bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Computer‐Aided Design and Synthesis of 1‐{4‐[(3,4‐Dihydroxybenzylidene)amino]phenyl}‐5‐oxopyrrolidine‐3‐carboxylic Acid as an Nrf2 Enhancer
Authors: Kahremany Shirin , Babaev Ilana , Hasin Pinhas , Tamir Tigist Y. , Ben‐Zur Tali , Cohen Guy , Jiang Zhengyu , Weintraub Sagiv , Offen Daniel , Rahimipour Shai , Major M. Ben , Senderowitz Hanoch , Gruzman Arie 
Published: April 2018

AbstractInvited for this month's cover is Prof. Arie Gruzman (Bar‐Ilan University) and collaborators who have developed an Nrf2 enhancer. This compound activated the Nrf2 transduction pathway and because of this the translation of dozens of antioxidant cytoprotective proteins in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner and protected PC‐12 cells against oxidative stress. Considering the imbalance between production and elimination of oxidative species involved in the pathophysiology of many human diseases, this compound is a promising starting point for the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of oxidative‐stress‐related diseases. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/cplu.201700539.
Low serum creatinine predicts risk for type 2 diabetes
Authors: Bao Xue , Gu Yeqing , Zhang Qing , Liu Li , Meng Ge , Wu Hongmei , Xia Yang , Shi Hongbin , Wang Honglei , Sun Shaomei , Wang Xing , Zhou Ming , Jia Qiyu , Song Kun , Niu Kaijun 
Published: April 2018

AbstractAimsAs an insulin target tissue, skeletal muscle is inversely related to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Serum creatinine originates mainly from creatine in muscle and is considered as a reliable surrogate marker for muscle mass in apparently healthy subjects. It is therefore hypothesized that low serum creatinine could effectively predict increased risk of T2DM. Yet information is scarce regarding the longitudinal relationship between serum creatinine and T2DM. This study aims to investigate this relation in a large general population of both men and women.MethodsA prospective cohort study (n = 57 587; follow‐up range: 1‐9 years, mean: 3.57 years, 95% confidence interval: 3.55‐3.58 years) was conducted in a general population sample from Tianjin, China. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the relationship between baseline serum creatinine and the risk of developing T2DM (as defined by the American Diabetes Association criteria).ResultsDuring the follow‐up period, 2017 subjects developed T2DM. The multivariate‐adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for T2DM incidence across quintiles of serum creatinine were 1.00 (reference), 0.86 (0.75, 0.99), 0.82 (0.72, 0.94), 0.85 (0.74, 0.97), and 0.77 (0.67, 0.89; P for trend <.01). Similar results were observed in both sexes (interaction P = .56).ConclusionsThese findings indicate that serum creatinine concentration is inversely related to incident T2DM in both men and women. Measuring serum creatinine may assist in the early detection of individuals at high risk of developing T2DM.
Simultaneous detection and quantitation of organic impurities in methamphetamine by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, a complementary technique for methamphetamine profiling
Authors: Li Li , Brown Jaclyn L. , Toske Steven G. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThe analysis of organic impurities plays an important role in the impurity profiling of methamphetamine, which in turn provides valuable information about methamphetamine manufacturing, in particular its synthetic route, chemicals, and precursors used. Ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) is ideally suited for this purpose due to its excellent sensitivity, selectivity, and wide linear range in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. In this study, a dilute‐and‐shoot UHPLC–MS/MS method was developed for the simultaneous identification and quantitation of 23 organic manufacturing impurities in illicit methamphetamine. The developed method was validated in terms of stability, limit of detection (LOD), lower limit of quantification (LLOQ), accuracy, and precision. More than 100 illicitly prepared methamphetamine samples were analyzed. Due to its ability to detect ephedrine/pseudoephedrine and its high sensitivity for critical target markers (eg, chloro‐pseudoephedrine, N‐cyclohexylamphetamine, and compounds B and P), more impurities and precursor/pre‐precursors were identified and quantified versus the current procedure by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Consequently, more samples could be classified by their synthetic routes. However, the UHPLC–MS/MS method has difficulty in detecting neutral and untargeted emerging manufacturing impurities and can therefore only serve as a complement to the current method. Despite this deficiency, the quantitative information acquired by the presented UHPLC–MS/MS methodology increased the sample discrimination power, thereby enhancing the capacity of methamphetamine profiling program (MPP) to conduct sample‐sample comparisons.
Can species‐specific prey responses to chemical cues explain prey susceptibility to predation?
Authors: Šmejkal Marek , Ricard Daniel , Sajdlová Zuzana , Čech Martin , Vejřík Lukáš , Blabolil Petr , Vejříková Ivana , Prchalová Marie , Vašek Mojmír , Souza Allan T. , Brönmark Christer , Peterka Jiří 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThe perception of danger represents an essential ability of prey for gaining an informational advantage over their natural enemies. Especially in complex environments or at night, animals strongly rely on chemoreception to avoid predators. The ability to recognize danger by chemical cues and subsequent adaptive responses to predation threats should generally increase prey survival. Recent findings suggest that European catfish (Silurus glanis) introduction induce changes in fish community and we tested whether the direction of change can be attributed to differences in chemical cue perception. We tested behavioral response to chemical cues using three species of freshwater fish common in European water: rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus), roach (Rutilus rutilus), and perch (Perca fluviatilis). Further, we conducted a prey selectivity experiment to evaluate the prey preferences of the European catfish. Roach exhibited the strongest reaction to chemical cues, rudd decreased use of refuge and perch did not alter any behavior in the experiment. These findings suggest that chemical cue perception might be behind community data change and we encourage collecting more community data of tested prey species before and after European catfish introduction to test the hypothesis. We conclude that used prey species can be used as a model species to verify whether chemical cue perception enhances prey survival.
Disturbance–climate relationships between wildfire and western spruce budworm in interior British Columbia
Authors: Harvey Jill E. , Axelson Jodi N. , Smith Dan J. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractDefoliation by the native western spruce budworm (Choristoneura freemaniRazowski;WSB) and wildfires are natural disturbances affecting the structure and function of montane forests in British Columbia, Canada. Limited research describes the climate conditions associated withWSBoutbreaks and historical fire activity in these forests, and the spatial stability of these relationships across landscapes. Site‐specific and regional characterizations of these relationships are required to establish the historical baselines necessary to document disturbance–climate relationships within dry conifer forests. We compiled site‐level and regionalized tree‐ring chronologies of fire (AD1600–2013) andWSB(AD1600–2009) outbreaks for both lower montane forests adjacent to expansive grasslands and middle montane forests (regionalized grassland and non‐grassland chronologies). At site and regional scales, the relation between fire years, outbreaks ofWSB, reconstructed values of the Palmer Drought Severity Index, and annual precipitation were examined using superposed epoch and bivariate event analyses. Regional disturbance–climate relationships were used to evaluate the influence of grassland proximity on these relationships and the disturbance history characteristics. The findings show that fires affecting grassland proximal sites in lower montane forests were historically more frequent than fires occurring in middle montane forests and were related to warm, dry conditions in the fire year and cool, wet conditions in the year(s) preceding the fire. These results indicate the climate conditions associated with both fine fuel growth and drying are key determinants for fire activity in lower montane forests. The initiation ofWSBoutbreaks was significantly related to drought, and this relationship was enhanced at lower montane sites. We also examined the interrelationships between fire years andWSBoutbreaks, but no associations were discerned. Considering the recent escalation of widespread forest fire activity in the Pacific Northwest of North America and the potential for timber losses associated withWSBdefoliation, the findings provide information important to forest scientists charged with promoting forest health and resilience in the dry montane forests of interior British Columbia.
Nutrient availability and invasive fish jointly drive community dynamics in an experimental aquatic system
Authors: Preston Daniel L. , Hedman Hayden D. , Johnson Pieter T. J. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractSpecies invasions increasingly occur alongside other forms of ecosystem change, highlighting the need to understand how invasion outcomes are influenced by environmental factors. Within freshwaters, two of the most widespread drivers of change are introduced fishes and nutrient loading, yet it remains difficult to predict how interactions between these drivers affect invasion success and consequences for native communities. To test competing theories about interactions between nutrients and invasions, we conducted a 2 × 3 factorial mesocosm experiment, varying western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) presence and nutrient availability within aquatic communities. Based on theory, increased nutrients could either (1) facilitate coexistence between predatory mosquitofish and native species by increasing prey availability (the invader attenuation hypothesis) or (2) strengthen predation effects by enhancing fish productivity more than native community members (the invader amplification hypothesis). In outdoor mesocosms designed to mimic observed nutrient conditions and local community structure, mosquitofish directly reduced the abundances of zooplankton and three native amphibian species, leading to indirect increases in phytoplankton, periphyton, and freshwater snail biomass through trophic cascades. Nutrient additions increased native amphibian growth but had especially pronounced effects on the productivity of invasive mosquitofish. The elevated nutrient condition supported ~5 times more juvenile mosquitofish and 30% higher biomass than the low nutrient condition. Increased nutrients levels did not weaken the top‐down effects of mosquitofish on invertebrates or amphibians. Collectively, our results support the invader amplification hypothesis, suggesting that increased nutrient loading may benefit invasive species without attenuating their undesirable effects on native community members.
Assessing the causal relationships of ecological integrity: a re‐evaluation of Karr's iconic Index of Biotic Integrity
Authors: Capmourteres Virginia , Rooney Neil , Anand Madhur 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThe Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) has been widely used since the 1980s to estimate ecological integrity—the capacity of an ecosystem to support and maintain its full range of components and processes. Despite this, IBI approaches have been criticized for their lack of objectivity, of justification for the selection of metrics, and of statistical rigor. In this paper, we assessed the potential of canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and Structural equation modeling (SEM) as complementary methods for assessing ecological integrity. We use an iconic freshwater ecosystem dataset from Northeastern Illinois to assess ecological integrity using both classical IBI approach, and compare this with alternative methods. When we attempt to replicate the IBI methodology, we find issues with the approach including the possibility of the same IBI value for many possible levels of ecological integrity. We showed with the use of other methods (CCA) that the use of tolerant species, total abundance, and total richness—all defining components in IBI—can result in misleading interpretations of ecological integrity and that IBI scores might not comprehensively depict integrity scenarios. Structural equation modeling allowed us to test a conceptual causal model of ecological integrity. We found that water quality had an effect on the diversity and abundance of fish, and these in turn had an effect on trophic function, revealing important relationships between variables that contribute to ecological integrity. We conclude that CCA and SEM can complement multimetric indices, like IBI, and help with the development of more reliable, objective, and science‐based estimations of ecosystem integrity, as well as generate testable hypotheses about ecological integrity.
Camouflage patterns are highly heritable but predictability varies among three populations of white‐tailed deer
Authors: Henderson Colby B. , Michel Eric S. , Demarais Stephen , Strickland Bronson K. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractIf ungulate neonate cryptic coloration provides a survival advantage, it should be heritable and adapted to their prevailing environment. However, recent changes in land use and predation pressure may have created a mismatch between previously adapted camouflage and the current environment. In Mississippi, USA, row‐crop agriculture has altered some landscapes while recovery of native predators and establishment of novel predators may apply new directional pressures. We assessed whether spotting characteristics of neonate white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were heritable and whether they accurately predicted region of origin, indicating adaptation to specific environmental characteristics. Spotting characteristics were moderately (total number of spotting clusters) to highly (number of single spots) heritable, suggesting specific characteristics may provide an adaptive advantage. Camouflage patterns were moderately distinctive for neonates with lineages originating in the Lower Coastal Plain (LCP) and Thin Loess regions (≥67% of neonates accurately classified into their respective region) supporting previous selection for specific patterns at the regional level. However, camouflage patterns failed to predict region of origin for neonates originating from the Delta region (0%), suggesting a disruption of previous adaptation. Of the three regions, the Delta is the most heavily converted from forested habitats, with over 70% in agriculture, while the LCP and Thin Loess are <40% and 21%, respectively. Given that camouflage patterns display high heritability and neonates displaying successful camouflage patterns should display increased survival, the lack of a predictable pattern within the dynamic Delta landscape suggests that major land‐use changes and new predatory pressures may have disrupted the neonate cryptic coloration best suited to this population's current environment.
Multidimensional nutritional ecology and urban birds
Authors: Coogan Sean C. P. , Raubenheimer David , Zantis Simon P. , Machovsky‐Capuska Gabriel E. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThere is growing interest in the question of how urbanization affects the ecology of birds, across timescales from relatively short‐term physiological responses to long‐term evolutionary adaptation. The ability to gain the required nutrients in urban habitats is a key trait of successful urban birds. Foraging behavior, in itself, increasingly is recognized as a complex nutritional phenomenon, where the ratios, proportions, and amounts of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, and lipid) in foods, meals, and diets have been shown to exert a driving influence. Yet, despite the rising trend of urbanization, the importance of food quality and quantity in urban ecology, and the growing evidence demonstrating the pervasive and sometimes complex role of macronutrients in foraging behavior, the nutritional ecology of urban birds remains poorly understood. Here, we review the foraging behavior and role of macronutrients in the ecology of urban birds and demonstrate how incorporating a multidimensional approach to nutrition can provide new insights into their urban ecology. To that end, we demonstrate how a macronutrient‐based view can aid in understanding the relationships between natural, anthropogenic, and supplementary foods. We then provide an overview of multidimensional nutritional niche concepts that can be used to generate explanatory and predictive models for urban bird ecology. We conclude that multidimensional nutritional ecology provides an appropriate framework for understanding the roles that nutrition plays in the relationships between urban birds and their environments.
Pesticide‐mediated trophic cascade and an ecological trap for mosquitoes
Authors: Duchet Claire , Moraru Gail M. , Spencer Matthew , Saurav Kumar , Bertrand Celine , Fayolle Stephanie , Gershberg Hayoon Anna , Shapir Ronen , Steindler Laura , Blaustein Leon 
Published: April 2018

AbstractBroad‐spectrum pesticides can have immediate toxic effects both on target pest species and on non‐target species. They may also have positive residual effects on mosquitoes after pesticide degradation, by altering the community structure, that is, by reducing abundances of mosquito competitors and predators, and via a trophic cascade, which may increase food resources for mosquito larvae. Alternatively, if a pesticide‐mediated trophic cascade results in toxic or inedible algae, the pesticide can act as an ecological trap for some taxa by attracting oviposition in sites where algae are abundant but unsuitable. The present study assessed mosquito oviposition habitat selection, mosquito larval performance, and community structure alterations after applications of various pesticides. The experiment was conducted in outdoor mesocosms assigned to one of four treatments: (1) control, no pesticides; (2) Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti), a narrow‐spectrum bacterium well known for its larvicidal activity on mosquitoes and other dipterans; (3) temephos, an organophosphate mosquito larvicide with community‐wide spectrum effects; and (4) pyriproxyfen, a pyridine‐based insect growth regulator (IGR) class with wide‐spectrum effects. Soon after pesticide application, Culex pipiens oviposition was highest in the control pools. Invertebrate species richness and abundance were strongly reduced in the broad‐spectrum pesticide treatments (temephos and pyriproxyfen) when compared to control. One month after pesticide application, Cx. pipiens oviposition was highest in the pyriproxyfen‐treated pools, although larval survival remained lowest in the pyriproxyfen‐treated pools. Our results suggest that pyriproxyfen causes a chemically mediated trophic cascade and provides an ecological trap, that is, attracting mosquito oviposition due to an altered community structure, but causing high mosquito larval mortality.
Do the ecological impacts of dam removal extend across the aquatic–terrestrial boundary?
Authors: Sullivan S. Mažeika P. , Manning David W. P. , Davis Robert P. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThe longitudinal influences of dam removal on river ecosystems are increasingly well described, but impacts to aquatic–terrestrial connectivity are largely unknown. Before and four successive years after dam removal, we quantified density and trophic metrics of nearshore tetragnathid spiders and riparian swallows and their potential emergent‐aquatic insect prey at two experimental reaches located within the former impoundment (one unrestored, one with channel restoration) and one control reach above an intact lowhead dam. We observed substantial annual variability in response variables; however, few patterns appear to be strongly linked to dam removal. We found negligible changes in emergent‐insect biomass or community structure, although there were slight changes in the relative abundance of feeding modes (e.g., increased predators, decreased collector‐gatherers). The most pronounced response was a ~9.9 times average decline in spider densities after dam removal at the restored reach. Stable‐isotope analysis (13C, 15N) indicated that changes in aquatically‐derived energy (i.e., nutritional subsidies derived from aquatic primary producers) to riparian consumers generally showed comparable patterns system‐wide; swallow aquatically‐derived energy declined more in the restored vs. control reach by the final year of the study. Trophic position (TP) of spiders showed little change post‐dam removal, while swallow TP converged slightly between control and experimental reaches after dam removal. Collectively, we interpret our results as evidence that lowhead dam removal can prompt relatively nuanced shifts in aquatic–terrestrial trophic dynamics, regardless of intensive channel‐restoration activities. In contrast, we found that broader‐scale forcings (e.g., discharge, regional temperature) may be more influential in governing cross‐boundary trophic interactions than the perturbations related to lowhead dam removal. This study furthers current understanding of the effects of dam removal on integrative, food‐web metrics of ecosystem structure and function.
Electromotive Manipulator Control by Detection of Proximity, Contact, and Slipping Using MEMS Multiaxial Tactile Sensor
Authors: ARAKI RYOMA , ABE TAKASHI , NOMA HARUO , SOHGAWA MASAYUKI 
Published: April 2018

SUMMARYIn this paper, we have demonstrated usefulness of the electromotive manipulator system with a developed single element MEMS sensor which can detect proximity, contact, and slipping to skillful gripping of the object. This MEMS sensor can detect proximity as impedance change of Si substrate by reflected light from the object due to the photoconductive effect. In addition, both normal and shear load can be also detected as resistance change of strain gage on cantilevers located threefold symmetry and embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). By attaching the sensor on the electromotive manipulator, accurate control of gripping force was enabled by feedback of the sensor output.
Application of Different Carbon Materials for Carbon Paste Electrodes to Simultaneous Electrochemical Detection of four DNA Bases with High Simpleness
Authors: Zhu Xiaping , Yuan Yali , Zhang Yun , Li Jianping , Pan Hongcheng 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThree different carbon materials, graphite, graphene and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), were applied to fabricate carbon paste electrodes and used directly as working electrodes without any further modification in a simple electrochemical system for simultaneous detection of four DNA bases, guanine, adenine, thymine and cytosine. EIS and SEM were used to characterize the formed carbon paste electrodes made from different carbon nanomaterials and silicon oil, respectively. Conditions for bases detection were studied, such as ratio of carbon nanomaterials to silicon oil, types of buffer saline and pH. An unexpected result was discovered that compared with graphite and graphene, MWCNTs in carbon paste electrodes were not able to obtain admirable electrochemical behavior, the possible reason of which was preliminary discussed. Individual and simultaneous detection of four bases were successfully carried out, with acceptable linear ranges and low detection limits. Furthermore, this facile method had admirable reproducibility, stability and acceptable recovery in real urine sample (97.62 % ∼103.36 %), indicating certain practical potential.