bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Non‐invasive measurement of metabolic rates in wild, free‐living birds using doubly labelled water
Authors: Bourne Amanda R. , McKechnie Andrew E. , Cunningham Susan J. , Ridley Amanda R. , Woodborne Stephan M. , Karasov William H. 
Published: October 2018

Abstract

Doubly labelled water (DLW) is routinely used to measure energy expenditure and water turnover in free‐ranging animals. Standard methods involve capture, blood sampling for baseline measurement, injection with isotopic tracers, captivity for an equilibration period, post‐dose blood sampling, release and subsequent recapture for final blood sampling. Single sampling methods that minimise disturbance by reducing capture and handling time have been developed and tested. Sampling faeces rather than blood could further reduce disturbance to study animals in a range of species and study systems. However, the extent to which estimates of metabolic rate derived from blood and faecal samples diverge has not been investigated.

We compared isotopic enrichment in blood and faecal samples taken concurrently from captive Southern Pied Babblers Turdoides bicolor. Isotopic enrichment levels in faeces and in blood were used to calculate initial and final ratios of for each individual. We then used these ratios to calculate daily energy expenditure (DEE) and directly compared measurements from blood samples with those from faecal samples within individuals. We found that faecal sampling resulted in estimates of DEE that agree with those based on blood sampling.

Additionally, we field‐tested a faecal sampling protocol with a habituated population of babblers in the southern Kalahari Desert. During the field test, study animals were not captured or handled for either dosing or sampling. Field‐testing confirmed the practical feasibility of non‐invasive dosing and sampling techniques in free‐living animals, and we obtained measurements of DEE that we used to test an a priori prediction that DEE is inversely related to air temperature. Our data show decreasing DEE with increasing air temperature, a pattern consistent with studies testing similar predictions in birds using traditional DLW methods.

We demonstrate that faecal samples can substitute for blood when measuring DEE using DLW and provide a method that will allow field‐based researchers to obtain sound physiological measurements while minimising handling and removal of study animals from their natural environments.

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Root traits of herbaceous crops: Pre‐adaptation to cultivation or evolution under domestication?
Authors: Martín‐Robles Nieves , Morente‐López Javier , Freschet Grégoire T. , Poorter Hendrik , Roumet Catherine , Milla Rubén 
Published: October 2018

Abstract

Agricultural fields are commonly characterized by high nutrient and water availabilities, which are favourable for plant growth. Such conditions might promote the evolution of resource‐acquisitive strategies. We asked whether crop plants show root traits typical of resource‐acquisitive strategies and whether this strategy is primarily a result of their evolution under domestication or of the early selection of successful candidates for domestication.

We studied a set of 30 crop species and their wild progenitors. We set up a greenhouse experiment to measure five root traits: root thickness, root tissue density, specific root length (SRL), root mass fraction (RMF) and root length ratio. In addition, we compiled data from other wild herbaceous species, growth in similar conditions to this experiment, to place the root traits of our crops in the context of wider botanical variation.

Wild progenitors had thicker and less dense roots, with higher RMF and lower SRL, than other wild herbs. Thicker and less dense roots are indicative of fertile soils, which suggest that wild progenitors could have been adapted for success in agricultural conditions. Additionally, we found that domestication generally increased total plant dry mass, but none of the root traits evolved consistently towards a more resource‐acquisitive strategy after domestication across all species. Root trait values differed between progenitors and crop species for most pairs surveyed, but this occurred in diverse directions depending on crop species. Such differences were independent of phylogeny, functional group or variability in the domestication processes, such as timing of the domestication event or organ under focal artificial selection.

Our comparative study revealed that the root phenotype exhibited by wild progenitors (thick roots with low density and SRL), when compared with other wild herbs, was in accordance with plants typical of fertile habitats. However, none of the root traits reacted to domestication in accordance with evolution towards faster growth strategies. Thus, the adaptation of crop root phenotypes to the fertile conditions of agricultural fields might be largely determined by early choices of wild species, rather than by further evolution under domestication.

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How traffic facilitates population expansion of invasive species along roads: The case of common ragweed in Germany
Authors: Lemke Andreas , Kowarik Ingo , von der Lippe Moritz 
Published: October 2018

Abstract

Because common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., henceforth Ambrosia) has negative effects on human health, it is a common focus for management, which would benefit from a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which the species spreads. Road systems are known to be invasion corridors, but the conduit function of vehicles for the rapid spread of Ambrosia along roads and for population extension along roadside verges has not yet been demonstrated convincingly.

To quantify the effect of different traffic volumes on the dispersal and population extension of Ambrosia, we used two approaches: First, by combining field experiments along roads with records of the seed rain around single plants, we simulated a combined dispersal kernel that revealed the interactions between primary dispersal and traffic‐mediated secondary dispersal. Second, we recorded the seedling recruitment around isolated roadside populations over 2 years to determine how traffic‐related parameters affect population extension.

The longest traffic‐mediated dispersal distances exceeded those of primary dispersal by about one order of magnitude. Traffic volume had a significant positive effect on dispersal distances and on the lateral deposition of seeds on the road verge.

Seedling recruitment around isolated roadside populations was significantly higher in the driving direction than against, but only at the distance where the major seed rain of traffic‐mediated dispersal is to be expected according to the combined dispersal kernel (3–15 m).

Synthesis and applications. This study isolates the effects of road traffic from confounding mechanisms (e.g. mowing machinery, propagule pressure from infested fields) on common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) invasions. Results demonstrate the traffic‐mediated dispersal in Ambrosia invasions as a routine and predictable process that facilitates population extension in the direction of traffic along roadsides, depending on traffic volume. This highlights the importance of prioritizing mowing along high use roads and mowing of isolated populations to prevent seed abscission and further spread of common ragweed.
The social life of DNA: racial reconciliation and institutional morality after the genome
Authors: Nelson Alondra 
Published: October 2018

AbstractThis 2017British Journal of SociologyLecture builds upon ideas developed inThe Social Life of DNA: Race, Reparations, and Reconciliation after the Genome(Nelson 2016). I argue that one of the more significant developments of the postgenomic era is the circulation of DNA analysis outside of the life sciences, especially commercial applications such as direct‐to‐consumer genealogical testing. These tests are increasingly taken up in ‘reconciliation projects’ – endeavours in which DNA analysis is put to the use of repairing the past, including a recently launched attempt in the United States to locate descendants of enslaved persons sold by the Jesuit stewards of Georgetown College in order to bolster that institution’s finances. With this reconciliation project, genetic genealogy has become a vehicle for a form of social repair, and most particularly, the reuniting of ‘lost’ kin. This use of genetic genealogy takes place against the backdrop of an expanding, national inquiry into ties between education and slavery. In the process, the legacy of racial slavery is rendered both contemporary and proximate, despite a ‘colour‐blind’ racial project that aims to negate the significance of this history and its coeval development with US higher education. Elite educational institutions such as Georgetown that elect to excavate these histories are soon after faced with the choice of how to respond, on campus and beyond, to revelations of entanglements between edification and bondage. However imperfectly, colleges and universities are among the few institutional settings where the contested issue of structural racism (and remedies to it) may be aired. It is in these fraught debates that the exercise of ‘institutional morality’ can take shape; organizations engage in practices that articulate institutional values and are faced with a choice of symbolic and distributional responses.
Risk equalization in competitive health insurance markets: Identifying healthy individuals on the basis of multiple‐year low spending
Authors: Eijkenaar Frank , van Vliet René C. J. A. , van Kleef Richard C. 
Published: October 2018

ObjectiveTo study the extent to which risk equalization (RE) in competitive health insurance markets can be improved by including an indicator for being healthy.Study Setting/Data SourcesThis study is conducted in the context of the Dutch individual health insurance market. Administrative data on spending and risk characteristics (2011‐2014) for the entire population (N = 16.6 m) as well as health survey data from a large sample (N = 387 k) are used.Study DesignThe indicator for being healthy is low spending in three consecutive prior years. “Low spending” is defined in three ways: belonging to the bottom 60%, 70%, or 80% of the annual spending distribution. Versions of the Dutch RE model 2017 with and without the indicator are compared on individual‐level payment fit and, using the survey data, group‐level payment fit.Principal FindingsAll three alternative models outperform the Dutch RE model 2017. However, significant unpriced risk heterogeneity remains. Compared with the 60% threshold, the 80% threshold comes with a larger improvement in fit but identifies a less selective group.ConclusionsThe performance of the RE model can be improved by adding an indicator for being healthy based on multiple‐year low spending. However, risk‐selection potential remains, warranting high priority to further improvement of RE.
CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated Tyrosine hydroxylase knockout resulting in larval lethality in Agrotis ipsilon
Authors: Yang Yang , Wang Yao‐Hui , Chen Xi‐En , Tian Di , Xu Xia , Li Kai , Huang Yong‐Ping , He Lin 
Published: October 2018

AbstractTyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is involved in insect melanin and the catecholamine biosynthesis pathway. TH as an enzyme catalyzing the conversion of tyrosine to 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine is the first step reaction in the pathway. Although TH has been proven to affect the pigmentation of the epidermis and development in many insects, there is no report about physiological function of the TH gene in Agrotis ipsilon. Here we cloned the TH gene from A. ipsilon. Semi‐quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis showed that AiTH was expressed at all development stages. Moreover, its high expression levels in the head and epidermis suggest that it is mainly related to pigment deposition and insect development. Then, we used the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR‐associated protein 9 system to target the AiTH gene: deletion events were detected at the target sites. Compared with the control group, a few mutants with the phenomenon of narrowing in the egg shell and embryos can develop but cannot hatch; the other hatched embryos were seriously dehydrated after hatching and died within the first day. Quantitative real‐time PCR analysis revealed that TH was down‐regulated in AiTH mutants. Here, our work demonstrated that AiTH plays an important role in growth and development of newly hatched larvae; meanwhile, it would be a promising target to explore a control strategy for A. ipsilon.
phMRI, neurochemical and behavioral responses to psychostimulants distinguishing genetically selected alcohol‐preferring from genetically heterogenous rats
Authors: Bifone A. , Gozzi A. , Cippitelli A. , Matzeu A. , Domi E. , Li H. , Scuppa G. , Cannella N. , Ubaldi M. , Weiss F. , Ciccocioppo R. 
Published: October 2018

AbstractAlcoholism is often associated with other forms of drug abuse, suggesting that innate predisposing factors may confer vulnerability to addiction to diverse substances. However, the neurobiological bases of these factors remain unknown. Here, we have used a combination of imaging, neurochemistry and behavioral techniques to investigate responses to the psychostimulant amphetamine in Marchigian Sardinian (msP) alcohol‐preferring rats, a model of vulnerability to alcoholism. Specifically, we employed pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the neural circuits engaged by amphetamine challenge, and to relate functional reactivity to neurochemical and behavioral responses. Moreover, we studied self‐administration of cocaine in the msP rats. We found stronger functional responses in the extended amygdala, alongside with increased release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens shell and augmented vertical locomotor activity compared with controls. Wistar and msP rats did not differ in operant cocaine self‐administration under short access (2 hours) conditions, but msP rats exhibited a higher propensity to escalate drug intake following long access (6 hours). Our findings suggest that neurobiological and genetic mechanisms that convey vulnerability to excessive alcohol drinking also facilitate the transition from psychostimulants use to abuse.
Prescription opioid medication misuse among university students
Authors: Harries Michael D. , Lust Katherine , Christenson Gary A. , Redden Sarah A. , Grant Jon E. 
Published: October 2018

Background and ObjectivesPrescription opioid misuse is an established problem in the United States. Less information is known regarding the clinical and cognitive characteristics of prescription opioid misusers, specifically in a college age population. This study sought to characterize individuals who misuse prescription opioids and the differences between current, past and non‐misusers.MethodsA 156‐item survey was administered to over 9,449 university students at a large, public Midwestern university. Survey questions obtained demographic information, self‐reported grade point average, sexual behavior, mental health characteristics, and substance use. Participants also completed assessments that asked questions regarding impulsivity, mental health, substance use, and other impulsive behaviors including gambling and sexual activity. 3,522 students completed the survey and were included in the analysis.ResultsOf this group, 2.2% reported misusing prescription opioids in the last 12 months and another 5.3% reported misusing prescription opioids previously but not in the past year. This study found prescription opioid misusers to be more likely to live off campus, have a lower GPA, and exhibit increased impulsivity. Prescription opioid misusers were also more likely to report earlier age of sexual activity and were less likely to use barrier protection during sexual activity.Conclusions and Scientific SignificanceThis study identifies a number of risk factors for those misusing prescription opioids that can be used to develop and refine prescription opioid misuse screening tools for university health centers. It also identifies a number of concurring behaviors that can simultaneously be addressed when prescription opioid misusers are identified. (Am J Addict 2018;XX:1–7)
Fatal road transport crashes among Australian residential aged care facility residents
Authors: Lee Hui‐Ching , Johnson Marilyn , Bugeja Lyndal , Koppel Sjaan , Chong Derek , Ibrahim Joseph E 
Published: October 2018

ObjectiveTo examine fatal road transport crashes of residential aged care facility (RACF) residents to determine crash characteristics and risk factors.MethodsA cross‐sectional study of a retrospective national cohort of RACF resident deaths notified to Australian coroners. Inclusion criteria: death occurred between 1 July 2000 and 30 June 2013; mechanism classified as ‘transport injury event’; and completed coronial investigation. Descriptive statistical analyses were conducted on crash characteristics and risk factors.ResultsThirty‐eight deaths met the inclusion criteria. Median age of deceased RACF residents was 84 years, and gender was equally distributed. Men were most frequently pedestrians (n = 14, 37%), and women were most frequently motor vehicle passengers (n = 14, 37%). Road user factors contributed to two‐thirds of crashes (n = 25, 66%), with ‘failure to yield’ (n = 17, 45%) most frequent.ConclusionReducing fatal crashes of RACF residents requires effective road safety strategies and public awareness of risks for this increasing and vulnerable population.
Baseline fragmented QRS is associated with increased all‐cause mortality in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Kanitsoraphan Chanavuth , Rattanawong Pattara , Mekraksakit Poemlarp , Chongsathidkiet Pakawat , Riangwiwat Tanawan , Kanjanahattakij Napatt , Vutthikraivit Wasawat , Klomjit Saranapoom , Thavaraputta Subhanudh 
Published: October 2018

AbstractBackgroundRecent studies suggested that fragmented (fQRS) is associated with poor clinical outcomes in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) patients. However, no systematic review or meta‐analysis has been done. We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis to assess the association between baseline fQRS and all‐cause mortality in HFrEF.MethodsWe comprehensively reviewed the databases of MEDLINE and EMBASE from inception to February 2018. Published studies of HFrEF that reported fQRS and outcome of all‐cause mortality and major arrhythmic event (sudden cardiac death, sudden cardiac arrest, ventricular fibrillation, or sustained ventricular tachycardia) were included. Data were integrated using the random‐effects, generic inverse‐variance method of DerSimonian and Laird.ResultsTen studies from 2010 to 2017 were included. Baseline fQRS was associated with increased all‐cause mortality (risk ratio [RR] 1.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22–2.19, p < 0.0001, I2 = 73%) as well as major arrhythmic events (RR = 1.74, 95% CI 1.09–2.80, I2 = 89%). Baseline fQRS increased all‐cause mortality in both Asian and Caucasian cohorts (RR = 2.17 with 95% CI 1.33–3.55 and RR = 1.45 with 95% CI 1.05–1.99, respectively) as well as increased major arrhythmic events in Asian cohort (RR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.05–2.13). Baseline fQRS also increased all‐cause mortality in patients who had not received implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator, significantly more than in patients who had received implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (RR = 2.46 with 95% CI 1.56–3.89 and 1.36 with 95% CI 1.08–1.71, respectively).ConclusionBaseline fQRS is associated with increased all‐cause mortality up to 1.63‐fold in HFrEF patients. Fragmented QRS could be a predictor of clinical outcome in patients with HFrEF.
Unexpected ABCC6 mRNA splicing in a Chinese family with pseudoxanthoma elasticum
Authors: Sun Qiao , Wang Weijun , Wu Lifang , Cheng Lu , Tong Xuemei , Xu Xun 
Published: October 2018

AbstractPurposeTo identify the clinical characteristics and pathogenic genes among a Chinese family with angioid streaks and to assess a novel splicing mutation at the transcriptional and translational levels.MethodsConsenting family members were clinically evaluated, and blood samples were collected for targeted exome capture sequencing and/or Sanger sequencing. The two affected siblings were assessed by multimodal fundus imaging. ABCC6 splicing patterns were analysed by RNA identification and quantification using the proband's peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Minigene experiments were performed to verify the university. Plasmids expressing the transcripts were transfected into HEK293 cells to assess protein translation. Bioinformatic analyses were also performed to predict the splicing patterns and the functional consequences of the mutation.ResultsThe two siblings were trans‐compound heterozygous pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) patients with the same genotype (c.3703C>T and c.1177‐2A>G for ABCC6) but different phenotypes. We identified several ABCC6 alternative splicing transcripts that were not previously reported. The novel splicing mutation c.1177‐2A>G led to the upregulation of three transcripts, one using a cryptic splice acceptor in the upstream region of the intron, another using a cryptic splice acceptor in the downstream exon, and the third stimulating non‐canonical U12‐type splicing. All the transcripts were successfully translated in vitro.ConclusionThe genotype–phenotype correlation of PXE is poorly understood. The novel ABCC6 splicing mutation c.1177‐2A>G results in multiple splicing patterns. Endogenous U2 to U12 conversion may occur in humans in a disease state. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells can be reliably used to study ABCC6 RNA.
Preliminary evidence that vortioxetine may improve sleep quality in depressed patients with insomnia: a retrospective questionnaire analysis
Authors: Liguori C. , Ferini‐Strambi L. , Izzi F. , Mari L. , Manfredi N. , D'Elia A. , Mercuri N. B. , Placidi F. 
Published: October 2018

Insomnia is a frequent symptom in depressed patients. It can present with difficulty in initiating and/or maintaining sleep. We retrospectively evaluated a group of 15 patients affected by major depressive disorder and complaining of insomnia, who started vortioxetine (VOR) treatment for their depressive symptoms. The following questionnaires were captured at baseline and follow‐up: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Beck Depression Inventory. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index total score significantly decreased between follow‐up and baseline (P < 0.01), and in several subitems related to sleep quality and continuity. Moreover, Epworth Sleepiness Scale decreased between follow‐up and baseline (P < 0.01). Finally, Beck Depression Inventory reduction was also evident between follow‐up and baseline (P < 0.01). This retrospective analysis showing the significant effect of VOR on both depressive symptoms and insomnia in patients showing comorbid major depressive disorder and insomnia invites further research in order to confirm this preliminary evidence. We hypothesize that the VOR mechanism of action may explain the improvement of subjective sleep, other than depressive symptoms.