bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Molecular mechanisms of caffeine‐mediated intestinal epithelial ion transports
Authors: Zhang Fenglian , Wan Hanxing , Yang Xin , He Jialin , Lu Cheng , Yang Shiming , Tuo Biguang , Dong Hui 
Published: February 2019

Background and PurposeAs little is known about the effect of caffeine, one of the most widely consumed substances worldwide, on intestinal function, we aimed to study its action on intestinal anion secretion and the underlying molecular mechanisms.Experimental ApproachAnion secretion and channel expression were examined in mouse duodenal epithelium by Ussing chambers and immunocytochemistry. Ca2+ imaging was also performed in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs).Key ResultsCaffeine (10 mM) markedly increased mouse duodenal short‐circuit current (Isc), which was attenuated by a removal of either Cl− or HCO3−, Ca2+‐free serosal solutions and selective blockers of store‐operated Ca2+ channels (SOC/Ca2+ release‐activated Ca2+ channels), and knockdown of Orai1 channels on the serosal side of duodenal tissues. Caffeine induced SOC entry in IEC, which was inhibited by ruthenium red and selective blockers of SOC. Caffeine‐stimulated duodenal Isc was inhibited by the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ chelator (N,N,N′,N′‐tetrakis(2‐pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine), selective blockers (ruthenium red and dantrolene) of ryanodine receptors (RyR), and of Ca2+‐activated Cl− channels (niflumic acid and T16A). There was synergism between cAMP and Ca2+ signalling, in which cAMP/PKA promoted caffeine/Ca2+‐mediated anion secretion. Expression of STIM1 and Orai1 was detected in mouse duodenal mucosa and human IECs. The Orai1 proteins were primarily co‐located with the basolateral marker Na+, K+‐ATPase.Conclusions and ImplicationsCaffeine stimulated intestinal anion secretion mainly through the RyR/Orai1/Ca2+ signalling pathway. There is synergism between cAMP/PKA and caffeine/Ca2+‐mediated anion secretion. Our findings suggest that a caffeine‐mediated RyR/Orai1/Ca2+ pathway could provide novel potential drug targets to control intestinal anion secretion.
Basin filling evolution of the central basins of Mallorca since the Pliocene
Authors: Capó Antonio , Garcia Celso 
Published: February 2019

AbstractA new compilation of data from 436 drill cores using decompaction and backstripping techniques was used to reconstruct the basin filling history from the Pliocene until the present day in the Palma, Inca and Sa Pobla Basins on the island of Mallorca (Spain). Calcareous rocks dominate the source area and provide a limited amount of clastic input to the basins that has resulted in an average accumulation rate of between 5 and 20 m/Ma during the last 5.3 Ma. Carbonate sediment production dominated the basin filling history during early‐mid Pliocene, but during the Quaternary, the sedimentation processes in the Palma Basin were probably enhanced by an evolution in the drainage network that increased the sediment supply and the accumulated thickness caused by stream capture. However, the maximum sedimentation rate filling the depocentres of the three basins has been decreasing since the Pliocene, showing that not only the catchment transport efficiency but also the relative sea level have been controlling the sediment accumulation in these carbonate basins. The isopach cross‐sections support the idea that a palaeorelief was generated during the Messinian sea level drop and that heterogeneities were filled in from the Pliocene to the Quaternary. We conclude that the central basins of Mallorca were filled heterogeneously due to tectonic and geomorphic processes that controlled sediment transport and production, resulting in different average sedimentation thicknesses that decreased since the Pliocene as the accommodation space became filled and the relative sea level dropped.
Extended phenotypes and foraging restrictions: ant nest entrances and resource ingress in leaf‐cutting ants
Authors: Rodríguez‐Planes Lucía I. , Farji‐Brener Alejandro G. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractSeveral factors may restrict the acquisition of food to below the levels predicted by the optimization theory. However, how the design of structures that animals build for foraging restricts the entry of food is less known. Using scaling relationships, we determined whether the design of the entrances of leaf‐cutting ant nests restricts resource input into the colony. We measured nests and foraging parameters in 25 nests of Atta cephalotes in a tropical rain forest. Ant flux was reduced to up to 60% at nest entrances. The width of all entrances per nest increased at similar rates as nest size, but the width of nest entrances increased with the width of its associated trail at rates below those expected by isometry. The fact that entrance widths grow slower than trail widths suggests that the enlargement of entrance holes does not reach the dimensions needed to avoid delays when foraging rates are high and loads are big. The enlargement of nest entrances appears to be restricted by the digging effort required to enlarge nest tunnels and by increments in the risk of inundation, predator/parasitoid attacks and microclimate imbalances inside the nest. The design of the extended phenotypes can also restrict the ingress of food into the organisms, offering additional evidence to better understand eventual controversies between empirical data and the foraging theory.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.
Dung beetle activity affects rain forest seed bank dynamics and seedling establishment
Authors: Urrea‐Galeano Lina Adonay , Andresen Ellen , Coates Rosamond , Mora Ardila Francisco , Ibarra‐Manríquez Guillermo 
Published: February 2019

AbstractDung beetles relocate vertebrate feces under the soil surface, and this behavior has many ecological consequences. In tropical forests, for example, seeds defecated by mammals that are subsequently buried by dung beetles are less likely to suffer predation. While the effects of dung beetles on the fate of defecated seeds have been relatively well studied, their effect on seeds already buried in the soil has not. To contribute to fill this gap, we designed a study with three objectives: (a) Describe the vertical re‐distribution of soil seeds that occurs due to dung beetle activity; (b) Determine if beetle activity favors establishment of seedlings from the soil seed bank; and (c) Determine if the effect of dung beetles is stronger in sites of recurrent mammal defecation. We carried out three complementary field experiments, one with artificial seeds (plastic beads) of three sizes buried at known depths, one with two species of seeds buried at those same depths, and one with the natural soil seed bank in sites of single vs. recurrent defecation. Buried beads were moved by dung beetles along the vertical axis, both upwards (9.5%) and downwards (11.5%); smaller beads were more frequently moved downwards while the contrary occurred for larger beads. Dung beetle activity caused an increase in seedling establishment, both from experimentally buried seeds and from the natural seed bank. Defecation recurrence had no effect on seedling establishment. We conclude that dung beetle activity affects seed bank dynamics with important consequences for seedling establishment in tropical forests.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.
A Research Note on Canada's LGBT Data Landscape: Where We Are and What the Future Holds
Authors: Waite Sean , Denier Nicole 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThere is a growing international literature on the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. One of the biggest limitations for researchers in this field continues to be the dearth of population‐based surveys that include questions on sexual orientation, gender identity, and high‐quality demographic, health, social, political, or economic variables. This research note provides an overview of the current LGBT data landscape in Canada. We start with some of the challenges for researchers studying the LGBT community, including issues of sample size, measurement, response bias, and concealment. Next, we provide an overview of Canadian surveys that include questions on sexual orientation and/or gender identity, including the strengths and weaknesses of each. We end with a brief discussion on newly available administrative data and provide recommendations for researchers and policymakers moving forward.
Is calcium supplementation always needed in patients with hypoparathyroidism?
Authors: Al‐Sharefi Ahmed , Glenister Elizabeth , Morris Margaret , Quinton Richard 
Published: February 2019

SummaryOral calcium salts are recommended for the treatment of chronic hypoparathyroidism (HypoPT), although dosimetry is variable between individual patients and clinicians. However, patient feedback on calcium salts can be negative, particularly due to gastrointestinal side effects and hypercalciuria‐related complications. We begin with a clinical case of a HypoPT patient taking oral calcium salts following thyroid surgery, who requested support in reducing her dose of these with a view to stopping entirely. To evaluate her request, we first describe the usual treatment of HypoPT according to current guidance and then present data from (a) a case note review of a cohort of 24 HypoPT patients managed with a “no calcium” treatment regimen by single physician (b) a comprehensive online survey of HypoPT patients’ treatment and experiences (n = 330). The case note review found that target range serum calcium levels were successfully achieved in all 24 patients since transitioning to a “no calcium” regimen, without any breakthrough hypocalcaemia‐related symptoms, the development of new renal stones, the occurrence of calcium‐related hospital admissions or the finding of significant hypercalciuria. The online survey identified 36% of HypoPT patients who continued to take activated vitamin D, but had discontinued calcium supplements. HypoPT patients not currently taking calcium reported a significantly lower prevalence of adverse effects and outcomes, both compared with their previous experiences whilst taking calcium and also compared with the 64% of patients who continued to take oral calcium. We conclude that, subject to methodological limitations, there are significant issues of tolerability arising from conventional calcium‐based treatment regimens for patients with chronic HypoPT. For selected patients, it may be reasonable to facilitate a managed therapeutic transition to “no calcium” regimen, and we also propose that calcium‐based regimes be prospectively evaluated against calcium‐free (or calcium‐low) alternatives.
Trends in contact lens microbial keratitis 1999 to 2015: a retrospective clinical review
Authors: Green Matthew , Sara Sergio , Hughes Ian , Apel Andrew , Stapleton Fiona 
Published: February 2019

AbstractImportanceContact lens microbial keratitis (CLMK) is the most common cause of microbial keratitis in our community.BackgroundDefine the trend in rate of CLMK and define patient demographics/culture results that may have a predictive value in patients with CLMK.DesignRetrospective review of clinical records of patients with MK.ParticipantsAll patients with positive corneal scraping between 1999 and 2015 at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland identified through local microbiology database.MethodsTrend in CLMK tested with chi‐squared test of peak 3 years vs other years and Poisson regression of interrupted time series. Patient characteristics predictive of CLMK were defined by creating a polynomial regression model by stepwise variable selection.Main Outcome MeasuresYearly rate of CLMK.ResultsRecords of 895 episodes of MK were included. The most common: risk factor was contact lens wear (324, 36.2%), isolated organism was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa 181, 55.9%) and treatment was monotherapy with a fluoroquinolone 172, 53%). CLMK was most common between 2009 and 2011 (49.5% vs other years 32%, P < 0.001). Poisson regression of the interrupted time series showed there was a significant decrease in the rate over time after 2010 (P < 0.001). Independent factors predictive of CLMK in multivariate regression were young age (15‐49 years) and corneal culture positive for P. aeruginosaConclusions and RelevanceThe rate of CLMK in our community ranged between 32% and 50% and the rate of disease appears to have peaked during 2009 to 2011 and subsequently declined.
Influence of residual bone height and sinus width on the outcome of maxillary sinus bone augmentation using anorganic bovine bone
Authors: Pignaton Túlio Bonna , Wenzel Ann , Ferreira Carlos Eduardo de Almeida , Borges Martinelli Carolina , Oliveira Guilherme J. P. L. , Marcantonio Elcio , Spin‐Neto Rubens 
Published: February 2019

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the influence of the posterior residual bone height and sinus width on the outcome of maxillary sinus bone augmentation using anorganic bovine bone.Material and methodsBilateral sinus bone augmentation was performed using anorganic bovine bone in 20 patients with residual bone height <2 mm in at least one site on each side. Trephine samples were removed at the implant insertion site 8 months after the grafting procedure, and histological and histomorphometric analyses were performed to examine the relative amount (%) of new bone, anorganic bovine bone, and soft tissue in the grafted area. Based on cone beam computed tomography evaluation, the sites of implant insertion were classified according to sinus width into narrow, average, and wide, and according to residual bone height into ≤2 and >2 mm.ResultsA total of 146 implants were installed and 103 biopsies were evaluated. New bone formation in sites classified as narrow (69 sites), average (19 sites), and wide (15 sites) was 28.5% ± 9.24, 28.9% ± 8.61, and 30.3% ± 7.80, respectively. The mean posterior maxillary residual bone height was 4.0 ± 2.43 mm, and 26 and 77 sites were classified as ≤2 and >2 mm, respectively. New bone formation was 26.2% ± 9.10 and 29.8% ± 8.67 for residual bone height ≤2 and >2 mm, respectively. The differences were non‐significant.ConclusionsWithin the limitations of the present study, posterior residual bone height and sinus width were not factors with influence on new bone formation in sinuses grafted exclusively with anorganic bovine bone after 8 months of healing.
Rare Constructions Are More Often Sentence‐Initial
Authors: Temperley David 
Published: February 2019

AbstractMain clause phenomena (MCPs) are syntactic constructions that occur predominantly or exclusively in main clauses. I propose a processing explanation for MCPs. Sentence processing is easiest at the beginning of the sentence (requiring less search); this follows naturally from widely held assumptions about sentence processing. Because of this, a wider variety of constructions can be allowed at the beginning of the sentence without overwhelming the sentence‐processing mechanism. Unlike pragmatic and grammatical accounts of MCPs, the processing account predicts avoidance of MCPs in non‐initial main clauses (non‐initial coordinate clauses and premodified clauses). A corpus study supports these predictions, but it is somewhat inconclusive. A further corpus study examines another type of syntactic construction, premodifying adjunct phrases (“openers”); the prediction here is that less common types of opener will be especially avoided in non‐initial contexts. The prediction is confirmed, supporting the processing view of rare constructions.
Learning From Peers’ Eye Movements in the Absence of Expert Guidance: A Proof of Concept Using Laboratory Stock Trading, Eye Tracking, and Machine Learning
Authors: Król Michał , Król Magdalena 
Published: February 2019

AbstractExisting research shows that people can improve their decision skills by learning what experts paid attention to when faced with the same problem. However, in domains like financial education, effective instruction requires frequent, personalized feedback given at the point of decision, which makes it time‐consuming for experts to provide and thus, prohibitively costly. We address this by demonstrating an automated feedback mechanism that allows amateur decision‐makers to learn what information to attend to from one another, rather than from an expert. In the first experiment, eye movements of N = 100 subjects were recorded while they repeatedly performed a standard behavioral finance investment task. Consistent with previous studies, we found that a significant proportion of subjects were affected by decision bias. In the second experiment, a different group of N = 100 subjects faced the same task but, after each choice, they received individual, machine learning‐generated feedback on whether their pre‐decision eye movements resembled those made by Experiment 1 subjects prior to good decisions. As a result, Experiment 2 subjects learned to analyze information similarly to their successful peers, which in turn reduced their decision bias. Furthermore, subjects with low Cognitive Reflection Test scores gained more from the proposed form of process feedback than from standard behavioral feedback based on decision outcomes.
Noise, Economy, and the Emergence of Information Structure in a Laboratory Language
Authors: Stevens Jon S. , Roberts Gareth 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe acceptability of sentences in natural language is constrained not only grammaticality, but also by the relationship between what is being conveyed and such factors as context and the beliefs of interlocutors. In many languages the critical element in a sentence (its focus) must be given grammatical prominence. There are different accounts of the nature of focus marking. Some researchers treat it as the grammatical realization of a potentially arbitrary feature of universal grammar and do not provide an explicit account of its origins; others have argued, however, that focus marking is a (grammaticalized) functional solution to the problem of efficiently transmitting information via a noisy channel. By adding redundancy to highlight critical elements in particular, focus protects key parts of the message from noise. If this information‐theoretic account is true, then we should expect focus‐like behavior to emerge even in non‐linguistic communication systems given sufficient noise and pressures for efficiency. We tested this in an experiment in which participants played a simple communication game in which they had to click cells on a grid to communicate one of two line figures drawn across the grid. We manipulated the noise, available time, and required effort, and measured patterns of redundancy. Because the lines in many cases overlapped, meaning that only some parts of each line could be used to distinguish it from the other, we were able to compare the extent to which effort was expended on adding redundancy to critical (non‐overlapping) and non‐critical (overlapping) parts of the message. The results supported the information‐theoretic account of focus and shed light on the emergence of information structure in language.
The influence of affective state on respiratory muscle activity
Authors: Westbrook Juliette , MacBean Victoria 
Published: February 2019

SummaryMeasures of neural respiratory drive through the use of electromyography of the parasternal intercostal muscles (EMGpara) are accurate markers of respiratory load and are reflective of pulmonary function. A previous observation of a significant reduction in EMGpara from a first to second measurement occasion was attributed to participants’ acclimatization to the laboratory environment and a reduction in anxiety. This study therefore aimed to investigate whether manipulation of participants’ affective state would influence EMGpara and related variables. Healthy adult participants underwent measurement of EMGpara and respiratory flow and volume during exposure to four conditions: no stimulus, music, and tense and calm videos. Respiratory rate (RR), raw neural respiratory drive index (rawNRDI, the product of EMGpara in microvolts and RR) and minute ventilation (VE) differed significantly across conditions: RR and VE were significantly higher in the tense condition than all other conditions (all P<0·05); rawNRDI was higher in the tense compared to the calm video condition (P = 0·03). There was also a significant relationship between EMGpara and subjective tension ratings (measured via visual analogue scale) in the tense condition (Spearman's rho = 0·508, P = 0·016), with multivariate modelling indicating significant interactions between rawNRDI and subjective ratings of both tension and calmness. This suggests that anxiety could contribute to elevated respiratory muscle activity and ventilation. Greater consideration should be given to the influence of anxiety when undertaking measurement of respiratory muscle activity to ensure data accurately represent underlying respiratory load.
Non‐insulin treatments for Type 1 diabetes: critical appraisal of the available evidence and insight into future directions
Authors: Wright L. A. , Hirsch I. B. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractIntensive insulin therapy is the mainstay of treatment for people with Type 1 diabetes, but hypoglycaemia and weight gain are often limiting factors in achieving glycaemic targets and decreasing the risk of diabetes‐related complications. The inclusion of pharmacological agents used traditionally in Type 2 diabetes as adjuncts to insulin therapy in Type 1 diabetes has been explored, with the goal of mitigating such drawbacks. Pramlintide and metformin result in modest HbA1c and weight reductions, but their use is limited by poor tolerability and, in the case of pramlintide, by frequency of injections and cost. The addition of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists to insulin results in improved glycaemic control, reduced insulin doses and weight loss, but this is at the expense of higher rates of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia with ketosis. Sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 and dual sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 and ‐1 inhibitors also improve glucose control, but with reductions in weight and insulin requirements potentiating the risk of acidosis‐related events and hypoglycaemia. The high proportion of people with Type 1 diabetes not achieving glycaemic targets, the negative clinical impact of intensive insulin therapy and the rise in obesity and cardiovascular disease and mortality, underline the need for individualized clinical care. The evaluation of new therapies, effective in Type 2 diabetes, as adjuncts to insulin therapy represents a promising strategy, particularly given the beneficial effects on cardiovascular and renal outcomes in people with Type 2 diabetes with or at high risk of complications that are also observed in patients with Type 1 diabetes. As the population with Type 1 diabetes ages, our mission is to evolve and provide better tools and improved therapies to excel, not only in glycaemic control but also in risk reduction and reduction of complications.
Is it possible to constantly and accurately monitor blood sugar levels, in people with Type 1 diabetes, with a discrete device (non‐invasive or invasive)?
Authors: Avari P. , Reddy M. , Oliver N. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractReal‐time continuous glucose monitors using subcutaneous needle‐type sensors continue to develop. The limitations of currently available systems, however, include time lag behind changes in blood glucose, the invasive nature of such systems, and in some cases, their accuracy. Non‐invasive techniques have been developed, but, to date, no commercial device has been successful. A key research priority for people with Type 1 diabetes identified by the James Lind Alliance was to identify ways of monitoring blood glucose constantly and accurately using a discrete device, invasive or non‐invasive. Integration of such a sensor is important in the development of a closed‐loop system and the technology must be rapid, selective and acceptable for continuous use by individuals. The present review provides an update on existing continuous glucose‐sensing technologies, and an overview of emergent techniques, including their accuracy and limitations.