bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Use of acoustic refuges by freshwater fish: Theoretical framework and empirical data in a three‐species trophic system
Authors: Roca Irene T. , Magnan Pierre , Proulx Raphaël 
Published: February 2018

Abstract

Sounds are more easily transmitted underwater than through air and many freshwater fish species can hear them, particularly over the low frequencies. Recent studies on freshwater fish evidenced that hearing sensitivities can be limited by the level of ambient noise, a phenomenon also known as acoustic masking. However, it is still unclear whether variations in ambient noises, such as those produced by human activities, may alter fish trophic interactions.

The general objective of this study was to propose and evaluate a theoretical framework explicitly linking fish attack rates to species hearing sensitivities and ambient noise levels in freshwater ecosystems. The proposed model shows that the feeding activity of fish at an intermediate position in the food web is conditional on the probability of being acoustically detected by their predators, or of encountering an acoustically distressed resource.

Model simulations and preliminary field results suggest that yellow perch (Perca flavescens) could feed more actively in the presence of augmented ambient noise levels. Yellow perch captures per unit effort were higher by a factor of 2.7 in noisy versus quiet days. We argue that fish exposed to intermediate levels of noise could maximise the probability of detecting food patches while minimising their predation risk.

Acoustic monitoring programmes for freshwater ecosystems require a fundamental knowledge of underwater noise levels, species hearing sensitivities and features affecting sound propagation. The approach proposed in this paper is seminal in linking the above descriptors in a coherent mathematical framework to understand the effect of underwater sounds on trophic interactions. Such framework is needed to make testable predictions and generalise to other taxa and ecological contexts.
Wide variation in a tiny space: The microdistribution of meiobenthos in an artificial pond
Authors: Gansfort Birgit , Traunspurger Walter , Threis Ilka , Majdi Nabil 
Published: February 2018

Abstract

Meiofauna play an important ecological role in benthic ecosystems. However, little is known about their small‐scale (<1 m2) distribution. Yet, this knowledge has both theoretical implications, by improving our understanding of how processes generate patterns; and practical outcomes by improving sampling designs.

The goal of this study was to obtain insights into the small‐scale distribution of meiofaunal invertebrates dwelling in the sediment of a lentic ecosystem (in this study, an artificial pond). We addressed this aim at coarse and fine taxonomical levels using meiofaunal groups and nematode species assemblages, respectively.

For this purpose, 225 sediment samples were collected over a surface of 729 cm2 using a straw corer. Spatial patterns (dispersion index) and the typical patch sizes of the dominant meiofaunal groups were estimated using spatial autocorrelation analysis (Moran's I).

We hypothesized that (1) we would find a patchy distribution of organisms with patch radii of a few centimetres, (2) the distribution of microbivorous meiofauna would follow that of OM, and (3) distribution would be patchier at the species level.

The densities of the dominant meiobenthic groups (nematodes, gastrotrichs and rotifers) decreased with sediment depth. In all sediment layers, nematodes contributed 61%–82% to total invertebrate densities. Eleven nematode species were identified, with Eumonhystera filiformis (Bastian 1865) and Monhystera cf. paludicola de Man 1881 dominating the assemblage.

All meiofaunal groups showed an aggregated distribution pattern (dispersion index >1). Spatial autocorrelation analysis revealed aggregations of nematodes in a patch radius of 3–8 cm according to the different sediment layers. Rotifers were also patchy distributed but with smaller patch radius (3 cm), whereas the respective distributions of gastrotrichs were less patchy. Therefore, our results mainly confirmed hypothesis (1). Our results provide the first insights into rotifer patch sizes. Also, these findings highlight the need for sampling designs better able to capture small‐scale heterogeneities during larger‐scale investigations.

We ruled out the organic matter (OM) supply as an important driver of meiofaunal community structure as OM content did not correlate with the density of either meiofaunal groups or nematode species, and therefore arguing against hypothesis (2). Instead, the different distributions suggested responses to qualitative differences in resource availability, oxygen availability, biotic interactions and specific population‐level processes, such as behaviour, dispersal and locomotion.

Patchiness did not increase from coarse to fine taxonomic levels, thus contradicting hypothesis (3). Our results instead suggest that the patchiness of the spatial distribution was more closely linked to functional traits.
Long‐term monitoring of an amphibian community after a climate change‐ and infectious disease‐driven species extirpation
Authors: Bosch Jaime , Fernández‐Beaskoetxea Saioa , Garner Trenton W. J. , Carrascal Luis María 
Published: February 2018

AbstractInfectious disease and climate change are considered major threats to biodiversity and act as drivers behind the global amphibian decline. This is, to a large extent, based on short‐term studies that are designed to detect the immediate and strongest biodiversity responses to a threatening process. What few long‐term studies are available, although typically focused on single species, report outcomes that often diverge significantly from the short‐term species responses. Here, we report the results of an 18‐year survey of an amphibian community exposed to both climate warming and the emergence of lethal chytridiomycosis. Our study shows that the impacts of infectious disease are ongoing but restricted to two out of nine species that form the community, despite the fact all species can become infected with the fungus. Climate warming appears to be affecting four out of the nine species, but the response of three of these is an increase in abundance. Our study supports a decreasing role of infectious disease on the community, and an increasing and currently positive effect of climate warming. We caution that if the warming trends continue, the net positive effect will turn negative as amphibian breeding habitat becomes unavailable as water bodies dry, a pattern that already may be underway.
Headache Linked to Intracranial Hypertension and Hypertrophic Pachymeningitis as the Initial and Dominant Presentation of Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis. Case Report and Review of the Recent Literature
Authors: Arnaoutoglou Marianthi A. , Xerras Chrysostomos G. , Kalevrosoglou Ioannis K. , Rafailidis Vasileios D. , Notas Konstantinos P. , Tegos Thomas I. 
Published: February 2018

ObjectiveThe objective of this article is to report a rare case of headache as the initial symptom of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and to review the recent literature.BackgroundGranulomatosis with polyangiitis is a rare, systemic, autoimmune disease of unknown etiology. GPA has a wide spectrum of clinical symptomatology, including involvement of the nervous system, even as the initial manifestation. Symptoms of the peripheral nervous system used to dominate the clinical symptomatology. However, recent reports are focusing increasingly in granulomatous lesions of the central nervous system, and especially on the increased frequency of patients with hypertrophic pachymeningitis (HP). We report the case of a patient with headache linked to intracranial hypertension and hypertrophic pachymeningitis as the initial and dominant presentation of GPA and we review the recent literature.MethodsA 54‐year‐old male, without any related medical history developed a severe headache. In the following 2 months, he gradually developed hoarseness and diplopia at the left and lower fields of vision. A brain MRI revealed wide‐spread fattening and meningeal enhancement over the left hemisphere and the left cerebellar hemisphere. An endoscopy of the pharynx revealed the presence of a tumor‐like mass in the left half of the nasopharynx. A biopsy showed inflammation with presence of polykaryocyte Langhans giant cells. The laboratory testing revealed important albuminuria and microhematuria, positive c‐ANCA and negative p‐ANCA. A diagnosis of GPA was established.ResultsA steroid treatment was administered initially, which improved the headache drastically, followed by the administration of a combination of cyclophosphamide and corticosteroid, which led to a gradual resolve of the remaining symptomatology. A follow‐up brain MRI showed a decrease in meningeal enhancement, whereas a second one, 2 years later, was completely normal.ConclusionsHP was considered an extremely rare manifestation of GPA. However, recent studies are reporting an increased frequency of HP and are distinguishing a granulomatous and a vasculitic phenotype, with different localization and relapse rates, that may eventually constitute a different clinical spectrum of GPA.
A Hospital Based Retrospective Study of Acute Postpartum Headache
Authors: Vgontzas Angeliki , Robbins Matthew S. 
Published: February 2018

ObjectiveTo describe acute headache diagnoses in women presenting emergently in the postpartum period and to determine which factors may be associated with secondary vs primary headache.BackgroundHormonal, vascular, and procedural factors elevate the risk for both secondary and primary headache disorders in the postpartum period. Differentiating between these can be a diagnostic challenge, particularly among the most severe patients referred for urgent neurological consultation.MethodsA single‐center retrospective study of consecutive postpartum women age ≥18 years presenting with acute headache to a large urban tertiary‐care hospital and receiving neurological consultation.ResultsOf 63 women who presented with acute postpartum headache, 17 (27.0%) were diagnosed with a primary headache disorder and 46 (73.0%) were diagnosed with a secondary headache disorder. Migraine comprised the majority of primary headache diagnoses (76.5%). Secondary headache most commonly featured postdural puncture headache (PDPH) (45.7%), postpartum preeclampsia (PEC) (26.1%), and a diverse group of cerebrovascular headache disorders (21.7%). Presentation within 24 hours and lack of side predominance helped to differentiate PDPH from migraine. However, abnormal diagnostic testing was more prevalent in the patients with headache secondary to cerebrovascular disorders/PEC.ConclusionsNearly three‐quarters of postpartum women who present with acute onset headache and receiving neurological consultation are found to have a secondary headache – with nearly half of the secondary headaches attributed to PEC or cerebrovascular headache disorders. The absence of a headache history and a clear PDPH description should prompt strong consideration for neuroimaging to rule out cerebrovascular etiologies of headache as well as close monitoring for signs and symptoms of preeclampsia in women presenting with acute severe postpartum headache.
Consuming counterfeit: A study of consumer moralism in China
Authors: Li Eric Ping Hung , Lam Magnum , Liu Wing‐Sun 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe consumption of counterfeits is a central theme in understanding consumer moralism. While some studies on marketing have highlighted the consumption motives and socio‐economic factors behind this seemingly unethical phenomenon, research on the subjective experiences of consumers and the cultural concerns about the consumption of counterfeits is lacking. The aim of this article is to gain a better understanding of how consumers construct and negotiate their moralistic identities through engaging in counterfeit consumption. We also examine how consumers utilize counterfeit goods as symbolic resources to echo, or even reproduce, the entrenched Chinese social relationships and marketplace ideological conditions. Our findings suggested that the research participants attempted to make sense of their counterfeit consumption behaviour by infusing the moralistic meanings drawn from the Chinese socio‐cultural value orientation. The study concludes that the moral identity work and counterfeit consumption practices are interwoven in a web of multiple discourses and resources available in the contemporary marketplace under the overarching consumer moralism framework.
Tethyan closure drove tropical marine biodiversity: Vicariant diversification of intertidal crustaceans
Authors: Liu Hongguang , Li Shuqiang , Ugolini Alberto , Momtazi Farzaneh , Hou Zhonge 
Published: February 2018

AbstractAimThe mid‐Miocene closure of the Tethys (Terminal Tethyan Event, TTE) induced by the collision of the African–Arabian plate with the Eurasian plate is considered to be a major driver of tropical marine biodiversity. We used intertidal talitrids of Talorchestia sensu lato to test the hypothesis that the TTE can best explain the current disjunct distribution of this genus along Mediterranean‐East Atlantic and Indo‐West Pacific coastlines.LocationMediterranean‐East Atlantic and Indo‐West Pacific.MethodsWe sequenced four nuclear and two mitochondrial loci for 87 samples across the Mediterranean‐East Atlantic to Indo‐Pacific areas. We examined phylogenetic relationships, estimated divergence times and reconstructed ancestral geographical distributions of Talorchestia sensu lato within a wide geographical context.ResultsThe phylogenetic analyses revealed that Talorchestia sensu lato is monophyletic. Divergence time estimation and ancestral range reconstruction show that the genus originated from the Tethys during the Miocene and split into Mediterranean‐East Atlantic and Indo‐West Pacific lineages c. 15 Ma. The Mediterranean‐East Atlantic lineage further diverged into west and east Mediterranean clades, and the Indo‐West Pacific lineage contains Indian Ocean and west Pacific clades.Main conclusionsThe evolutionary history of Talorchestia sensu lato corresponds well with the geological history of Tethyan closure, suggesting that the Tethyan closure drove the vicariant diversification of Talorchestia sensu lato into Mediterranean‐East Atlantic and Indo‐West Pacific lineages. This indicates that the intertidal environment may be the last to be separated by the TTE, and the diversification pattern of intertidal crustaceans can best reflect the vicariance effect of Tethyan closure. Deep divergences within clades were related to geological isolation in the Mediterranean‐East Atlantic region and across the Indo‐Pacific boundary.
Arterial stiffness and subendocardial viability ratio in patients with peripheral arterial disease
Authors: Scandale Giovanni , Dimitrov Gabriel , Recchia Martino , Carzaniga Gianni , Minola Marzio , Perilli Edoardo , Carotta Maria , Catalano Mariella 
Published: February 2018

Arterial stiffening is a hallmark of the aging process and atherosclerosis, including peripheral arterial disease (PAD). We investigated the associations between carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity (c‐fPWV), augmentation index corrected for heart rate (Aix@HR75), ankle brachial index (ABI), and subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR), an indicator of cardiac perfusion. The c‐fPWV, Aix@HR75, and SEVR was estimated using applanation tonometry. The ankle systolic pressure measurements for the calculation of the ABI were obtained using an 8‐mHz Doppler probe. The study group included 555 subjects, mean age 63 ± 11 years (248 PAD (ABI < 1.0), and 307 non‐PAD (ABI ≥ 1.0 ≤ 1.3). After the stepwise selection process in both PAD and non‐PAD patients SEVR was not related to c‐fPWV and ABI (P = .154; P = .156) and (P = .101; P = .402), respectively. In PAD patients, SEVR was negatively related to Aix@HR75 (P < .0001) and aortic PP (P = .0005). In conclusion, arterial stiffness is associated with non‐invasive indices of myocardial perfusion in PAD patients, suggesting a potential pathophysiological link for increased cardiovascular events.
Antimicrobial peptide gene expression in periodontitis patients: A pilot study
Authors: Jourdain Marie‐Laure , Pierrard Loïc , Kanagaratnam Lukshe , Velard Frédéric , Sergheraert Johan , Lefèvre Benoît , Gangloff Sophie C. , Braux Julien 
Published: February 2018

AbstractAimAntimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are one of the most active components of innate immunity and have characteristics that could place them at the heart of the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. This study investigated differences in the expression of AMP coding genes obtained using a simple harvesting technique, gingival smear, between two groups of patients: chronic periodontitis subjects versus healthy ones.Materials and MethodsTwenty‐three patients were enrolled in two groups: 12 were diagnosed with moderate or severe generalized chronic periodontitis, and 11 were diagnosed as clinically healthy. Gingival smears were retrieved and studied using reverse transcription‐quantitative PCR (RT‐qPCR) after mRNA purification.ResultsFifteen gene expressions were obtained using real‐time RT‐qPCR. Three AMP genes, histatin 3 (HTN3), α‐defensin 4 (DEFA4) and lysozyme C (LYZ), presented different expression levels in periodontitis patients compared with healthy subjects. The relative expression level of DEFA4 appeared to be a protective factor against periodontitis.ConclusionGingival smears studied by RT‐qPCR may be used to assess the expression of AMPs coding genes. A lack of expression of DEFA4 could be a potential indicator of periodontitis status.
Production and characterization of palm oil microcapsules obtained by complex coacervation in gelatin/gum Arabic
Authors: Marfil P. H. M. , Paulo B. B. , Alvim I. D. , Nicoletti V. R. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractPalm oil is a carotenoid‐rich natural compound, whose microencapsulation by complex coacervation may protect it against adverse conditions, allowing applications in food formulations for nutritional enrichment and natural pigmentation. Besides, since the coacervates are insoluble in acid pH of stomach, this undigested lipid is delivered slowly in the intestinal tract, which can help treatment of metabolic disturbs. Accordingly, this study intended to optimize palm oil microencapsulation by complex coacervation using gelatin and gum Arabic as wall materials. For this purpose, the effects of wall material concentration (WM) (2.5, 5.0, and 7.5% w/v), gelatin:gum Arabic ratio (G:GA) (1:2; 1:1; 2:1), and core:wall material ratio (C:WM) (75, 100, and 125%) on the encapsulation efficiency, particle morphology, and size distribution of microcapsules were investigated. Microencapsulation assays followed a factorial central design and, after coacervation, the microcapsules were freeze‐dried. The highest values of encapsulation efficiency were obtained using G:GA = 1:1 or 2:1 with C:WM = 100%, whereas the WM concentration could vary from 2.5 to 7.5%. High concentrations of WM (7.5%) and G:GA = 2:1 hampered the formation of spherical or oval microcapsules. Microcapsules showed average diameter (D[4.3]) between 97 and 690 µm, with increasing concentration of WM and higher C:WM ratio contributing to formation of larger microcapsules. The G:GA ratio showed the highest influence on the particle size, with the 1:2 ratio resulting in smaller microcapsules.Practical applicationsPalm oil is a significant source of antioxidants and other phytonutrients, and its microencapsulation may protect these bioactive compounds, enabling its use to nutritional enrichment of dry food formulations, at the same time as functioning as a natural pigment given the intense reddish‐orange color of the oil. In addition, the microcapsules may slow down palm oil release in the gastrointestinal tract, since the coacervates are insoluble in acid pH of stomach, allowing this nutrient to achieve the ileum before being digested and help treatment of metabolic disturbs. Accordingly, microencapsulation of palm oil can be of great interest for food and pharmaceutical industries to develop controlled‐delivery systems to encapsulate and slow down digestion of lipids, inducing modulation of satiety response.
Subchondral bone morphology in the metacarpus of racehorses in training changes with distance from the articular surface but not with age
Authors: Martig Sandra , Hitchens Peta L. , Stevenson Mark A. , Whitton R. Chris 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe repetitive large loads generated during high‐speed training and racing commonly cause subchondral bone injuries in the metacarpal condyles of racehorses. Adaptive bone modelling leads to focal sclerosis at the site of highest loading in the palmar aspect of the metacarpal condyles. Information on whether and how adaptive modelling of subchondral bone changes during the career of a racehorse is sparse. The aim of this cross‐sectional study was to describe the changes in subchondral bone micromorphology in the area of highest loading in the palmar aspect of the metacarpal condyle in thoroughbred racehorses as a function of age and training. Bone morphology parameters derived from micro‐CTimages were evaluated using principal component analysis and mixed‐effects linear regression models. The largest differences in micromorphology were observed in untrained horses between the age of 16 and 20 months. Age and duration of a training period had no influence on tissue mineral density, bone volume fraction or number and area of closed pores to a depth of 5.1 mm from the articular surface in 2‐ to 4‐year‐old racehorses in training. Horses with subchondral bone injuries had more pores in cross‐section compared with horses without subchondral bone injuries. Differences in bone volume fraction were due to the volume of less mineralised bone. Tissue mineral density increased and bone volume fraction decreased with increasing distance from the articular surface up to 5.1 mm from the articular surface. Further research is required to elucidate the biomechanical and pathophysiological consequences of these gradients of micromorphological parameters in the subchondral bone.