bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neurofunctional Differences Related to Methamphetamine and Sexual Cues in Men With Shorter and Longer Term Abstinence Methamphetamine Dependence
Authors: Chen Shubao , Huang Shucai , Yang Cheng , Cai Weifu , Chen Hongxian , Hao Wei , Liu Tieqiao , Wang Xuyi , Worhunsky Patrick D , Potenza Marc N 
Published: December 2019

Abstract

Background
Stimulant use and sexual behaviors have been linked in behavioral and epidemiological studies. Although methamphetamine-related neurofunctional differences have been investigated, few studies have examined neural responses to drug and sexual cues with respect to shorter or longer term methamphetamine abstinence in individuals with methamphetamine dependence.

Methods
Forty-nine men with shorter term methamphetamine abstinence, 50 men with longer term methamphetamine abstinence, and 47 non–drug-using healthy comparison men completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging cue-reactivity task consisting of methamphetamine, sexual, and neutral visual cues.

Results
Region-of-interest analyses revealed greater methamphetamine cue–related activation in shorter term methamphetamine abstinence and longer term methamphetamine abstinence individuals relative to healthy comparison men in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. A significant interaction of group and condition in the anterior insula was found. Relative to healthy comparison participants, both shorter term methamphetamine abstinence and longer term methamphetamine abstinence groups displayed greater sexual cue–related anterior insula activation relative to methamphetamine cues and neutral cues, but there were no differences between shorter term methamphetamine abstinence and longer term methamphetamine abstinence groups in anterior insula responses. Subsequent whole-brain analyses indicated a group-by-condition interaction with longer term methamphetamine abstinence participants showing greater sexual-related activation in the left superior frontal cortex relative to healthy comparison men. Shorter term methamphetamine abstinence participants showed greater superior frontal cortex activation to sexual relative to neutral cues, and longer term methamphetamine abstinence participants showed greater superior frontal cortex activation to sexual relative to neutral and methamphetamine cues.

Conclusions
The findings suggest that abstinence from methamphetamine may alter how individuals respond to drug and sexual cues and thus may influence drug use and sexual behaviors. Given the use of methamphetamine for sexual purposes and responses to natural vs drug rewards for addiction recovery, the findings may have particular clinical relevance.
Porcine Prion Protein as a Paradigm of Limited Susceptibility to Prion Strain Propagation
Authors: Espinosa Juan Carlos , Marín-Moreno Alba , Aguilar-Calvo Patricia , Benestad Sylvie L , Andreoletti Olivier , Torres Juan María 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Although experimental transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to pigs and transgenic mice expressing pig cellular prion protein (PrPC) (porcine PrP [PoPrP]–Tg001) has been described, no natural cases of prion diseases in pig were reported. This study analyzed pig-PrPC susceptibility to different prion strains using PoPrP-Tg001 mice either as animal bioassay or as substrate for protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA). A panel of isolates representatives of different prion strains was selected, including classic and atypical/Nor98 scrapie, atypical-BSE, rodent scrapie, human Creutzfeldt-Jakob-disease and classic BSE from different species. Bioassay proved that PoPrP-Tg001-mice were susceptible only to the classic BSE agent, and PMCA results indicate that only classic BSE can convert pig-PrPC into scrapie-type PrP (PrPSc), independently of the species origin. Therefore, conformational flexibility constraints associated with pig-PrP would limit the number of permissible PrPSc conformations compatible with pig-PrPC, thus suggesting that pig-PrPC may constitute a paradigm of low conformational flexibility that could confer high resistance to the diversity of prion strains.
Structural Uncertainty in Onchocerciasis Transmission Models Influences the Estimation of Elimination Thresholds and Selection of Age Groups for Seromonitoring
Authors: Hamley Jonathan I D , Walker Martin , Coffeng Luc E , Milton Philip , de Vlas Sake J , Stolk Wilma A , Basáñez Maria-Gloria 
Published: December 2019

Abstract

Background
The World Health Organization recommends monitoring Onchocerca volvulus Ov16 serology in children aged &lt;10 years for stopping mass ivermectin administration. Transmission models can help to identify the most informative age groups for serological monitoring and investigate the discriminatory power of serology-based elimination thresholds. Model predictions depend on assumed age-exposure patterns and transmission efficiency at low infection levels.

Methods
The individual-based transmission model, EPIONCHO-IBM, was used to assess (1) the most informative age groups for serological monitoring using receiver operating characteristic curves for different elimination thresholds under various age-dependent exposure assumptions, including those of ONCHOSIM (another widely used model), and (2) the influence of within-human density-dependent parasite establishment (included in EPIONCHO-IBM but not ONCHOSIM) on positive predictive values for different serological thresholds.

Results
When assuming EPIONCHO-IBM exposure patterns, children aged &lt;10 years are the most informative for seromonitoring; when assuming ONCHOSIM exposure patterns, 5–14 year olds are the most informative (as published elsewhere). Omitting density-dependent parasite establishment results in more lenient seroprevalence thresholds, even for higher baseline infection prevalence and shorter treatment durations.

Conclusions
Selecting appropriate seromonitoring age groups depends critically on age-dependent exposure patterns. The role of density dependence on elimination thresholds largely explains differing EPIONCHO-IBM and ONCHOSIM elimination predictions.
Ruminal motility, reticuloruminal fill, and eating patterns in steers exposed to ergovaline
Authors: Ahn Gyuchul , Ricconi Kara , Avila Suelen , Klotz James L , Harmon David L 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Fescue toxicosis is problematic for growing steers, causing lower DMI and productivity when fed endophyte-infected (E+) tall fescue. A complete understanding of underlying mechanisms of how fescue toxicosis affects growing steers is lacking. Therefore, the overall objective of this multiexperiment study was to determine whether ruminally dosed ergovaline (ERV) affects rumen motility, rumen contents, and eating patterns. In Exp. 1, an 8-h period to assess ruminal motility began 4 h after feeding by monitoring pressure changes using a wireless system for 21 d. Eight ruminally cannulated steers (283 kg BW) were pair fed with alfalfa cubes (1.5 × NEm) and assigned to endophyte free (E−; 0 μg ERV/kg BW/d) or E+ treatment (20 μg ERV/kg BW/d). Overall, E+ steers had more frequent rumen contractions (Seed P = 0.05 and day of feeding P = 0.02). On days 7 to 9, both treatments showed lower frequencies and E− steers had greater amplitude of contractions (P &lt; 0.001) that corresponded with decreased DMI. In Exp. 2, steers remained in pairs assigned in Exp. 1 (322 kg BW), but reversed seed treatments while increasing ERV levels (titrated 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 μg ERV/kg BW/d over 57 d). There were no differences between E− and E+ for frequency (P = 0.137) or amplitude of contractions (P = 0.951), but increasing ERV dosage, decreased frequency (P = 0.018) and amplitude (P = 0.005), coinciding with lower DMI. In Exp. 3, 8 steers (589 kg) were pair fed and ruminally dosed 15 μg ERV/kg BW/d, and rumen motility data were collected for 21 d. E− steers showed higher amplitude and lower frequency of contractions than E+ steers with seed (P &lt; 0.001), day (P &lt; 0.001), and seed × day (P &lt; 0.04) effects, but rumen fill was not different between E− and E+ (P &gt; 0.29). Serum prolactin concentrations were lower in E+ steers in Exp. 1 to 3. Eating patterns of pair-fed E− and E+ steers were relatively slower in E+ than E− (Exp. 4) by measuring every 2 h across 24 h. Number of meals were higher in E+ than E− steers, but meal duration and meal size were not different between treatments. Rumen content (DM%) tended to be higher in E+ than in E− when steers were fed once a day (P = 0.07), but there was no difference for rumen content (DM%) when E− and E+ steers were fed 12 times a day (P = 0.13). These results suggest the changes in rumen fill associated with fescue toxicosis may be driven more by changes in feeding behavior and eating pattern rather than by changes in motility.
Changes in Morphometric Traits of Ground Beetles Along Urbanization Gradients
Authors: Papp Dalma , Mizser Szabolcs , Nagy Leila , Vidic Andreas , Simon Edina , Tóthmérész Béla 
Published: December 2019

AbstractUrbanization has a significant impact on abiotic and biotic factors in nature. We examined the morphometric characters of four carabid species (Abax parallelepipedus, Carabus scheidleri, Carabus violaceus, and Pterostichus oblongopunctatus) along urbanization gradients in and around the cities of Vienna (Austria) and Debrecen (Hungary). We found significant differences among urban, suburban, and rural areas in the parameters of antennomers, the maxillary palpus, the labial palpus, and the length of the tibia and the elytra of the carabids studied. We also found significant differences between males and females based on the parameters of antennomers, the maxillary palpus, the labial palpus, the femur, and the elytra. An interaction between urbanization and sex was found in the case of antennomers, the maxillary palpus, the labial palpus, the femur, and the elytra. Our findings suggested that in the cases of species from Carabini tribus the parameters of antennomers, the maxillary palpus, and the elytra could be useful for assessing the effects of urbanization because these morphometric characters responded sensitively to the environmental stress, whereas the most useful parameters are those of antennomers and the tibia for the species of Pterostichini tribus. Our findings also revealed that females are more sensitive to environmental stress than males.
A rare case of neglected clasped thumb of 5-year-old girl treated with simple z-plasty, two tendons transplantation, and followed up for 17 years
Authors: Smail Mohamed Hadi Al , Aloulou Mohammad , Zrek Abdulmouain 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Congenital malformations of the thumb greatly affect the performance of the hand and the upper limb. The conditions associated with atrophic thumb represent a wide spectrum of abnormalities, ranging from a complete absence to a mere small size of the thumb. A 5-year-old Caucasian female presented with congenital clasped thumb deformity with hypoplastic thumb and with an absence of extrinsic extensors extensor pollicis longus and brevis and with stable carpometacarpal joint. We managed this case by transferring the extensor indicis proprius tendon and flexor digitorum superficialis of digitus medicinalis (the ring finger)—which is not common—to compensate for the absence of extension and abduction tendons of the thumb. After 17 years, the result was satisfactory for the patient and her family. She was able to use her hand for writing and doing normal daily work without feeling any disability.
Four bottlenecks restrict colonization and invasion by the pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum in resistant tomato
Authors: Planas-Marquès Marc , Kressin Jonathan P , Kashyap Anurag , Panthee Dilip R , Louws Frank J , Coll Nuria S , Valls Marc 
Published: December 2019

AbstractRalstonia solanacearum is a bacterial vascular pathogen causing devastating bacterial wilt. In the field, resistance against this pathogen is quantitative and is available for breeders only in tomato and eggplant. To understand the basis of resistance to R. solanacearum in tomato, we investigated the spatio-temporal dynamics of bacterial colonization using non-invasive live monitoring techniques coupled to grafting of susceptible and resistant varieties. We found four ‘bottlenecks’ that limit the bacterium in resistant tomato: root colonization, vertical movement from roots to shoots, circular vascular bundle invasion, and radial apoplastic spread in the cortex. Radial invasion of cortical extracellular spaces occurred mostly at late disease stages but was observed throughout plant infection. This study shows that resistance is expressed in both root and shoot tissues, and highlights the importance of structural constraints to bacterial spread as a resistance mechanism. It also shows that R. solanacearum is not only a vascular pathogen but spreads out of the xylem, occupying the plant apoplast niche. Our work will help elucidate the complex genetic determinants of resistance, setting the foundations to decipher the molecular mechanisms that limit pathogen colonization, which may provide new precision tools to fight bacterial wilt in the field.
Luminous Red Novae: population models and future prospects
Authors: Howitt George , Stevenson Simon , Vigna-Gómez Alejandro , Justham Stephen , Ivanova Natasha , Woods Tyrone E , Neijssel Coenraad J , Mandel Ilya 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT
A class of optical transients known as Luminous Red Novae (LRNe) have recently been associated with mass ejections from binary stars undergoing common-envelope evolution. We use the population synthesis code COMPAS to explore the impact of a range of assumptions about the physics of common-envelope evolution on the properties of LRNe. In particular, we investigate the influence of various models for the energetics of LRNe on the expected event rate and light curve characteristics, and compare with the existing sample. We find that the Galactic rate of LRNe is ∼0.2 yr−1, in agreement with the observed rate. In our models, the luminosity function of Galactic LRNe covers multiple decades in luminosity and is dominated by signals from stellar mergers, consistent with observational constraints from iPTF and the Galactic sample of LRNe. We discuss how observations of the brightest LRNe may provide indirect evidence for the existence of massive (&gt;40 M⊙) red supergiants. Such LRNe could be markers along the evolutionary pathway leading to the formation of double compact objects. We make predictions for the population of LRNe observable in future transient surveys with the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope and the Zwicky Transient Facility. In all plausible circumstances, we predict a selection-limited observable population dominated by bright, long-duration events caused by common envelope ejections. We show that the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope will observe 20–750 LRNe per year, quickly constraining the luminosity function of LRNe and probing the physics of common-envelope events.
Early fate of exogenous promoters in E. coli
Authors: Yousuf Malikmohamed , Iuliani Ilaria , Veetil Reshma T , Seshasayee Aswin Sai Narain , Sclavi Bianca , Cosentino Lagomarsino Marco 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Gene gain by horizontal gene transfer is a major pathway of genome innovation in bacteria. The current view posits that acquired genes initially need to be silenced and that a bacterial chromatin protein, H-NS, plays a role in this silencing. However, we lack direct observation of the early fate of a horizontally transferred gene to prove this theory. We combine sequencing, flow cytometry and sorting, followed by microscopy to monitor gene expression and its variability after large-scale random insertions of a reporter gene in a population of Escherichia coli bacteria. We find that inserted promoters have a wide range of gene-expression variability related to their location. We find that high-expression clones carry insertions that are not correlated with H-NS binding. Conversely, binding of H-NS correlates with silencing. Finally, while most promoters show a common level of extrinsic noise, some insertions show higher noise levels. Analysis of these high-noise clones supports a scenario of switching due to transcriptional interference from divergent ribosomal promoters. Altogether, our findings point to evolutionary pathways where newly-acquired genes are not necessarily silenced, but may immediately explore a wide range of expression levels to probe the optimal ones.
AtNOT1 Is a Novel Regulator of Gene Expression during Pollen Development
Authors: Motomura Kazuki , Arae Toshihiro , Araki-Uramoto Haruka , Suzuki Yuya , Takeuchi Hidenori , Suzuki Takamasa , Ichihashi Yasunori , Shibata Arisa , Shirasu Ken , Takeda Atsushi , Higashiyama Tetsuya , Chiba Yukako 
Published: December 2019

AbstractDevelopment of pollen, the male gametophyte of flowering plants, is tightly controlled by dynamic changes in gene expression. Recent research to clarify the molecular aspects of pollen development has revealed the involvement of several transcription factors in the induction of gene expression. However, limited information is available about the factors involved in the negative regulation of gene expression to eliminate unnecessary transcripts during pollen development. In this study, we revealed that AtNOT1 is an essential protein for proper pollen development and germination capacity. AtNOT1 is a scaffold protein of the AtCCR4–NOT complex, which includes multiple components related to mRNA turnover control in Arabidopsis. Phenotypic analysis using atnot1 heterozygote mutant pollen showed that the mature mutant pollen failed to germinate and also revealed abnormal localization of nuclei and a specific protein at the tricellular pollen stage. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis of atnot1 heterozygote mutant pollen showed that the downregulation of a large number of transcripts, along with the upregulation of specific transcripts required for pollen tube germination by AtNOT1 during late microgametogenesis, is important for proper pollen development and germination. Overall, our findings provide new insights into the negative regulation of gene expression during pollen development, by showing the severely defective phonotype of atnot1 heterozygote mutant pollen.
VOLUME CT DOSE INDEX AND DOSE-LENGTH PRODUCT VALUES ACCORDING TO FACILITY SIZE IN JAPAN
Authors: Matsunaga Yuta , Kondo Yuya , Kobayashi Kenichi , Kobayashi Masanao , Minami Kazuyuki , Suzuki Shoichi , Chida Koichi , Asada Yasuki 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate differences in volume computed tomography dose index (CTDIvol) and dose-length product (DLP) values according to facility size in Japan. A questionnaire survey was sent to 3000 facilities throughout Japan. Data from each facility were collected including bed number, computed tomography (CT) scan parameters employed and the CTDIvol and/or DLP values displayed on the CT scanner during each examination. The CTDIvol and DLP for 11 adult and 6 paediatric CT examinations were surveyed. Comparison of CTDIvol and DLP values of each examination according to facility size revealed key differences in CT dose between small and large facilities. This study highlights the importance of lowering the dose of coronary artery examination with contrast agent in smaller facilities and of lowering the dose of adult and paediatric head CT without contrast agent in larger facilities. The results of this study are valid in Japan.
Improving Substituted Performance in India: Attending to the Loopholes
Authors: Thakur Kanishk , Thakur Dushyant 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
With the passing of the Specific Relief (Amendment) Act, 2018, the primary remedy for breach of contract was changed to specific performance from that of damages. The amendment brought in many other path-breaking changes, along with the introduction of a provision on substituted performance under Indian contract law. Now, a non-defaulting party will have a statutory remedy to either perform the contract himself or get it performed by a third party, the cost of which must be borne by the defaulting party. Despite being a welcomed provision, the faulty legislative drafting of the provision has left many issues unresolved. The authors, in this article, have tried to point out those issues. Thereafter, using the cross-jurisdictional analysis and taking into consideration the jurisprudence developed on past contractual practices, the authors have come up with suggestions to improve the provision.
Response: Recent Development regarding Judicial Review of Legislative Process in Israel
Authors: Ilan Gonen 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
In an article published recently in the Statue Law Review,1 Prof. Shucheng Wang has examined the deferential approach to judicial review of the legislative process as adopted by the CFA,2 due to the Leung3 case. In this short response, I focus on two issues that are not mentioned in Prof. Wang’s article but that are crucial for understanding recent developments concerning judicial review of the legislative process in Israel by Israel’s High Court of Justice (HCJ). First, this response will present the most recent, and more crucial, ruling of the HCJ from late 2017 in the Quantinsky v. The Israeli Knesset (2017)4 which established a new precedent and in which, for the first time in Israel’s history, a new law was invalidated due to flaws in the legislative process. Second, I wish to emphasize the specific type of law that was invalidated and that is more prone to flaws in the legislative process: The Omnibus Law of Arrangement in the State Economy, which includes hundreds of budget statutes, and is characterized by a very unique and hasty legislative process. Therefore, this response wishes to complement Prof. Wang’s thesis and provide an update regarding the Israeli HCJ judicial approach of due process of legislation.
Conifer and broadleaved trees differ in branch allometry but maintain similar functional balances
Authors: Zhang Lan , Chen Yajun , Hao Guangyou , Ma Keping , Bongers Frans , Sterck Frank J 
Published: December 2019

AbstractConifers and broadleaved trees coexist in temperate forests and are expected to differ in partitioning strategies between leaf and stem. We compare functional balances between water loss and water supply, and between sugar production and sugar transport/storage, and associate these with xylem growth to better understand how they contribute to these life form strategies. We sampled canopy branches from 14 common species in a temperate forest in northeast China and measured xylem area, phloem area, ray area, ray percentage, dry wood density, xylem conductivity and mean xylem growth rate for branch stems, and the leaf area and specific leaf area for leaves, and calculated the leaf-specific conductivity. Conifers and broadleaved trees did not differ significantly in tissue areas, xylem growth rate and the relation between phloem area and leaf area. Conifers had higher xylem area but lower ray area relative to leaf area. For the same xylem conductivity, phloem area and ray parenchyma area did not differ between conifers and broadleaved trees. Xylem growth rate was similar relative to leaf area and phloem area. Our results indicate that conifers tend to develop more xylem area per leaf area and more tracheid area at the cost of ray parenchyma area, probably to compensate for the low water transport ability of tracheid-based xylem. The divergent strategies between conifers and broadleaved tree species in leaf area and xylem area partitioning probably lead to the convergence of partitioning between leaf area and phloem area. Consequently, conifers tend to consume rather than store carbon to achieve a similar xylem expansion per year as coexisting broadleaved trees.