bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sexual selection, environmental robustness, and evolutionary demography of maladapted populations: A test using experimental evolution in seed beetles
Authors: Martinossi‐Allibert Ivain , Thilliez Emma , Arnqvist Göran , Berger David
Published: December 2018

Whether sexual selection impedes or aids adaptation has become an outstanding question in times of rapid environmental change and parallels the debate about how the evolution of individual traits impacts on population dynamics. The net effect of sexual selection on population viability results from a balance between genetic benefits of “good‐genes” effects and costs of sexual conflict. Depending on how these facets of sexual selection are affected under environmental change, extinction of maladapted populations could be either avoided or accelerated. Here, we evolved seed beetles under three alternative mating regimes to disentangle the contributions of sexual selection, fecundity selection, and male–female coevolution to individual reproductive success and population fitness. We compared these contributions between the ancestral environment and two stressful environments (elevated temperature and a host plant shift). We found evidence that sexual selection on males had positive genetic effects on female fitness components across environments, supporting good‐genes sexual selection. Interestingly, however, when males evolved under sexual selection with fecundity selection removed, they became more robust to both temperature and host plant stress compared to their conspecific females and males from the other evolution regimes that applied fecundity selection. We quantified the population‐level consequences of this sex‐specific adaptation and found evidence that the cost of sociosexual interactions in terms of reduced offspring production was higher in the regime applying only sexual selection to males. Moreover, the cost tended to be more pronounced at the elevated temperature to which males from the regime were more robust compared to their conspecific females. These results illustrate the tension between individual‐level adaptation and population‐level viability in sexually reproducing species and suggest that the relative efficacies of sexual selection and fecundity selection can cause inherent sex differences in environmental robustness that may impact demography of maladapted populations.
The use of biologic agents in the management of uveitis
Authors: Trivedi Amruta , Katelaris Constance
Published: December 2018

The uveitides are a heterogenous group of ocular inflammatory disorders that account for the third highest cause of blindness worldwide, responsible for 5–10% of visual impairment globally. Up to 35% of patients with uveitis can suffer significant vision loss. To prevent irreversible structural damage and blindness, it is important that the diagnosis and commencement of appropriate therapy occurs promptly. Management includes topical and systemic corticosteroid therapy and conventional immunomodulatory agents, including methotrexate, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil and cyclosporin. Significant progress has been made in the past decade in our understanding of the immunopathological pathways that drive intraocular inflammation, allowing the development of targeted therapy with biologic agents. These include TNF‐α inhibitors, such as infliximab, adalimumab and etanercept; interleukin blockers, such as tocilizumab and daclizumab; and other targeted therapies, such as rituximab and abatacept. The efficacy of these agents has been studied in cases of severe uveitis that are refractory to conventional immunomodulatory agents and provide exciting results that have revolutionised uveitis management. Though the biologic era has provided a large armamentarium to treat uveitis, ongoing challenges and cases of recalcitrant uveitis remain, posing a challenge to internal medicine physicians. This comprehensive review aims to construct an updated summary on the existing evidence pertaining to the use of biologic agents in the treatment of uveitis. Methods include a systematic search for studies between 2000 and 2018 using PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE and Cochrane libraries.
Brain accessibility delineates the central effects of circulating ghrelin
Authors: Perello Mario , Cabral Agustina , Cornejo María P. , De Francesco Pablo N. , Fernandez Gimena , Uriarte Maia
Published: December 2018

Ghrelin is a hormone produced in the gastrointestinal tract that acts via the growth hormone secretagogue receptor. In the central nervous system, ghrelin signalling is able to recruit different neuronal targets that regulate the behavioural, neuroendocrine, metabolic and autonomic effects of the hormone. Notably, several studies using radioactive or fluorescent variants of ghrelin have found that the accessibility of circulating ghrelin into the mouse brain is both strikingly low and restricted to some specific brain areas. A variety of studies addressing central effects of systemically injected ghrelin in mice have also provided indirect evidence that the accessibility of plasma ghrelin into the brain is limited. Here, we review these previous observations and discuss the putative pathways that would allow plasma ghrelin to gain access into the brain together with their physiological implications. Additionally, we discuss some potential features regarding the accessibility of plasma ghrelin into the human brain based on the observations reported by studies that investigate the consequences of ghrelin administration to humans.
Variation in compositional and structural components of community assemblage and its determinants
Authors: Yao Jie , Zhang Chunyu , De Cáceres Miquel , Legendre Pierre , Zhao Xiuhai
Published: December 2018

Questions

What are the ecological processes that determine the spatial distribution of species and species diversity? Partitioning beta diversity can provide fundamental insights into the processes that determine the spatial variation of species assemblages. However, studying beta diversity is conventionally based only on species composition data, ignoring the structural component of communities.

Study site

Temperate mixed broadleaf–conifer forest in Jiaohe, Jilin Province, northeastern China.

Methods

We characterized the variation of community assemblages in terms of species composition, size structure, or considering both components. We then employed environmental and spatial variables as explanatory factors to partition the variation in both compositional and structural components of community assemblage and assess the relative contributions of the niche and neutral processes to community assembly.

Results

The values of overall beta diversity (BD statistics) and the relative contribution of individual sampling units to beta diversity (LCBD indices) depended on whether the species composition, size structure, or both together had been taken into account. The value of compositional–structural beta diversity was the largest, followed by traditional compositional beta diversity; the smallest was the structural beta diversity. The sites with high contributions to beta diversity (LCBD values) varied among structural and compositional components. The explanatory power of the environmental variables and the spatial variables also varied widely with different components of a community. The combination of environmental and spatial variables explained the highest proportion of variation (43.8%) in the compositional component and explained the lowest proportion of variation (25.4%) in the structural component of community assemblage.

Conclusion

Both deterministic and stochastic processes are acting to determine community assemblages in terms of species composition and structure in our temperate forest site. Our study highlights the importance of considering the structural component of forest communities, in addition to compositional data, when studying beta diversity.
Daphnia galeata and D. dentifera are geographically and ecologically separated whereas their hybrids occur in intermediate habitats: A survey of 44 Chinese lakes
Authors: Ma Xiaolin , Hu Wei , Smilauer Petr , Yin Mingbo , Wolinska Justyna
Published: December 2018

The idea that hybridization promotes range expansion has received recent attention, but support from field studies is limited. We hypothesized that in the cladoceran waterflea genus Daphnia, parental species are geographically and ecologically separated, whereas hybrids occupy intermediate or occasionally extreme environments, potentially facilitating range expansion of parental species. We assessed the distribution of Daphnia dentifera, Daphnia galeata and their interspecific hybrids across 44 lakes in China (using mitochondrial and microsatellite markers), and related it to geographical and environmental lake descriptors. Parental species were geographically separated: D. dentifera occurred in western and central China, and D. galeata in eastern and central China, whereas hybrids were found in the western and central parts of the country. However, after controlling for geographical differences, the effect of environment on species distribution was strong and significant. Specifically, D. dentifera was present in high‐altitude oligotrophic lakes, D. galeata in low‐altitude eutrophic lakes and hybrids at intermediate to high altitudes, mainly in mesotrophic lakes. Microsatellite data indicated that hybrids were locally produced rather than having migrated from elsewhere; they probably resulted from encounters between expanding D. galeata and resident D. dentifera. The present study provides evidence that hybrids can survive in habitats that are otherwise suitable for only one of their parental species, emphasizing the importance of hybridization in expansion of species gene pools.
Plumage microbiota covaries with the major histocompatibility complex in blue petrels
Authors: Leclaire Sarah , Strandh Maria , Dell’Ariccia Gaia , Gabirot Marianne , Westerdahl Helena , Bonadonna Francesco
Published: December 2018

To increase fitness, a wide range of vertebrates preferentially mate with partners that are dissimilar at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) or that have high MHC diversity. Although MHC often can be assessed through olfactory cues, the mechanism by which MHC genes influence odour remains largely unclear. MHC class IIB molecules, which enable recognition and elimination of extracellular bacteria, have been suggested to influence odour indirectly by shaping odour‐producing microbiota, i.e. bacterial communities. However, there is little evidence of the predicted covariation between an animal's MHC genotype and its bacterial communities in scent‐producing body surfaces. Here, using high‐throughput sequencing, we tested the covariation between MHC class IIB genotypes and feather microbiota in the blue petrel (Halobaena caerulea), a seabird with highly developed olfaction that has been suggested to rely on oduor cues during an MHC‐based mate choice. First, we show that individuals with similar MHC class IIB profiles also have similar bacterial assemblages in their feathers. Then, we show that individuals with high MHC diversity have less diverse feather microbiota and also a reduced abundance of a bacterium of the genus Arsenophonus, a genus in which some species are symbionts of avian ectoparasites. Our results, showing that feather microbiota covary with MHC, are consistent with the hypothesis that individual MHC genotype may shape the semiochemical‐producing microbiota in birds.
The Cu chaperone CopZ is required for Cu homeostasis in Rhodobacter capsulatus and influences cytochrome cbb3 oxidase assembly
Authors: Utz Marcel , Andrei Andreea , Milanov Martin , Trasnea Petru‐Iulian , Marckmann Dorian , Daldal Fevzi , Koch Hans‐Georg
Published: December 2018

Cu homeostasis depends on a tightly regulated network of proteins that transport or sequester Cu, preventing the accumulation of this toxic metal while sustaining Cu supply for cuproproteins. In Rhodobacter capsulatus, Cu‐detoxification and Cu delivery for cytochrome c oxidase (cbb3‐Cox) assembly depend on two distinct Cu‐exporting P1B‐type ATPases. The low‐affinity CopA is suggested to export excess Cu and the high‐affinity CcoI feeds Cu into a periplasmic Cu relay system required for cbb3‐Cox biogenesis. In most organisms, CopA‐like ATPases receive Cu for export from small Cu chaperones like CopZ. However, whether these chaperones are also involved in Cu export via CcoI‐like ATPases is unknown. Here we identified a CopZ‐like chaperone in R. capsulatus, determined its cellular concentration and its Cu binding activity. Our data demonstrate that CopZ has a strong propensity to form redox‐sensitive dimers via two conserved cysteine residues. A ΔcopZ strain, like a ΔcopA strain, is Cu‐sensitive and accumulates intracellular Cu. In the absence of CopZ, cbb3‐Cox activity is reduced, suggesting that CopZ not only supplies Cu to P1B‐type ATPases for detoxification but also for cuproprotein assembly via CcoI. This finding was further supported by the identification of a ~150 kDa CcoI‐CopZ protein complex in native R. capsulatus membranes.
Contributions of crust proteins to spore surface properties in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Shuster Bentley , Khemmani Mark , Abe Kimihiro , Huang Xiaoyu , Nakaya Yusei , Maryn Nina , Buttar Sally , Gonzalez Adriana N. , Driks Adam , Sato Tsutomu , Eichenberger Patrick
Published: December 2018

Surface properties, such as adhesion and hydrophobicity, constrain dispersal of bacterial spores in the environment. In Bacillus subtilis, these properties are influenced by the outermost layer of the spore, the crust. Previous work has shown that two clusters, cotVWXYZ and cgeAB, encode the protein components of the crust. Here, we characterize the respective roles of these genes in surface properties using Bacterial Adherence to Hydrocarbons assays, negative staining of polysaccharides by India ink and Transmission Electron Microscopy. We showed that inactivation of crust genes caused increases in spore relative hydrophobicity, disrupted the spore polysaccharide layer, and impaired crust structure and attachment to the rest of the coat. We also found that cotO, previously identified for its role in outer coat formation, is necessary for proper encasement of the spore by the crust. In parallel, we conducted fluorescence microscopy experiments to determine the full network of genetic dependencies for subcellular localization of crust proteins. We determined that CotZ is required for the localization of most crust proteins, while CgeA is at the bottom of the genetic interaction hierarchy.
Review: Clinical, genetic and neuroimaging features of frontotemporal dementia
Authors: Convery R. , Mead S. , Rohrer J. D.
Published: December 2018

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a heterogeneous group of disorders causing neurodegeneration within a network of areas centred on the frontal and temporal lobes. Clinically, patients present with behavioural symptoms (behavioural variant FTD) or language disturbance (primary progressive aphasia), although there is an overlap with motor neurone disease and atypical parkinsonian disorders. Whilst neuroimaging commonly reveals abnormalities in the frontal and temporal lobes, a closer review identifies a more complex picture with variable asymmetry of neuronal loss, widespread subcortical involvement and in many cases more posterior cortical atrophy. An autosomal‐dominant genetic disorder is found in around a third of people with mutations in progranulin, C9orf72 and the microtubule‐associated protein tau being the commonest causes. In the other two‐thirds, the disorder is sporadic, although recent genome‐wide association studies have started to identify genetic risk factors within this group. Much of this knowledge has been understood only in the past 10 years and so this review will discuss the current knowledge about the clinical, genetic and neuroimaging features of FTD.
Review: Modelling the pathology and behaviour of frontotemporal dementia
Authors: Solomon D. A. , Mitchell J.C. , Salcher‐Konrad M.‐T. , Vance C.A. , Mizielinska S.
Published: December 2018

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) encompasses a collection of clinically and pathologically diverse neurological disorders. Clinical features of behavioural and language dysfunction are associated with neurodegeneration, predominantly of frontal and temporal cortices. Over the past decade, there have been significant advances in the understanding of the genetic aetiology and neuropathology of FTD which have led to the creation of various disease models to investigate the molecular pathways that contribute to disease pathogenesis. The generation of in vivo models of FTD involves either targeting genes with known disease‐causative mutations such as GRN and C9orf72 or genes encoding proteins that form the inclusions that characterize the disease pathologically, such as TDP‐43 and FUS. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the different in vivo model systems used to understand pathomechanisms in FTD, with a focus on disease models which reproduce aspects of the wide‐ranging behavioural phenotypes seen in people with FTD. We discuss the emerging disease pathways that have emerged from these in vivo models and how this has shaped our understanding of disease mechanisms underpinning FTD. We also discuss the challenges of modelling the complex clinical symptoms shown by people with FTD, the confounding overlap with features of motor neuron disease, and the drive to make models more disease‐relevant. In summary, in vivo models can replicate many pathological and behavioural aspects of clinical FTD, but robust and thorough investigations utilizing shared features and variability between disease models will improve the disease‐relevance of findings and thus better inform therapeutic development.
Development and evaluation of a genome‐wide Coffee 8.5K SNP array and its application for high‐density genetic mapping and for investigating the origin of Coffea arabica L.
Authors: Merot‐L'anthoene Virginie , Tournebize Rémi , Darracq Olivier , Rattina Vimel , Lepelley Maud , Bellanger Laurence , Tranchant‐Dubreuil Christine , Coulée Manon , Pégard Marie , Metairon Sylviane , Fournier Coralie , Stoffelen Piet , Janssens Steven B. , Kiwuka Catherine , Musoli Pascal , Sumirat Ucu , Legnaté Hyacinthe , Kambale Jean‐Léon , Ferreira da Costa Neto João , Revel Clara , de Kochko Alexandre , Descombes Patrick , Crouzillat Dominique , Poncet Valérie
Published: December 2018

Coffee species such as Coffea canephora P. (Robusta) and C. arabica L. (Arabica) are important cash crops in tropical regions around the world. C. arabica is an allotetraploid (2n = 4x = 44) originating from a hybridization event of the two diploid species C. canephora and C. eugenioides (2n = 2x = 22). Interestingly, these progenitor species harbour a greater level of genetic variability and are an important source of genes to broaden the narrow Arabica genetic base. Here, we describe the development, evaluation and use of a single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array for coffee trees. A total of 8580 unique and informative SNPs were selected from C. canephora and C. arabica sequencing data, with 40% of the SNP located in annotated genes. In particular, this array contains 227 markers associated to 149 genes and traits of agronomic importance. Among these, 7065 SNPs (~82.3%) were scorable and evenly distributed over the genome with a mean distance of 54.4 Kb between markers. With this array, we improved the Robusta high‐density genetic map by adding 1307 SNP markers, whereas 945 SNPs were found segregating in the Arabica mapping progeny. A panel of C. canephora accessions was successfully discriminated and over 70% of the SNP markers were transferable across the three species. Furthermore, the canephora‐derived subgenome of C. arabica was shown to be more closely related to C. canephora accessions from northern Uganda than to other current populations. These validated SNP markers and high‐density genetic maps will be useful to molecular genetics and for innovative approaches in coffee breeding.
Structural and Functional Consequences of the Weak Binding of Chlorin e6 to Bovine Rhodopsin
Authors: Mitchell James , Yanamala Naveena , Tan Yi Lei , Gardner Eric E. , Tirupula Kalyan C. , Balem Fernanda , Sheves Mordechai , Nietlispach Daniel , Klein‐Seetharaman Judith
Published: December 2018

The chlorophyll‐derivative chlorin e6 (Ce6) identified in the retinas of deep‐sea ocean fish is proposed to play a functional role in red bioluminescence detection. Fluorescence and 1H NMR spectroscopy studies with the bovine dim‐light photoreceptor, rhodopsin, indicate that Ce6 weakly binds to it with μm affinity. Absorbance spectra prove that red light sensitivity enhancement is not brought about by a shift in the absorbance maximum of rhodopsin. 19F NMR experiments with samples where 19F labels are either placed at the cytoplasmic binding site or incorporated as fluorinated retinal indicate that the cytoplasmic domain is highly perturbed by binding, while little to no changes are detected near the retinal. Binding of Ce6 also inhibits G‐protein activation. Chemical shift changes in 1H‐15N NMR spectroscopy of 15N‐Trp labeled bovine rhodopsin reveal that Ce6 binding perturbs the entire structure. These results provide experimental evidence that Ce6 is an allosteric modulator of rhodopsin.
Comparative Study of the Effects of Ferrochelatase‐siRNA Transfection Mediated by Ultrasound Microbubbles and Polyethyleneimine in Combination with Low‐dose ALA to Enhance PpIX Accumulation in Human Endometrial Cancer Xenograft Nude Mice Models
Authors: Zhang Xian , Chen Longfei , Gao Lvfen , Gao Xuesong , Li Nan , Song Yuwei , Huang Xinke , Lin Shaoqiang , Wang Xiaoyu
Published: December 2018

Comparison of the fluorescence intensity caused by the accumulation of PpIX in endometrial cancer xenografts in nude mice after low‐dose 5‐Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) injection combined with siRNA transfection was mediated by ultrasound microbubbles and polyethyleneimine (PEI) to explore the feasibility of the ultrasound microbubble technique as transfection agents. Knockdown of ferrochelatase (FECH) in human endometrial cancer xenografts in nude mice was performed by transfection with FECH‐siRNA mediated by PEI and ultrasound microbubbles alone or in combination; then, low‐dose ALA was injected. Subsequently, an in vivo animal imaging system was employed to detect the fluorescence intensity in xenografts. Red fluorescence was observed in xenografts given more than 6.25 mg kg−1 of ALA. When the dose of ALA was greater than 50 mg kg−1, there was a significant difference in the fluorescence between tumor and other tissues. After the nude mice were transfected with siRNA and treated with low‐dose ALA (1.0 mg kg−1), apparent PpIX fluorescence of the xenografts was observed, and the fluorescence intensity was PEI+ ultrasound microbubbles > PEI > ultrasound microbubbles. Ultrasound microbubbles in combination with PEI could generate a higher fluorescence intensity of PpIX than that obtained with ultrasound microbubbles or PEI alone, and ultrasound microbubbles could wholly or partially replace PEI under certain conditions.
Risk and Planning in Agriculture: How Planning on Dairy Farms in Ireland Is Affected by Farmers’ Regulatory Focus
Authors: Garvey John , Sirr Gordon , O'Shea Deirdre , O'Brien Fergal
Published: December 2018

This article examines how planning on dairy farms is affected by farmers' motivation. It argues that farmers' choice of expansion strategies can be specified in terms of risk decision making and understood as either prevention‐focused or promotion‐focused motivation. This relationship was empirically examined using mediated regression analyses where promotion/prevention focus was the independent variable and its effect on total milk production via planned expansion strategies was examined. The results indicate that promotion focus among farmers has an indirect effect on farm expansion via planning strategies that incur greater risk to the farm enterprise. Regulatory focus on the part of farmers has an influence on farmers' planning and risk management activities and must be accounted for in the design and implementation of policy and risk management tools in agriculture.
Recalibration of the Grunow–Finke Assessment Tool to Improve Performance in Detecting Unnatural Epidemics
Authors: Chen Xin , Chughtai Abrar Ahmad , MacIntyre Chandini Raina
Published: December 2018

Successful identification of unnatural epidemics relies on a sensitive risk assessment tool designed for the differentiation between unnatural and natural epidemics. The Grunow–Finke tool (GFT), which has been the most widely used, however, has low sensitivity in such differentiation. We aimed to recalibrate the GFT and improve the performance in detection of unnatural epidemics. The comparator was the original GFT and its application in 11 historical outbreaks, including eight confirmed unnatural outbreaks and three natural outbreaks. Three steps were involved: (i) removing criteria, (ii) changing weighting factors, and (iii) adding and refining criteria. We created a series of alternative models to examine the changes on the parameter likelihood of unnatural outbreaks until we found a model that correctly identified all the unnatural outbreaks and natural ones. Finally, the recalibrated GFT was tested and validated with data from an unnatural and natural outbreak, respectively. A total of 238 models were tested. Through the removal of criteria, increasing or decreasing weighting factors of other criteria, adding a new criterion titled “special insights,” and setting a new threshold for likelihood, we increased the sensitivity of the GFT from 38% to 100%, and retained the specificity at 100% in detecting unnatural epidemics. Using test data from an unnatural and a natural outbreak, the recalibrated GFT correctly classified their etiology. The recalibrated GFT could be integrated into routine outbreak investigation by public health institutions and agencies responsible for biosecurity.
Treatment, prevention and public health management of impetigo, scabies, crusted scabies and fungal skin infections in endemic populations: a systematic review
Authors: May Philippa J. , Tong Steven Y. C. , Steer Andrew C. , Currie Bart J. , Andrews Ross M. , Carapetis Jonathan R. , Bowen Asha C.
Published: December 2018

We conducted a systematic review of the treatment, prevention and public health control of skin infections including impetigo, scabies, crusted scabies and tinea in resource‐limited settings where skin infections are endemic. The aim is to inform strategies, guidelines and research to improve skin health in populations that are inequitably affected by infections of the skin and the downstream consequences of these. The systematic review is reported according to the PRISMA statement. From 1759 titles identified, 81 full text studies were reviewed and key findings outlined for impetigo, scabies, crusted scabies and tinea. Improvements in primary care and public health management of skin infections will have broad and lasting impacts on overall quality of life including reductions in morbidity and mortality from sepsis, skeletal infections, kidney and heart disease.
“Positive parochialism”, local belonging and ecological concerns: Revisiting Common Ground's Parish Maps project
Authors: Devine‐Wright Patrick , Smith Jos , Batel Susana
Published: December 2018

Scepticism about the value of parochialism and local belonging has been a persistent feature of geographical scholarship, which has advocated a relational account of place and a cosmopolitan worldview. This paper revisits the Parish Maps project that was instigated in 1987 byUKarts and environment charity Common Ground, which led to the creation of thousands of maps across theUKand beyond, and was appraised in 1996 by Crouch and Matless in this journal. Drawing on archival materials and in‐depth interviews, we examine the legacy of the project. We argue that Common Ground's vision for Parish Maps represents a “positive parochialism” that confidently asserts the validity of the parish without retreating towards insularity. We complicate this by revealing diverse ways that communities took up Common Ground's vision. We conclude by arguing that the view of parochialism manifest by Parish Maps offers a foundation for ecological concern that remains relevant today, with places offering the potential for solidarities that bring together local and incomer. This “positive parochialism” disturbs assumptions that local attachments are necessarily exclusive and indicates the unresolved challenge of finding ways to realise the value of affect and creative environmental engagement in wider policy and land‐use planning.
The Use of the High School 12th-Grade Geography Textbook by Students in Turkey
Authors: Şahin Vedat , İnce Ziya
Published: December 2018

Textbooks are one of the most used teaching materials for attaining educational goals in secondary education institutions. Textbooks still maintain their importance at the present time, when a lot of technological developments are taking place. It is important to evaluate textbooks, which also play an important part in geography education, from the perspective of students who have just completed their high school education. To this end, the purpose of this study is to determine to what extent the geography textbook is used by high school 12th graders in their classes. The study employs the mixed research model. A Likert-type survey composed of ten questions and five variables was prepared by obtaining expert opinion. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the survey was found to be 0.761. At the end of the survey, an open-ended question was addressed to the students. The study was conducted on the newly enrolled first-grade students of four verbal departments of Namık Kemal University Faculty of Arts and Sciences in the 2018-2019 academic year. The data obtained from the student survey are presented in tables along with frequency and percentage values.The students’ responses to the five-variable, ten-question Likert-type survey prepared by the researchers imply that students do not frequently use the geography textbook when they are in the 12th grade, especially in the process of preparing for the university entrance exam.
Comparison of pulse contour, aortic Doppler ultrasound and bioelectrical impedance estimates of stroke volume during rapid changes in blood pressure
Authors: Gibbons Travis D. , Zuj Kathryn A. , Peterson Sean D. , Hughson Richard L.
Published: December 2018

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Pulse contour analysis of the finger arterial pressure by Windkessel modelling is commonly used to estimate stroke volume continuously. But is it valid during dynamic changes in blood pressure?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Second‐by‐second analysis revealed that pulse contour analysis underestimated stroke volume by up to 25% after standing from a squat, and 16% after standing thigh‐cuff release, when compared with aortic Doppler ultrasound estimates. These results reveal that pulse contour analysis of stroke volume should be interpreted with caution during rapid changes in physiological state.

Dynamic measurements of stroke volume (SV) and cardiac output provide an index of central haemodynamics during transitional states, such as postural changes and onset of exercise. The most widely used method to assess dynamic fluctuations in SV is the Modelflow method, which uses the arterial blood pressure waveform along with age‐ and sex‐specific aortic properties to compute beat‐to‐beat estimates of aortic flow. Modelflow has been validated against more direct methods in steady‐state conditions, but not during dynamic changes in physiological state, such as active orthostatic stress testing. In the present study, we compared the dynamic SV responses from Modelflow (SVMF), aortic Doppler ultrasound (SVU/S) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (SVBIA) during two different orthostatic stress tests, a squat‐to‐stand (S‐S) transition and a standing bilateral thigh‐cuff release (TCR), in 15 adults (six females). Second‐by‐second analysis revealed that when compared with estimates of SV by aortic Doppler ultrasound, Modelflow underestimated SV by up to 25% from 3 to 11 s after standing from the squat position and by up to 16% from 3 to 7 s after TCR (P < 0.05). The SVMF and SVBIA were similar during the first minute of the S‐S transition, but were different 3 s after TCR and at intermittent time points between 34 and 44 s (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that the physiological conditions elicited by orthostatic stress testing violate some of the inherent assumptions of Modelflow and challenge models used to interpret bioelectrical impedance responses, resulting in an underestimation in SV during rapid changes in physiological state.
Paravascular spaces: entry to or exit from the brain?
Authors: Bakker Erik N. T. P. , Naessens Daphne M. P. , VanBavel Ed
Published: December 2018

New Findings

What is the topic of this review?

In this symposium report, we review the glymphatic clearance from the brain.

What advances does it highlight?

Evaluation of the evidence indicates that cerebrospinal fluid flows along paravascular spaces at the surface of the brain. However, bulk flow along penetrating arteries into the brain, followed by exit along veins, requires further confirmation. Clearance from the brain, based on mixing, might provide an alternative explanation for experimental findings.

The interstitial fluid of the brain provides the environment for proper neuronal function. Maintenance of the volume and composition of interstitial fluid requires regulation of the influx and removal of water, ions, nutritive and waste products. The recently described glymphatic pathway might contribute to some of these functions. It is proposed that cerebrospinal fluid enters the brain via paravascular spaces along arteries, mixes with interstitial fluid, and leaves the brain via paravascular spaces along veins. In this symposium report, we review the glymphatic concept, its concerns, and alternative views on interstitial fluid–cerebrospinal fluid exchange.
l
-Rhamnose Metabolism in Clostridium beijerinckii Strain DSM 6423
Authors: Diallo Mamou , Simons Andre D. , van der Wal Hetty , Collas Florent , Houweling-Tan Bwee , Kengen Servé W. M. , López-Contreras Ana M.
Published: December 2018

A prerequisite for a successful biobased economy is the efficient conversion of biomass resources into useful products, such as biofuels and bulk and specialty chemicals. In contrast to other industrial microorganisms, natural solvent-producing clostridia utilize a wide range of sugars, including C
5
, C
6
, and deoxy-sugars, for production of long-chain alcohols (butanol and 2,3-butanediol), isopropanol, acetone,
n
-propanol, and organic acids. Butanol production by clostridia from first-generation sugars is already a commercial process, but for the expansion and diversification of the acetone, butanol, and ethanol (ABE)/IBE process to other substrates, more knowledge is needed on the regulation and physiology of fermentation of sugar mixtures. Green macroalgae, produced in aquaculture systems, harvested from the sea or from tides, can be processed into hydrolysates containing mixtures of
d
-glucose and
l
-rhamnose, which can be fermented. The knowledge generated in this study will contribute to the development of more efficient processes for macroalga fermentation and of mixed-sugar fermentation in general.
Development of an Opsonophagocytic Killing Assay Using HL-60 Cells for Detection of Functional Antibodies againstStreptococcus pyogenes
Authors: Salehi Sanaz , Hohn Claudia M. , Penfound Thomas A. , Dale James B.
Published: December 2018

Measuring functional opsonic antibodies against group A streptococci is an important component of the clinical development path for effective vaccines. Prior studies have used an assay developed over 60 years ago that relied on whole human blood as the source of phagocytes and complement, both of which are critical components of antibody-mediated killing assays. In this study, we adapted an assay that uses the HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cell line as phagocytic cells and baby rabbit serum as a source of complement for detection of opsonic antibodies against group A streptococci. On the basis of some of the known biological characteristics of the bacteria, we modified the assay conditions to support the evaluation of 21 epidemiologically important M types and demonstrated the utility and reproducibility of the assay for measurement of functional opsonic antibody levels.
Marine Sponges as
Chloroflexi
Hot Spots: Genomic Insights and High-Resolution Visualization of an Abundant and Diverse Symbiotic Clade
Authors: Bayer Kristina , Jahn Martin T. , Slaby Beate M. , Moitinho-Silva Lucas , Hentschel Ute
Published: December 2018

Chloroflexi
represent a widespread, yet enigmatic bacterial phylum with few cultivated members. We used metagenomic and single-cell genomic approaches to characterize the functional gene repertoire of
Chloroflexi
symbionts in marine sponges. The results of this study suggest clade-specific metabolic specialization and that
Chloroflexi
symbionts have the genomic potential for dissolved organic matter (DOM) degradation from seawater. Considering the abundance and dominance of sponges in many benthic environments, we predict that the role of sponge symbionts in biogeochemical cycles is larger than previously thought.
The Risk Factor of Age in Construction Accidents: Important at Present and Fundamental in the Future
Authors: Camino López Miguel A. , González Alcántara Oscar J. , Fontaneda Ignacio , Mañanes Mar
Published: December 2018

Occupational accidents in the construction sector are analyzed in this study of the relation between the age of the injured worker, days off work due to the injury, and accident severity. A further aim is to establish whether accumulated fatigue during the working day and throughout the week has a similar effect on all workers, regardless of age. A total of three million four hundred and thirty-eight thousand, one hundred and forty-five (3,438,145) accidents are analyzed in this study; the total of all accidents are notified in Spain by workers from the sector over the period 1996-2015. The results confirmed a direct link between worker age and both days off work due to the injury and accident severity. They also confirmed that the workers injured in accidents in the afternoon hours were older than the workers injured in the morning hours. In consequence, the average number of days off work due to injury following an accident of the older workers was also larger and the accidents are more severe. Likewise, the workers injured on a Friday were of an older average age than those injured on a Monday. In consequence, the average number of days off work due to injury on the last day of the week was also higher and the accidents were of more severity. All the above-mentioned differences were statistically significant.
Surface Subsidence Control Mechanism and Effect Evaluation of Gangue-Backfilling Mining: A Case Study in China
Authors: Li Huaizhan , Guo Guangli
Published: December 2018

Comprehensive mechanization solid backfilling mining is a new technology developed in China for coal mining and surface subsidence control. Based on a gangue-backfilling project in the Yangzhuang Coal Mine, the characteristics of underlying strata and surface deformation were studied by similar-material simulation method. When the ratio of the sponge to foam was 1 : 3, the mixture can simulate well the deformation characteristics of gangues in the similar-material model. On this basis, the movement and deformation characteristics of the overlying strata caused by gangue-backfilling mining were studied. The findings indicate that compared with caving mining, the expansion coefficient of overlying strata, the interlayer fracture, and the subsidence value were smaller in backfilling mining, with the integral overlying strata subsidence occurring. Meanwhile, the reduction ratio of surface subsidence after backfilling mining was more than 85%, verified by the subsidence-monitoring results. The research outcomes in this paper have significance for coal resource exploitation of similar mines around the world.
Medical Image Segmentation Using Fruit Fly Optimization and Density Peaks Clustering
Authors: Zhu Hong , He Hanzhi , Xu Jinhui , Fang Qianhao , Wang Wei
Published: December 2018

In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm for medical image segmentation, which combines the density peaks clustering (DPC) with the fruit fly optimization algorithm, and it has the following advantages. Firstly, it avoids the problem of DPC that needs to artificially select parameters (such as the number of clusters) in its decision graph and thus can automatically determine their values. Secondly, our algorithm uses random step size, instead of the fixed step size as in the fruit fly optimization algorithm, which helps avoid falling into local optima. Thirdly, our algorithm selects the cut-off distance and the cluster centers using the image entropy value and can better capture the structures of the image. Experiments on benchmark dataset and proprietary dataset show that our algorithm can adaptively segment medical images with faster convergence and better robustness.
Extracellular Vesicles from Amnion-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Ameliorate Hepatic Inflammation and Fibrosis in Rats
Authors: Ohara Masatsugu , Ohnishi Shunsuke , Hosono Hidetaka , Yamamoto Koji , Yuyama Kohei , Nakamura Hideki , Fu Qingjie , Maehara Osamu , Suda Goki , Sakamoto Naoya
Published: December 2018

Background. There are no approved drug treatments for liver fibrosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an advanced stage of fibrosis which has rapidly become a major cause of cirrhosis. Therefore, development of anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic therapies is desired. Mesenchymal stem cell- (MSC-) based therapy, which has been extensively investigated in regenerative medicine for various organs, can reportedly achieve therapeutic effect in NASH via paracrine action. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) encompass a variety of vesicles released by cells that fulfill functions similar to those of MSCs. We herein investigated the therapeutic effects of EVs from amnion-derived MSCs (AMSCs) in rats with NASH and liver fibrosis. Methods. NASH was induced by a 4-week high-fat diet (HFD), and liver fibrosis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 2 mL/kg 50% carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) twice a week for six weeks. AMSC-EVs were intravenously injected at weeks 3 and 4 in rats with NASH (15 μg/kg) and at week 3 in rats with liver fibrosis (20 μg/kg). The extent of inflammation and fibrosis was evaluated with quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. The effect of AMSC-EVs on inflammatory and fibrogenic response was investigated in vitro. Results. AMSC-EVs significantly decreased the number of Kupffer cells (KCs) in the liver of rats with NASH and the mRNA expression levels of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor- (Tnf-) α, interleukin- (Il-) 1β and Il-6, and transforming growth factor- (Tgf-) β. Furthermore, AMSC-EVs significantly decreased fiber accumulation, KC number, and hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation in rats with liver fibrosis. In vitro, AMSC-EVs significantly inhibited KC and HSC activation and suppressed the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway. Conclusions. AMSC-EVs ameliorated inflammation and fibrogenesis in a rat model of NASH and liver fibrosis, potentially by attenuating HSC and KC activation. AMSC-EV administration should be considered as a new therapeutic strategy for chronic liver disease.
Individual and Occupational Differences in Perceived Organisational Culture of a Central Hospital in Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Van Huy , Nguyen Au T. H. , Nguyen Thu T. H. , Nguyen Ha T. T. , Bui Hien T. T. , Tran Phuong T. , Nguyen Anh L. T.
Published: December 2018

Many hospitals in developing countries, including Vietnam, are facing the challenges of increasingly noncommunicable diseases and the financial autonomy policy from the government. To adapt to this new context requires understanding and changing the current organisational culture of the hospitals. However, little has been known about this in resource-constrained healthcare settings. The objectives of this study were to examine the four characteristics of the organisational culture and test selected individual and occupational differences in the organisational culture of a Vietnam central hospital. In a cross-sectional study using the Organisation Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) with the Competing Value Framework (CVF), including 4 factors, Clan, Adhocracy, Hierarchy, and Market, health workers currently working at Quang Nam General Hospital were interviewed. The results indicated the current cultural model was more internally focused with two dominant cultures, Clan and Hierarchy, while, for the desired model, the Clan culture was the most expected one. Comparing between the current and desired pattern, the down trend was found for all types of culture, except the Clan culture, and there were significant differences by domains of organisational culture. Furthermore, the current and desired models were differently distributed by key individual characteristics. These differences have raised a number of interesting directions for future research. They also suggest that, to build a hospital organisational culture to suit both current and future contexts as per employees’ assessment and expectation, it is important to take individual and institutional variations into account.
Lats1/2-Mediated Alteration of Hippo Signaling Pathway Regulates the Fate of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Li Lang , Dong Liang , Wang Yifeng , Zhang Xiuhong , Yan Jie
Published: December 2018

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) can be used to enhance lung repair in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); however, the repairing effect is limited by poor homing and retention of BMSCs. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether Lats1 and Lats2-mediated alteration of Hippo signaling pathway could promote the differentiation, proliferation, and migration of BMSCs. BMSCs were transduced by lentiviral vectors for high and low expression of Lats1 and Lats2. The expression levels of Lats1, Lats2, YAP, and 14-3-3, respectively, were assessed to clarify the regulatory effects of Lats1 and Lats2 on Hippo signaling. Osteogenic (Runx2 and OSX) and adipogenic (C/EBPα and PPAR-γ) transcription factors were determined to clarify the effects of Hippo signaling on BMSCs differentiation. The effects of Hippo signaling on BMSCs proliferation and horizontal and vertical migration were also measured by CCK-8, scratch assay, and Transwell migration assay, respectively. Lentiviral transduction efficiency could reach 93.11%–97.14%. High and low expression of Lats1 and Lats2 could activate and inhibit the Hippo signaling pathway, respectively. High and low expression of Lats1 and Lats2 could inhibit and promote BMSCs differentiation into osteoblasts and adipocytes. High and low expression of Lats1 and Lats2 could inhibit and promote BMSCs proliferation and horizontal and vertical migration, respectively. Our studies suggest that Lats1/2-meidiated inhibition of Hippo signaling in BMSCs may optimize their effects of tissue repair in ARDS, suggesting a novel strategy for enhancing disease therapeutics.