bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Profiles of gene expression in the hippocampal formation of rats with experimentally‐induced brain dysplasia
Authors: Kielbinski Michal , Setkowicz Zuzanna , Gzielo Kinga , Janeczko Krzysztof 
Published: April 2018

ABSTRACTMalformations of cortical development (MCD) are a common cause of intractable seizures in humans. Among these, focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) poses an outstanding challenge. There are several subtypes of FCD that show significant variation in pathology and clinical presentation. All types exhibit disturbed cortical cytoarchitecture and increased propensity for seizures. The etiology is likely heterogenous, with mutations, specifically in genes related to mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), identified in only a subset of cases. A more complex mechanism, in which underlying genetic background interacts with early, pre‐ or perinatal injury or stress, has been proposed. Here, we used a well‐established animal model of developmental malformations similar to MCD, induced by prenatal gamma irradiation. Previously, a significant variation between times of treatment has been shown, resulting in distinct and lasting patterns of dysplasia and differentially altered seizure propensity. We set out to describe the molecular background of these patterns by performing microarray analyses of hippocampal samples obtained from adult rats previously irradiated at distinct time points during gestation: E13, E15, E17 or E19 as well as controls. The analysis was performed in three conditions: naïve, during latent phase after pilocarpine‐induced status epilepticus and after 21 days of transauricular electric shocks. A set of 22 transcripts, some with known functions related to brain development, epilepsy and reaction to injury, was found to be altered between these groups across all treatments. We discuss the functional implication of these molecular differences, in an attempt to provide broader temporal and developmental context. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 78: 718–735, 2018
Molecular and ecological signatures of an expanding hybrid zone
Authors: Wellenreuther Maren , Muñoz Jesús , Chávez‐Ríos Jesús R. , Hansson Bengt , Cordero‐Rivera Adolfo , Sánchez‐Guillén Rosa A. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractMany species are currently changing their distributions and subsequently form sympatric zones with hybridization between formerly allopatric species as one possible consequence. The damselflyIschnura eleganshas recently expanded south into the range of its ecologically and morphologically similar sister speciesIschnura graellsii. Molecular work shows ongoing introgression between these species, but the extent to which this species mixing is modulated by ecological niche use is not known. Here, we (1) conduct a detailed population genetic analysis based on molecular markers and (2) model the ecological niche use of both species in allopatric and sympatric regions. Population genetic analyses showed chronic introgression betweenI. elegansandI. graellsiiacross a wide part of Spain, and admixture analysis corroborated this, showing that the majority ofI. elegansfrom the sympatric zone could not be assigned to either theI. elegansorI. graellsiispecies cluster. Niche modeling demonstrated thatI. eleganshas modified its environmental niche following hybridization and genetic introgression withI. graellsii, making niche space of introgressedI. eleganspopulations more similar toI. graellsii. Taken together, this corroborates the view that adaptive introgression has moved genes fromI. graellsiiintoI. elegansand that this process is enabling SpanishI. elegansto occupy a novel niche, further facilitating its expansion. Our results add to the growing evidence that hybridization can play an important and creative role in the adaptive evolution of animals.
Repeated rainfall in summer induces prolonged high soil respiration in a semi‐arid floodplain woodland
Authors: Sun Qiaoqi , Meyer Wayne S. , Marschner Petra 
Published: April 2018

AbstractRainfall amounts and timing in addition to air temperature influence soil respiration (Rsoil ) especially in semi‐arid ecosystems. However, information about R soil in semi‐arid floodplains and its response to natural rainfall events is particularly limited. In this study, we measured in situ Rsoil monthly from July 2014 to August 2015 under eucalyptus canopies and intercanopy of a semi‐arid floodplain woodland, adjacent to the River Murray, Australia. Rsoil was greater under canopy than intercanopy. Five days of rainfall (total of 62 mm) in summer (air temperature approximately 23 °C) increased Rsoil by 70–85% 4 days after the last rainfall event compared with that before the rainfall. The relative increase was similar under canopy and intercanopy. Rsoil remained high over the following 2 months with no rain, although soil water content in the top soil was very low. This suggests that in the months following the short rain period, roots and rhizosphere (autotrophic respiration) in the moist subsoil were the major contributors to the total Rsoil. On the other hand, a single rainfall event (51 mm) in autumn (air temperature approximately 17 °C) did not increase Rsoil although top soil water content was 3 times higher than in the previous dry period. A laboratory incubation experiment showed that rewetting of dry soil induced only a brief flush of heterotrophic Rsoil. This study emphasized the importance of quantifying Rsoil in similar dry floodplains to better predict their role in the global carbon cycle, particularly in light of the predicted changes in rainfall patterns in many semi‐arid regions.
Changes in the benthic protozoan community during succession of a mangrove ecosystem in Zhanjiang, China
Authors: Chen Quan , Li Jing , Zhao Qian , Jian Shuguang , Ren Hai 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThe protection and restoration of mangrove ecosystems depend on understanding the interaction between benthic organisms and mangrove succession. Although benthic protozoa are important in such ecosystems, protozoan community dynamics have seldom been studied during the mangrove succession. The benthic protozoa of a mangrove chronosequence that included a primary community (unvegetated shoal), an early community (Avicennia marina), a middle community (Aegiceras corniculatum), and a late community (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza + Rhizophora stylosa) were investigated to determine the changes in the benthic protozoan community during a mangrove succession at Zhanjiang, China. A total of 62 benthic protozoa taxa belonging to three classes, 26 orders, and 38 families were recorded. The abundance of benthic protozoa decreased significantly during mangrove succession, while species richness and diversity changed irregularly. Hierarchical clustering indicated that the distribution of the benthic protozoa closely corresponded with the mangrove successional stages. Further analyses indicated that the changes in the benthic protozoan community with mangrove succession were associated with the changes in total sediment nitrogen content and especially with vegetation characteristics, including plant height and crown breadth. The decline in the abundance of benthic protozoa during mangrove succession may be explained by the deterioration of benthic protozoan microhabitats. However, determining whether these or other factors are responsible for the change in the benthic protozoan community during mangrove succession will require additional research.
Multiple pathways of C and N incorporation by consumers across an experimental gradient of salmon carcasses
Authors: Kiffney P. M. , Naman S. M. , Cram J. M. , Liermann M. , Burrows D. G. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractNumerous studies link resource subsidies to consumers, yet manipulations of subsidy gradients are rare, limiting our ability to predict their effects. We measured natural abundance levels of the stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) in consumers representing two taxonomic (invertebrates, fish) and multiple trophic groups (primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers) exposed to a gradient of Pacific salmon carcasses (0–4 kg/m2, eight treatment levels) in 16 experimental streams from September to December. We hypothesized (1) that consumer δ13C and δ15N values would increase with carcass loading and (2) that these relationships would vary among consumers and trophic levels. Within taxonomic groups, both δ13C and δ15N values increased with carcass loading indicating direct consumption of salmon organic matter (δ13C increase) and indirectly by consumption of salmon‐enriched prey (δ15N increase). The relative importance of these two pathways for invertebrates primary consumers varied with carcass loading, with an abrupt increase in direct consumption above ~0.5 kg/m2 salmon carcass wet mass. Both the rates of δ13C and δ15N increase and the shape of the response to the carcass gradient varied among invertebrates. The only fish that responded positively to carcasses was a small benthic, secondary consumer, and only for δ13C. Overall, benthic invertebrate primary consumers were the dominant pathway by which salmon organic matter entered the trophic system, followed by benthic secondary consumers, and then tertiary consumers (juvenile coho salmon and cutthroat trout) that occupy the water column. The attenuating response to subsidies at higher trophic levels was possibly due to a combination of low decomposition and metabolic rates during fall and winter, composition of the subsidy, and habitat use. Our results demonstrate that decomposing salmon carcasses provide variable but potentially important sources of C (range: ~0–60%) and N (range: ~0–35%) supporting benthic consumers during fall and winter, when environmental conditions constrain primary productivity, with some evidence of saturation at carcass loadings >0.1–0.6 kg/m2. Furthermore, stable isotope analysis showed that consumers exploited salmon organic matter in different ways, potentially alleviating competition and allowing for a more efficient processing of this resource subsidy.
Litter moisture adsorption is tied to tissue structure, chemistry, and energy concentration
Authors: Talhelm Alan F. , Smith Alistair M. S. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThe ability of plant litter to adsorb water is important for wildland fire, hydrological, and biogeochemical processes. Variation in water adsorption has largely been attributed to physical differences across species, with the role of litter chemistry in moisture dynamics receiving little attention. We hypothesized that lower specific leaf area (SLA, cm2/g) and higher concentrations of hydrophobic lignin and lipid biomolecules would be associated with decreased litter water adsorption. Because plant biochemistry is tied to litter elemental and structural traits via biophysics and leaf economics, we expected to observe a suite of linked traits that were related to water adsorption, including element concentrations, carbon oxidation state, and energy concentration (ΔHc). In litter from 22 species, we observed greater than fourfold variation in the maximum amount of liquid water adsorbed (adsorption capacity, g/g) and in the rate at which dry litter adsorbed water vapor (adsorption rate, mg g−1 min−1); there was a significant positive relationship between adsorption capacity and adsorption rate. Broadly, litter with low SLA had a low carbon oxidation state, low oxygen and ash concentrations, and high concentrations of carbon, hydrogen, lignin, and lipids. The two metrics of water adsorption had significant negative relationships with concentrations of energy, lignin, carbon, and hydrogen, and positive relationships with litter SLA and carbon oxidation state. However, water adsorption was better predicted by combinations of SLA with chemical and energy traits. Several traits associated with decreased litter water adsorption, such as concentrations of lignin and energy, also directly influence some of the same ecosystem processes affected by litter moisture (e.g., decomposition, wildland fires). In particular, because plants with the hydrophobic traits identified in this study are more abundant in dry environments, our observations suggest a mechanism that could accentuate the influence of litter traits on ecosystem processes and which merits further research. Understanding the role of these traits in water adsorption could be used to help predict shifts in ecosystem function as plant communities reassemble as result of climate change as well as provide quantitative information on how plant species influence wildland fire dynamics.
Application of the Integrated Diode Synchronous Motor to Traction Drive Motors
Authors: HIRAMOTO KENJI , NAKAI HIDEO , YAMADA EIJI , MIZUTANI RYOJI 
Published: April 2018

SUMMARYIn this study, a traction drive electric motor was designed with a new magnet‐free motor design technique where electromagnets are generated on a rotor by utilizing changes in the spatial second harmonic of the magnetic fields. To apply the proposed technique to electric motor design, balancing the rotor and stator magnetomotive force is important. This paper presents design methods for adjusting the rotor and stator magnetomotive forces. A test motor was designed with these design methods and evaluated using a motor bench. The analytical and measurement data indicated that the proposed motor performed comparably to magnet motors.
Development of micellar electrokinetic chromatography method for the determination of three defined impurities in indomethacin
Authors: Riasová Petra , Doubková Dagmar , Pincová Lucie , Jung Ondřej , Polášek Miroslav , Jáč Pavel 
Published: April 2018

AbstractA micellar electrokinetic chromatography method for the determination of indomethacin impurities (4‐chlorobenzoic acid, 5‐methoxy‐2‐methyl‐3‐indoleacetic acid, and 3,4‐dichloroindomethacin) has been developed. A 64.5/56‐cm fused silica 50 μm id capillary with extended light path (150 μm id) detection window was used. Internal standard was 1‐naphthylacetic acid. The analytes were separated at 30 kV with DAD detection at 224 nm. A central composite face‐centered design was applied for the optimization of the separation conditions. The effect of SDS concentration, content of methanol, concentration of phosphate buffer, and pH of the buffer were studied at three levels. The optimized background electrolyte was 20 mmol/L phosphate buffer (pH 7.57) containing 58 mmol/L SDS and 0% MeOH. Sufficient resolution of all compounds with Rs ≥ 3.5 was achieved within 10 min. The method was validated for a range of 1.25–80 μg/mL of each impurity corresponding to 0.05–3.2% relative to the concentration of indomethacin (2.5 mg/mL). The calibration curves were rectilinear with correlation coefficients r2 exceeding 0.9994. The lower limit of quantification was 0.05% or 1.25 μg/mL that complies with the reporting limits regarding the ICH Q3A guideline. The method was applied to purity assay of indomethacin in both bulk drug and gel.
Body size–dependent bioaccumulation, tissue distribution, and trophic and maternal transfer of phenolic endocrine-disrupting contaminants in a freshwater ecosystem
Authors: Peng Xianzhi , Zheng Ke , Liu Jun , Fan Yujuan , Tang Caiming , Xiong Songsong 
Published: April 2018

Abstract

Parabens, bisphenol A (BPA), triclosan, and triclocarban are recognized endocrine-disrupting contaminants (EDCs); and their occurrence in the environment has attracted increasing concern. Body size–dependent bioaccumulation, tissue distribution, trophic magnification, and maternal transfer of methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, and butylparabens; 2-phenylphenol (PHP); BPA; triclosan; and triclocarban were investigated in freshwater fish of the Pearl River catchment, China. Most of the EDCs were detected in more than half of the biota samples, ranging from not detected to 6750 ng g−1 lipid weight, with median concentrations of 5 to 72 ng g−1 lipid weight. Livers generally contained the highest EDC levels (1609 ± 1860 ng g−1 lipid wt, mean ± standard deviation), followed in decreasing order by eggs (842 ± 1317 ng g−1 lipid wt), belly fats (488 ± 465 ng g−1 lipid wt), and dorsal muscles (240 ± 239 ng g−1 lipid wt) of the wildlife. Body size–dependent bioaccumulation of the EDCs was observed in the freshwater fish, which varied according to species, tissue, and compound. The concentrations of triclosan, PHP, and BPA usually showed decreasing trends, whereas parabens mostly demonstrated increasing tendency with increasing fish weights, indicating effects of growth dilution and bioaccumulation, respectively. Potential biomagnification was shown by triclosan with trophic magnification factors of 3.0, 4.3, and 4.0 in liver, belly fat, and dorsal muscle, respectively. In addition, the potential of maternal transfer in the fish was primarily revealed for methyl- and propylparabens, PHP, triclosan, and BPA. Presence of the EDCs in the freshwater organisms of the Pearl River catchment warrants more attention considering the potential of trophic magnification and maternal transfer. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1811–1823. © 2018 SETAC
Combined effects of Deepwater Horizon crude oil and environmental stressors on Fundulus grandis embryos
Authors: Rodgers Maria L. , Jones Elizabeth R. , Klinkhamer Christopher , Mahapatra Cecon T. , Serafin Jennifer , Bosker Thijs , Perkins Christopher , Griffitt Robert J. , De Guise Sylvain , Sepúlveda Maria S. 
Published: April 2018

Abstract

In the present study, we examined how sensitivity to oil changes in combination with environmental stressors in Fundulus grandis embryos. We exposed embryos (&lt;24 h post fertilization) to a range of high-energy water accommodated fraction (HEWAF) concentrations (0–50 parts per billion [ppb] total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs]) made from Macondo crude oil in conjunction with various environmental conditions (temperature: 20 and 30 °C; salinity: 3, 7, and 30 practical salinity units [PSU]; and dissolved oxygen: 2 and 6 mg/L). Endpoints included mortality, hatching rates, and expression of cytochrome p450 1a and 1c (cyp1a, cyp1c) in hatched larvae. There was 100% mortality for all fish under the 2 parts per million (ppm) dissolved oxygen regimes. For the 6 mg/L dissolved oxygen treatments, mortality and median lethal time (LT50) were generally higher in the 30 °C treatments versus the 20 °C treatments. Oil increased mortality in fish exposed to the highest concentration in the 20-3-6 (°C-PSU-mg/L), 25-7-6, and 30-30-6 conditions. Hatching was driven by environmental conditions, with oil exposure having a significant impact on hatching in only the 25-7-6 and 30-30-6 groups at the greatest HEWAF exposure. Expression of cyp1a was up-regulated in most treatment groups versus the controls, with cyp1c expression exhibiting a similar pattern. These data suggest interactive effects among temperature, salinity, and PAHs, highlighting a need to further assess the effects of oil exposure under various environmental conditions. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1916–1925. © 2018 SETAC
A review of fire growth and fully developed fires in railcars
Authors: Lattimer Brian Y. , McKinnon Mark 
Published: April 2018

SummaryA literature review was performed to assess the state of knowledge of the effects of railcar interior finish materials on fire growth and fully developed fires from railcars. An overview is provided on standards and requirements currently used to regulate interior finish materials. Following this review, an overview of experimental and computational research is provided on railcar interior finish flammability and its impact on fire growth. A survey of the research on fully developed fires and the potential heat release rates of railcars is then presented. This includes scaling laws, experimental research, and model development. Future research recommendations are then presented.
Ultra‐high‐field fMRI insights on insight: Neural correlates of the Aha!‐moment
Authors: Tik Martin , Sladky Ronald , Luft Caroline Di Bernardi , Willinger David , Hoffmann André , Banissy Michael J , Bhattacharya Joydeep , Windischberger Christian 
Published: April 2018

AbstractFinding creative solutions to difficult problems is a fundamental aspect of human culture and a skill highly needed. However, the exact neural processes underlying creative problem solving remain unclear. Insightful problem solving tasks were shown to be a valid method for investigating one subcomponent of creativity: the Aha!‐moment. Finding insightful solutions during a remote associates task (RAT) was found to elicit specific cortical activity changes. Considering the strong affective components of Aha!‐moments, as manifested in the subjectively experienced feeling of relief following the sudden emergence of the solution of the problem without any conscious forewarning, we hypothesized the subcortical dopaminergic reward network to be critically engaged during Aha. To investigate those subcortical contributions to insight, we employed ultra‐high‐field 7 T fMRI during a German Version of the RAT. During this task, subjects were exposed to word triplets and instructed to find a solution word being associated with all the three given words. They were supposed to press a button as soon as they felt confident about their solution without further revision, allowing us to capture the exact event of Aha!‐moment. Besides the finding on cortical involvement of the left anterior middle temporal gyrus (aMTG), here we showed for the first time robust subcortical activity changes related to insightful problem solving in the bilateral thalamus, hippocampus, and the dopaminergic midbrain comprising ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAcc), and caudate nucleus. These results shed new light on the affective neural mechanisms underlying insightful problem solving.
Metabolic Features of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver (NAFL) in Obese Adolescents: Findings From a Multiethnic Cohort
Authors: Tricò Domenico , Caprio Sonia , Rosaria Umano Giuseppina , Pierpont Bridget , Nouws Jessica , Galderisi Alfonso , Kim Grace , Mata Mariana M. , Santoro Nicola 
Published: April 2018

We conducted a prospective study in a large, multiethnic cohort of obese adolescents to characterize clinical and genetic features associated with pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), the most common cause of chronic liver disease in youth. A total of 503 obese adolescents were enrolled, including 191 (38.0%) whites, 134 (26.6%) blacks, and 178 (35.4%) Hispanics. Participants underwent abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to quantify hepatic fat fraction (HFF), an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) to assess glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, and the genotyping of three single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (patatin‐like phospholipase domain‐containing protein 3 [PNPLA3] rs738409, glucokinase regulatory protein [GCKR] rs1260326, and transmembrane 6 superfamily member 2 [TM6SF2] rs58542926). Assessments were repeated in 133 subjects after a 2‐year follow‐up. Prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) was 41.6% (209 patients) and ranged widely among ethnicities, being 42.9% in whites, 15.7% in blacks, and 59.6% in Hispanics (P < 0.0001). Among adolescents with NAFL, blacks showed the highest prevalence of altered glucose homeostasis (66%; P = 0.0003). Risk factors for NAFL incidence were white or Hispanic ethnicity (P = 0.021), high fasting C‐peptide levels (P = 0.0006), and weight gain (P = 0.0006), whereas baseline HFF (P = 0.004) and weight loss (P = 0.032) predicted resolution of NAFL at follow‐up. Adding either gene variant to these variables improved significantly the model predictive performance. Conclusion: Black obese adolescents are relatively protected from liver steatosis, but are more susceptible to the deleterious effects of NAFL on glucose metabolism. The combination of ethnicity/race with markers of insulin resistance and genetic factors might help identify obese youth at risk for developing NAFL.