bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of maternal cigarette smoke exposure on brain and kidney health outcomes in female offspring
Authors: Chan Yik L , Saad Sonia , Al‐Odat Ibrahim , Zaky Amgad A , Oliver Brian , Pollock Carol , Li Weihong , Jones Nicole M , Chen Hui
Published: August 2016

Increased oxidative stress in the brain can lead to increased sympathetic tone that may further induce kidney dysfunction. Previously we have shown that maternal cigarette smoke exposure (SE) leads to significantly increased oxidative stress and inflammation in both brain and kidney, as well as reduced brain and kidney mitochondrial activity. This is closely associated with significant kidney underdevelopment and abnormal function in adulthood in the male offspring. This study aimed to investigate the impact of maternal SE on brain and kidney health in the female offspring. In this study, the mouse dams were exposed to two cigarettes, twice daily for 6 weeks prior to gestation, during pregnancy and lactation. Brains and kidneys from the female offspring were collected at 20 days (P20) and 13 weeks (W13) and were subject to further analysis. We found that mRNA expression of brain inflammatory markers interleukin‐1 receptor and Toll‐like receptor 4 were significantly increased in the SE offspring at both P20 and W13. Their brain mitochondrial activity markers were however increased at W13 with increased antioxidant activity. Kidney development and function in the female SE offspring were not different from the control offspring. We concluded that although brain inflammatory markers were upregulated in the SE female offspring, they were protected from some of the indicators of brain oxidative stress, such as endogenous antioxidant and mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as abnormal kidney development and function in adulthood.
Juvenile growth reduces the influence of epithelial sodium channels on myogenic tone in skeletal muscle arterioles
Authors: Kang Lori S , Masilamani Shyama , Boegehold Matthew A
Published: August 2016

Previous studies have documented that rapid juvenile growth is accompanied by functional changes in the arteriolar endothelium, but much less is known about functional changes in arteriolar smooth muscle over this period. In this study, we investigate the possible contribution of epithelial sodium channels (ENaC) to the myogenic behaviour of arterioles at two stages of juvenile growth. The effects of the ENaC inhibitor benzamil on different levels of myogenic tone were studied in isolated gracilis muscle arterioles from rats aged 21‐28 days (“weanlings”) and 42‐49 days (“juveniles”). ENaC subunit expression in the arteriolar wall was also determined, and the interaction between ENaC and nitric oxide (NO) in regulating vascular tone was explored by combined use of benzamil and NG‐monomethyl‐l‐arginine (l‐NMMA). At physiological pressures, both steady‐state myogenic tone and the dynamic adjustments in this tone triggered by acute pressure changes were less in juvenile arterioles than in weanling arterioles. α, β and γ ENaC protein was present in arterioles at both ages, but benzamil only had an effect on myogenic tone in weanling arterioles. In these vessels, benzamil increased, rather than decreased, myogenic tone, and this effect was prevented by l‐NMMA or endothelial removal. These findings suggest that although ENaC is present in gracilis muscle arterioles of both weanling and juvenile rats, it is not obligatory for the genesis of myogenic activity in these vessels at either age. However, ENaC activity can significantly modulate the level of myogenic tone through stimulation of endothelial NO release at an early stage of growth.
Monetary Policy Transmission in Vietnam: Evidence from a VAR Approach
Authors: Vo Xuan Vinh , Nguyen Phuc Canh
Published: August 2016

A thorough understanding of the transmission mechanism is a key requirement for central banks for successful implementation of monetary policy. This paper investigates the existence of the interest rate channel, exchange rate channel and asset price channel in Vietnam by employing a vector autoregressive model analysis using monthly data ranging from 2003M1 to 2012M12. The results from the analysis present evidence for a cost channel. However, we find no evidence for the existence of an exchange rate channel or asset price channel of monetary transmission in Vietnam.
Scottish Political Economy, Education and the Management of Poverty in Industrializing Britain: Patrick Colquhoun and the Westminster Free School Model
Authors: TONKS PAUL
Published: August 2016

This article examines how public education began to be seen as crucial to addressing the management of poverty in late eighteenth‐ and early nineteenth‐century Britain. Public education was central to the shaping of eighteenth‐century Scottish socio‐economic development and the concerns of the Scottish enlightenment intellectual project. In the generation after Adam Smith, scholars and administrators were confronted with the enormous challenges of burgeoning poverty created by urban growth and the industrial revolution, which were further exacerbated by the pressures of global warfare. Employing and adapting the methods and insights of Scottish political economy, as well as the lessons of Britain's colonial experience, the influential author and magistrate Patrick Colquhoun advocated mass education to tackle the problems that Britain faced in the era of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars.
Biodiversity friend or foe: land use by a top predator, the dingo in contested landscapes of the Australian Wet Tropics
Authors: Morrant Damian S. , Johnson Christopher N. , Butler James R. A. , Congdon Bradley C.
Published: August 2016

Dingoes (Canis dingo) in the coastal lowlands of Australia's Wet Tropics are perceived as a major threat to biodiversity and subjected to broad‐spectrum lethal control. However, evidence of their impacts is equivocal, and control programmes generally ignore the ecological benefits that dingoes might provide. Previous diet analysis has shown that dingoes in the Wet Tropics primarily prey on common, terrestrial mammals. However, little is known of dingo habitat use or prey acquisition in the region despite these activities having major implications for biodiversity conservation. We investigated land use by dingoes in the lowland Wet Tropics to enable predictions of potential prey types, relative prey use and modes of prey acquisition. Nine dingoes were tracked for 3–6 months. Home ranges and resting areas were estimated using multiple estimators, and habitat use was analysed using compositional analysis of habitat use and generalized additive models. Dingo ranging behaviour suggested that anthropogenic food subsidies were infrequently used. Each territory comprised several sclerophyll forest rest areas with adjacent sugarcane‐grassland high activity areas. Individuals used each rest‐activity area for extended durations before moving on to another. Sclerophyll and rainforests, which contain the fauna species of primary conservation concern, were generally used for rest/sleep, or movement between rest‐activity areas. Activity patterns were consistent with dingoes hunting in open sugarcane‐grassland habitats during daylight hours. Dingo activity was low in areas where fauna species of conservation concern occur, which suggests that dingoes do not pose a threat to their survival. Consequently, current broad‐spectrum lethal control may have minimal benefits or even incur costs for biodiversity. Maximizing the ecosystem services provided by dingoes while simultaneously minimizing their negative impacts requires a more targeted location‐specific management approach, one that assesses and mitigates impacts specifically where background circumstances suggest particular packs may be either a conservation or economic threat.
Socioeconomic disadvantage but not remoteness affects short‐term survival in prostate cancer: A population‐based study using competing risks
Authors: Thomas Audrey A , Pearce Alison , Sharp Linda , Gardiner Robert Alexander , Chambers Suzanne , Aitken Joanne , Molcho Michal , Baade Peter
Published: August 2016

Aim

We examined how sociodemographic, clinical and area‐level factors are related to short‐term prostate cancer mortality versus mortality from other causes, a crucial distinction for this disease that disproportionately affects men older than 60 years.

Methods

We applied competing risk survival models to administrative data from the Queensland Cancer Registry (Australia) for men diagnosed with prostate cancer between January 2005 and July 2007, including stratification by Gleason score.

Results

The men (n = 7393) in the study cohort had a median follow‐up of 5 years 3 months. After adjustment, remoteness and area‐level disadvantage were not significantly associated with prostate cancer mortality. However, area‐level disadvantage had a significant negative relationship with hazard of death from a cause other than prostate cancer within 7 years; compared with those living in the most advantaged areas, the likelihood of mortality was higher for those in the most disadvantaged (subhazard ratio [SHR] = 1.39; 95% CI, 1.01–1.90; P = 0.041), disadvantaged (SHR = 1.51; 95% CI, 1.14–2.00; P = 0.004), middle (SHR = 1.34; 95% CI, 1.02–1.75; P = 0.034) and advantaged areas (SHR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.09–1.89; P = 0.009). Those with Gleason score of 7 and higher had a lower hazard of prostate cancer mortality if they were living with a partner, whereas those with lower Gleason scores and living a partner had lower hazards of other‐cause mortality.

Conclusions

Understanding why men living in more disadvantaged areas have higher risk of non‐prostate cancer mortality should be a priority.
Comparative heel stick study showed that newborn infants who had undergone repeated painful procedures showed increased short‐term pain responses
Authors: Gokulu G. , Bilgen H. , Ozdemir H. , Sarioz A. , Memisoglu A. , Gucuyener K. , Ozek E.
Published: August 2016

Aim

We evaluated the short‐term effect of repeated pain exposure on the pain responses of newborn infants using different pain assessment methods, as this area had been under‐researched.

Methods

We compared 20 term, large for gestational age infants and 40 term, appropriate for gestational age controls. All had undergone a heel stick for a newborn screening test just before discharge, but the larger babies had also undergone at least other five painful stimuli prior to that. A pulse oximeter and a skin conductance algesimeter (SCA) were connected to the babies during the heel prick, and video recordings were made. Crying time, the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS), heart rate, peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) and SCA measurements were compared within and between the groups.

Results

After the heel prick, the crying time (p = 0.021) and NIPS (p = 0.013) scores were significantly higher in the study group and the SpO2 levels were significantly lower (p = 0.009), but the heart rate (p = 0.981) was not significantly different between the groups. SCA measurements did not differ significantly between the groups.

Conclusion

Babies who received more painful stimuli during the first few days of life showed greater pain responses during a subsequent heel prick.
Diversity and classification of tall humid herb grasslands (Molinio‐Holoschoenion) in Western Mediterranean Europe
Authors: García‐Madrid Ana S. , Rodríguez‐Rojo Maria Pilar , Cantó Paloma , Molina José A.
Published: August 2016

Questions

What is the community diversity of tall, humid herb grasslands in Western Mediterranean Europe? What are the diagnostic species of the Molinio‐Holoschoenion alliance? What underlying ecological patterns influence their diversity?

Location

Western Mediterranean Europe (France, Portugal and Spain).

Methods

We compiled a vegetation plot database of Molinio‐Holoschoenion plant communities. The initial data set of 1056 plots was filtered according to physiognomic and floristic criteria, and geographically stratified. We used hierarchical agglomerative classification and semi‐supervised classification techniques based on the k‐means algorithm as a combination of methods to define vegetation types. A DCA analysis was performed to assess the main ecological drivers of diversity in the Molinio‐Holoschoenion community.

Results

Seventeen vegetation types were defined, which can be classified in the following major vegetation groups: (1) tall humid grasslands on base‐poor and sandy soils; (2) Scirpoides holoschoenus grasslands on base‐rich soils; and (3) eastern Iberian and southwestern French Schoenus nigricans and/or Molinia caerulea grasslands. The water‐logging gradient was recognized as a major underlying pattern influencing the diversity and distribution of Molinio‐Holoschoenion, and at a second level, the soil factor.

Conclusions

We suggest a revision of the concept of the Molinio‐Holoschoenion alliance to be considered for the interpretation of habitat type 6420 of the European Habitats Directive, which should include Mediterranean wet dune slacks and tall, humid inland grasslands. This vegetation type is largely distributed on the eastern Iberian Peninsula, where base‐rich soils are predominant and Scirpoides holoschoenus grasslands comprise the main floristic composition of the alliance.
Road traffic crash risk associated with benzodiazepine and z‐hypnotic use after implementation of a colour‐graded pictogram: a responsibility study
Authors: Orriols Ludivine , Luxcey Audrey , Contrand Benjamin , Gadegbeku Blandine , Delorme Bernard , Tricotel Aurore , Moore Nicholas , Salmi Louis‐Rachid , Lagarde Emmanuel
Published: August 2016

Aims

To assess potential change in medicine exposure and association with the risk of road traffic crash across a time period that started before the implementation of a grading system warning of the effect of medicine on driving performance.

Methods

Data from three French national databases were extracted and matched: the national health care insurance database, police reports and the national police database of injurious crashes. Drivers involved in such crashes in France, from July 2005 to December 2011 and identified by their national identifier, were included. Association with the risk of crash was estimated using a case–control analysis comparing benzodiazepine and z‐hypnotic use among drivers responsible or not responsible for the crash.

Results

Totals of 69 353 responsible and 73 410 non‐responsible drivers involved in an injurious crash were included. Exposure to benzodiazepine anxiolytics was associated with an increased risk of being responsible for a road traffic crash during the pre‐intervention period (OR = 1.42 [1.24–1.62]). The association disappeared in the post‐intervention period, but became significant again thereafter. The risk of being responsible for a crash increased in users of z‐hypnotics across the study period.

Conclusions

Our results question the efficacy of the measures implemented to promote awareness about the effects of medicines on driving abilities. Prevention policies relating to the general driving population, but also to healthcare professionals, should be reviewed.
Long non‐coding RNA UCA1 contributes to the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma by regulating the WNT/β‐catenin signaling pathway
Authors: Yang Yong‐Tao , Wang Yu‐Fan , Lai Ju‐Yi , Shen Shi‐Yue , Wang Feng , Kong Jie , Zhang Wei , Yang Hong‐Yu
Published: August 2016

With the development of functional genomics studies, a mass of long non‐coding RNAs (LncRNA) were discovered from the human genome. Long non‐coding RNAs serve as pivotal regulators of genes that are able to generate LncRNA–binding protein complexes to modulate a great number of genes. Recently, the LncRNA urothelial carcinoma‐associated 1 (UCA1) has been revealed to be dysregulated, which plays a critical role in the development of a few cancers. However, the role of the biology and clinical significance of UCA1 in the tumorigenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain unknown. We found that UCA1 expression levels were upregulated aberrantly in tongue squamous cell carcinoma tissues and associated with lymph node metastasis and TNM stage. We explored the expression, function, and molecular mechanism of LncRNA UCA1 in OSCC. In the present work, we revealed that UCA1 silencing suppressed proliferation and metastasis and induced apoptosis of OSCC cell lines in vitro and in vivo, which might be related to the activation level of the WNT/β‐catenin signaling pathway. Our research results emphasize the pivotal role of UCA1 in the oncogenesis of OSCC and reveal a novel LncRNA UCA1–β‐catenin–WNT signaling pathway regulatory network that could contribute to our understanding in the pathogenesis of OSCC and assist in the discovery of a viable LncRNA‐directed diagnostic and therapeutic strategy for this fatal disease.
Multiple facets of p53 in senescence induction and maintenance
Authors: Johmura Yoshikazu , Nakanishi Makoto
Published: August 2016

Cellular senescence is a state of durable cell cycle arrest with metabolic activities distinct from those of the proliferative state. Since senescence was originally reported to be induced by various genotoxic stressors, such as telomere erosion and oncogenic signaling, it has been proposed to play a pivotal role in aging‐related changes and as an antitumorigenic barrier in vivo. However, the mechanisms underlying its induction and maintenance remain entirely elusive. We have recently found that abrupt activation of p53 at G2 results in a cell skipping mitosis and subsequently undergoing senescence. Surprisingly, we have also found that downregulation of p53 by SCFFbxo22 is crucial for the induction of a senescence‐associated phenotype. In this review, we provide an overview of recent advances in understanding the mechanisms underlying the timing and magnitude of activation of p53 during senescence.
Advances on tinamou phylogeny: an assembled cladistic study of the volant palaeognathous birds
Authors: Bertelli Sara
Published: August 2016

Tinamous are volant terrestrial birds, endemic to the Neotropics. Here, an inclusive phenotype‐based phylogenetic study of the interrelationships among all extinct and living species of tinamous is conducted. In this cladistic analysis, results are compared between main character subsets and with previous molecular studies. Special attention is paid to character definition and scoring of integumentary and behavioural characters: transformation costs are applied to analyse egg coloration and plumage characters—on the basis of pigment composition and overlap of pigmentation patterns respectively—in the context of generalized (Sankoff) parsimony. Cladistic analysis recovers the traditional subdivision between those tinamous specialized for open areas (Nothurinae) and those inhabiting forested environments (Tinaminae) and support the monophyly of recognized genera. The present study demonstrates that morphological analysis yields highly congruent results when compared with previous molecular studies; thus, it provides morphological synapomorphies for clades that have been proposed by these molecular analyses. The placement of the fossil species within the open‐area (Nothurinae) and the forest‐dwelling (Tinaminae) tinamous is also consistent with the palaeoenvironmental conditions inferred from the associated flora and fauna.
Impact of area strain by 3D speckle tracking on clinical outcome in patients after acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Shin Sung‐Hee , Suh Young Ju , Baek Yong‐Soo , Lee Man‐Jong , Park Sang‐Don , Kwon Sung‐Woo , Woo Seong‐Ill , Kim Dae‐Hyeok , Park Keum‐Soo , Kwan Jun
Published: August 2016

Background

Three‐dimensional (3D) speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) has been developed to overcome the limitations of two‐dimensional (2D) STE and has been applied in the several clinical settings. However, no data exist about the prognostic value of 3DSTE‐based strain on clinical outcome after myocardial infarction (MI). This study was designed to investigate the prognostic value of area strain (AS) by 3D speckle tracking in predicting clinical outcome after acute MI.

Methods

We assessed 96 patients (62±14 years, 72% male) with acute MI and who had undergone a coronary angiography. Clinical parameters and conventional echocardiographic measurements including the left atrial (LA) size and tissue Doppler measurements were evaluated. The global left ventricular (LV) AS was measured using 3D speckle tracking software. The relationship between the AS and clinical outcome of death or hospitalization for heart failure (HF) was assessed.

Results

During a median follow‐up of 33±10 months, primary endpoint of death or HF occurred in 12 patients (12.5%). AS was predictive of death or HF after adjustment for age, gender, peak CK‐MB, LA volume, LV end‐systolic volume, LV mass, the ratio of early mitral inflow velocity to early mitral annular velocity, and LV ejection fraction in a multivariate Cox model (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.02–1.47, P=.03). In addition, AS added incremental value in predicting death or heart failure on a model based on clinical and standard echocardiographic measures (P=.008).

Conclusion

AS is independently associated with increased risk of death or HF after acute MI, suggesting that it can be a useful prognostic parameter in the patients following MI.
Effect of mineral oils on host plant selection and probing behavior of Rhopalosiphum padi
Authors: Boquel Sébastien , Giguère Marie‐Andrée , Pelletier Yvan
Published: August 2016

Aphids that colonize and reproduce on potato are some of the most efficient vectors of Potato virus Y (PVY) (Potyviridae: Potyvirus), and hence these aphids have been the focus of the majority of studies to date. However, other non‐colonizing aphids can also function as vectors. Mineral oil is the only product available to growers that effectively prevents the spread of PVY in potato seed production. Most previous studies focused on the effect of mineral oil on the behavior of aphids on their preferential host plant, and consequently there is a lack of information for non‐colonizing aphids on potato plants. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of spraying potatoes with one of two mineral oils, Superior 70 or Vazyl‐Y, on host selection and probing behavior of the non‐colonizing aphid Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). The electrical penetration graph (EPG) technique, combined with ethological observations, determined that there was no difference in R. padi behavior on potato plants treated with Superior 70. However, there were few significant changes in R. padi behavior on plants sprayed with Vazyl‐Y, including a delay in the initiation of stylet penetration and an increase in the duration of xylem sap ingestion. These new data support previous results and confirm that the mode of action of mineral oil in the reduction of the spread of PVY is not solely due to the modification of the behavior of aphids.
Behavioral sensitivity of Myzus persicae to volatile isoprenoids in plant tissues
Authors: Dancewicz Katarzyna , Sznajder Katarzyna , Załuski Dariusz , Kordan Bożena , Gabryś Beata
Published: August 2016

Volatile isoprenoids (VIPs) are low‐molecular isoprene‐derived compounds that are produced and emitted by plants as a protection against and in response to various biotic and abiotic stresses. They also participate in direct and indirect plant defense against herbivores. Foliar VIPs may accumulate in mesophyll cells, which makes them detectable for foraging aphids. In this study, probing behavior of the peach potato aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), was monitored using the electrical penetration graph (EPG) technique, following the exogenous application of camphene, α‐ and β‐ionones, and linalool to its host plant Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis (Lour.) Hanelt (Brassicaceae). None of the VIPs studied affected M. persicae propensity to probe: aphids spent at least 75% of the experimental time penetrating plant tissues. The application of α‐ionone and linalool did not alter M. persicae behavior relative to control individuals. In contrast, on camphene‐ and β‐ionone‐treated plants, the proportion of non‐probing relative to other stylet activities was high, the success rate in reaching sieve elements and feeding was low, and the proportion of salivation in phloem phase was high. The aphid reluctance to continue probing and feeding due to the exogenously applied VIPs may be considered as means for the limitation of transmission of semi‐persistent and persistent viruses.
Depression and genetic causal attribution of epilepsy in multiplex epilepsy families
Authors: Sorge Shawn T. , Hesdorffer Dale C. , Phelan Jo C. , Winawer Melodie R. , Shostak Sara , Goldsmith Jeff , Chung Wendy K. , Ottman Ruth
Published: August 2016

Objectives

Rapid advances in genetic research and increased use of genetic testing have increased the emphasis on genetic causes of epilepsy in patient encounters. Research in other disorders suggests that genetic causal attributions can influence patients' psychological responses and coping strategies, but little is known about how epilepsy patients and their relatives will respond to genetic attributions of epilepsy. We investigated the possibility that among members of families containing multiple individuals with epilepsy, depression, the most frequent psychiatric comorbidity in the epilepsies, might be related to the perception that epilepsy has a genetic cause.

Methods

A self‐administered survey was completed by 417 individuals in 104 families averaging 4 individuals with epilepsy per family. Current depression was measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire. Genetic causal attribution was assessed by three questions addressing the following: perceived likelihood of having an epilepsy‐related mutation, perceived role of genetics in causing epilepsy in the family, and (in individuals with epilepsy) perceived influence of genetics in causing the individual's epilepsy. Relatives without epilepsy were asked about their perceived chance of developing epilepsy in the future, compared with the average person.

Results

Prevalence of current depression was 14.8% in 182 individuals with epilepsy, 6.5% in 184 biologic relatives without epilepsy, and 3.9% in 51 individuals married into the families. Among individuals with epilepsy, depression was unrelated to genetic attribution. Among biologic relatives without epilepsy, however, prevalence of depression increased with increasing perceived chance of having an epilepsy‐related mutation (p = 0.02). This association was not mediated by perceived future epilepsy risk among relatives without epilepsy.

Significance

Depression is associated with perceived likelihood of carrying an epilepsy‐related mutation among individuals without epilepsy in families containing multiple affected individuals. This association should be considered when addressing mental health issues in such families.
Lizards fail to plastically adjust nesting behavior or thermal tolerance as needed to buffer populations from climate warming
Authors: Telemeco Rory S. , Fletcher Brooke , Levy Ofir , Riley Angela , Rodriguez‐Sanchez Yesenia , Smith Colton , Teague Collin , Waters Amanda , Angilletta Michael J. , Buckley Lauren B.
Published: August 2016

Although observations suggest the potential for phenotypic plasticity to allow adaptive responses to climate change, few experiments have assessed that potential. Modeling suggests that Sceloporus tristichus lizards will need increased nest depth, shade cover, or embryonic thermal tolerance to avoid reproductive failure resulting from climate change. To test for such plasticity, we experimentally examined how maternal temperatures affect nesting behavior and embryonic thermal sensitivity. The temperature regime that females experienced while gravid did not affect nesting behavior, but warmer temperatures at the time of nesting reduced nest depth. Additionally, embryos from heat‐stressed mothers displayed increased sensitivity to high‐temperature exposure. Simulations suggest that critically low temperatures, rather than high temperatures, historically limit development of our study population. Thus, the plasticity needed to buffer this population has not been under selection. Plasticity will likely fail to compensate for ongoing climate change when such change results in novel stressors.
Climate change will increase the naturalization risk from garden plants in Europe
Authors: Dullinger Iwona , Wessely Johannes , Bossdorf Oliver , Dawson Wayne , Essl Franz , Gattringer Andreas , Klonner Günther , Kreft Holger , Kuttner Michael , Moser Dietmar , Pergl Jan , Pyšek Petr , Thuiller Wilfried , van Kleunen Mark , Weigelt Patrick , Winter Marten , Dullinger Stefan
Published: August 2016

Aim

Plant invasions often follow initial introduction with a considerable delay. The current non‐native flora of a region may hence contain species that are not yet naturalized but may become so in the future, especially if climate change lifts limitations on species spread. In Europe, non‐native garden plants represent a huge pool of potential future invaders. Here, we evaluate the naturalization risk from this species pool and how it may change under a warmer climate.

Location

Europe.

Methods

We selected all species naturalized anywhere in the world but not yet in Europe from the set of non‐native European garden plants. For this subset of 783 species, we used species distribution models to assess their potential European ranges under different scenarios of climate change. Moreover, we defined geographical hotspots of naturalization risk from those species by combining projections of climatic suitability with maps of the area available for ornamental plant cultivation.

Results

Under current climate, 165 species would already find suitable conditions in > 5% of Europe. Although climate change substantially increases the potential range of many species, there are also some that are predicted to lose climatically suitable area under a changing climate, particularly species native to boreal and Mediterranean biomes. Overall, hotspots of naturalization risk defined by climatic suitability alone, or by a combination of climatic suitability and appropriate land cover, are projected to increase by up to 102% or 64%, respectively.

Main conclusions

Our results suggest that the risk of naturalization of European garden plants will increase with warming climate, and thus it is very likely that the risk of negative impacts from invasion by these plants will also grow. It is therefore crucial to increase awareness of the possibility of biological invasions among horticulturalists, particularly in the face of a warming climate.
Linked thermal convection of the basement and basinal fluids in formation of the unconformity‐related uranium deposits in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada
Authors: Pek A. A. , Malkovsky V. I.
Published: August 2016

World‐class unconformity‐related U deposits in the Athabasca Basin (Saskatchewan, Canada) are generally located within or near fault zones that intersect the unconformity between the Athabasca Group sedimentary basin rocks and underlying metamorphic basement rocks. Two distinct subtypes of unconformity‐related uranium deposits have been identified: those hosted primarily in the Athabasca Group sandstones (sediment‐hosted) and those hosted primarily in the underlying basement rocks (basement‐hosted). Although significant research on these deposits has been carried out, certain aspects of their formation are still under discussion, one of the main issues being the fluid flow mechanisms responsible for uranium mineralization. The intriguing feature of this problem is that sediment‐hosted and basement‐hosted deposits are characterized by oppositely directed vectors of fluid flow via associated fault zones. Sediment‐hosted deposits formed via upward flow of basement fluids, basement‐hosted deposits via downward flow of basinal fluids. We have hypothesized that such flow patterns are indicative of the fluid flow self‐organization in fault‐bounded thermal convection (Transport in Porous Media, 110, 2015, 25). To explore this hypothesis, we constructed a simplified hydrogeologic model with fault‐bounded thermal convection of fluids in the faulted basement linked with fluid circulation in the overlying fault‐free sandstone horizon. Based on this model, a series of numerical experiments was carried out to simulate the hypothesized fluid flow patterns. The results obtained are in reasonable agreement with the concept of fault‐bounded convection cells as an explanation of focused upflow and downflow across the basement/sandstone unconformity. We then discuss application of the model to another debated problem, the uranium source for the ore‐forming basinal brines.
Frailty syndrome in patients with heart rhythm disorders
Authors: Mlynarska Agnieszka , Mlynarski Rafal , Golba Krzysztof S
Published: August 2016

Aim

To assess the prevalence of frailty syndrome in patients with heart rhythm disorders that qualified for pacemaker implantation.

Methods

The study included 171 patients (83 women, aged 73.9 ± 6.7 years) who qualified for pacemaker implantation as a result of sinus node dysfunction (81 patients) or atrio‐ventricular blocks (AVB; 90 patients). A total of 60 patients (25 women, aged 72.40 ± 7.09 years) without heart rhythm disorders were included in the control group. Frailty syndrome was diagnosed using the Canadian Study of Health and Aging Clinical Frailty Scale test.

Results

Frailty syndrome was diagnosed in 25.15% of the patients, and pre‐frailty in 36.84% of the patients. Frailty syndrome was diagnosed in 10% of the control group, and the average value of frailty was 3.35 ± 0.92. Frailty occurred significantly more often among patients with AVB (33.34%) compared with patients who were diagnosed with sinus node dysfunction (16.05%); P = 0.0081. The average score of frailty for sinus node dysfunction was 3.71 ± 0.89, and for AVB it was 4.14 ± 0.93; P = 0.0152. In the case of AVB, the women had a statistically more intense level of frailty of 4.54 ± 0.90 as compared with the men 3.87 ± 0.85; P = 0.0294. In the multiple logistic analysis, the presence of any arrhythmia was strongly associated with frailty syndrome (OR 2.1286, 95% CI 1.4594 – 3.1049; P = 0.0001).

Conclusions

Frailty syndrome was diagnosed in one‐quarter of patients with cardiac arrhythmias, whereas a further 40% were at a higher risk of frailty syndrome, and its occurrence was significantly higher if compared with the control group. Frailty occurred significantly more often among patients with atrio‐ventricular blocks, especially in women. The results of the present research showed that there is a statistical association between frailty and arrhythmias. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1313–1318.
Biophysical characterization of drug‐resistant mutants of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1
Authors: Yoza Kaito , Himeno Rika , Amano Shinjiro , Kobashigawa Yoshihiro , Amemiya Shun , Fukuda Natsuki , Kumeta Hiroyuki , Morioka Hiroshi , Inagaki Fuyuhiko
Published: August 2016

Over‐expression and aberrant activation of tyrosine kinases occur frequently in human cancers. Various tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are under clinical use, but acquisition of resistance to these drugs is a major problem. Here, we studied the interaction between two drug‐resistant mutants of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1), N546K and V561M, and four ATP‐competitive inhibitors, ponatinib, dovitinib, PD173074 and BGJ‐398. Among these protein–drug systems, the only marked reduction in affinity was that of PD173074 for the V561M mutant. We also examined the interaction of these FGFR1 variants to AMP‐PNP, a nonhydrolyzable analogue of ATP, and showed that N546K showed increased affinity for the ATP analogue as compared with the wild type. These findings will help to clarify the mechanism of drug resistance in mutant tyrosine kinases.
Promising new strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Nakamoto Yasunari
Published: August 2016

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer death worldwide. It usually arises based on a background of chronic liver diseases, defined as the hypercarcinogenic state. The current treatment options for HCC ranging from locoregional treatments to chemotherapies, including sorafenib, effectively regulate the limited sizes and numbers of the nodules. However, these treatments remain unsatisfactory because they have insufficient antitumor effects on the large and numerous nodules associated with HCC and because of a high recurrence rate in the surrounding inflamed liver. To develop novel and promising therapies with higher antitumor effects, recent progress in identifying molecular targets and developing immunological procedures for HCC are reviewed. The molecular targets discussed include the intracellular signaling pathways of protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin and RAS/RAF/mitogen‐activated protein kinase, Wnt/β‐catenin and glutamine synthetase, insulin‐like growth factor, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, nuclear factor‐κB and telomerase reverse transcriptase, and c‐MET. Immunological studies have focused mainly on target identification, T cells, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, natural killer T cells, and vaccine development.
The life cycle of phagosomes: formation, maturation, and resolution
Authors: Levin Roni , Grinstein Sergio , Canton Johnathan
Published: August 2016

Phagocytosis, the regulated uptake of large particles (>0.5 μm in diameter), is essential for tissue homeostasis and is also an early, critical component of the innate immune response. Phagocytosis can be conceptually divided into three stages: phagosome, formation, maturation, and resolution. Each of these involves multiple reactions that require exquisite spatial and temporal orchestration. The molecular events underlying these stages are being unraveled and the current state of knowledge is briefly summarized in this article.
Pathobiology of neutrophil–epithelial interactions
Authors: Brazil Jennifer C. , Parkos Charles A.
Published: August 2016

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) are innate immune system cells that play an essential role in eradicating invading pathogens. PMN migration to sites of infection/inflammation requires exiting the microcirculation and subsequent crossing of epithelial barriers in mucosa‐lined organs such as the lungs and intestines. Although these processes usually occur without significant damage to surrounding host tissues, dysregulated/excessive PMN transmigration and resultant bystander‐tissue damage are characteristic of numerous mucosal inflammatory disorders. Mechanisms controlling PMN extravasation have been well characterized, but the molecular details regarding regulation of PMN migration across mucosal epithelia are poorly understood. Given that PMN migration across mucosal epithelia is strongly correlated with disease symptoms in many inflammatory mucosal disorders, enhanced understanding of the mechanisms regulating PMN transepithelial migration should provide insights into clinically relevant tissue‐targeted therapies aimed at ameliorating PMN‐mediated bystander‐tissue damage. This review will highlight current understanding of the molecular interactions between PMNs and mucosal epithelia and the associated functional consequences.
Proliferating cell nuclear antigen in neutrophil fate
Authors: Witko‐Sarsat Véronique , Ohayon Delphine
Published: August 2016

The life span of a neutrophil is a tightly regulated process as extended survival is beneficial for pathogen elimination and cell death necessary to prevent cytotoxic content release from activated neutrophils at the inflammatory site. Therefore, the control between survival and death must be a dynamic process. We have previously described that proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) which is known as a nuclear protein pivotal in DNA synthesis, is a key element in controlling neutrophil survival through its association with procaspases. Contrary to the dogma which asserted that PCNA has a strictly nuclear function, in mature neutrophils, PCNA is present exclusively within the cytosol due to its nuclear export at the end of the granulocytic differentiation. More recent studies are consistent with the notion that the cytosolic scaffold of PCNA is aimed at modulating neutrophil fate rather than simply preventing death. Ultimately, targeting neutrophil survival might have important applications not just in the field of immunology and inflammation, but also in hematology and transfusion. The neutrophil emerges as a unique and powerful cellular model to unravel the basic mechanisms governing the cell cycle‐independent functions of PCNA and should be considered as a leader of the pack.
MicroRNAs in neutrophils: potential next generation therapeutics for inflammatory ailments
Authors: Gurol Theodore , Zhou Wenqing , Deng Qing
Published: August 2016

Neutrophils play fundamental roles in both acute and chronic inflammatory conditions, and directly contribute to the immune pathologies in both infectious and autoimmune ailments. MicroRNAs (miRs) regulate homeostasis in health and disease by fine tuning the expression of a network of genes through post‐transcriptional regulation. Many miRs are expressed in restricted tissues, regulated by stress and disease, and are emerging as mediators for intercellular communication. MiR profiles have been recently utilized as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognostic purposes. In addition, several miRs are in clinical development for various diseases. A short list of miRs that regulate hematopoiesis and neutrophil development is identified. Unfortunately, very limited information is available regarding how miRs regulate neutrophil migration and activation in vivo. Extensive future work is required, especially in animal models such as mice, to illustrate the pivotal and complex miR‐mediated regulatory network. In addition, zebrafish, a vertebrate model organism with conserved innate immunity, potentiated by the availability of imaging and genetic tools, will provide a platform for rapid discovery and characterization of miRs that are relevant to neutrophilic inflammation. Advances in this field are expected to provide the foundation for highly selective miR‐based therapy to manipulate neutrophils in infection and inflammatory disorders.
How neutrophils kill fungi
Authors: Gazendam Roel P. , van de Geer Annemarie , Roos Dirk , van den Berg Timo K. , Kuijpers Taco W.
Published: August 2016

Neutrophils play a critical role in the prevention of invasive fungal infections. Whereas mouse studies have demonstrated the role of various neutrophil pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs), signal transduction pathways, and cytotoxicity in the murine antifungal immune response, much less is known about the killing of fungi by human neutrophils. Recently, novel primary immunodeficiencies have been identified in patients with a susceptibility to fungal infections. These human ‘knock‐out’ neutrophils expand our knowledge to understand the role of PRRs and signaling in human fungal killing. From the studies with these patients it is becoming clear that neutrophils employ fundamentally distinct mechanisms to kill Candida albicans or Aspergillus fumigatus.
Regulation of neutrophil functions through inhibitory receptors: an emerging paradigm in health and disease
Authors: Favier Benoit
Published: August 2016

Neutrophils are the most abundant subset of leukocytes and play a crucial role in the immune responses against the daily pathogen attacks faced by the host. Neutrophils exhibit several functions for fighting microbes, including the release of granules containing highly toxic molecules, the production of reactive oxygen species and inflammatory cytokines as well as NETosis. Therefore, immune responses mediated by neutrophils must be tightly regulated to protect the host from pathogen assaults without inducing detrimental inflammation and tissue damage. There is now compelling evidence showing that neutrophils express various inhibitory receptors that specifically control their functions. Some of these inhibitory receptors are contained in the membrane of granules and rapidly move to the cell surface upon neutrophil stimulation. This fast upregulation of inhibitory receptors is an efficient way to rapidly enhance inhibitory signals and increase the neutrophil activation threshold. However, because of their ability to attenuate the immune responses of neutrophils, the inhibitory receptors are attractive target for pathogens. This review discusses these various aspects with a particular emphasis on the regulation of neutrophil behavior through immunoreceptor tyrosine‐based inhibition motif (ITIM)‐bearing inhibitory receptors belonging to LILR and SIGLEC multi‐gene families in humans and animal models.
Neutrophil swarming: an essential process of the neutrophil tissue response
Authors: Kienle Korbinian , Lämmermann Tim
Published: August 2016

Neutrophil infiltration into inflamed and infected tissues is a fundamental process of the innate immune response. While neutrophil interactions with the blood vessel wall have been intensely studied over the last decades, neutrophil dynamics beyond the vasculature have for a long time remained poorly investigated. Recent intravital microscopy studies of neutrophil populations directly at the site of tissue damage or microbial invasion have changed our perspective on neutrophil responses within tissues. Swarm‐like migration patterns of neutrophils, referred to as ‘neutrophil swarming’, have been detected in diverse tissues under conditions of sterile inflammation and infection with various pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Current work has begun to unravel the molecular pathways choreographing the sequential phases of highly coordinated chemotaxis followed by neutrophil accumulation and the formation of substantial neutrophil clusters. It is now clear that intercellular communication among neutrophils amplifies their recruitment in a feed‐forward manner, which provides them with a level of self‐organization during neutrophil swarming. This review will summarize recent developments and current concepts on neutrophil swarming, an important process of the neutrophil tissue response with a critical role in maintaining the balance between host protection and inflammation‐driven tissue destruction.
Neutrophils in the tumor microenvironment: trying to heal the wound that cannot heal
Authors: Singel Kelly L. , Segal Brahm H.
Published: August 2016

Neutrophils are the first responders to infection and injury and are critical for antimicrobial host defense. Through the generation of reactive oxidants, activation of granular constituents and neutrophil extracellular traps, neutrophils target microbes and prevent their dissemination. While these pathways are beneficial in the context of trauma and infection, their off‐target effects in the context of tumor are variable. Tumor‐derived factors have been shown to reprogram the marrow, skewing toward the expansion of myelopoiesis. This can result in stimulation of both neutrophilic leukocytosis and the release of immature granulocytic populations that accumulate in circulation and in the tumor microenvironment. While activated neutrophils have been shown to kill tumor cells, there is growing evidence for neutrophil activation driving tumor progression and metastasis through a number of pathways, including stimulation of thrombosis and angiogenesis, stromal remodeling, and impairment of T cell‐dependent anti‐tumor immunity. There is also growing appreciation of neutrophil heterogeneity in cancer, with distinct neutrophil populations promoting cancer control or progression. In addition to the effects of tumor on neutrophil responses, anti‐neoplastic treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy, and growth factors, can influence neutrophil responses. Future directions for research are expected to result in more mechanistic knowledge of neutrophil biology in the tumor microenvironment that may be exploited as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.