless, regulatory sites with high levels of sequence variation and differential chromatin accessibility were the most likely to be associated with differential gene expression. Finally, and most surprising, we found that the vast majority of differentially accessible sites show no underlying sequence variation. We argue that these surprising results highlight the necessity to consider higher-order regulatory context in evaluating regulatory variation and predicting its phenotypic consequences.
Luminosity effect of O i 7771–5 triplet and atmospheric microturbulence in evolved A-, F-, and G-type stars
Authors: Takeda Yoichi , Jeong Gwanghui , Han Inwoo
Published: December 2017

It is known that the strength of neutral oxygen triplet lines at 7771–5 Å shows a luminosity effect in evolved A through G stars. However, its general behavior across the HR diagram is not yet well understood, since the applicability limit of the relations proposed by various previous work (tending to be biased toward supergiants) still remains unclear. Besides, our understanding on the nature of atmospheric micro-scale turbulence, which is considered to play a significant role (along with the non-LTE line intensification) for the cause of this effect, is still insufficient. Towards clarifying these problems, we carried out an extensive non-LTE spectrum-fitting analysis of O i 7771–5 lines for unbiased sample of 75 evolved A-, F,- and G-type stars over wide luminosity classes (from subgiants through supergiants) including rapid rotators, from which the total equivalent width (W77) was derived and the microturbulence (ξ) was determined by two different (profile- and abundance-based) methods for each star. While we confirmed that W77 tends to increase in the global sense as a star’s absolute magnitude (MV) becomes more luminous, distinctly different trends were found between lower-gravity (log g ≲ 2.5) and higher-gravity (log g ≳ 2.5) stars, in the sense that the MV vs. W77 formulas proposed by past studies are applicable only to the former supergiant group. In case of using W77 for empirical MV evaluation by such simple formulas, it is recommended to confine only to supergiants of −5 ≳ MV ≳ −10. Regarding the microturbulence significantly controlling W77, it roughly shows an increasing tendency with a decrease in surface gravity. However, the trend is not monotonic but rather intricate (e.g., hump, stagnation, or discontinuously large increase) depending on the stellar type and evolutionary stage.
Repercussions of the Coalition Governments Austerity Policy on Community Safety across Merseyside
Authors: Ojo Adegbola , Evans Richard , Karecha Jay
Published: December 2017

This article explains the depth and breadth of financial cuts endured by community safety organizations across Merseyside. The article provides a robust explanation of how cuts to funding impacted on the delivery of public safety priorities under the coalition government (2010–15). This study implemented a mixed-methods approach which entailed in-depth consultations with the major community safety stakeholders within the region. Results reveal that over the course of the immediate past parliament, Merseyside Local Authorities within the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) and the police force area had to restructure staffing and service provision extensively in order to deliver efficiency savings of over £650 m. Budget cuts have had severe repercussions not just in terms of stakeholder’s capability to provide key services but also for the morale of their staff. We project a further 33% cutback in funding over the course of the current parliament though subsequent more favourable Government announcements suggest a more modest figure of up to 15%. This undoubtedly will result in the further streamlining of public services with potentially serious ramifications for levels of public safety.
Unlikely activists: building worker power under liberalization
Authors: Rothstein Sidney A
Published: December 2017

This article explains variation in the extent to which high skill, high wage workers are able to defend their job security in services-based production regimes. It compares two cases of downsizing at German multinational technology firms in the early 2000s, and shows how workers can protect their jobs against employer threats by building power in the workplace. I find that tech workers mobilize against downsizing when they creatively redeploy management’s discourse to demonstrate the potential effectiveness of collective action in a discourse that resonates with their occupational identity as technical experts. Highlighting the significance of discursive strategies to worker power in the information technology sector advances research on the comparative political economy of liberalization, which tends to view weak labor as a structural characteristic of the knowledge economy. While the transition from manufacturing- to services-led growth has weakened labor, with union density declining and national institutions becoming less effective, successful resistance to downsizing demonstrates that these historical developments relocate and recast workers’ power resources, rather than destroy them outright. This article focuses on political struggle in the workplace to offer empirical evidence that workers can develop considerable power even when they lack access to labor’s traditional resources.
Functional Characterization of TvCyt2, a Member of the p450 Monooxygenases From Trichoderma virens Relevant During the Association With Plants and Mycoparasitism
Authors: Ramírez-Valdespino Claudia A. , Porras-Troncoso Maria Daniela , Corrales-Escobosa Alma Rosa , Wrobel Kazimierz , Martínez-Hernández Pedro , Olmedo-Monfil Vianey
Published: December 2017

Secondary metabolites are crucial for the establishment of interactions between plants and microbes, as in the case of Trichoderma-plant interactions. In the biosynthetic pathway of secondary metabolites, specific enzymes participate in the formation of hydroxyl and epoxy groups, belonging to the p450 monooxygenases family. Here, we show that the product of the gene TvCyt2 from Trichoderma virens encodes a new protein homologous to the cytochrome p450, which is down-regulated at the beginning of Trichoderma-Arabidopsis interaction. To investigate its role in the interactions established by Trichoderma spp., we analyzed the metabolic profile obtained from the overexpressing (OETvCyt2) and null mutant (Δtvcyt2) strains, observing that the OETvCyt2 strains produce a higher concentration of some metabolites than the wild-type (WT) strain. Δtvcyt2 strains showed a decreased antagonistic activity against Rhizoctonia solani in antibiosis assays. Arabidopsis plants cocultivated with the OETvCyt2 strains showed stronger induction of systemic acquired resistance than plants cocultivated with the WT strain, as well as increases in biomass and fitness. Our data suggest that the product of the TvCyt2 gene is involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis, which can increase antagonistic activity with phytopathogenic fungi and the capacity to promote plant growth.
Insights Into the Roles of Two Genes of the Histidine Biosynthesis Operon in Pathogenicity of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola
Authors: Su Panpan , Song Zhiwei , Wu Guichun , Zhao Yancun , Zhang Yuqiang , Wang Bo , Qian Guoliang , Fu Zheng Qing , Liu Fengquan
Published: December 2017

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola is an X. oryzae pathovar that causes bacterial leaf streak in rice. In this study, we performed functional characterization of a nine-gene his operon in X. oryzae pv. oryzicola. Sequence analysis indicates that this operon is highly conserved in Xanthomonas spp. Auxotrophic assays confirmed that the his operon was involved in histidine biosynthesis. We found that two genes within this operon, trpR and hisB, were required for virulence and bacterial growth in planta. Further research revealed that trpR and hisB play different roles in X. oryzae pv. oryzicola. The trpR acts as a transcriptional repressor and could negatively regulate the expression of hisG, -D, -C, -B, -H, -A, and -F. hisB, which encodes a bifunctional enzyme implicated in histidine biosynthesis, was shown to be required for xanthomonadin production in X. oryzae pv. oryzicola. The disruption of hisB reduced the transcriptional expression of five known shikimate pathway-related genes xanB2, aroE, aroA, aroC, and aroK. We found that the his operon in X. oryzae pv. oryzicola is not involved in hypersensitive response in nonhost tobacco plants. Collectively, our results revealed that two genes in histidine biosynthesis operon play an important role in the pathogenicity of X. oryzae pv. oryzicola Rs105.
Mechanisms of vascular comorbidity in autoimmune diseases
Authors: Nagy György , Németh Nóra , Buzás Edit I
Published: December 2017

Purpose of review

Persuasive statistics support the clinical observation that because of cardiovascular comorbidities patients with inflammatory joint disease die significantly earlier despite anti-inflammatory therapy.

Recent findings

The reason for this earlier death is multifactorial and involves a combination of a complex genetic background, environmental influences, classical cardiovascular risk factors and the impact of anti-inflammatory therapy. We will describe the importance of several new mechanisms, especially the diverse intercellular communication routes including extracellular vesicles and microRNAs that support the development of cardiovascular comorbidities.

The aim of this review is to give an updated overview about the known risk factors in the development of cardiovascular comorbidities with the latest insights about their mechanism of action. Furthermore, the impact of newly identified risk factors and significance will be discussed.
Propofol Related Infusion Syndrome: Ultrastructural Evidence for a Mitochondrial Disorder
Authors: Vollmer Jörg-Peter , Haen Susanne , Wolburg Hartwig , Lehmann Rainer , Steiner Jochen , Reddersen Silke , Fend Falko , Fallier-Becker Petra
Published: December 2017

Objective:

The objective of this report of a fatal propofol-related infusion syndrome in a young adult was to present—to our knowledge for the first time—direct ultrastructural evidence for the central role of mitochondrial damage in the pathogenesis of this syndrome.

Data Sources:

Histological and electron microscopical analysis of liver, skeletal, and heart muscle obtained by autopsy and blood obtained from patient.

Study Selection:

Case report.

Data Extraction:

In addition to conventional macroscopical and histological investigations, electron-microscopical analysis of myocardial- and skeletal muscle and liver tissue obtained at autopsy from a young man was performed in order to search for ultrastructural changes of mitochondria. Acylcarnitine concentrations of his blood were determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry.

Data Synthesis:

A 19-year-old male was admitted with acute left-side hemiparesis. The patient was intubated, then propofol infusion started, and a craniotomy was performed to remove an intracerebral hematoma. In the postoperative period, the patient presented with elevated intracranial pressure and brain edema. After repeat surgery, the patient showed impaired systolic left ventricular function, increasing fever, anuria, hyperkalemia, and metabolic acidosis, and he finally expired. Electron microscopy revealed dark, electron dense amorphous structures associated with mitochondria in heart muscle and liver tissue obtained at autopsy. Peripheral blood analysis revealed increased levels of acetyl-, propionyl-, butyryl-, malonyl-, and valeryl-carnitine as an indicator for propofol-related infusion syndrome, as well as for propofol-mediated inhibition of free fatty acid uptake into mitochondria, affecting beta-oxidation.

Conclusions:

Electron dense bodies found in association with mitochondria in muscle and liver cells probably correspond to accumulation of free fatty acid provide direct morphological evidence for the mitochondrial damage in propofol-related infusion syndrome.
Treatment of ALK-positive nonsmall cell lung cancer: recent advances
Authors: Thai Alesha A. , Solomon Benjamin J.
Published: December 2017

Purpose of review

The review will highlight recent advances in development of ALK-TKIs and management of patients with ALK-positive nonsmall cell lung cancer.

Recent findings

There has been rapid progress in the use of targeted therapies for ALK-positive NSCLC. Since the discovery, development and approval of crizotinib in 2011, three second-generation ALK-TKIs, ceritinib, alectinib and brigatinib have been approved by the FDA. A range of newer generation ALK inhibitors with improved potency against ALK and against mutations that confer resistance to crizotinib are in clinical development.

Our review will discuss the recent phase III data with ceritinib and alectinib as well as clinical trials with other ALK inhibitors. We will also address two important issues in the management of ALK-positive NSCLC, prevention and treatment of brain metastases and management of emergent ALK-TKI resistance mechanisms.
Factors Influencing Various Aspects of Patients' Knowledge of Oral Anticoagulation
Authors: Pourafkari Leili , Baghbani-Oskouei Aidin , Taban-Sadeghi Mohammadreza , Salamzadeh Vida , Ghaffari Samad , Savadi-Oskouei Safa , Nader Nader D.
Published: December 2017

Objectives:

To identify and examine individual characteristics and socioeconomic factors that contribute to the knowledge of patients who receive warfarin anticoagulation.

Methods:

All patients treated using warfarin for anticoagulation were enrolled during a 6-month period at a university-affiliated cardiac clinic. All relevant demographic and clinical information were collected and the Anticoagulation Knowledge Assessment (AKA) questionnaire consisting of 29 questions was administered. After completion, the questionnaires were scored and the percent correct answers were analyzed for overall scores, as well as the following categories: drug/food interactions, pharmacological knowledge, recognition of complications, and patient compliance. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify the contributing factors to the knowledge level of the patients in each category.

Results:

One hundred fifty patients (79 men and 71 women) with a median age of 61.5 years completed the AKA questionnaire. The average overall score was 29.3%. Living alone (P = 0.008), higher levels of education (P = 0.001), and durations of ≥3 years of warfarin therapy (P = 0.018) positively impacted overall AKA scores.

Conclusions:

Socioeconomic factors and level of general education remain the most important elements determining the patient awareness of therapeutic goals, possible drug/food interaction, recognition of adverse effects, and compliance of warfarin treatment.
Comparison of In Vivo Confocal Microscopy, PCR and Culture of Corneal Scrapes in the Diagnosis of Acanthamoeba Keratitis
Authors: Goh Joanne W. Y. , Harrison Rhys , Hau Scott , Alexander Claire L. , Tole Derek M. , Avadhanam Venkata S.
Published: December 2017

Purpose:

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is an uncommon but serious corneal infection, in which delayed diagnosis carries a poor prognosis. Conventional culture requires a long incubation period and has low sensitivity. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) are available alternative diagnostic modalities that have increasing clinical utility. This study compares confocal microscopy, PCR, and corneal scrape culture in the early diagnosis of AK.

Methods:

We reviewed the case notes of patients with a differential diagnosis of AK between June 2016 and February 2017 at the Bristol Eye Hospital, United Kingdom. Clinical features at presentation, and results of IVCM, PCR, and corneal scrape cultures were analyzed.

Results:

A total of 25 case records were reviewed. AK was diagnosed in 14 patients (15 eyes). Based on the definition of “definite AK,” the diagnostic sensitivities of IVCM, PCR, and corneal scrape cultures were 100% [95% confidence interval (CI), 63.1%–100%], 71.4% (95% CI, 41.9%–91.6%) and 33.3% (95% CI, 9.9%–65.1%), respectively. The 3 methods showed a specificity of 100% and a positive predictive value of 100%. Using a reference standard of only positive corneal cultures, IVCM, and PCR had a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI, 29.2%–100%) and 75% (95% CI, 19.4%–99.4%), respectively.

Conclusions:

All 3 diagnostic tests are highly specific, and a positive test result is highly predictive of disease presence. IVCM is both highly sensitive and specific when performed by an experienced operator. PCR is a useful adjunct in the diagnosis of AK because of its wider availability compared with IVCM, and it may be used in combination with IVCM for microbiologic confirmation.
Emergency Department Burden of Gastroparesis in the United States, 2006 to 2013
Authors: Hirsch William , Nee Judy , Ballou Sarah , Petersen Travis , Friedlander Daniel , Lee Ha-Neul , Cheng Vivian , Lembo Anthony
Published: December 2017

Background and Aims:

Gastroparesis, a chronic gastrointestinal disorder defined by delayed stomach emptying in the absence of obstruction, is often associated with frequent and costly visits to the emergency department (ED). The aim of this study was to analyze trends in gastroparesis-related ED visits from 2006 to 2013.

Materials and Methods:

Patients with a primary diagnosis of gastroparesis were identified from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS), the largest publicly available ED all-payer representative database in the United States. ED visits, admission rates, duration of hospitalizations, and charges were compiled. Patients with a secondary diagnosis of diabetes mellitus were analyzed as a subgroup.

Results:

The number of ED visits for gastroparesis as a primary diagnosis in the United States increased from 15,459 in 2006 to 36,820 in 2013, an increase from 12.9 to 27.3 per 100,000 ED visits. The total charges associated with these ED visits and subsequent admissions increased from $286 million to $592 million. In contrast, admission rates through the ED decreased by 22%, procedure rates decreased by 6.2%, and the mean length of stay was shortened by 0.6 days. ED visits for patients with diabetic gastroparesis increased from 5696 to 14,114, an increase from 4.7 to 10.5 per 100,000 ED visits, with an increase in total associated charges for ED visits and subsequent admissions from $84 million to $182 million.

Conclusions:

The number of ED visits and associated charges for a primary diagnosis of gastroparesis with or without a secondary diagnosis of diabetes mellitus rose significantly from 2006 to 2013.
Changes in the World Health Organization 2016 classification of myeloid neoplasms everyone should know
Authors: Hasserjian Robert P.
Published: December 2017

Purpose of review

This review highlights the main changes in the revised 2016 WHO classification of myeloid neoplasms (published in 2017) that impact diagnosis and ultimately impact management of patients with these diseases.

Recent findings

The revision was based on data accumulated since the 2008 WHO classification, much of which relate to new molecular genetic information about these neoplasms. This massive recent influx of data concerning the significance of pathogenic mutations has affected all myeloid neoplasm categories. The new information has been incorporated as part of the diagnostic criteria of many diseases and has led to the creation of new provisional entities defined by genetic features. Germline mutations that predispose to myeloid neoplasms are also emerging as important findings that impact disease classification.

The growing body of genetic data have not only altered the classification of myeloid neoplasms, but are also impacting patient management. Genetically-defined disease categories have characteristic prognoses and predicted clinical behavior. Some mutations are associated with responsiveness to certain therapies, including those that target relevant oncogenes. The disease categories in the new classification facilitate the application of risk-adapted therapy based on the most recently available data.
Molecular diagnosis of Zika virus infections
Authors: St. George Kirsten , Pinsky Benjamin A.
Published: December 2017

The association between Zika virus (ZIKV) infection and serious complications, such as microcephaly in infants and Guillain–Barre syndrome in adults, necessitates the availability of accurate diagnostic tests. Molecular testing for ZIKV RNA provides the most definitive diagnosis of infection. Since the onset of the ZIKV outbreak in the Americas, numerous commercially available assays and laboratory developed tests have been established for Zika RNA. Laboratories now have a wide variety of options available, and choices depend on their resources and patient needs. Molecular detection of Zika RNA however is complicated by issues such as low viral loads, short periods of positivity in some common specimen types, complex decisions on appropriate specimen selection, and timing of specimen collection. Further, the fact that most patients are asymptomatic during the primary infection makes the timing of specimen collection difficult to calculate, but testing still important for high-risk situations such as pregnant women.
Decisional Involvement
Authors: Fischer Shelly A. , Horak Dawn , Kelly Lesly A.
Published: December 2017

A sample of 1933 registered nurses working in 24 hospitals with shared leadership was surveyed to examine perceptions of nurse decisional involvement. Council participation was associated with higher decisional involvement scores (P = .03), and nurse experience was a statistically significant predictor of decisional involvement (P < .01). Nurse manager and staff registered nurse scores were significantly different (P < .01). Shared leadership may promote staff nurse perceptions of involvement in decision-making.
Incidental Gynecologic Tract Neoplasms in Women Undergoing Anterior Pelvic Exenteration for Urothelial Carcinoma
Authors: Tran Lily , Antic Tatjana , Lastra Ricardo R.
Published: December 2017

Urothelial carcinoma (UC) invasive into the muscularis propria or tumors unresponsive to treatment are indications for cystectomy. In females, with the goal of achieving complete cancer eradication and for concerns of UC extension into the adjacent pelvic organs, this may also warrant resection of the gynecologic organs. This study is aimed to assess the prevalence of unanticipated gynecologic neoplasms in anterior pelvic exenteration specimens. A retrospective review of pathology reports to identify women undergoing anterior pelvic exenteration for UC was performed (N=221), and incidentally discovered gynecologic tract neoplasms were recorded. Concomitant malignant or premalignant lesions of the gynecologic tract were identified in 8 patients (3.6%). These included endometrial adenocarcinoma [endometrioid type, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics grade 1 (n=2, 0.9%)], cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (n=2, 0.9%), Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor of intermediate differentiation (n=1, 0.5%), endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the ovary (n=1, 0.5%), and high-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary (n=1, 0.5%) and fallopian tube (n=1, 0.5%). Benign uterine neoplasms included leiomyomas (n=81, 37%), adenomyoma (n=3, 1.4%), and adenomatoid tumors (n=2, 0.9%). Benign ovarian neoplasms included serous cystadenoma (n=7, 3%), serous cystadenofibroma (n=4, 2%), benign Brenner tumor (n=5, 2.3%), mature teratoma (n=4, 2%), stromal luteoma (n=2, 0.9%), mucinous cystadenoma (n=1, 0.5%), thecoma (n=1, 0.5%), and endometrioid cystadenoma (n=1, 0.5%). Involvement of the gynecologic tract by UC was identified in 11 patients (5%). Spread of UC to the reproductive organs is rare in anterior pelvic exenteration specimens. Coexisting neoplasms of the gynecologic tract are occasionally identified, therefore careful evaluation of these organs is necessary.
External Volume Expansion Up-Regulates CXCL12 Expression and Enhances Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Recruitment toward Expanded Prefabricated Adipose Tissue in Rats
Authors: Qin Zijin , Cai Junrong , Zhou Tao , Yuan Yi , Gao Jianhua , Dong Ziqing
Published: December 2017

Background:

External volume expansion devices are effective for adipose tissue regeneration. However, the detailed mechanisms by which external volume expansion devices induce adipose tissue regeneration remain unclear.

Methods:

An external volume expansion device was used to construct expanded prefabricated adipose tissue in a rat model. CXCL12 levels in local exudate and serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and CXCL12 expression in adipose tissue was assessed immunohistochemically. Fluorescent dye (CM-DiI)–labeled bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stromal cells and labeled mesenchymal stromal cells pretreated with the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 were transplanted into rats and tracked in vivo by fluorescence imaging.

Results:

CXCL12 levels in local exudate and serum peaked 2 and 7 days, respectively, after external volume expansion device application. CXCL12+ cell counts were significantly higher in the external volume expansion than in the control group. These CXCL12+ cells were mainly columnar or cuboidal and began to express peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ on day 9. CM-DiI–labeled mesenchymal stromal cells were successfully recruited to the expanded prefabricated adipose tissue, a process partly inhibited by the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100. These recruited CM-DiI–labeled mesenchymal stromal cells were found among the CXCL12+ columnar cells.

Conclusions:

External volume expansion devices enhance CXCL12 expression levels, especially in columnar and cuboidal cells. The CXCL12/CXCR4 pathway is involved in recruiting circulating mesenchymal stromal cells to participate in adipose regeneration. These findings may reveal the mechanism underlying external volume expansion and provide insights into the refinement of these devices.
Complications of Intravenous Substance Use Disorders (SUDs)
Authors: Hossain Rydhwana , Almeida Renata R. , Natcheva Hristina , Hedgire Sandeep , Ghoshhajra Brian , Shepard Jo-Anne , Fintelmann Florian J. , Flores Efren J.
Published: December 2017

With the growing substance use disorders epidemic in the United States, a wide range of complications may be seen in both the acute and chronic clinical setting. This article will use a multimodality approach to review complications of intravenous substance use that cardiothoracic radiologists are likely to encounter. Radiologists should be aware of these multisystem complications that can affect the cardiovascular, respiratory, and musculoskeletal systems in order to make an accurate and timely diagnosis, which can drastically alter the management of these patients.
CERAD Neuropsychological Battery–Arabic Version: Regression-Based and Stratified Normative Data and Effects of Demographic Variables on Cognitive Performance in Older Omanis
Authors: Alobaidy Ammar , Al-Sinawi Hamed , Al-Asmi Abdullah , Al-Adawi Samir , Mohamed Essa Musthafa , El-Okl Mohamed , Jeyaseelan Lakshmanan , Alsawafi Lamees , Almawali Malak , Alabri Balqees , Alhamrashdi Hajer
Published: December 2017

Background and Objectives:

Normative data on cognitive performance for the Omani population are scarce. In this study, we tested a sample of older (≥50 years) community-dwelling Omanis on the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease neuropsychological battery–Arabic version (CERAD-ArNB). We analyzed the participants’ cognitive performance and how it was affected by their sex, age, and level of education.

Methods:

We enrolled 150 older Arabic-speaking Omanis from March 2014 to June 2015. Most of the participants were visitors to patients admitted to a tertiary referral center in the Sultanate of Oman. All participants underwent screening to ensure normal cognitive function before taking the CERAD-ArNB. We used multiple regression analysis and stratification according to demographic variables to illustrate the normative data.

Results:

A total of 125 participants, 65 men (52%) and 60 women (48%), met the inclusion criteria and completed the testing. Multiple regression and univariate analyses showed that although sex and age significantly affected cognitive performance on some CERAD-ArNB subtests, education level had by far the greatest effect.

Conclusions:

Lower education level was associated with poorer CERAD-ArNB performance in a sample of cognitively normal Omanis aged 50 years and older. The normative data obtained from this study will help clinicians correctly interpret cognitive performance in the Omani elderly population, and probably in other, culturally similar Arabic-speaking communities.
New insights into the evolutionary history of Fungi from a 407 Ma Blastocladiomycota fossil showing a complex hyphal thallus
Authors: Strullu-Derrien Christine , Spencer Alan R. T. , Goral Tomasz , Dee Jaclyn , Honegger Rosmarie , Kenrick Paul , Longcore Joyce E. , Berbee Mary L.
Published: December 2017

Zoosporic fungi are key saprotrophs and parasites of plants, animals and other fungi, playing important roles in ecosystems. They comprise at least three phyla, of which two, Chytridiomycota and Blastocladiomycota, developed a range of thallus morphologies including branching hyphae. Here we describeRetesporangicus lyoniigen. et sp. nov., an exceptionally well preserved fossil, which is the earliest known to produce multiple sporangia on an expanded hyphal network. To better characterize the fungus we develop a new method to render surfaces from image stacks generated by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Here, the method helps to reveal thallus structure. Comparisons with cultures of living species and character state reconstructions analysed against recent molecular phylogenies of 24 modern zoosporic fungi indicate an affinity with Blastocladiomycota. We argue that in zoosporic fungi, kinds of filaments such as hyphae, rhizoids and rhizomycelium are developmentally similar structures adapted for varied functions including nutrient absorption and anchorage. The fossil is the earliest known type to develop hyphae which likely served as a saprotrophic adaptation to patchy resource availability. Evidence from the Rhynie chert provides our earliest insights into the biology of fungi and their roles in the environment. It demonstrates that zoosporic fungi were already diverse in 407 million-year-old terrestrial ecosystems.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘The Rhynie cherts: our earliest terrestrial ecosystem revisited’.
Nutrient acquisition by symbiotic fungi governs Palaeozoic climate transition
Authors: Mills Benjamin J. W. , Batterman Sarah A. , Field Katie J.
Published: December 2017

Fossil evidence from the Rhynie chert indicates that early land plants, which evolved in a high-CO2atmosphere during the Palaeozoic Era, hosted diverse fungal symbionts. It is hypothesized that the rise of early non-vascular land plants, and the later evolution of roots and vasculature, drove the long-term shift towards a high-oxygen, low CO2climate that eventually permitted the evolution of mammals and, ultimately, humans. However, very little is known about the productivity of the early terrestrial biosphere, which depended on the acquisition of the limiting nutrient phosphorus via fungal symbiosis. Recent laboratory experiments have shown that plant–fungal symbiotic function is specific to fungal identity, with carbon-for-phosphorus exchange being either enhanced or suppressed under superambient CO2. By incorporating these experimental findings into a biogeochemical model, we show that the differences in these symbiotic nutrient acquisition strategies could greatly alter the plant-driven changes to climate, allowing drawdown of CO2to glacial levels, and altering the nature of the rise of oxygen. We conclude that an accurate depiction of plant–fungal symbiotic systems, informed by high-CO2experiments, is key to resolving the question of how the first terrestrial ecosystems altered our planet.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘The Rhynie cherts: our earliest terrestrial ecosystem revisited’.
Bayes-Like Integration of a New Sensory Skill with Vision
Authors: Negen James , Wen Lisa , Thaler Lore , Nardini Marko
Published: December 2017

Humans are effective at dealing with noisy, probabilistic information in familiar settings. One hallmark of this is Bayesian Cue Combination: combining multiple noisy estimates to increase precision beyond the best single estimate, taking into account their reliabilities. Here we show that adults also combine a novel audio cue to distance, akin to human echolocation, with a visual cue. Following two hours of training, subjects were more precise given both cues together versus the best single cue. This persisted when we changed the novel cue’s auditory frequency. Reliability changes also led to a re-weighting of cues without feedback, showing that they learned something more flexible than a rote decision rule for specific stimuli. The main findings replicated with a vibrotactile cue. These results show that the mature sensory apparatus can learn to flexibly integrate new sensory skills. The findings are unexpected considering previous empirical results and current models of multisensory learning.
Muscle specific stress fibers give rise to sarcomeres and are mechanistically distinct from stress fibers in non-muscle cells
Authors: Feinx Aidan M. , Taneja Nilay , Neininger Abigail C. , Visetsouk Mike R. , Nixon Benjamin R. , Manalo Annabelle E. , Becker Jason R. , Crawley Scott W. , Bader David M. , Tyska Matthew J. , Gutzman Jennifer H. , Burnette Dylan T.
Published: December 2017

The sarcomere is the basic contractile unit within cardiomyocytes driving heart muscle contraction. We sought to test the mechanisms regulating thin (i.e., actin) and thick (i.e., myosin) filament assembly during sarcomere formation. Thus, we developed an assay using human cardiomyocytes to testde novosarcomere assembly. Using this assay, we report a population of muscle-specific stress fibers are essential sarcomere precursors. We show sarcomeric actin filaments arise directly from these muscle stress fibers. This process requires formin-mediated but not Arp2/3-mediated actin polymerization and nonmuscle myosin IIB but not non-muscle myosin IIA. Furthermore, we show a short species of β cardiac myosin II filaments grows to form ~1.5 long filaments that then “stitch” together to form the stack of filaments at the core of the sarcomere (i.e., A-band). Interestingly, these are different from mechanisms that have previously been reported during stress fiber assembly in non-muscle cells. Thus, we provide a new model of cardiac sarcomere assembly based on distinct mechanisms of stress fiber regulation between non-muscle and muscle cells.
The ecological genetics ofPseudomonas syringaefrom kiwifruit leaves
Authors: Straub Christina , Colombi Elena , Li Li , Huang Hongwen , Templeton Matthew D. , McCann Honour C. , Rainey Paul B.
Published: December 2017

Interactions between commensal microbes and invading pathogens are understudied, despite their likely effects on pathogen population structure and infection processes. We describe the population structure and genetic diversity of a broad range of co-occurringPseudomonas syringaeisolated from infected and uninfected kiwifruit during an outbreak of bleeding canker disease caused byP. syringaepv.actinidiae(Psa) in New Zealand. Overall population structure was clonal and affected by ecological factors including infection status and cultivar. Most isolates are members of a new clade in phylogroup 3 (PG3a), also present on kiwifruit leaves in China and Japan. Stability of the polymorphism between pathogenicPsaand commensalP. syringaePG3a isolated from the same leaf was tested using reciprocal invasion from rare assaysin vitroand in planta.P. syringaeG33C (PG3a) inhibitedPsaNZ54, while the presence ofPsaNZ54 enhanced the growth ofP. syringaeG33C. This effect could not be attributed to virulence activity encoded by the Type 3 secretion system ofPsa. Together our data contribute toward the development of an ecological perspective on the genetic structure of pathogen populations.

ORIGINALITY-SIGNIFICANT STATEMENT

Bacterial pathogen populations are often studied with little consideration of co-occurring microbes and yet interactions between pathogens and commensals can affect both population structure and disease progression. A fine-scale sampling of commensals present on kiwifruit leaves during an outbreak of bleeding canker disease caused byP. syringaepv.actinidiaereveals a clonal population structure. A new clade of non-pathogenicP. syringae(PG3a) appears to be associated with kiwifruit on a global scale. The presence of PG3a on kiwifruit has significant effects on the outcome of infection byP. syringaepv.actinidiae. This emphasises the value of studying the effect of co-occurring bacteria on pathogen-plant interactions.
Blue Light Negatively Regulates Tolerance to Phosphate Deficiency in Arabidopsis
Authors: Yeh Chuan-Ming , Kobayashi Koichi , Fujii Sho , Fukaki Hidehiro , Mitsuda Nobutaka , Ohme-Takagi Masaru
Published: December 2017

Plants have evolved mechanisms to improve utilization efficiency or acquisition of inorganic phosphate (Pi) in response to Pi deficiency, such as altering root architecture, secreting acid phosphatases, and activating the expression of genes related to Pi uptake and recycling. Although many genes responsive to Pi starvation have been identified, transcription factors that affect tolerance to Pi deficiency have not been well characterized. We show here that defect in the ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5) transcription factor gene results in tolerance to Pi deficiency in Arabidopsis. The primary root length of hy5 was only slightly inhibited under Pi deficient condition and its fresh weight was significantly higher than that of wild type. The Pi deficiency-tolerant phenotype of hy5 was similarly observed when grown on the medium without Pi. In addition, a double mutant, hy5slr1, without lateral roots also showed tolerance to phosphate deficiency, indicating that the tolerance of hy5 does not result from increase of external Pi uptake and may be related to internal Pi utilization or recycling. Moreover, we found that blue light negatively regulates tolerance to Pi-deficiency and that hy5 exhibits tolerance to Pi deficiency due to blockage of blue-light responses. Collectively, this study points out light quality may play an important role in the regulation of internal Pi recycling and utilization efficiency. Also, it may contribute to reducing Pi fertilizer requirements in plants through a proper illumination.
Selective attention controls olfaction in rodents
Authors: Carlson Kaitlin S. , Gadziola Marie A. , Dauster Emma S. , Wesson Daniel W.
Published: December 2017

Critical animal behaviors, especially among rodents, are guided by odors in remarkably well-coordinated manners. While many extramodal sensory cues compete for cognitive resources in these ecological contexts, that rodents can engage in such odor-guided behaviors suggests that they selectively attend to odors. We developed a behavioral paradigm to reveal that rats are indeed capable of selectively attending to odors in the presence of competing extramodal stimuli and found that this selective attention facilitates accurate odor-guided decisions. Further, we uncovered that attention to odors adaptively sharpens their representation among neurons in a brain region considered integral for odor-driven behaviors. Thus, selective attention contributes to olfaction by enhancing the coding of odors in a manner analogous to that observed among other sensory systems.
Direct experimental observation of the gas density depression effect using a two-bunch X-ray FEL beam
Authors: Feng Y. , Schafer D. W. , Song S. , Sun Y. , Zhu D. , Krzywinski J. , Robert A. , Wu J. , Decker F.-J.
Published: December 2017

The experimental observation of the depression effect in gas devices designed for X-ray free-electron lasers (FELs) is reported. The measurements were carried out at the Linac Coherent Light Source using a two-bunch FEL beam at 6.5 keV with 122.5 ns separation passing through an argon gas cell. The relative intensities of the two pulses of the two-bunch beam were measured, after and before the gas cell, from X-ray scattering off thin targets by using fast diodes with sufficient temporal resolution. At a cell pressure of 140 hPa, it was found that the after-to-before ratio of the intensities of the second pulse was about 17% ± 6% higher than that of the first pulse, revealing lower effective attenuation of the gas cell due to heating by the first pulse and subsequent gas density reduction in the beam path. This measurement is important in guiding the design and/or mitigating the adverse effects in gas devices for high-repetition-rate FELs such as the LCLS-II and the European XFEL or other future high-repetition-rate upgrades to existing FEL facilities.
{(Hydrogen 2,2′,2′′-boranetriyl)tris[6-tert-butyl-4-methylpyridazine-3(2H)-thione]-κ3H,S,S′}(triphenylphosphane-κP)copper(I) chloroform disolvate
Authors: Holler Stefan , Belaj Ferdinand , Mösch-Zanetti Nadia C.
Published: December 2017

In the title complex, [Cu(C27H40BN6S3)(C18H15P)]·2CHCl3, the CuIatom is surrounded in a trigonal-planar arrangement by the triphenylphosphane ligand and two of the three S atoms of the scorpionate ligand with an additional 3-center–2-electron B—H...Cu interaction, with the H atom as the apex of a pyramid [B—H = 1.140 (17) Å and Cu—H = 1.826 (16) Å].
Interactions between human behaviour and the built environment in terms of facility management
Authors: Kobal Grum Darja
Published: December 2017

Purpose

In comparison with the relations between the human and natural environments that have been the central focus of environmental psychology for many years, the interactions between the psychological processes underlying human behaviour and the built environment have only recently regained the interest of researchers. In this paper, the author first discusses the reasons for the slower development of human – built environment relations. Afterwards, the author systematically examines the impact that the research of environmental stress, namely, poor housing and poor neighbourhood quality, had on the contemporary understanding of human – built environment relations.

Design/methodology/approach

The author focuses on social, biophilic and evidence-based design. The author proposes deeper psychological engagement in correlation with human behaviour, psychological well-being and society. The author highlights the inclusion of psychologists in interdisciplinary research teams addressing the development of sustainable solutions to the issues of residential environments.

Findings

It has been shown that substandard house quality, high noise, lack of natural light in houses, poorer physical quality of urban neighbourhoods, living in a low-income neighbourhood, etc. are linked to elevated physiological and psychological stress. Despite this evidence, there is still a gap between building designers and building users in modern industrialised societies, which could deepen tenants’ dissatisfaction due to specific behavioural needs and consequently lower their psychological well-being and health risk behaviour.

Research limitations/implications

These are potential risks of error arising from the use of assumptions, limited samples size and data from the secondary resources.

Originality/value

The major contributions of this paper are as follows. If the environment is understood as a dynamic, constantly changing and complex system of a wide range of players, the author can discern in this environment a dynamic that is otherwise characteristic of emotional dynamics. Expressed participants’ high satisfaction with residential status does not necessarily generate high expectations regarding real estate factors.