bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Detection of experimental cartilage damage with acoustic emissions technique: An in vitro equine study
Authors: Shakya B. R. , Tiulpin A. , Saarakkala S. , Turunen S. , Thevenot J. 
Published: April 2019

SummaryBackgroundIn horses, osteoarthritis (OA) mostly affects metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal (fetlock) joints. The current modalities used for diagnosis of equine limb disorders lack ability to detect early OA. Here, we propose a new alternative approach to assess experimental cartilage damage in fetlock joint using Acoustic Emissions (AE).ObjectivesTo evaluate the potential of AE technique in diagnosing OA and see how AE signals changes with increasing severity of OA.Study designAn in vitro experimental study.MethodsA total of 16 distal limbs (8 forelimbs and 8 hindlimbs) from six Finn horses were collected from an abattoir and fitted in a custom‐made frame allowing fetlock joint bending. Eight fetlock joints were opened, and cartilage surface was progressively damaged mechanically three times using sandpaper to mimic mild, moderate and severe OA. The remaining eight fetlock joints were opened and closed without any mechanical procedure, serving as controls. Before cartilage alteration, synovial fluid was aspirated, mixed with phosphate‐buffered saline solution, and then reinjected before suturing for constant joint lubrication. For each simulated condition of OA severity, a force was applied to the frame and then released to mimic joint flexion and extension. AE signals were acquired using air microphones.ResultsA strong association was found between the joint condition and the power of AE signals analysed in 1.5–6 kHz range. The signal from both forelimb and hindlimb joints followed a similar pattern for increased cartilage damage. There were statistically significant differences between each joint condition progressively (generalised linear mixed model, P<0.001) in limbs with in vitro cartilage damage of varying severity while the control limbs did not show any changes.Main limitationsSmall sample size using in vitro, mechanically induced cartilage damage.ConclusionThe AE technique presented here could differentiate the severity of fetlock joint cartilage damage. The consistent results for each simulated condition suggest there is potential for this method in the diagnosis of OA.
Excessive rainfall leads to maize yield loss of a comparable magnitude to extreme drought in the United States
Authors: Li Yan , Guan Kaiyu , Schnitkey Gary D. , DeLucia Evan , Peng Bin 
Published: April 2019

AbstractIncreasing drought and extreme rainfall are major threats to maize production in the United States. However, compared to drought impact, the impact of excessive rainfall on crop yield remains unresolved. Here, we present observational evidence from crop yield and insurance data that excessive rainfall can reduce maize yield up to −34% (−17 ± 3% on average) in the United States relative to the expected yield from the long‐term trend, comparable to the up to −37% loss by extreme drought (−32 ± 2% on average) from 1981 to 2016. Drought consistently decreases maize yield due to water deficiency and concurrent heat, with greater yield loss for rainfed maize in wetter areas. Excessive rainfall can have either negative or positive impact on crop yield, and its sign varies regionally. Excessive rainfall decreases maize yield significantly in cooler areas in conjunction with poorly drained soils, and such yield loss gets exacerbated under the condition of high preseason soil water storage. Current process‐based crop models cannot capture the yield loss from excessive rainfall and overestimate yield under wet conditions. Our results highlight the need for improved understanding and modeling of the excessive rainfall impact on crop yield.
The treatment dilemma of missing maxillary lateral incisors‐Part I: Canine substitution and resin‐bonded fixed dental prostheses
Authors: Priest George 
Published: April 2019

AbstractObjectiveClinicians are faced with three common treatment options for the high frequency of missing or lost maxillary lateral incisors; canine substitution, a resin‐bonded fixed dental prosthesis (RBFDP), or a dental implant. A review of current data and guidelines for treatment provide new insight into making the most appropriate selection.OverviewThe incidence of maxillary incisor agenesis and loss is prevalent. Both canine substitution and RBFDPs exhibit esthetic and functional advantages and disadvantages.ConclusionsMost missing lateral incisors are detected at an early age as a result of congenital absence; therefore, proper treatment of these young patients is essential. Both canine substitution and RBFDPs can provide long‐term success and esthetics when carefully executed. The decision should be based on the patient's expectations, their clinical presentation, cost, and the team's ability to provide the best long‐term esthetic and functional prognosis for a specific patient.Clinical significancePatients regularly present for treatment of missing and lost maxillary lateral incisors. The functional and esthetic aspects of canine substitution and a RBFDP should be clearly understood relative to the clinical parameters of each patient prior to treatment.
Dynamics of hyaluronic acid fillers formulated to maintain natural facial expression
Authors: Solish Nowell , Bertucci Vince , Percec Ivona , Wagner Ted , Nogueira Alessandra , Mashburn Jay 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBackgroundSubjects seeking facial rejuvenation want the results to appear natural. Currently, however, there is no consensus definition of, or assessment scale for, “naturalness.”AimsThis open‐label pilot study explored evaluation techniques and criteria to assess naturalness of facial movement and expression following optimal bilateral correction of moderate‐to‐severe nasolabial folds and marionette lines with soft‐tissue hyaluronic acid fillers formulated with XpresHAn Technology™.MethodsPrimary efficacy was investigator assessed naturalness of dynamic expressions using baseline and Day 42 posttreatment 2D video. Other evaluations included investigator assessed naturalness using static images, wrinkle severity, investigator and subject Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale assessments, and subject satisfaction.ResultsThirty Caucasian females (41‐65 years) received either Restylane® Refyne, Restylane® Defyne or both. Naturalness of dynamic expressions was at least maintained in all subjects. Naturalness of static expressions was not negatively affected in most subjects (96.7%). For dynamic expressions, 83.3% of subjects showed enhanced attractiveness, younger appearance and maintained naturalness.ConclusionsOverall, nasolabial folds and marionette lines improved significantly based on severity and Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale scores, with high subject satisfaction and favorable safety profile. Based on subject satisfaction and investigator assessments, using highly flexible hyaluronic acid dermal fillers did not compromise naturalness of lower facial expressions while achieving the desired improvements in attractiveness and youthfulness. The preliminary results obtained in this pilot study suggest that dynamic and static assessments of facial animation may aid the evaluation of natural outcomes in facial rejuvenation procedures.
Gender Role Attitudes: An Examination of Cohort Effects in Japan
Authors: Piotrowski Martin , Yoshida Akiko , Johnson Lauren , Wolford Rick 
Published: April 2019

ObjectiveThis study examines cohort differences in attitudes toward women's roles within marriage in Japan.BackgroundJapan has undergone dramatic sociocultural shifts in the 20th century that have shaped childhood experiences differently by cohort. Sociodemographic perspectives predict cohort effects, which suggest the lasting impact of experiences during the formative years on attitudes.MethodThis study employs a hierarchical age‐period‐cohort analysis and uses repeated cross‐sectional data from the 2000 to 2012 Japanese General Social Survey (N = 31,912), a nationwide probability survey.ResultsAmong cohorts born before 1960, for both sexes, attitudes toward wife's employment and a gender‐based division of labor were significantly less traditional for later born cohorts. However, younger cohorts born in 1960 and after were not significantly different in their attitudes from the cohort born in the 1950s.ConclusionThis study suggests the strong impact of ideological shifts and mothers' homemaking role (experienced in one's formative years) on gender role attitudes. It points to the important and lasting influence of structural contexts on attitudes and hence cohort effects.ImplicationsThis study contributes to our understanding of attitudinal change (and stagnation) toward gender roles and has policy implications for Japan and other countries characterized by low marriage and fertility rates.
Phylogeographic characteristics of hypervariable regions in the mitochondrial genome of a cosmopolitan, bloom‐forming raphidophyte, Heterosigma akashiwo
Authors: Ueki Shoko 
Published: April 2019

The global distribution of phytoplankton is defined by many events, including long‐term evolutionary processes and shorter time span processes (e.g., global climate change). Furthermore, human‐assisted, unintentional dispersion, including the transport of live fish and spat for aquaculture, and transfer of aquatic microorganisms contained in ship ballast water, may aid the spread of phytoplankton. To understand the phylogeographic history of a species, the development of useful molecular markers is crucial. We previously reported a hypervariable mitochondrial gene in the cosmopolitan bloom‐forming alga, Heterosigma akashiwo. In this study, we identified two additional hypervariable segments in the H. akashiwo mitochondrial genome, one a protein coding sequence, and the other an intergenic region, by comparing the whole mitogenomes of strains obtained from various geographic origins. Interestingly, the newly identified hypervariable protein coding sequence was a paralogue of the previously identified gene, and both sequences showed tendencies to correlate with latitude of geographic origin. However, the hypervariable intergenic sequence did not show a clear correlation with origin. Our results demonstrated that the protein coding sequences may serve as useful tools for understanding the phylogeographic history of H. akashiwo, and they may crucially function in adaptation of the species to the environment.
Association of CYP1A1 rs1048943 variant with aggressive periodontitis and its interaction with hyperlipidemia on the periodontal status
Authors: Wang Xian'e , Li Wenjing , Song Wenli , Xu Li , Zhang Li , Feng Xianghui , Lu Ruifang , Meng Huanxin 
Published: April 2019

Background and objectiveCYP1A1 rs1048943 polymorphism was reported to be correlated with periodontitis; however, its association with aggressive periodontitis (AgP) has not yet been investigated. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between the CYP1A1 gene rs1048943 variant with generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAgP) and platelet activation and analyse whether its interaction with hyperlipidemia affects periodontal status in a Chinese population.MethodsA case‐control study of 224 GAgP patients and 139 healthy controls was conducted. The clinical parameters of probing depth (PD), attachment loss (AL) and bleeding index (BI) were recorded. Platelet count (PLT), platelet distribution width (PDW), platelet large cell ratio (PLCR), mean platelet volume (MPV), serum total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), high and low‐density lipoprotein (HDL and LDL) were also measured. The CYP1A1 rs1048943 SNP was genotyped by time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. Logistic and linear regression models were used to measure correlation.ResultsThe CYP1A1 rs1048943 AG/GG genotype was associated with GAgP (OR = 1.56, 95%CI: 1.01, 2.42), PD, AL and decreased PDW, PLCR and MPV after adjustment for covariates. Gene‐lipid interactions were found between CYP1A1 rs1048943 and HDL for PD (Pinteraction = 0.0033), BI (Pinteraction = 0.0311) and AL (Pinteraction = 0.0141) and between CYP1A1 rs1048943 and LDL for PD (Pinteraction = 0.013) among patients with GAgP.ConclusionThe G allele of the CYP1A1 rs1048943 gene was associated with GAgP, periodontal status and platelet‐related inflammation status in a Chinese population. Hyperlipidemia could modulate the effect of CYP1A1 rs1048943 on the periodontal status of GAgP.
A study of crude oil‐degrading bacteria from mangrove forests in the Persian Gulf
Authors: Fakhrzadegan Iman , Hassanshahian Mehdi , Askari Hesni Majid , Saadatfar Amir 
Published: April 2019

AbstractMangroves are coastal ecosystems, found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. They are found in the transitional zones between land, sea, and rivers. Petroleum hydrocarbons are the most common environmental pollutants, and oil spills pose a great hazard to mangroves forests. This research was focused on the isolation and characterization of crude oil‐degrading bacteria from mangrove ecosystems at the Persian Gulf. Sixty‐one crude oil‐degrading bacteria were isolated from mangrove samples (plant, sediment, and seawater) that enriched in ONR7a medium with crude oil as only carbon source. Some screening tests such as growth at high concentration of crude oil, bioemulsifier production, and surface hydrophobicity were done to select the most efficient strains for crude oil degradation. Molecular identification of strains was carried out by amplification of the 16S rRNA gene by PCR. The results of this study were indicated that the quantity of crude oil‐degrading bacteria was higher in the root of mangrove plants compare to other mangrove samples (sediment and seawater). Also, identification results confirmed that these isolated strains belong to Vibrio sp. strain NW4, Idiomarina sp. strain BW32, Kangiella sp. strain DP40, Marinobacter sp. strain DW44, Halomonas sp. strain BS53, and Vibrio sp. strain DS35. The application of bioremediation strategies with these bacteria can reduce crude oil pollution in this important marine environment.
Novel insights into the diversity of the sulfurtransferase family in photosynthetic organisms with emphasis on oak
Authors: Moseler Anna , Selles Benjamin , Rouhier Nicolas , Couturier Jérémy 
Published: April 2019

SummarySulfurtransferases (STRs) constitute a large and complex protein family characterized by the presence of a rhodanese domain and implicated in diverse molecular and signaling processes as sulfur carriers. Although sulfurtransferases are present in the three domains of life and share evolutionary relationships, a high variability exists at different levels including the protein length and active site sequence, the presence of an indispensable catalytic cysteine residue, the domain arrangement and the subcellular localization. Because only Arabidopsis thaliana sequences have been inventoried so far, this paper aims at providing a detailed classification and inventory of evolutionary features of this family in photosynthetic organisms using comparative genomics, focusing on the oak genome. Based on the expansion of STRs in higher photosynthetic organisms, we classified the STR family in nine clusters depending on their primary sequence and domain arrangement. We found that oak possesses at least one isoform in all defined clusters and that clusters IV, V and VI contain plant‐specific isoforms that are located mostly in chloroplasts. The novel classification proposed here provides the basis for functional genomics approaches in order to dissect the biochemical characteristics and physiological functions of individual STR representatives.
What viruses tell us about evolution and immunity: beyond Darwin?
Authors: Broecker Felix , Moelling Karin 
Published: April 2019

AbstractWe describe mechanisms of genetic innovation mediated by viruses and related elements that, during evolution, caused major genetic changes beyond what was anticipated by Charles Darwin. Viruses and related elements introduced genetic information and have shaped the genomes and immune systems of all cellular life forms. None of these mechanisms contradict Darwin's theory of evolution but extend it by means of sequence information that has recently become available. Not only do small increments of genetic information contribute to evolution, but also do major events such as infection by viruses or bacteria, which can supply new genetic information to a host by horizontal gene transfer. Thereby, viruses and virus‐like elements act as major drivers of evolution.
Identification and characterization of a novel stay‐green QTL that increases yield in maize
Authors: Zhang Jun , Fengler Kevin A. , Van Hemert John L. , Gupta Rajeev , Mongar Nick , Sun Jindong , Allen William B. , Wang Yang , Weers Benjamin , Mo Hua , Lafitte Renee , Hou Zhenglin , Bryant Angela , Ibraheem Farag , Arp Jennifer , Swaminathan Kankshita , Moose Stephen P. , Li Bailin , Shen Bo 
Published: April 2019

SummaryFunctional stay‐green is a valuable trait that extends the photosynthetic period, increases source capacity and biomass and ultimately translates to higher grain yield. Selection for higher yields has increased stay‐green in modern maize hybrids. Here, we report a novel QTL controlling functional stay‐green that was discovered in a mapping population derived from the Illinois High Protein 1 (IHP1) and Illinois Low Protein 1 (ILP1) lines, which show very different rates of leaf senescence. This QTL was mapped to a single gene containing a NAC‐domain transcription factor that we named nac7. Transgenic maize lines where nac7 was down‐regulated by RNAi showed delayed senescence and increased both biomass and nitrogen accumulation in vegetative tissues, demonstrating NAC7 functions as a negative regulator of the stay‐green trait. More importantly, crosses between nac7 RNAi parents and two different elite inbred testers produced hybrids with prolonged stay‐green and increased grain yield by an average 0.29 megagram/hectare (4.6 bushel/acre), in 2 years of multi‐environment field trials. Subsequent RNAseq experiments, one employing nac7 RNAi leaves and the other using leaf protoplasts overexpressing Nac7, revealed an important role for NAC7 in regulating genes in photosynthesis, chlorophyll degradation and protein turnover pathways that each contribute to the functional stay‐green phenotype. We further determined the putative target of NAC7 and provided a logical extension for the role of NAC7 in regulating resource allocation from vegetative source to reproductive sink tissues. Collectively, our findings make a compelling case for NAC7 as a target for improving functional stay‐green and yields in maize and other crops.
Risk assessment of the use of alternative animal and plant raw material resources in aquaculture feeds
Authors: Glencross Brett D. , Baily Johanna , Berntssen Marc H.G. , Hardy Ronald , MacKenzie Simon , Tocher Douglas R. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractA wide range of raw materials are now used routinely in aquaculture feeds throughout the world, primarily to supply protein and energy in the form of lipid from edible oils. Protein meals and oils used can generally be divided into those of plant or animal origin and many have considerable potential to supply the required dietary nutrients required by aquaculture species. However, the use of any raw material introduces a suite of risks that need to be considered to enable the production of safe, sustainable and functional feeds to underpin this sector. A lack of understanding of some of those risks can result in failure of dietary specifications being met and/or negative nutritional elements being introduced (e.g. antinutritional factors). Importantly, it is this feed that when fed to food‐producing animals is such an important element of food safety, and as such any undesirable aspects relating to feed production can also have a negative impact on the rest of the food chain. However, there is some disparity internationally among raw materials that are used and the perceptions surrounding the risk of their use. It is the scientific assessment of these risks that is the basis of this review.
The growth of manufacturing protection in 1920s Britain
Authors: Varian Brian D. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractPrior to the Import Duties Act of 1932, an assortment of legislation expanded the scope of manufacturing protection in Britain. This article assesses the magnitude of manufacturing protection before the Import Duties Act and finds that, in 1930, 9% of net manufacturing output occurred in a protected industry. In the late 1920s, protected industries exhibited above‐average growth in labour productivity. However, protection was disproportionately extended to newer manufacturing industries, which presented greater potential for productivity growth. This article concludes that protection did not enhance productivity growth in Britain's manufacturing industries in the late 1920s.
Multiple cyclic nucleotide‐gated channels coordinate calcium oscillations and polar growth of root hairs
Authors: Brost Christa , Studtrucker Tanja , Reimann Ronny , Denninger Philipp , Czekalla Jennifer , Krebs Melanie , Fabry Ben , Schumacher Karin , Grossmann Guido , Dietrich Petra 
Published: April 2019

SummaryCalcium gradients underlie polarization in eukaryotic cells. In plants, a tip‐focused Ca2+‐gradient is fundamental for rapid and unidirectional cell expansion during epidermal root hair development. Here we report that three members of the cyclic nucleotide‐gated channel family are required to maintain cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations and the normal growth of root hairs. CNGC6, CNGC9 and CNGC14 were expressed in root hairs, with CNGC9 displaying the highest root hair specificity. In individual channel mutants, morphological defects including root hair swelling and branching, as well as bursting, were observed. The developmental phenotypes were amplified in the three cngc double mutant combinations. Finally, cngc6/9/14 triple mutants only developed bulging trichoblasts and could not form normal root hair protrusions because they burst after the transition to the rapid growth phase. Prior to developmental defects, single and double mutants showed increasingly disturbed patterns of Ca2+ oscillations. We conclude that CNGC6, CNGC9 and CNGC14 fulfill partially but not fully redundant functions in generating and maintaining tip‐focused Ca2+ oscillations, which are fundamental for proper root hair growth and polarity. Furthermore, the results suggest that these calmodulin‐binding and Ca2+‐permeable channels organize a robust tip‐focused oscillatory calcium gradient, which is not essential for root hair initiation but is required to control the integrity of the root hair after the transition to the rapid growth phase. Our findings also show that root hairs possess a large ability to compensate calcium‐signaling defects, and add new players to the regulatory network, which coordinates cell wall properties and cell expansion during polar root hair growth.