bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Forest structure provides the income for reproductive success in a southern population of Canada lynx
Authors: Kosterman Megan K. , Squires John R. , Holbrook Joseph D. , Pletscher Daniel H. , Hebblewhite Mark 
Published: February 2018

AbstractUnderstanding intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of reproductive success is central to advancing animal ecology and characterizing critical habitat. Unfortunately, much of the work examining drivers of reproductive success is biased toward particular groups of organisms (e.g., colonial birds, large herbivores, capital breeders). Long‐lived mammalian carnivores that are of conservation concern, solitary, and territorial present an excellent situation to examine intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of reproductive success, yet they have received little attention. Here, we used a Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) data set, from the southern periphery of their range, to determine if reproductive success in a solitary carnivore was consistent with capital or income breeding. We radio‐marked and monitored 36 female Canada lynx for 98 lynx years. We evaluated how maternal characteristics and indices of food supply (via forest structure) in core areas influenced variation in body condition and reproductive success. We characterized body condition as mass/length and reproductive success as whether a female produced a litter of kittens for a given breeding season. Consistent with life‐history theory, we documented a positive effect of maternal age on body condition and reproductive success. In contrast to predictions of capital breeding, we observed no effect of pre‐pregnancy body condition on reproductive success in Canada lynx. However, we demonstrated statistical effects of forest structure on reproductive success in Canada lynx, consistent with predictions of income breeding. The forest characteristics that defined high success included (1) abundant and connected mature forest and (2) intermediate amounts of small‐diameter regenerating forest. These attributes are consistent with providing abundant, temporally stable, and accessible prey resources (i.e., snowshoe hares; Lepus americanus) for lynx and reinforce the bottom‐up mechanisms influencing Canada lynx populations. Collectively, our results suggest that lynx on the southern range periphery exhibit an income breeding strategy and that forest structure supplies the income important for successful reproduction. More broadly, our insights advance the understanding of carnivore ecology and serve as an important example on integrating long‐term field studies with ecological theory to improve landscape management.
Dual‐guild herbivory disrupts predator‐prey interactions in the field
Authors: Blubaugh Carmen K. , Asplund Jacob S. , Eigenbrode Sanford D. , Morra Matthew J. , Philips Christopher R. , Popova Inna E. , Reganold John P. , Snyder William E. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractPlant defenses often mediate whether competing chewing and sucking herbivores indirectly benefit or harm one another. Dual‐guild herbivory also can muddle plant signals used by specialist natural enemies to locate prey, further complicating the net impact of herbivore–herbivore interactions in naturally diverse settings. While dual‐guild herbivore communities are common in nature, consequences for top‐down processes are unclear, as chemically mediated tri‐trophic interactions are rarely evaluated in field environments. Combining observational and experimental approaches in the open field, we test a prediction that chewing herbivores interfere with top‐down suppression of phloem feeders on Brassica oleracea across broad landscapes. In a two‐year survey of 52 working farm sites, we found that parasitoid and aphid densities on broccoli plants positively correlated at farms where aphids and caterpillars rarely co‐occurred, but this relationship disappeared at farms where caterpillars commonly co‐occurred. In a follow‐up experiment, we compared single and dual‐guild herbivore communities at four local farm sites and found that caterpillars (P. rapae) caused a 30% reduction in aphid parasitism (primarily by Diaeretiella rapae), and increased aphid colony (Brevicoryne brassicae) growth at some sites. Notably, in the absence of predators, caterpillars indirectly suppressed, rather than enhanced, aphid growth. Amid considerable ecological noise, our study reveals a pattern of apparent commensalism: herbivore–herbivore facilitation via relaxed top‐down suppression. This work suggests that enemy‐mediated apparent commensalism may override constraints to growth induced by competing herbivores in field environments, and emphasizes the value of placing chemically mediated interactions within their broader environmental and community contexts.
MDSCs drive the process of endometriosis by enhancing angiogenesis and are a new potential therapeutic target
Authors: Zhang Tao , Zhou Juhua , Man Gene Chi Wai , Leung Kam Tong , Liang Bo , Xiao Bo , Ma Xinting , Huang Shaoyan , Huang Huaxiang , Hegde Venkatesh L. , Zhong Yin , Li Yanmin , Kong Grace Wing Shan , Yiu Alice Ka Wah , Kwong Joseph , Ng Pak Cheung , Lessey Bruce A. , Nagarkatti Prakash S. , Nagarkatti Mitzi , Wang Chi Chiu 
Published: February 2018

AbstractEndometriosis affects women of reproductive age via unclear immunological mechanism(s). Myeloid‐derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous group of myeloid cells with potent immunosuppressive and angiogenic properties. Here, we found MDSCs significantly increased in the peripheral blood of patients with endometriosis and in the peritoneal cavity of a mouse model of surgically induced endometriosis. Majority of MDSCs were granulocytic, produced ROS, and arginase, and suppressed T‐cell proliferation. Depletion of MDSCs by antiGr‐1 antibody dramatically suppressed development of endometrial lesions in mice. The chemokines CXCL1, 2, and 5 were expressed at sites of lesion while MDSCs expressed CXCR‐2. These CXC‐chemokines promoted MDSC migration toward endometriotic implants both in vitro and in vivo. Also, CXCR2‐deficient mice show significantly decreased MDSC induction, endometrial lesions, and angiogenesis. Importantly, adoptive transfer of MDSCs into CXCR2‐KO mice restored endometriotic growth and angiogenesis. Together, this study demonstrates that MDSCs play a role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis and identifies a novel CXC‐chemokine and receptor for the recruitment of MDSCs, thereby providing a potential target for endometriosis treatment.
A Novel Sensitive Electrochemical Sensor Based on Nickel Chloride Solution Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode for Curcumin Determination
Authors: Zokhtareh Rosan , Rahimnejad Mostafa 
Published: February 2018

AbstractIn this research, the high conductivity of nickel chloride solution as well as the ability of nickel ions in establishing particular bonds with curcumin was benefited to fabricate a new electrochemical sensor based on nickel chloride solution modified glassy carbon electrode (NiCl2/GCE) for detection and measurement of curcumin in human blood serum. Atomic force microscope (AFM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods indicated that using nickel chloride solution for the modification of the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface had a significant effect on improvement of the electrode performance. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was used for quantitative measurement of curcumin, which exhibited the linear response of NiCl2/GCE toward curcumin within the concentration range of 10–600 μM and provided the detection limit of 0.109 μM for curcumin in human blood serum.
Glycosphingolipidomics of donkey milk by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled to ESI and multistage MS
Authors: Calvano Cosima Damiana , Glaciale Marco , Palmisano Francesco , Cataldi Tommaso R.I. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractHydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled to negative‐ion electrospray linear ion‐trap multiple‐stage MS (HILIC‐ESI‐MSn, n = 2,3) was used to characterize polar lipids occurring in donkey milk. Besides the detection of abundant phospholipids, the structural characterization and content evaluation of minor glycosphingolipids (GSLs) were assessed. We report an unprecedented characterization of 11 hexosyl‐ceramides (HexCer), 10 Hex2Cer, and 4 Hex3Cer. CID–MS/MS spectra in negative ion mode mainly afford information on the monosaccharide number and ceramide constitution (i.e., N‐acyl residue and long‐chain base), whereas MS/MS/MS spectra on the ceramide anions allow to recognize for each GSL the sphingoid base. The occurrence of sphingosine (S), sphinganine (DS), and phytosphingosine (P) was inferred from the fragmentation patterns. The milk samples exhibit a relatively high number of phytosphingosine substitutes, perhaps because of the feeding of donkeys, mainly based on pasture grass. However, the incidence of hydroxylated species on the α‐carbon of the acyl chain was also revealed. The fatty acid composition of N‐acyl chains showed high values of long‐chain saturated fatty acids such as 20:0, 22:0, 23:0, and 24:0. An average content of GSL is also provided and three representative mono‐, di‐, and tri‐HexCer in donkey milk are the following: HexCer 18:0/24:1 phytosphingosine nonhydroxylated [PN] at m/z 862.6 as chloride adduct [M+Cl]−, and content 225.9 ± 2.8 μg 100 mL−1; Hex2Cer 18:0/16:0 sphinganine nonhydroxylated [DSN] at m/z 862.7 as deprotonated adduct [M‐H]−, and content 70.8 ± 1.4 μg 100 mL−1; and Hex3Cer 18:1/24:1 [SN] at m/z 1132.8 as [M‐H]−, and content 38.5 ± 0.7 μg 100 mL−1.
Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation of Furfural for the Production of Ethyl Levulinate: Interplay of Lewis and Brønsted Acidities
Authors: Tang Kan , Xie Shaoqu , Cofield Gabriel Ross , Yang Xiaokun , Tian Emmy , Lin Hongfei 
Published: February 2018

AbstractEthyl levulinate is sought after due to its applications as a fuel additive in biodiesel fuels. Currently it's industrially produced using harmful, highly reactive acids like H2SO4 and HCl, which are used to produce levulinic acid, the common precursor used for EL production. Herein, ethyl levulinate is produced from the synergistic effect of Brønsted and Lewis acids, which catalyze the hydrogenation of furfural leading to the alternative precursor for EL production, furfuryl alcohol. The subsequent ethanolysis reaction of furfuryl alcohol to produce EL, is also enhanced by using an optimal ratio of Brønsted to Lewis acids. Ethanol is chosen as the sacrificial hydrogen donor for proton transfer hydrogenation since it is environmentally friendly, more abundant and affordable than other alcohols that are commonly used for large‐scale production processes. The tandem catalytic reaction can be effectively used to sustainably and responsibly produce ethyl levulinate in relatively short reaction times.
Separation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons from model diesel composition via pervaporation using a fabricated aromatic polyimide membrane and process optimization
Authors: Roychowdhury Sayan , Mitra Debarati 
Published: February 2018

Removal of polyaromatics from diesel is important to meet automobile emission specifications. According to Worldwide Fuel Charter, the maximum allowable concentration of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in automotive diesel should be less than 2% vol (max). An aromatic polyimide membrane was fabricated by solution casting a mixture of polyamic acid, N,N‐dimethylacetamide and phenanthrene. This membrane was utilized for the separation of a multicomponent mixture consisting of acenaphthene and 2‐methyl naphthalene (PAHs) in toluene and n‐tetradecane, chosen as model diesel composition via pervaporation. The prepared membrane was characterized by mechanical strength testing, SEM and TGA‐DTA study. The influence of varying downstream pressure, feed composition, and operating temperature on the pervaporative separation performance in terms of combined permeation flux of the PAHs was investigated. A central composite experimental design along with response surface methodology was conducted to optimize these process factors for maximizing the combined permeation flux. The maximum value of combined permeation flux obtained was 0.071 kg m−2 h−1. Hence, it can be concluded that the novel membrane fabricated using a simple and relatively inexpensive method has good potentiality for pervaporative removal of PAHs from the chosen system. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 37: 1901–1907, 2018
A secure lightweight signature based authentication for Cloud‐IoT crowdsensing environments
Authors: Kumar Manoj , Verma Harsh Kumar , Sikka Geeta 
Published: February 2018

AbstractCrowdsensing utilizes the wisdom of crowd by sensing the information through different types of smart devices such as a smartphone, tablet, and sensors to serve the problem of common interests. It can be achieved by the concept of Internet of Things (IoT), which considers a large set of smart sensing interconnected devices. However, these devices are resource constrained in terms of storage, infrastructure, and computation power, and therefore, cloud technology is required. In order to minimize the storage overhead, only authentic extracted information from crowdsourcing is desirable to store in the cloud space. A number of signature‐based authentication schemes have been designed using either bilinear pairing or random oracle model (ROM) for the IoT devices. However, due to the high computational pairing cost and improper ROM implementation, schemes are found to be inefficient and vulnerable under the chosen‐message and chosen‐ID attack. To reduce the computational cost, we propose a pairing‐free quadratic residue–based signature scheme that authenticates IoT devices and cloud centric data. In addition, the proposed signature does not consider ROM, and it is secure in the standard model based on the proposed modified interactive quadratic residuosity assumption. Performance evaluation and comparisons ensure that our scheme is more efficient than earlier related schemes.
Centralization errors in comparative genomic hybridization array analysis of pituitary tumor samples
Authors: Lasolle Hélène , Alix Eudeline , Bonnefille Clément , Elsensohn Mad‐Hélénie , Michel Jessica , Sanlaville Damien , Roy Pascal , Raverot Gérald , Bardel Claire 
Published: February 2018

AbstractReliable interpretation of comparative genomic hybridization array (aCGH) results requires centralization and normalization of the data. We evaluated the reliability of aCGH centralization by comparing aCGH results (with classical centralization‐normalization steps) to fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) results. In addition, we propose a method to correct centralization bias. Sixty‐six pituitary tumors were analyzed (Agilent aCGH + SNP 4 × 180K microarray). For each tumor, the FISH‐based log2(ratios) of a subset of chromosomes were compared with the corresponding aCGH raw log2(ratios). With our new normalization‐centralization process, this difference was added to all log2(ratios), before performing loess regression on non‐altered probes only. Finally, the mean log2(ratio) and the percentage of normal probes were compared between CGHnormaliter and our new FISH‐based method. For 11 tumors, FISH results and raw CGH log2(ratios) differed significantly. In addition, nine tumors showed discrepancies between results generated by CGHnormaliter and our new‐method. Such discrepancies seemed to occur with tumours with many abnormalities (0%‐40% normal probes), rather than in those tumours with fewer abnormalities (31%‐100% normal probes). Five tumors had too few normal probes to allow normalization. In these tumors, which can exhibit many changes in DNA copy number, we found that centralization bias was frequent and uncorrected by current normalization methods. Therefore, an external control for centralization, such as FISH analysis, is required to insure reliable interpretation of aCGH data.
Mapping and characterization of positive and negative BOLD responses to visual stimulation in multiple brain regions at 7T
Authors: Jorge João , Figueiredo Patrícia , Gruetter Rolf , van der Zwaag Wietske 
Published: February 2018

AbstractExternal stimuli and tasks often elicit negative BOLD responses in various brain regions, and growing experimental evidence supports that these phenomena are functionally meaningful. In this work, the high sensitivity available at 7T was explored to map and characterize both positive (PBRs) and negative BOLD responses (NBRs) to visual checkerboard stimulation, occurring in various brain regions within and beyond the visual cortex. Recently‐proposed accelerated fMRI techniques were employed for data acquisition, and procedures for exclusion of large draining vein contributions, together with ICA‐assisted denoising, were included in the analysis to improve response estimation. Besides the visual cortex, significant PBRs were found in the lateral geniculate nucleus and superior colliculus, as well as the pre‐central sulcus; in these regions, response durations increased monotonically with stimulus duration, in tight covariation with the visual PBR duration. Significant NBRs were found in the visual cortex, auditory cortex, default‐mode network (DMN) and superior parietal lobule; NBR durations also tended to increase with stimulus duration, but were significantly less sustained than the visual PBR, especially for the DMN and superior parietal lobule. Responses in visual and auditory cortex were further studied for checkerboard contrast dependence, and their amplitudes were found to increase monotonically with contrast, linearly correlated with the visual PBR amplitude. Overall, these findings suggest the presence of dynamic neuronal interactions across multiple brain regions, sensitive to stimulus intensity and duration, and demonstrate the richness of information obtainable when jointly mapping positive and negative BOLD responses at a whole‐brain scale, with ultra‐high field fMRI.
A graphical approach for documenting peatland hydrodiversity and orienting land management strategies
Authors: Rosa Eric , Dallaire Pierre‐Luc , Nadeau Simon , Cloutier Vincent , Veillette Jean , van Bellen Simon , Larocque Marie 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThis study focuses on the development of an approach to document the hydrological characteristics of peatlands and understand their potential influence on runoff processes and groundwater flow dynamics. Spatial calculations were performed using geographic information systems data in order to evaluate the distribution of peatlands according to (a) neighbouring hydrogeological units and (b) their position within the hydrographic network. The data obtained from these calculations were plotted in a multiple trilinear diagram (two ternary plots projected into a diamond‐shaped diagram) that illustrates the position of a given peatland within the hydrogeological environment. The data allow for the segregation of peatlands according to groups sharing similarities as well as the identification of peatlands that are most likely to have similar hydrological functions. The approach was tested in a 19,549 km2 region of the southern portion of the Barlow‐Ojibway Clay Belt (in Abitibi‐Témiscamingue, Canada) and lead to a conceptual model representing the hydrological interactions between peatlands, aquifers, and surface waters. This approach allows for a geographic information systems‐based differentiation of headwater peatland complexes that are likely to interact with aquifers and to supply continuous baseflow to small streams from lowland peatland complexes of the clay plain that are isolated from surrounding aquifers but that can act as storage reservoirs within the hydrographic network. The typology is further used to discuss land management strategies aimed at preserving peatland hydrodiversity within the study region. The proposed approach relies on widely applicable hydrogeological and hydrographic criteria and provides a tool that could be used for assessing peatland hydrodiversity in other regions of the planet.
Whole‐Exome Sequencing Identifies an Intronic Cryptic Splice Site in SERPINF1 Causing Osteogenesis Imperfecta Type VI
Authors: Jin Zixue , Burrage Lindsay C , Jiang Ming‐Ming , Lee Yi‐Chien , Bertin Terry , Chen Yuqing , Tran Alyssa , Gibbs Richard A , Jhangiani Shalini , Sutton V Reid , Rauch Frank , Lee Brendan , Jain Mahim 
Published: February 2018

ABSTRACTThe heritable disorder osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is characterized by bone fragility and low bone mass. OI type VI is an autosomal recessive form of the disorder with moderate to severe bone fragility. OI type VI is caused by mutations in the serpin peptidase inhibitor, clade F, member 1 (SERPINF1), the gene coding for pigment epithelium‐derived factor (PEDF). Here, we report a patient with OI type VI caused by a novel homozygous intronic variant in SERPINF1 identified by whole‐exome sequencing (WES). The mutation was not identified using a low bone mass gene panel based on next‐generation sequencing. This variant creates a novel consensus splice donor site (AGGC to AGGT) in intron 4. Analysis of cDNA generated from fibroblasts revealed retention of a 32‐bp intronic fragment between exons 4 and 5 in the cDNA, a result of alternative splicing from the novel splice‐donor site. As a result, the aberrant insertion of this intronic fragment generated a frameshift pathogenic variant and induced nonsense‐mediated decay. Furthermore, gene expression by quantitative PCR showed SERPINF1 expression was dramatically reduced in patient fibroblasts, and PEDF level was also significantly reduced in the patient's plasma. In conclusion, we report a novel homozygous variant that generates an alternative splice‐donor in intron 4 of SERPINF1 which gives rise to severe bone fragility. The work also demonstrates clinical utility of WES analysis, and consideration of noncoding variants, in the diagnostic setting of rare bone diseases. © 2018 The Authors. JBMR Plus is published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Listening local: Community perceptions of fresh food resources in Greater Little Rock
Authors: Moak Stacy C. , McAteer Caitlin P. S. , Rossi Heather A. , Schmidt Merrill J. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractA research team from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service partnered with community stakeholders to study fresh food access in Central Arkansas. The purpose of this study was to inform decision making on options to reduce food insecurity in two target neighborhoods. The study included three components: (a) interviews at food pantries, (b) online surveys with local experts, and (c) asset mapping of the healthy food resources in the target neighborhoods. Findings reveal that cost and transportation present barriers to fresh food access in the target neighborhoods. Furthermore, residents support mobile markets and community gardens as viable options for increasing food access. The process of understanding food insecurity discussed in this study can provide a model for other communities in addressing urban food security issues. Each community is unique; thus, community based research should be undertaken in the community prior to interventions that address food access and nutrition.