bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Regulators of cholinergic signaling in disorders of the central nervous system
Authors: Winek Katarzyna , Soreq Hermona , Meisel Andreas 
Published: February 2021

AbstractCholinergic signaling is crucial in cognitive processes, and degenerating cholinergic projections are a pathological hallmark in dementia. Use of cholinesterase inhibitors is currently the main treatment option to alleviate symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and has been postulated as a therapeutic strategy in acute brain damage (stroke and traumatic brain injury). However, the benefits of this treatment are still not clear. Importantly, cholinergic receptors are expressed both by neurons and by astrocytes and microglia, and binding of acetylcholine to the α7 nicotinic receptor in glial cells results in anti‐inflammatory response. Similarly, the brain fine‐tunes the peripheral immune response over the cholinergic anti‐inflammatory axis. All of these processes are of importance for the outcome of acute and chronic neurological disease. Here, we summarize the main findings about the role of cholinergic signaling in brain disorders and provide insights into the complexity of molecular regulators of cholinergic responses, such as microRNAs and transfer RNA fragments, both of which may fine‐tune the orchestra of cholinergic mRNAs. The available data suggest that these small noncoding RNA regulators may include promising biomarkers for predicting disease course and assessing treatment responses and might also serve as drug targets to attenuate signaling cascades during overwhelming inflammation and to ameliorate regenerative capacities of neuroinflammation.
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Mice deficient in the NAAG synthetase II gene Rimkla are impaired in a novel object recognition task
Authors: Becker Ivonne , Wang‐Eckhardt Lihua , Lodder‐Gadaczek Julia , Wang Yong , Grünewald Agathe , Eckhardt Matthias 
Published: February 2021

AbstractN‐acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) is an abundant neuropeptide in the mammalian nervous system, synthesized by two related NAAG synthetases I and II (NAAGS‐I and ‐II) encoded by the genes Rimklb and Rimkla, respectively. NAAG plays a role in cognition and memory, according to studies using inhibitors of the NAAG hydrolase glutamate carboxypeptidase II that increase NAAG concentration. To examine consequences of reduced NAAG concentration, Rimkla‐deficient (Rimkla−/−) mice were generated. These mice exhibit normal NAAG level at birth, likely because of the intact Rimklb gene, but have significantly reduced NAAG levels in all brain regions in adulthood. In wild type mice NAAGS‐II was most abundant in brainstem and spinal cord, as demonstrated using a new NAAGS‐II antiserum. In the hippocampus, NAAGS‐II was only detectable in neurons expressing parvalbumin, a marker of GABAergic interneurons. Apart from reduced open field activity, general behavior of adult (6 months old) Rimkla−/− mice examined in different tests (dark‐light transition, optokinetic behavior, rotarod, and alternating T‐maze) was not significantly altered. However, Rimkla−/− mice were impaired in a short‐term novel object recognition test. This was also the case for mice lacking NAA synthase Nat8l, which are devoid of NAAG. Together with results from previous studies showing that inhibition of the NAAG degrading enzyme glutamate carboxypeptidase II is associated with a significant improvement in object recognition, these results suggest a direct involvement of NAAG synthesized by NAAGS‐II in the memory consolidation underlying the novel object recognition task.
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Efficacy and safety of 0.15% isobutylamido thiazolyl resorcinol combined with hyaluronic acid vs 0.15% isobutylamido thiazolyl resorcinol or hyaluronic acid alone in melasma treatment: A randomized evaluator‐blind trial
Authors: Disphanurat Wareeporn , Srisantithum Benjaporn 
Published: February 2021

AbstractBackgroundMelasma has a complex pathogenesis, and various aggravating factors contribute to its recalcitrance to treatments. A combination of isobutylamido thiazolyl resorcinol (ITR) and hyaluronic acid (HA) could increase melasma treatment efficacy.AimsTo compare the efficacy and safety of 0.15% ITR plus HA vs 0.15% ITR or HA alone in melasma treatment.MethodsNinety‐two patients received ITR 0.15% plus HA (n = 30), 0.15% ITR (n = 31), or HA (n = 31) along with broad‐spectrum sunscreen application for 12 weeks. Treatment efficacy was determined using modified Melasma Area Severity Index (mMASI), average melanin and melanin variation with Antera3D®, and safety based on transepidermal water loss.ResultsCompared with the HA group, the ITR+HA group showed significantly reduced mMASI at weeks 4, 8, and 12 (p = 0.026, 0.015, and 0.001, respectively), whereas the ITR group showed a significant reduction at week 12 (p = 0.027). There was no significant difference in the mMASI or average melanin level between the ITR+HA and ITR groups. Melanin variation was significantly lower in the ITR+HA group than in the ITR group at weeks 4, 8, and 12 (p = 0.027, 0.019, and 0.023, respectively).ConclusionsThe combination of 0.15% ITR and 0.15% ITR+HA effectively reduced melasma severity. HA could synergistically improve melasma homogeneity.
Immediate Implant Placement with Buccal Bone Augmentation in the Anterior Maxilla with Thin Buccal Plate: A One‐Year Follow‐Up Case Series
Authors: Chen Kaidi , Li Zhipeng , Liu Xin , Liu Quan , Chen Zetao , Sun Yue , Chen Zhuofan , Huang Baoxin 
Published: February 2021

AbstractPurposeTo evaluate the buccal bone thickness of immediate implant placement with buccal bone augmentation in patients with a thin buccal plate in the esthetic zone.Materials and methodsEighteen consecutive patients requiring a single tooth replacement in the anterior maxillary zone with a thin plate (<1 mm) were included and received immediate implant placement with narrow‐diameter implants. Patients received buccal bone augmentation (both internal and external socket bone grafting) with deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM) and an absorbable membrane. The final restoration was delivered after 8 months. Cone‐beam CT scans were performed before surgery (CBCT0), immediately after surgery (CBCT1), at final restoration delivery (CBCT2), and at 1‐year follow‐up after the final restoration (CBCT3) to evaluate the buccal bone thickness and ridge width. A repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons were applied for statistical analysis of changes within different time points (α = 0.05).ResultsFifteen of the 18 enrolled patients were available for analysis at the 1‐year follow‐up after final restoration. The mean buccal bone thickness at 2 mm apical to the implant‐abutment junction (IAJ‐2) were 3.59 mm (range: 3.04‐4.58 mm), 2.79 mm (range: 2.25‐3.78 mm), and 2.52 mm (range: 1.72‐3.36 mm), respectively, at CBCT1, CBCT2, and CBCT3. A statistical significance was observed for buccal bone thickness change between CBCT1 and CBCT2 at IAJ‐2 (F = 17.948, p = 0.001). The net gains of the ridge width from CBCT0 to CBCT1, CBCT1 to CBCT2, and CBCT2 to CBCT3 were 1.08 mm, –0.94 mm and –0.04 mm at 4 mm apical to the cementum‐enamel junction, respectively. No statistical significance was observed for the change in ridge width from CBCT0 to CBCT3 (F = 10.518, p = 1.000).ConclusionsSimultaneous buccal bone augmentation may maintain a predictable buccal bone thickness for immediate implant placement in the maxillary anterior sites with a thin buccal plate (<1 mm) at 1‐year follow‐up after final restoration.
Levetiracetam‐responsive paroxysmal exertional dyskinesia in a Welsh Terrier
Authors: Green Sherril , Olby Natasha 
Published: February 2021

AbstractA 5‐and‐a‐half‐year old, 9‐kg, spayed, female Welsh Terrier presented with a 12 month history of paroxysmal exertion‐induced dyskinesia (PED) characterized by recurrent episodes of involuntary hyperkinetic movements, abnormal muscle tone, and contractions triggered by exercise. A single episode occurred within 2 hours after exercise, lasted from 7 to 10 minutes, and resolved without treatment. The owner sought treatment for the dog when the episodes began to last longer (20‐30 minutes), and occurred as long as 2.5 to 8 hours after exercise. Diazepam administered intranasally at the start of an episode promptly alleviated the symptoms. Maintenance therapy with levetiracetam proved effective, such that the dog was gradually returned to exercise. However, attempts to wean the dog off the drug resulted in reoccurrence. Although the pathophysiology of PED is not fully understood, the clinical presentation and the positive response to antiepileptic therapy highlight the overlap between disease pathways in epilepsy and PED in dogs.
The status of California halibut, Paralichthys californicus, as a technologically feasible species for marine U.S. aquaculture
Authors: Stuart Kevin , Silbernagel Constance , Drawbridge Mark 
Published: February 2021

AbstractCalifornia halibut (CH; Paralichthys californicus) is a highly valued species that supports a commercial and recreational fishery along the Pacific coast of the United States. This species is considered a promising aquaculture candidate in California, with interest for both food production and stock replenishment. Culture of CH has been done on a small scale, showing that it is technologically feasible to rear this species commercially. Broodstock maturation and egg production can be accomplished without hormone therapy. Survival from egg to juvenile (~50 dph) can be as high as 30%. Juvenile growout to market size has been done on a limited basis, and it takes 3 years to reach a market size of 1 kg. There is a live market for CH in California and it is currently being supplemented by the importation of Paralichthys olivaceus. The known disease agents affecting CH are ectoparasites (i.e., Trichodina sp), endoparasites (i.e., Anisakis sp.), and bacterial agents (i.e., Pseudomonas sp.). While culture of this species is technologically feasible, research still needs to be done in certain areas in order to realize commercial readiness. These areas include: nutrition, selective breeding, development of all female populations; improved pigmentation; and developing methods for disease prevention and control.
The coming of age: How do linguists tease apart chronological, biological and social age?
Authors: Hejná Míša , Jespersen Anna 
Published: February 2021

AbstractAge is one of the key variables in the field of language variation and change (LVC). The vast majority of experimental work generally views a speaker's date of birth—chronological age—as a good reflection of both their social age, for example, which generation they identify with and how strongly and their biological age, that is, the physiological age of their body. This paper aims to provide the reader with tools to tease apart these three ways of conceptualising the variable of age. It reviews qualitative and quantitative methods from fields adjacent to LVC that will enable linguists of different theoretical interests to tap into biological and social aspects of ageing. In doing so, it provides a practical manual for linguists wishing to work from a more multifaceted understanding of one of the key variables in many linguistic subfields.
Mental maps and perceptual dialectology
Authors: Cramer Jennifer 
Published: February 2021

AbstractPerceptual dialectology is the study of the thoughts, beliefs and attitudes that nonlinguists have about their dialect landscapes. The field foregrounds these perceptions which have been historically presumed to be of only peripheral significance in linguistic research. One of the most influential tools for studying the perceptions of nonlinguists has been the mental map task, in which participants are asked to indicate on a map where specific varieties of a language can be found, providing a label for each region delimited. This article examines the history of mental mapping in perceptual dialectology, explores recent advances in the collection, analysis and processing of such maps using Geographic Information Systems tools and other technological advancements, and provides insights about how these advances are allowing researchers to answer more questions about connections between language use, language perception, place, people and identities.
Locus‐specific introgression in young hybrid swarms: Drift may dominate selection
Authors: McFarlane S. Eryn , Senn Helen V. , Smith Stephanie L. , Pemberton Josephine M. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractClosely related species that have previously inhabited geographically separated ranges are hybridizing at an increasing rate due to human disruptions. These human‐mediated hybrid zones can be used to study reproductive isolation between species at secondary contact, including examining locus‐specific rates of introgression. Introgression is expected to be heterogenous across the genome, reflecting variation in selection. Those loci that introgress especially slowly are good candidates for being involved in reproductive isolation, while those loci that introgress quickly may be involved in adaptive introgression. In the context of conservation, policy makers are especially concerned about introduced alleles moving quickly into the background of a native or endemic species, as these alleles could replace the native alleles in the population, leading to extinction via hybridization. We applied genomic cline analyses to 44,997 SNPs to identify loci introgressing more or less when compared to the genome wide expectation in a human‐mediated hybridizing population of red deer and sika in Kintyre Scotland. We found 11.4% of SNPs had cline centres that were significantly different from the genome wide expectation, and 17.6% of all SNPs had excess rates of introgression. Based on simulations, we believe that many of these markers have diverged from the genome‐wide average due to drift, rather than because of selection, and we suggest that these simulations can be useful as a null distribution for future studies of genomic clines. Future work on red deer and sika could determine the policy implications of allelic‐replacement due to drift rather than selection, and could use replicate, geographically distinct hybrid zones to narrow down those loci that are responding to selection.
A single QTL with large effect is associated with female functional virginity in an asexual parasitoid wasp
Authors: Ma Wen‐Juan , Pannebakker Bart A. , Li Xuan , Geuverink Elzemiek , Anvar Seyed Yahya , Veltsos Paris , Schwander Tanja , van de Zande Louis , Beukeboom Leo W. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractDuring the transition from sexual to asexual reproduction, a suite of reproduction‐related sexual traits become superfluous, and may be selected against if costly. Female functional virginity refers to asexual females resisting to mate or not fertilizing eggs after mating. These traits appear to be among the first that evolve during transitions from sexual to asexual reproduction. The genetic basis of female functional virginity remains elusive. Previously, we reported that female functional virginity segregates as expected for a single recessive locus in the asexual parasitoid wasp Asobara japonica. Here, we investigate the genetic basis of this trait by quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and candidate gene analyses. Consistent with the segregation of phenotypes, we found a single QTL of large effect, spanning over 4.23 Mb and comprising at least 131 protein‐coding genes, of which 15 featured sex‐biased expression in the related sexual species Asobara tabida. Two of the 15 sex‐biased genes were previously identified to differ between related sexual and asexual population/species: CD151 antigen and nuclear pore complex protein Nup50. A third gene, hormone receptor 4, is involved in steroid hormone mediated mating behaviour. Overall, our results are consistent with a single locus, or a cluster of closely linked loci, underlying rapid evolution of female functional virginity in the transition to asexuality. Once this variant, causing rejection to mate, has swept through a population, the flanking region does not get smaller owing to lack of recombination in asexuals.
The impact of thrombo‐inflammation on the cerebral microcirculation
Authors: Ansari Junaid , Gavins Felicity N. E. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe intertwined processes of thrombosis and inflammation (termed “thrombo‐inflammation”) are significant drivers of cerebrovascular diseases, and as such, they represent prime targets for drug discovery programs focusing on treatment and management of cerebrovascular diseases. Most cerebrovascular events result from chronic systemic microcirculatory dysfunction due to underlying conditions, for example, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, dyslipidemia, and sickle cell disease. Immune cells especially neutrophils play a critical role in the onset and maintenance of neuroinflammatory responses in the microcirculation. Neutrophils have the ability to drive both inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory/pro‐resolution effects depending on the underlying vascular state (physiological vs. pathological). In this article, we highlight the pathophysiological role of neutrophils in stroke and discuss ongoing pharmacotherapeutic strategies that are focused on identifying potential therapeutic targets for enhancing neuroprotection, mitigating inflammatory pathways, and enabling resolution.
Body scarring as an indicator of social function of dugong (Dugong dugon) tusks
Authors: Lanyon Janet M. , Athousis Chrissa , Sneath Helen L. , Burgess Elizabeth A. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe fully aquatic lifestyle of dugongs means that direct observation of social tusk use is not usually possible. This study used body scarring as an indicator of tusk function by males. Tusk rake scars on 298 live wild dugongs, of both sexes and all sizes, were categorized and counted in over 1,000 photographs, and examined in relation to maturity and reproductive activity over seasons. All dugongs had tusk scars, but adults were the main recipients. Sexually active adults acquired the greatest number of fresh tusk wounds during the mating season. Subadults received fresh rakes at similar numbers year‐round. Adult males had more scars on the mid and posterior dorsum, indicating that males direct combative force to these regions of the male body when competing for females. Adult females had heaviest scarring and more tusk puncture wounds on the anterior‐mid dorsum and head, suggesting that male dugongs use tusks in sexual coercion. Heavy scarring sustained by solitary calves compared to dependent ones, suggests that mothers afford some protection. Body scarring caused by tusks may serve as an indicator of reproductive contribution of the recipients, providing that successful males are involved in more reproductive competitions, and successful females in more mating events.
A Control–Value Theory Approach to Boredom in English Classes Among University Students in China
Authors: LI CHENGCHEN 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThere is a growing research interest in a variety of emotions in foreign and second language (L2) classrooms, especially since the introduction of positive psychology. However, research on the ubiquitous emotional experience of boredom is scant. Building on its prevalence and documented deleterious effects, I argue that research on the antecedents for the instigation of boredom is needed. Based on the control–value theory (CVT) of achievement emotions in educational psychology, this study took a mixed methods approach to examine control–value appraisals as antecedents of boredom in English‐as‐a‐foreign‐language learning among Chinese university students. In line with CVT assumptions, Pearson correlation analyses and regression analyses (N = 2,002) showed that different control–value appraisals predicted boredom uniquely or interactively. Qualitative data from interviews with 11 students and 11 English teachers expanded the quantitative results by including more complexities in the associations between control–value appraisals and boredom. These findings provide further support for the CVT and help to elucidate the instigation of boredom in the L2 learning context. Directions for future research and implications for L2 educational practice are discussed.
Agroecology, Biological Control, and Catholic Social Teaching*
Authors: Whelan Matthew Philipp 
Published: February 2021

AbstractIn response to the ecological crisis, Catholic social teaching draws upon an account of natural law that appeals to natural‐ecological order and its provision of principles for tilling and keeping creation. My main contention in this article is that social teaching has insufficiently concretized the empirical entanglements of this account, along with its ecological‐agricultural implications. One consequence, as scholars like Lisa Sideris and Celia Deane‐Drummond have shown, is that social teaching, like much theological reflection upon ecology, downplays the centrality of death.While Catholic social teaching, as Óscar Romero rightly observes, must not “invade” other fields, a refusal to invade is not a refusal to engage, nor is it a refusal to learn from, or even to incorporate, wisdom from outside of itself. To this end, I argue that agroecology, a transdisciplinary science that applies ecological principles to agriculture, can help. By focusing upon an agroecological approach to the ecological management of insect herbivores (“pests”) known as biological control, I show how agroecology can assist social teaching in discerning the kinds of ecological principles it calls for but does not specify—principles, in this case, related to predator‐prey dynamics in natural systems and the importance of agricultural diversification. I further argue that if social teaching continues to appeal to natural‐ecological order, it must more directly confront death’s place in that order, and that the thought of Thomas Aquinas can be a helpful source. While my focus in this article is upon what social teaching can learn from agroecology, I conclude by suggesting how social teaching’s account of natural law and its integral ecology can surface and develop aspects of agroecology’s own, oftentimes implicit, moral vision.
Deep learning differentiates between healthy and diabetic mouse ears from optical coherence tomography angiography images
Authors: Pfister Martin , Stegmann Hannes , Schützenberger Kornelia , Schäfer Bhavapriya Jasmin , Hohenadl Christine , Schmetterer Leopold , Gröschl Martin , Werkmeister René M. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractWe trained a deep learning algorithm to use skin optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiograms to differentiate between healthy and type 2 diabetic mice. OCT angiograms were acquired with a custom‐built OCT system based on an akinetic swept laser at 1322 nm with a lateral resolution of ∼13 μm and using split‐spectrum amplitude decorrelation. Our data set consisted of 24 stitched angiograms of the full ear, with a size of approximately 8.2 × 8.2 mm, evenly distributed between healthy and diabetic mice. The deep learning classification algorithm uses the ResNet v2 convolutional neural network architecture and was trained on small patches extracted from the full ear angiograms. For individual patches, we obtained a cross‐validated accuracy of 0.925 and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC AUC) of 0.974. Averaging over multiple patches extracted from each ear resulted in the correct classification of all 24 ears.