bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Epidendrum(Orchidaceae) as a model system for ecological and evolutionary studies in the Neotropics
Authors: Pinheiro Fábio , Cozzolino Salvatore 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe orchid genus Epidendrum, with 1500 species occurring within the Neotropical region, represents a very promising model system for evolutionary and ecological studies offering an expanded repertoire of research opportunities in the breadth of modern plant biology. Epidendrum displays a significant degree of morphological variation, chromosome number diversity and ecological interactions, which challenges widely held views on reproductive barriers and habitat selection. The widespread geographical distribution of many species and populations offers interesting opportunities to investigate how climatic changes and historic demographic processes shaped the current patterns of genetic and species diversity across different biomes and landscapes. Questions involving chromosome barriers to gene exchange and the role of postzygotic genetic barriers in species cohesion (e.g., the contributions of habitat selection and niche divergence on species cohesion) could be easily addressed when using the variety of natural hybrid zones found across Epidendrum. Several key evolutionary questions could be addressed with this model system, such as the identification of the first stages of adaptive radiation, the evolution of pollination strate gies, the adaptive ecological significance of trait variation and hybridisation, the influence of historical demographic events on lineage diversification and speciation. With the advance of cost–effective molecular techniques and by combining ecological and phenotypic data, researchers can now tackle these questions and foster significant progress in the field of Neotropical plant diversification and evolution.
Evaluation of a structured individualised protocol as a potential cost‐effective diagnostic and therapeutic approach to chronic diarrhoea in the dog
Authors: Bryan Christine E. , Cade Jeb C. , Mackin Andrew J. , Sullivant Alyssa M. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractDiagnostic investigation and management of chronic diarrhoea in dogs can be cost‐prohibitive to many owners. The objectives of this study were to evaluate evidence‐based, individualised diagnostic and therapeutic protocols for management of dogs with chronic diarrhoea, where financial constraints dictate a budget‐limited approach and where more expensive approaches are deferred until simple affordable protocols are unsuccessful. Twenty‐two client‐owned dogs with chronic (minimum 2 weeks duration) untreated small, large or mixed small/large bowel diarrhoea were enrolled in a budget‐limited step‐wise management protocol (maximum expenditure $300 over 6 weeks), with diagnostic testing and therapeutic trials managed in an individualised and evidence‐based fashion. Success was defined as complete resolution of diarrhoea for a minimum of 1 month. Dogs that failed to respond to a budget‐limited protocol were then enrolled for complete, referral‐level management. Four dogs exited the project early (one death due to caval syndrome, three lost to follow‐up). Thirteen out of the remaining 18 dogs had complete resolution of diarrhoea utilising a budget‐limited approach (success rate 72.2%, confidence intervals 46.5–90.3%) and five dogs were moved on to a referral‐level investigation, with complete resolution of diarrhoea in four out of five. Seventeen out of the 18 dogs therefore responded to a protocol based on a budget‐limited approach followed by extensive investigation only if needed, for an overall success rate of 94.4% (CI72.7–99.9%). Comprehensive investigation of chronic diarrhoea can be deferred while simple affordable diagnostics and therapeutic trials are conducted in stable canine patients and, often, an extensive management approach will be unnecessary.
vChecker: an application-level demand-based co-scheduler for improving the performance of parallel jobs in Xen
Authors: Jiang Peng , He Ligang , Ren Shenyuan , Chen Zhiyan , Mao Rui 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBig data analysis requires the speedup of parallel computing. However, in the virtualized systems, the power of parallel computing is not fully exploited due to the limit of current VMM schedulers. Xen, one of the most popular virtualization platforms, has been widely used by industry to host parallel job. In practice, the virtualized systems are expected to accommodate both parallel jobs and serial jobs, and resource contention between virtual machines results in severe performance degradation of the parallel jobs.
Moreover, the physical resource is vastly wasted during the communication process due to the ineffective scheduling of parallel jobs. Unfortunately, the existing schedulers of Xen are initially targeting at serial jobs, which are not capable of correctly scheduling the parallel jobs. This paper presents vChecker, an application-level co-scheduler which mitigates the performance degradation of the parallel job and optimizes the utilization of the hardware resource. Our co-scheduler takes number of available CPU cores in one hand, and satisfies need of the parallel jobs in other hand, which helps the credit scheduler of Xen to appropriately schedule the parallel job. As our co-scheduler is implemented at application level, no modifications on the hypervisor is required.
The experimental result shows that the vChecker optimizes the performance of the parallel job in Xen and enhances the utilization of the system.
Ultrastructural Study of Clitoral Cavernous Tissue and Clitoral Blood Flow From Type 1 Diabetic Premenopausal Women on Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitor
Authors: Caruso Salvatore , Cianci Antonio , Cianci Stefano , Monaco Caterina , Fava Valentina , Cavallari Vittorio 
Published: February 2019

Abstract

Background
The effects of phosphodiesterase-type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors on the in vivo clitoral structure of women with diabetes have never been investigated.

Aim
To study the in vivo structural and hemodynamic changes of the clitoris in premenopausal women with type 1 diabetes on PDE5 inhibitors.

Methods
38 premenopausal women with type 1 diabetes aged 36 -46 years. A randomized 1:1 study design was used: Study Group (group A) on Tadalafil 5 mg daily, and control group (group B). Blood samples were taken from each woman to measure HbA1c, testosterone, and Free Androgen Index. The women underwent microbiopsy of the clitoral body by means of semiautomatic gun during total anesthesia for surgery therapy of a benign gynecological pathology. The tissue removed was processed for electron microscopy. Translabial color Doppler ultrasound was used to measure the peak systolic velocity (PSV), the end diastolic velocity (EDV), and the pulsatility index (PI) of clitoral arteries.

Main Outcome Measures
Micro-ultrastructure observation of clitoral tissue and color Doppler sonography of clitoral blood flow.

Results
Of the 38 women, 13 (68.4%) of group A and 15 (78.9%) of group B completed the study. Group A showed a mean PSV and EDV increase, and a mean PI decrease with respect to baseline (P &lt; .001). Group B did not show any change in both the parameters (P = NS). By a quantitative study in both groups a variable degree of ultrastructural abnormalities of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) was observed, consisting in increased glycogen and lipoic deposits, cytoplasmic vacuoles, and focal increase of electron density of SMCs. Moreover, the mean SMC thickness of group A (1.83 ± 0.68 µm) was larger than that of group B (1.3 ± 0.41 µm) (P = .02).

Clinical Implications
PDE5 inhibitors could be used to treat diabetic women with genital arousal disorder.

Strengths & Limitations
The study shows a clear effect of PDE5 inhibitors on clitoral SMCs. However, a limit was to not have investigated the sexual function/behavior of women of both groups, this was because of the short time of the study.

Conclusion
This study could help to understand in what way PDE5 inhibitors act on the ultrastructural pathophysiological clitoral cavernous tissue of women with diabetes. It could support PDE5 inhibitor usage in women with genital sexual arousal disorder due to metabolic diseases.
Understanding the credential theft lifecycle
Authors: Esparza Jose Miguel 
Published: February 2019

Credential theft is a serious driver of cybercrime today. The world over, different kinds of credentials are used by billions daily to authenticate themselves in their physical and digital lives. From physical keys, to tokens and cards, to digital private keys, session cookies, digital certificates, crypto-currency wallets, login and password combinations, all of these types of credentials are vulnerable to attack. Credential theft is a serious driver of cybercrime today. The world over, different kinds of credentials are used by billions daily to authenticate themselves in their physical and digital lives. From physical keys, through tokens and cards, to digital private keys, session cookies, digital certificates, crypto-currency wallets, login and password combinations, all of these types of credentials are vulnerable to attack. But what happens after they are compromised? Jose Miguel Esparza of Blueliv follows the lifespan of stolen credentials, from theft to being exploited for profit.
The burden of colonization and infection by carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in the neuro-rehabilitation setting: a prospective six-year experience
Authors: Tedeschi Sara , Trapani Filippo , Liverani Annalisa , Tumietto Fabio , Cristini Francesco , Pignanelli Salvatore , Berlingeri Andrea , Bonavita Jacopo , Belloni Gian Piero , Bartoletti Michele , Giannella Maddalena , Pederzini Roberto , Viale Pierluigi 
Published: February 2019

AbstractWe describe the high burden of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) colonization and infection in a neuro-rehabilitation hospital in Italy over a 6-year period. Overall, 9.3% of patients were found to be CPE carriers on admission; the rates of CPE in-hospital acquisition and CPE-BSI were 9.2 and 2.9 cases per 10,000 patient days, respectively.
Gesture frequency is linked to story-telling style: evidence from bilinguals
Authors: NICOLADIS ELENA , NAGPAL JAYA , MARENTETTE PAULA , HAUER BRANDON 
Published: February 2019

abstractIndividuals differ in how frequently they gesture. It is not clear whether gesture frequency is related to culture, since varied results have been reported. The purpose of this study was to test whether the frequency of representational gestures is linked with story-telling style. Previous research showed individual and cross-cultural differences in story-telling style, some preferring to tell a chronicle (how it happened) or an evaluative story (why it happened). We hypothesized that high gesture frequency might be strongly associated with using a chronicle style, since both rely on visuospatial imagery. Four groups of bilinguals, English as their second language (L2) participated. Their first language (L1) was one of: Mandarin, Hindi, French, or Spanish. Participants watched a cartoon and told the story, once in English, once in L1. The results showed group differences in the rate of gesture use: the Chinese and Hindi L1 participants gestured less frequently than the French and Spanish L1 participants. The participants from Asian cultures were more likely to tell an evaluative story and the Romance-language L1 participants a chronicle. We conclude that these culture/language groups differ in story-telling style. A chronicle style is associated with more gesture production than an evaluative style.
The helminth parasite community of European badgers (Meles meles) in Ireland
Authors: Byrne R.L. , Fogarty U. , Mooney A. , Harris E. , Good M. , Marples N.M. , Holland C.V. 
Published: February 2019

Abstract
The European badger (Meles meles) is Ireland's largest terrestrial carnivore. Since first being identified as a wildlife reservoir of bovine tuberculosis in 1974 there has been an increased research focus into the behaviour of these ecologically important mammals in the Republic of Ireland (ROI). However, to date there has never been an assessment of the helminth parasite community of Irish badgers. This study of 289 badgers found helminth infection to be endemic within the sample population and we report for the first time the prevalence, abundance, intensity and aggregation of helminth infection in ROI. Eight distinct helminth taxa were recorded: Aelurostrongylus falciformis, Crenosoma melesi, Eucoleus aerophilus, Species A, Strongyloides spp., Uncinaria criniformis, and two unidentifiable but morphologically distinct nematodes. All helminths belong to the taxon Nematoda, and this is the first report of an exclusively nematode community across the badger's Eurasian distribution. Infection was not significantly influenced by the host sex, region of origin or season of sampling.
Quercetin influences in vitro maturation, apoptosis and metabolically active mitochondria of goat oocytes
Authors: Silva A.A.A. , Silva M.N.P. , Figueiredo L.B.F. , Gonçalves J.D. , Silva M.J.S. , Loiola M.L.G. , Bastos B.D.M. , Oliveira R.A. , Ribeiro L.G.M. , Barberino R.S , Gouveia B.B. , Monte A.P.O. , Nogueira D.M. , Cordeiro M.F. , Matos M.H.T. , Lopes Júnior E.S. 
Published: February 2019

SummaryThe present study aimed to investigate the effect of quercetin as an alternative antioxidant to cysteamine on in vitro maturation. Oocytes were collected from goat ovaries, destined for in vitro maturation and distributed into three groups: CIS group, oocytes were immersed in MIV base medium; in Groups Q4 and Q8, oocytes were immersed in the medium of the CIS group, adding 4 μM or 8 μM of quercetin, respectively, and cultured for 24 h at 38.5°C with 5% CO2. The CIS and Q4 groups presented the same percentage of expanded cumulus cells, but the per cent in the Q8 group was significantly lower than that of the other groups (P<0.05). The oocyte retraction rate in the Q8 group was higher (P<0.05) than in the CIS and Q4 groups. Treatment with 8 μM of quercetin presented a lower proportion of expanded oocytes than the CIS group and 4 μM of quercetin (P<0.05). The percentage of MII oocytes was higher in the Q4 group than in the CIS group (P<0.05), but the percentages in the CIS and Q8 groups were similar. The rate of apoptosis was higher in the CIS group than in the other groups (P<0.05). In addition, oocytes matured with 4 μM quercetin showed higher mitochondrial activity than matured oocytes in the CIS and Q8 groups (P<0.05). In conclusion, 4 μM of quercetin can be used as an alternative to cysteamine in the in vitro maturation of goat oocytes.
The Madden‐Julian Oscillation in an Aquaplanet‐Like General Circulation Model With and Without Continents
Authors: Das Surajit , Sengupta Debasis , Chakraborty Arindam 
Published: February 2019

AbstractWe have conducted experiments with the Community Atmospheric Model version 5.1 configured as an aquaplanet, with the sun at March equinox, in order to study how the model Madden‐Julian oscillation (MJO) responds to (i) the introduction of continents and (ii) realistic sea surface temperature (SST) distribution. Model results are compared with ERA‐Interim reanalysis and analyzed in terms of the moist static energy (MSE) budget to study the growth and propagation of MJO. With idealized zonally symmetric SST, the aquaplanet model produces a double Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and an MJO‐like mode with variance at intraseasonal (30‐ to 96‐day) periods and zonal wave number 1. When we introduce continents with realistic orography and interactive surface temperature, soil moisture, and albedo, the variance of MJO is mainly confined to zonal wave numbers 1 and 2 but reduced by a factor of 3 due to weaker boundary layer moisture convergence. With prescribed climatological January SST boundary condition (which includes Indo‐west Pacific warm pool) in the presence of continents, model MJO variance is enhanced and distributed across zonal wave numbers 1 to 5, in closer agreement with observation. Thus, the presence of land by itself is not enough, but realistic SST distribution is necessary for improved space‐time characteristics of model MJO. Both in simulations and ERA‐Interim data, meridional and vertical advection of MSE promotes eastward movement of MJO. In the model experiments, meridional advection of low‐level MSE anomaly is most significant in the vicinity of the ITCZ, indicating the importance of processes that determine the location of (single or double) ITCZ.
Tailoring Centrality Metrics for Water Distribution Networks
Authors: Giustolisi Orazio , Ridolfi Luca , Simone Antonietta 
Published: February 2019

AbstractComplex network theory (CNT) is an emerging topic based on the paradigm that quite all the natural and man‐made physical systems work as networks, namely, their features derive from the internal connectivity among vertices exchanging information through edges. Water distribution infrastructures are networked systems connecting the vertices named nodes, by edges named pipes, and transferring water to customers. Therefore, water distribution networks (WDNs) fall into CNT and belongs to the class of spatial networks due to their urban constraints. CNT proposed several centrality metrics for quantifying the importance of vertex and, sometime, edges. Those metrics can be potentially very useful for analyzing the key features of the physical domain (i.e., the network) where WDN hydraulics occurs, but they need to be tailored to consider that (i) pipes/edges are the relevant physical components of the WDNs, (ii) some nodes/vertices (reservoirs and tanks) play a completely different hydraulic role from the majority of nodes (demand and connection nodes), and (iii) pipes/edges have different characteristics (length, diameter, hydraulic resistance, etc.). Accordingly, this work presents and discusses the need of tailoring the most suitable centrality metrics for spatial networks: betweenness, closeness, and degree. Then the capacity of the WDN‐tailored edge betweenness is demonstrated and discussed using two real WDNs, showing that it can extract useful information from the domain, that is, the emerging hydraulic behavior due to the network connectivity structure. Therefore, the WDN‐tailored edge betweenness can assist analysis, planning, and management actions before and after the hydraulic analysis.
PAK4 signaling in health and disease: defining the PAK4–CREB axis
Authors: Won So-Yoon , Park Jung-Jin , Shin Eun-Young , Kim Eung-Gook 
Published: February 2019

Abstractp21-Activated kinase 4 (PAK4), a member of the PAK family, regulates a wide range of cellular functions, including cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, and survival. Dysregulation of its expression and activity thus contributes to the development of diverse pathological conditions. PAK4 plays a pivotal role in cancer progression by accelerating the epithelial–mesenchymal transition, invasion, and metastasis. Therefore, PAK4 is regarded as an attractive therapeutic target in diverse types of cancers, prompting the development of PAK4-specific inhibitors as anticancer drugs; however, these drugs have not yet been successful. PAK4 is essential for embryonic brain development and has a neuroprotective function. A long list of PAK4 effectors has been reported. Recently, the transcription factor CREB has emerged as a novel effector of PAK4. This finding has broad implications for the role of PAK4 in health and disease because CREB-mediated transcriptional reprogramming involves a wide range of genes. In this article, we review the PAK4 signaling pathways involved in prostate cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and melanogenesis, focusing in particular on the PAK4-CREB axis.
NF-κB-responsive miR-155 induces functional impairment of vascular smooth muscle cells by downregulating soluble guanylyl cyclase
Authors: Park Minsik , Choi Seunghwan , Kim Suji , Kim Joohwan , Lee Dong-Keon , Park Wonjin , Kim Taesam , Jung Jiwon , Hwang Jong Yun , Won Moo-Ho , Ryoo Sungwoo , Kang Seung Goo , Ha Kwon-Soo , Kwon Young-Guen , Kim Young-Myeong 
Published: February 2019

AbstractVascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play an important role in maintaining vascular function. Inflammation-mediated VSMC dysfunction leads to atherosclerotic intimal hyperplasia and preeclamptic hypertension; however, the underlying mechanisms are not clearly understood. We analyzed the expression levels of microRNA-155 (miR-155) in cultured VSMCs, mouse vessels, and clinical specimens and then assessed its role in VSMC function. Treatment with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) elevated miR-155 biogenesis in cultured VSMCs and vessel segments, which was prevented by NF-κB inhibition. MiR-155 expression was also increased in high-fat diet-fed ApoE−/− mice and in patients with atherosclerosis and preeclampsia. The miR-155 levels were inversely correlated with soluble guanylyl cyclase β1 (sGCβ1) expression and nitric oxide (NO)-dependent cGMP production through targeting the sGCβ1 transcript. TNF-α-induced miR-155 caused VSMC phenotypic switching, which was confirmed by the downregulation of VSMC-specific marker genes, suppression of cell proliferation and migration, alterations in cell morphology, and NO-induced vasorelaxation. These events were mitigated by miR-155 inhibition. Moreover, TNF-α did not cause VSMC phenotypic modulation and limit NO-induced vasodilation in aortic vessels of miR-155−/− mice. These findings suggest that NF-κB-induced miR-155 impairs the VSMC contractile phenotype and NO-mediated vasorelaxation by downregulating sGCβ1 expression. These data suggest that NF-κB-responsive miR-155 is a novel negative regulator of VSMC functions by impairing the sGC/cGMP pathway, which is essential for maintaining the VSMC contractile phenotype and vasorelaxation, offering a new therapeutic target for the treatment of atherosclerosis and preeclampsia.
Lysophosphatidic acid increases mesangial cell proliferation in models of diabetic nephropathy via Rac1/MAPK/KLF5 signaling
Authors: Kim Donghee , Li Hui Ying , Lee Jong Han , Oh Yoon Sin , Jun Hee-Sook 
Published: February 2019

AbstractMesangial cell proliferation has been identified as a major factor contributing to glomerulosclerosis, which is a typical symptom of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) levels are increased in the glomerulus of the kidney in diabetic mice. LPA is a critical regulator that induces mesangial cell proliferation; however, its effect and molecular mechanisms remain unknown. The proportion of α-SMA+/PCNA+ cells was increased in the kidney cortex of db/db mice compared with control mice. Treatment with LPA concomitantly increased the proliferation of mouse mesangial cells (SV40 MES13) and the expression of cyclin D1 and CDK4. On the other hand, the expression of p27Kip1 was decreased. The expression of Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) was upregulated in the kidney cortex of db/db mice and LPA-treated SV40 MES13 cells. RNAi-mediated silencing of KLF5 reversed these effects and inhibited the proliferation of LPA-treated cells. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were activated, and the expression of early growth response 1 (Egr1) was subsequently increased in LPA-treated SV40 MES13 cells and the kidney cortex of db/db mice. Moreover, LPA significantly increased the activity of the Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate (Rac1) GTPase in SV40 MES13 cells, and the dominant-negative form of Rac1 partially inhibited the phosphorylation of p38 and upregulation of Egr1 and KLF5 induced by LPA. LPA-induced hyperproliferation was attenuated by the inhibition of Rac1 activity. Based on these results, the Rac1/MAPK/KLF5 signaling pathway was one of the mechanisms by which LPA induced mesangial cell proliferation in DN models.