bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
ABO blood type compatibility is not a risk factor for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia development from androgenetic complete hydatidiform moles
Authors: Sato Asuka , Usui Hirokazu , Shozu Makio 
Published: March 2020

AbstractProblemComplete hydatidiform moles (CHMs) are allografts to patients in terms of an androgenetic origin. Thus, some immunological reactions may be involved in the development of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) from CHMs. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of ABO blood group on the prognosis of androgenetic CHMs.Method of StudyA total of 129 patients who were diagnosed as having CHMs based on multiplex short tandem repeat polymorphism analysis were included. The ABO blood types of molar tissues were determined by single‐nucleotide polymorphisms in the ABO gene using a high‐resolution melting assay. The incidence of GTN was compared based on ABO compatibility between the patients and their molar tissues.ResultsThe overall incidence of GTN was 17.1% (22/129). Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia occurred in 10.8% (4/37), 14.8% (8/54), 22.2% (6/27), and 36.4% (4/11) of type O, A, B, and AB patients, respectively. Type AB patients tended to develop GTN compared with other blood type patients (P = .093). In ABO type of CHMs, GTN occurrence was not significantly different as it was 16.4% (10/64), 16.0% (8/50), and 22.2% (4/18) for types O, A, and B, respectively (P = .854). According to the ABO incompatibility between patients and molar tissues, GTN occurred in 19.1% (18/94) of the compatible cases and 11.4% (4/35) of the incompatible cases; the occurrence was not significantly different (P = .223).ConclusionPatients with type AB tended to develop GTN. However, ABO compatibility between patients and molar tissues had no relationship with GTN occurrence.
Mystical Love: The Universal Solvent
Authors: Laughlin Charles , Takahashi Melanie 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThe authors, both anthropologists who study alternative states of consciousness (ASC), explore the psychodynamics of mystical experience (ME). An affect that is a key factor for and integral to the phenomenology of ME is what they term “mystical love.” In many respects, ME refers to ASC that is diametrically opposite to everyday ego‐centered, materialist consciousness. In this article we examine several questions, including: (1) Why do humans experience ME, (2) why does there seems to be a need to alter consciousness away from ordinary waking states, (3) what is the relationship between mystical love and other affective states such as anger, greed, and anxiety, and (3) what are the necessary conditions for ME‐type, transpersonal experiences? We demonstrate that ritual practices are recurrently used across cultures to incubate and evoke intense feelings of non‐romantic love, empathy, and compassion. Some of these practices include ritual drivers such as ingesting psychotropic substances (entheogens and empathogens), daily activities that devalue ego centeredness and promote love, empathy and selfless service, meditation upon loving kindness, and compassion. All of these practices are preparations for entering ME, the results of which are interpreted within people's cycle of meaning.
Electroretinogram abnormalities in non‐infectious uveitis often persist
Authors: Brouwer Anna H. , de Wit Gerard C. , ten Dam Ninette H. , Wijnhoven Ralph , van Genderen Maria M. , de Boer Joke H. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractPurposeIn uveitis, a prolonged implicit time of the cone b‐wave is a characteristic electroretinogram (ERG) abnormality. We investigated whether this can improve or deteriorate over time and which clinical factors are associated with change.MethodsProspective cohort study. Patients with a non‐infectious uveitis were included. An ERG was measured in the first year of uveitis onset and a follow‐up ERG one year later. Changes in the implicit time of the cone b‐wave were investigated in relation to clinical parameters including the following: demographics, uveitis characteristics, treatment, best‐corrected visual acuity, optical coherence tomography parameters and fluorescein angiography scores.ResultsOf 98 eyes (63 patients), 40 showed a prolonged cone b‐wave on the first ERG, which improved in 10 eyes. Eyes with an improved ERG more often had a panuveitis with initially a higher incidence of cells in the anterior chamber during the first ERG, which resolved at the time of their follow‐up ERG. Five of the 58 eyes with a normal first ERG had a deteriorated follow‐up ERG. These eyes had more frequently an active uveitis at the time of the follow‐up ERG. Of the 78 eyes with a stable cone b‐wave, 16 had a quiescent inflammation during follow‐up. There were no differences in age or treatment.ConclusionIn most patients with non‐infectious uveitis, ERG abnormalities appear to be irreversible, even when the inflammation becomes quiescent. However, some ERGs improved, which was associated with reduction in inflammation of the anterior chamber due to panuveitis. In contrast, a worsened ERG was associated with a persistence of inflammation.
Senior civil servants in Quebec and strategic information transmission: A game theory‐driven approach
Authors: Béchard Benoît 
Published: March 2020

AbstractRecently, certain mediatized events in Quebec have demonstrated that senior civil servants could control the information intended for elected officials. Is it possible that senior civil servants behave strategically in sharing information with politicians? Based on a game theory‐driven approach, the study offers in‐depth testimonies to illustrate the strategic dimensions of information transmission, which sometimes occurs between ADMs and elected officials. Quebec senior civil servants occasionally benefit from discretionary authority with respect to information and use it to promote specific lines of thought. Furthermore, elected officials and senior civil servants sharing similar views on specific public issues could facilitate information transmission.
Efficiently accumulating germ‐like stem cells from mouse postnatal ovary by in situ tissue culture
Authors: Zhang Meizi , Liu Li , Cao Xiaomin , Liu Ye , Di Jianyong , Huang Xiuying , Sun Fangzhen , Huang Weihong , Xu Fengqin 
Published: March 2020

AbstractAlthough recent studies have revealed that germline stem cells (GSCs) exist in the mouse postnatal ovary, how to efficiently obtain GSCs for regenerating neo‐oogenesis is still a technical challenge. Here, we report that using in situ tissue culture we can efficiently accumulate large amounts of proliferating germ‐like cells from mouse postnatal ovaries. Usually, more than 10,000 germ‐like cells can be derived from one ovary by this method, and over 20% of these cells can grow into germ‐like cells with self‐renewal, which thus can serve as a good cell pool to isolate GSCs by other cell assorting methods such as FACS. This method is simple and time‐saving, which should be useful for in future studies on mouse GSCs.
Combined effects of drought stress and psyllid herbivory on the invasive weed Scotch broom, Cytisus scoparius
Authors: Hogg Brian N. , Moran Patrick J. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractIncreases in the frequency and duration of droughts under global climate change could have implications for plant–insect interactions, and could either increase or decrease the effects of weed biological control agents. In this study, we used greenhouse and field experiments to examine the impacts of drought stress on the abundance and impacts of the adventive psyllid Arytainilla spartiophila Forster (Hemiptera: Psyllidae, Arytaininae) on its target weed Scotch broom, Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link (Fabaceae), in California, USA. The psyllid impacted plant growth in both field and greenhouse experiments, whereas drought stress affected plant growth in the greenhouse only, suggesting that other factors besides water availability may be more limiting for plants in the field. Effects on psyllid survival were consistent with the plant vigor hypothesis, which predicts that herbivores will perform better on vigorously growing plants; psyllid numbers were lower on drought‐stressed plants in the greenhouse and were correlated with plant growth in both the greenhouse and the field. In the greenhouse, the combined effects of the psyllid and drought stress were additive, indicating that the effects of the psyllid were consistent across unstressed and drought‐stressed plants. Although the psyllid is unlikely to control Scotch broom on its own, results suggest that it may work in conjunction with drought stress to suppress Scotch broom.
Experimental field test of the influence of generalist stingless bees (Meliponini) on the topology of a bee–flower mutualistic network in the tropics
Authors: Gruchowski‐Woitowicz Franciélli Cristiane , da Silva Cláudia Inês , Ramalho Mauro 
Published: March 2020

1. Generalists are assumed to play a key role in structuring and stabilising animal–plant mutualistic networks. Until now, analyses on the effects of generalists have been based on empirical field data or simulations. The present natural field experiment manipulated the abundance of a generalist and abundant stingless bee [Melipona(Eomelipona)marginata] to determine the effects on the mutualistic network.2. Networks were generated, and associated metrics were used for comparing replicate plots with and without the insertion of stingless bee nests.3. Unweighted metrics and the basic qualitative structural pattern of networks (high nestedness, very low modularity and specialisation) was not affected by experimental variation in stingless bee abundance because they exert strong basal effects on the plant–pollinator community under natural conditions of abundance. Still, increased abundance caused significant variation in weighted nestedness and modularity and community‐level specialisation.4. Supporting predictions of neutral models, increased abundance of the stingless bee led to an increase in most of its specific metrics, expressing the expansion of its realised trophic niche.5. During this process, specialist and other generalist bees were affected in different ways. More plant species became even more dependent on this stingless bee (increased asymmetry).6. Long‐term effects could not be inferred directly from instantaneous values of network metrics. Nonetheless, the increased abundance of the generalist stingless bee may both reduce the local level of ecological specialisation in the short term and affect the spatial distribution of less abundant and/or specialist bee species and plants in the long term.
Identification of the CD200R1 promoter and the association of its polymorphisms with the risk of Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Lin S. , He L. , Shen R. , Fang F. , Pan H. , Zhu X. , Wang M. , Zhou Z. , Liu Z. , Wang X. , Fang S. , Sun X. , Wang Y. , Chen S. , Ding J. 
Published: March 2020

Background and purposeNeuroinflammation is known to be involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Abnormal activation of microglia plays a key role in this pathological process. CD200R1 is a membrane glycoprotein that is expressed primarily on myeloid cells including microglia and is involved in the maintenance of microglia in a stationary state. Our previous study reported that the regulation of CD200R1 expression is altered in PD patients. Such alteration will lead to neuroinflammation and is related to the pathogenesis of PD. The possible role of promoter polymorphisms for abnormal CD200R1 expression in PD was examined in this study.MethodThe UCSC database and dual‐luciferase assays were used to confirm the promoter region of CD200R1. The promoter of CD200R1 was sequenced in 457 PD patients and 520 matched healthy controls from the Chinese Han population. Dual‐luciferase assays were conducted to examine the promoter activity of CD200R1.ResultsIt was confirmed that the promoter of CD200R1 is located in the region 876–146 bp upstream of the coding DNA sequence. The frequencies of rs144721913 (P = 0.001) and rs72952157 (P = 0.022) in the promoter were significantly different between the PD group and control group. rs144721913 increases the risk of PD by approximately 14‐fold and rs72952157 by 2.6‐fold. The dual‐luciferase assay indicated that the rs144721913 T allele and the rs72952157 G allele reduced the transcriptional activity of the CD200R1 promoter.ConclusionsFor the first time the promoter region of CD200R1 has been defined and two potential risk polymorphisms (rs144721913 and rs72952157) in the region for PD in Chinese Han populations have been reported.
Focal and generalized seizure activity after local hippocampal or cortical ablation of NaV1.1 channels in mice
Authors: Jansen Nico A. , Dehghani Anisa , Breukel Cor , Tolner Else A. , van den Maagdenberg Arn M. J. M. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractEarly onset seizures are a hallmark of Dravet syndrome. Previous studies in rodent models have shown that the epileptic phenotype is caused by loss‐of‐function of voltage‐gated NaV1.1 sodium channels, which are chiefly expressed in γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons. Recently, a possibly critical role has been attributed to the hippocampus in the seizure phenotype, as local hippocampal ablation of NaV1.1 channels decreased the threshold for hyperthermia‐induced seizures. However, the effect of ablation of NaV1.1 channels restricted to cortical sites has not been tested. Here we studied local field potential (LFP) and behavior in mice following local hippocampal and cortical ablation of Scn1a, a gene encoding the α1 subunit of NaV1.1 channels, and we compared seizure characteristics with those of heterozygous global knockout Scn1‐/+ mice. We found a high incidence of spontaneous seizures following either local hippocampal or cortical ablation, notably during a transient time window, similar to Scn1a‐/+ mice. Nonconvulsive seizure activity in the injected area was common and preceded generalized seizures. Moreover, mice were susceptible to hyperthermia‐induced seizures. In conclusion, local ablation of NaV1.1 channels in the hippocampus and cortex results in focal seizure activity that can generalize. These data indicate that spontaneous epileptic activity may initiate in multiple brain regions in Dravet syndrome.
Effect of rearing style on the development of social behaviour in young ravens (Corvus corax)
Authors: Boucherie Palmyre H. , Blum Christian , Bugnyar Thomas 
Published: March 2020

AbstractEarly social experiences can affect the development and expression of individual social behaviour throughout life. In particular, early‐life social deprivations, notably of parental care, can later have deleterious consequences. We can, therefore, expect rearing procedures such as hand‐raising—widely used in ethology and socio‐cognitive science—to alter the development of individual social behaviour. We investigated how the rearing style later affected (a) variation in relationship strength among peers and (b) individuals’ patterns of social interactions, in three captive groups of juvenile non‐breeders consisting of either parent‐raised or hand‐raised birds, or a mix of both rearing styles. In the three groups, irrespectively of rearing style: strongest relationships (i.e., higher rates of association and affiliations) primarily emerged among siblings and familiar partners (i.e., non‐relatives encountered in early life), and mixed‐sex and male–male partners established relationships of similar strength, indicating that the rearing style does not severely affect the quality and structure of relationships in young ravens. However, compared to parent‐raised ravens, hand‐raised ravens showed higher connectedness, i.e., number of partners with whom they mainly associated and affiliated, but formed on average relationships of lower strength, indicating that social experience in early life is not without consequences on the development of ravens’ patterns of social interaction. The deprivation of parental care associated with the presence of same‐age peers during hand‐raising seemed to maximize ravens’ propensity to interact with others, indicating that besides parents, interactions with same‐age peers matter. Opportunities to interact with, and socially learn from peers, might thus be the key to the acquisition of early social competences in ravens.
Something old, something new: Evolution of Colombian weedy rice (Oryza spp.) through de novo de‐domestication, exotic gene flow, and hybridization
Authors: Hoyos Verónica , Plaza Guido , Li Xiang , Caicedo Ana L. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractWeedy rice (Oryza spp.) is a worldwide weed of domesticated rice (O. sativa), considered particularly problematic due to its strong competition with the crop, which leads to reduction in yields and harvest quality. Several studies have established multiple independent origins for weedy rice populations in the United States and various parts of Asia; however, the origins of weedy rice in South America have not been examined in a global context. We evaluated the genetic variation of weedy rice populations in Colombia, as well as the contributions of local wild Oryza species, local cultivated varieties, and exotic Oryza groups to the weed, using polymorphism generated by genotyping by sequencing (GBS). We found no evidence for genomic contributions from local wild Oryza species (O. glumaepatula, O. grandiglumis, O. latifolia, and O. alta) to Colombian weedy rice. Instead, Colombian weedy rice has evolved from local indica cultivars and has also likely been inadvertently imported as an exotic pest from the United States. Additionally, weeds comprising de novo admixture between these distinct weedy populations now represent a large proportion of genomic backgrounds in Colombian weedy rice. Our results underscore the impressive ability of weedy rice to evolve through multiple evolutionary pathways, including in situ de‐domestication, range expansion, and hybridization.
Understanding the role of Facebook to support women with endometriosis: A Malaysian perspective
Authors: Wilson Sharon , Mogan Surita , Kaur Kiran 
Published: March 2020

AbstractAimsTo examine the pertinent issues discussed by endometriosis patients in Malaysia on MyEndosis Facebook group as an alternative platform for online support.MethodsUsing thematic analysis based on three frameworks, 120 posted messages and comments were examined from MyEndosis Facebook group—a support group for women with endometriosis from January to July 2014.ResultsResults showed the issues discussed were (a) personal struggles, (b) medication and treatment, (c) alternative medication, (d) side effects, and (e) medication recommended by doctors. While using this social medium, users found (a) emotional support, (b) esteem support, (c) information support, (d) network support, and (e) tangible assistance in their engagement with others.ConclusionThe analysis suggested that users' interactions were structured around information, emotion, and community building, which many doctors and nurses were not aware of. The group was shaped as a social network where peer users share social support, cultivate companionship, and exert social influence.
Linking local movement and molecular analysis to explore philopatry and population connectivity of the southern stingray Hypanus americanus
Authors: Schwanck Tanja N. , Schweinsberg Maximilian , Lampert Kathrin P. , Guttridge Tristan L. , Tollrian Ralph , O'Shea Owen 
Published: March 2020

AbstractLimited data pertaining to life history and population connectivity of the data‐deficient southern stingray (Hypanus americanus) are available. To determine potential vulnerabilities of their populations, this study aimed to analyse their movement patterns and genetic variability. A population of southern stingrays encompassing nine sites around Cape Eleuthera, the Bahamas, has been monitored using mark‐recapture, spanning a 2.5 year period. Out of 200 individual stingrays, more than a third were encountered again. The home range of the females appears to be restricted, which supports the notion of high site residency. As resident populations of stingrays could suffer from a lack of population connectivity and be predestined for genetic isolation and local extirpation, this study further investigated the genetic connectivity of four sample sites in the central and western Bahamas. A haplotype analysis from the mitochondrial D‐loop region showed that no distinct population structure strictly correlated with the sample site. These findings were complemented by five microsatellite loci that revealed high degrees in genotypic variability and little population differentiation. The results suggest gene flow mediated by both males and females.
Shakespeare and cognition: Scientism, theory, and 4E
Authors: Kaethler Mark 
Published: March 2020

AbstractSince 2001, there have been copious applications of cognitive science to Shakespeare and some to the work of other early modern authors, but have these yielded any new perspectives on the drama or poetry of this time period? This article distinguishes scientism or theoretical approaches that simply uphold scientific findings from interdisciplinary work that prompts scholars to revisit the literature of Shakespeare or other authors anew. In doing so, the article troubles the uniform, normative, and seemingly apolitical nature of cognitive science as well as the ways in which this framework has in some cases created a cognitive outlook that removes the brain from its lived experiences in exterior environs. Because Shakespeare's cultural capital has made him central to cognitive studies in literature, the article's debunking of quasiscientific approaches has wider implications for cognitive examinations of literature, given the common merits and regressions that have resulted from this canonical inclination to focus on a single author.
Regulatory circuits controlling Spx levels in Streptococcus mutans
Authors: Ganguly Tridib , Kajfasz Jessica K. , Abranches Jacqueline , Lemos José A. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractSpx is a major regulator of stress responses in Firmicutes. In Streptococcus mutans, two Spx homologues, SpxA1 and SpxA2, were identified as mediators of oxidative stress responses but the regulatory circuits controlling their levels and activity are presently unknown. Comparison of SpxA1 and SpxA2 protein sequences revealed differences at the C‐terminal end, with SpxA1 containing an unusual number of acidic residues. Here, we showed that a green fluorescence protein (GFP) reporter becomes unstable when fused to the last 10 amino acids of SpxA2 but remained stable when fused to the C‐terminal acidic tail of SpxA1. Inactivation of clpP or simultaneous inactivation of clpC and clpE stabilized the GFP::SpxA2tail fusion protein. Addition of acidic amino acids to the GFP::SpxA2tail chimera stabilized GFP, while deletion of the acidic residues destabilized GFP::SpxA1tail. Promoter reporter fusions revealed that spxA1 transcription is co‐repressed by the metalloregulators PerR and SloR while spxA2 transcription is largely dependent on the envelope stress regulator LiaFSR. In agreement with spxA2 being part of the LiaR regulon, SpxA2 was found to be critical for the growth of S. mutans under envelope stress conditions. Finally, we showed that redox sensing is essential for SpxA1‐dependent activation of oxidative stress responses but dispensable for SpxA2‐mediated envelope stress responses.