bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Tacrolimus alleviates LPS‐induced AKI by inhibiting TLR4/MyD88/NF‐κB signalling in mice
Authors: Hu Xueqing , Zhou Wenqian , Wu Shun , Wang Rui , Luan Zhiyong , Geng Xin , Xu Na , Zhang Zhaoyong , Ruan Zhenmin , Wang Zenghui , Li Furong , Yu Chen , Ren Hongqi 
Published: December 2021

AbstractLipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced sepsis‐associated acute kidney injury (SA‐AKI) is a model of clinical serious care syndrome, with high morbidity and mortality. Tacrolimus (TAC), a novel immunosuppressant that inhibits inflammatory response, plays a pivotal role in kidney diseases. In this study, LPS treated mice and cultured podocytes were used as the models of SA‐AKI in vivo and in vitro, respectively. Medium‐ and high‐dose TAC administration significantly attenuated renal function and renal pathological manifestations at 12, 24 and 48 h after LPS treatment in mice. Moreover, the Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differential protein‐88 (MyD88)/nuclear factor‐kappa (NF‐κB) signalling pathway was also dramatically inhibited by medium‐ and high‐dose TAC administration at 12, 24 and 48 h of LPS treatment mice. In addition, TAC reversed LPS‐induced podocyte cytoskeletal injury and podocyte migratory capability. Our findings indicate that TAC has protective effects against LPS‐induced AKI by inhibiting TLR4/MyD88/NF‐κB signalling pathway and podocyte dysfunction, providing another potential therapeutic effects for the LPS‐induced SA‐AKI.
Reconstruction of evolutionary changes in fat and toxin consumption reveals associations with gene losses in mammals: A case study for the lipase inhibitor PNLIPRP1 and the xenobiotic receptor NR1I3
Authors: Wagner Franziska , Ruf Irina , Lehmann Thomas , Hofmann Rebecca , Ortmann Sylvia , Schiffmann Christian , Hiller Michael , Stefen Clara , Stuckas Heiko 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe inactivation of ancestral protein‐coding genes (gene loss) can be associated with phenotypic modifications. Within placental mammals, repeated losses of PNLIPRP1 (gene inhibiting fat digestion) occurred preferentially in strictly herbivorous species, whereas repeated NR1I3 losses (gene involved in detoxification) occurred preferentially in strictly carnivorous species. It was hypothesized that lower fat contents of herbivorous diets and lower toxin contents of carnivorous diets cause relaxed selection pressure on these genes, resulting in the accumulation of mutations and ultimately to convergent gene losses. However, because herbivorous and carnivorous diets differ vastly in their composition, a fine‐grained analysis is required for hypothesis testing. We generated a trait matrix recording diet and semi‐quantitative estimates of fat and toxin consumption for 52 placental species. By including data from 31 fossil taxa, we reconstructed the ancestral diets in major lineages (grundplan reconstruction). We found support that PNLIPRP1 loss is primarily associated with low levels of fat intake and not simply with herbivory/carnivory. In particular, PNLIPRP1 loss also occurred in carnivorous lineages feeding on a fat‐poor diet, suggesting that the loss of this gene may be beneficial for occupying ecological niches characterized by fat‐poor food resources. Similarly, we demonstrated that carnivorous species are indeed less exposed to diet‐related toxins, suggesting that the loss of NR1I3 and related genes (NR1I2 and UGT1A6) resulted from relaxed selection pressure. This study illustrates the need of detailed phenotype studies to obtain a deeper understanding of factors underlying gene losses and to progress in understanding genomic causes of phenotypic variation in mammals.
Morphological discreteness of the estuarine croaker Pseudotolithus elongatus (Teleostei: Sciaenidae)
Authors: Asuquo Philomena E. , Ifon Honor T. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe estuarine croaker (Pseudotolithus elongatus, Sciaenidae) has long‐term socio‐economic and ecological significance in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, but little has been reported on the population demographics of this species. In this study, a traditional morphometric approach was used to test the hypothesis that island samples are morphologically distinctive from adjoining estuarine waters. The study involved a total number of 612 specimens from four islands (Alligator, Tobacco, Parrot and James) of the lower Cross River, Nigeria as well as from the mouth of the Cross River estuary, sampled from January to July 2020. Each specimen was subjected to morphometric measurements consisting of 14 allometrically modified characters. Results of principal component analysis explained 85.6% of the total variance. The pooled between‐groups discriminant function analysis correctly classified 66.0% of individuals into two distinct stocks (Island and Estuary mouth). The present finding demonstrates that the Cross River Islands hold a unit stock of P. elongatus that is morphologically separable from the adjoining estuarine waters. We therefore recommend that the croaker population in Cross River should be managed as separate stocks.
On the invalid resurrection of the lamprey genus Exomegas Gill, 1883
Authors: Riva‐Rossi Carla , Renaud Claude B. , Neira Francisco J. , Baigún Claudio , Baker Cindy F. , Quiroga Pamela , Potter Ian 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe lamprey genus Exomegas Gill, 1883, was erected on the assumption that it was distinguishable from Geotria Gray, 1851, by possessing three rather than two cusps on the transverse lingual lamina (TLL). Based on literature review and examination of holotypes and new data, the authors reaffirm that the TLL of Geotria possesses two or three cusps in the adult stage. The reduction or disappearance of the middle cusp at the beginning or during the spawning run constitutes a key feature of Geotria. The resurrection of Exomegas by Firpo Lacoste, Fernández and Scioscia, Journal of Fish Biology, 2021, 1–6, 1507–1512, is therefore unjustified and not supported.
Testing the equilibrium model: An example from the Caledonian Kalak Nappe Complex (Finnmark, Arctic Norway)
Authors: Gaidies Fred , Heldwein Olivier K. A. , Yogi Maria Thereza A. G. , Cutts Jamie A. , Smit Matthijs A. , Rice A. Hugh N. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe equilibrium model has been tested using Barrovian garnet‐zone micaschists of the Kalak Nappe Complex. In our model, equilibrium in the MnNCKFMASHT system was established across the entire rock volume during prograde metamorphism except for garnet, which developed growth zoning preserved at levels controlled by the kinetics of intracrystalline diffusion. The preservation potential of the disequilibrium fluctuations required for nucleation of garnet has been considered in our simulations, using a moving boundary multicomponent diffusion and growth model. Results indicate that the core of garnet that crystallizes during regional metamorphism does not retain the major element composition of the nucleus but reflects the compositional signature of the immediate overgrowth. The differences between the metamorphic conditions of successive garnet growth steps of the samples indicate characteristic trends in their pressure‐temperature evolutions that can be predicted with the equilibrium model. There is some latitude with regard to the absolute metamorphic conditions due to the inherent uncertainty of the thermodynamic data and the approximation of the reactive volume composition. However, the slopes of the pressure‐temperature paths together with systematic trends in the lithological, geochemical, and Lu–Hf garnet whole‐rock isotopic properties of the rocks, as well as their garnet crystal size frequency distributions, enable the identification of the Veidnes, Bekkarfjord, and Kolvik Nappes involved in the Caledonian Orogeny and provide new insight into their metamorphic evolutions. According to our findings, the base of the Kalak Nappe Complex experienced wide‐spread Barrovian‐type metamorphism at c. 420 Ma with a gradient of ∼40 bar/°C and peak conditions of ∼560°C and 6.7 kbar in the Bekkarfjord and Veidnes Nappes, whereas the hinterland‐placed Kolvik Nappe was metamorphosed at peak conditions of ∼590°C and 7.5 kbar. This event was preceded by moderate‐pressure metamorphism at c. 423 Ma resulting in garnet crystallization exclusively in the Bekkarfjord Nappe, along a gradient of ∼20 bar/°C and peak conditions of ∼570°C and 6.0 kbar. We consider both of these metamorphic and deformational episodes to be different stages of the Scandian phase during the Caledonian Orogeny. An additional orogenic event at c. 464 Ma is preserved in the Veidnes Nappe, which was juxtaposed with the Scandian Nappes by repeated out‐of‐sequence thrusting associated with the final continent–continent collision. This nappe provides a unique insight into an earlier stage of the Caledonian Orogeny, indicating a low‐pressure Barrovian‐type metamorphic history with a gradient of ∼15 bar/°C and peak conditions of ∼560°C and 4.5 kbar.
Structural amyloid plaque polymorphism is associated with distinct lipid accumulations revealed by trapped ion mobility mass spectrometry imaging
Authors: Michno Wojciech , Wehrli Patrick M. , Koutarapu Srinivas , Marsching Christian , Minta Karolina , Ge Junyue , Meyer Sven W. , Zetterberg Henrik , Blennow Kaj , Henkel Corinna , Oetjen Janina , Hopf Carsten , Hanrieder Jörg 
Published: December 2021

AbstractUnderstanding of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiology requires molecular assessment of how key pathological factors, specifically amyloid β (Aβ) plaques, influence the surrounding microenvironment. Here, neuronal lipids have been implicated in Aβ plaque pathology, though the lipid microenvironment in direct proximity to Aβ plaques is still not fully resolved. A further challenge is the microenvironmental molecular heterogeneity, across structurally polymorphic Aβ features, such as diffuse, immature, and mature, fibrillary aggregates, whose resolution requires the integration of advanced, multimodal chemical imaging tools. Herein, we used matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization trapped ion mobility spectrometry time‐of‐flight based mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI TIMS TOF MSI) in combination with hyperspectral confocal microscopy to probe the lipidomic microenvironment associated with structural polymorphism of Aβ plaques in transgenic Alzheimer's disease mice (tgAPPSWE). Using on tissue and ex situ validation, TIMS MS/MS facilitated unambiguous identification of isobaric lipid species that showed plaque pathology‐associated localizations. Integrated multivariate imaging data analysis revealed multiple, Aβ plaque‐enriched lipid patterns for gangliosides (GM), phosphoinositols (PI), phosphoethanolamines (PE), and phosphatidic acids (PA). Conversely, sulfatides (ST), cardiolipins (CL), and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)‐conjugated phosphoserines (PS), and PE were depleted at plaques. Hyperspectral amyloid imaging further delineated the unique distribution of PA and PE species to mature plaque core regions, while PI, LPI, GM2 and GM3 lipids localized to immature Aβ aggregates present within the periphery of Aβ plaques. Finally, we followed AD pathology‐associated lipid changes over time, identifying plaque‐ growth and maturation to be characterized by peripheral accumulation of PI (18:0/22:6). Together, these data demonstrate the potential of multimodal imaging approaches to overcome limitations associated with conventional advanced MS imaging applications. This allowed for the differentiation of both distinct lipid components in a complex micro‐environment as well as their correlation to disease‐relevant amyloid plaque polymorphs.
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https://doi.org/10.1111/jnc.15390
Combined oral contraceptive use in rheumatoid arthritis for the purpose of pregnancy prevention and additional benefits: A narrative review
Authors: Lopane Cassandra M. , Comstock Brianne , Nagel Angela K. , Gandhi Mona A. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractCombined oral contraceptives are a common method of contraception and many females prefer them regardless of their medical history. The use in patients with rheumatoid and autoimmune disorders has not been extensively studied with previous reviews focusing on the safety component. This review seeks to address the effectiveness and benefits of utilizing combined oral contraceptives in females with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Current literature regarding combined oral contraceptives was surveyed for its use in RA and two PubMed searches were conducted, yielding 202 and 142 results, respectively. Results were screened and analyzed for relevance to this review topic. Eighteen results, consisting of clinical trials, observational studies, patient cases, and meta‐analyses were used in this narrative review. Historically, it was thought that females with an autoimmune disorder such as RA need to be on contraception due to the teratogenicity potential with disease‐modifying therapy but no evidence exists about which type of contraception is the most effective and least interacting. Current evidence available shows no preference for types of contraception in this population, but it has been demonstrated that combination oral contraceptives may provide contraceptive benefits and have a potential for other benefits such as less disability and the prevention of disease progression. Although current evidence provides reasoning to believe combination oral contraceptives are safe and efficacious in patients with RA and may even offer additional benefits, further studies and clinical trials are needed to completely understand the role combination oral contraceptives play in this patient population.
Minority language maintenance and the production‐prescription interface: Number agreement in New York Yiddish
Authors: Bleaman Isaac L. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractStandardization is a focus of language maintenance efforts in many, but not all, minority language communities. What is the impact of this choice on interspeaker variation in maintained languages? This study investigates variable number agreement in Yiddish, a minority language spoken by two distinct communities in the New York area: (1) Hasidic Jews, who maintain the language without standardization, and (2) Yiddishists, who are overtly committed to maintaining a “correct” Yiddish. An analysis of data from 40 sociolinguistic interviews shows that Yiddishists have significantly higher rates of normative agreement than Hasidim do. The Yiddishists’ standard language ideology has also contributed to a leveling of the differences across grammatical constructions, a predictor that is more robust among the Hasidic speakers. These community‐based differences in speech reflect differences in speakers’ prescriptive judgments, which were elicited through a novel postinterview text editing task.
Attachment to God and Psychological Distress: Evidence of a Curvilinear Relationship
Authors: Henderson W. Matthew , Kent Blake Victor 
Published: December 2021

AbstractPrevious religion/spirituality (R/S) research on attachment to God and mental well‐being has relied entirely on linear models. Scholars, however, have called for more nuanced analysis of religious beliefs and dispositions relative to mental health, and several studies using a nonlinear approach have yielded fruitful results with a handful of R/S predictors. Relying on national data from the 2010 Baylor Religion Survey, this study investigates potential nonlinear associations between attachment to God and psychological distress by fitting curvilinear models of avoidant attachment to God and multiple measures of general and psychological distress. For conceptual reasons, linear models of anxious attachment are also employed. Results reveal a nonlinear relationship between avoidant/secure attachment and distress and a deleterious linear relationship between anxious attachment to God and distress. This supports the overall hypothesis that anxiety or a lack of certainty about one's relationship with the divine represents a threat to psychological well‐being.
A lizard with two tales: What diversification within Sceloporus occidentalis teaches us about species formation
Authors: Pereira Ricardo J. , Singhal Sonal 
Published: December 2021

In 1859, Charles Darwin proposed that species are not fundamentally different from subspecies or the varieties from which they evolve. A century later, Dobzhansky (1958) suggested that many such lineages are ephemeral and are likely to reverse differentiation through introgression (Figure 1a); only a few evolve complete reproductive isolation and persist in sympatry. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Bouzid et al. (2021) showed how new analytical methods, when applied to genomic data, allow us to more precisely determine whether or not species formation follows the paths outlined by Darwin and Dobzhansky (Figure 1b). The authors studied the diversification of the lizard Sceloporus occidentalis, finding a continuum of genetic interactions between the preservation of genetic identity to genetic merger, analogous to what is exemplified by ring species. In doing so, they teach us two tales about species formation: that lineages are fractal byproducts of evolutionary processes such as genetic drift and selection, and that lineages are often ephemeral and do not always progress into fully reproductively isolated taxa. Studying ephemeral lineages like those in S. occidentalis allows us to capture divergence at its earliest stages, and potentially to determine the factors that allow lineages to remain distinct despite pervasive gene flow. These lineages thus serve as a natural laboratory to address long standing hypotheses about species formation.
Mechanistic characterization of endothelial sprouting mediated by pro‐angiogenic signaling
Authors: Song Min , Finley Stacey D. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractObjectiveWe aim to quantitatively characterize the crosstalk between VEGF‐ and FGF‐mediated angiogenic signaling and endothelial sprouting, to gain mechanistic insights and identify novel therapeutic strategies.MethodsWe constructed an experimentally validated hybrid agent‐based mathematical model that characterizes endothelial sprouting driven by FGF‐ and VEGF‐mediated signaling. We predicted the total sprout length, number of sprouts, and average length by the mono‐ and co‐stimulation of FGF and VEGF.ResultsThe experimentally fitted and validated model predicts that FGF induces stronger angiogenic responses in the long‐term compared with VEGF stimulation. Also, FGF plays a dominant role in the combination effects in endothelial sprouting. Moreover, the model suggests that ERK and Akt pathways and cellular responses contribute differently to the sprouting process. Last, the model predicts that the strategies to modulate endothelial sprouting are context‐dependent, and our model can identify potential effective pro‐ and anti‐angiogenic targets under different conditions and study their efficacy.ConclusionsThe model provides detailed mechanistic insight into VEGF and FGF interactions in sprouting angiogenesis. More broadly, this model can be utilized to identify targets that influence angiogenic signaling leading to endothelial sprouting and to study the effects of pro‐ and anti‐angiogenic therapies.
Long‐term changes of the neural network in case of improved post‐hypoxic myoclonus and gait
Authors: Song Jimin , Bashir Shahid , Kang Wonil , Cha Eunsil , Ohn Suk Hoon , Jung Kwang‐Ik , Yoo Woo‐Kyoung 
Published: December 2021

AbstractChronic post‐hypoxic myoclonus (PHM) is a rare complication after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation that causes severe gait disability due to action myoclonus. We report a case of a 69‐year‐old male patient with chronic PHM who showed significant improvement in myoclonus and gait. The diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was taken at initial admission and long‐term follow‐up (3 years) to find the changes in the diffusion matrices of the related neural correlate region of interest (ROI). There was a change in pedunculopontine nucleus and several subcortical networks.
Retrospective Comparative Study of Pedicle Screw Fixation via Quadrant Retractor and Buck's Technique in the Treatment of Adolescent Spondylolysis
Authors: Li Yueyang , Li Haiyin , Chang Xian , Hu Zhilei , Mu Xuesong , Liu Chenhao , Gao Xiaoxin , Zhang Yuyao , Zhou Yue , Li Changqing 
Published: December 2021

ObjectiveTo compare the effectiveness and practicality of pedicle screw fixation via the Quadrant retractor and Buck's technique in the treatment of adolescent spondylolysis.MethodsA total of 31 patients who underwent pedicle screw fixation or Buck's technique at our hospital from 2012 to 2017 were selected for this retrospective study. The patients were divided into a pedicle screw group (16 patients) and a Buck's technique group (15 patients) according to surgical procedure. Age, sex, disease duration, involved segments, preoperative Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores, visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for low back pain (LBP), intraoperative blood loss, incision length, operative time and length of hospital stay were documented. ODI scores, VAS scores for LBP and fusion rates at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year and 3 years postoperatively were used to evaluate surgical outcomes.ResultsThe average follow‐up period was 32.75 ± 11.99 months in the pedicle screw group and 31.02 ± 9.64 months in the Buck's technique group. No significant differences in demographic data and perioperative data were found between the two groups (P > 0.05). The ODI scores and VAS scores for LBP in both groups were significantly improved at 3 years postoperatively compared with the values before surgery (ODI%: 45.74 ± 2.47 vs 10.99 ± 3.00; 45.29 ± 6.94 vs 15.73 ± 6.89. VAS: 5.94 ± 0.68 vs 1.50 ± 0.52; 6.13 ± 0.74 vs 2.13 ± 0.92, P < 0.05). The ODI scores of the patients in the pedicle screw group at 1 month to 3 years postoperatively were lower than those of the patients in the Buck's technique group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the VAS scores for LBP of the patients in the pedicle screw group at 6 months and 3 years postoperatively were lower than those of the patients in the Buck's technique group (P < 0.05). No significant difference in the VAS scores for LBP was found between the two groups at 1 month postoperatively (3.88 ± 0.50 vs 4.20 ± 0.56, P = 0.10). Three years postoperatively, good fusion of the pars interarticularis was achieved in all patients in the pedicle screw group, but four patients in the Buck's technique group did not achieve good fusion (P = 0.02).ConclusionBoth pedicle screw fixation and Buck's technique can achieve good outcomes in the treatment of adolescent spondylolysis. Pedicle screw fixation via the Quadrant retractor for the treatment of spondylolysis is associated with more satisfactory effects in terms of LBP relief and fusion results.