bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing Therapeutic Efficacy of MEK Inhibition in a KRASG12C-Driven Mouse Model of Lung Cancer
Authors: Li Shuai , Liu Shengwu , Deng Jiehui , Akbay Esra A. , Hai Josephine , Ambrogio Chiara , Zhang Long , Zhou Fangyu , Jenkins Russell W. , Adeegbe Dennis O. , Gao Peng , Wang Xiaoen , Paweletz Cloud P. , Herter-Sprie Grit S. , Chen Ting , Gutiérrez-Quiceno Laura , Zhang Yanxi , Merlino Ashley A. , Quinn Max M. , Zeng Yu , Yu Xiaoting , Liu Yuting , Fan Lichao , Aguirre Andrew J. , Barbie David A. , Yi Xianghua , Wong Kwok-Kin
Published: June 2018

Purpose: Despite the challenge to directly target mutant KRAS due to its high GTP affinity, some agents are under development against downstream signaling pathways, such as MEK inhibitors. However, it remains controversial whether MEK inhibitors can boost current chemotherapy in KRAS-mutant lung tumors in clinic. Considering the genomic heterogeneity among patients with lung cancer, it is valuable to test potential therapeutics in KRAS mutation–driven mouse models.

Experimental Design: We first compared the pERK1/2 level in lung cancer samples with different KRAS substitutions and generated a new genetically engineered mouse model whose tumor was driven by KRASG12C, the most common KRAS mutation in lung cancer. Next, we evaluated the efficacy of selumetinib or its combination with chemotherapy, in KRASG12C tumors compared with KRASG12D tumors. Moreover, we generated KRASG12C/p53R270H model to explore the role of a dominant negative p53 mutation detected in patients in responsiveness to MEK inhibition.

Results: We determined higher pERK1/2 in KRASG12C lung tumors compared with KRASG12D. Using mouse models, we further identified that KRASG12C tumors are significantly more sensitive to selumetinib compared with KrasG12D tumors. MEK inhibition significantly increased chemotherapeutic efficacy and progression-free survival of KRASG12C mice. Interestingly, p53 co-mutation rendered KRASG12C lung tumors less sensitive to combination treatment with selumetinib and chemotherapy.

Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that unique KRAS mutations and concurrent mutations in tumor-suppressor genes are important factors for lung tumor responses to MEK inhibitor. Our preclinical study supports further clinical evaluation of combined MEK inhibition and chemotherapy for lung cancer patients harboring KRASG12C and wild-type p53 status. Clin Cancer Res; 24(19); 4854–64. ©2018 AACR.
Molecular Analyses Support the Safety and Activity of Retroviral Replicating Vector Toca 511 in Patients
Authors: Hogan Daniel J. , Zhu Jay-Jiguang , Diago Oscar R. , Gammon Dawn , Haghighi Ali , Lu Guangrong , Das Asha , Gruber Harry E. , Jolly Douglas J. , Ostertag Derek
Published: June 2018

Purpose: Toca 511 is a gammaretroviral replicating vector encoding cytosine deaminase that selectively infects tumor cells and converts the antifungal drug 5-fluorocytosine into the antineoplastic drug 5-fluorouracil, which directly kills tumor cells and stimulates antitumor immune responses. As part of clinical monitoring of phase I clinical trials in recurrent high-grade glioma, we have performed extensive molecular analyses of patient specimens to track vector fate.

Patients and Methods: Toca 511 and Toca FC (extended-release 5-fluorocytosine) have been administered to 127 high-grade glioma patients across three phase I studies. We measured Toca 511 RNA and DNA levels in available body fluids and tumor samples from patients to assess tumor specificity. We mapped Toca 511 integration sites and sequenced integrated Toca 511 genomes from patient samples with detectable virus. We measured Toca 511 levels in a diverse set of tissue samples from one patient.

Results: Integrated Toca 511 is commonly detected in tumor samples and is only transiently detected in blood in a small fraction of patients. There was no believable evidence for clonal expansion of cells with integrated Toca 511 DNA, or preferential retrieval of integration sites near oncogenes. Toca 511 sequence profiles suggest most mutations are caused by APOBEC cytidine deaminases acting during reverse transcription. Tissue samples from a single whole-body autopsy affirm Toca 511 tumor selectivity.

Conclusions: Toca 511 and Toca FC treatment was not associated with inappropriate integration sites and clonal expansion. The vector is tumor-selective and persistent in patients who received Toca 511 injections. Clin Cancer Res; 24(19); 4680–93. ©2018 AACR.
Characterization of Alternative Splicing Events in HPV-Negative Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Identifies an Oncogenic DOCK5 Variant
Authors: Liu Chao , Guo Theresa , Xu Guorong , Sakai Akihiro , Ren Shuling , Fukusumi Takahito , Ando Mizuo , Sadat Sayed , Saito Yuki , Khan Zubair , Fisch Kathleen M. , Califano Joseph
Published: June 2018

Purpose: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide, and alternative splicing is considered to play important roles in tumor progression. Our study is designed to identify alternative splicing events (ASEs) in human papillomavirus (HPV)–negative HNSCC.

Experimental Design: RNA sequencing data of 407 HPV-negative HNSCC and 38 normal samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and splice junctions were discovered using MapSplice. Outlier analysis was used to identify significant splicing junctions between HPV-negative HNSCC and normal samples. To explore the functional role of the identified DOCK5 variant, we checked its expression with qRT-PCR in a separate primary tumor validation set and performed proliferation, migration, and invasion assays.

Results: A total of 580 significant splicing events were identified in HPV-negative HNSCC, and the most common type of splicing events was an alternative start site (33.3%). The prevalence of a given individual ASE among the tumor cohort ranged from 9.8% and 64.4%. Within the 407 HPV-negative HNSCC samples in TCGA, the number of significant ASEs differentially expressed in each tumor ranged from 17 to 290. We identified a novel candidate oncogenic DOCK5 variant confirmed using qRT-PCR in a separate primary tumor validation set. Loss- and gain-of-function experiments indicated that DOCK5 variant promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion of HPV-negative HNSCC cells, and patients with higher expression of DOCK5 variant showed decreased overall survival.

Conclusions: Analysis of ASEs in HPV-negative HNSCC identifies multiple alterations likely related to carcinogenesis, including an oncogenic DOCK5 variant. Clin Cancer Res; 24(20); 5123–32. ©2018 AACR.
Leukocyte Differentiation by Histidine-Rich Glycoprotein/Stanniocalcin-2 Complex Regulates Murine Glioma Growth through Modulation of Antitumor Immunity
Authors: Roche Francis P. , Pietilä Ilkka , Kaito Hiroshi , Sjöström Elisabet O. , Sobotzki Nadine , Noguer Oriol , Skare Tor Persson , Essand Magnus , Wollscheid Bernd , Welsh Michael , Claesson-Welsh Lena
Published: June 2018

The plasma–protein histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) is implicated in phenotypic switching of tumor-associated macrophages, regulating cytokine production and phagocytotic activity, thereby promoting vessel normalization and antitumor immune responses. To assess the therapeutic effect of HRG gene delivery on CNS tumors, we used adenovirus-encoded HRG to treat mouse intracranial GL261 glioma. Delivery of Ad5-HRG to the tumor site resulted in a significant reduction in glioma growth, associated with increased vessel perfusion and increased CD45+ leukocyte and CD8+ T-cell accumulation in the tumor. Antibody-mediated neutralization of colony-stimulating factor-1 suppressed the effects of HRG on CD45+ and CD8+ infiltration. Using a novel protein interaction–decoding technology, TRICEPS-based ligand receptor capture (LRC), we identified Stanniocalcin-2 (STC2) as an interacting partner of HRG on the surface of inflammatory cells in vitro and colocalization of HRG and STC2 in gliomas. HRG reduced the suppressive effects of STC2 on monocyte CD14+ differentiation and STC2-regulated immune response pathways. In consequence, Ad5-HRG–treated gliomas displayed decreased numbers of IL35+ Treg cells, providing a mechanistic rationale for the reduction in GL261 growth in response to Ad5-HRG delivery. We conclude that HRG suppresses glioma growth by modulating tumor inflammation through monocyte infiltration and differentiation. Moreover, HRG acts to balance the regulatory effects of its partner, STC2, on inflammation and innate and/or acquired immunity. HRG gene delivery therefore offers a potential therapeutic strategy to control antitumor immunity. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(9); 1961–72. ©2018 AACR.
Gaucher Disease and Myelofibrosis: A Combined Disease or a Misdiagnosis?
Authors: Mariani Sabrina , Palumbo Giovanna , Cardarelli Luisa , Santopietro Michelina , Foà Robin , Giona Fiorina
Published: June 2018

Background: Gaucher disease (GD) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF) share similar clinical and laboratory features, such as cytopenia, hepatosplenomegaly, and marrow fibrosis, often resulting in a misdiagnosis. Case Report: We report here the case of a young woman with hepatosplenomegaly, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia. Based on bone marrow (BM) findings and on liver biopsy showing extramedullary hematopoiesis, an initial diagnosis of PMF was formulated. The patient refused stem cell transplantation from an HLA-identical sibling. Low-dose melphalan was given, without any improvement. Two years later, a BM evaluation showed Gaucher cells. Low glucocerebrosidase and high chitotriosidase levels were indicative for GD. Molecular analysis revealed N370S/complex I mutations. Enzyme replacement therapy with imiglucerase was commenced, resulting in clinical and hematological improvements. Due to an unexpected and persistent organomegaly, PMF combined with GD were suspected. JAK2V617F, JAK2 exon 12, MPL, calreticulin, and exon 9 mutations were negative, and BM examination showed no marrow fibrosis. PMF was excluded. Twenty years after starting treatment, the peripheral cell count and liver size were normal, whereas splenomegaly persisted. Conclusion: In order to avoid a misdiagnosis, a diagnostic algorithm for patients with hepatosplenomegaly combined with cytopenia is suggested.
Cariogenicity of a Milk-Based Drink Used as a Dietary Supplement for Older Adults Using a Root Caries Experimental Model
Authors: Castro Ramiro J. , Giacaman Rodrigo A. , Arthur Rodrigo A. , Maltz Marisa
Published: June 2018

The aim of this study was to evaluate the cariogenicity of a milk-based drink intended for older adults that was used as part of a governmental initiative in Chile to improve their nutritional conditions. This drink contains a high concentration of sugars, which can contribute to root caries development. To test this hypothesis, an experimental biofilm/caries model was used. Dentin slabs were used to grow biofilms of Streptococcus mutans UA159. Slabs/biofilms were exposed 3× per day to bovine milk with different fat content, the milk-based drink, and the milk-based drink supplemented with 10 g of sucrose added per serving. Slabs exposed to 10% sucrose or 0.9% NaCl were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. Biofilms were analyzed for bacterial counts and acidogenicity. Dentin demineralization was estimated by the loss of surface microhardness and integrated mineral loss. Results were compared by analysis of variance and Tukey’s test. The milk-based drink showed higher acidogenicity than milk with its entire (whole) or reduced total fat content (skim). The milk-based drink supplemented with ­sucrose had similar acidogenicity as the 10% sucrose positive control (p = 0.506). Whole milk exposure elicited lower bacterial counts than the positive control, the milk-based drink, and the milk-based drink supplemented with sucrose (p = 0.002; 0.006 and 0.014 respectively). Although skim milk induced higher demineralization than whole milk, both milk types produced lower demineralization than the milk-based drink. Regarding integrated mineral loss, demineralization induced by the milk-based drink and the milk-based drink supplemented with sucrose was similar to that induced by the positive control and skim milk (p > 0.05). Sugar-containing milk-based drinks used as dietary supplements for older adults may be highly cariogenic and could represent a potential risk for root caries.
Reproductive behavior and development in Spilotes sulphureus (Serpentes: Colubridae) from Ecuador
Authors: Valencia Jorge H. , Garzon-Tello Katty
Published: June 2018

Reproductive behavior and development in Spilotes sulphureus (Serpentes: Colubridae) from Ecuador. The Birdsnake Spilotes sulphureus is a large-sized species that occurs from the Amazon region to the Atlantic forest of South America. Despite the wide distribution little is known about its natural history. Here we report, for the frst time, reproductive behavior displayed by this species observed in a pair of Ecuadorian specimens in captivity. A ritualized pre-copulatory behavior followed a colubrine pattern similar to the congeneric species Spilotes pullatus. The repertoire included chin-rubbing, continuous tongue ficking, head raising, body jerking, cloacal gaping, and partial mounting. Oviposition occurred 86–98 days after of the frst copulation. Females lay clutches of 7–14 eggs. Juvenile coloration is remarkably different from adults. Newborns have a dorsum with transverse brown or gray bands, and white or pale gray interspaces; young of 1–2 years have green bands and yellow-green interspaces; adults have dark green bands. Ontogenetic color changes are presumably associated with antipredator strategies, change in size, vulnerability or habitat and microhabitat selection.
Distribution and habitat associations of the Critically Endangered frog Walkerana phrynoderma (Anura: Ranixalidae), with an assessment of potential threats, abundance, and morphology
Authors: Kanagavel Arun , Parvathy Sethu , Chundakatil Abhiijth P. , Dahanukar Neelesh , Tapley Benjamin
Published: June 2018

Distribution and habitat associations of the Critically Endangered frog Walkerana phrynoderma (Anura: Ranixalidae), with an assessment of potential threats, abundance, and morphology. Little is known about Walkerana phrynoderma, a frog endemic to the Anamalai Hills of the Western Ghats of India. Baseline information (i.e., distribution, threats, habitat characteristics, activity patterns, and relative abundance) is provided for this species, with the aim of improving our understanding of the status of the species in the wild. Visual-encounter, transect, and time-activity budget surveys were conducted in and around the Anamalai Hills of the Western Ghats. The frog skin was swabbed to determine the presence/absence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, and habitat and environmental characteristics were recorded at sites where W. phrynoderma was found. These data were compared with those of sites apparently lacking this species that had suitable habitat. Walkerana phrynoderma is restricted to evergreen forests between 1300 and 1700 m a.s.l. in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve and at Munnar; thus, its range was extended from the state of Tamil Nadu to the adjoining state of Kerala. Pesticide runoff and human disturbance are the most severe threats to the species; B. dendrobatidis was not detected. This nocturnal anuran prefers forest edges and is associated with well-shaded forest foors in cool areas near freshwater streams. Walkerana phrynoderma is rarely encountered whereas its congener, W. leptodactyla, is more common. The impact of anthropogenic disturbances, especially waste disposal and development of tourism infrastructure, should be evaluated. The land that is owned by the Forest Department peripheral to the protected areas could be designated as eco-sensitive sites to prevent changes in land use that could have an adverse effect on W. phrynoderma.
Redescription and geographic distribution of Raorchestes shillongensis (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from Meghalaya, Northeast India
Authors: Boruah Bitupan , Raj Prudhvi , Dutta Sushil K. , Das Abhijit
Published: June 2018

Redescription and geographic distribution of Raorchestes shillongensis (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from Meghalaya, Northeast India. Raorchestes shillongensis is a threatened rhacophorid frog endemic to Northeast India. The species is poorly known and systematic information is lacking. We redescribe here the morphology of the species from topotypic material and compare with other Bush Frogs of the region. The locality records from the state of Meghalaya are new. We describe its advertisement call and discuss its phylogenetic position.
Geographic distribution and habitat use of Lepidoblepharis miyatai (Squamata: Sphaerodactylidae), with comments on the taxonomic status of the genus in northern Colombia
Authors: Montes-Correa Andrés Camilo , Jiménez-Bolaño Juan David , Medina-Rangel Guido Fabián , Rivas Gilson A. , Granda-Rodríguez Hernán D. , Saboyá-Acosta Liliana P. , Renjifo Juan Manuel
Published: June 2018

Geographic distribution and habitat use of Lepidoblepharis miyatai (Squamata: Sphaerodactylidae), with comments on the taxonomic status of the genus in northern Colombia. We present some ecological and biogeographic data on Lepidoblepharis miyatai, a small and endangered gecko endemic to the northwestern foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM), 31 years after its description. Based on museum specimens and feld observations, we recorded four new localities with confrmed presence of L. miyatai. We calculated the extent of occurrence and altitudinal distribution of this species reaching 21.3 km2 and from sea level to 360 m respectively. Lepidoblepharis miyatai inhabits plant formations of scrub thorn and tropical deciduous forest. Based on microhabitat data obtained from 88 individuals observed in “Las Tinajas Village” we can state a differential use of three substrates with predominant use of leaf-litter. We consider L. miyatai an endemic species of the northwestern sector of the SNSM with a distribution range limited to the south-west by the occurrence of L. sanctaemartae, and towards the east by a thus far undetermined Lepidoblepharis species (here called Lepidoblepharis cf. sanctaemartae). We do not register sympatry of L. miyatai with any other congener. Accordingly, we consider that the recent records of this species in the southeast sector of SNSM are erroneous, given that the specimens cited as L. miyatai of this zone correspond to Lepidoblepharis cf. sanctaemartae. Finally, a reevaluation of the conservation status of L. miyatai is needed, including precise information of its distribution.
Pathological and immunohistochemical studies on hemangiosarcoma in tigers Panthera tigris and lions Panthera Leo
Authors: Jayasree N. , Srilatha Ch. , Sailaja N. , Venu R. , Varaprasad W.L.N.V.
Published: June 2018

Five cases of hemangiosarcoma were documented in three tigers and two lions during post-mortem examinations.  Grossly, reddish-black coloured elevated masses were noticed with metastasis to the spleen.  In one tiger, an enlarged liver with severe oozing of blood on a cut section was noticed without any elevated masses.  In a white tiger, the tumour mass was located near the abdominal region.  Histopathological features revealed the presence of immature plump endothelial cells forming blood filled irregular vascular spaces. Immunohistochemically, strong immunoreactivity in the cytoplasm of neoplastic endothelial cells with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was noticed.  No positive reaction was noticed with the proliferative markers, i.e., Ki67 and p53, indicating VEGF is the appropriate marker to diagnose hemangiosarcoma.
Do Black-naped Hares Lepus nigricollis (Mammalia: Lagomorpha: Leporidae) have synanthropic association with wind farms?
Authors: Anoop V. , Arun P.R. , Jaypal Rajah
Published: June 2018

Wind energy is an upcoming major source of clean energy.  The unprecedented proliferation of wind farms across landscapes has raised concerns on the environmental impacts.  Generally reported direct impacts of wind farms include collision of birds and bats with turbines, habitat alterations, noise pollution from the turbines, aesthetic impact on landscapes and displacement of faunal species.  Here we report our preliminary results indicating an apparent positive association of Indian Hares Lepus nigricollis with a wind farm in a scrub forest area.  This study was conducted at Harada Reserve Forest near Harapanahalli of Davangere District, Karnataka, India.  The pellet count method was used for comparing the abundance of the species between areas.  The abundance of Indian Hares in wind farm area was significantly higher than in the surrounding forest area without turbines.  The factors that might be affecting this pattern of preferential use of wind farm area by the Indian Hare are discussed and the scope for further studies also highlighted.
An annotated checklist of the birds of upper Chenab catchment, Jammu & Kashmir, India
Authors: Sharma Neeraj , Rana Suresh Kumar , Raina Pankaj , Amir Raja , Kichloo Muzaffar Ahmed
Published: June 2018

Watershed avifaunal inventories are useful in devising management strategies appropriate to the habitat, as well as species conservation.  The Chenab River basin forms one of the largest and most important river basins in Jammu & Kashmir.  The upper Chenab catchment offers a rich and diverse fauna, especially birds, owing to variety of habitats, different climatic regimes, and a wide range of altitude,.  We present an avifaunal list of four watersheds—Bhot, Marusudar, Kalnai and Neeru of the Chenab River basin including Kishtwar Town and the surrounding area of the upper Chenab catchment over an elevation range of 820–4,500 m.  The list includes 251 species belonging to 60 families and 150 genera of which six are globally threatened, 127 residents, 124 migrants and three new to the state.  The paper also describes species-wise habitat occupancy, feeding behaviour, migratory status and abundance of the avifauna.  The study reveals that mosaic habitats comprising forests, riverbeds, rangelands and rocky outcrops are crucial for the conservation of birds in the region.
Association of grassland birds with Saccharum-Imperata patch in a northeastern tea estate of Bangladesh
Authors: Akash Muntasir , Khan Tania , Chowdhury Sayam U.
Published: June 2018

Saccharum-Imperata grasslands in Bangladesh were once directly associated with 10 native extirpated birds and still harbor many diminutives.  These habitats are now pocketed only in northeastern regions of the country due to intensive conversion, overstocked grazing and fire suppression.  After a hiatus of about four decades, composition and interaction of grassland specialist birds within a managed habitat of a tea estate was studied between November 2015 and May 2016 at micro-habitat scale using line transects, diversity indices, Bray-Curtis cluster analysis and linear mixed models.  Including 819 individuals of 39 grassland specialists, a total of 2,586 individuals of 110 species were recorded.  The analyses indicated the landscape to have a significant effect on species richness.  Of six micro-habitats, the area along the creek and dense tall grasses are important habitats for grassland specialists.  The latter ranked top in Shannon’s index (H′) for specialists (33 species, H′ = 2.988) followed by micro-habitats along the creek (18, 2.592) and sparse short grass (16, 2.401), comparing marked difference with micro-habitats of sparse grass along the road (21, H′=2.279), bush associated (11, 2.206) and crop associated areas (11, 2.124).  The effect of slash-and-burn was stark on specialists, no significant association was found with grazing.  This has been surmised as relationship among specialists’ ecology, long-term treatment effect and unpalatable nature of Saccharum ravennae as fodder.  Based on the hypothesis, the study emphasizes exigencies of a potential management strategy for avian habitats within tea estates of Bangladesh.
Mapping the conflict of raptor conservation and recreational shooting in the Batumi Bottleneck, Republic of Georgia
Authors: Sándor Anna , Anthony Brandon P.
Published: June 2018

Illegal use of natural resources threatens biodiversity and often leads to conservation conflicts between affected parties.  Such a conflict is emerging in the Batumi Bottleneck in the Republic of Georgia, where every autumn more than one million migrating birds of prey funnel above a handful of villages, and where thousands of these birds fall victim to illegal shooting.  As a first step towards resolving this conflict, utilizing semi-structured interviews, we map the goals and opinions of relevant stakeholders associated with raptor migration in the bottleneck.  Our results show that most stakeholders, except some local hunters, are on common ground considering the shooting unacceptable, but articulate different preferences concerning a solution, which hinged on institutional and enforcement issues.  The hunters expressed a wide spectrum of responses concerning their involvement and motivation in raptor shooting, the role and importance of hunting in their lives, and preferred mitigation actions.  The most urgent issues to be addressed via conservation actions are the wide-scale lack of awareness of the conflict, the potential loss of species, and the risk of conflict escalation.
New Lycaenid butterfly records from Jammu & Kashmir, India
Authors: Sharma Shakha , Sharma Neeraj
Published: June 2018

The butterfly surveys were conducted across different regions of Jammu province right from southern alluvial plains of Chenab and Ravi to Great Himalayas through Shiwaliks and Pir-Panjal mountains during June 2016 to February 2018. The areas covered included  Kalidhar and Dalhori  forests, district Rajouri (west), Mansar-Surinsar-Manwal range, districts Jammu, Samba and Udhampur (south), Mansar-Manwal, Billawar-Basoholi-Bani, district Kathua (east), Bhaderwah, district Doda (north), and Paddar in district Kishtwar (northeast) within an elevational range of 320 m to 3200 m (Fig. 1). During the explorations, we observed eight Lycaenid butterfly species previously not recorded from the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Macrofungus Nitschkia macrospora Teng (Ascomycetes: Nitschkiaceae), a new report to India
Authors: Patel K.J. Nandan , Krishnappa M. , Krishna V.
Published: June 2018

In the present investigation, an interesting lignicolous ascomycetes belonging to the family Nitschkiaceae, having small stroma in clusters, attached weakly to the substratum, was collected.  Based on the morphology and anatomical features, the fungus was identified as Nitschkia macrospora Teng.
Fish fauna of Nandur-Madhmeshwar wetland, Maharashtra, India
Authors: Wagh Prashant , Kurhade Sudhakar , Jadhav Shrikant , Jaiswal Deepa
Published: June 2018

Freshwater fish fauna of Nandur-Madhmeshwar wetland was studied during the period 2010–2012.  A total of 39 species of freshwater fish belonging to 14 families and 30 genera were recorded.  Out of the 39 species, 21 species are reported for the first time from this wetland, which includes Mystus malabaricus, an endemic species of the Western Ghats.  The fish fauna of the wetland is threatened due to invasive alien species as well as anthropogenic activities such as overfishing, sand mining, siltation, and organic and inorganic pollution.  As a result, urgent implementations of stringent conservation measures are essential.
Minimally Invasive Implantation of a Micropacemaker Into the Pericardial Space
Authors: Bar-Cohen Yaniv , Silka Michael J. , Hill Allison C. , Pruetz Jay D. , Chmait Ramen H. , Zhou Li , Rabin Sara M. , Norekyan Viktoria , Loeb Gerald E.
Published: June 2018

Background:

Permanent cardiac pacemakers require invasive procedures with complications often related to long pacemaker leads. We are developing a percutaneous pacemaker for implantation of an entire pacing system into the pericardial space.

Methods:

Percutaneous micropacemaker implantations were performed in 6 pigs (27.4–34.1 kg) using subxyphoid access to the pericardial space. Modifications in the implantation methods and hardware were made after each experiment as the insertion method was optimized. In the first 5 animals, nonfunctional pacemaker devices were studied. In the final animal, a functional pacemaker was implanted.

Results:

Successful placement of the entire nonfunctional pacing system into the pericardial space was demonstrated in 2 of the first 5 animals, and successful implantation and capture was achieved using a functional system in the last animal. A sheath was developed that allows retractable features to secure positioning within the pericardial space. In addition, a miniaturized camera with fiberoptic illumination allowed visualization of the implantation site before electrode insertion into myocardium. All animals studied during follow-up survived without symptoms after the initial postoperative period.

Conclusions:

A novel micropacemaker system allows cardiac pacing without entering the vascular space or surgical exposure of the heart. This pericardial pacemaker system may be an option for a large number of patients currently requiring transvenous pacemakers but is particularly relevant for patients with restricted vascular access, young children, or those with congenital heart disease who require epicardial access.
Newer-Generation Ultrathin Strut Drug-Eluting Stents Versus Older Second-Generation Thicker Strut Drug-Eluting Stents for Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Bangalore Sripal , Toklu Bora , Patel Neil , Feit Frederick , Stone Gregg W.
Published: June 2018

Background:

Contemporary second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) have superior efficacy and safety in comparison with early-generation stents in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, in part, related to their thinner struts. Whether newer-generation ultrathin DES further improve clinical outcomes in comparison with older second-generation thicker strut DES is unknown.

Methods:

We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for randomized clinical trials that compared newer-generation ultrathin strut DES (defined as strut thickness <70 µm) versus thicker strut second-generation DES and reported clinical outcomes. The primary outcome was target lesion failure (composite of cardiovascular death, target vessel myocardial infarction or ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization) evaluated at 1-year follow-up. Tests for subgroup effects based on the ultrathin strut DES type and the comparator DES type were performed by using meta-regression analysis.

Results:

We identified 10 trials that randomly assigned 11 658 patients and evaluated 3 newer-generation ultrathin strut DES: Orsiro stent (60 μm), MiStent (64 μm), and BioMime (65 µm). In comparison with thicker strut second-generation DES, newer-generation ultrathin strut DES were associated with a 16% reduction in target lesion failure (relative risk, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.72–0.99) driven by less myocardial infarction (relative risk, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.65–0.99). Ultrathin strut DES were also associated with qualitatively lower rates of any stent thrombosis (relative risk, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.51–1.01). Tests for subgroup effects based on the ultrathin strut DES type (
P
=0.58) and the comparator DES type (
P
=0.98) were not significant, suggesting consistent outcomes across the 3 ultrathin strut DES and with the different DES comparators.

Conclusions:

In patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, newer-generation ultrathin strut DES further improve 1-year clinical outcomes in comparison with contemporary thicker strut second-generation DES.
Carboxyl‐Terminal Modulator Protein Ameliorates Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy by Suppressing the Protein Kinase B Signaling Pathway
Authors: Liu Xiaoxiong , Yang Qin , Zhu Li‐Hua , Liu Jia , Deng Ke‐Qiong , Zhu Xue‐Yong , Liu Ye , Gong Jun , Zhang Peng , Li Shuyan , Xia Hao , She Zhi‐Gang
Published: June 2018

Background

Carboxyl‐terminal modulator protein (
CTMP
) has been implicated in cancer, brain injury, and obesity. However, the role of
CTMP
in pathological cardiac hypertrophy has not been identified.

Methods and Results

In this study, decreased expression of
CTMP
was observed in both human failing hearts and murine hypertrophied hearts. To further explore the potential involvement of
CTMP
in pathological cardiac hypertrophy, cardiac‐specific
CTMP
knockout and overexpression mice were generated. In vivo experiments revealed that
CTMP
deficiency exacerbated the cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and function induced by pressure overload, whereas
CTMP
overexpression alleviated the response to hypertrophic stimuli. Consistent with the in vivo results, adenovirus‐mediated gain‐of‐function or loss‐of‐function experiments showed that
CTMP
also exerted a protective effect against hypertrophic responses to angiotensin
II
in vitro. Mechanistically,
CTMP
ameliorated pathological cardiac hypertrophy through the blockade of the protein kinase B signaling pathway. Moreover, inhibition of protein kinase B activation with
LY
294002 rescued the deteriorated effect in aortic banding–treated cardiac‐specific
CTMP
knockout mice.

Conclusions

Taken together, these findings imply, for the first time, that increasing the cardiac expression of
CTMP
may be a novel therapeutic strategy for pathological cardiac hypertrophy.
Inhibition of MicroRNA‐155 Supports Endothelial Tight Junction Integrity Following Oxygen‐Glucose Deprivation
Authors: Pena‐Philippides Juan Carlos , Gardiner Amy Sabrina , Caballero‐Garrido Ernesto , Pan Rong , Zhu Yiliang , Roitbak Tamara
Published: June 2018

Background

Brain microvascular endothelial cells form a highly selective blood brain barrier regulated by the endothelial tight junctions. Cerebral ischemia selectively targets tight junction protein complexes, which leads to significant damage to cerebral microvasculature. Short noncoding molecules called micro
RNA
s are implicated in the regulation of various pathological states, including endothelial barrier dysfunction. In the present study, we investigated the influence of micro
RNA‐155
(miR‐155) on the barrier characteristics of human primary brain microvascular endothelial cells (
HBMEC
s).

Methods and Results

Oxygen‐glucose deprivation was used as an in vitro model of ischemic stroke.
HBMEC
s were subjected to 3 hours of oxygen‐glucose deprivation, followed by transfections with miR‐155 inhibitor, mimic, or appropriate control oligonucleotides. Intact normoxia control
HBMEC
s and 4 oxygen‐glucose deprivation–treated groups of cells transfected with appropriate nucleotide were subjected to endothelial monolayer electrical resistance and permeability assays, cell viability assay, assessment of NO and human cytokine/chemokine release, immunofluorescence microscopy, Western blot, and polymerase chain reaction analyses. Assessment of endothelial resistance and permeability demonstrated that miR‐155 inhibition improved
HBMEC
s monolayer integrity. In addition, miR‐155 inhibition significantly increased the levels of major tight junction proteins claudin‐1 and zonula occludens protein‐1, while its overexpression reduced these levels. Immunoprecipitation and colocalization analyses detected that miR‐155 inhibition supported the association between zonula occludens protein‐1 and claudin‐1 and their stabilization at the
HBMEC
membrane. Luciferase reporter assay verified that claudin‐1 is directly targeted by miR‐155.

Conclusions

Based on these results, we conclude that miR‐155 inhibition–induced strengthening of endothelial tight junctions after oxygen‐glucose deprivation is mediated via its direct target protein claudin‐1.
The Howling Wilderness of the Maladaptive Struggle in Belgrade in New York
Authors: Jakovljević Branislav
Published: June 2018

Between 1974 and 1975, Zoran Popović, a conceptual artist from Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and his wife Jasna Tijardović, an art historian, spent a year in New York. During that time they engaged closely with the New York Art and Language group. This friendship and collaboration resulted in a rare instance of East-West exchange in Conceptual art: Popović and Tijardović published both co-authored and individual articles in the US journal The Fox, and members of Art and Language (Mel Ramsden, Michael Corris, and Jill Breakstone) gave a seminar in Belgrade's Student Cultural Center in the fall of 1975. One of the most important outcomes of this exchange is Zoran Popović's film Struggle in New York—Борба у Њујорку, which he made on his return visit to New York in the fall of 1976, and which features the members of New York Art and Language and other artists and activists from the downtown Manhattan art scene of the mid-1970s. This essay argues that in this film, Popović uses documentary techniques to establish a space for the display of radical artistic practices that engaged in a vigorous critique of art institutions. In so doing this film marks a limit position of institutional critique that approaches the idea of the abolishment and abandonment of art practice altogether. Further, the essay explores some differences between Conceptual art practice in Yugoslavia and the United States, arguing that Popović uses the crisis that tore the New York Art and Language group apart to address the unraveling of politicized Conceptual art practice in Belgrade's Student Cultural Center.
Pop as Translation Strategy: Makishi Tsutomu's Political Pop in Okinawa
Authors: Ikegami Hiroko
Published: June 2018

This essay makes the first sustained study of the Okinawan artist Makishi Tsutomu (1941–2015) who used American Pop Art vocabularies to describe the complex realities of US-occupied Okinawa. Focusing on his 1972 installation Commemorating the Reversion to the Great Empire of Japan, the essay examines the critical ambivalence of Makishi's Political Pop as a translation strategy. Despite his critique of both American and Japanese imperialism, Makishi was aware that Okinawa was inseparably entangled in it, especially in the context of the Vietnam War, which brought violence, but also economic benefits, to Okinawa. Despite his use of the American Pop idiom as a new lingua franca for contemporary art, Makishi's work did not reach either mainland or international audiences as the artist exhibited almost exclusively in Okinawa. By comparing Makishi's artistic strategies with those of a representative Okinawan novelist, Ōshiro Tatsuhiro, especially as articulated in his 1967 novella The Cocktail Party, the essay situates the significance of Makishi's project within the emerging discourse on the global neo-avant-garde.
Ideas of Reality: Antonio Dias between Rio de Janeiro, Paris, and Milan
Authors: Martins Sérgio B.
Published: June 2018

Despite the fact that the growing reception of Antonio Dias (b. 1944) in the English-speaking world is happening under the sign of global art history, the trajectory of the Brazilian artist in the 1960s and 1970s actually suggests both a counter-genealogy and a counter-geography of the global. This essay explores this situation by recontextualizing Dias's emergence vis-à-vis the critical debate on realism and underdevelopment that marked the Rio de Janeiro avant-gardist scene of the mid- to late-1960s and involved writers such as Ferreira Gullar, Hélio Oiticica, Mário Pedrosa, Pierre Restany, and Frederico Morais. It subsequently argues that such critical terms simultaneously both change and remain crucial as Dias moves away from Brazil, first to Paris, late in 1966, and then to Milan, in 1968, inflecting the artist's recourse to the English language and his turn to painting as his preferred medium even as he began to circulate amongst artists associated with Arte Povera and Conceptualism in Europe.
Introduction to Hélio Oiticica's “The Senses Pointing
Toward a New Transformation” (1969)
Authors: Melvin Jo , Skrebowski Luke
Published: June 2018

Hélio Oiticica's “The Senses Pointing Towards a New Transformation” was written between June 18 and June 25, 1969, in London and submitted to the British art magazine Studio International, but never appeared in print. The essay negotiates art after objecthood and contextualises Oiticica's project to effect a definitive radicalization of anti-art, one that the artist held to be necessary in light of the impasse reached by the longstanding conflict between formalist art and its various neo-avant-garde negations (both within the Brazilian and the international neo-avant-gardes). For Oiticica, after both Neoconcretism and Minimalism, it was now the process of art making itself that had to be rethought. Oiticica did so by developing what he called “crebehavior,” a practice that revealed the routinized character of everyday life and proposed an immanent transformation of the same via a change in everyday behavioral patterns. Such a transformation opened up the possibility of bringing about “creleisure,” a condition that Oiticica understood to involve both the realization and the dissolution of art.
You are what, where, and when you eat: seasonal and ontogenetic changes in a tropical tadpole’s diet
Authors: Kloh Jéssica S. , Figueredo Cleber C. , Eterovick Paula C.
Published: June 2018

Tadpole diet is likely to vary in response to environmental conditions and nutritional needs throughout growth and development. We investigated seasonal variation in diet composition of Bokermannohyla saxicola tadpoles and compared diets between two developmental stages with a significant difference in size. We found that the diet of B. saxicola tadpoles was dominated by periphytic algae, in accordance with their benthic habits. Considering number of cells ingested, tadpole trophic niches were broader in more advanced developmental stages. Tadpole trophic niches were narrower during the summer (wet season) than during the winter (dry season), which may reflect increased consumption of more energetic food items during the warm period when primary productivity is expected to be higher. Tadpole metabolism is likely to be higher in the summer and increased energetic needs might be supplied in this manner. However, results differed when biovolume was considered instead of number of cells ingested, with larger items assuming a greater importance and niches being usually larger in the summer. In these cases, the increased ingestion of diatoms (likely to be more nutritive) in the summer may decrease the relative importance of large algae (e.g., Mougeotia sp.) that form the bulk of the diet. Both food availability/accessibility and tadpole feeding behaviour driven by nutritional needs may influence patterns of food acquisition. Given the importance of biofilms to tadpole diet, studies on the mechanisms by which tadpole nutritional needs and environmental conditions interact are likely to provide important insights into the dynamics of aquatic food webs.
Integrating animal welfare into wildlife policy: a comparative analysis of coyote management programs in California, United States and Ontario, Canada
Authors: Yashphe Shira , Lisa Kubotera S.
Published: June 2018

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are native to North America and are frequently seen in and around urbanized areas. As human population grows and urban sprawl encroaches on coyote habitat, human-coyote conflicts increase. Faced with the need to find solutions, policy-makers, and conservationists are challenged with the task of designing coyote management programs that would ensure public safety while conserving the species. The need to consider the welfare of individual animals, as encompassed by the emerging field of Compassionate Conservation, adds an additional challenge. By examining two coyote management programs’ case studies in North America—one in Long Beach, California and another in Oakville, Ontario—the benefits of adopting compassionate solutions are illustrated. As exemplified by Oakville’s strategy, compassionate programs promote the moral treatment of animals while proving to be economically and socially superior to strategies employing lethal measures. Such strategies adopt proactive, rather than reactive responses to human-coyote encounters and invest heavily in public engagement and education. Through the development, implementation, and regulation of non-lethal wildlife management policies, more cities and towns will be able to meet the needs of the stakeholders involved in coyote-human conflict while sparing the life of the animal.
The Low Quality of National Governance and Unevenness in the Economic Competitiveness of Regions: The Case of Russia
Authors: Busygina Irina , Filippov Mikhail
Published: June 2018

Strong institutions and good governance are instrumental for success in the global economy. While the quality of national governance has positive effect on a country’s economic performance, it is not a necessary condition. Poor governance can be offset with the country’s comparative advantages; however, such advantages are likely to be geographically concentrated. We argue that in present-day Russia weak institutions and low quality of national governance make most regions unable to compete in the global economy.
Two Dogmas of the New War Thesis
Authors: Smith Brian
Published: June 2018

This article argues that the new war thesis has promulgated at least two dogmas that permeate present day military ethical discourse. First, since the early 20th century, civilian casualties have gradually come to represent an increasing percentage of the overall casualties in warfare. The second dogma is that there has been an increase in ‘risk-transfer war’, which assumes that governments are more willing to risk the lives of noncombatants than the lives of their soldiers. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate why these empirical claims are problematic. First, we do not yet have the kind of reliable data that would allow us to make accurate claims about trends in civilian casualties. And secondly, a cursory glance at the history of warfare provides us with numerous examples of risk transfer.
Haslea crucigeroides var. australis, var. nov. (Bacillariophyta), a new marine diatom from southern South America and Antarctica
Authors: CEFARELLI ADRIÁN O. , MASCIONI MARTINA , SIMONATO JULIÁN , ALMANDOZ GASTÓN O. , VERNET MARIA
Published: June 2018

A new variety of the marine diatom Haslea crucigeroides, H. crucigeroides var. australis, var. nov., is described here based on phytoplankton samples collected in sub-Antarctic coastal waters of the southern South America and Antarctica. The new taxon was characterized by using light and electron microscopy, and the holotype of H. crucigeroides, the only existing material type, was analyzed with light microscopy. Haslea crucigeroides var. australis differs from the nominal variety by having acute valve apices instead of acute rostrate; furthermore, it has a different geographical distribution. The species is being recorded in the Southern Hemisphere for the first time. Cell abundance and a brief discussion on the species habitat are also presented.
On the neglected Scopoli’s name Senecio littoralis (Compositae) and its nomenclatural implications
Authors: CALVO JOEL , SENNIKOV ALEXANDER N.
Published: June 2018

The taxonomic identity of Scopoli’s Senecio littoralis is discussed in order to support that this neglected name should be synonymized under Dittrichia viscosa. On the other hand, the name Senecio falklandicus is retrieved as the priority name for a Falkland species widely accepted in the latest years under the illegitimate name S. littoralis described by Gaudichaud-Beaupré. The Scopoli’s name S. littoralis is neotypified and a new lectotype is designated for the name S. falklandicus according to ICN 9.19(b).