bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on the Preparation and Application of Lignin-Derived Polycarboxylic Acids
Authors: Wang Ruiqi , Zhou Bing , Wang Zichen
Published: April 2019

Lignin was oxidized by NaOCl, and the main product of the reaction was named lignin-derived polycarboxylic acids (LPCAs). The effect of the reaction conditions was studied. With the mix ratio [n(NaOCl)/m(lignin)] increasing, the content of carboxyl of LPCAs increased. When the reaction temperature or the reaction time increased, the content of carboxyl decreased in different degrees. After the oxidation by NaOCl, the content of hydroxyl and methoxyl of lignin decreased, and the molecular weight of lignin decreased as well. The FT-IR and 1H-NMR spectrum of lignin suggested that the benzene rings of lignin were disrupted after the oxidation. A possible mechanism of the oxidation of lignin by sodium hypochlorite is supposed to briefly demonstrate the reason that the benzene rings were disrupted and the content of carboxyl increased. Finally, an application example shows that LPCAs can strengthen the mechanical properties of waterborne polyurethane elastomers.
CDK5RAP3 Participates in Autophagy Regulation and Is Downregulated in Renal Cancer
Authors: Li Jun , Hu Xinyi , Su Ming , Shen Hongliang , Qiu Wei , Tian Ye
Published: April 2019

Renal cancer is one of the most common malignant urological tumors; however, its diagnosis and treatment are not well established. In the present study, we identified that CDK5 regulatory subunit-associated protein 3 (CDK5RAP3), a putative tumor suppressor in many cancers, was downregulated in renal cancer tissues. Through loss- and gain-of-function experiments, we observed that the action of CDK5RAP3 in renal cancer cells was different in Caki-1 and 769-P cell lines. Knockdown of endogenous CDK5RAP3 in Caki-1 slightly increased cell viability, whereas overexpression of CDK5RAP3 in 769-P cells inhibited cell viability. In addition, we observed that CDK5RAP3 participated in the regulation of autophagy in renal cancer. Knockdown of CDK5RAP3 induced significant inhibition of autophagy in Caki-1 cells but not in 769-P cells. In contrast, overexpression of CDK5RAP3 significantly activated autophagy in 769-P cells, as evidenced by increased LC3-II levels. However, the LC3-II could not be altered by CDK5RAP3 overexpression in Caki-1 cells. These findings demonstrated that CDK5RAP3 is downregulated in renal cancer and may be associated with autophagy.
Anatomical Variations of the Pectoralis Major Muscle: Notes on Their Impact on Pectoral Nerve Innervation Patterns and Discussion on Their Clinical Relevance
Authors: Haładaj Robert , Wysiadecki Grzegorz , Clarke Edward , Polguj Michał , Topol Mirosław
Published: April 2019

Background. The presented study attempts to classify individual anatomical variants of the pectoralis major muscle (PM), including rare and unusual findings. Rare cases of muscular anomalies involving the PM or its tendon have been presented. An attempt has also been made to determine whether anatomical variations of the PM may affect the innervation pattern of the lateral and medial pectoral nerves. Material and Methods. The research was carried out on 40 cadavers of both sexes (22 males, 18 females), owing to which 80 PM specimens were examined. Results. Typical PM structure was observed in 63.75% of specimens. The most frequently observed variation was a separate clavicular portion of the PM. In one female cadaver (2.5% of specimens) the hypotrophy of the clavicular portion of the PM was noticed. In two male cadavers (5% of specimens) the fusion between the clavicular portion of the PM and the deltoid muscle was observed. In one of those cadavers, small sub-branches of the lateral pectoral nerve bilaterally joined the clavicular portion of the deltoid muscle. The detailed intramuscular distribution of certain nerve sub-branches was visualized by Sihler’s stain. PM is mainly innervated by the lateral pectoral nerve. In all specimens stained by Sihler’s technique, the contribution of the intercostal nerves in PM innervation was confirmed. Conclusions. Surgeons should be aware of anatomic variations of the PM both in planning and in conducting surgeries of the pectoral region.
Existence Results for a Class of Semilinear Fractional Partial Differential Equations with Delay in Banach Spaces
Authors: Zhu Bo , Han Baoyan , Lin Xiangyun
Published: April 2019

In this paper, we consider a class of nonlinear time fractional partial differential equations with delay. We obtain the existence and uniqueness of the mild solutions for the problem by the theory of solution operator and the general Banach contraction mapping principle. We need not extra conditions to ensure the contraction constant 0<k<1. Therefore, under some general conditions, we obtain our main results.
Analysis of the ASMT Gene Family in Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.): Identification, Phylogeny, and Expression Profiles
Authors: Pan Luzhao , Zheng Jiaqiu , Liu Jia , Guo Jun , Liu Fawan , Liu Lecheng , Wan Hongjian
Published: April 2019

Acetylserotonin methyltransferase (ASMT) in plant species, one of the most important enzymes in melatonin biosynthesis, plays a rate-limiting role in the melatonin production. In this study, based on the whole genome sequence, we performed a systematic analysis for the ASMT gene family in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and analyzed their expression profiles during growth and development, as well as abiotic stresses. The results showed that at least 16 CaASMT genes were identified in the pepper genome. Phylogenetic analyses of all the CaASMTs were divided into three groups (group I, group II, and group III) with a high bootstrap value. Through the online MEME tool, six distinct motifs (motif 1 to motif 6) were identified. Chromosome location found that most CaASMT genes were mapped in the distal ends of the pepper chromosomes. In addition, RNA-seq analysis revealed that, during the vegetative and reproductive development, the difference in abundance and distinct expression patterns of these CaASMT genes suggests different functions. The qRT-PCR analysis showed that high abundance of CaASMT03, CaASMT04, and CaASMT06 occurred in mature green fruit and mature red fruit. Finally, using RNA-seq and qRT-PCR technology, we also found that several CaASMT genes were induced under abiotic stress conditions. The results will not only contribute to elucidate the evolutionary relationship of ASMT genes but also ascertain the biological function in pepper plant response to abiotic stresses.
Results of Conversion from Failed Austin-Moore Hemiarthroplasty to Cementless Total Hip Arthroplasty in Octogenarian Patients with Advanced Acetabular Erosion: A Minimum of 5 Years of Follow-Up
Authors: Huang Tsan-Wen , Chang Chih-Hsiang , Chang Fu-Chun , Chen Chun-Chieh , Huang Kuo-Chin , Lee Mel S. , Shih Hsin-Nung
Published: April 2019

Austin-Moore hemiarthroplasty (HA) had been selectively used for elderly patients with femoral neck fractures. With increasing life span and activity, the sequela of Austin-Moore HA make the implant no longer favorable. The treatment of failed Austin-Moore HA with advanced acetabular erosion is challenging; however, little has been published regarding this topic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mid-term results of using cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA) in octogenarians. Between 2008 and 2011, 47 patients (32 women and 15 men) with an average age of 86 years (range 83-89 years) were enrolled in this retrospective study. After an average follow-up period of 6.2 years (range 5.0-7.8 years), no migration or loosening of the cup or femoral stem was found. Harris hip scores improved from 36 (range 15-42) preoperatively to 87 (range 80-90). There were no complications directly associated with the procedure except for superficial infections in two patients. Our results suggest that using cementless THA can result in favorable radiographic and clinical outcomes in octogenarian patients.
The Mycobacterium tuberculosis CRISPR-Associated Cas1 Involves Persistence and Tolerance to Anti-Tubercular Drugs
Authors: Wei Jiawei , Lu Nan , Li Zhiying , Wu Xuanyan , Jiang Tao , Xu Li , Yang Chun , Guo Shuliang
Published: April 2019

Tuberculosis remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Even if new antitubercular drugs are currently being developed, the rapid emergence and spread of drug-resistant strain remain a severe challenge. The CRISPR associated proteins 1 (Cas1), a most conserved endonuclease which is responsible for spacer integration into CRISPR arrays, was found deleted in many specific drug-resistant strains. The function of Cas1 is still unknown in Mycobacterium type III-A CRISPR family. In this study, the Cas1 (Rv2817c) defect was found in 57.14% of clinical isolates. To investigate the function of Cas1 in new spacer acquisition, we challenged Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) with a mycobacteriophage D29. Newly acquired spacer sequence matches D29 genome was not found by spacer deep-sequencing. We further expressed Cas1 in recombinant Mycobacterium smegmatis. We found that Cas1 increased the sensitivity to multiple anti-tuberculosis drugs by reducing the persistence during drug treatment. We also showed that Cas1 impaired the repair of DNA damage and changed the stress response of Mycobacterium smegmatis. This study provides a further understanding of Cas1 in Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) drug-resistance evolution and a new sight for the tuberculosis treatment.
Bone Regeneration Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Duration on Calvarial Defects in Irradiated Rats
Authors: Park Kyeong-Mee , Kim Changdae , Park Wonse , Park Young-Bum , Chung Moon-Kyu , Kim Sungtae
Published: April 2019

Objective. In this study, we evaluated changes in bone remodeling in an irradiated rat calvarial defect model according to duration of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Materials and Methods. The 28 rats were divided into four groups. Radiation of 12 Gy was applied to the skull, and 5-mm critical size defects were formed on both sides of the skull. Bone grafts were applied to one side of formed defects. From the day after surgery, HBO was applied for 0, 1, and 3 weeks. At 6 weeks after bone graft, experimental sites were removed and analyzed for radiography, histology, and histomorphometry. Results. Micro-CT analysis showed a significant increase in new bone volume in the HBO-3 group, with or without bone graft. When bone grafting was performed, BV, BS, and BS/TV all significantly increased. Histomorphometric analysis showed significant increases in %NBA and %BVN in the HBO-1 and HBO-3 groups, regardless of bone graft. Conclusion. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was effective for bone regeneration with only 1 week of treatment.
The Frequency and Spectrum of Chromosomal Translocations in a Cohort of Sri Lankans
Authors: Paththinige Chamara S. , Sirisena Nirmala D. , Kariyawasam U. G. I. U. , Dissanayake Vajira H. W.
Published: April 2019

Translocations are the most common type of structural chromosomal abnormalities. Unbalanced translocations are usually found in children who present with congenital abnormalities, developmental delay, or intellectual disability. Balanced translocations are usually found in adults who frequently present with reproductive failure; either subfertility, or recurrent pregnancy loss. Herein, we report the spectrum and frequency of translocations in a Sri Lankan cohort. A database of patients undergoing cytogenetic testing was maintained prospectively from January 2007 to December 2016 and analyzed, retrospectively. A total of 15,864 individuals were tested. Among them, 277 (1.7%) had translocations. There were 142 (51.3%) unbalanced translocations and 135 (48.7%) balanced translocations. Majority (160; 57.8%) were Robertsonian translocations. There were 145 (52.3%) children and adolescents aged less than 18 years with translocations, and 142 (97.9%) were unbalanced translocations. Majority [138 (95.2%)] were referred due to congenital abnormalities, developmental delay, or intellectual disability, and 91 were children with translocation Down syndrome. All adults aged 18 years or above (132) had balanced translocations. Subfertility and recurrent pregnancy loss [84 (63.6%)] and offspring(s) with congenital abnormalities [48 (36.4%)] were the most common indications in this group. Majority (68.2%) in this group were females with reciprocal translocations (55.3%). Chromosomes 21, 14, and 13 were the most commonly involved with rob(14q21q) [72 (26%)], rob(21q21q) [30 (13.7%)], and rob(13q14q) [34 (12.3%)] accounting for 52% of the translocations. Chromosomes 1, 8, 11, and 18 were most commonly involved in reciprocal translocations. The observed high frequency of chromosomal translocations in our cohort highlights the importance of undertaking cytogenetic evaluation and providing appropriate genetic counseling for individuals with the phenotypes associated with these translocations.
Stimuli-Responsive Graphene Nanohybrids for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Patel Dinesh K. , Seo Yu-Ri , Lim Ki-Taek
Published: April 2019

Stimuli-responsive materials, also known as smart materials, can change their structure and, consequently, original behavior in response to external or internal stimuli. This is due to the change in the interactions between the various functional groups. Graphene, which is a single layer of carbon atoms with a hexagonal morphology and has excellent physiochemical properties with a high surface area, is frequently used in materials science for various applications. Numerous surface functionalizations are possible for the graphene structure with different functional groups, which can be used to alter the properties of native materials. Graphene-based hybrids exhibit significant improvements in their native properties. Since functionalized graphene contains several reactive groups, the behavior of such hybrid materials can be easily tuned by changing the external conditions, which is very useful in biomedical applications. Enhanced cell proliferation and differentiation of stem cells was reported on the surfaces of graphene-based hybrids with negligible cytotoxicity. In addition, pH or light-induced drug delivery with a controlled release rate was observed for such nanohybrids. Besides, notable improvements in antimicrobial activity were observed for nanohybrids, which demonstrated their potential for biomedical applications. This review describes the physiochemical properties of graphene and graphene-based hybrid materials for stimuli-responsive drug delivery, tissue engineering, and antimicrobial applications.
Molecular Imaging of Deoxycytidine Kinase Activity Using Deoxycytidine-Enhanced CEST MRI
Authors: Han Zheng , Li Yuguo , Zhang Jia , Liu Jing , Chen Chuheng , van Zijl Peter C. , Liu Guanshu
Published: April 2019

Deoxycytidine kinase (DCK) is a key enzyme for the activation of a broad spectrum of nucleoside-based chemotherapy drugs (e.g., gemcitabine); low DCK activity is one of the most important causes of cancer drug-resistance. Noninvasive imaging methods that can quantify DCK activity are invaluable for assessing tumor resistance and predicting treatment efficacy. Here we developed a “natural” MRI approach to detect DCK activity using its natural substrate deoxycytidine (dC) as the imaging probe, which can be detected directly by chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI without any synthetic labeling. CEST MRI contrast of dC and its phosphorylated form, dCTP, successfully discriminated DCK activity in two mouse leukemia cell lines with different DCK expression. This dC-enhanced CEST MRI in xenograft leukemic cancer mouse models demonstrated that DCK(+) tumors have a distinctive dynamic CEST contrast enhancement and a significantly higher CEST contrast than DCK(−) tumors (AUC0–60 min = 0.47 ± 0.25 and 0.20 ± 0.13, respectively; P = 0.026, paired Student t test, n = 4) at 1 hour after the injection of dC. dC-enhanced CEST contrast also correlated well with tumor responses to gemcitabine treatment. This study demonstrates a novel MR molecular imaging approach for predicting cancer resistance using natural, nonradioactive, nonmetallic, and clinically available agents. This method has great potential for pursuing personalized chemotherapy by stratifying patients with different DCK activity.

Significance:

A new molecular MRI method that detects deoxycytidine kinase activity using its natural substrate deoxycytidine has great translational potential for clinical assessment of tumor resistance and prediction of treatment efficacy.
Mobilization of CD8+ T Cells via CXCR4 Blockade Facilitates PD-1 Checkpoint Therapy in Human Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Seo Yongwoo David , Jiang Xiuyun , Sullivan Kevin M. , Jalikis Florencia G. , Smythe Kimberly S. , Abbasi Arezou , Vignali Marissa , Park James O. , Daniel Sara K. , Pollack Seth M. , Kim Teresa S. , Yeung Raymond , Crispe Ian Nicholas , Pierce Robert H. , Robins Harlan , Pillarisetty Venu G.
Published: April 2019

Purpose:

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is rarely cured, and single-agent immune checkpoint inhibition has not demonstrated clinical benefit despite the presence of large numbers of CD8+ T cells. We hypothesized that tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells harbor latent antitumor activity that can be reactivated using combination immunotherapy.

Experimental Design:

Preserved human PDA specimens were analyzed using multiplex IHC (mIHC) and T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing. Fresh tumor was treated in organotypic slice culture to test the effects of combination PD-1 and CXCR4 blockade. Slices were analyzed using IHC, flow cytometry, and live fluorescent microscopy to assess tumor kill, in addition to T-cell expansion and mobilization.

Results:

mIHC demonstrated fewer CD8+ T cells in juxtatumoral stroma containing carcinoma cells than in stroma devoid of them. Using TCR sequencing, we found clonal expansion in each tumor; high-frequency clones had multiple DNA rearrangements coding for the same amino acid binding sequence, which suggests response to common tumor antigens. Treatment of fresh human PDA slices with combination PD-1 and CXCR4 blockade led to increased tumor cell death concomitant with lymphocyte expansion. Live microscopy after combination therapy demonstrated CD8+ T-cell migration into the juxtatumoral compartment and rapid increase in tumor cell apoptosis.

Conclusions:

Endogenous tumor-reactive T cells are present within the human PDA tumor microenvironment and can be reactivated by combined blockade of PD-1 and CXCR4. This provides a new basis for the rational selection of combination immunotherapy for PDA.

See related commentary by Medina and Miller, p. 3747
Chemoprevention of Azoxymethane-induced Colon Carcinogenesis by Delta-Tocotrienol
Authors: Husain Kazim , Zhang Anying , Shivers Steve , Davis-Yadley Ashley , Coppola Domenico , Yang Chung S. , Malafa Mokenge P.
Published: April 2019

This study evaluated the preclinical activity of δ-tocotrienol (DT3), a bioactive form of vitamin E, in the inhibition of colorectal cancer growth and development in vitro and in vivo. DT3 is the most bioactive isomer of vitamin E in inhibiting growth of colorectal cancer cells. However, it had little effect on the proliferation of normal colon mucosal cells NCM460. In HCT-116 and SW-620 colorectal cancer cells, DT3 (50 μmol/L) significantly inhibited malignant transformation (P < 0.02, P < 0.001), cell migration (P < 0.02, P < 0.05), and invasion (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) compared with vehicle. DT3 inhibited markers for epithelial (E-cadherin) to mesenchymal (vimentin) transition, metastasis (matrix metalloproteinase 9), angiogenesis VEGF, inflammation (NF-κB), and Wnt signaling (β-catenin) compared with vehicle in colorectal cancer cells. DT3 induced apoptosis selectively in colorectal cancer cells (SW-620 cells, HCT-116 cells, and HT-29) without affecting the normal colon cells. In the azoxymethane-induced colorectal carcinogenesis model in rats, DT3 (200 mg/kg orally twice a day) for 20 weeks significantly inhibited colorectal polyps by 70% and colorectal cancer by almost 99% compared with the vehicle treatment group (P < 0.02, P < 0.001), and the cancer inhibition effect was more potent than sulindac (50%). Taken together, these data demonstrate that DT3 is a potential chemopreventive agent in colorectal cancer, warranting further investigation into its clinical use in the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer.
Suboptimal T-cell Therapy Drives a Tumor Cell Mutator Phenotype That Promotes Escape from First-Line Treatment
Authors: Evgin Laura , Huff Amanda L. , Kottke Timothy , Thompson Jill , Molan Amy M. , Driscoll Christopher B. , Schuelke Matthew , Shim Kevin G. , Wongthida Phonphimon , Ilett Elizabeth J. , Smith Karen Kaluza , Harris Reuben S. , Coffey Matt , Pulido Jose S. , Pandha Hardev , Selby Peter J. , Harrington Kevin J. , Melcher Alan , Vile Richard G.
Published: April 2019

Antitumor T-cell responses raised by first-line therapies such as chemotherapy, radiation, tumor cell vaccines, and viroimmunotherapy tend to be weak, both quantitatively (low frequency) and qualitatively (low affinity). We show here that T cells that recognize tumor-associated antigens can directly kill tumor cells if used at high effector-to-target ratios. However, when these tumor-reactive T cells were present at suboptimal ratios, direct T-cell–mediated tumor cell killing was reduced and the ability of tumor cells to evolve away from a coapplied therapy (oncolytic or suicide gene therapy) was promoted. This T-cell–mediated increase in therapeutic resistance was associated with C to T transition mutations that are characteristic of APOBEC3 cytosine deaminase activity and was induced through a TNFα and protein kinase C–dependent pathway. Short hairpin RNA inhibition of endogenous APOBEC3 reduced rates of tumor escape from oncolytic virus or suicide gene therapy to those seen in the absence of antitumor T-cell coculture. Conversely, overexpression of human APOBEC3B in tumor cells enhanced escape from suicide gene therapy and oncolytic virus therapy both in vitro and in vivo. Our data suggest that weak affinity or low frequency T-cell responses against tumor antigens may contribute to the ability of tumor cells to evolve away from first-line therapies. We conclude that immunotherapies need to be optimized as early as possible so that, if they do not kill the tumor completely, they do not promote treatment resistance.
Accumulation of Circulating CCR7+ Natural Killer Cells Marks Melanoma Evolution and Reveals a CCL19-Dependent Metastatic Pathway
Authors: Cristiani Costanza Maria , Turdo Alice , Ventura Valeria , Apuzzo Tiziana , Capone Mariaelena , Madonna Gabriele , Mallardo Domenico , Garofalo Cinzia , Giovannone Emilia Dora , Grimaldi Antonio M. , Tallerico Rossana , Marcenaro Emanuela , Pesce Silvia , Del Zotto Genny , Agosti Valter , Costanzo Francesco Saverio , Gulletta Elio , Rizzo Aroldo , Moretta Alessandro , Karre Klas , Ascierto Paolo A. , Todaro Matilde , Carbone Ennio
Published: April 2019

Immune checkpoint blockade therapy has changed prognoses for many melanoma patients. However, immune responses that correlate with clinical progression of the disease are still poorly understood. To identify immune responses correlating with melanoma clinical evolution, we analyzed serum cytokines as well as circulating NK and T-cell subpopulations from melanoma patients. The patients' immune profiles suggested that melanoma progression leads to changes in peripheral blood NK and T-cell subsets. Stage IV melanoma was characterized by an increased frequency of CCR7+CD56bright NK cells as well as high serum concentrations of the CCR7 ligand CCL19. CCR7 expression and CCL19 secretion were also observed in melanoma cell lines. The CCR7+ melanoma cell subpopulation coexpressed PD-L1 and Galectin-9 and had stemness properties. Analysis of melanoma-derived cancer stem cells (CSC) showed high CCR7 expression; these CSCs were efficiently recognized and killed by NK cells. An accumulation of CCR7+, PD-L1+, and Galectin-9+ melanoma cells in melanoma metastases was demonstrated ex vivo. Altogether, our data identify biomarkers that may mark a CCR7-driven metastatic melanoma pathway.
30-Day Postoperative Morbidity of Emergency Surgery for Obstructive Right- and Left-Sided Colon Cancer in Obese Patients: A Multicenter Cohort Study of the French Surgical Association
Authors: Genser Laurent , Manceau Gilles , Mege Diane , Bridoux Valérie , Lakkis Zaher , Venara Aurélien , Voron Thibault , Bege Thierry , Sielezneff Igor , Karoui Mehdi ,   on behalf of the AFC (French Surgical Association) Working Group
Published: April 2019

Background: Emergency surgery impairs postoperative outcomes in colorectal cancer patients. No study has assessed the relationship between obesity and postoperative results in this setting. Objective: To compare the results of emergency surgery for obstructive colon cancer (OCC) in an obese patient population with those in overweight and normal weight patient groups. Methods: From 2000 to 2015, patients undergoing emergency surgery for OCC in French surgical centers members of the French National Surgical Association were included. Three groups were defined: normal weight (body mass index [BMI] < 25.0 kg/m2), overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9 kg/m2), and obese (BMI ≥30.0 kg/m2). Results: Of 1,241 patients, 329 (26.5%) were overweight and 143 (11.5%) were obese. Obese patients had significantly higher American society of anesthesiologists score, more cardiovascular comorbidity and more hemodynamic instability at presentation. Overall postoperative mortality and morbidity were 8 and 51%, respectively, with no difference between the 3 groups. For obese patients with left-sided OCC, stoma-related complications were significantly increased (8 vs. 5 vs. 15%, p = 0.02). Conclusion: Compared with lower BMI patients, obese patients with OCC had a more severe presentation at admission but similar surgical management. Obesity did not increase 30-day postoperative morbidity except stoma-related complications for those with left-sided OCC.
Association of Acute Kidney Injury with Cardiovascular Events and Death in Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial
Authors: Dieter Brad P. , Daratha Kenn B. , McPherson Sterling M. , Short Robert , Alicic Radica Z. , Tuttle Katherine R.
Published: April 2019

Rationale and Objective: In the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial, the possible relationships between acute kidney injury (AKI) and risk of major cardiovascular events and death are not known. Study Design: Post hoc analysis of a multicenter, randomized, controlled, open-label clinical trial. Setting and Participants: Hypertensive adults without diabetes who were ≥50 years of age with prior cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease (CKD), 10-year Framingham risk score > 15%, or age > 75 years were assigned to a systolic blood pressure target of < 120 mm Hg (intensive) or < 140 mm Hg (standard). Predictor: AKI episodes. Outcomes: The primary outcome was a composite of myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, stroke, decompensated heart failure, or cardiovascular death. The secondary outcome was death from any cause. Analytical Approach: AKI was defined using the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes modified criteria based solely upon serum creatinine. AKI episodes were identified by serious adverse events or emergency room visits. Cox proportional hazards models assessed the risk for the primary and secondary outcomes by AKI status. Results: Participants were 68 ± 9 years of age, 36% women (3,332/9,361), and 30% Black race (2,802/9,361), and 17% (1,562/9,361) with cardiovascular disease. Systolic blood pressure was 140 ± 16 mm Hg at study entry. AKI occurred in 4.4% (204/4,678) and 2.6% (120/4,683) in the intensive and standard treatment groups respectively (p < 0.001). Those who experienced AKI had higher risk of cardiovascular events (hazard ratio [HR] 1.52, 95% CI 1.05–2.20, p = 0.026) and death from any cause (HR 2.33, 95% CI 1.56–3.48, p < 0.001) controlling for age, sex, race, baseline systolic blood pressure, body mass index, number of antihypertensive medications, cardiovascular disease and CKD status, hypotensive episodes, and treatment assignment. Limitations: The study was not prospectively designed to determine relationships between AKI, cardiovascular events, and death. Conclusions: Among older adults with hypertension at high cardiovascular risk, intensive treatment of blood pressure independently increased risk of AKI, which substantially raised risks of major cardiovascular events and death.
Semantic Knowledge Enhances Conscious Awareness of Visual Objects
Authors: Weller Peter D. , Rabovsky Milena , Abdel Rahman Rasha
Published: April 2019

It is becoming increasingly established that information from long-term memory can influence early perceptual processing, a finding that is in line with recent theoretical approaches to cognition such as the predictive coding framework. Notwithstanding, the impact of semantic knowledge on conscious perception and the temporal dynamics of such an influence remain unclear. To address this question, we presented pictures of novel objects to participants as the second of two targets in an attentional blink paradigm. We found that associating newly acquired semantic knowledge to objects increased overall conscious detection in comparison to objects associated with minimal knowledge while controlling for object familiarity. Additionally, event-related brain potentials revealed a corresponding modulation beginning 100 msec after stimulus presentation in the P1 component. Furthermore, the size of this modulation was correlated with participant's subjective reports of conscious perception. These findings suggest that semantic knowledge can shape the contents of consciousness by affecting early stages of perceptual processing.
Functionally Separable Font-invariant and Font-sensitive Neural Populations in Occipitotemporal Cortex
Authors: Zhou Zhiheng , Vilis Tutis , Strother Lars
Published: April 2019

Reading relies on the rapid visual recognition of words viewed in a wide variety of fonts. We used fMRI to identify neural populations showing reduced fMRI responses to repeated words displayed in different fonts (“font-invariant” repetition suppression). We also identified neural populations showing greater fMRI responses to words repeated in a changing font as compared with words repeated in the same font (“font-sensitive” release from repetition suppression). We observed font-invariant repetition suppression in two anatomically distinct regions of the left occipitotemporal cortex (OT), a “visual word form area” in mid-fusiform cortex, and a more posterior region in the middle occipital gyrus. In contrast, bilateral shape-selective lateral occipital cortex and posterior fusiform showed considerable sensitivity to font changes during the viewing of repeated words. Although the visual word form area and the left middle occipital gyrus showed some evidence of font sensitivity, both regions showed a relatively greater degree of font invariance than font sensitivity. Our results show that the neural mechanisms in the left OT involved in font-invariant word recognition are anatomically distinct from those sensitive to font-related shape changes. We conclude that font-invariant representation of visual word form is instantiated at multiple levels by anatomically distinct neural mechanisms within the left OT.
Grammar Error Correction in Morphologically Rich Languages: The Case of Russian
Authors: Rozovskaya Alla , Roth Dan
Published: April 2019

Until now, most of the research in grammar error correction focused on English, and the problem has hardly been explored for other languages. We address the task of correcting writing mistakes in morphologically rich languages, with a focus on Russian. We present a corrected and error-tagged corpus of Russian learner writing and develop models that make use of existing state-of-the-art methods that have been well studied for English. Although impressive results have recently been achieved for grammar error correction of non-native English writing, these results are limited to domains where plentiful training data are available. Because annotation is extremely costly, these approaches are not suitable for the majority of domains and languages. We thus focus on methods that use “minimal supervision”; that is, those that do not rely on large amounts of annotated training data, and show how existing minimal-supervision approaches extend to a highly inflectional language such as Russian. The results demonstrate that these methods are particularly useful for correcting mistakes in grammatical phenomena that involve rich morphology.
Semantic Neural Machine Translation Using AMR
Authors: Song Linfeng , Gildea Daniel , Zhang Yue , Wang Zhiguo , Su Jinsong
Published: April 2019

It is intuitive that semantic representations can be useful for machine translation, mainly because they can help in enforcing meaning preservation and handling data sparsity (many sentences correspond to one meaning) of machine translation models. On the other hand, little work has been done on leveraging semantics for neural machine translation (NMT). In this work, we study the usefulness of AMR (abstract meaning representation) on NMT. Experiments on a standard English-to-German dataset show that incorporating AMR as additional knowledge can significantly improve a strong attention-based sequence-to-sequence neural translation model.
Not all little brown frogs are the same: a new species of secretive and cryptic Gephyromantis (Anura: Mantellidae) from Madagascar
Authors: VIEITES DAVID R. , WOLLENBERG KATHARINA C. , VENCES MIGUEL
Published: April 2019

We describe a new species of small diurnal frog of the genus Gephyromantis from Mahasoa, a fragment of mid-altituderainforest in the northern central east of Madagascar, located to the north east of Lake Alaotra. Analysis of DNA sequencesof the mitochondrial 16S rRNA and cytochrome b genes and of the nuclear Rag 1 gene indicate that Gephyromantis mafysp. nov. is closely related to G. eiselti and G. thelenae, that it is genetically distinct and when compared with the geneticdiversity of all species in the genus shows genetic differences similar to other pairs of species. These three species aremorphologically almost indistinguishable but the new species differs by a relevant and consistent genetic divergence inall markers studied, and by its advertisement calls composed of note series. The call is intermediate between G. eiselti andG. thelenae, showing shorter note duration and higher repetition rate than in G. thelenae and slightly longer note durationbut lower repetition rate than in G. eiselti. The new species is known only from Mahasoa forest but due to its secretivehabits and cryptic morphology, we assume that it is more widespread in the mid-altitude rainforests east and north of Lake Alaotra that so far have been very poorly surveyed. We propose a Red List status of Data Deficient for the new species.
Four new species of Penottus Distant (Hemiptera: Tingidae) from China
Authors: DANG KAI , LI CHUANREN , BU WENJUN
Published: April 2019

Six species of Penottus Distant, 1903 (Heteroptera: Tingidae) from China are treated in this paper, in which Penottustibetanus Drake and Maa, 1954 (described from Tibet) is newly recorded from Hubei Province, and four species aredescribed as new: Penottus bisinuatus sp. n., Penottus cassideus sp. n., Penottus fujianensis sp. n., and Penottus tuberculiformis sp. n. A key to the species occurring in China is provided.
Two new species of the genus Daptonema Cobb, 1920 (Nematoda: Xyalidae) found in the monospecific Halophila ovalis patches within an intertidal mixed-species seagrass bed on the coast of the Andaman Sea, Thailand
Authors: ARYUTHAKA CHITTIMA , KITO KENJI
Published: April 2019

Daptonema hyalocella sp. n. and D. setihyalocella sp. n. are described from the Ban Pa Khlok seagrass bed, Phuket Prov-ince, Thailand. These new species are characterized by the epidermal chords consisting of large cells with a transparentappearance, as in D. conicum (Filipjev, 1922) and D. trabeculosum (G. Schneider, 1906). The key characteristics of D.hyalocella sp. n. are the peculiar epidermal chords, loose S-shaped spicules with no proximal cephalation, an indistinctgubernaculum with a lateral piece, and two terminal setae. For D. setihyalocella sp. n., the key characteristics are similarpeculiar epidermal chords, but in this case with the L-shaped spicules having proximal cephalation, a distinct gubernaculum with dorsal apophysis and lateral piece, and four terminal setae.
Second contribution to the knowledge of water mites of the genus Monatractides K. Viets (Acari: Hydrachnidia, Torrenticolidae) from New Guinea, with descriptions of three new species
Authors: PEŠIĆ VLADIMIR , SMIT HARRY
Published: April 2019

New records of seven water mite species of the genus Monatractides K. Viets, 1926 (Acari: Hydrachnidia, Torrenticoli-dae) from streams in West Papua and Papua provinces, New Guinea, Indonesia are presented. Three of them, M. magnus, M. neoaustralicus and M. rivulus, are described as new for science.
Colour polymorphism in a leafhopper species Macropsis notata (Prohaska, 1923) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Macropsinae) with new synonyms
Authors: LI HU , TISHECHKIN DMITRI YU. , DAI RENHUAI , LI ZIZHONG
Published: April 2019

Colour polymorphism in a leafhopper species Macropsis notata (Prohaska, 1923) is investigated based on large quantitiesof materials from China, eight colour forms are recognized. The following new synonymies are proposed: M. salicis Li, 1989 syn. nov. and M. matsudanis Wei & Cai, 1998 syn. nov. of M. notata (Prohaska, 1923).
A new genus and new species of leucosiid crab (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) from coral reefs in the Indo-West Pacific
Authors: KOMAI TOMOYUKI , NG PETER K. L.
Published: April 2019

A new genus and new species of leucosiid crab, Coralliocryptus caementa n. sp., is described from Indo-West Pacific coralreefs in the Ryukyu Islands (Japan), Vanuatu, and Comoros. Although the new genus exhibits superficial resemblance to theIphiculidae in having prominent vertical spiniform teeth on the cutting edges of the chela and the female abdomen consisting offreely articulated somites, the deeply excavated female sterno-abdominal cavity, which is completely covered by the abdomen,unambiguously places this unique taxon in the Leucosiidae. The highly eroded, coral-rubble mimic carapace suggests somedegree of relationship between Coralliocryptus and some other ebaliinine genera, e.g., Alox Tan & Ng, 1995, Oreophorus Rüppel, 1830, Oreotlos Ihle, 1918.Key words: Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura, Leucosiidae, new genus, new species, Indo-West Pacific
Two new species of Paravelia Breddin, 1898 and distributional notes concerning the Veliidae from Minas Gerais State, Brazil (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerromorpha)
Authors: MOREIRA FELIPE FERRAZ FIGUEIREDO , BARBOSA JULIANNA FREIRES
Published: April 2019

Paravelia lanemeloi sp. nov. and P. nieseri sp. nov. are described. Microvelia inannana, Oiovelia brasiliensis, Rhagoveliamodesta, R. novana, R. sooretama, R. teresa, R. vaniniae, and R. zela are recorded for the first time from Minas GeraisState. Additional records are presented for M. longipes, M. pulchella, R. aiuruoca, R. hambletoni, R. macta, R. robusta, R. sabrina, R. triangula, R. trianguloides, and R. turmalis.
A new South American species of Centris (Heterocentris) Cockerell, 1899 with a key to the species with horn-like projections on the clypeus (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Centridini)
Authors: VÉLEZ DANNY , VIVALLO FELIPE
Published: April 2019

The genus Centris Fabricius, 1804 is one of the more diverse lineages of solitary bees in the Neotropical Region with more than250 described species. Here Centris ceratops new species is described from a tropical dry forest in northern Colombia (Colosó,Department of Sucre), thus increasing the number of known species to four in which the females possess a horn-like projectionon the clypeus. This group of bees belongs to a small monophyletic group within C. (Heterocentris). Along with the description of this new species, diagnosis, pictures and a key to identify the species of females with modified clypeus are also provided.
A new species of Peltephilidae (Mammalia: Xenarthra: Cingulata) from the late Miocene (Chasicoan SALMA) of Argentina
Authors: GONZÁLEZ-RUIZ LAUREANO R. , SCILLATO-YANÉ GUSTAVO J. , KRMPOTIC CECILIA M. , CARLINI ALFREDO A.
Published: April 2019

A new species of Peltephilidae (Mammalia, Xenarthra, Cingulata) (early Eocene–late Miocene) is described here. Thenew taxon is based on three specimens collected from the margins of Arroyo Chasicó, Buenos Aires Province, (Argenti-na), which correspond to the Arroyo Chasicó Formation (late Miocene, Chasicoan SALMA). The new species is charac-terized by osteoderms with a very rough exposed surface showing high longitudinal and well developed crests (two lateraland one central) with deep and ample valleys among them. The new taxon is the only “relictual” xenarthran cingulate ofthe Santacrucian Age (late early Miocene) to be registered for the last time in the Chasicoan SALMA (late Miocene), and represents the youngest record of the family Peltephilidae.
Taxonomic revision and zoogeographical patterns of the species of Gnopharmia Staudinger, 1892 (Geometridae, Ennominae)
Authors: SH. HOSSEIN RAJAEI , STÜNING DIETER , TRUSCH ROBERT
Published: April 2019

The genus Gnopharmia Staudinger, 1892 is revised, based on more than 2000 specimens from the entire area ofdistribution and study of type material of all described taxa, as far asmap available. Seven species and three subspeciesare confirmed as valid for the genus. All important morphological characters have been studied and compared, includingmale and female genitalia. In addition, preliminary results of DNA-Barcoding were used to reassess our taxonomicdecisions, based on morphological studies. Type specimens and their labels are illustrated and additional specimens,demonstrating the variability of certain species, are also figured. Male genitalia of all valid species are figured and SEMphotos of the aedeagus are illustrated. Further important structures, the so-called ‘octavals’ on the male pre-genitalabdomen, are also figured. Female genitalia revealed a high similarity between species, combined with a considerablevariability, and were unsuitable for characterisation of species. Female genitalia of three species are figured to exemplifythis situation. As a result of the morphological and genetic studies, 12 out of the 21 described species and subspecies aresynonymised or transferred to the closely related genus Neognopharmia Wehrli, 1953. In addition, G. colchidariacocandaria (Erschoff, 1874) is revived as a valid species, G. sinesefida Wehrli, 1941 is downgraded to a subspecies of G.colchidaria Lederer, 1870. Five new records for the fauna of the following countries are presented: G. colchidariaobjectaria: new for Pakistan; G. irakensis: new for Turkey and Pakistan; G. kasrunensis: new for Oman and G. sarobiana: new for Pakistan. Distribution maps and an identification key are given for all species.
A new species of Oecanthus and Oecanthus lineolatus Saussure, 1897 from Southern Brazil: species description, including phallic sclerites, metanotal glands and calling song (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Oecanthinae)
Authors: ZEFA EDISON , NEUTZLING ALEXANDRE SCHNEID , REDÜ DARLAN RUTZ , DE OLIVEIRA GABRIEL LOBREGAT , DE PINHO MARTINS LUCIANO
Published: April 2019

We characterized and compared taxonomic features of two species of tree crickets Oecanthus in tobacco plantation and adja-cent native trees and bushes at Southern Brazil. The marked differences between species included Oecanthus n. sp. with pale-green body, pale-yellow head, greenish-white eyes, file teeth number 32.8±1.2 (31–34, n = 6) and hindwings caudate. Oecan-thus lineolatus is slightly darker as pale-green, with pale-green head, yellow eyes, hind femur variegated with translucent andpale-green, file teeth number 47±2.2 (42–51, n = 18) and hindwings non caudate. Both species also differ in calling song dominant frequency and temporal parameters, as well as in the morphology of metanotal gland.
Lynx spiders from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China (Araneae: Oxyopidae)
Authors: TANG GUO , LI SHUQIANG
Published: April 2019

The lynx spiders (Araneae: Oxyopidae) from the tropical forests of Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China were studied. Atotal of three genera and 16 species were examined and studied, including 10 new species from two genera: Hamataliwa fove-ata sp. nov., H. manca sp. nov., H. menglunensis sp. nov., H. oculata sp. nov., H. pedicula sp. nov., H. pentagona sp. nov., H.pilulifera sp. nov., H. submanca sp. nov., Oxyopes complicatus sp. nov. and O. submirabilis sp. nov. Hamataliwa subhadrae(Tikader, 1970) comb. nov. is transferred from Oxyopes Latreille, 1804. The females of Oxyopes mirabilis Zhang, 2005 and O.tenellus Song, 1991 are described for the first time. Hamadruas hieroglyphica (Thorell, 1887) and Hamataliwa subhadrae(Tikader, 1970) are newly recorded from China. The species Oxyopes bianatinus Xie & Kim, 1996 is considered a junior syn-onym of Oxyopes fujianicus Song & Zhu, 1993. Oxyopes decorosus Zhang & Zhu, 2005 is recorded from the Yunnan Province, China for the first time.
A new troglobitic species of Typhloroncus (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones: Ideoroncidae) from Guatemala
Authors: VIANA ANA CLARA M. , FERREIRA RODRIGO L.
Published: April 2019

Typhloroncus guatemalensis sp. n., found in Gruta de Lanquín, a limestone cave located in the municipality of Lanquín (Alta Verapaz, Guatemala), is described. It can be distinguished from the congeneric species mainly by the presence of lanceolate ventrodistal telotarsal setae on all legs; by the chelal teeth, which exhibit a varied morphology; by the number of trichobothria (30‒32); and by its measurements. Typhloroncus guatemalensis sp. n. represents the first record for the genus in Guatemala and is considered to be troglobitic.
A new species of Microschemobrycon (Characiformes: Characidae) from Rio Xingu basin, Brazil
Authors: OHARA WILLIAN M. , JEREP FERNADO C. , CAVALLARO MARCEL R.
Published: April 2019

A new species of Microschemobrycon with a restricted distribution was recently discovered in the Rio Curuá, Rio Xingu basin, Pará, Brazil. Microschemobrycon cryptogrammus new species can be promptly distinguished from all congeners by the presence of a rounded, dark, conspicuous caudal-peduncle blotch and by a subjacent dark midlateral stripe visible in life. Additionally, the new species can be distinguished from all its congeners, except M. elongatus, by the presence of a longitudinal dark stripe along the lower jaw. The new species can be distinguished from M. elongatus by presenting lateral line with 36–38 pored scales, anterior and posterior nostrils coalescend, dark chromatophores concentrated along the ventral margin of the caudal peduncle and by the presence in life of a dark spot at the base of the dorsal-fin origin.