bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identifying guard hairs of Rocky Mountain carnivores
Authors: Normandeau Jacalyn , Macaulay Kara , Berg Jodi , Merrill Evelyn 
Published: September 2018

ABSTRACTIncreasing use of hair to survey carnivore distribution and identify carnivore scavengers or predators at prey kill sites requires methods for cost‐efficient identification of predator hair. Although DNA analysis can be used to identify species‐specific hairs, reliability depends on quality of hair, collection method, and environmental conditions, with cost that can exceed CAD$35/hair. In contrast, features of guard hairs including hair length, banding, and macro‐ and microscopic characteristics of the hair cuticle and medulla offer an alternative approach when hair quality is poor or funding is limited. Past keys focused on hair identification of prey species (e.g., ungulates, rodents) in predator scat analysis or were general because they contained all mammals in a region, thus complicating the focus on dichotomous keys for large carnivores. We used Random Forest (RF) to identify features that best classified known‐origin guard hairs (n = 175) and used these characteristics to develop a dichotomous key for hair identification of the 7 major, large carnivore species common to the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. We found relative medulla width and pattern, cuticle‐scale characteristics, and hair length provided the greatest probability of correctly distinguishing among hairs of different carnivore species. Correct classification of within sample hairs with RF based on Area Under the Curve (AUC) averaged 0.95 ± 0.10, with coyote (Canis latrans) hairs having the lowest classification accuracy. Blind trials classifying 21 hairs using the dichotomous key yielded correct classifications of 88% ± 7% to the family level and 60% ± 10% to the species level. Hair preparation and identification by a trained technician was estimated at 30 ± 15 min/hair and CAD$8/hair. Our carnivore hair key provides an alternative approach to DNA hair analysis when either funds are limited, or hair samples are not of sufficient quality to be successfully sequenced. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.
A Propensity Score‐matched Comparison Study of Surgical Outcomes in Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Cancer After Robotic Versus Open Total Thyroidectomy
Authors: Bae Dong Sik , Koo Do Hoon 
Published: September 2018

AbstractIntroductionThe aim of this study, from a surgical, oncological, and functional perspective, was to identify whether bilateral axillo‐breast approach robotic total thyroidectomy (RTT) for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) has different surgical outcomes compared to open total thyroidectomy (OTT).MethodsInitially, 796 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy were primarily reviewed and 178 who were ineligible for analysis were excluded. Propensity score matching analysis adjusted for clinicopathological characteristics (sex, age, body mass index, extent of central node dissection, tumor size, extrathyroidal extension, and thyroiditis) was conducted, with 246 patients in the OTT group matched with 123 patients in the RTT group.ResultsThere were no significant differences in surgical outcomes in terms of surgical safety and oncological safety between the OTT and RTT groups, except in mean operation times (123.51 ± 32.63 vs. 198.39 ± 37.93 min, respectively; P < 0.001). However, the median parathyroid and laryngeal function recovery times were shorter in the RTT group than in the OTT group [88 ± 33.09 (95% CI: 23.148–152.852) vs. 100 ± 16.20 (95% CI: 68.242–131.768) days; P = 0.044 and 87 ± 32.40 (95% CI: 23.489–150.511) vs. 118 ± 49.50 (95% CI: 20.985–215.015) days; P = 0.002].ConclusionsThe recovery times of laryngeal and parathyroid function were significantly shorter in RTT patients than in OTT patients for DTC. To verify a definitive conclusion about the superiority of robotic total thyroidectomy in terms of parathyroid and laryngeal function recovery, further studies may be necessary.
Cutaneous light chain amyloidosis with multiple myeloma
Authors: Andrei Mirela , Wang Jen Chin 
Published: September 2018

Objective/Background:
Cutaneous immunoglobulin (Ig) amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis associated with overt multiple myeloma (MM) is rare and optimal treatment is not well defined. The recently developed highly efficacious MM therapy has brought on a new set of challenges to this field for consideration. The goal of this paper is to describe the characteristics of cutaneous manifestations of systemic AL amyloidosis associated with MM according to age, sex, race, Ig type, plasma cell percentage, and cytogenetic and fluorescent in situ hybridization studies along with their outcomes.

Methods:
An electronic search of the PubMed database was performed to obtain key literature in AL amyloidosis and MM, using the following search terms: multiple myeloma, immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis, and cutaneous amyloidosis. The search results were narrowed by selecting studies in English. Results were confined to the following articles types: case reports, case series, and systematic reviews.

Results:
We identified 32 cases from the PubMed database search and examined their potential relevance. We found the following: (a) higher prevalence in women (two-thirds) and white population; (b) IgG and IgA were equally distributed with lambda (λ) light chain occurring in 53–66% of cases; (c) majority of cases (56%) presented as hemorrhagic bullous lesions, followed by purpura/ecchymosis in 25% of cases; and (d) majority (64%) died within 6 months since diagnosis.

Conclusions:
We reviewed the constellation of the cutaneous manifestations of AL amyloidosis with concurrent MM. We found a female predominance, and more than half presented as hemorrhagic bullous lesions. There is a preponderance of λ light chains over kappa (κ) light chains, both as a free light chain (15% vs. 4%) and as an intact Ig (38% vs. 24%; absolute number of 14 vs. 7 patients, respectively). In the subgroup of patients with bullous skin lesions, λ light chain was present in eight cases and κ light chain in seven cases. All κ light chain subtypes presented with bullous lesions and no other cutaneous types of lesions. They carried very poor prognosis with majority of cases surviving only 6 months, much worse than overall patients with AL amyloidosis without myeloma or myeloma without amyloidosis.
The Picturesque Prospect of Architecture: Thomas Sandby's Royal Academy Lectures
Authors: De Jong Sigrid 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThomas Sandby (1721/3–98), who served as the Royal Academy's first professor of architecture from 1768 to 1798, shaped his students’ architectural thought. His lectures represent some of the crucial developments in viewing architecture that occurred during the period. They are vibrant expressions of how a viewer's experience of buildings informs architectural teaching and design, and demonstrate the importance of architectural experience for eighteenth-century architectural thought. This article explores Sandby's thinking, first in his own observations of buildings in his diary of a tour through Yorkshire and Derbyshire, and then in his teachings, which functioned as a kind of manual for future architects. It examines the diary and the lectures for his ideas on the effects of architecture — a building's situation, exterior, interior and decorations — in relation to the picturesque, one of the dominant concepts in his texts and drawings. Sandby's architectural thought is shown to be a relatively early statement of the picturesque applied to architecture and its setting.
The Design of the Snowdon Aviary and the Nature of Collaboration
Authors: Yeomans David 
Published: September 2018

AbstractAlthough architects collaborate with engineers in the design of buildings, the contribution of the latter is seldom known to historians. This paper examines the design of the Snowdon Aviary at London Zoo, which is typically attributed to Lord Snowdon and Cedric Price. However, the vast majority of surviving design sketches are in the hand of Frank Newby, the structural engineer. Apart from giving clues about the way in which the design developed, these sketches leave the strong impression that Newby was taking the lead in proposing specific forms that the structure might take, because he alone was aware of the structural possibilities. The sketches raise the question: how common was this dynamic? Examples of Newby's contribution to other projects are suggested.
How not to be generous to fine-tuning sceptics
Authors: MANSON NEIL A. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe fine-tuning argument for the existence of God requires that the probability that the universe is life-permitting if God exists is not nearly as low as the probability that the universe is life-permitting if God does not exist. Recently, some proponents of the fine-tuning argument have reasoned as follows. ‘Stipulate that the probability that there exists a life-permitting universe if God exists is one in a billion. Only the most hardened sceptic would refuse odds like that, right? So one in a billion is more than just fair to those sceptical of the fine-tuning argument. It is generous. Even on that generous assumption, the fine-tuning argument is very strong.’ This article explains why the assumption is not, in fact, generous.
Fracture Properties of Nash Point Shale as a Function of Orientation to Bedding
Authors: Forbes Inskip Nathaniel D. , Meredith Philip G. , Chandler Michael R. , Gudmundsson Agust 
Published: September 2018

AbstractUnderstanding how fracture networks develop in shale formations is important when exploiting unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs and analyzing the integrity of the seals of conventional and carbon capture and storage reservoirs. Despite this importance, experimentally derived fracture data for shale remains sparse. Here we characterize shale from Nash Point in South Wales, United Kingdom, in terms of ultrasonic wave velocities, tensile strength, and fracture toughness (KIc). We measure these properties in multiple orientations, including angles oblique to the three principal fracture orientations—Short‐transverse, Arrester, and Divider. We find that the Nash Point shale is mechanically highly anisotropic, with tensile strength and KIc values lowest in the Short‐transverse orientation and highest in the Arrester and Divider orientations. Fractures that propagate in a direction oblique or normal to bedding commonly deflect toward the weaker Short‐transverse orientation. Such deflected fractures can no longer be considered to propagate in pure mode‐I. We therefore present a method to correct measured KIc values to account for deflection by calculating mode‐I and mode‐II deflection stress intensities (KId and KIId, respectively). Because of the mixed‐mode nature of deflected fractures, we adopt a fracture (Gc) energy‐based approach that allows analysis of critical fracture propagation conditions for both deflected and undeflected fractures in all orientations. We find that Gc increases as the angle from the Short‐transverse plane increases. We conclude that a modified elliptical function, previously applied to tensile strength and KIc, can be used to estimate values of Gc at angles between the Short‐transverse and Arrester orientations.
Cholinergic basal forebrain neurons regulate fear extinction consolidation through p75 neurotrophin receptor signaling
Authors: Boskovic Zoran , Milne Michael R. , Qian Lei , Clifton Hamish D. , McGovern Alice E. , Turnbull Marion T. , Mazzone Stuart B. , Coulson Elizabeth J. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractCholinergic basal forebrain (cBF)-derived neurotransmission plays a crucial role in regulating neuronal function throughout the cortex, yet the mechanisms controlling cholinergic innervation to downstream targets have not been elucidated. Here we report that removing the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) from cBF neurons induces a significant impairment in fear extinction consolidation. We demonstrate that this is achieved through alterations in synaptic connectivity and functional activity within the medial prefrontal cortex. These deficits revert back to wild-type levels upon re-expression of the active domain of p75NTRin adult animals. These findings demonstrate a novel role for cholinergic neurons in fear extinction consolidation and suggest that neurotrophic signaling is a key regulator of cholinergic-cortical innervation and function.
Misoprostol regulates Bnip3 repression and alternative splicing to control cellular calcium homeostasis during hypoxic stress
Authors: Field Jared T. , Martens Matthew D. , Mughal Wajihah , Hai Yan , Chapman Donald , Hatch Grant M. , Ivanco Tammy L. , Diehl-Jones William , Gordon Joseph W. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe cellular response to hypoxia involves the activation of a conserved pathway for gene expression regulated by the transcription factor complex called hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). This pathway has been implicated in both the adaptive response to hypoxia and in several hypoxic-ischemic-related pathologies. Perinatal hypoxic injury, often associated with prematurity, leads to multi-organ dysfunction resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Using a rodent model of neonatal hypoxia and several representative cell lines, we observed HIF1α activation and down-stream induction of the cell death gene Bnip3 in brain, large intestine, and heart which was mitigated by administration of the prostaglandin E1 analog misoprostol. Mechanistically, we determined that misoprostol inhibits full-length Bnip3 (Bnip3-FL) expression through PKA-mediated NF-κB (P65) nuclear retention, and the induction of pro-survival splice variants. We observed that the dominant small pro-survival variant of Bnip3 in mouse cells lacks the third exon (Bnip3ΔExon3), whereas human cells produce a pro-survival BNIP3 variant lacking exon 2 (BNIP3ΔExon2). In addition, these small Bnip3 splice variants prevent mitochondrial dysfunction, permeability transition, and necrosis triggered by Bnip3-FL by blocking calcium transfer from the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum to the mitochondria. Furthermore, misoprostol and Bnip3ΔExon3 promote nuclear calcium accumulation, resulting in HDAC5 nuclear export, NFAT activation, and adaptive changes in cell morphology and gene expression. Collectively, our data suggests that misoprostol can mitigate the potential damaging effects of hypoxia on multiple cell types by activating adaptive cell survival pathways through Bnip3 repression and alternative splicing.
Non-insulin determinant pathways maintain glucose homeostasis upon metabolic surgery
Authors: Lu Zongshi , Wei Xiao , Sun Fang , Zhang Hexuan , Gao Peng , Pu Yunfei , Wang Anlong , Chen Jing , Tong Weidong , Li Qiang , Zhou Xunmei , Yan Zhencheng , Zheng Hongting , Yang Gangyi , Huang Yu , Liu Daoyan , Zhu Zhiming 
Published: September 2018

AbstractInsulin is critical for glucose homeostasis, and insulin deficiency or resistance leads to the development of diabetes. Recent evidence suggests that diabetes can be remitted independent of insulin. However, the underlying mechanism remains largely elusive. In this study, we utilized metabolic surgery as a tool to identify the non-insulin determinant mechanism. Here, we report that the most common metabolic surgery, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), reduced insulin production but persistently maintained euglycemia in healthy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and C57 mice. This reduction in insulin production was associated with RYGB-mediated inhibition of pancreatic preproinsulin and polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1. In addition, RYGB also weakened insulin sensitivity that was evaluated by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp test and downregulated signaling pathways in insulin-sensitive tissues. The mechanistic evidence suggests that RYGB predominately shifted the metabolic profile from glucose utilization to fatty acid oxidation, enhanced the energy expenditure and activated multiple metabolic pathways through reducing gut energy uptake. Importantly, the unique effect of RYGB was extended to rats with islet disruption and patients with type 2 diabetes. These results demonstrate that compulsory rearrangement of the gastrointestinal tract can initiate non-insulin determinant pathways to maintain glucose homeostasis. Based on the principle of RYGB action, the development of a noninvasive intervention of the gastrointestinal tract is a promising therapeutic route to combat disorders characterized by energy metabolism dysregulation.
Genetic and pharmacological regulation of the endocannabinoid CB1 receptor in Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Authors: Iannotti Fabio A. , Pagano Ester , Guardiola Ombretta , Adinolfi Simone , Saccone Valentina , Consalvi Silvia , Piscitelli Fabiana , Gazzerro Elisabetta , Busetto Giuseppe , Carrella Diego , Capasso Raffaele , Puri Pier Lorenzo , Minchiotti Gabriella , Di Marzo Vincenzo 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe endocannabinoid system refers to a widespread signaling system and its alteration is implicated in a growing number of human diseases. However, the potential role of endocannabinoids in skeletal muscle disorders remains unknown. Here we report the role of the endocannabinoid CB1 receptors in Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy. In murine and human models, CB1 transcripts show the highest degree of expression at disease onset, and then decline overtime. Similar changes are observed for PAX7, a key regulator of muscle stem cells. Bioinformatics and biochemical analysis reveal that PAX7 binds and upregulates the CB1 gene in dystrophic more than in healthy muscles. Rimonabant, an antagonist of CB1, promotes human satellite cell differentiation in vitro, increases the number of regenerated myofibers, and prevents locomotor impairment in dystrophic mice. In conclusion, our study uncovers a PAX7–CB1 cross talk potentially exacerbating DMD and highlights the role of CB1 receptors as target for potential therapies.
Nuclear lamina dysfunction triggers a germline stem cell checkpoint
Authors: Barton Lacy J. , Duan Tingting , Ke Wenfan , Luttinger Amy , Lovander Kaylee E. , Soshnev Alexey A. , Geyer Pamela K. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractLEM domain (LEM-D) proteins are conserved components of the nuclear lamina (NL) that contribute to stem cell maintenance through poorly understood mechanisms. The Drosophila emerin homolog Otefin (Ote) is required for maintenance of germline stem cells (GSCs) and gametogenesis. Here, we show that ote mutants carry germ cell-specific changes in nuclear architecture that are linked to GSC loss. Strikingly, we found that both GSC death and gametogenesis are rescued by inactivation of the DNA damage response (DDR) kinases, ATR and Chk2. Whereas the germline checkpoint draws from components of the DDR pathway, genetic and cytological features of the GSC checkpoint differ from the canonical pathway. Instead, structural deformation of the NL correlates with checkpoint activation. Despite remarkably normal oogenesis, rescued oocytes do not support embryogenesis. Taken together, these data suggest that NL dysfunction caused by Otefin loss triggers a GSC-specific checkpoint that contributes to maintenance of gamete quality.
Structural insights into modulation and selectivity of transsynaptic neurexin–LRRTM interaction
Authors: Yamagata Atsushi , Goto-Ito Sakurako , Sato Yusuke , Shiroshima Tomoko , Maeda Asami , Watanabe Masahiko , Saitoh Takashi , Maenaka Katsumi , Terada Tohru , Yoshida Tomoyuki , Uemura Takeshi , Fukai Shuya 
Published: September 2018

AbstractLeucine-rich repeat transmembrane neuronal proteins (LRRTMs) function as postsynaptic organizers that induce excitatory synapses. Neurexins (Nrxns) and heparan sulfate proteoglycans have been identified as presynaptic ligands for LRRTMs. Specifically, LRRTM1 and LRRTM2 bind to the Nrxn splice variant lacking an insert at the splice site 4 (S4). Here, we report the crystal structure of the Nrxn1β–LRRTM2 complex at 3.4 Å resolution. The Nrxn1β–LRRTM2 interface involves Ca2+-mediated interactions and overlaps with the Nrxn–neuroligin interface. Together with structure-based mutational analyses at the molecular and cellular levels, the present structural analysis unveils the mechanism of selective binding between Nrxn and LRRTM1/2 and its modulation by the S4 insertion of Nrxn.
A Mendelian randomization study of the effects of blood lipids on breast cancer risk
Authors: Nowak Christoph , Ärnlöv Johan 
Published: September 2018

AbstractObservational studies have reported inconsistent associations between circulating lipids and breast cancer risk. Using results from >400,000 participants in two-sample Mendelian randomization, we show that genetically raised LDL-cholesterol is associated with higher risk of breast cancer (odds ratio, OR, per standard deviation, 1.09, 95% confidence interval, 1.02–1.18, P = 0.020) and estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer (OR 1.14 [1.05–1.24] P = 0.004). Genetically raised HDL-cholesterol is associated with higher risk of ER-positive breast cancer (OR 1.13 [1.01–1.26] P = 0.037). HDL-cholesterol-raising variants in the gene encoding the target of CETP inhibitors are associated with higher risk of breast cancer (OR 1.07 [1.03–1.11] P = 0.001) and ER-positive breast cancer (OR 1.08 [1.03–1.13] P = 0.001). LDL-cholesterol-lowering variants mimicking PCSK9 inhibitors are associated (P = 0.014) with lower breast cancer risk. We find no effects related to the statin and ezetimibe target genes. The possible risk-promoting effects of raised LDL-cholesterol and CETP-mediated raised HDL-cholesterol have implications for breast cancer prevention and clinical trials.
Endurance of quantum coherence due to particle indistinguishability in noisy quantum networks
Authors: Perez-Leija Armando , Guzmán-Silva Diego , León-Montiel Roberto de J. , Gräfe Markus , Heinrich Matthias , Moya-Cessa Hector , Busch Kurt , Szameit Alexander 
Published: September 2018

AbstractQuantum coherence, the physical property underlying fundamental phenomena such as multi-particle interference and entanglement, has emerged as a valuable resource upon which modern technologies are founded. In general, the most prominent adversary of quantum coherence is noise arising from the interaction of the associated dynamical system with its environment. Under certain conditions, however, the existence of noise may drive quantum and classical systems to endure intriguing nontrivial effects. In this vein, here we demonstrate, both theoretically and experimentally, that when two indistinguishable non-interacting particles co-propagate through quantum networks affected by non-dissipative noise, the system always evolves into a steady state in which coherences accounting for particle indistinguishabilty perpetually prevail. Furthermore, we show that the same steady state with surviving quantum coherences is reached even when the initial state exhibits classical correlations.