bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Extending the developmental origins of disease model: Impact of preconception stress exposure on offspring neurodevelopment
Authors: Keenan Kate , Hipwell Alison E. , Class Quetzal A. , Mbayiwa Kimberley 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe concept of the developmental origins of health and disease via prenatal programming has informed many etiologic models of health and development. Extensive experimental research in non‐human animal models has revealed the impact of in utero exposure to stress on fetal development and neurodevelopment later in life. Stress exposure, however, is unlikely to occur de novo following conception, and pregnancy health is not independent of the health of the system prior to conception. For these reasons, the preconception period is emerging as an important new focus for research on adverse birth outcomes and offspring neurodevelopment. In this review, we summarize the existing evidence for the role of preconception stress exposure on pregnancy health and offspring neurodevelopment across species and discuss the implications of this model for addressing health disparities in obstetrics and offspring outcomes.
“Liaisons dangereuses”: The invasive red‐vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer), a disperser of exotic plant species in New Caledonia
Authors: Thibault Martin , Masse Felix , Pujapujane Aurore , Lannuzel Guillaume , Bordez Laurent , Potter Murray A. , Fogliani Bruno , Vidal Éric , Brescia Fabrice 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe biodiversity hotspot of New Caledonia hosts high levels of endemism (74% of flora) that is threatened increasingly by climate change, habitat reduction, and invasive species. The fruit‐eating red‐vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) is currently invading the main island of the archipelago, and its recent dispersal out of urbanized habitats raises questions about its potential to disperse noxious plant seeds along urban corridors and beyond. Indeed, the red‐vented bulbul is considered a vector of several introduced plant species in its alien range including Miconia calvescens, Lantana camara, and Schinus terebinthifolius. We conducted a quantitative assessment of the bulbul's fruits consumption by analyzing the gut contents of shot birds. We estimated gut passage times for four species of fruit found in gut contents (S. terebinthifolius, Myrtastrum rufopunctatum, Passiflora suberosa, and Ficus prolixa) and tested the effects of bird digestion on seed germination rates for two species. Finally, we monitored the movements of individual VHF radio‐tagged red‐vented bulbuls. All of the consumed fruit species we identified here have red fleshy diaspore, including fruit of the shrub M. rufopunctatum that occurred frequently (9.6%) in bulbul gut samples. Median gut passage times were short (15–41 min), corresponding to short‐distance seed transportation (77–92 m). The effect of gut passage was positive for the germination of the invasive S. terebinthifolius and negative for the endemic M. rufopunctatum, suggesting a potential bias in the contribution to the dispersal toward alien species. This study provides the first integrated assessment of mechanisms involved in the seed dispersal effectiveness of this high‐concern invasive bird species that is expected to face similar plant communities in most of its alien range in tropical islands. More generally, our results enhance knowledge of synergies between non‐native frugivores and plant species dispersal.
Tree water balance drives temperate forest responses to drought
Authors: Berdanier A. B. , Clark J. S. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractIntensifying drought is increasingly linked to global forest diebacks. Improved understanding of drought impacts on individual trees has provided limited insight into drought vulnerability in part because tree moisture access and depletion is difficult to quantify. In forests, moisture reservoir depletion occurs through water use by the trees themselves. Here, we show that drought impacts on tree fitness and demographic performance can be predicted by tracking the moisture reservoir available to trees as a mass balance, estimated in a hierarchical state‐space framework. We apply this model to multiple seasonal droughts with tree transpiration measurements to demonstrate how species and size differences modulate moisture availability across landscapes. The depletion of individual moisture reservoirs can be tracked over the course of droughts and linked to biomass growth and reproductive output. This mass balance approach can predict individual moisture deficit, tree demographic performance, and drought vulnerability throughout forest stands based on measurements from a sample of trees.
Towards a multi‐marker prognostic strategy in acute heart failure: a role for GDF‐15
Authors: Bettencourt Paulo , Ferreira‐Coimbra João , Rodrigues Pedro , Marques Pedo , Moreira Helena , Pinto Maria João , Guimarães João Tiago , Lourenço Patrícia 
Published: August 2018

AbstractAimsGrowth differentiation factor (GDF)‐15 mirrors inflammation and oxidative stress in cardiovascular diseases. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is associated with cardiomyocyte stretch in heart failure (HF). The objective of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of plasma GDF‐15 and BNP in acute HF.Methods and resultsWe studied a subgroup of patients prospectively recruited in an acute HF registry (follow‐up: 2 years; endpoint: all‐cause mortality). Cox regression multivariate models were built to study the association of GDF‐15 and mortality. Further cross‐classification according to discharge GDF‐15 (mean) and BNP (mean) and association with mortality was studied. We studied 158 patients: seventy‐nine were male, mean age was 75 years, 55.1% had left ventricular ejection fraction < 40%, mean discharge BNP was 1000 pg/mL, and mean GDF‐15 was 3013 ng/mL. Higher BNP and GDF‐15 predicted 2‐year mortality. Patients with GDF‐15 ≥ 3000 ng/mL had a multivariate adjusted 2‐year death risk of 1.86 (1.08–3.18). Patients discharged with both BNP and GDF‐15 above the mean had an adjusted hazard ratio of 4.33 (2.07–9.06) when compared with those with both <mean.ConclusionsHigher GDF‐15 associated with worse prognosis in acute HF independently of BNP. When both biomarkers GDF‐15 and BNP were elevated at discharge, the 2‐year mortality risk increased over four‐fold. Biomarkers related to different pathophysiological pathways can provide incremental prognostic information in acute HF.
Methodologic recommendations and possible interpretations of video‐EEG recordings in immature rodents used as experimental controls: A TASK1‐WG2 report of the ILAE/AES Joint Translational Task Force
Authors: Akman Ozlem , Raol Yogendra H. , Auvin Stéphane , Cortez Miguel A. , Kubova Hana , de Curtis Marco , Ikeda Akio , Dudek F. Edward , Galanopoulou Aristea S. 
Published: August 2018

SummaryThe use of immature rodents to study physiologic aspects of cortical development requires high‐quality recordings electroencephalography (EEG) with simultaneous video recording (vEEG) of behavior. Normative developmental vEEG data in control animals are fundamental for the study of abnormal background activity in animal models of seizures or other neurologic disorders. Electrical recordings from immature, freely behaving rodents can be particularly difficult because of the small size of immature rodents, their thin and soft skull, interference with the recording apparatus by the dam, and other technical challenges. In this report of the TASK1 Working Group 2 (WG2) of the International League Against Epilepsy/American Epilepsy Society (ILAE/AES) Joint Translational Task Force, we provide suggestions that aim to optimize future vEEG recordings from immature rodents, as well as their interpretation. We focus on recordings from immature rodents younger than 30 days old used as experimental controls, because the quality and correct interpretation of such recordings is important when interpreting the vEEG results of animals serving as models of neurologic disorders. We discuss the technical aspects of such recordings and compare tethered versus wireless approaches. We also summarize the appearance of common artifacts and various patterns of electrical activity seen in young rodents used as controls as a function of behavioral state, age, and (where known) sex and strain. The information herein will hopefully help improve the methodology of vEEG recordings from immature rodents and may lead to results and interpretations that are more consistent across studies from different laboratories.
Alternate wetting and drying in Bangladesh: Water‐saving farming practice and the socioeconomic barriers to its adoption
Authors: Pearson Karen A. , Millar Gearoid M. , Norton Gareth J. , Price Adam H. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractWater saving in irrigated agriculture is a critical issue for global food security, and much research has suggested substantial benefits of management systems designed to achieve it. Yet there are likely to be socioeconomic barriers which must be understood if these systems are to be adopted. Here, we highlight one example, Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, almost half of the workforce is engaged in agriculture and many people are dependent on rice as their staple food, sometimes consuming it three times per day. Rice production, therefore, is central both to economic well‐being and to food security in Bangladesh. However, this sector also faces a number of troubling problems. These include an electricity supply over‐stressed by irrigation pumps during the dry season, the gradual depletion of groundwater as a result of unsustainable use, the consumption of rice grains with elevated arsenic content, and the significant emission of rice‐based methane into the atmosphere. Interestingly, for more than a decade, evidence has indicated that AWD—an innovative farming practice—holds the promise of mitigating each of these threats to some degree and has been promoted by the Bangladeshi government. However, evidence seems to indicate that it has not been widely adopted in Bangladesh. This paper reviews the existing literature on AWD, related policies in Bangladesh, and the barriers to its uptake among farmers. The complicated relationship between agricultural and socioeconomic systems represents a key barrier to the successful use of AWD among Bangladeshi farmers. Similar barriers to water‐saving strategies are likely to exist in other countries and regions, and overcoming these barriers will be essential for AWD to be adopted. The case of Bangladesh provides important indications of how this might be achieved.
Microglia heterogeneity along a spatio–temporal axis: More questions than answers
Authors: Silvin Aymeric , Ginhoux Florent 
Published: August 2018

AbstractMicroglia are resident macrophages of the central nervous system; they arise during early embryonic development and persist throughout adulthood. These unique cells provide developmental support, contribute to adult brain homeostasis and impart immune protection during infection. Dysregulated microglia are implicated in the pathophysiology of several neurological disorders, including Alzheimer disease, and as such, a better understanding of their regulation and function is required for rational therapeutic design. Recent studies have highlighted the various heterogeneous aspects of microglia, such as their wide differentiation spectrum from early embryogenesis to adulthood, their location in different brain regions and their responses to ageing, infection and inflammation. In this review, we discuss microglial heterogeneity in time and space and highlight the remaining questions arising from such heterogeneity.
Increased expression of colony‐stimulating factor‐1 in mouse spinal cord with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis correlates with microglial activation and neuronal loss
Authors: Gushchina Svetlana , Pryce Gareth , Yip Ping K. , Wu Dongsheng , Pallier Patrick , Giovannoni Gavin , Baker David , Bo Xuenong 
Published: August 2018

AbstractMicroglia contribute to pathophysiology at all stages of multiple sclerosis. Colony‐stimulating factor‐1 (CSF1) is crucial for microglial proliferation and activation. In this study we measured the CSF1 levels and studied its cellular expression in the mouse spinal cords with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) to explore the potential contribution of CSF1 in neuronal death. ELISA data showed that CSF1 levels were significantly higher in the spinal cords with acute and chronic EAE than those of normal and adjuvant‐injected mice. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that CSF1 was expressed in astrocytes and neurons in normal mouse spinal cord. In acute EAE, CSF1 expression was significantly increased, especially in astrocytes in peripheral white matter and large motoneurons. High density of activated microglia was observed in the gray matter where motoneurons expressed high‐level CSF1 in acute EAE. Significant large motoneuron loss was seen in chronic EAE and the remaining motoneurons with high‐level CSF1 were enwrapped by microglia. Viral vector mediated over‐expression of CSF1 in spinal neurons induced profound proliferation and activation of microglia at the injection site and microglia enwrapped CSF1‐transduced neurons and their neurites. Significant loss of large CSF1‐transduced neurons was seen at 2 and 3 weeks post‐viral injection. Demyelination in the CSF1‐transduced areas was also significant. These results implicate that CSF1 upregulation in CNS may play an important role in the proliferation and activation of microglia in EAE, contributing to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Insights into the release mechanism of astrocytic glutamate evoking in neurons NMDA receptor‐mediated slow depolarizing inward currents
Authors: Gómez‐Gonzalo Marta , Zehnder Tamara , Requie Linda Maria , Bezzi Paola , Carmignoto Giorgio 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe gliotransmitter glutamate in different brain regions modulates neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission through a variety of mechanisms. Among the hallmarks of astrocytic glutamate release are the slow depolarizing inward currents (SICs) in neurons mediated by N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor activation. Different stimuli that evoke Ca2+ elevations in astrocytes induce neuronal SICs suggesting a Ca2+‐dependent exocytotic glutamate release mechanism of SIC generation. To gain new insights into this mechanism, we investigated the relationship between astrocytic Ca2+ elevations and neuronal SICs in mouse hippocampal slice preparations. Here we provide evidence that SICs, occurring either spontaneously or following a hypotonic challenge, are unchanged in the virtual absence of Ca2+ signal changes at astrocytic soma and processes, including spatially restricted Ca2+ microdomains. SICs are also unchanged in the presence of Bafilomycin A1 that after prolonged slice incubation depletes glutamate from astrocytic vesicles. We also found that hemichannels and TREK family channels‐that recent studies proposed to mediate astrocytic glutamate release ‐ are not involved in SIC generation. SICs are reduced by the volume‐sensitive anion channel antagonists diisothiocyanatostilbene‐2,2′‐disulfonic acid (DIDS), quinine and fluoxetine, suggesting a possible contribution of these channels in SIC generation. Direct measurements of astrocytic glutamate release further confirm that hypotonicity‐evoked gliotransmission is impaired following DIDS, quinine and fluoxetine while the exocytotic release of glutamate—that is proposed to mediate synaptic transmission modulation by astrocytes—remains unaffected. In conclusion, our data provide evidence that the release of glutamate generating SICs occurs independently on exocytotic Ca2+‐dependent glutamate release mechanism.
You wouldn't eat 16 teaspoons of sugar—so why drink it? Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander responses to the LiveLighter sugary drink campaign
Authors: Browne Jennifer , MacDonald Catherine , Egan Mikaela , Delbridge Robyn , McAleese Alison , Morley Belinda , Atkinson Petah 
Published: August 2018

AbstractIssue addressedThe reach and impact of the LiveLighter and Aboriginal sugar‐sweetened beverage (SSB) advertisements among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults.MethodsThe Aboriginal SSB advertisement launched online in January 2015 and aired on NITV in October/November 2015 as part of the Government‐funded LiveLighter campaign. The advertisement was developed in Victoria and featured members of the Victorian Aboriginal community. Another LiveLighter advertisement targeting the general population was broadcast over the same period. Online surveys were completed by 150 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander adults in November/December 2015.ResultsAround half of respondents reported seeing either the Aboriginal (47%) or the LiveLighter (56%) SSB advertisement, and the proportion was significantly greater in Victoria (Aboriginal: 60%, LiveLighter: 66%) than other states/territories (Aboriginal: 29%, LiveLighter: 43%). Compared to the LiveLighter advertisement, the Aboriginal campaign was seen to be more believable, to be more relevant and to have an important message for the Aboriginal community (P < 0.001). Participants from Victoria were significantly more likely to identify the sugar content of regular soft drink, compared with those from other states/territories (68% vs 40%, P < 0.001). Sixty per cent of participants who had seen the Aboriginal SSB advertisement reported they drank less SSBs compared with 48% of those not exposed, though the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05).ConclusionsResults suggest the Aboriginal advertisement resonated with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and impacted knowledge about the sugar content of SSBs, particularly in Victoria where the campaign originated.So what?This study highlights the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander‐led health promotion campaigns and tailoring health messages to the local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community.
Natural killer cell–based immunotherapy: From transplantation toward targeting cancer stem cells
Authors: Dianat‐Moghadam Hassan , Rokni Mohsen , Marofi Faroogh , Panahi Yunes , Yousefi Mehdi 
Published: August 2018

AbstractNatural killer (NK) cells are key players of the innate immune system. NK cells provide protection against infectious pathogens and malignancies in cell. This characteristic may be attributable to their intrinsic diverse potentialities and also their cooperation with adaptive immune lymphocytes, known as B and T cells. The growth, recurrence, and metastasis of cancer cells, and the failure of cytoreductive therapies against cancer cells are due to the small population of intratumor stem‐like cells, called cancer stem cells (CSCs). Furthermore, NK cells can efficiently eradicate heterogeneous tumor cells after a long‐term treatment. Therefore, NK cell–based therapy is a promising strategy to target and break CSC‐associated resistance to anticancer drugs treatment. In this review, we have presented an overview of the emerging knowledge of the characteristics, diversities, and mechanism‐driven immune surveillance of human NK cells and advances in NK cell–based immunotherapies. Finally, we will discuss how these cells can be applied to introduce the next generation of vaccine‐ and immune‐based approaches to prevent drug resistance.
Regulators of the protein phosphatase PP1γ2, PPP1R2, PPP1R7, and PPP1R11 are involved in epididymal sperm maturation
Authors: Goswami Suranjana , Korrodi‐Gregório Luís , Sinha Nilam , Bhutada Sumit , Bhattacharjee Rahul , Kline Douglas , Vijayaraghavan Srinivasan 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe serine/threonine protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) inhibitors PPP1R2, PPP1R7, and PPP1R11 are evolutionarily ancient and highly conserved proteins. Four PP1 isoforms, PP1α, PP1β, PP1γ1, and PP1γ2, exist; three of them except PP1γ2 are ubiquitous. The fact that PP1γ2 isoform is present only in mammalian testis and sperm led to the notion that isoform‐specific regulators for PP1γ2 in sperm may be responsible for its function. In this report, we studied these inhibitors, PPP1R2, R7, and R11, to determine their spatial and temporal expression in testis and their regulatory functions in sperm. We show that, similar to PP1γ2, the three inhibitors are expressed at high levels in developing spermatogenic cells. However, the transcripts for the regulators are expressed as unique sizes in testis compared with somatic tissues. The three regulators share localization with PP1γ2 in the head and the principal piece of sperm. We show that the association of inhibitors to PP1γ2 changes during epididymal sperm maturation. In immotile caput epididymal sperm, PPP1R2 and PPP1R7 are not bound to PP1γ2, whereas in motile caudal sperm, all three inhibitors are bound as heterodimers or heterotrimers. In caudal sperm from male mice lacking sAC and glycogen synthase kinase 3, where motility and fertility are impaired, the association of PP1γ2 to the inhibitors resembles immature caput sperm. Changes in the association of the regulators with PP1γ2, due to their phosphorylation, are part of biochemical mechanisms responsible for the development of motility and fertilizing ability of sperm during their passage through the epididymis.
Peg1/Mest, an imprinted gene, is involved in mammary gland maturation
Authors: Yonekura Shinichi , Ohata Masaki , Tsuchiya Megumi , Tokita Hitomi , Mizusawa Moeko , Tokutake Yukako 
Published: August 2018

AbtractImprinted genes, which are specific to mammals, play important roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, ontogeny, and other phenomena. Moreover, these genes are considered crucial in the research of mammalian evolution. In the current study, we investigated the association between the expression of paternally imprinted gene paternally expressed 1/mesoderm‐specific transcript (Peg1/Mest) and the maturation of the mammary gland. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction analysis of Peg1/Mest gene expression at different stages of mouse mammary gland maturation revealed that its expression increased during gestation but decreased during lactation. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that Peg1/Mest was expressed in mammary epithelial cells. We measured expression levels of Peg1/Mest and E‐cadherin during mammary alveoli formation using immunofluorescence staining a cell model for mammary alveoli formation in a 3D culture system. We found that the onset of E‐cadherin expression roughly coincided with the peak of Peg1/Mest expression. Moreover, we discovered that the formation and proliferation of alveoli were suppressed in Peg1/Mest knockdown mammary epithelial cells. These results suggest that Peg1/Mest plays a certain role in mammary alveoli formation. To clarify the role of Peg1/Mest in the lactogenic differentiation of mammary epithelial cells, we examined the lactogenic differentiation capability of Peg1/Mest‐overexpressing HC11 cells. Application of a differentiation‐inducing stimulus did not increase β‐casein expression in Peg1/Mest‐overexpressing HC11 cells. The current study for the first time reports the involvement of an imprinted gene in mammary gland maturation.