bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Rapid adaptation to high temperatures in Chironomus riparius
Authors: Foucault Quentin , Wieser Andreas , Waldvogel Ann‐Marie , Feldmeyer Barbara , Pfenninger Markus 
Published: December 2018

AbstractEffects of seasonal or daily temperature variation on fitness and physiology of ectothermic organisms and their ways to cope with such variations have been widely studied. However, the way multivoltines organisms cope with temperature variations from one generation to the next is still not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the multivoltine midge Chironomus riparius Meigen (1803) responds mainly via acclimation as predicted by current theories or whether rapid genetic adaptation is involved. To investigate this issue, a common garden approach has been applied. A mix of larvae from five European populations was raised in the laboratory at three different pre‐exposure temperatures (PET): 14, 20, and 26°C. After three and five generations, respectively, larvae were exposed to three treatment temperatures (TT): 14, 20, and 26°C. Mortality was monitored for the first 48 hr and after emergence. After three generations, significant mortality rate differences depended on an interaction of PET and TT. This finding supports the hypothesis that chironomids respond rapidly to climatic variation via adaptive mechanisms and to a lesser extent via phenotypic plasticity. The result of the experiment indicates that three generations were sufficient to adapt to warm temperature, decreasing the mortality rate, highlighting the potential for chironomids to rapidly respond to seasonally changing conditions.
Partitioning wild bee and hoverfly contributions to plant–pollinator network structure in fragmented habitats
Authors: Jauker Frank , Jauker Birgit , Grass Ingo , Steffan‐Dewenter Ingolf , Wolters Volkmar 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThe risk of ecosystem function degradation with biodiversity loss has emerged as a major scientific concern in recent years. Possible relationships between taxonomic diversity and magnitude and stability of ecosystem processes build upon species' functional characteristics, which determine both susceptibility to environmental change and contribution to ecosystem properties. The functional diversity within communities thus provides a potential buffer against environmental disturbance, especially for properties emerging from interactions among species. In complex plant–pollinator networks, distantly related taxa spanning a great trait diversity shape network architecture. Here, we address the question of whether network properties are maintained after habitat loss by complementary contributions of phylogenetically distant pollinator taxa. We quantified contributions of wild bees and hoverflies to network structure (connectance, network specialization, specialization asymmetry) in 32 calcareous grassland fragments varying in size. Although hoverflies are often regarded less susceptible to environmental change than wild bees, species richness of both taxa was similarly affected by habitat loss. The associated loss of 80% of interactions resulted in small and tightly connected networks, which was more strongly attributed to wild bee loss than hoverfly loss. Networks in small fragments were less specialized due to equivalent losses of species and interactions in both pollinators and plants. Because wild bee and hoverfly loss contributed similarly to declining network specialization, we conclude that trait diversity among distantly related pollinators does not necessarily provide insurance against functional homogenization during community disassembly following habitat loss.
Multigenerational effects of carbendazim in Daphnia magna: From a subcellular to a population level
Authors: Silva Ana Rita R. , Santos Cátia S.A. , Ferreira Nuno G.C. , Morgado Rui , Cardoso Diogo N. , Cruz Andreia , Mendo Sónia , Soares Amadeu M.V.M. , Loureiro Susana 
Published: December 2018

Abstract

Anthropogenic activities such as the use of pesticides may affect aquatic biota populations, due to potential agricultural runoffs or disposals. Carbendazim is one example of a widely used fungicide with a high potential to end up in aquatic ecosystems through runoff. Deleterious effects observed at the individual level are possibly explained by changes in homeostasis at the cellular level, and both factors can then be used to predict effects at the population level. In the present study, an isoclonal population of Daphnia magna (clone K6) was exposed to a concentration that mimics relevant levels of carbendazim in the environment over 12 generations. The effects of carbendazim were assessed in some generations using the following endpoints: biochemical biomarkers (cholinesterase, catalase, and glutathione-S-transferase), lipid peroxidation and energy-related parameters (carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins along with available energy and energy consumption), parental longevity, and population growth (r). Long-term exposure to carbendazim had no effect on the intrinsic rate of natural increase (r) of adult D. magna, but longevity was decreased at the F12 generation compared to that of control. Differences between the exposed and nonexposed populations were found for cholinesterase, glutathione-S-transferase, and lipid peroxidation. However, for catalase and energy-related parameters, no differences were observed between these 2 populations. Natural variability was seen throughout the test period, under control conditions, within the 12 generations. Overall, carbendazim induced some effects at the subcellular level that translated into changes in longevity but these later vanished in terms of population effects. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:412–422. © 2018 SETAC
Abstract
Multigenerational effects of carbendazim in Daphnia magna.
Nanostructured Free‐Form Objects via a Synergy of 3D Printing and Thermal Nanoimprinting
Authors: Wu Jumiati , Lee Wei Li , Low Hong Yee 
Published: December 2018

AbstractHigh‐resolution surface patterning has garnered interests as a nonchemical‐based surface engineering approach for creating functional surfaces. Applications in consumer products, parts for transportation vehicles, optics, and biomedical technologies demand topographic patterning on 3D net shape objects. Through a hybrid approach, high‐resolution surface texture is incorporated onto 3D‐printed polymers via direct thermal nanoimprinting process. The synergy of geometry design freedom in 3D printing and the high spatial resolution in nanoimprinting is demonstrated to be a versatile fabrication of high‐fidelity surface pattern (from 2 µm to 200 nm resolution) on convex, concave semicylindrical, and hemispherical objects spanning a range of surface curvatures. The novel hybrid fabrication is further extended to achieve a high‐resolution curved mold insert for rapid prototyping via injection molding. The versatility of the fabrication strategies reported here not only provides a post‐3D printing process that enhances the surface properties of 3D‐printed objects but also opens a new pathway to enable future study on the effects of combining microscale and nanoscale surface texture with macroscopic curvature. Both have been known, individually, as an effective approach to tune surface functionalities.
Racial Disparities in Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Are Not Explained by Differences in Comorbidities, Liver Disease Severity, or Tumor Burden
Authors: Dakhoul Lara , Gawrieh Samer , Jones Keaton R. , Ghabril Marwan , McShane Chelsey , Orman Eric , Vilar‐Gomez Eduardo , Chalasani Naga , Nephew Lauren 
Published: December 2018

Black patients have higher mortality and are less likely to receive liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) than white patients. Reasons for these disparities have not been fully elucidated. Comorbid disease, liver disease severity, cirrhosis etiologies, and tumor characteristics were compared between black and white patients with HCC seen at the Indiana University Academic Medical Center from January 2000 to June 2014. Logistic regression was used to investigate the primary outcome, which was liver transplantation. Log‐rank testing was used to compare survival between the two groups. Subgroup analysis explored reasons for failure to undergo liver transplantation in patients within Milan criteria. The cohort included 1,032 (86%) white and 164 (14%) black patients. Black and white patients had similar Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD) and Child‐Pugh scores (CPSs). There was a trend toward larger tumor size (5.3 cm versus 4.7 cm; P = 0.05) in black patients; however, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging and Milan criteria were similar. Black patients were less likely to undergo liver transplantation than white patients; this was a disparity that was not attenuated (odds ratio [OR], 0.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21‐0.90) on multivariable analysis. Substance abuse was more frequently cited as the reason black patients within Milan criteria failed to undergo transplantation compared to white patients. Survival was similar between the two groups. Conclusion: Racial differences in patient and tumor characteristics were small and did not explain the disparity in liver transplantation. Higher rates of substance abuse in black patients within Milan criteria who failed to undergo transplantation suggest social factors contribute to this disparity in this cohort.
Three‐dimensional visualization of an electrically conducting and viscous dissipative fluid flow over a moving permeable vertical cylinder
Authors: Parasuraman Loganathan , Mohanavel Dhivya 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThis study numerically scrutinizes the boundary layer flow of an electrically conducting and viscous dissipative fluid past an impulsively started permeable vertical cylinder together with thermal radiation. The solutions of the governing problem are accomplished using the Crank‐Nicholson scheme. The impressions of pertinent parameters on the flow patterns of the fluid particles as well as on the velocity, temperature, and distributed regions are captured and visualized three‐dimensionally.
Promoter Cre‐Specific Genotyping Assays for Authentication of Cre‐Driver Mouse Lines
Authors: Couasnay Greig , Frey Christopher , Elefteriou Florent 
Published: December 2018

ABSTRACTThe Cre‐LoxP system gene knockout (KO) technology provides cell‐ and time‐specificity of gene ablation to investigate cell‐autonomous gene function in vivo, and is paramount for understanding the function of genes involved in bone development, remodeling, and repair. This approach permits gene ablation in a cell‐ or tissue‐specific, differentiation stage‐specific, and inducible manner, thanks to the use of well‐chosen promoters that drive expression of the Cre recombinase in selected cells/tissues. The generation of these powerful tools has led to the expansion of Cre mouse lines available to the research community, which are often shared within and between laboratories. Although convenient and commonly used, genotyping these Cre lines with a generic set of primers that amplifies the Cre transgene does not distinguish between various Cre‐deleter lines. This practice poses the significant risk of mistakenly swapping Cre lineages, as laboratories often host and handle several lines at a time and utilize multiple lines per project. In line with the NIH‐led effort to promote authentication of biological reagents and increase scientific rigor, we report here strategies for designing appropriate sets of primers able to discriminate some of most widely used Cre‐deleter mouse lines in the field of bone biology, and the validation of 24 of them. © 2018 The Authors JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Profilin 1 Negatively Regulates Osteoclast Migration in Postnatal Skeletal Growth, Remodeling, and Homeostasis in Mice
Authors: Shirakawa Jumpei , Kajikawa Shuhei , Böttcher Ralph T , Costell Mercedes , Izu Yayoi , Hayata Tadayoshi , Noda Masaki , Ezura Yoichi 
Published: December 2018

ABSTRACTProfilin 1 (Pfn1), a regulator of actin polymerization, controls cell movement in a context‐dependent manner. Pfn1 supports the locomotion of most adherent cells by assisting actin‐filament elongation, as has been shown in skeletal progenitor cells in our previous study. However, because Pfn1 has also been known to inhibit migration of certain cells, including T cells, by suppressing branched‐end elongation of actin filaments, we hypothesized that its roles in osteoclasts may be different from that of osteoblasts. By investigating the osteoclasts in culture, we first verified that Pfn1‐knockdown (KD) enhances bone resorption in preosteoclastic RAW264.7 cells, despite having a comparable number and size of osteoclasts. Pfn1‐KD in bone marrow cells showed similar results. Mechanistically, Pfn1‐KD osteoclasts appeared more mobile than in controls. In vivo, the osteoclast‐specific conditional Pfn1‐deficient mice (Pfn1‐cKO) by CathepsinK‐Cre driver demonstrated postnatal skeletal phenotype, including dwarfism, craniofacial deformities, and long‐bone metaphyseal osteolytic expansion, by 8 weeks of age. Metaphyseal and diaphyseal femurs were drastically expanded with suppressed trabecular bone mass as indicated by μCT analysis. Histologically, TRAP‐positive osteoclasts were increased at endosteal metaphysis to diaphysis of Pfn1‐cKO mice. The enhanced movement of Pfn1‐cKO osteoclasts in culture was associated with a slight increase in cell size and podosome belt length, as well as an increase in bone‐resorbing activity. Our study, for the first time, demonstrated that Pfn1 has critical roles in inhibiting osteoclast motility and bone resorption, thereby contributing to essential roles in postnatal skeletal homeostasis. Our study also provides novel insight into understanding skeletal deformities in human disorders. © 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
E4F1 silencing inhibits the cell growth through cell‐cycle arrest in malignant transformed cells induced by hydroquinone
Authors: Tan Qiang , Li Jieyou , Peng Jianming , Liu Zhidong , Liu Jiaxian , Zhang Haiqiao , Yuan Qian , Pan Zhijie , Liu Linhua 
Published: December 2018

AbstractHydroquinone (HQ), one of the most significant metabolic activation products of benzene in an organism, can cause hematological toxicity, such as acute myeloid leukemia. It is a clear carcinogen that can cause changes in the disorder of cell cycle and cell growth. However, its molecular mechanisms remain unclear. E4 transcription factor 1 (E4F1), an important transcription factor, participating in the regulation of cell cycle may be related to the occurrence of tumor. Here, we examined the HQ‐induced malignant transformed TK6 cells (TK6‐HT) to illustrate the role of E4F1 in carcinogenesis. The present study showed that both the expressions of E4F1 messenger RNA and protein increased obviously in TK6‐HT, preliminarily indicating that E4F1 is associated with HQ‐induced carcinogenesis. To further explore the role of E4F1, we established E4F1 silencing TK6‐HT (pLVX‐shE4F1) and its control cells (pLVX‐shNC) using lentiviral short hairpin RNA (shRNA) interference expression plasmid vector pLVX‐shRNA. Flow cytometry and cell counting kit‐8 assay were used to determine the effects of E4F1 silencing on cell cycle and cell growth, respectively. E4F1 silencing inhibited cell growth in TK6‐HT. The results from flow cytometry indicated that the inhibitory effect on cell growth may be the results of the E4F1 silencing–induced accumulation in G2/M compared with TK6‐HT‐shNC. Meanwhile, levels of DNA damage (γ‐H2AX), proteins of Rb and phosphorylated Rb, and reactive oxygen species were increased in TK6‐HT‐shRNA2 cells, which is the critical reason of cell‐cycle arrest. In conclusion, E4F1 silencing inhibits the cell growth through cell‐cycle arrest in malignant transformed cells induced by HQ.
Cadmium‐induced neurodegeneration and activation of noncanonical sonic hedgehog pathway in rat cerebellum
Authors: P. M. Mubeena Mariyath , Shahi Mehdi H. , Tayyab Mohd , Farheen Shirin , Khanam Nabeela , Tabassum Sartaj , Ali Asif 
Published: December 2018

AbstractBackgroundCadmium is a nonessential toxic heavy metal, which enters the body easily and damages the cellular system. The sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway is one of the key regulatory pathways, which define neural growth and development.ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore how cadmium exposure affects neural activities, Shh signaling cascade, and its downstream target genes.MethodsTotal 18 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups, control and test groups. Test rats were administered with 3 mg cadmium/kg body weight, while the control rats were treated with vehicle continuously for 28 days. Thereafter, rats were killed and the isolated brain samples were examined using oxidative stress assessment, histological and immunohistological behavioral assessment, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the comet assay.ResultsA disturbed oxidative balance, DNA damage, and an upregulated Shh signaling pathway were observed in cadmium‐treated samples. Loss of structural integrity in cerebellum and loss of motor activity were observed in cadmium‐treated rats.
Coronary vein defibrillator coil placement in patients with high defibrillation thresholds
Authors: Rodríguez‐Mañero Moisés , Kreidieh Bahij , Ibarra‐Cortez Sergio H. , Álvarez Paulino , Schurmann Paul , Dave Amish S. , Valderrábano Miguel 
Published: December 2018

AbstractBackgroundElevated defibrillation threshold (DFT) occurs in 2%‐6% of patients undergoing implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation. Adding a defibrillation coil in the coronary sinus (CS) or its branches can result in substantial reductions in the mean DFT. However, data regarding acute success and long‐term stability remain lacking. We report our experience with this bailout strategy.MethodsPatients with elevated DFT at implantation (safety margin at implantation <10 J) and those with failed ICD shocks for ventricular arrhythmias (VA) referred for high DFT underwent placement of an additional defibrillation coil in the CS. DFT testing was performed at the completion of the implantation procedure. External potentially reversible factors were excluded. High‐output devices were systematically used.ResultsFour patients with high DFT at implantation and two with several failed shock attempts underwent placement of a defibrillation coil in the CS. Mean age was 41.8 (23‐78). They presented a mean LVEF of 21% (15‐30), QRS‐complex duration of 109.8 milliseconds (87‐168), body surface area of 1.96 m2 (1.45‐2.58), and a mean R wave of 16.3 mV (8‐27). Defibrillation coil implantation in the CS (final shocking configuration of right ventricle as anode and left ventricle (LV) plus can as cathode) was associated with successful DFT testing in all. Three patients had a concomitant LV lead for biventricular pacing. During a mean follow‐up of 54.67 months (10‐118), two patients experienced successful ICD shocks for VA (one of them also presented inappropriate shocks because of the fast conducting atrial fibrillation).ConclusionsPositioning of a defibrillation coil in the CS can result in a substantial reduction in mean DFT and associates with optimal long‐term stability.
An Investigation of the Relationship between Age, Achievement, and Creativity in Mathematics
Authors: Haavold Per Øystein 
Published: December 2018

AbstractIn this exploratory study, I investigate the relationship between age, knowledge, and creativity in mathematics, by looking at to what extent does grade level, controlled for mathematical achievement, influence mathematical creativity and what characterizes the relationship between grade level, mathematical achievement and mathematical creativity. This was accomplished in two steps. In the first part, 301 students, 184 grade eight students and 117 grade eleven students, were given a creative mathematics test. A 3 × 2 ANOVA indicates that the older students were more creative; however, there was a significant interaction effect between grade level and achievement in mathematics on mathematical creativity. In the second part, an inductive content analysis was performed on the solutions of high achievers in grade eleven and grade eight. The results indicate that high achievers in grade eight are more creative than high achievers in grade eleven, but the nature of the task mediates the relationship between creativity and knowledge.
Climate warming response of mountain lakes affected by variations in snow
Authors: Sadro Steven , Melack John M. , Sickman James O. , Skeen Kevin 
Published: December 2018

AbstractOur objectives were to determine how temperatures in mountain lakes respond to changes in climate and to characterize how their responses are mediated by landscape or lake morphometric factors. Our analysis combines the use of high‐frequency climate and lake temperature data from 1983 to 2016 in a high‐elevation catchment in the Sierra Nevada of California with summer water temperature data from a set of 18 additional lakes scattered throughout the range. Average annual air temperatures warmed at 0.63°C decade−1, but variation in lake temperature was driven primarily by amount of precipitation as snow. By regulating the duration of ice cover and volume of inflowing spring snowmelt, variation in snowpack size accounted for 93% of variation in summer epilimnetic temperatures. The effect of snow on lake temperatures was mediated by variation in elevation and lake depth at landscape scales, creating a predictable mosaic of lake sensitivities to climate warming.
Modular Approach for the Design of Smart Polymeric Nanocapsules
Authors: Iyisan Banu , Landfester Katharina 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThe formation of nanocapsules from a modular perspective for self‐assembled nanocapsules, so‐called polymersomes, and nanocapsules with a covalently formed shell are discussed in this review. It is shown that there are common and comparable ways for the selective and controlled release of payloads for stimuli‐responsive systems and nanocapsule functionalization in order to use them for drug delivery and diagnostic applications.