bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Δ9‐Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid alleviates collagen‐induced arthritis: Role of PPARγ and CB1 receptors
Authors: Palomares Belén , Garrido‐Rodriguez Martín , Gonzalo‐Consuegra Claudia , Gómez‐Cañas María , Saen‐oon Suwipa , Soliva Robert , Collado Juan A. , Fernández‐Ruiz Javier , Morello Gaetano , Calzado Marco A. , Appendino Giovanni , Muñoz Eduardo 
Published: June 2020

Background and PurposeΔ9‐Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (Δ9‐THCA‐A), the precursor of Δ9‐THC, is a non‐psychotropic phytocannabinoid that shows PPARγ agonist activity. Here, we investigated the ability of Δ9‐THCA‐A to modulate the classic cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors and evaluated its anti‐arthritis activity in vitro and in vivo.Experimental ApproachCannabinoid receptors binding and intrinsic activity, as well as their downstream signalling, were analysed in vitro and in silico. The anti‐arthritis properties of Δ9‐THCA‐A were studied in human chondrocytes and in the murine model of collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA). Plasma disease biomarkers were identified by LC‐MS/MS based on proteomic and elisa assays.Key ResultsFunctional and docking analyses showed that Δ9‐THCA‐A can act as an orthosteric CB1 receptor agonist and also as a positive allosteric modulator in the presence of CP‐55,940. Also, Δ9‐THCA‐A seemed to be an inverse agonist for CB2 receptors. In vivo, Δ9‐THCA‐A reduced arthritis in CIA mice, preventing the infiltration of inflammatory cells, synovium hyperplasia, and cartilage damage. Furthermore, Δ9‐THCA‐A inhibited expression of inflammatory and catabolic genes on knee joints. The anti‐arthritic effect of Δ9‐THCA‐A was blocked by either SR141716 or T0070907. Analysis of plasma biomarkers, and determination of cytokines and anti‐collagen antibodies confirmed that Δ9‐THCA‐A mediated its activity mainly through PPARγ and CB1 receptor pathways.Conclusion and ImplicationsΔ9‐THCA‐A modulates CB1 receptors through the orthosteric and allosteric binding sites. In addition, Δ9‐THCA‐A exerts anti‐arthritis activity through CB1 receptors and PPARγ pathways, highlighting its potential for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Quercus ilex pollen allergen, Que i 1, responsible for pollen food allergy syndrome caused by fruits in Spanish allergic patients
Authors: Pedrosa María , Guerrero‐Sanchez Víctor M. , Canales‐Bueno Natalia , Loli‐Ausejo David , Castillejo Maria Ángeles , Quirce Santiago , Jorrin‐Novo Jesús V. , Rodriguez‐Perez Rosa 
Published: June 2020

AbstractBackgroundPollen food allergy syndrome (PFAS) related to PR10 from vegetables is common in northern Europe, whereas in Mediterranean countries PFAS has been preferentially associated with profilins. However, there are pollen‐allergic patients reactive to Bet v 1 in birch‐free regions. Since it cannot be the primary sensitizer, there has to be another culprit. Quercus ilex is a good candidate as it belongs to the order Fagales. This order includes trees with highly sensitizing pollen such as alder, hazel, hornbeam, oak and chestnut because of the presence of PR10 allergens. PR10 allergens have indeed been described in other Quercus species.ObjectiveOur goals were to determine the rate of sensitization to Q. ilex in central Spain and the associated frequency of PFAS; secondly to identify and clone the Q. ilex allergen PR10.MethodsWe included 224 allergic patients with respiratory symptoms to estimate the rate of sensitization. A skin prick test (SPT) and ImmunoCAP were performed. A total of 38 Q. ilex‐sensitized patients were tested using Western blotting to determine the rate of Que i 1. Peptides from Que i 1 were analysed by MALDI‐TOF/TOF and Orbitrap LC‐MSMS. The Que i 1 sequence was first obtained from the Holm oak transcriptome then cloned and expressed in bacteria.Results59.8% of pollen‐allergic children were sensitized to Q. ilex. We described and cloned the Q. ilex PR10, Que i 1, which has a sensitization rate of 60.5% and was recognized by 65.4% patients reporting PFAS.Conclusion and clinical relevanceSensitization to Q. ilex pollen has increased significantly since 1995. This sensitization could be important, as the presence of PFAS in this population is higher than in patients not sensitized to Q. ilex. The first Q. ilex allergen has been described and is related to PFAS in Spanish patients sensitized to PR10 but not exposed to birch pollen.
Optomap ultrawide field imaging for detecting peripheral retinal lesions in 1725 high myopic eyes before implantable collamer lens surgery
Authors: Yang Danjuan , Li Meiyan , Wei Ruoyan , Xu Ye , Shang Jianmin , Zhou Xingtao 
Published: June 2020

AbstractImportanceIdentifying peripheral retinal lesions in high myopia patients before implantable collamer lens (ICL) surgery by nonmydriatic Optomap ultrawide field imaging.BackgroundTo investigate specificity and sensitivity of nonmydriatic Optomap ultrawide field imaging for detecting peripheral retinal lesions in high myopia patients before ICL surgery.DesignHospital‐based, cross‐sectional study.ParticipantsA total of 1725 high myopic eyes of 897 ICL surgery candidates were included in this study.MethodsPatients with high myopia were scheduled for routine ophthalmic examination before ICL implantation. Nonmydriatic Optomap ultrawide field imaging was applied for detecting potential peripheral retinal lesions before ICL surgery.Main Outcome MeasuresPresence of peripheral retinal lesions.ResultsOf 1725 eyes, 344 (19.94%) had peripheral retinal lesions in total; 75 (4.35%) eyes had holes/tears; 313 (18.14%) eyes had peripheral retinal degenerations. Sensitivity of Optomap for detecting peripheral retinal holes/tears and degenerations were 57.33% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 45.38‐68.69) and 65.18% (95% CI: 59.61‐70.45). Specificity for peripheral retinal holes/tears and degenerations were 99.58% (95% CI: 99.13‐99.83) and 99.08% (95% CI: 98.43‐99.51), respectively. A total of 22.70% (32/141) of omitted peripheral retinal lesions under Optomap needed intervention. Longer axial length (odds ratio [OR]: 1.16, P < .01), more severe refractive error (OR: 1.05, P < .01) and older age (OR: 1.03, P < .01) were proved to be risk factors for peripheral retinal degenerations in high myopes.Conclusions and RelevanceOptomap ultrawide field imaging is a reliable adjunctive tool with high specificity and moderate sensitivity for identifying and recording peripheral retinal lesions in high myopes in preoperative examination. Nonmydriatic Optomap could not entirely replace Goldmann three‐mirror contact lens in detecting peripheral retinal lesions in high myopia ICL candidates.
Intention classification in multiturn dialogue systems with key sentences mining
Authors: Cao Bin , Ma Kui , Liu Yuqi , Xu Yueshen , Zhu Linan 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThe multiturn dialogue system has been prevalently used in e‐commerce websites and modern information systems, which significantly improves the efficiency of problem solving and further promotes the service quality. In a multiturn dialogue system, the problem of intention classification is a core task, as the intention of a customer is the basis of subsequent problems handling. However, traditional related methods are unsuitable for the classification of multiturn dialogues. Because traditional methods do not distinguish the importance of each sentence and concatenate all sentences in the text, which is likely to generate a model with low prediction accuracy. In this paper, we propose a method of multiturn dialogue classification based on key sentences mining. We design a keywords extraction algorithm, mining key sentences from the dialogue text. We propose an algorithm finishing the computation of the weights of each sentence. According to the sentence weight and the sentence vector, the dialogue text is transformed to a dialogue vector. The dialogue text is classified by a classifier, and the input is the dialogue vector. We conducted sufficient experiments on a real‐world dataset, evaluating the performance of the proposed method. The experimental results show that our method outperforms the related methods on a series of evaluation metrics.
The true nature of Ganoderma in Iran: Taxonomy based on ITS and mtSSU rDNA
Authors: Keypour Somayeh , Riahi Hossein , Asef Mohammad Reza , Abdollahzadeh Jafar , borhani Ali , Safaie Naser 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThe genus Ganoderma Karst. has broad‐spectrum usage in biotechnology, medicine and the food industry. The complexity of the morphology within species has led to uncertain identification in the past, but recent advancements in molecular identification methods have provided scientists with the opportunity to better understand the taxonomy of the species. The present study attempts for the first time to elucidate the distinctiveness of the Ganoderma species growing in Iran concerning those elsewhere in the world based on mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal DNA (mtSSU rDNA) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence data. The results disclosed that the G. lucidum Karst. samples collected in Iran are more similar to the European Ganoderma species than to the Asian (Chinese) one used in this study.
Activation of cannabinoid type 1 receptors decreases the synchronization of local field potential oscillations in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex and prolongs the interresponse time during a differential‐reinforcement‐of‐low‐rate task
Authors: Liao Wan‐Ting , Chang Chao‐Lin , Hsiao Yi‐Tse 
Published: June 2020

AbstractMarijuana intoxication impairs neurocognitive functions. Common side effects of consuming cannabis include time distortion and memory loss. However, the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms involved in these effects remain unclear. We hypothesized that communication between the hippocampal CA1 region and medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) is essential for the transmission of temporal‐associated information. We used a differential‐reinforcement‐of‐low‐rate (DRL) task, which requires subjects to press a lever at an optimal time point, to correlate the distributions of interresponse time (IRT) with local field potentials (LFPs) recorded in the CA1 and MEC under the effects of a cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor agonist. We used a DRL 10‐s schedule and trained the rats to withhold for 10 s before pressing a lever. Our data showed that the percentage of 12.4‐ to 14‐s IRT events rose after activation of CB1 receptors in the MEC. In addition, gamma amplitude synchronization and CA1 theta phase–MEC gamma amplitude coupling decreased during the 6‐ to 14‐s IRT events. These results suggest that activation of CB1 receptors in the MEC disrupt the functional connectivity between the CA1 and the MEC. This inefficient communication may result in increased IRT during a DRL schedule. Overall, we postulate that marijuana intoxication impairs the communication between the CA1 and MEC and influences behavioral performances that require precise timing ability.
Digital Module 13: Monte Carlo Simulation Studies in Item Response Theory
Authors: Leventhal Brian , Ames Allison 
Published: June 2020

AbstractIn this digital ITEMS module, Dr. Brian Leventhal and Dr. Allison Ames provide an overview of Monte Carlo simulation studies (MCSS) in item response theory (IRT). MCSS are utilized for a variety of reasons, one of the most compelling being that they can be used when analytic solutions are impractical or nonexistent because they allow researchers to specify and manipulate an array of parameter values and experimental conditions (e.g., sample size, test length, and test characteristics). Dr. Leventhal and Dr. Ames review the conceptual foundation of MCSS in IRT and walk through the processes of simulating total scores as well as item responses using the two‐parameter logistic, graded response, and bifactor models. They provide guidance for how to implement MCSS using other item response models and best practices for efficient syntax and executing an MCSS. The digital module contains sample SAS code, diagnostic quiz questions, activities, curated resources, and a glossary.
What influences aggression and foraging activity in social birds? Measuring individual, group and environmental characteristics
Authors: Rose Paul , Soole Laura 
Published: June 2020

AbstractFor specialised feeders, accessing food resources may impact on the performance of appetitive foraging and social behaviours at individual and population levels. Flamingos are excellent examples of social species with complex, species‐specific feeding strategies. As attainment of coloured plumage depends upon intake of dietary carotenoids, and as study of free‐ranging flamingos shows that foraging is disrupted by aggression from other birds, we investigated the effect of four feeding styles on foraging and aggression in captive lesser flamingos. We evaluated individual and group differences in foraging and aggression when birds consumed bespoke “flamingo pellet” from a bowl, an indoor feeding pool and an outdoor feeding section of their pool. Natural foraging (when birds were feeding irrespective of the presence of pellet) was recorded for comparison with artificial feeding styles. One‐minute long video footage of the birds' activities in these different locations, recorded between 2013 and 2016, was used to evaluate behaviour. Total number of seconds engaged in feeding and in aggression was recorded by continuous sampling. The colour of individual birds was scored from 1 (mainly white) to 4 (mainly pink). For natural filter feeding in the outdoor pool, maximum foraging was twice as much as bowl feeding, whilst aggression was less than half as much as other feeding methods. Overall, a more restricted feeding style significantly predicted aggression, along with increasing group size. Plumage colour significantly influenced aggression (brightest flamingos were more aggressive) and showed a non‐significant trend with foraging (brighter birds fed less than paler birds). No sex effect on feeding or aggression was found. This study enhances our understanding of husbandry and species' biology impacts on captive behaviour and provides data‐based evidence to improve food presentation. For flamingos, implementation of spacious outdoor feeding areas can encourage natural foraging patterns by reducing excess aggression and enhances welfare by improving flock social stability.
Examination of the efficacy of small genetic panels in genomic conservation of companion animal populations
Authors: Sams Aaron J. , Ford Brett , Gardner Adam , Boyko Adam R. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractIn many ways, dogs are an ideal model for the study of genetic erosion and population recovery, problems of major concern in the field of conservation genetics. Genetic diversity in many dog breeds has been declining systematically since the beginning of the 1800s, when modern breeding practices came into fashion. As such, inbreeding in domestic dog breeds is substantial and widespread and has led to an increase in recessive deleterious mutations of high effect as well as general inbreeding depression. Pedigrees can in theory be used to guide breeding decisions, though are often incomplete and do not reflect the full history of inbreeding. Small microsatellite panels are also used in some cases to choose mating pairs to produce litters with low levels of inbreeding. However, the long‐term impact of such practices has not been thoroughly evaluated. Here, we use forward simulation on a model of the dog genome to examine the impact of using limited marker panels to guide pairwise mating decisions on genome‐wide population‐level genetic diversity. Our results suggest that in unmanaged populations, where breeding decisions are made at the pairwise—rather than population‐level, such panels can lead to accelerated loss of genetic diversity at genome regions unlinked to panel markers, compared to random mating. These results demonstrate the importance of genome‐wide genetic panels for managing and conserving genetic diversity in dogs and other companion animals.
The role of host environment in cancer evolution
Authors: Solary Eric , Laplane Lucie 
Published: June 2020

AbstractSomatic mutations in oncogene and tumor suppressor genes accumulate in healthy tissues throughout life and delineate clones with limited expansion. Lifestyle‐related toxic insults increase the size and number of these clones that participate to tissue aging. Their identification has blurred the boundaries between clonal expansion and malignant tumor and has drawn more attention to the role of the host environment in tumor emergence and progression. Local tissue factors such as disrupted cell interactions and stromal cell senescence combine with systemic and distant alterations to initiate the reiterative process of clonal expansion, multilayer intrinsic diversification and clonal selection that eventually characterize overt tumor evolution. In turn, tumors remodel their close and distant environments, establishing positive feedback loops that contribute to disease progression. Strategies emerge to preserve the tumor suppressive properties of healthy tissue landscapes and delay age‐induced changes that eventually lead to cancer.
Agricultural acceleration of soil carbonate weathering
Authors: Kim John H. , Jobbágy Esteban G. , Richter Daniel D. , Trumbore Susan E. , Jackson Robert B. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractSoil carbonates (i.e., soil inorganic carbon or SIC) represent more than a quarter of the terrestrial carbon pool and are often considered to be relatively stable, with fluxes significant only on geologic timescales. However, given the importance of climatic water balance on SIC accumulation, we tested the hypothesis that increased soil water storage and transport resulting from cultivation may enhance dissolution of SIC, altering their local stock at decadal timescales. We compared SIC storage to 7.3 m depth in eight sites, each having paired plots of native vegetation and rain‐fed croplands, and half the sites having additional irrigated cropland plots. Rain‐fed and irrigated croplands had 328 and 730 Mg C/ha less SIC storage, respectively, compared to their native vegetation (grassland or woodland) pairs, and irrigated croplands had 402 Mg C/ha less than their rain‐fed pairs (p < .0001). SIC contents were negatively correlated with estimated groundwater recharge, suggesting that dissolution and leaching may be responsible for SIC losses observed. Under croplands, the remaining SIC had more modern radiocarbon and a δ13C composition that was closer to crop inputs than under native vegetation, suggesting that cultivation has led to faster turnover and incorporation of recent crop carbon into the SIC pool (p < .0001). The losses occurred just 30–100 years after land‐use changes, indicating SIC stocks that were stable for millennia can rapidly adjust to increased soil water flows. Large SIC losses (194–242 Mg C/ha) also occurred below 4.9 m deep under irrigated croplands, with SIC losses lagging behind the downward‐advancing wetting front by ~30 years, suggesting that even deep SIC were affected. These observations suggest that the vertical distribution of SIC in dry ecosystems is dynamic on decadal timescales, highlighting its potential role as a carbon sink or source to be examined in the context of land use and climate change.
Trying to take over the world: Potential distribution of Obama nungara (Platyhelminthes: Geoplanidae), the Neotropical land planarian that has reached Europe
Authors: Negrete Lisandro , Lenguas Francavilla Marina , Damborenea Cristina , Brusa Francisco 
Published: June 2020

AbstractObama nungara Carbayo, Álvarez‐Presas, Jones, & Riutort, 2016 is a land planarian (Platyhelminthes: Geoplanidae) native to southern South America, which has recently dispersed towards several countries of the European continent, thus becoming a threat to the native soil fauna. Its dispersion would be favoured by its wide food habit and its tendency to live linked to humans, being the plant trade its most plausible vector of dispersion. Here, we explored the potential distribution of O. nungara on a global scale by using the MaxEnt software. We used 144 records (encompassing 10 countries) from sampling campaigns, citizen science, recent literature, and material deposited in scientific collections. Our results showed that southern South America has favourable climatic conditions for O. nungara. MaxEnt also allowed predicting expansions to countries of Europe where this planarian is already established and to others not yet colonized, as well as to Asia (southern coast of the Caspian Sea, Taiwan, and south‐east of mainland China) and Oceania (south‐east of Australia and New Zealand). The potential distribution of O. nungara was mainly outlined by climatic factors related to temperature (annual mean temperature, mean temperature of the coldest quarter, and annual temperature range). Thus, under a global warming scenario, a significant expansion of O. nungara relative to the current prediction is expected. This information may be useful to design strategies to prevent new introductions, since the dissemination of this planarian seems to be strongly man‐linked.
Contrasting mechanisms underlie short‐ and longer‐term soil respiration responses to experimental warming in a dryland ecosystem
Authors: Dacal Marina , García‐Palacios Pablo , Asensio Sergio , Cano‐Díaz Concha , Gozalo Beatriz , Ochoa Victoria , Maestre Fernando T. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractSoil carbon losses to the atmosphere through soil respiration are expected to rise with ongoing temperature increases, but available evidence from mesic biomes suggests that such response disappears after a few years of experimental warming. However, there is lack of empirical basis for these temporal dynamics in soil respiration responses, and for the mechanisms underlying them, in drylands, which collectively form the largest biome on Earth and store 32% of the global soil organic carbon pool. We coupled data from a 10 year warming experiment in a biocrust‐dominated dryland ecosystem with laboratory incubations to confront 0–2 years (short‐term hereafter) versus 8–10 years (longer‐term hereafter) soil respiration responses to warming. Our results showed that increased soil respiration rates with short‐term warming observed in areas with high biocrust cover returned to control levels in the longer‐term. Warming‐induced increases in soil temperature were the main drivers of the short‐term soil respiration responses, whereas longer‐term soil respiration responses to warming were primarily driven by thermal acclimation and warming‐induced reductions in biocrust cover. Our results highlight the importance of evaluating short‐ and longer‐term soil respiration responses to warming as a mean to reduce the uncertainty in predicting the soil carbon–climate feedback in drylands.
Resource utilization conditions as biochar of an invasive plant Spartina alterniflora in coastal wetlands of China
Authors: Xia Huijuan , Kong Weijing , Liu Lusan , Li Hongli , Lin Kuixuan 
Published: June 2020

AbstractConverting feedstocks of invasive plants into biochar is a new and cost‐effective measure for their control, and benefits for the sustainable development of native ecosystems. Spartina alterniflora, an invasive plant widely distributed in coastal wetlands of China, was used to produce biochar. We aimed to analyze how S. alterniflora biochar properties changed with desalination of feedstocks, pyrolysis temperature, and residence time. Results showed that desalting feedstocks increased biochar pH, stability, porosity, and surface area, but diminished biochar yield and polarity. Pyrolysis temperature positively affected biochar pH, surface area, and pore volume, while it had negative effects on biochar yield, oxygen and hydrogen contents, hydrogen/carbon and oxygen/carbon ratios, pore size, and function groups. However, residence time of pyrolysis had slight effects on biochar properties. The results are valuable for optimizing pyrolysis temperature and pretreatment measure of feedstocks, to tune S. alterniflora biochar properties for specific environmental usage.