bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Extensive chromosomal fissions and repetitive DNA accumulation shaped the atypical karyotypes of two Ramphastidae (Aves: Piciformes) species
Authors: Kretschmer Rafael , Furo Ivanete De Oliveira , Cioffi Marcelo De Bello , Gunski Ricardo José , Garnero Analía Del Valle , O’Brien Patricia C M , Ferguson-Smith Malcolm A , de Freitas Thales Renato Ochotorena , de Oliveira Edivaldo Herculano Corrêa 
Published: May 2020

AbstractIn contrast to the ‘avian-like’ diploid number (2n = 80), most toucans and aracaris (Piciformes: Ramphastidae) have divergent karyotypes, exhibiting a higher 2n. To identify the chromosomal rearrangements that shaped the karyotype of these species, we applied chicken macrochromosome paints 1–10 and 11 microsatellite sequences to the chromosomes of two representative species, Pteroglossus inscriptus and Ramphastos tucannus tucannus. Paints of chicken chromosomes revealed that at least the first five ancestral chromosomes have undergone fissions, and a fusion between a segment of chicken chromosome 1 and a segment from chromosome 3 occurred in both species. The microsatellite sequences were accumulated mainly in the Z chromosome and in several microchromosomes in both species. These results suggest that the genomes of the Ramphastidae have been shaped by extensive fissions and repetitive DNA accumulation as the main driving forces leading to the higher 2n as found in these species. Furthermore, our results suggest that the putative ancestral karyotype of Ramphastidae already had a high diploid number, probably close to 2n = 112, similar to that observed in P. inscriptus and R. t. tucannus.
Strong Menger Connectedness of Augmented k-ary n-cubes
Authors: Gu Mei-Mei , Chang Jou-Ming , Hao Rong-Xia 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
A connected graph $G$ is called strongly Menger (edge) connected if for any two distinct vertices $x,y$ of $G$, there are $\min \{\textrm{deg}_G(x), \textrm{deg}_G(y)\}$ internally disjoint (edge disjoint) paths between $x$ and $y$. Motivated by parallel routing in networks with faults, Oh and Chen (resp., Qiao and Yang) proposed the (fault-tolerant) strong Menger (edge) connectivity as follows. A graph $G$ is called $m$-strongly Menger (edge) connected if $G-F$ remains strongly Menger (edge) connected for an arbitrary vertex set $F\subseteq V(G)$ (resp. edge set $F\subseteq E(G)$) with $|F|\leq m$. A graph $G$ is called $m$-conditional strongly Menger (edge) connected if $G-F$ remains strongly Menger (edge) connected for an arbitrary vertex set $F\subseteq V(G)$ (resp. edge set $F\subseteq E(G)$) with $|F|\leq m$ and $\delta (G-F)\geq 2$. In this paper, we consider strong Menger (edge) connectedness of the augmented $k$-ary $n$-cube $AQ_{n,k}$, which is a variant of $k$-ary $n$-cube $Q_n^k$. By exploring the topological proprieties of $AQ_{n,k}$, we show that $AQ_{n,3}$ (resp. $AQ_{n,k}$, $k\geq 4$) is $(4n-9)$-strongly (resp. $(4n-8)$-strongly) Menger connected for $n\geq 4$ (resp. $n\geq 2$) and $AQ_{n,k}$ is $(4n-4)$-strongly Menger edge connected for $n\geq 2$ and $k\geq 3$. Moreover, we obtain that $AQ_{n,k}$ is $(8n-10)$-conditional strongly Menger edge connected for $n\geq 2$ and $k\geq 3$. These results are all optimal in the sense of the maximum number of tolerated vertex (resp. edge) faults.
A model protocol for the cryopreservation and recovery of motile lizard sperm using the phosphodiesterase inhibitor caffeine
Authors: Campbell Lachlan , Cafe Shenae L , Upton Rose , Doody J Sean , Nixon Brett , Clulow John , Clulow Simon 
Published: May 2020

AbstractReproductive technologies such as genome storage and assisted reproduction have a significant role to play in ending or reversing species extinctions. However, such technologies for non-model organisms (i.e. non-mammalian species) are poorly developed. This is particularly true for the reptiles, in which there is a dearth of successful protocols for cryopreserving reptile spermatozoa, despite limited attempts. We investigated sperm cryopreservation in the Australian lizard Varanus panoptes with the objective of addressing the unmet need for an optimized cryopreservation protocol for the spermatozoa of squamate reptiles. We tested the efficacy of two cryoprotectants [dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and glycerol] as well supplementation with a phosphodiesterase inhibitor (caffeine) to promote post-thaw motility. For cryopreservation, sperm were cooled in straws suspended in liquid nitrogen vapour for 5 minutes (approximately −135°C), before being plunged into liquid nitrogen (approximately −196°C), and later thawed in a water bath at 35°C. Samples were incubated post-thaw for 10 minutes in the presence or absence of 10 mM of caffeine. Both cryoprotectant type and concentration significantly affected percent sperm motility pre-freezing, with DMSO being less cytotoxic than glycerol and motility decreasing at higher concentrations of both cryoprotectant types. While cold shock did not significantly affect sperm motility, both cryoprotectant type and concentration did significantly impact the motility of post-thawed spermatozoa. Thus, mid-range concentrations (10% v/v) of DMSO and glycerol yielded a greater post-thaw motility compared with 5 and 20% v/v, while DMSO proved superior to glycerol. The addition of caffeine resulted in a significant recovery of post-thaw motility for both cryoprotectants, with higher rates of motility being associated with higher cryoprotectant concentrations. These protocols provide a significant step forward for in situ and ex situ management of threatened reptiles and add to recent evidence that reptilian sperm may have the full range of phosphorylation-mediated cellular mechanisms associated with capacitation, motility and metabolic regulation found in mammalian sperm.
Changes in physiology and microbial diversity in larval ornate chorus frogs are associated with habitat quality
Authors: Goff Cory B , Walls Susan C , Rodriguez David , Gabor Caitlin R 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Environmental change associated with anthropogenic disturbance can lower habitat quality, especially for sensitive species such as many amphibians. Variation in environmental quality may affect an organism’s physiological health and, ultimately, survival and fitness. Using multiple health measures can aid in identifying populations at increased risk of declines. Our objective was to measure environmental variables at multiple spatial scales and their effect on three indicators of health in ornate chorus frog (Pseudacris ornata) tadpoles to identify potential correlates of population declines. To accomplish this, we measured a glucocorticoid hormone (corticosterone; CORT) profile associated with the stress response, as well as the skin mucosal immune function (combined function of skin secretions and skin bacterial community) and bacterial communities of tadpoles from multiple ponds. We found that water quality characteristics associated with environmental variation, including higher water temperature, conductivity and total dissolved solids, as well as percent developed land nearby, were associated with elevated CORT release rates. However, mucosal immune function, although highly variable, was not significantly associated with water quality or environmental factors. Finally, we examined skin bacterial diversity as it aids in immunity and is affected by environmental variation. We found that skin bacterial diversity differed between ponds and was affected by land cover type, canopy cover and pond proximity. Our results indicate that both local water quality and land cover characteristics are important determinants of population health for ornate chorus frogs. Moreover, using these proactive measures of health over time may aid in early identification of at-risk populations that could prevent further declines and aid in management decisions.
A Novel Capsule Endoscopic Score for Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Omori Teppei , Matsumoto Takayuki , Hara Toshifumi , Kambayashi Harutaka , Murasugi Shun , Ito Ayumi , Yonezawa Maria , Nakamura Shinichi , Tokushige Katsutoshi 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBackground and AimsThe Lewis Score (LS) and Capsule Endoscopy Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CECDAI) are the two currently used small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) scoring systems for Crohn’s disease (CD). The present study describes a new scoring system for evaluation of small bowel CD, especially mucosal inflammation.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 108 CD patients underwent 196 SBCEs. The small bowel lesions were scored using our new Crohn’s Disease Activity in Capsule Endoscopy (CDACE). CDACE is the sum of scores for location of inflammation, range of inflammation, and stenosis, with a value ranging from 0 to 1643. We analyzed the relation between CDACE and LS, CECDAI, CDAI, and CRP values and evaluated the inter-rater reliability of CDACE using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (2.1).ResultsThe mean (±SD) values of LS, CECDAI, and CDACE were 501 ± 1177, 5.8 ± 5.4 and 431 ± 356, respectively. CDACE correlated significantly with LS and CECDAI (ρ = 0.737, P &lt; 0.0001 for LS and ρ = 0.915, P &lt; 0.0001 for CECDAI). CDACE also correlated significantly with CDAI (ρ = 0.36) and CRP (ρ = 0.23). The ICC (2.1) was 0.829, indicating strong agreement among readers.ConclusionsCDACE is a potentially useful SBCE scoring system for small bowel CD, as it represents the extent and spread of small bowel mucosal inflammation and stenosis.
Effect of Bacterial and Fungal Microbiota Removal on the Survival and Development of Bryophagous Beetles
Authors: Pyszko Petr , Višňovská Denisa , Drgová Michaela , Šigut Martin , Drozd Pavel 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Insect microbiota may play a wide range of roles in host physiology. Among others, microbiota can be involved in diet processing or protection against pathogens, both of which are potentially important in bryophagous (moss-feeding) insects, which survive on extreme diets and live in the stable environment of moss clumps suitable for the growth of fungi and bacteria. We treated Cytilus sericeus (Forster, 1771) (Coleoptera: Byrrhidae) as a model organism with bactericides and fungicides to test the effect of bacterial and fungal removal on egg hatching and larval development. Furthermore, we supplied larvae with adult feces to determine whether feces is a source of beneficial microbiota or pathogens. Bactericides had a positive effect, but fungicides had a negative effect on beetle fitness, both of which manifested during egg hatching. The feces did not play a positive role. Our conclusions indicate the presence of beneficial fungal microbiota associated with eggs but not transmitted through feces. Based on preliminary cultivation and fungicide tests, Fusarium or Penicillium may be important for suppressing pathogens, but their exact role needs to be further studied.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement for bicuspid aortic valve regurgitation in a 17-year-old patient with congenitally corrected transposition of great arteries: a case report
Authors: Nomura Takahiro , Miyasaka Masaki , Zahn Evan M , Makkar Raj R 
Published: May 2020

Abstract

Background
Limited research has been conducted on the surgical management of the aortic valve in congenitally corrected transposition of great arteries (ccTGA) and to our knowledge there have been no reports on the treatment of bicuspid aortic regurgitation (AR) in ccTGA. We report on a ccTGA patient with bicuspid AR and systemic right ventricule (SRV) dysfunction who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Case summary
A 17-year-old male with a history of ccTGA and cerebral palsy diagnosed at birth presented with heart failure. During childhood, he did not experience any heart failure symptoms, however, secondary to progressive bicuspid AR he experienced worsening SRV dysfunction beginning at 15-year-old. Echocardiography showed reduced SRV ejection fraction and severe bicuspid AR. The heart team, including a cardiac surgeon and paediatric cardiologist, discussed the treatment strategies and decided to proceed with TAVR as surgical aortic valve replacement was deemed high risk. TAVR was performed with the 34 mm Evolut R (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA). Post-operative echocardiography showed severe paravalvular leak (PVL). Therefore, valve-in-valve TAVR using a 29 mm Edwards SAPIEN 3 (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA) was performed on post-operative Day 2 for PVL reduction. Following second procedure, PVL was significantly improved. The patient was discharged in stable condition.

Discussion
This is the first case wherein TAVR was performed for bicuspid AR in a patient with ccTGA. With appropriate preparation and planning and a collaborative multi-disciplinary team approach, TAVR can be a treatment option for severe AR in patients with ccTGA at high risk for surgery.
Segregation in a Universal Child Care System: Descriptive Findings from Norway
Authors: Drange Nina , Telle Kjetil 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
In a universal child care system with low or no parental co-payments, parents of advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds can improve the opportunities of their own children if they are better at identifying and occupying the high-quality centres, relegating children from disadvantaged backgrounds to centres of lower quality. To avoid such segregation, the generously publicly funded universal child care system in Norway is based on strict regulations of access, quality and co-payment. Still, using administrative data covering every child in Oslo over a decade, we document substantial segregation, with indications that children from advantaged families cluster in higher-quality centres. The segregation stems from parents of similar socioeconomic backgrounds applying to the same centres, and partly from private centres ‘cherry-picking’ advantaged children. Though parental application behaviour can to some extent be explained by residential segregation, we show that reallocating children across centres only 500 metres from their homes could substantially reduce segregation by immigrant background. We conclude that a child care system with almost universal participation and strict quality standards may not be sufficient to reduce social inequality and improve opportunities of disadvantaged children.
Temporal patterns and short-term progression of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: data from RACE V
Authors: De With Ruben R , Erküner Ömer , Rienstra Michiel , Nguyen Bao-Oanh , Körver Frank W J , Linz Dominik , Cate Ten Hugo , Spronk Henri , Kroon Abraham A , Maass Alexander H , Blaauw Yuri , Tieleman Robert G , Hemels Martin E W , de Groot Joris R , Elvan Arif , de Melis Mirko , Scheerder Coert O S , Al-Jazairi Meelad I H , Schotten Ulrich , Luermans Justin G L M , Crijns Harry J G M , Van Gelder Isabelle C ,   for the RACE V Investigators
Published: May 2020

Abstract

Aims
Atrial fibrillation (AF) often starts as a paroxysmal self-terminating arrhythmia. Limited information is available on AF patterns and episode duration of paroxysmal AF. In paroxysmal AF patients, we longitudinally studied the temporal AF patterns, the association with clinical characteristics, and prevalence of AF progression.

Methods and results
In this interim analysis of the Reappraisal of AF: Interaction Between HyperCoagulability, Electrical Remodelling, and Vascular Destabilisation in the Progression of AF (RACE V) registry, 202 patients with paroxysmal AF were followed with continuous rhythm monitoring (implantable loop recorder or pacemaker) for 6 months. Mean age was 64 ± 9 years, 42% were women. Atrial fibrillation history was 2.1 (0.5–4.4) years, CHA2DS2-VASc 1.9 ± 1.3, 101 (50%) had hypertension, 69 (34%) heart failure. One-third had no AF during follow-up. Patients with long episodes (&gt;12 hours) were often men with more comorbidities (heart failure, coronary artery disease, higher left ventricular mass). Patients with higher AF burden (&gt;2.5%) were older with more comorbidities (worse renal function, higher calcium score, thicker intima media thickness). In 179 (89%) patients, 1-year rhythm follow-up was available. On a quarterly basis, average daily AF burden increased from 3.2% to 3.8%, 5.2%, and 6.1%. Compared to the first 6 months, 111 (62%) patients remained stable during the second 6 months, 39 (22%) showed progression to longer AF episodes, 8 (3%) developed persistent AF, and 29 (16%) patients showed AF regression.

Conclusions
In paroxysmal AF, temporal patterns differ suggesting that paroxysmal AF is not one entity. Atrial fibrillation burden is low and determined by number of comorbidities. Atrial fibrillation progression occurred in a substantial number.

Trial registration number
Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02726698.
Stable and transient structural variation in lemur vaginal, labial and axillary microbiomes: patterns by species, body site, ovarian hormones and forest access
Authors: Bornbusch Sally Lyons , Grebe Nicholas M , Lunn Siera , Southworth Chelsea A , Dimac-Stohl Kristin , Drea Christine 
Published: May 2020

ABSTRACTHost-associated microbiomes shape and are shaped by myriad processes that ultimately delineate their symbiotic functions. Whereas a host's stable traits, such as its lineage, relate to gross aspects of its microbiome structure, transient factors, such as its varying physiological state, relate to shorter term, structural variation. Our understanding of these relationships in primates derives principally from anthropoid studies and would benefit from a broader, comparative perspective. We thus examined the vaginal, labial and axillary microbiota of captive, female ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) and Coquerel's sifakas (Propithecus coquereli), across an ovarian cycle, to better understand their relation to stable (e.g. species identity/mating system, body site) and transient (e.g. ovarian hormone concentration, forest access) host features. We used 16S amplicon sequencing to determine microbial composition and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to measure serum hormone concentrations. We found marked variation in microbiota diversity and community composition between lemur species and their body sites. Across both host species, microbial diversity was significantly correlated with ovarian hormone concentrations: negatively with progesterone and positively with estradiol. The hosts’ differential forest access related to the diversity of environmental microbes, particularly in axillary microbiomes. Such transient endogenous and exogenous modulators have potential implications for host reproductive health and behavioral ecology.
Rhamnolipids stabilize quorum sensing mediated cooperation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: García-Contreras Rodolfo , Loarca Daniel , Pérez-González Caleb , Jiménez-Cortés J Guillermo , Gonzalez-Valdez Abigail , Soberón-Chávez Gloria 
Published: May 2020

ABSTRACT
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the main models to study social behaviors in bacteria since it synthesizes several exoproducts, including exoproteases and siderophores and release them to the environment. Exoproteases and siderophores are public goods that can be utilized by the individuals that produce them but also by non-producers, that are considered social cheaters. Molecularly exoprotease cheaters are mutants in regulatory genes such as lasR, and are commonly isolated from chronic infections and selected in the laboratory upon serial cultivation in media with protein as a sole carbon source. Despite that the production of exoproteases is exploitable, cooperators have also ways to restrict the growth and selection of social cheaters, for instance by producing toxic metabolites like pyocyanin. In this work, using bacterial competitions, serial cultivation and growth assays, we demonstrated that rhamnolipids which production is regulated by quorum sensing, selectively affect the growth of lasR mutants and are able to restrict social cheating, hence contributing to the maintenance of cooperation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa populations.
A machine-learning-based surrogate model of Mars’ thermal evolution
Authors: Agarwal S , Tosi N , Breuer D , Padovan S , Kessel P , Montavon G 
Published: May 2020

SUMMARY
Constraining initial conditions and parameters of mantle convection for a planet often requires running several hundred computationally expensive simulations in order to find those matching certain ‘observables’, such as crustal thickness, duration of volcanism, or radial contraction. A lower fidelity alternative is to use 1-D evolution models based on scaling laws that parametrize convective heat transfer. However, this approach is often limited in the amount of physics that scaling laws can accurately represent (e.g. temperature and pressure-dependent rheologies or mineralogical phase transitions can only be marginally simulated). We leverage neural networks to build a surrogate model that can predict the entire evolution (0–4.5 Gyr) of the 1-D temperature profile of a Mars-like planet for a wide range of values of five different parameters: reference viscosity, activation energy and activation volume of diffusion creep, enrichment factor of heat-producing elements in the crust and initial temperature of the mantle. The neural network we evaluate and present here has been trained from a subset of ∼10 000 evolution simulations of Mars ran on a 2-D quarter-cylindrical grid, from which we extracted laterally averaged 1-D temperature profiles. The temperature profiles predicted by this trained network match those of an unseen batch of 2-D simulations with an average accuracy of $99.7\, {\rm per~cent}$.
Network meta-analyses in reproductive medicine: challenges and opportunities
Authors: Wang Rui , Seidler Anna Lene , Askie Lisa , Norman Robert J , Bhattacharya Siladitya , van Wely Madelon , Mol Ben Willem 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Network meta-analysis allows researchers to synthesise both direct and indirect evidence, thus enabling simultaneous comparisons of multiple treatments. A relatively recent addition to evidence synthesis in reproductive medicine, this approach has become increasingly popular. Yet, the underlying assumptions of network meta-analyses, which drive the validity of their findings, have been frequently ignored. In this article, we discuss the strengths and limitations of network meta-analyses. In addition, we present an overview of published network meta-analyses in reproductive medicine, summarize their challenges and provide insights into future research opportunities.
Time-harmonic elastic singularities and oscillating indentation of layered solids
Authors: Yu H Y , Lee Sanboh 
Published: May 2020

AbstractA new approach is proposed for obtaining the dynamic elastic response of a multilayered elastic solid caused by axisymmetric, time-harmonic elastic singularities. The method for obtaining the elastodynamic Green’s functions of the point force, double forces and center of dilatation is presented. For this purpose, the boundary conditions in an infinite solid at the plane passing through the singularity are derived first by using Helmholtz potentials. Then the Green’s function solution for layered solids is obtained by solving a set of simultaneous linear algebraic equations using the boundary conditions for both the singularities and for the layer interfaces. The application of the point force solution for the oscillating normal indentation problem is also given. The solution of the forced normal oscillation is formulated by integrating the point force Green’s function over the contact area with unknown surface traction. The dual integral equations of the unknown surface traction are established by considering the boundary conditions on the contact surface of the multilayered solid, which can be converted into a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind and solved numerically.