bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
“The First Intervention Is Leaving Home”: Reasons for Electing an Out‐of‐hospital Birth among Minnesotan Mothers
Authors: Hazen Helen 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe Twin Cities (Minneapolis–St. Paul), Minnesota, has seen a recent increase in the number of mothers seeking an out‐of‐hospital birth. This research uses in‐depth interviews with 24 mothers who intended an out‐of‐hospital birth in the previous two years, exploring their reasons for pursuing an alternative approach to birth. For many women, an out‐of‐hospital birth fits within a philosophy that rejects the pathologizing of birth. Escaping rigid hospital protocols is seen as critical to avoiding what many mothers described as unnecessary interventions. In addition, homebirth midwives are perceived as offering more holistic care for the expectant and new mother. Home itself is seen as providing a more pleasant and calm, family‐friendly atmosphere than a hospital, helping the mother relax, with the expectation that this will expedite labor. Many of the recommendations developed here have applicability to improving hospital birth experiences as well as furthering our understanding of out‐of‐hospital birth.
Reciprocal translocation of small numbers of inbred individuals rescues immunogenetic diversity
Authors: Grueber Catherine E. , Sutton Jolene T. , Heber Sol , Briskie James V. , Jamieson Ian G. , Robertson Bruce C. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractGenetic rescue can reduce inbreeding depression and increase fitness of small populations, even when the donor populations are highly inbred. In a recent experiment involving two inbred island populations of the New Zealand South Island robin, Petroica australis, reciprocal translocations improved microsatellite diversity and individual fitness. While microsatellite loci may reflect patterns of genome‐wide diversity, they generally do not indicate the specific genetic regions responsible for increased fitness. We tested the effectiveness of this reciprocal translocation for rescuing diversity of two immunogenetic regions: Toll‐like receptor (TLR) and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes. We found that the relatively small number of migrants (seven and ten per island) effectively brought the characteristic TLR gene diversity of each source population into the recipient population. However, when migrants transmitted TLR alleles that were already present at high frequency in the recipient population, it was possible for offspring of mixed heritage to have decreased gene diversity compared to recipient population diversity prior to translocation. In contrast to TLRs, we did not observe substantial changes in MHC allelic diversity following translocation, with limited evidence of a decrease in differentiation, perhaps because most MHC alleles were observed at both sites prior to the translocation. Overall, we conclude that small numbers of migrants may successfully restore the diversity of immunogenetic loci with few alleles, but that translocating larger numbers of animals would provide additional opportunity for the genetic rescue of highly polymorphic immunity regions, such as the MHC, even when the source population is inbred.
Nesting habits influence population genetic structure of a bee living in anthropogenic disturbance
Authors: Vickruck J. L. , Richards M. H. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractWhile most organisms are negatively affected by anthropogenic disturbance, a few species thrive in landscapes altered by humans. Typically, native bees are negatively impacted by anthropogenic environmental change, including habitat alteration and climate change. Here, we investigate the population structure of the eastern carpenter bee Xylocopa virginica, a generalist pollinator with a broad geographic range spanning eastern North America. Eastern carpenter bees now nest almost exclusively in artificial wooden structures, linking their geographic distribution and population structure to human activities and disturbance. To investigate the population structure of these bees, we sampled females from 16 different populations from across their range. Nine species‐specific microsatellite loci showed that almost all populations are genetically distinct, but with high levels of genetic diversity and low levels of inbreeding overall. Broadly speaking, populations clustered into three distinct genetic groups: a northern group, a western group and a core group. The northern group had low effective population sizes, decreased genetic variability and the highest levels of inbreeding in the data set, suggesting that carpenter bees may be expanding their range northward. The western group was genetically distinct, but lacked signals of a recent range expansion. Climatic data showed that summer and winter temperatures explained a significant amount of the genetic differentiation seen among populations, while precipitation did not. Our results indicate that X. virginica may be one of the rare ‘anthrophilic’ species that thrive in the face of anthropogenic disturbance.
Population genetic structure and adaptation of malaria parasites on the edge of endemic distribution
Authors: Duffy Craig W. , Ba Hampate , Assefa Samuel , Ahouidi Ambroise D. , Deh Yacine B. , Tandia Abderahmane , Kirsebom Freja C. M. , Kwiatkowski Dominic P. , Conway David J. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractTo determine whether the major human malaria parasitePlasmodium falciparumexhibits fragmented population structure or local adaptation at the northern limit of its African distribution where the dry Sahel zone meets the Sahara, samples were collected from diverse locations within Mauritania over a range of ~1000 km. Microsatellite genotypes were obtained for 203 clinical infection samples from eight locations, and Illumina paired‐end sequences were obtained to yield high coverage genomewide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data for 65 clinical infection samples from four locations. Most infections contained single parasite genotypes, reflecting low rates of transmission and superinfection locally, in contrast to the situation seen in population samples from countries further south. A minority of infections shared related or identical genotypes locally, indicating some repeated transmission of parasite clones without recombination. This caused some multilocus linkage disequilibrium and local divergence, but aside from the effect of repeated genotypes there was minimal differentiation between locations. Several chromosomal regions had elevated integrated haplotype scores (|iHS|) indicating recent selection, including those containing drug resistance genes. A genomewideFSTscan comparison with previous sequence data from an area in West Africa with higher infection endemicity indicates that regional gene flow prevents genetic isolation, but revealed allele frequency differentiation at three drug resistance loci and an erythrocyte invasion ligand gene. Contrast of extended haplotype signatures revealed none to be unique to Mauritania. Discrete foci of infection on the edge of the Sahara are genetically highly connected to the wider continental parasite population, and local elimination would be difficult to achieve without very substantial reduction in malaria throughout the region.
Comparative analysis of the transcriptional responses to low and high temperatures in three rice planthopper species
Authors: Huang Hai‐Jian , Xue Jian , Zhuo Ji‐Chong , Cheng Ruo‐Lin , Xu Hai‐Jun , Zhang Chuan‐Xi 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens, BPH), white‐backed planthopper (Sogatella furcifera, WBPH) and small brown planthopper (Laodelphax striatellus, SBPH) are important rice pests in Asia. These three species differ in thermal tolerance and exhibit quite different migration and overwintering strategies. To understand the underlying mechanisms, we sequenced and compared the transcriptome of the three species under different temperature treatments. We found that metabolism‐, exoskeleton‐ and chemosensory‐related genes were modulated. In high temperature (37 °C), heat shock protein (HSP) genes were the most co‐regulated; other genes related with fatty acid metabolism, amino acid metabolism and transportation were also differentially expressed. In low temperature (5 °C), the differences in gene expression of the genes for fatty acid synthesis, transport proteins and cytochrome P450 might explain why SBPH can overwinter in high latitudes, while BPH and WBPH cannot. In addition, other genes related with moulting, and membrane lipid composition might also play roles in resistance to low and high temperatures. Our study illustrates the common responses and different tolerance mechanisms of three rice planthoppers in coping with temperature change, and provides a potential strategy for pest management.
Nuclear localization of a putative Phytophthora sojae bZIP1 transcription factor is mediated by multiple targeting motifs
Authors: Fang Yufeng , Tyler Brett M. 
Published: February 2017

SummaryOomycetes are fungal‐like eukaryotic microbes in the kingdom Stramenopila. We recently found that the oomycete plant pathogen Phytophthora sojae uses nuclear localization signals (NLSs) for translocation of proteins into the nucleus that differ from conventional well‐characterized NLSs from mammals and yeast. Here, we have characterized in depth the NLSs of a P. sojae basic leucine zipper transcription factor, PsbZIP1. Nuclear localization of PsbZIP1 was determined by a central conserved region overlapping the DNA binding domain. Mutational analysis of this region identified four distinct elements that contributed multiplicatively to nuclear localization, but the conserved DNA binding residues were not required. Three of the elements showed autonomous NLS activity and the fourth served as a nuclear localization enhancer. Sequences within two of the nuclear localization elements defined a new form of bipartite NLS consisting of a triplet of basic residues followed by a tail of scattered basic amino acids.
Machiavellian flexibility in negative mate retention
Authors: JONES DANIEL N. , DE ROOS MELISSA S. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractAmong the Dark Triad traits (psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism), Machiavellianism is uniquely associated with flexibility. This flexibility should result in the use of aggressive short‐term tactics only when they do not interfere with long‐term goals. Study 1 found that individuals high in Machiavellianism differed from those high in psychopathy with respect to retrospective accounts of negative mate retention tactics. Study 2 found an interaction between Machiavellianism and relationship type such that individuals high in Machiavellianism tempered the use of negative tactics for long‐term (but not short‐term) relationships. The findings highlight the flexibility of the Machiavellianism construct and its relevance to mating strategies among the Dark Triad.
Successful resumption of peritoneal dialysis following living donor liver transplantation in children with end‐stage renal disease
Authors: Kanazawa Hiroyuki , Fukuda Akinari , Sato Mai , Ishimori Shingo , Sasaki Kengo , Uchida Hajime , Shigeta Takanobu , Mali Vidyadhar Padmakar , Sakamoto Seisuke , Ishikura Kenji , Kasahara Mureo 
Published: February 2017

AbstractChildren with ESRD in need of RRT are commonly managed by PD due to difficulty with vascular access for HD and the relatively large extracorporeal blood volume required. Major abdominal surgery may result in injury to the peritoneum and consequent adhesion, thereby resulting in a reduction in the anatomical capacity and transport capability across the peritoneal membrane. Here, we report successful resumption of PD after LDLT in two pediatric patients. The causes of ESRD were PH1 and juvenile nephronophthisis, respectively. Both patients were managed by PD prior to LDLT. PD was converted to HD starting three days before LDLT and was continued postoperatively until resumption of PD on days 13 and 28, respectively. The PD weekly Kt/V urea was maintained before and after LDLT. The patients continued to do well on PD without complications. Meticulous intra‐operative techniques during LDLT allow postoperative PD resumption by preservation of peritoneal integrity with effective transport capability and without added risk of peritonitis.
Placental pathology in HIV infection at term: a comparison with HIV‐uninfected women
Authors: Kalk Emma , Schubert Pawel , Bettinger Julie A. , Cotton Mark F. , Esser Monika , Slogrove Amy , Wright Colleen A. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractObjectivesTo describe and correlate placental characteristics from pregnancies in HIV‐infected and HIV‐negative women with maternal and infant clinical and immunological data.MethodsProspective descriptive study of placentas from term, uncomplicated vaginal births in a cohort of HIV‐infected (n = 120) and HIV‐negative (n = 103) women in Cape Town, South Africa. Microscopic and macroscopic features were used to determine pathological cluster diagnoses. The majority of HIV‐infected women received some form of drug treatment for the prevention of vertical transmission of HIV. Data were analysed using logistic regression.ResultsHIV‐infected women were older (median [IQR] 27.4 years [24–31] vs. 25.8 [23–30]), more likely to be multiparous (81.7% vs. 71.8%) and had lower CD4 counts (median [IQR] 323.5 cells/ml [235–442] vs. 467 [370–656]). There were no differences in gestational age at first antenatal visit or at delivery. The proportion of specimens with placental lesions was similar in both groups (39.2% vs. 44.7%). Half of all samples were below the tenth percentile expected‐weight‐for‐gestation regardless of HIV status. This was unaffected by adjustment for confounding variables. Maternal vascular malperfusion (MVM) was more frequent in HIV infection (24.2% vs. 12.6%; P = 0.028), an association which strengthened after adjustment (aOR 2.90 [95% confidence interval 1.11–7.57]). Otherwise the frequency of individual diagnoses did not differ between the groups on multivariate analysis.ConclusionsIn this cohort of term, uncomplicated pregnant women, few differences were observed between the HIV‐infected and uninfected groups apart from MVM. This lesion may underlie the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, which have been observed at higher rates in some HIV‐infected women on ART.
Diuretic‐sensitive electroneutral Na+ movement and temperature effects on central axons
Authors: Kanagaratnam Meneka , Pendleton Christopher , Souza Danilo Almeida , Pettit Joseph , Howells James , Baker Mark D. 
Published: February 2017

Key points
Optic nerve axons get less excitable with warming.
F‐fibre latency does not shorten at temperatures above 30°C.
Action potential amplitude falls when the Na+‐pump is blocked, an effect speeded by warming.
Diuretics reduce the rate of action potential fall in the presence of ouabain.
Our data are consistent with electroneutral entry of Na+ occurring in axons and contributing to setting the resting potential.
AbstractRaising the temperature of optic nerve from room temperature to near physiological has effects on the threshold, refractoriness and superexcitability of the shortest latency (fast, F) nerve fibres, consistent with hyperpolarization. The temperature dependence of peak impulse latency was weakened at temperatures above 30°C suggesting a temperature‐sensitive process that slows impulse propagation. The amplitude of the supramaximal compound action potential gets larger on warming, whereas in the presence of bumetanide and amiloride (blockers of electroneutral Na+ movement), the action potential amplitude consistently falls. This suggests a warming‐induced hyperpolarization that is reduced by blocking electroneutral Na+ movement. In the presence of ouabain, the action potential collapses. This collapse is speeded by warming, and exposure to bumetanide and amiloride slows the temperature‐dependent amplitude decline, consistent with a warming‐induced increase in electroneutral Na+ entry. Blocking electroneutral Na+ movement is predicted to be useful in the treatment of temperature‐dependent symptoms under conditions with reduced safety factor (Uhthoff's phenomenon) and provide a route to neuroprotection.
Functional Characterization of a 28-Kilobase Catabolic Island from Pseudomonas sp. Strain M1 Involved in Biotransformation of β-Myrcene and Related Plant-Derived Volatiles
Authors: Soares-Castro Pedro , Montenegro-Silva Pedro , Heipieper Hermann J. , Santos Pedro M. 
Published: February 2017

ABSTRACT

Pseudomonas
sp. strain M1 is able to mineralize highly hydrophobic and recalcitrant compounds, such as benzene, phenol, and their methylated/halogenated derivatives, as well as the backbone of several monoterpenes. The ability to use such a spectrum of compounds as the sole carbon source is, most probably, associated with a genetic background evolved under different environmental constraints. The outstanding performance of strain M1 regarding β-myrcene catabolism was elucidated in this work, with a focus on the biocatalytical potential of the β-myrcene-associated core code, comprised in a 28-kb genomic island (GI), predicted to be organized in 8 transcriptional units. Functional characterization of this locus with promoter probes and analytical approaches validated the genetic organization predicted
in silico
and associated the β-myrcene-induced promoter activity to the production of β-myrcene derivatives. Notably, by using a whole-genome mutagenesis strategy, different genotypes of the 28-kb GI were generated, resulting in the identification of a novel putative β-myrcene hydroxylase, responsible for the initial oxidation of β-myrcene into myrcen-8-ol, and a sensor-like regulatory protein, whose inactivation abolished the
myr

+

trait of M1 cells. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the range of monoterpene substrates of the M1 enzymatic repertoire, besides β-myrcene, also includes other acyclic (e.g., β-linalool) and cyclic [e.g.,
R
-(+)-limonene and (−)-β-pinene] molecules. Our findings are the cornerstone for following metabolic engineering approaches and hint at a major role of the 28-kb GI in the biotransformation of a broad monoterpene backbone spectrum for its future biotechnological applications.

IMPORTANCE
Information regarding microbial systems able to biotransform monoterpenes, especially β-myrcene, is limited and focused mainly on nonsystematic metabolite identification. Complete and detailed knowledge at the genetic, protein, metabolite, and regulatory levels is essential in order to set a model organism or a catabolic system as a biotechnology tool. Moreover, molecular characterization of reported systems is scarce, almost nonexistent, limiting advances in the development of optimized cell factories with strategies based on the new generation of metabolic engineering platforms. This study provides new insights into the intricate molecular functionalities associated with β-myrcene catabolism in
Pseudomonas
, envisaging the production of a molecular knowledge base about the underlying catalytic and regulatory mechanisms of plant-derived volatile catabolic pathways.
Ketoacylsynthase Domains of a Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Synthase in Thraustochytrium sp. Strain ATCC 26185 Can Effectively Function as Stand-Alone Enzymes in Escherichia coli
Authors: Xie Xi , Meesapyodsuk Dauenpen , Qiu Xiao 
Published: February 2017

ABSTRACTThraustochytriumsp. strain ATCC 26185 accumulates a high level of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a nutritionally important ω-3 very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (VLCPUFA) synthesized primarily by polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) synthase, a type I polyketide synthase-like megaenzyme. The PUFA synthase in this species comprises three large subunits, each with multiple catalytic domains. It was hypothesized that among these domains, ketoacylsynthase (KS) domains might be critical for catalyzing the condensation of specific unsaturated acyl-acyl carrier proteins (ACPs) with malonyl-ACP, thereby retaining double bonds in an extended acyl chain. To investigate the functions of these putative KS domains, two segment sequences from subunit A (KS-A) and subunit B (KS-B) of the PUFA synthase were dissected and then expressed as stand-alone enzymes inEscherichia coli. The results showed that both KS-A and KS-B domains could complement the defective phenotypes of bothE. colifabBandfabFmutants. Overexpression of these domains in wild-typeE. coliled to increases in total fatty acid production. KS-B produced a higher ratio of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) to saturated fatty acids (SFAs), while KS-A could improve the overall production of fatty acids more effectively, particularly for the production of SFAs, implying that KS-A is more comparable to FabF, while KS-B is more similar to FabB in catalytic functions. Successful complementation and functional expression of the embedded KS domains inE. coliare the first step forward in studying the molecular mechanism of the PUFA synthase for the biosynthesis of VLCPUFAs inThraustochytrium.IMPORTANCEVery-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLCPUFAs) are important for human health. They can be biosynthesized in either an aerobic pathway or an anaerobic pathway in nature. However, abundant VLCPUFAs in marine microorganisms are primarily synthesized by polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) synthase, a megaenzyme with multiple subunits, each with multiple catalytic domains. Furthermore, the fundamental mechanism for this enzyme to synthesize these fatty acids still remains unknown. This report started with dissecting the embedded KS domains of the PUFA synthase from marine protistThraustochytriumsp. strain ATCC 26185 and then expressing them in wild-typeE. coliand mutants defective in condensation of acyl-ACP with malonyl-ACP. Successful complementation of the mutants and improved fatty acid production in the overexpression experiments indicate that these KS domains can effectively function as stand-alone enzymes inE. coli. This result has paved the way for further studying of molecular mechanisms of the PUFA synthase for the biosynthesis of VLCPUFAs.