bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Opsin expression predicts male nuptial color in threespine stickleback
Authors: Brock Chad D. , Rennison Diana , Veen Thor , Bolnick Daniel I. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractTheoretical models of sexual selection suggest that male courtship signals can evolve through the build‐up of genetic correlations between the male signal and female preference. When preference is mediated via increased sensitivity of the signal characteristics, correlations between male signal and perception/sensitivity are expected. When signal expression is limited to males, we would expect to find signal‐sensitivity correlations in males. Here, we document such a correlation within a breeding population of threespine stickleback mediated by differences in opsin expression. Males with redder nuptial coloration express more long‐wavelength‐sensitive (LWS) opsin, making them more sensitive to orange and red. This correlation is not an artifact of shared tuning to the optical microhabitat. Such correlations are an essential feature of many models of sexual selection, and our results highlight the potential importance of opsin expression variation as a substrate for signal‐preference evolution. Finally, these results suggest a potential sensory mechanism that could drive negative frequency‐dependent selection via male–male competition and thus maintain variation in male nuptial color.
The benefits of pair bond tenure in the cooperatively breeding pied babbler (Turdoides bicolor)
Authors: Wiley Elizabeth M. , Ridley Amanda R. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe benefits of stable pair bonds (that persist between breeding attempts) have been well described, but are relatively less well known in cooperatively breeding species. If pair bonds are beneficial, then it is possible that the bond between the behaviorally and socially dominant pair may influence factors such as reproductive success and group stability in cooperative species. Here, we used long‐term data to investigate the relationships between pair bond tenure, reproductive success, and group stability in the cooperatively breeding pied babbler (Turdoides bicolor). Pair bond tenure positively influenced both the number of offspring recruitedannuallyper pair and total reproductive success (over entire pair bond duration), indicating that pair bond tenure has an important influence on reproductive success. The likelihood of immigration into the group was lower for groups containing a bonded pair with long tenure, indicating that the duration of pair bonds may impact group stability. These findings suggest that pair tenure, a hitherto relatively unexplored factor in cooperative species, may have an important influence on group dynamics.
Reconstructed evolution of insulin receptors in insects reveals duplications in early insects and cockroaches
Authors: Kremer Lukas Peter Maria , Korb Judith , Bornberg‐Bauer Erich 
Published: June 2018

AbstractSocial insects show an extreme degree of phenotypic plasticity. In highly eusocial species, this manifests in the generation of distinct castes with extreme differences in both morphology and life span. The molecular basis of these differences is highly entangled and not fully understood, but several recent studies demonstrated that insulin/insulin‐like growth factor signaling (IIS) is one of the key pathways. Here, we investigate the molecular evolution of insect insulin receptors (InRs), which are membrane‐bound dimers that enable IIS by relaying extracellular signals to intracellular signaling cascades. Classic models of invertebrate IIS include only one InR gene, but some recent studies on less commonly studied insects have found two InRs, which act in an antagonistic manner to facilitate polyphenism in at least one documented case. We search 22 arthropod genomes and identify several InR copies and their evolutionary origin that were lacking from previous annotations. Phylogenetic analysis shows that the two insect InR genes date back at least 400 million years to a common ancestor of winged insects. Most notably, we also identified the evolutionary origin of a third InR copy that is unique to the clade of Blattodea, just before therein the eusocial termites evolved. One of the InR paralogs consistently shows caste‐biased expression in all three termites, which strongly suggests a role in caste differentiation. These results have important ramifications for past and future InR inhibition/InR knockdown experiments in insects and they provide a set of key genes regulating life span and morphology in termite castes.
Comparison among the microbial communities in the lake, lake wetland, and estuary sediments of a plain river network
Authors: Huang Wei , Chen Xing , Wang Kun , Chen Junyi , Zheng Binghui , Jiang Xia 
Published: June 2018

AbstractSediment microbial communities from plain river networks exert different effects on pollutant transformation and migration in lake basins. In this study, we examined millions of Illumina reads (16S rRNA gene amplicons) to compare lake, lake wetland, and estuary bacterial communities through a technically consistent approach. Results showed that bacterial communities in the sampled lake sediments had the highest alpha‐diversity (Group B), than in sampled lake wetland sediments and estuary sediments. Proteobacteria was the most abundant (more than 30%) phyla in all the sediments. The lake sediments had more Nitrospirae (1.63%–11.75%) and Acidobacteria (3.46%–10.21%) than the lake wetland and estuary sediments, and estuary sediments had a greater abundance of the phylum Firmicutes (mean of 22.30%). Statistical analysis (LEfSe) revealed that lake wetland sediments contained greater abundances of the class Anaerolineaceae, orders Xanthomonadales, Pseudomonadales, and genera Flavobacterium, Acinetobacter. The lake sediments had a distinct community of diverse primary producers, such as phylum Acidobacteria, order Ignavibacteriales, and families Nitrospiraceae, Hydrogenophilaceae. Total phosphorus and organic matter were the main factors influencing the bacterial communities in sediments from several parts of the lake wetland and river estuary (p < .05). The novel insights into basin pollution control in plain river networks may be obtained from microbial distribution in sediments from different basin regions.
Wzx flippases exhibiting complex O‐unit preferences require a new model for Wzx–substrate interactions
Authors: Liu Michael A. , Morris Paraskevi , Reeves Peter R. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe Wzx flippase is a critical component of the O‐antigen biosynthesis pathway, being responsible for the translocation of oligosaccharide O units across the inner membrane in Gram‐negative bacteria. Recent studies have shown that Wzx has a strong preference for its cognate O unit, but the types of O‐unit structural variance that a given Wzx can accommodate are poorly understood. In this study, we identified two Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Wzx that can distinguish between different terminal dideoxyhexose sugars on a common O‐unit main‐chain, despite both being able to translocate several other structurally‐divergent O units. We also identified other Y. pseudotuberculosis Wzx that can translocate a structurally divergent foreign O unit with high efficiency, and thus exhibit an apparently relaxed substrate preference. It now appears that Wzx substrate preference is more complex than previously suggested, and that not all O‐unit residues are equally important determinants of translocation efficiency. We propose a new “Structure‐Specific Triggering” model in which Wzx translocation proceeds at a low level for a wide variety of substrates, with high‐frequency translocation only being triggered by Wzx interacting with one or more preferred O‐unit structural elements found on its cognate O unit(s).
A Greener Approach to Prepare Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents
Authors: Gomez Federico J. V. , Espino Magdalena , Fernández María A. , Silva María F. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractNatural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) is one of the hottest issues in the field of green chemistry. However, it is possible to make them greener? Herein we propose a new microwave (MW) assisted preparation demanding only seconds. The MW‐NADES were challenged with those obtained by the classical Heating & Stirring procedure in terms of green analytical metrics and physical parameters. Indeed, the following analytical applications were tested: a) extraction media for phenolics and alkaloids from plant, b) enhancers for electrochemical detection of phenolic compounds. Our results demonstrate outstanding environmental advantages as the dramatic decrease of synthesis time (the shortest time to date, 60 minutes to 20 seconds) and energy consumption (650 times lower). The analytical performance and physicochemical parameters were comparable with the traditional NADES.
Gabriel Synthesis of Hexakis(aminomethyl)benzene and Its Derivatization
Authors: Masuda Junya , Kondo Seiya , Matsumoto Yoshiteru , Yamanaka Masamichi 
Published: June 2018

AbstractHexakis(aminomethyl)benzene, which is a key precursor for various hexa‐substituted functional molecules, was synthesized by Gabriel synthesis. Nucleophilic substitution of hexakis(bromomethyl)benzene with potassium phthalimide gave hexakis(phthalimidemethyl)benzene in excellent yield. Hydrazinolysis of the phthalimide moieties of hexakis(phthalimidemethyl)benzene afforded a mixture of hexakis(aminomethyl)benzene and 2,3‐dihydrophthalazine‐1,4‐dione. Pure hexakis(aminomethyl)benzene was isolated as its hexahydrochloride upon treating the mixture with HCl. Hexakis‐amides and hexakis‐tosylamide were prepared from hexahydrochloride of hexakis(aminomethyl)benzene in good to high yields. Alkyl‐substituted hexakis‐amide shows extremely high solubility in non‐polar organic solvents like chloroform and n‐hexane. Density functional theory calculation of the structure of hexakis‐amide show that all substituents were oriented to the same side (aaaaaa conformation) via intramolecular hydrogen bonding.
Iodine‐Catalyzed One‐Pot Decarboxylative Sulfenylation of Electron‐Rich Arenes and Indoles
Authors: Ravi Chitrakar , Semwal Rashmi , Kumar Rahul , Reddy Narreddula N. K. , Adimurthy Subbarayappa 
Published: June 2018

AbstractElemental iodine catalyzed decarboxylative sulfenylation (mono‐ or di) of electron‐rich alkoxybenzoic acids using benzenesulfonohydrazides as sulfenylating agent for the synthesis of diaryl sulfides under transition metal‐free conditions has been described. The method also works for the decarboxylative thioarylation (mono‐ or di) of indole carboxylic acids. Reactions showed very good functional group tolerance and excellent yields of sulfinylated products.
Photoluminescence, Self cleaning and Photocatalytic Behavior of Waterborne Hyperbranched Polyester/Carbon dot@TiO2 Nanocomposite
Authors: Hazarika Deepshikha , Saikia Devabrata , Gupta Kuldeep , Mandal Manabendra , Karak Niranjan 
Published: June 2018

AbstractFunctional materials with innovative optical features have attracted cumulative attention owing to their indispensable and inimitable roles in the advanced human‐civilization. Thus, in the present work, an excellent excitation wavelength dependent down‐ and up‐conversion photo‐luminescent carbon dot@TiO2 containing waterborne hyperbranched polyester nanocomposite was reported for the first time. Further, the thermosets of the nanocomposite were transparent and emitted different colors on exposure of different wavelengths of UV light. Most interestingly, the nanocomposite showed anti‐reflecting as well as self‐cleaning properties. The self‐cleaning behavior was achieved through photocatalytic degradation of different organic contaminants namely pesticide, phenol, bis‐phenol A and mixed dyes under normal sunlight. Further, the thermosetting nanocomposite can be used as an efficient photocatalyst for reduction of common nitro‐aromatic compound under normal sunlight. The nanocomposites also exhibited strong antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial strains. Thus, the studied nanocomposite has remarkable prospect in different advanced applications.
Microfluidics Based Magnetophoresis: A Review
Authors: Alnaimat Fadi , Dagher Sawsan , Mathew Bobby , Hilal‐Alnqbi Ali , Khashan Saud 
Published: June 2018

AbstractMagnetophoresis, the manipulation of trajectory of micro‐scale entities using magnetic forces, as employed in microfluidic devices is reviewed at length in this article. Magnetophoresis has recently garnered significant interest due to its simplicity, in terms of implementation, as well as cost‐effectiveness while being efficient and biocompatible. Theory associated with magnetophoresis is illustrated in this review along with different sources for creating magnetic field gradient commonly employed in microfluidic devices. Additionally, this article reviews the state‐of‐the‐art of magnetophoresis based microfluidic devices, where positive‐ and negative‐magnetophoresis are utilized for manipulation of micro‐scale entities (cells and microparticles), employed for operations such as trapping, focusing, separation, and switching of microparticles and cells. The article concludes with a brief outlook of the field of magnetophoresis.
An intraosseous malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in the mandible of a patient with neurofibromatosis type 1
Authors: Takaichi Mayu , Tomihara Kei , Fujiwara Kumiko , Imaue Shuichi , Miwa Shigeharu , Noguchi Makoto 
Published: June 2018

AbstractMalignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are sarcomas that originate in peripheral nerves or neurilemma cells. Here, we report an extremely rare case of an intraosseous MPNST in the mandible of a patient with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). A 57‐year‐old woman with a history of NF1 was referred to our hospital because she had abnormal sensations at her left mandible. She was diagnosed with MPNST and underwent radical resection, although local recurrence and multiple metastases were detected during follow‐up. Despite receiving palliative radiotherapy, the patient died at 13 months after the initial diagnosis.
An Assessment of Marine Reservoir Corrections for Radiocarbon Dates on Walrus from the Foxe Basin Region of Arctic Canada
Authors: Dyke Arthur S , Savelle James M , Szpak Paul , Southon John R , Howse Lesley , Desrosiers Pierre M , Kotar Kathryn 
Published: June 2018

ABSTRACTArchaeological sites in the Canadian Arctic often contain substantial quantities of marine mammal bones and in some cases completely lack terrestrial mammal bones. A distrust of radiocarbon (14C) dates on marine mammal bones among Arctic archaeologists has caused many sites to be insufficiently dated. The goal of this study was to investigate the marine reservoir effect on Atlantic walrus in the Foxe Basin region of the Canadian Arctic through a two-pronged approach: dating of live-harvested specimens of known age collected prior to AD 1955 and dating of pairs of animal remains (walrus and caribou) from stratigraphically contemporaneous levels within archaeological features. 14C dates on pre-bomb, live-harvested walrus indicate that a ΔR value of 160±50 yr be used in calibrating dates on walrus from this region. These results differed significantly from a similar set of pre-bomb mollusks, which argues against applying mollusk-based corrections to marine mammals. The results of comparative dating of caribou and walrus from archaeological features provided maximum estimates of reservoir ages that were more varied than the directly measured ages. Although about half of inferred ΔR values overlap the museum specimen results, the others indicate that the assumption of contemporaneity does not hold true.
A Natural Hulk: Australia’s Carceral Islands in the Colonial Period, 1788–1901
Authors: Roscoe Katherine 
Published: June 2018

AbstractDuring the British colonial period, at least eleven islands off the coast of Australia were used as sites of “punitive relocation” for transported European convicts and Indigenous Australians. This article traces the networks of correspondence between the officials and the Colonial Office in London as they debated the merits of various offshore islands to incarcerate different populations. It identifies three roles that carceral islands served for colonial governance and economic expansion. First, the use of convicts as colonizers of strategic islands for territorial and commercial expansion. Second, to punish transported convicts found guilty of “misconduct” to maintain order in colonial society. Third, to expel Indigenous Australians who resisted colonization from their homeland. It explores how, as “colonial peripheries”, islands were part of a colonial system of punishment based around mobility and distance, which mirrored in microcosm convict flows between the metropole and the Australian colonies.
TheDepósito de Degredadosin Luanda, Angola: Binding and Building the Portuguese Empire with Convict Labour, 1880s to 1932
Authors: Coates Timothy J. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractAfter ignoring its holdings in Africa for the first half of the nineteenth century, the European scramble for colonies in the 1880s forced the Portuguese state to adopt a new policy to cement its tenuous hold on its two largest African colonies: Angola and Mozambique. This challenge occurred just as the penal reform movement of the nineteenth century was arriving in Portugal, with a new penitentiary in Lisbon and new legal codes aimed at reforming convicts through their labour. This article examines the rationale and impact of theDepósito de Degredados(Depot for Transported Convicts) in Luanda, Angola, the larger of the two prisons established to supervise the work of convicts sent from Portugal and Portugal’s Atlantic colonies of Cape Verde, Portuguese Guinea, and São Tomé.
Faecal N excretion as an approach for estimating organic matter intake by free-ranging sheep and cattle
Authors: Kozloski G. V. , Zilio E. M. C. , Ongarato F. , Kuinchtner B. C. , Saccol A. G. , Genro T. C. M. , Oliveira L. , Faria B. M. , Cezimbra I. M. , Quadros F. L. F. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe current study aimed to test whether organic matter intake by free-ranging ruminants could be estimated from the amount of nitrogen (N) excreted in faeces and to compare this approach to conventional techniques. An equation describing the relationship between excreted N and nutrient intake was developed in indoor digestibility trials conducted with male sheep (n= 36) and cattle (n= 24) housed in metabolism cages and solely fed hay harvested from a local rangeland. Faecal N excretion was linearly related to organic matter (OM) intake without a significant animal species effect. To evaluate the linear equation, data from free-ranging trials conducted with sheep and cattle were used. The faecal N approach was compared with eitherin situdigestibility plus external marker (n= 123) orn-alkanes (n= 272) to estimate OM intake and digestible OM intake. Estimates obtained through the faecal N approach did not closely fit those obtained with either conventional technique for any variable. Averaging all individual values, the supply of metabolizable energy (ME) estimated through faecal N was similar to the required level, whereas both thein situandn-alkanes techniques overestimated ME supply. In conclusion, OM intake by free-ranging sheep and cattle can be estimated based on the amount of N excreted in faeces with some advantages over conventional techniques: knowledge about herbage attributes is not required and it accounts for individual variability on selectivity and digestion processes.
The effect of cochlear implant bed preparation and fixation technique on the revision cochlear implantation rate
Authors: Pamuk A E , Pamuk G , Jafarov S , Bajin M D , Saraç S , Sennaroğlu L 
Published: June 2018

AbstractObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the effect of the subperiosteal tight pocket technique versus the bone recess with suture fixation technique on the revision cochlear implantation rate and complications.MethodsThis retrospective study included 1514 patients who underwent cochlear implantation by 2 senior surgeons between October 2002 and January 2016. Revision cases were identified and analysed.ResultsIn all, 52 patients (3.34 per cent) underwent revision cochlear implantation. The revision rate was 7.18 per cent in the subperiosteal tight pocket group versus 2.37 per cent in the bone recess with suture fixation group (p&lt; 0.001). Device failure was the most common reason for revision surgery in both groups. There was a significant difference in the device failure rate between the bone recess with suture fixation group (2.11 per cent) and subperiosteal tight pocket group (6.88 per cent) (p&lt; 0.001).ConclusionAccurate fixation of the cochlear implant receiver/stimulator is crucial for successful cochlear implantation. As the bone recess with suture fixation technique is associated with a lower revision rate and a similar complication rate as the subperiosteal tight pocket technique, it should be the preferred fixation technique for cochlear implantation.
Diagnostic role of mean platelet volume in tonsillitis with and without peritonsillar abscess
Authors: Nakao Y , Tanigawa T , Kano F , Tanaka H , Katahira N , Ogawa T , Murotani K , Nagata T , Shibata R 
Published: June 2018

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the diagnostic role of mean platelet volume in tonsillitis with and without peritonsillar abscess.MethodsMean platelet volume and other laboratory data were retrospectively investigated.ResultsMean platelet volume was significantly lower in the tonsillitis group (7.8 per cent ± 0.7 per cent) than in the control group (8.7 per cent ± 0.6 per cent; p < 0.0001), and it was significantly lower in the abscess group (7.5 per cent ± 0.6 per cent) than in the no abscess group (8.0 per cent ± 0.7 per cent; p = 0.0277). White blood cell counts and C-reactive protein levels were not significantly different between patients with an abscess and those without. The mean platelet volume cut-off values for the diagnosis of tonsillitis and peritonsillar abscess were 7.95 fl and 7.75 fl, respectively.ConclusionOur results suggest that a decreased mean platelet volume is associated with the development and severity of tonsillitis. This finding provides useful diagnostic information for physicians treating patients with tonsillitis.
Patulous Eustachian tube obliteration using endovascular coils: a novel technique
Authors: Jolly K , Darr A , Chavda S V , Ahmed S K 
Published: June 2018

AbstractBackgroundPatulous Eustachian tube is a distressing condition characterised by chronic patency of the Eustachian tube and its failure to close. Patients typically present with symptoms of autophony and aural fullness. In patients requiring surgical intervention, a variety of different procedures have been demonstrated (both transtympanic and endonasal), with limited success. Evidence of the effectiveness of a number of surgical interventions is limited to small case series only.ObjectiveThis paper describes a novel treatment for patulous Eustachian tube using a 3 mm VortX Diamond endovascular coil.Case reportA transnasal endoscopic approach was adopted, with cannulation of the Eustachian tube orifice using a Relieva sinus guide suction tube from a balloon sinuplasty set. The coil was deployed 1.5 cm deep into the Eustachian tube. Post-operative imaging was used to confirm correct positioning. Regular follow up was arranged. The patient reported complete resolution of her symptoms.ConclusionThe technique has so far proved highly effective and minimally invasive. It will be employed in more patients to fully establish its effectiveness in treating patulous Eustachian tube.