bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Good parenting may not increase reproductive success under environmental extremes
Authors: Fox Rebecca J. , Head Megan L. , Barber Iain 
Published: July 2018

AbstractFor species exhibiting parental care, the way in which parents adjust care behaviour to compensate for environmental change potentially influences offspring survival and, ultimately, population viability. Using the three‐spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) – a species in which males provide parental care by building and tending a nest and fanning the eggs – we examined how low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels affect paternal care, embryo development and survival. Although levels of nest tending were unaffected by DO level, we found that larger males fanned their embryos more under low oxygen conditions. This resulted in faster rates of embryo development within the clutches of these larger males, but reduced embryo survival at 7 days post‐fertilization compared to clutches of smaller males. Our results suggest that although parents may attempt to compensate for environmental change via alterations to care behaviour, their ability to do so can be dependent on parental phenotype. This sets up the potential for oxygen levels to act on the strength and direction of selection within populations. We discuss possible explanations for the surprising result that supposedly adaptive changes in care behaviour by large males (i.e. increased fanning) led to reduced embryo survival at 7 days post‐fertilization, and whether, as a consequence, acute environmental conditions may have the potential to overwhelm selection on sexual traits.
Understanding the sex disparity in living kidney donation
Authors: Prasad G. V. Ramesh 
Published: July 2018

AbstractLiving donors are the preferred source of organs for kidney transplantation, which is the treatment modality of choice for end‐stage kidney disease. Health care systems widely promote living kidney donation. However, women are consistently overrepresented among living donors. The reasons behind the sex‐based disparity in living kidney donation remain poorly understood. Compared to women, men possess a greater amount of kidney function, and the higher deceased donation rate among men reflects their higher overall kidney quality. A plausible medical explanation for the sex‐based disparity in living kidney donation includes an uncompromising emphasis on preserving donor health, with less emphasis placed on organ quality, which is the main criterion in deceased donor selection. On the other hand, consent to deceased donation is also greater in women, indicating their greater desire to donate even though fewer women actually become deceased donors. Therefore, nonmedical reasons for the sex disparity in living donation must be sought. Increased empathic distress or emotional memory; a greater sense of responsibility, urgency, and impulsiveness with increased reaction to empathy; a different body image; and a different social status may all contribute to greater living kidney donation in women. Economic inequity may be the singular explanation when personal worth links to economic worth. To better understand the sex disparity in living kidney donation, we need better data on the reasons behind both nondonation and donor rejection after evaluation in clinical practice. Nondirected living kidney donation provides unique opportunities to minimize factors such as emotional distress, empathy, and impulsiveness. More liberal acceptance criteria for donors with isolated medical abnormalities and testing legitimate donor reimbursement strategies based on actual income levels rather than a fixed amount can assist in both ascertaining the reasons behind the sex disparity in living kidney donation and increasing overall living kidney donation rates.
Assessment and prediction of acute kidney injury in patients with decompensated cirrhosis with serum cystatin C and urine N‐acetyl‐β‐D‐glucosaminidase
Authors: Kim Tae Hyung , Lee Han Ah , Seo Yeon Seok , Lee Yoo Ra , Yim Sun Young , Lee Young Sun , Suh Sang Jun , Jung Young Kul , Kim Ji Hoon , An Hyunggin , Yim Hyung Joon , Yeon Jong Eun , Byun Kwan Soo , Um Soon Ho ,   The Korean Study Group of Portal Hypertension
Published: July 2018

AbstractBackground and AimFor appropriate management of acute kidney injury (AKI) in cirrhotic patients, accurate differentiation of the types of AKI, prerenal azotemia (PRA), hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), and acute tubular necrosis (ATN) is very important. Urine N‐acetyl‐β‐D‐glucosaminidase (NAG) has been proposed as a good tubular injury marker in many studies, but its efficacy in cirrhosis is unclear. This study was performed to evaluate the usefulness of urine NAG in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.MethodsIn 114 hospitalized patients with decompensated cirrhosis, we assessed serum creatinine, cystatin C, and urine NAG levels as markers for AKI differentiation and development and patient mortality.ResultsThirty patients diagnosed with AKI at baseline had significantly higher serum creatinine and cystatin C levels, urine NAG levels, and Child–Pugh scores than those without AKI. Only urine NAG levels were significantly higher in patients with ATN than those with PRA or HRS (116.1 ± 46.8 U/g vs 39.4 ± 20.2 or 54.0 ± 19.2 U/g urinary creatinine, all P < 0.05). During a median follow up of 6.1 months, AKI developed in 17 of 84 patients: PRA in nine, HRS in six, and ATN in three. Higher serum cystatin C and urine NAG levels were independent predictors of AKI development in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Survival was significantly associated with low serum cystatin C and urine NAG levels.ConclusionSerum cystatin C and urine NAG levels are useful to differentiate types of AKI and are strong predictors for AKI development and mortality in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.
Nicotine and electronic cigarette (E‐Cig) exposure decreases brain glucose utilization in ischemic stroke
Authors: Sifat Ali E. , Vaidya Bhuvaneshwar , Kaisar Mohammad A. , Cucullo Luca , Abbruscato Thomas J. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractPrevious studies in our laboratory have shown that nicotine exposure decreases glucose transport across the blood–brain barrier in ischemia‐reperfusion conditions. We hypothesize that nicotine can also dysregulate brain parenchymal glucose utilization by altering glucose transporters with effects on sensitivity to ischemic stroke. In this study, we investigated the effects of nicotine exposure on neuronal glucose utilization using an in vitro ischemic stroke model. We also tested the effects of e‐Cig vaping on ischemic brain glucose utilization using an acute brain slice technique. Primary cortical neurons and brain slices were subjected to oxygen‐glucose deprivation followed by reoxygenation to mimic ischemia‐reperfusion injury. We estimated brain cell glucose utilization by measuring the uptake of [3H] deoxy‐d‐glucose. Immunofluorescence and western blotting were done to characterize glucose transporters (GLUTs) and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) expression. Furthermore, we used a glycolytic stress test to measure the effects of nicotine exposure on neuronal glucose metabolism. We observed that short‐ and long‐term nicotine/cotinine exposure significantly decreased neuronal glucose utilization in ischemic conditions and the non‐specific nAChR antagonist, mecamylamine reversed this effect. Nicotine/cotinine exposure also decreased neuronal GLUT1 and up‐regulated α7 nAChR expression and decreased glycolysis. Exposure of mice to e‐Cig vapor for 7 days likewise decreases brain glucose uptake under normoxic and ischemic conditions along with down‐regulation of GLUT1 and GLUT3 expressions. These data support, from a cerebrovascular perspective, that nicotine and/or e‐Cig vaping induce a state of glucose deprivation at the neurovascular unit which could lead to enhanced ischemic brain injury and/or stroke risk.Open PracticesOpen Science: This manuscript was awarded with the Open Materials Badge.For more information see: https://cos.io/our-services/open-science-badges/
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Effect of applying lactic acid bacteria and cellulase on the fermentation quality, nutritive value, tannins profile and in vitro digestibility of Neolamarckia cadamba leaves silage
Authors: He Liwen , Zhou Wei , Wang Yi , Wang Cheng , Chen Xiaoyang , Zhang Qing 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThis study was designed to evaluate the effect of applying lactic acid bacteria (LAB, Lactobacillus plantarum LP) (0 and 1 × 106 cfu/g fresh matter (FM)) and cellulase (0, 30, 60 and 120 U/g FM) on the ensiling characteristics of N. cadamba leaves. The experimental design was a completely randomized 2 × 4 factorial arrangement. Fermentation parameters, microbial populations, chemical compositions and in vitro digestibility of the silages were measured after 60‐day fermentation. LAB inoculation decreased the pH (p < 0.05), ammonium nitrogen (NH3‐N) proportion (p = 0.08), the concentrations of crude protein (CP, p < 0.05) and condensed tannins (CT, p = 0.07), and the microbial counts (p < 0.01) of LAB and yeasts along with increased (p < 0.01) concentrations of neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL) and hemicellulose. Cellulase addition increased (p < 0.01) the microbial populations and protein fractions and decreased (p < 0.01) the concentrations of acetic acid, cell wall components, total phenols (TP), soluble tannins (ST) and CT with increasing enzyme inclusions. The interaction of LAB and cellulase showed an effect (p < 0.01) on the NH3‐N proportion, microbial counts, fibre fractions and CP. No effect (p > 0.05) was found on the dry matter recovery and digestibility of the silages with LAB or cellulase application. Besides, high lactic acid concentration and true protein ratio, low pH and NH3‐N proportion, and a few spoilage organism counts were found in all silages, indicating a successful preservation. These results infer that, with some improvement, the ensiling characteristics and chemical compositions of N. cadamba leaves silage show specific responses to the addition of LAB inoculant or cellulase.
Pupillary instability as an accurate, objective marker of alertness failure and performance impairment
Authors: Maccora Jordan , Manousakis Jessica E. , Anderson Clare 
Published: July 2018

AbstractPupillary instability reflects alterations in autonomic nervous system activity and has been shown to reflect change in alertness. However, the extent to which it can predict subsequent performance impairment and alertness failure is not clear. Eighteen healthy young adults (group age = 21.44 ± 3.24 years, 10 men) underwent 40 hr of continuous wakefulness, completing an 11‐min Pupillographic Sleepiness Test (PST), the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale and a 10‐min Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) every 2 hr. Waking electroencephalography was recorded continuously and scored for microsleeps and slow eye movements (SEMs) during PVTs. Pupillary instability was sensitive to time awake, significantly increasing after 18 hr of wakefulness. The time course of impairment was almost identical to PVT lapses, microsleeps and SEMs. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated reasonable sensitivity and specificity of pupillary instability in correctly classifying PVT lapses, microsleeps and SEMs above individual baseline thresholds (all AUC values >0.78, p < 0.0001). Preliminary cut‐off scores ranging from 10 to 11.5 mm/min for varying impairment thresholds are proposed for young adults. If reproducible in field settings, the PST may be a strong candidate as a fitness for duty/fitness to drive tool for detecting drowsiness‐related impairment.
Discrepancies in sleep diary and actigraphy assessments in adults with fibromyalgia: Associations with opioid dose and age
Authors: Curtis Ashley F. , Miller Mary Beth , Boissoneault Jeff , Robinson Michael , Staud Roland , Berry Richard B. , McCrae Christina S. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractSleep diary and actigraphy assessments of insomnia symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) are often discrepant. We examined whether opioid dose and age interact in predicting magnitude or direction of discrepancies. Participants (N = 199, M = 51.5 years, SD = 11.7) with FM and insomnia completed 14 days of diaries and actigraphy. Multiple regressions determined whether average opioid dose and its interaction with age predicted magnitude or direction of diary/actigraphy discrepancies in sleep onset latency (SOL), wake after sleep onset (WASO) and sleep efficiency (SE), controlling for sex, use of sleep medication, evening pain and total sleep time. Higher opioid dose predicted greater magnitude of discrepancy in SOL and SE. Opioid dose interacted with age to predict direction but not magnitude of discrepancy in SOL and SE. Specifically, higher opioid use was associated with better subjective (shorter SOL, higher SE) than objective reports of sleep among younger adults, and longer subjective than objectively measured SOL among older adults. Opioid dose did not predict magnitude or direction of WASO discrepancies. In FM, a higher opioid dose increases diary/actigraphy SOL and SE discrepancies, and direction of discrepancies may depend on age. We speculate that increased opioid use combined with age‐related factors, such as slow wave sleep disruption, increased awakenings and/or cognitive decline, may impact perceived sleep.
Realization utility with adaptive reference points
Authors: He Xuedong , Yang Linan 
Published: July 2018

AbstractExperimental studies have demonstrated that a typical investor derives utility of the gain and loss, relative to certain reference point, realized at each sale of a stock, and that the reference point adapts asymmetrically to the stock's prior gains and losses in that the adaptation to a gain is more substantial than to a comparable loss. This empirical finding motivates us to consider a dynamic trading problem in which an agent decides when to sequentially sell and buy a stock in order to maximize her utility of terminal wealth and realized gains and losses based on a reference point that adapts asymmetrically to the stock's prior gains and losses. We show that this agent is more reluctant to sell the stock at a loss than another agent whose reference point does not adapt to the stock gain or loss at all, leading to a higher percentage of gains realized (PGR) and a lower percentage of losses realized (PLR). We also show that when the agent weighs the utility of realized gains and losses more heavily in her investment criteria, she trades the stock more frequently, the PGR becomes lower, and the PLR becomes higher.
Type III secretion inhibitors for the management of bacterial plant diseases
Authors: Puigvert Marina , Solé Montserrat , López‐Garcia Belén , Coll Núria S. , Beattie Karren D. , Davis Rohan A. , Elofsson Mikael , Valls Marc 
Published: July 2018

SummaryThe identification of chemical compounds that prevent and combat bacterial diseases is fundamental for crop production. Bacterial virulence inhibitors are a promising alternative to classical control treatments, because they have a low environmental impact and are less likely to generate bacterial resistance. The major virulence determinant of most animal and plant bacterial pathogens is the type III secretion system (T3SS). In this work, we screened nine plant extracts and 12 isolated compounds—including molecules effective against human pathogens—for their capacity to inhibit the T3SS of plant pathogens and for their applicability as virulence inhibitors for crop protection. The screen was performed using a luminescent reporter system developed in the model pathogenic bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum. Five synthetic molecules, one natural product and two plant extracts were found to down‐regulate T3SS transcription, most through the inhibition of the regulator hrpB. In addition, for three of the molecules, corresponding to salicylidene acylhydrazide derivatives, the inhibitory effect caused a dramatic decrease in the secretion capacity, which was translated into impaired plant responses. These candidate virulence inhibitors were then tested for their ability to protect plants. We demonstrated that salicylidene acylhydrazides can limit R. solanacearum multiplication in planta and protect tomato plants from bacterial speck caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. Our work validates the efficiency of transcription reporters to discover compounds or natural product extracts that can be potentially applied to prevent bacterial plant diseases.
Immunity and ultrasonic vocalization in rodents
Authors: Jouda Jamela , Wöhr Markus , del Rey Adriana 
Published: July 2018

AbstractUltrasonic vocalizations (USVs) serve important communicative functions in rodents. Different types of USVs can be triggered in the sender, for example, by maternal separation, social interactions, or exposure to predators, and they evoke affiliative or alarming behaviors in recipients. This review focusses on studies evaluating possible links between immunity and USVs. Most studies have been performed in a murine model of maternal immune activation and subsequent evaluation of effects in the offspring. This model has received large attention in recent years because it mimics behavioral abnormalities observed in certain human neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder. Although there is still some controversy, the results indicate that stimulation of the immune system of mice and rats during pregnancy affects ultrasonic calling in pups. Few studies are available on immunization during adulthood and USVs. In most cases, immune stimulation led to disease, complicating conclusions about a possible direct link between vocalization and immunity. Although much work is still needed, this is certainly a rather new and promising aspect of interactions between the immune system and behavior.
Caloric restriction combined with exercise is effective in reducing adiposity and mitigating bone structural deterioration in obese rats
Authors: Cao Jay J. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractWeight reduction through caloric restriction (CR) or exercise can have opposite effects on bone. This study investigated the effects of comparable weight reduction through CR and/or exercise on body composition and bone structure in an obese rat model. Male 6‐week‐old rats were fed either a normal‐fat diet for 6 months or a high‐fat (HF) diet for 3 months and then started on different CR or exercise regimens for an additional 3 months. Compared to HF conditions, rats given HF diet plus CR at 8% (HF+8CR), HF diet plus CR at 16% (HF+16CR), or HF+8CR plus exercise (HF+Ex+8CR) had lower fat mass. In addition, HF+8CR rats had lower serum tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase and bone volume/total volume at distal femur (P < 0.05), and HF+16CR rats had lower serum insulin growth factor 1, osteocalcin, tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase, and bone volume/total volume at distal femur and 2nd lumbar vertebrae, compared to regimens that included exercise. These data indicate that while CR (e.g., HF+8CR) was detrimental to bone structure, combined with exercise CR (e.g., HF+Ex+8CR) was effective in decreasing adiposity and mitigating bone structural deterioration associated with weight reduction in obese rats.
Rapid method to obtain high quality nuclear and chromosome images directly from living cells in the Characeae
Authors: Gargiulo Gaetano M. , Gemelli Federica , Cambrea Giuseppe , Ferraro Giusy Bonanno , Crosca Alice 
Published: July 2018

SUMMARYThis study focused on a method based on the capacity of cationic dyes to stain only the nucleus and chromosomes in cells subjected to either acid or alkaline hydrolysis. The method and the squash were optimized for the Characeae and were described in detail. Nuclei from vegetative shoot apices and antheridial filament cells of unfixed, fixed and herbarium material of Nitella opaca were investigated using the Azure A or Toulidine Blue stains. Comparisons with some other staining methods, used in the previous studies, were also reported. The Azure A/Toulidine Blue method is useful to obtain clear images of chromosome morphology comparable or higher to that obtained with Feulgen or Aceto‐Orcein. It requires little time and a less complicated procedure in comparison with other staining methods.
Phylogenetic relationships and biogeography of theIpsiuracuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae)
Authors: Lucena Daercio A. A. , Kimsey Lynn S. , Almeida Eduardo A. B. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractPhylogenetic studies addressing relationships among chrysidid wasps have been limited. There are no hypotheses proposed for the Neotropical lineages of Chrysidini other than the classic cladogram published in the 1990s by Kimsey and Bohart. Herein we present a cladistic analysis based on 64 morphological characters coded for 54 species of Chrysidini, 32 of them beingIpsiuraand 22 representingCaenochrysis,Chrysis,Exochrysis,Gaullea,Neochrysis, andPleurochrysis. The species ofIpsiurawere recovered as monophyletic and as the sister clade ofNeochrysisin all most parsimonious trees. We discuss the high plasticity of some morphological characters as evidenced by their high homoplasy in the phylogenetic results, and we clarify the main morphological changes inferred on the phylogenetic tree for this genus. The effects of the inferred homoplasy were evaluated under an implied weighting cladistic analysis, and from a probabilistic perspective with Bayesian inference. Those alternative strategies did not alter the general conclusions about the monophyly ofIpsiuraor the generic relationships in Chrysidini (changes were noticed in the species‐level relationships within certain parts ofIpsiura, where low branch support was common across all approaches). Among the species groups proposed by Linsenmaier (1985), only themarginalisgroup was recovered as monophyletic. We also evaluated the convoluted biogeographic history of the group. The resulting historical reconstructions indicate a complicated scenario of diversification of these wasps in the Neotropics, and a close association with forested biomes is discussed.
Risk of active tuberculosis among people with diabetes mellitus: systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Hayashi Shintaro , Chandramohan Daniel 
Published: July 2018

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the risk of active TB in people with DM and the factors associated with this risk.MethodsSystematic review and meta‐analysis. We searched the literature for studies that reported the effect of DM on TB controlled for the effect of age. Studies that had not established the diagnosis of DM prior to detecting active TB were excluded. Study quality was assessed by Newcastle‐Ottawa scale and we conducted a meta‐analysis using random‐effects models.ResultsOf 14 studies (eight cohort and six case–control studies) that involved 22 616 623 participants met the selection criteria and were included in the analysis. There was substantial variation between studies in the estimates of the effect of DM on TB. However, the pooled estimates from seven high‐quality studies showed that diabetic people have a 1.5‐fold increased risk of developing active TB vs. those without DM (95%CI 1.28–1.76), with relatively small heterogeneity (I2 = 44%). The increased risk of TB was observed predominantly among DM populations with poor glycaemic control.ConclusionThere is evidence suggesting an increased risk of developing TB among people with DM, and that improving glycaemic control in DM patients would reduce the risk of developing TB. An integrated approach is needed to control the dual burden of DM and TB.