bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Monazite transformation into Ce‐ and La‐containing oxalates by Aspergillus niger
Authors: Kang Xia , Csetenyi Laszlo , Gadd Geoffrey Michael 
Published: March 2020

SummaryMonazite is a naturally occurring lanthanide (Ln) phosphate mineral [Ln
x(PO4)
y] and is the main industrial source of the rare earth elements (REE), cerium and lanthanum. Endeavours to ensure the security of supply of elements critical to modern technologies view bioprocessing as a promising alternative or adjunct to new methods of element recovery. However, relatively little is known about microbial interactions with REE. Fungi are important geoactive agents in the terrestrial environment and well known for properties of mineral transformations, particularly phosphate solubilization. Accordingly, this research examined the capability of a ubiquitous geoactive soil fungus, Aspergillus niger, to affect the mobility of REE in monazite and identify possible mechanisms for biorecovery. It was found that A. niger could grow in the presence of monazite and mediated the formation of secondary Ce and La‐containing biominerals with distinct morphologies including thin sheets, orthorhombic tablets, acicular needles, and rosette aggregates which were identified as cerium oxalate decahydrate (Ce2(C2O4)3·10H2O) and lanthanum oxalate decahydrate (La2(C2O4)3·10H2O). In order to identify a means for biorecovery of REE via oxalate precipitation the bioleaching and bioprecipitation potential of biomass‐free spent culture supernatants was investigated. Although such indirect bioleaching of REE was low from the monazite with maximal lanthanide release reaching >40 mg L−1, leached REE were efficiently precipitated as Ce and La oxalates of high purity, and did not contain Nd, Pr and Ba, present in the original monazite. Geochemical modelling of the speciation of oxalates and phosphates in the reaction system confirmed that pure Ln oxalates can be formed under a wide range of chemical conditions. These findings provide fundamental knowledge about the interactions with and biotransformation of REE present in a natural mineral resource and indicate the potential of oxalate bioprecipitation as a means for efficient biorecovery of REE from solution.
Population structure and adaptation of a bacterial pathogen in California grapevines
Authors: Vanhove Mathieu , Sicard Anne , Ezennia Jeffery , Leviten Nina , Almeida Rodrigo P.P. 
Published: March 2020

SummaryXylella fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa causes Pierce's disease of grapevine (PD) and has been present in California for over a century. A singly introduced genotype spread across the state causing large outbreaks and damaging the grapevine industry. This study presents 122 X. fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa genomes from symptomatic grapevines, and explores pathogen genetic diversity associated with PD in California. A total of 5218 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found in the dataset. Strong population genetic structure was found; isolates split into five genetic clusters divided into two lineages. The core/soft‐core genome constituted 41.2% of the total genome, emphasizing the high genetic variability of X. fastidiosa genomes. An ecological niche model was performed to estimate the environmental niche of the pathogen within California and to identify key climatic factors involved in dispersal. A landscape genomic approach was undertaken aiming to link local adaptation to climatic factors. A total of 18 non‐synonymous polymorphisms found to be under selective pressures were correlated with at least one environmental variable highlighting the role of temperature, precipitation and elevation on X. fastidiosa adaptation to grapevines in California. Finally, the contribution to virulence of three of the genes under positive selective pressure and of one recombinant gene was studied by reverse genetics.
Genome repository of oil systems: An interactive and searchable database that expands the catalogued diversity of crude oil‐associated microbes
Authors: Karthikeyan Smruthi , Rodriguez‐R Luis M. , Heritier‐Robbins Patrick , Hatt Janet K. , Huettel Markus , Kostka Joel E. , Konstantinidis Konstantinos T. 
Published: March 2020

SummaryMicrobial communities ultimately control the fate of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) that enter the natural environment, but the interactions of microbes with PHCs and the environment are highly complex and poorly understood. Genome‐resolved metagenomics can help unravel these complex interactions. However, the lack of a comprehensive database that integrates existing genomic/metagenomic data from oil environments with physicochemical parameters known to regulate the fate of PHCs currently limits data analysis and interpretations. Here, we curated a comprehensive, searchable database that documents microbial populations in natural oil ecosystems and oil spills, along with available underlying physicochemical data, geocoded via geographic information system to reveal their geographic distribution patterns. Analysis of the ~2000 metagenome‐assembled genomes (MAGs) available in the database revealed strong ecological niche specialization within habitats. Over 95% of the recovered MAGs represented novel taxa underscoring the limited representation of cultured organisms from oil‐contaminated and oil reservoir ecosystems. The majority of MAGs linked to oil‐contaminated ecosystems were detectable in non‐oiled samples from the Gulf of Mexico but not in comparable samples from elsewhere, indicating that the Gulf is primed for oil biodegradation. The repository should facilitate future work toward a predictive understanding of the microbial taxa and their activities that control the fate of oil spills.
Doing good: autonomy in the margins of welfare
Authors: Lydahl Doris , Hansen Löfstrand Cecilia 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThe welfare systems in the global North has seen changes in professional care delivery systems in the margins of welfare, from care in large treatment institutions, to community care and, more recently, to care taking place in home spaces. Care and support are increasingly provided in the home of the service user through floating support and home visits. Drawing on empirical ethics, we aim to inquire into modes of doing good care during professional workers’ home visits by building on observations of service interactions taking place during these home visits in two different settings: that is, a mental healthcare unit performing home visits in the context of psychiatric care and a special‐housing unit performing home visits in the context of homelessness services. We also build on interviews as retrospective reflections on service interactions. Drawing on these empirical materials, we ask what is considered as doing good in the margins of welfare and identify three ideal patterns: the relationality of care, the situatedness of care and the subject of care. Furthermore, these ideal patterns are connected to two different ideals of good care and conceptions of autonomy in care relations.
Can mobile phones improve nutrition among pastoral communities? Panel data evidence from Northern Kenya
Authors: Parlasca Martin C. , Mußhoff Oliver , Qaim Matin 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThe digital revolution and the ongoing dissemination of mobile phones carry several prospects for smallholder farmers in sub‐Saharan Africa. Food insecurity and low dietary quality remain major issues among African smallholders. Mobile phones could potentially facilitate access to food markets and thus improve food security and nutrition, but research on such types of effects remains scarce. In this study, we analyze whether mobile phones improve dietary quality among pastoral communities in Northern Kenya. We use six rounds of household panel data covering the period between 2009 and 2015. During this period, mobile phone ownership in the sample increased from less than 30% to more than 70%. Regression models with household fixed effects allow robust estimation while reducing potential issues of unobserved heterogeneity. The estimates show that mobile phone adoption and use are positively and significantly associated with dietary diversity. The effects are particularly large for frequent mobile phone users. We also examine the underlying mechanisms. Mobile phone use improves dietary diversity mainly through better access to purchased foods. These results encourage the promotion of mobile phone technologies as a valuable tool for nutritional improvements, especially in remote rural settings with poor access to food markets.
Genetic structure of the ethnic Lao groups from mainland Southeast Asia revealed by forensic microsatellites
Authors: Srithawong Suparat , Muisuk Kanha , Srikummool Metawee , Mahasirikul Narongdet , Triyarach Saksuriya , Sriprasert Kamnikone , Kutanan Wibhu 
Published: March 2020

AbstractPurposeLaotians and Lao Isan are widely spread Lao groups who live in Laos and northeastern Thailand, respectively. We explored the genetic structure between them and other ethnic groups from Thailand to clarify historical patterns of admixture between Tai‐Kadai and Austroasiatic speakers, and to expand the forensic reference database for the region.Subjects and MethodsWe combined new genetic data for 554 individuals from 12 populations, typed for 15 autosomal short tandem repeats, with available data from 14 populations from Thailand, for a total of 1,153 raw genotypes belonging to 26 populations. We calculated forensic parameters and performed various analyses on genetic diversity, genetic structure, genetic admixture, and genetic relationships among the studied populations.ResultsForensic estimators suggest a good power of discrimination with the combined power of exclusion ranging from 0.993628 to 0.999991 and a combined power of discrimination value greater than 0.99999999. Generally, the two Laotian groups were genetically similar, but the central Laotians from Vientiane have a closer genetic relationship to the Lao Isan than the northern Laotians from Luang Prabang. The Lao genetic ancestry forms the majority of the Lao Isan genetic makeup, while Austroasiatic ancestry is present at ∼10%–50%.ConclusionsLao Isan populations show signs of Lao ancestry and admixture with local Austroasiatic ancestry, which reflect historical migrations from Laos to Thailand. Lao speakers are genetically more homogeneous than Austroasiatic speakers, suggesting differential historical processes.
Effect of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy on renal function in obese patients
Authors: Cao Feng , Cao Pengwei , Liu Yanwei , Wang Song , He Yan , Xu Yanyan , Wang Yong 
Published: March 2020

AbstractBackgroundTo investigate the clinical efficacy and mechanism of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in improving renal function in obese patients.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the anthropometric indices (waist circumference, hip circumference and body mass index (BMI)), renal function indices (serum creatinine, urea and urinary albumin:creatinine ratio (UACR)), serum inflammatory indices (C‐reactive protein, interleukin‐6 and tumour necrosis factor‐α) and an adipose factor (leptin) in 50 patients with obesity (BMI ≥32.5 kg/m2) who underwent LSG in our hospital from January 2018 to January 2019.ResultsPatients constituted 23 men and 27 women, with an average age of 32.5 ± 8.7 years and BMI of 43.99 ± 8.29 kg/m2. Body weight and BMI 1 month post‐operatively were significantly lower than preoperatively (P < 0.05), and the renal function indices serum creatinine, urea and UACR, improved significantly 3 months post‐operatively (P < 0.05). C‐reactive protein, interleukin‐6 and tumour necrosis factor‐α levels improved significantly 3 months post‐operatively (P < 0.05), while leptin levels decreased significantly 1 month post‐operatively (P < 0.05). Six months post‐operatively, the remission rates for type 2 diabetes mellitus, sleep apnoea syndrome and hypertension were 83.8%, 92.9% and 88.6%, respectively.ConclusionsLSG led to body weight loss and significantly improved serum creatinine, urea and UACR values in patients with obesity, which may be related to changes in adipocytokines and inflammatory factors, post‐operatively. LSG is expected to become a new treatment to prevent or treat renal insufficiency caused by obesity.
Parapapillary choroidal microvasculature dropout in nonglaucomatous healthy eyes
Authors: Kim Gyu‐Nam , Lee Eun Ji , Kim Tae‐Woo 
Published: March 2020

AbstractPurposeTo determine the incidence of parapapillary choroidal microvasculature dropout (MvD) in nonglaucomatous healthy eyes using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and to characterize the MvD observed in these eyes.MethodsSeventy‐six eyes (19 eyes with an MvD and 57 age‐matched eyes without an MvD) from a cohort of 297 nonglaucomatous healthy eyes that underwent OCTA were included. The peripapillary choroidal microvasculature was evaluated in en‐face images obtained using swept‐source OCTA. An MvD was defined as a focal sectoral capillary dropout with no visible microvascular network identified in the en‐face images of the choroidal layer. The incidence of MvD and clinical characteristics associated with the presence of an MvD was determined.ResultsMvD was found in 19 of the 297 nonglaucomatous healthy eyes (6.4%). Compared with age‐matched eyes without an MvD, eyes with an MvD had lower systolic blood pressure (p = 0.021), diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.048), mean arterial pressure (p = 0.025) and mean ocular perfusion pressure (p = 0.032). Logistic regression analyses showed that cold extremities (p = 0.046), lower mean arterial pressure (p = 0.021) and lower mean ocular perfusion pressure (p = 0.023) were associated with the presence of an MvD.ConclusionsParapapillary choroidal MvD can be present in nonglaucomatous healthy eyes. The presence of an MvD is associated with systemic vascular dysregulation.
Eating head first—When European Ice Age spotted hyenas crushed their own to pieces
Authors: Diedrich Cajus G. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractExtinct European Late Pleistocene (MIS 3‐5d) Crocuta crocuta spelaea and late Middle Pleistocene (MIS 11‐6) C. c. praespelaea and extant African spotted hyenas C. c. crocuta were/are alive and post‐mortem cannibals. 38 fossil crania and some braincases, as well as 3.097, studied Pleistocene Ice Age spotted bones from 81 European Pleistocene den sites expose many bite damages. Cranial damages correlate with the newest films about modern African spotted hyenas which cut and decompose the head first of their antagonistic female same clan leader or other clans. The skulls and jaws have repeatedly similar bite damages, whereas, at birth/natal dens, their cranial remain abundance is highest. At communal dens, Pleistocene spotted hyena carcasses were similarly decomposed—first head off antagonistic clan leading females, and further similar strategy decomposing of the legs. Large postcranial C. c. spelaea bones have three identical bone destruction stages. These damage stages are similar to those found at hyena guilt including competing carnivores such as cave bears, steppe lions, but also herbivores like horses, and even a few smaller‐sized Neanderthal long bones.
What risks should be permissible in controlled human infection model studies?
Authors: Binik Ariella 
Published: March 2020

AbstractControlled human infection model (CHIM) studies involve the intentional exposure of healthy research volunteers to infectious agents. These studies contribute to knowledge about the cause or development of disease and to the advancement of vaccine research. But they also raise ethical questions about the kinds of risks that should be permissible and whether limits should be imposed on research risks in CHIM studies. Two possible risk thresholds have been considered for CHIM studies. The first suggests constraining ethically permissible risks according to a minimal risk threshold and the second endorses a higher risk threshold that excludes irreversible or fatal infections. I argue that neither of these thresholds is persuasive and situate questions about risk thresholds in CHIM studies within a broader debate about permissible risks in research. I argue that risks in CHIM studies should be constrained according to limits on research risks that do not offer corresponding benefits in all studies rather than developing a unique risk threshold for CHIM studies. I then propose five recommendations for the ethical assessment of risk in CHIM studies.
Apolipoprotein E promotes white matter remodeling via the Dab1‐dependent pathway after traumatic brain injury
Authors: Huang Zhi‐Jian , Cao Fang , Wu Yue , Peng Jian‐Hua , Zhong Jian‐Jun , Jiang Yong , Yin Cheng , Guo Zong‐Duo , Sun Xiao‐Chuan , Jiang Li , Cheng Chong‐Jie 
Published: March 2020

AbstractIntroductionAxonal injury results in long‐term neurological deficits in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) has been reported to activate intracellular adaptor protein Disabled‐1 (Dab1) phosphorylation via its interaction with ApoE receptors. The Dab1 pathway acts as a regulator of axonal outgrowth and growth cone formation in the brain.AimsWe hypothesized that ApoE may alleviate axonal injury and regulate axonal regeneration via the Dab1 pathway after TBI.ResultsIn this study, we established a model of controlled cortical impact (CCI) to mimic TBI in vivo. Using diffusion tensor imaging to detect white matter integrity, we demonstrated that APOE‐deficient mice exhibited lower fractional anisotropy (FA) values than APOE+/+ mice at 28 days after injury. The expression levels of axonal regeneration and synapse plasticity biomarkers, including growth‐associated protein 43 (GAP43), postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD‐95), and synaptophysin, were also lower in APOE‐deficient mice. In contrast, APOE deficiency exerted no effects on the levels of myelin basic protein (MBP) expression, oligodendrocyte number, or oligodendrocyte precursor cell number. Neurological severity score (NSS) and behavioral measurements in the rotarod, Morris water maze, and Y maze tests revealed that APOE deficiency caused worse neurological deficits in CCI mice. Furthermore, Dab1 activation downregulation by the ApoE receptor inhibitor receptor‐associated protein (RAP) or Dab1 shRNA lentivirus attenuated the beneficial effects of ApoE on FA values, GAP43, PSD‐95, and synaptophysin expression, and neurological function tests. Additionally, the effects of ApoE on axonal regeneration were further validated in vitro. In a mechanical scratch injury model of primary cultured neurons, recombinant ApoE protein treatment enhanced axonal outgrowth and growth cone formation in injured neurons; however, these effects were attenuated by Dab1 shRNA, consistent with the in vivo results.ConclusionCollectively, these data suggest that ApoE promotes axonal regeneration partially through the Dab1 pathway, thereby contributing to functional recovery following TBI.
Carfilzomib‐induced hemolysis is noticeably common but rarely shows features of thrombotic microangiopathy: A retrospective study
Authors: Kozlowski Piotr , Kameran Behnam Klodia , Uggla Bertil , Åström Maria 
Published: March 2020

AbstractObjectiveHemolysis is a sporadically reported but potentially serious side effect of the proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib. We aimed to investigate the frequency of hemolysis in an unselected cohort.MethodsWe performed a retrospective, single‐center study of the incidence of hemolysis in patients treated with carfilzomib, based mainly on consecutive haptoglobin levels. The patients were diagnosed with myeloma (n = 20), AL amyloidosis (n = 3), and light‐chain deposition disease (n = 1). Carfilzomib treatment was applied after a median of 3 (range: 1‐7) therapy lines.ResultsHaptoglobin levels were normal/increased before, generally suppressed during, and normalized after treatment with carfilzomib. Very low haptoglobin (<0.1 g/L) implying the presence of hemolysis was observed in 16 of 24 (67%) patients during carfilzomib therapy. Hemolysis was mild in 11 of 16 (69%) affected patients, whereas 5 of 16 (31%) required transfusion. Severe hemolysis was explained by thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) in one patient who died of the complication. Mechanisms were unclear in the remaining 15 patients.ConclusionsHemolysis was surprisingly common but mostly mild during carfilzomib treatment. However, the possibility of TMA should be kept in mind in this setting. Hypothetically, non‐TMA hemolysis could be attributed to the accumulation of globin chains due to the suppression of eukaryotic translation initiation inhibition by carfilzomib.
Career outcome of Thoroughbred racehorses with metacarpo/metatarsophalangeal joint dorsal chip fracture managed nonsurgically and surgically: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Ramzan Pieter H. L. , Wylie Claire E. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractBackgroundArthroscopy has been advocated as the treatment of choice for dorsal osteochondral chip fracture of the metacarpo/metatarsophalangeal (MCP/MTP) joint. However, there is no published research on racing performance outcomes of horses with this pathology managed nonsurgically.ObjectivesTo compare racing career outcomes of Thoroughbred racehorses with nonsurgically (non‐SX) or surgically (SX) managed MCP/MTP dorsal osteochondral chip fracture alongside a cohort of horses with no dorsal osteochondral chip fracture (unexposed).Study designRetrospective cohort study conducted between 2006 and 2014.MethodsRadiographs of Thoroughbred racehorses were reviewed to identify MCP/MTP dorsal osteochondral chip fractures. Unexposed horses under the care of the same practice were recruited randomly from training records. Racing outcomes were analysed using survival analysis and logistic, linear and negative binomial regression techniques.ResultsDorsal osteochondral chip fractures were identified in 98 (70 non‐SX, 28 SX) horses and compared with 648 unexposed horses. There was no significant difference among non‐SX, SX, and unexposed horses in respect of total career starts, or likelihood of ever winning, placing, or earning money in a race (P > .05). SX horses had a significantly higher rate of wins/start than non‐SX horses (rate ratio 1.6, CI 1.1‐2.4, P = .02) and unexposed horses (rate ratio 1.9, CI 1.3‐2.8, P = .001). Total career earnings for the SX horses were 4.1 times that of the unexposed horses (95% CI 1.2‐14.5, P = .03), although total career earnings did not differ significantly between non‐SX and unexposed horses (P = .8).Main limitationsRetrospective observational study where management technique was not randomised or blinded. Small number of surgically managed horses and potential selection bias for surgical management.ConclusionsNonsurgical management of this injury appears to be a valid management choice given that it was not associated with significant effects on racing career performance relative to a large unexposed cohort in this study population.