bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Broodmate aggression and life history variation in accipitrid birds of prey
Authors: Redondo Tomás , Romero José María , Díaz‐Delgado Ricardo , Nagy Jenő 
Published: July 2019

AbstractAggressive sibling competition for parental food resources is relatively infrequent in animals but highly prevalent and extreme among certain bird families, particularly accipitrid raptors (Accipitriformes). Intense broodmate aggression within this group is associated with a suite of traits including a large adult size, small broods, low provisioning rates, and slow development. In this study, we apply phylogenetic comparative analyses to assess the relative importance of several behavioral, morphological, life history, and ecological variables as predictors of the intensity of broodmate aggression in 65 species of accipitrid raptors. We show that intensity of aggression increases in species with lower parental effort (small clutch size and low provisioning rates), while size effects (adult body mass and length of nestling period) are unimportant. Intense aggression is more closely related to a slow life history pace (high adult survival coupled with a restrained parental effort), rather than a by‐product of allometry or food limitation. Consideration of several ecological variables affecting prey abundance and availability reveals that certain lifestyles (e.g., breeding in aseasonal habitats or hunting for more agile prey) may slow a species’ life history pace and favor the evolution of intense broodmate aggression.
Peripheral neurons: Master regulators of skin and mucosal immune response
Authors: Basso Lilian , Serhan Nadine , Tauber Marie , Gaudenzio Nicolas 
Published: July 2019

AbstractThe body is innervated by a meshwork of heterogeneous peripheral neurons (including sensory neurons) which project virtually to all the organs. Peripheral neurons have been studied extensively in the context of their primary function of initiation of voluntary and involuntary movement, transmission of sensations and induction of appropriate behavioral response such as withdrawal to avoid tissue injury or scratching to remove irritating molecules. More recently, breakthrough articles have shown that, on top of their primary function of signal transmission to the spinal cord and brain, peripheral neurons (including afferent neurons) could directly sense environmental alarms and consequently regulate the development of various type of immune responses through the release of neuropeptides or growth factors. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the neural regulation of the immune response, both in physiological and pathological contexts by taking into account the type of organs (lungs, skin and gut), subtypes of peripheral neurons (sympathetic, nociceptive and intrinsic gut neurons) or immune cells and strains of pathogens studied. We also highlight future challenges in the field and potential therapeutic innovations targeting neuro‐immune interactions.
Oligodendrocyte involvement in Gulf War Illness
Authors: Belgrad Jillian , Dutta Dipankar J. , Bromley‐Coolidge Samantha , Kelly Kimberly A. , Michalovicz Lindsay T. , Sullivan Kimberly A. , O'Callaghan James P. , Fields Richard. Douglas 
Published: July 2019

AbstractLow level sarin nerve gas and other anti‐cholinesterase agents have been implicated in Gulf War illness (GWI), a chronic multi‐symptom disorder characterized by cognitive, pain and fatigue symptoms that continues to afflict roughly 32% of veterans from the 1990–1991 Gulf War. How disrupting cholinergic synaptic transmission could produce chronic illness is unclear, but recent research indicates that acetylcholine also mediates communication between axons and oligodendrocytes. Here we investigated the hypothesis that oligodendrocyte development is disrupted by Gulf War agents, by experiments using the sarin‐surrogate acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP). The effects of corticosterone, which is used in some GWI animal models, were also investigated. The data show that DFP decreased both the number of mature and dividing oligodendrocytes in the rat prefrontal cortex (PFC), but differences were found between PFC and corpus callosum. The differences seen between the PFC and corpus callosum likely reflect the higher percentage of proliferating oligodendroglia in the adult PFC. In cell culture, DFP also decreased oligodendrocyte survival through a non‐cholinergic mechanism. Corticosterone promoted maturation of oligodendrocytes, and when used in combination with DFP it had protective effects by increasing the pool of mature oligodendrocytes and decreasing proliferation. Cell culture studies indicate direct effects of both DFP and corticosterone on OPCs, and by comparison with in vivo results, we conclude that in addition to direct effects, systemic effects and interruption of neuron–glia interactions contribute to the detrimental effects of GW agents on oligodendrocytes. Our results demonstrate that oligodendrocytes are an important component of the pathophysiology of GWI.
Alignment control technology of liquid crystal molecules
Authors: Ishihara Shoichi , Mizusaki Masanobu 
Published: July 2019

AbstractLiquid crystal displays are now indispensable in everyday life. The display characteristics considerably depend on the configuration of liquid crystal (LC) molecules and interactions between the LC molecules and an alignment film surface. In this paper, we introduce various methods to control parameters that dominate the LC alignment. These parameters include order parameters, the pretilt angle, the director direction, and surface anchoring strength. We also introduce their evaluation methods. In particular, recent alignment film‐free technology is explained in detail. In addition, details of how these parameters are related to the display characteristics, particularly wide viewing angles and fast response characteristics, are described primarily with reference to recent technologies.
Chlorophyll Supplementation in Early Life Prevents Diet‐Induced Obesity and Modulates Gut Microbiota in Mice
Authors: Li Yuanyuan , Cui Yu , Hu Xiaosong , Liao Xiaojun , Zhang Yan 
Published: July 2019

ScopeThe high rates of overweight and obesity, currently occurring in children, underline the urgent need for preventive strategies in early life before excess weight is gained.Methods and resultsIn this study, the alleviating obesity property of chlorophyll supplementation in early life is investigated using a 4‐week‐old C57BL/6J male mice model with obesity induced by high‐fat diet (HFD). The present study finds that chlorophyll supplementation in early life can effectively retard body weight gain, improve glucose tolerance, as well as reduce low‐grade inflammation in HFD‐fed mice. Consequently, high‐throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA demonstrates that chlorophyll supplementation significantly reversed the HFD‐induced gut dysbiosis, as evidenced by the decreased Firmicutes‐to‐Bacteroidetes ratios as chlorophyll is introduced. Furthermore, in chlorophyll‐fed mice, the increased abundance of Blautia and norank_f_Bacteroidales_S24‐7_group, and the decreased abundance of Lactococcus and Lactobacillus, bring about the possibility that chlorophyll's alterations to the gut microbiota composition would be the main factors for dietary chlorophyll alleviating obesity‐related indexes.ConclusionTaken together, these results reveal that the intake of chlorophyll in early life may propel healthy weight management and produce beneficial effects against potential obesity in later life.
Stilbenoid‐Mediated Epigenetic Activation of Semaphorin 3A in Breast Cancer Cells Involves Changes in Dynamic Interactions of DNA with DNMT3A and NF1C Transcription Factor
Authors: Beetch Megan , Lubecka Katarzyna , Shen Kate , Flower Kirsty , Harandi‐Zadeh Sadaf , Suderman Matthew , Flanagan James M , Stefanska Barbara 
Published: July 2019

ScopeLoci‐specific increase in DNA methylation occurs in cancer and may underlie gene silencing. It is investigated whether dietary stilbenoids, resveratrol, and pterostilbene exert time‐dependent effects on DNA methylation patterns and specifically methylation‐silenced tumor suppressor genes in breast cancer cells.Methods and resultsFollowing genome‐wide DNA methylation analysis with Illumina‐450K, changes characteristic of early and late response to stilbenoids are identified. Interestingly, often the same genes but at different CpG loci, the same gene families, or the same functional gene categories are affected. CpG loci that lose methylation in exposed cells correspond to genes functionally associated with cancer suppression. There is a group of genes, including SEMA3A, at which the magnitude of hypomethylation in response to stilbenoids rises with increasing invasive potential of cancer cells. Decreased DNA methylation at SEMA3A promoter and concomitant gene upregulation coincide with increased occupancy of active histone marks. Open chromatin upon exposure to stilbenoids may be linked to decreased DNMT3A binding followed by increased NF1C transcription factor occupancy. Sequestration of DNMT3A is possibly a result of stilbenoid‐mediated increase in SALL3 expression, which was previously shown to bind and inhibit DNMT3A activity.ConclusionsThe findings define mechanistic players in stilbenoid‐mediated epigenetic reactivation of genes suppressing cancer.
Application of Volatile Organic Compound Analysis in a Nutritional Intervention Study: Differential Responses during Five Hours Following Consumption of a High‐ and a Low‐Fat Dairy Drink
Authors: Hageman Jeske H. J. , Nieuwenhuizen Arie G. , van Ruth Saskia M. , Hageman Jos A. , Keijer Jaap 
Published: July 2019

ScopeExhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a possible relevant target for noninvasive assessment of metabolic responses. Using a breathomics approach, it is aimed to explore whether lipid intake influences VOC profiles in exhaled air, and to obtain insight in intra‐ and interindividual variations.Methods and resultsThree human interventions are performed. In the first, 12 males consume a high‐fat drink on three study days. In the second, 12 males receive a high‐ and a low‐fat drink on 6 days. In the third, three volunteers consume the high‐fat drink again for tentative compound identification. Participants are asked to exhale, for 5 h postprandial with 15–20 min intervals, into a proton‐transfer‐reaction mass spectrometer, and VOCs in exhaled air are measured. Consumption of a drink alters the VOC profile, with considerable interindividual variation and quantitative intraindividual differences between days. Consumption of two different drinks results in a distinct VOC profile, caused by several specific m/z values. Most of these compounds are identified as being related to ketone body formation and lipid oxidation, showing an increase in high‐ versus low‐fat drink.ConclusionExhaled VOCs have the potential to assess differences in metabolic responses induced by nutrition, especially when day‐to‐day variation can be minimized.
Industrial Trans Fatty Acids Stimulate SREBP2‐Mediated Cholesterogenesis and Promote Non‐Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Oteng Antwi‐Boasiako , Loregger Anke , van Weeghel Michel , Zelcer Noam , Kersten Sander 
Published: July 2019

ScopeThe mechanisms underlying the deleterious effects of trans fatty acids on plasma cholesterol and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are unclear. Here, the aim is to investigate the molecular mechanisms of action of industrial trans fatty acids.Methods and resultsHepa1‐6 hepatoma cells were incubated with elaidate, oleate, or palmitate. C57Bl/6 mice were fed diets rich in trans‐unsaturated, cis‐unsaturated, or saturated fatty acids. Transcriptomics analysis of Hepa1‐6 cells shows that elaidate but not oleate or palmitate induces expression of genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis. Induction of cholesterogenesis by elaidate is mediated by increased sterol regulatory element‐binding protein 2 (SREBP2) activity and is dependent on SREBP cleavage–activating protein (SCAP), yet independent of liver‐X receptor and ubiquitin regulatory X domain‐containing protein 8. Elaidate decreases intracellular free cholesterol levels and represses the anticholesterogenic effect of exogenous cholesterol. In mice, the trans‐unsaturated diet increases the ratio of liver to gonadal fat mass, steatosis, hepatic cholesterol levels, alanine aminotransferase activity, and fibrosis markers, suggesting enhanced NAFLD, compared to the cis‐unsaturated and saturated diets.ConclusionElaidate induces cholesterogenesis in vitro by activating the SCAP–SREBP2 axis, likely by lowering intracellular free cholesterol and attenuating cholesterol‐dependent repression of SCAP. This pathway potentially underlies the increase in liver cholesterol and NAFLD by industrial trans fatty acids.
Projection‐based improvement of 3D reconstructions from motion‐impaired dental cone beam CT data
Authors: Niebler Stefan , Schömer Elmar , Tjaden Henning , Schwanecke Ulrich , Schulze Ralf 
Published: July 2019

PurposeComputed tomography (CT) and, in particular, cone beam CT (CBCT) have been increasingly used as a diagnostic tool in recent years. Patient motion during acquisition is common in CBCT due to long scan times. This results in degraded image quality and may potentially increase the number of retakes. Our aim was to develop a marker‐free iterative motion correction algorithm that works on the projection images and is suitable for local tomography.MethodsWe present an iterative motion correction algorithm that allows the patient's motion to be detected and taken into account during reconstruction. The core of our method is a fast GPU‐accelerated three‐dimensional reconstruction algorithm. Assuming rigid motion, motion correction is performed by minimizing a pixel‐wise cost function between all captured x‐ray images and parameterized projections of the reconstructed volume.ResultsOur method is marker‐free and requires only projection images. Furthermore, it can deal with local tomography data. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach on both simulated and real motion‐beset patient images. The results show that our new motion correction algorithm leads to accurate reconstructions with sharper edges, better contrasts and more detail.ConclusionsThe presented method allows for correction of patient motion with observable improvements in image quality compared to uncorrected reconstructions. Potentially, this may reduce the number of retakes caused by corrupted reconstructions due to patient movements.
Reduced effectiveness of repellents in a pyrethroid‐resistant strain of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: culicidae) and its correlation with olfactory sensitivity
Authors: Yang Liu , Norris Edmund J , Jiang Shiyao , Bernier Ulrich R , Linthicum Kenneth J , Bloomquist Jeffrey R 
Published: July 2019

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe mosquito, Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae), is a vector of dengue fever, zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever viruses, and in many areas possesses significant levels of resistance to pyrethroids. Behavioral performance was assessed in 15, 30, and 60 min exposures in a high throughput vapor phase spatial repellency assay to three contact repellent standards: N,N‐diethyl‐3‐methylbenzamide (DEET), ethyl 3‐[acetyl(butyl)amino] propanoate (IR3535), and 2‐undecanone, as well as pyrethrum extract, transfluthrin, and metofluthrin in susceptible (Orlando) and a pyrethroid‐resistant Puerto Rico strain of Aedes aegypti. Additionally, electroantennographic studies were used to investigate the antennal sensitivities to these compounds in both strains.RESULTSResistance was found to all tested insect repellents in the Puerto Rico strain of Ae. aegypti. Resistance ratios at the different time points were about 2 for DEET, 3 for 2‐undecanone, and 12 for IR3535. Resistance was also observed to pyrethrum extract (∼9‐fold), transfluthrin (∼5‐fold), and metofluthrin (∼48‐fold) in repellent behavioral response. Electrophysiological analysis found decreased antennal sensitivity to all repellents tested, consistent with their behavioral effects.CONCLUSIONThe reduced sensitivity to these repellents may represent a fitness cost arising from the kdr mutation present in Puerto Rico Aedes aegypti. This work highlights the need for understanding collateral effects from the evolution of pesticide resistance in mosquitoes, and the importance of finding alternative strategies to control resistance development. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
A Bayesian structural equation model in general pedigree data analysis
Authors: Akbarzadeh Mahdi , Moghimbeigi Abbas , Morris Nathan , Daneshpour Maryam S. , Mahjub Hossein , Soltanian Ali Reza 
Published: July 2019

AbstractStructural equation modeling (SEM) is a powerful, comprehensive, and flexible multivariate statistical method for modeling relationships between observed and latent variables. However, in genetic association analysis, frequentist approaches to fitting SEMs do not always lead to convergence and admissible solutions for complex models, categorical variables, complicated data structures such as pedigree data and small sample sizes. Accordingly, to conduct a SEM pedigree data analysis, Stan platform as a probabilistic programming language was applied in our study to propose a new version of the Bayesian approach that adopts Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) and data augmentation techniques. At first, a comprehensive simulation study was conducted to compare the precision of each parameter of the suggested method with that of the classic technique in terms of bias, alpha error rate, and coverage probability. After that, the method was applied to real data with a conceptual model including ordinal indicators in order to conduct genetic association analysis of two well‐known genetic markers with metabolic syndrome trait. The simulation findings revealed the proposed Bayesian method was a more efficient technique than MLE approach. Moreover, Bayesian approach yielded a better statistical performance in solving the problems than did classic approach.
A mobilities perspective on migration in the context of environmental change
Authors: Wiegel Hanne , Boas Ingrid , Warner Jeroen 
Published: July 2019

AbstractAcademic, political, and policy debates about the connection between environmental change and human migration have long focused on migration drivers and outcomes, resulting in a limited discussion between the discourses of “desolate climate refugees” and “environmental migrants as agents of adaptation.” These perspectives remain dominant, particularly in policy and media circles, despite academic critique and the recent emergence of more diverse approaches. In this intervention, we contribute to the recent turn in environmental migration research by seeking to better ground and pluralize our understanding of how environmental change and human mobility relate. We do so by offering a mobilities perspective that centers on the practices, motives, and experiences of mobility and immobility in the context of environmental change: When and why do people decide to move—or not to move—in response to environmental changes? How do they cope with migration pressures? Where do they move, under what conditions, and who can or must stay behind? This approach attends to the diverse aspirations and differential capabilities that underlie particular practices of movement or nonmovement, reflecting both individual characteristics as well as interconnections with uneven power relations across local, regional, and global scales. A mobilities approach offers a starting point for an expanded research agenda on environmental im/mobilities. This enables academic analysis and policy discussion of the human (im)mobility‐environmental change nexus to become better attuned to the actual practice and heterogeneous needs of those affected.This article is categorized under:
Climate and Development > Social Justice and the Politics of Development
Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change > Values‐Based Approach to Vulnerability and Adaptation
Elements and (first) principles in chemistry
Authors: Hendry Robin Findlay 
Published: July 2019

AbstractThe first principle of chemical composition is that elements are actually present in their compounds. It is a golden thread running through the history of compositional thinking in chemistry since before the chemical revolution. Opposed to this principle, which I call Actually Present Elements (APE), is the idea that elements are merely potentially present in their compounds: although not actually present, it is possible to recover them. In this paper I follow that golden thread, and then discuss the status of APE itself: is it true? What arguments were there for it, and when? I argue that APE is a metaphysical principle, albeit at a lower level of generality and abstraction than the term ‘metaphysical’ usually suggests. I critically examine a range of different views on how metaphysical principles might be involved in research programmes in empirical science, and conclude by endorsing Elie Zahar’s view that metaphysical principles such as APE are to be found at the very heart of science. Moreover, they can be recipients of empirical support just like other parts of scientific theory.
Spironolactone May be a Cause of Hormonally Associated Vestibulodynia and Female Sexual Arousal Disorder
Authors: Mitchell Leia , Govind Vaishnavi , Barela Karissa , Goldstein Andrew T. 
Published: July 2019

ABSTRACT

Background
Although spironolactone is an effective treatment for androgen-mediated cutaneous disorders, the potential sexual side-effects are poorly documented in current literature.

Aim
The purpose of this study was to provide clinical evidence that spironolactone may be a cause of hormonally associated vestibulodynia and female sexual arousal disorder.

Methods
A database search of a vulvar disorders clinic revealed 7 cases in which spironolactone may have caused or contributed to dyspareunia and decreased arousal. In all cases, the patients stopped taking spironolactone and used a compounded estradiol 0.01%/testosterone 0.1% gel to the vestibule twice daily. 2 cases are discussed to further illustrate these previously unreported side effects.

Outcomes
Improvement in sexual function was determined after treatment.

Results
Examination of women taking spironolactone who presented with the complaints of introital dyspareunia revealed vulvar vestibular atrophy and tenderness, especially at the glandular ostia. After stopping spironolactone and applying a topical estrogen/testosterone gel to the vestibule, all women had significant improvement in their vulvar atrophy, resolution of their dyspareunia, and improved sexual arousal.

Clinical Implications
Use of spironolactone may be a cause of hormonally associated vestibulodynia and female sexual arousal disorder.

Strengths and Limitations
The influence of spironolactone on vulvar health and sexual function is poorly documented in the medical literature. The strength of this paper is that it examines the potential deleterious side effects of this medication on female sexual function. However, the most significant limitation of this case series is that it was not a prospective, controlled study.

Conclusions
Although treatment of androgen-mediated cutaneous disorders is warranted, medical providers should be aware of the potential sexual side effects of this anti-androgenic medication.