bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The role of insulin pump therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Landau Zohar , Raz Itamar , Wainstein Julio , Bar‐Dayan Yosefa , Cahn Avivit 
Published: May 2016

AbstractMany patients with type 2 diabetes fail to achieve adequate glucose control despite escalation of treatment and combinations of multiple therapies including insulin. Patients with long‐standing type 2 diabetes often suffer from the combination of severe insulin deficiency in addition to insulin resistance, thereby requiring high doses of insulin delivered in multiple injections to attain adequate glycemic control. Insulin‐pump therapy was first introduced in the 1970s as an approach to mimic physiological insulin delivery and attain normal glucose in patients with type 1 diabetes. The recent years have seen an increase in the use of this technology for patients with type 2 diabetes. This article summarizes the clinical studies evaluating insulin pump use in patients with type 2 diabetes and discusses the benefits and shortcomings of pump therapy in this population. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mycorrhizas influence functional traits of two tallgrass prairie species
Authors: Weremijewicz Joanna , Seto Kotaro 
Published: May 2016

AbstractOver the past decade, functional traits that influence plant performance and thus, population, community, and ecosystem biology have garnered increasing attention. Generally lacking, however, has been consideration of how ubiquitous arbuscular mycorrhizas influence plant allometric and stoichiometric functional traits. We assessed how plant dependence on and responsiveness to mycorrhizas influence plant functional traits of a warm‐season, C4 grass, Andropogon gerardii Vitman, and the contrasting, cool‐season, C3 grass, Elymus canadensis L. We grew both host species with and without inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi, across a broad gradient of soil phosphorus availabilities. Both host species were facultatively mycotrophic, able to grow without mycorrhizas at high soil phosphorus availability. A. gerardii was most dependent upon mycorrhizas and E. canadensis was weakly dependent, but highly responsive to mycorrhizas. The high dependence of A. gerardii on mycorrhizas resulted in higher tissue P and N concentrations of inoculated than noninoculated plants. When not inoculated, E. canadensis was able to take up both P and N in similar amounts to inoculated plants because of its weak dependence on mycorrhizas for nutrient uptake and its pronounced ability to change root‐to‐shoot ratios. Unlike other highly dependent species, A. gerardii had a high root‐to‐shoot ratio and was able to suppress colonization by mycorrhizal fungi at high soil fertilities. E. canadensis, however, was unable to suppress colonization and had a lower root‐to shoot ratio than A. gerardii. The mycorrhiza‐related functional traits of both host species likely influence their performance in nature: both species attained the maximum responsiveness from mycorrhizas at soil phosphorus availabilities similar to those of tallgrass prairies. Dependence upon mycorrhizas affects performance in the absence of mycorrhizas. Responsiveness to mycorrhizal fungi is also a function of the environment and can be influenced by both mycorrhizal fungus species and soil fertility.
Remotely sensed canopy height reveals three pantropical ecosystem states
Authors: Xu Chi , Hantson Stijn , Holmgren Milena , van Nes Egbert H. , Staal Arie , Scheffer Marten 
Published: May 2016

AbstractAlthough canopy height has long been a focus of interest in ecology, it has remained difficult to study at large spatial scales. Recently, satellite‐borne LiDAR equipment produced the first systematic high resolution maps of vegetation height worldwide. Here we show that this new resource reveals three marked modes in tropical canopy height ~40, ~12, and ~2 m corresponding to forest, savanna, and treeless landscapes. The distribution of these modes is consistent with the often hypothesized forest‐savanna bistability and suggests that both states can be stable in areas with a mean annual precipitation between ~1,500 and ~2,000 mm. Although the canopy height states correspond largely to the much discussed tree cover states, there are differences, too. For instance, there are places with savanna‐like sparse tree cover that have a forest‐like high canopy, suggesting that rather than true savanna, those are thinned relicts of forest. This illustrates how complementary sets of remotely sensed indicators may provide increasingly sophisticated ways to study ecological phenomena at a global scale.
Fitness reduction for uncooperative fig wasps through reduced offspring size: a third component of host sanctions
Authors: Jandér K. C. , Dafoe A. , Herre E. A. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractMutually beneficial interactions between two species—mutualisms—are ancient, diverse, and of fundamental ecological importance. Nonetheless, factors that prevent one partner from reaping the benefits of the interaction without paying the cost are still poorly understood. Fig trees and their unique pollinators, fig wasps, present a powerful model system for studying mutualism stability. Both partners depend completely on each other for reproduction, cooperation levels can be manipulated, and the resulting field‐based fitness quantified. Previous work has shown that fig trees can impose two types of host sanctions that reduce the fitness of wasps that do not pollinate: (1) fig abortion, which kills all developing larvae, and (2) reduced number of wasp offspring in figs that are not aborted. Here we demonstrate a third component of host sanctions. Through manipulative field experiments, we show that for four of five studied species, offspring of pollen‐free foundresses are only 50–90% the size of offspring of pollinating foundresses. We further show that in all four studied species, smaller wasps are less likely to reach and enter a flowering fig to become foundresses themselves. Therefore, the experimentally determined size reduction of offspring is estimated to cause an additional reduction of up to 80% in fitness for a pollen‐free foundress. We determine that the size reduction of pollen‐free offspring acts on the level of the entire fig fruit rather than on individual flowers. These results show that estimates of the fitness effect of host sanctions on uncooperative symbionts should consider not only offspring quantity but also offspring quality. We discuss implications beyond the fig tree—fig wasp mutualism.
Determination of Bitterness of Extra Virgin Olive Oils by Amperometric Detection
Authors: Morozova Ksenia , Aprea Eugenio , Cantini Claudio , Migliorini Marzia , Gasperi Flavia , Scampicchio Matteo 
Published: May 2016

AbstractA flow injection system with amperometric detection at potentials poised at +0.4 and +0.9 V was used to evaluate intensity of the bitter taste in monovarietal Extra Virgin Olive Oils (EVOO). Results from the proposed method were based on the extraction of the bitter constituents of the virgin olive oil samples in methanol‐water, followed by the direct amperometric measurement. These potentials were selected according to the hydrodynamic voltammogram of oleuropein, one of the most prominent and bitter phenolic compound found in EVOO. The amperometric detection was applied on 32 monovariatal EVOO samples. Results were correlated with the phenolic profile measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The amperometric signal at +0.9 V mainly correlated with the total phenols of the samples (R2=0.81), whereas the signal at +0.4 V mainly correlated with oleuropein aglycone (3,4 DHPEA‐EDA, R2=0.79). Bitterness intensity of the samples was evaluated by a trained sensory panel of experts and the results compared to those obtained by the amperometric flow system. The best correlation with the bitter taste was achieved by the sensor at +0.4 V (R2=0.72). A calibration model based on partial least squares was built with three variables, namely the sensors set at +0.4 and +0.9 V and the total phenol content of the EVOO extracts. The model showed a moderate capacity to predict the bitterness of the EVOO samples using leave one out method, (R2=0.75) and in prediction of a test set of samples (R2=0.7). Such approach is very promising for future studies.
The role of gypsum and/or dolomite dissolution in tufa precipitation: lessons from the hydrochemistry of a carbonate–sulphate karst system
Authors: Domínguez‐Villar David , Vázquez‐Navarro Juan A. , Krklec Kristina 
Published: May 2016

AbstractThe precipitation of freshwater carbonates (tufa) along karstic rivers is enhanced by degassing of carbon dioxide (CO2) downstream of karstic springs. However, in most karstic springs CO2 degassing is not enough to force the precipitation of tufa sediments. Little is known about the role of dissolution of gypsum or dolomite in the hydrochemistry of these systems and how this affects the formation of tufa deposits. Here we present a monitoring study conducted over a year in Trabaque River (Spain). The river has typical karst hydrological dynamics with water sinking upstream and re‐emerging downstream of the canyon. Mixing of calcium–magnesium bicarbonate and calcium sulphate waters downstream of the sink enhances the dissolution of carbonates and potentially plays a positive role in the formation of tufa sediments. However, due to the common‐ion effect, dissolution of dolomite and/or gypsum causes precipitation of underground calcite cements as part of the incongruent dissolution of dolomite/dedolomitization process, which limits the precipitation of tufa sediments. Current precipitation of tufa is scant compared to previous Holocene tufa deposits, which likely precipitated from solutions with higher saturation indexes of calcite (SIcc values) than nowadays. Limited incongruent dissolution of dolomite/dedolomitization favours higher SIcc values. This circumstance occurs when waters with relatively high supersaturation of dolomite and low SO42− composition sink in the upper sector of the canyon. In such a scenario, the process of mixing waters enhances the exclusive dissolution of limestones, preventing the precipitation of calcite within the aquifer and favouring the increase of SIcc values downstream of the springs. Such conditions were recorded during periods of high water level of the aquifers and during floods. This research shows that the common‐ion effect caused by the dissolution of gypsum and/or dolomite rocks can limit [or favour] the precipitation of tufa sediments depending on the occurrence [or not] of incongruent dissolution of dolomite/dedolomitization. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Methionine‐Restricted Diet Increases miRNAs That Can Target RUNX2 Expression and Alters Bone Structure in Young Mice
Authors: Plummer Jason , Park Miri , Perodin Frantz , Horowitz Mark C. , Hens Julie R. 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTDietary methionine restriction (MR) increases longevity and improves healthspan in rodent models. Young male C57BL/6J mice were placed on MR to assess effects on bone structure and formation. Mice were fed diets containing 0.86% or 0.12% methionine for 5 weeks. Fasting blood plasma was analyzed for metabolic and bone‐related biomarkers. Tibiae were analyzed by histomorphometry, while femurs were analyzed by micro‐CT and biomechanically using 4‐point bending. MR mice had reduced plasma glucose and insulin, while FGF21 and FGF23 increased. Plasma levels of osteocalcin and osteoprotegrin were unaffected, but sclerostin and procollagen I decreased. MR induced bone marrow fat accretion, antithetical to the reduced fat depots seen throughout the body. Cortical bone showed significant decreases in Bone Tissue Density (BTD). In trabecular bone, mice had decreased BTD, bone surface, trabecula and bone volume, and trabecular thickness.. Biomechanical testing showed that on MR, bones were significantly less stiff and had reduced maximum load and total work, suggesting greater fragility. Reduced expression of RUNX2 occurred in bone marrow of MR mice. These results suggest that MR alters bone remodeling and apposition. In MR mice, miR‐31 in plasma and liver, and miR‐133a, miR‐335‐5p, and miR‐204 in the bone marrow was elevated. These miRNAs were shown previously to target and regulate Osterix and RUNX2 in bone, which could inhibit osteoblast differentiation and function. Therefore, dietary MR in young animals alters bone structure by increasing miRNAs in bone and liver that can target RUNX2. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 31–42, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Transcription Factor Drug Targets
Authors: Papavassiliou Kostas A. , Papavassiliou Athanasios G. 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTTranscription factors represent the point of convergence of multiple signaling pathways within eukaryotic cells. Deregulated transcription factors contribute to the pathogenesis of a plethora of human diseases, ranging from diabetes, inflammatory disorders and cardiovascular disease to many cancers, and thus these proteins hold great therapeutic potential. Direct modulation of transcription factor function by small molecules is no longer regarded a Sisyphean task, as recent work in drug discovery has revealed that transcription factors are amenable to drug inhibition. Here in we summarize, recent advances regarding the significance of transcription factors in human diseases and we discuss emerging pharmacological strategies to modulate transcription factor function. J. Cell. Biochem. 117: 2693–2696, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sendai viroplexes for epidermal growth factor receptor‐directed delivery of interleukin‐12 and salmosin genes to cancer cells
Authors: Kim Jung Seok , Kim Min Woo , Jeong Hwa Yeon , Kang Seong Jae , Park Sang Il , Lee Yeon Kyung , Kim Hong Sung , Kim Keun Sik , Park Yong Serk 
Published: May 2016

AbstractBackgroundThe effective delivery of therapeutic genes to target cells has been a fundamental goal in cancer gene therapy because of its advantages with respect to both safety and transfection efficiency. In the present, study we describe a tumor‐directed gene delivery system that demonstrates remarkable efficacy in gene delivery and minimizes the off‐target effects of gene transfection.MethodsThe system consists of a well‐verified cationic O,O′‐dimyristyl‐N‐lysyl glutamate (DMKE), Sendai virus fusion (F) protein and hemagglutinin–neuraminidase (HN) protein, referred to as cationic Sendai F/HN virosomes. To achieve tumor‐specific recognition, anti‐epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor antibody was coupled to the surface of the virosomes containing interleukin‐12 (IL‐12) and/or salmosin genes that have potent anti‐angiogenetic functions.ResultsAmong the virosomal formulations, the anti‐EGF receptor (EGFR) viroplexes, prepared via complexation of plasmid DNA (pDNA) with cationic DMKE lipid, exhibited more efficient gene transfection to tumor cells over‐expressing EGF receptors compared to the neutrally‐charged anti‐EGFR virosomes encapsulating pDNA. In addition, the anti‐EGFR viroplexes with IL‐12 and salmosin genes exhibited the most effective therapeutic efficacy in a mouse tumor model. Especially when combined with doxorubicin, transfection of the two genes via the anti‐EGFR viroplexes exhibited an enhanced inhibitory effect on tumor growth and metastasis in lungs.ConclusionsThe results of the present study suggest that anti‐EGFR viroplexes can be utilized as an effective strategy for tumor‐directed gene delivery. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Morphological and sedimentary responses to ice mass interaction during the last deglaciation
Authors: Chiverrell Richard C. , Burke Matthew J. , Thomas Geoffrey S.P. 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTDuring decline of the last British–Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS) down‐wasting of ice meant that local sources played a larger role in regulating ice flow dynamics and driving the sediment and landform record. At the Last Glacial Maximum, glaciers in north‐western England interacted with an Irish Sea Ice Stream (ISIS) occupying the eastern Irish Sea basin (ISB) and advanced as a unified ice‐mass. During a retreat constrained to 21–17.3 ka, the sediment landform assemblages lain down reflect the progressive unzipping of the ice masses, oscillations of the ice margin during retreat, and then rapid wastage and disintegration. Evacuation of ice from the Ribble valley and Lancashire occurred first while the ISIS occupied the ISB to the west, creating ice‐dammed lakes. Deglaciation, complete after 18.6–17.3 ka, was rapid (50–25 m a−1), but slower than rates identified for the western ISIS (550–100 m a−1). The slower pace is interpreted as reflecting the lack of a calving margin and the decline of a terrestrial, grounded glacier. Ice marginal oscillations during retreat were probably forced by ice‐sheet dynamics rather than climatic variation. These data demonstrate that large grounded glaciers can display complex uncoupling and realignment during deglaciation, with asynchronous behaviour between adjacent ice lobes generating complex landform records.
The utility of indocyanine green fluorescence imaging during robotic adrenalectomy
Authors: Colvin Jennifer , Zaidi Nisar , Berber Eren 
Published: May 2016

Background and ObjectivesIndocyanine green (ICG) has been used for medical imaging since 1950s, but has more recently become available for use in minimally invasive surgery owing to improvements in technology. This study investigates the use of ICG florescence to guide an accurate dissection by delineating the borders of adrenal tumors during robotic adrenalectomy (RA).MethodsThis prospective study compared conventional robotic view with ICG fluorescence imaging in 40 consecutive patients undergoing RA. Independent, non‐blinded observers assessed how accurately ICG fluorescence delineated the borders of adrenal tumors compared to conventional robotic view.ResultsA total of 40 patients underwent 43 adrenalectomies. ICG imaging was superior, equivalent, or inferior to conventional robotic view in 46.5% (n = 20), 25.6% (n = 11), and 27.9% (n = 12) of the procedures. On univariate analysis, the only parameter that predicted the superiority of ICG imaging over conventional robotic view was the tumor type, with adrenocortical tumors being delineated more accurately on ICG imaging compared to conventional robotic view.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates the utility of ICG to guide the dissection and removal of adrenal tumors during RA. A simple reproducible method is reported, with a detailed description of the utility based on tumor type, approach and side. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:153–156. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An Update on the Clinical Utility of the Children's Post‐Traumatic Cognitions Inventory
Authors: McKinnon Anna , Smith Patrick , Bryant Richard , Salmon Karen , Yule William , Dalgleish Tim , Dixon Clare , Nixon Reginald D. V. , Meiser‐Stedman Richard 
Published: May 2016

AbstractThe Children's Post‐Traumatic Cognitions Inventory (CPTCI) is a self‐report questionnaire that measures maladaptive cognitions in children and young people following exposure to trauma. In this study, the psychometric properties of the CPTCI were examined in further detail with the objective of furthering its utility as a clinical tool. Specifically, we investigated the CPTCI's discriminant validity, test‐retest reliability, and the potential for the development of a short form of the measure. Three samples (London, East Anglia, Australia) of children and young people exposed to trauma (N = 535; 7–17 years old) completed the CPTCI and a structured clinical interview to measure posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms between 1 and 6 months following trauma. Test‐retest reliability was investigated in a subsample of 203 cases. The results showed that a score in the range of 46 to 48 on the CPTCI was indicative of clinically significant appraisals as determined by the presence of PTSD. The measure also had moderate‐to‐high test‐retest reliability (r = .78) over a 2‐month period. The Children's Post‐Traumatic Cognitions Inventory‐Short Form (CPTCI‐S) had excellent internal consistency (α = .92), and moderate‐to‐high test‐retest reliability (r = .78). The examination of construct validity showed the model had an excellent fitting factor structure (Comparative Fit index = 0.95, Tucker‐Lewis index = 0.91, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = .07). A score ranging from 16 to 18 was the best cutoff point on the CPTCI‐S, in that it was indicative of clinically significant appraisals as determined by the presence of PTSD. Based on these results, we concluded that the CPTCI is a useful tool to support the practice of clinicians and that the CPTCI‐S has excellent psychometric properties.
Structured decision making for managing pneumonia epizootics in bighorn sheep
Authors: Sells Sarah N. , Mitchell Michael S. , Edwards Victoria L. , Gude Justin A. , Anderson Neil J. 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTGood decision‐making is essential to conserving wildlife populations. Although there may be multiple ways to address a problem, perfect solutions rarely exist. Managers are therefore tasked with identifying decisions that will best achieve desired outcomes. Structured decision making (SDM) is a method of decision analysis used to identify the most effective, efficient, and realistic decisions while accounting for values and priorities of the decision maker. The stepwise process includes identifying the management problem, defining objectives for solving the problem, developing alternative approaches to achieve the objectives, and formally evaluating which alternative is most likely to accomplish the objectives. The SDM process can be more effective than informal decision‐making because it provides a transparent way to quantitatively evaluate decisions for addressing multiple management objectives while incorporating science, uncertainty, and risk tolerance. To illustrate the application of this process to a management need, we present an SDM‐based decision tool developed to identify optimal decisions for proactively managing risk of pneumonia epizootics in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) in Montana. Pneumonia epizootics are a major challenge for managers due to long‐term impacts to herds, epistemic uncertainty in timing and location of future epizootics, and consequent difficulty knowing how or when to manage risk. The decision tool facilitates analysis of alternative decisions for how to manage herds based on predictions from a risk model, herd‐specific objectives, and predicted costs and benefits of each alternative. Decision analyses for 2 example herds revealed that meeting management objectives necessitates specific approaches unique to each herd. The analyses showed how and under what circumstances the alternatives are optimal compared to other approaches and current management. Managers can be confident that these decisions are effective, efficient, and realistic because they explicitly account for important considerations managers implicitly weigh when making decisions, including competing management objectives, uncertainty in potential outcomes, and risk tolerance. © 2016 The Wildlife Society.