bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Augmenting Renal Lymphatic Density Prevents Angiotensin II-Induced Hypertension in Male and Female Mice
Authors: Balasubbramanian Dakshnapriya , Gelston Catalina A Lopez , Lopez Alexandra H , Iskander Geina , Tate Winter , Holderness Haley , Rutkowski Joseph M , Mitchell Brett M 
Published: August 2019

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Renal inflammation and immune cell infiltration are characteristic of several forms of hypertension. Our laboratory has previously demonstrated that renal-inflammation-associated lymphangiogenesis occurs in salt-sensitive and nitric-oxide-inhibition-induced hypertension. Moreover, enhancing renal lymphatic density prevented the development of these two forms of hypertension. Here, we investigated the effects of angiotensin II-induced hypertension on renal lymphatic vessel density in male and female mice.

METHODS
Wild-type and genetically engineered male and female mice were infused with angiotensin II for 2 or 3 weeks. Isolated splenocytes and peritoneal macrophages from mice, and commercially available mouse lymphatic endothelial cells were used for in vitro studies.

RESULTS
Compared to vehicle controls, angiotensin II-infused male and female mice had significantly increased renal lymphatic vessel density in association with pro-inflammatory immune cells in the kidneys of these mice. Direct treatment of lymphatic endothelial cells with angiotensin II had no effect as they lack angiotensin II receptors; however, angiotensin II treatment of splenocytes and peritoneal macrophages induced secretion of the lymphangiogenic growth factor VEGF-C in vitro. Utilizing our genetic mouse model of inducible renal lymphangiogenesis, we demonstrated that greatly augmenting renal lymphatic density prior to angiotensin II infusion prevented the development of hypertension in male and female mice and this was associated with a reduction in renal CD11c+F4/80- monocytes.

CONCLUSION
Renal lymphatics play a significant role in renal immune cell trafficking and blood pressure regulation, and represent a novel avenue of therapy for hypertension.
LightDock goes information-driven
Authors: Roel-Touris Jorge , Bonvin Alexandre M J J , Jiménez-García Brian 
Published: August 2019

Abstract

Motivation
The use of experimental information has been demonstrated to increase the success rate of computational macromolecular docking. Many methods use information to post-filter the simulation output while others drive the simulation based on experimental restraints, which can become problematic for more complex scenarios such as multiple binding interfaces.

Results
We present a novel method for including interface information into protein docking simulations within the LightDock framework. Prior to the simulation, irrelevant regions from the receptor are excluded for sampling (filter of initial swarms) and initial ligand poses are pre-oriented based on ligand input information. We demonstrate the applicability of this approach on the new 55 cases of the Protein–Protein Docking Benchmark 5, using different amounts of information. Even with incomplete or incorrect information, a significant improvement in performance is obtained compared to blind ab initio docking.

Availability and implementation
The software is supported and freely available from https://github.com/brianjimenez/lightdock and analysis data from https://github.com/brianjimenez/lightdock_bm5.

Supplementary information
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
MEPSAnd: minimum energy path surface analysis overn-dimensional surfaces
Authors: Marcos-Alcalde Iñigo , López-Viñas Eduardo , Gómez-Puertas Paulino 
Published: August 2019

AbstractSummaryn-dimensional energy surfaces are becoming computationally accessible, yet interpreting their information is not straightforward. We present minimum energy path surface analysis over n-dimensional surfaces (MEPSAnd), an open source GUI-based program that natively calculates minimum energy paths across energy surfaces of any number of dimensions. Among other features, MEPSAnd can compute the path through lowest barriers and automatically provide a set of alternative paths. MEPSAnd offers distinct plotting solutions as well as direct python scripting.Availability and implementationMEPSAnd is freely available (under GPLv3 license) at: http://bioweb.cbm.uam.es/software/MEPSAnd/.Supplementary informationSupplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Morphological characterization of sympatric and allopatric populations of Petunia axillaris and P. exserta (Solanaceae)
Authors: Teixeira Marcelo Costa , Turchetto Caroline , Maestri Renan , Freitas Loreta B 
Published: August 2019

AbstractFloral morphological traits are frequently used to identify species, including those that are closely related and show low genetic diversity, and floral shape and colour are known to play an important role in diversification and species isolation. Floral morphology in Petunia (Solanaceae) is considered a driver of diversification because of its association with pollinators. Here, flower morphology was characterized through morphometric analyses and floral pigments. Our main aim was to determine corolla shape in populations of Petunia axillaris and P. exserta and their natural hybrids and how floral display, size and colour are involved in pollinator attraction. In addition, we investigated floral pigments in P. exserta and different hybrid classes. The results from morphometric analyses revealed that each species has a specific floral shape, independent of the collection site. By contrast, in two contact zones, a mosaic of floral phenotypes was observed with some hybrid classes based on corolla colour being placed close to P. exserta. The results suggest that several generations of hybrids or backcrossing could have given rise to this floral diversity in contact zones.
Novel technique for the simultaneous isolation of cardiac fibroblasts and epicardial stromal cells from the infarcted murine heart
Authors: Owenier Christoph , Hesse Julia , Alter Christina , Ding Zhaoping , Marzoq Aseel , Petzsch Patrick , Köhrer Karl , Schrader Jürgen 
Published: August 2019

Abstract

Aims
Myocardial infarction (MI) leads to activation of cardiac fibroblasts (aCFs) and at the same time induces the formation of epicardium-derived cells at the heart surface. To discriminate between the two cell populations, we elaborated a fast and efficient protocol for the simultaneous isolation and characterization of aCFs and epicardial stromal cells (EpiSCs) from the infarcted mouse heart.

Methods and results
For the isolation of aCFs and EpiSCs, infarcted hearts (50 min ischaemia/reperfusion) were digested by perfusion with a collagenase-containing medium for only 8 min, while EpiSCs were enzymatically removed from the outside by applying mild shear forces via a motor driven device. Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) isolated from unstressed hearts served as control. Viability of isolated cells was >90%. Purity of EpiSCs was confirmed by immunofluorescence staining and qPCR of various mesenchymal markers including Wilms-tumor-protein-1. Microarray analysis of CFs, aCFs, and EpiSCs on day 5 post-MI revealed a unique gene expression pattern in the EpiSC fraction, which was enriched for epithelial markers and epithelial to mesenchymal transition-related genes. Compared to aCFs, 336 significantly altered gene entities were identified in the EpiSC fraction. qPCR analysis showed high expression of Serpinb2, Cxcl13, Adora2b, and Il10 in EpiSCs relative to CFs and aCFs. Furthermore, microarray data identified Ddah1 and Cemip to be highly up-regulated in aCFs compared to CFs. Immunostaining of the infarcted heart revealed a unique distribution of Dermokine, Aquaporin-1, Cytokeratin, Lipocalin2, and Periostin within the epicardial cell layer.

Conclusions
We describe the simultaneous isolation of viable, purified fractions of aCFs and EpiSCs from the infarcted mouse heart. In this study, several differentially expressed markers for aCFs and EpiSCs were identified, underlining the importance of cell separation to study heterogeneity of stromal cells in the healing process after MI.
Specific macrophage populations promote both cardiac scar deposition and subsequent resolution in adult zebrafish
Authors: Bevan Laura , Lim Zhi Wei , Venkatesh Byrappa , Riley Paul R , Martin Paul , Richardson Rebecca J 
Published: August 2019

Abstract

Aims
A robust inflammatory response to tissue injury is a necessary part of the repair process but the deposition of scar tissue is a direct downstream consequence of this response in many tissues including the heart. Adult zebrafish not only possess the capacity to regenerate lost cardiomyocytes but also to remodel and resolve an extracellular scar within tissues such as the heart, but this scar resolution process remains poorly understood. This study aims to characterize the scarring and inflammatory responses to cardiac damage in adult zebrafish in full and investigate the role of different inflammatory subsets specifically in scarring and scar removal.

Methods and results
Using stable transgenic lines, whole organ imaging and genetic and pharmacological interventions, we demonstrate that multiple inflammatory cell lineages respond to cardiac injury in adult zebrafish. In particular, macrophage subsets (tnfα+ and tnfα−) play prominent roles with manipulation of different phenotypes suggesting that pro-inflammatory (tnfα+) macrophages promote scar deposition following cardiac injury whereas tnfα− macrophages facilitate scar removal during regeneration. Detailed analysis of these specific macrophage subsets reveals crucial roles for Csf1ra in promoting pro-inflammatory macrophage-mediated scar deposition. Additionally, the multifunctional cytokine Osteopontin (Opn) (spp1) is important for initial scar deposition but also for resolution of the inflammatory response and in late-stage ventricular collagen remodelling.

Conclusions
This study demonstrates the importance of a correctly balanced inflammatory response to facilitate scar deposition during repair but also to allow subsequent scar resolution, and full cardiac regeneration, to occur. We have identified Opn as having both pro-fibrotic but also potentially pro-regenerative roles in the adult zebrafish heart, driving Collagen deposition but also controlling inflammatory cell resolution.
From international origins to transnational commemoration: the cemetery of the Gurs camp, 1939–1963
Authors: Soo Scott 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
While the origins, operation and experiences of the internment camps of the Third Republic and Vichy have been studied, little is known about how they were closed and transformed into sites of commemoration. Drawing from fresh archival material, this study demonstrates the complexity of closing the vast complex of Gurs whilst also questioning the extent to which this camp can be understood as a peripheral or forgotten site during the frequently overlooked period of the postwar decades. The analysis of French administrative correspondence not only reveals how the legacy of the camp generated a significant level of ‘administrative noise’, it also furthers understanding of how postwar narratives of the ‘dark years’ were constructed and buttressed by French officials. The failure of the latter to resolve the overlapping issues of responsibility and the maintenance of the camp cemetery underpins this article’s argument that the international origins of the deceased explain both the neglect of the burial ground and its eventual transformation into a transnational site of commemoration in the early 1960s.
Expressed Vomeronasal Type-1 Receptors (V1rs) in Bats Uncover Conserved Sequences Underlying Social Chemical Signaling
Authors: Yohe Laurel R , Davies Kalina T J , Rossiter Stephen J , Dávalos Liliana M 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
In mammals, social and reproductive behaviors are mediated by chemical cues encoded by hyperdiverse families of receptors expressed in the vomeronasal organ. Between species, the number of intact receptors can vary by orders of magnitude. However, the evolutionary processes behind variation in receptor number, and its link to fitness-related behaviors are not well understood. From vomeronasal transcriptomes, we discovered the first evidence of intact vomeronasal type-1 receptor (V1r) genes in bats, and we tested whether putatively functional bat receptors were orthologous to those of related taxa, or whether bats have evolved novel receptors. Instead of lineage-specific duplications, we found that bat V1rs show high levels of orthology to those of their relatives, and receptors are under comparative levels of purifying selection as non-bats. Despite widespread vomeronasal organ loss in bats, V1r copies have been retained for >65 million years. The highly conserved nature of bat V1rs challenges our current understanding of mammalian V1r function and suggests roles other than conspecific recognition or mating initiation in social behavior.
Associations of Brain Pathology Cognitive and Physical Markers With Age in Cognitively Normal Individuals Aged 60–102 Years
Authors: Legdeur Nienke , Tijms Betty M , Konijnenberg Elles , den Braber Anouk , ten Kate Mara , Sudre Carole H , Tomassen Jori , Badissi Maryam , Yaqub Maqsood , Barkhof Frederik , van Berckel Bart N , Boomsma Dorret I , Scheltens Philip , Holstege Henne , Maier Andrea B , Visser Pieter Jelle 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
The prevalence of brain pathologies increases with age and cognitive and physical functions worsen over the lifetime. It is unclear whether these processes show a similar increase with age. We studied the association of markers for brain pathology cognitive and physical functions with age in 288 cognitively normal individuals aged 60–102 years selected from the cross-sectional EMIF-AD PreclinAD and 90+ Study at the Amsterdam UMC. An abnormal score was consistent with a score below the 5th percentile in the 60- to 70-year-old individuals. Prevalence of abnormal scores was estimated using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) models. The prevalence of abnormal handgrip strength, the Digit Symbol Substitution Test, and hippocampal volume showed the fastest increase with age and abnormal MMSE score, muscle mass, and amyloid aggregation the lowest. The increase in prevalence of abnormal markers was partly dependent on sex, level of education, and amyloid aggregation. We did not find a consistent pattern in which markers of brain pathology cognitive and physical processes became abnormal with age.
Trimethylamine But Not Trimethylamine Oxide Increases With Age in Rat Plasma and Affects Smooth Muscle Cells Viability
Authors: Jaworska Kinga , Konop Marek , Hutsch Tomasz , Perlejewski Karol , Radkowski Marek , Grochowska Marta , Bielak-Zmijewska Anna , Mosieniak Grażyna , Sikora Ewa , Ufnal Marcin 
Published: August 2019

AbstractIt has been suggested that trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), a liver oxygenation product of gut bacteria-produced trimethylamine (TMA), is a marker of cardiovascular risk. However, mechanisms of the increase and biological effects of TMAO are obscure. Furthermore, the potential role of TMAO precursor, that is TMA, has not been investigated. We evaluated the effect of age, a cardiovascular risk factor, on plasma levels of TMA and TMAO, gut bacteria composition, gut-to-blood penetration of TMA, histological and hemodynamic parameters in 3-month-old and 18-month-old, male, Sprague–Dawley and Wistar–Kyoto rats. Cytotoxicity of TMA and TMAO was studied in human vascular smooth muscle cells. Older rats showed significantly different gut bacteria composition, a significantly higher gut-to-blood TMA penetration, and morphological and hemodynamic alterations in intestines. In vitro, TMA at concentration of 500 µmol/L (2-fold higher than in portal blood) decreased human vascular smooth muscle cells viability. In contrast, TMAO at 1,000-fold higher concentration than physiological one had no effect on human vascular smooth muscle cells viability. In conclusion, older rats show higher plasma level of TMA due to a “leaky gut”. TMA but not TMAO affects human vascular smooth muscle cells viability. We propose that TMA but not TMAO may be a marker and mediator of cardiovascular risk.
Age and Sex Differences in Acute and Osteoarthritis-Like Pain Responses in Rats
Authors: Ro Jin Y , Zhang Youping , Tricou Christina , Yang Dan , da Silva Joyce T , Zhang Ruixin 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
In this study, we investigated age and sex differences in acute and chronic pain in rats. Groups of young (3–6 months) and aged (20–24 months) male and female Fischer 344 rats were used to assess basal thermal and mechanical thresholds, capsaicin-induced acute nocifensive responses and c-Fos expression in the spinal cord, and monoiodoacetate (MIA)-induced knee osteoarthritis (OA)-like pain responses. There was a significant sex, but not age, effect on thermal threshold on the hindpaw and mechanical threshold on the knee joint. No significant age and sex differences in capsaicin-induced nocifensive and c-Fos responses were observed. MIA induced a greater peak reduction of weight-bearing responses in aged males than young rats. Aged females developed the most profound weight-bearing deficit. With knee joint sensitivity as a primary outcome measure, MIA induced more pronounced and longer-lasting hyperalgesia in older rats, with aged female rats showing the worst effect. These data suggest that age may not have significant effect on acute nociceptive processing, but it significantly impacts OA-like pain, making aged rats, especially females, more vulnerable to chronic pain conditions. These preclinical models should provide important tools to investigate basic mechanisms underlying the impact of age and sex in chronic pain conditions.
The Experience of Aging and Perceptions of “Aging Well” Among Older Migrants in the Netherlands
Authors: Conkova Nina , Lindenberg Jolanda 
Published: August 2019

Abstract

Background and Objectives
In this study, we examine the experience of aging and subjective views of what it means to age well among older adults with a migrant background in the Netherlands. We embed the study within the successful aging debate and tackle two of its most persistent critiques: the failure to adequately include subjective views in the definition of aging well and the failure to recognize that the process of aging is culturally determined.

Research Design and Methods
The research draws on qualitative data collected through eight focus-group discussions with the six largest migrant groups in the Netherlands, namely Indo-Dutch and Moluccans, and migrants with Western, Surinamese, Antillean, Turkish, and Moroccan background.

Results
The study findings show that in general older migrants experience aging more positively than commonly assumed. Nevertheless, some negative aspects of aging were also mentioned. These together with fears about the future underpin participants’ perceptions about aging well. Key aspects of successful aging include remaining healthy, independent, and engaged. Differences between and within groups exist in the meaning given to these concepts and the extent to which other specific aging-related wishes were mentioned. These differences are rooted in participants’ experiences of the migration event, employment history, and their current socioeconomic conditions.

Discussion and Implications
We conclude that the life course perspective is essential in understanding migrants’ aging process and their views on successful aging, and suggest that policies and interventions which promote disease prevention and tackle social exclusion will be beneficial for older adults with a migration background.
Neighborhood Cohesion and Oral Health Problems Among Older Chinese American Immigrants: Does Acculturation Make a Difference?
Authors: Mao Weiyu , Wu Bei , Chi Iris , Yang Wei , Dong Xinqi 
Published: August 2019

Abstract

Background and Objectives
Despite an increasing, yet still limited amount of research on social determinants of oral health, the influences of neighborhood characteristics remain understudied, especially within the context of immigration. Acculturation is multidimensional, and its influences on the oral health of immigrants vary across age and ethnic groups. This study investigated the relationship between neighborhood cohesion and oral health problems among older Chinese American immigrants, and whether and to what extent acculturation indicators moderate the relationship between such cohesion and oral health.

Methods
The research design and working sample included 3,157 older Chinese American immigrants aged 60 years or older from the baseline of the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago. Neighborhood cohesion was measured by a six-item scale. Oral health problems were measured by the presence or absence of such problems. Acculturation included residence in ethnic enclaves, length of stay, and behavioral acculturation. Stepwise logistic regression models with interaction terms (Neighborhood cohesion × Acculturation) were conducted to examine the association between neighborhood cohesion and oral health problems, accounting for sociodemographics, health conditions, and health behaviors.

Results
Individuals experiencing higher levels of neighborhood cohesion reported a lower likelihood of having oral health problems. The protective effect of neighborhood cohesion against having oral health problems was stronger when individuals resided in ethnic enclaves such as Chinatown.

Discussion and Implications
To promote optimal oral health, interventions need to account for individuals’ perceptions and levels of integration into their neighborhoods and communities.
The Ring of Steel: Extraterritorial Migration Controls in Indonesia and Libya and the Complicity of Australia and Italy
Authors: Dastyari Azadeh , Hirsch Asher 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
This article provides an analysis of cooperative non-entrée policies in Australia and Italy. Through their funding, training and interception activities, Australia and Italy have aided and assisted Indonesia and Libya, respectively, in the commission of a number of internationally wrongful acts against refugees and migrants. These wrongful acts include refoulement; arbitrary detention; violations of the right to life; cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment; and violations of the right to leave. These human rights violations benefit Australia and Italy by preventing refugees and migrants from entering Australian and Italian territory. They are extensively reported and widely known. Neither Australia nor Italy can claim ignorance of the circumstances of these acts. In the light of this analysis, it is argued that, under Article 16 of the Articles on the Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts, Australia and Italy are therefore responsible for their complicity in human rights violations in Indonesia and Libya, respectively.