bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chromatic disorders in bats: a review of pigmentation anomalies and the misuse of terms to describe them
Authors: Lucati Federica , López‐Baucells Adrià 
Published: December 2016

AbstractChromatic disorders in bats are being reported worldwide at an increasing rate. However, there is widespread misunderstanding and misuse of the associated terminology and concepts in the scientific literature. We conducted an extensive assessment and standardisation of published and unpublished cases of chromatic disorders in bats worldwide.Chromatic disorders have been recorded in at least 609 bats belonging to 115 species and 10 families (after correction of misused terms, 152 cases of albinism, 11 of leucism, 269 of piebaldism, 20 of hypomelanism, three of partial melanism and 94 of melanism; a further 60 records remain unclassified).Of the 354 records in which a location was given, 297 bats were found in closed roost sites, mainly caves, buildings, and mines and galleries, while just three were found roosting externally. This difference could be attributed to the greater monitoring effort employed in underground areas than in forests, and to the greater detectability of bats dwelling in caves and buildings than forest‐dwelling species.Although reports of chromatic disorders in bats are reasonably well spread around the globe, there are large areas from which no disorders have ever been reported: the Central Amazon, almost all of Africa, northern Europe, and almost all of Asia and Oceania. This is likely to be attributable to either the disregard for information on chromatic disorders (e.g. Central Amazon) or to the low abundance of occurring species (e.g. northern Europe).In all, 40% of the records of leucism and piebaldism were misclassified as ‘partial albinism’; leucism was also often used to designate pied aberrations.We propose a standardised classification to distinguish between albinism, leucism, piebaldism, hypomelanism, melanism and partial melanism. Due to frequent confusion, we encourage scientists to follow this classification and we highlight the need to employ comprehensive terminology when describing chromatic disorders in scientific publications.
Tropical rainforests that persisted: inferences from the Quaternary demographic history of eight tree species in the Guiana shield
Authors: Barthe Stéphanie , Binelli Giorgio , Hérault Bruno , Scotti‐Saintagne Caroline , Sabatier Daniel , Scotti Ivan 
Published: December 2016

AbstractHow Quaternary climatic and geological disturbances influenced the composition of Neotropical forests is hotly debated. Rainfall and temperature changes during and/or immediately after the last glacial maximum (LGM) are thought to have strongly affected the geographical distribution and local abundance of tree species. The paucity of the fossil records in Neotropical forests prevents a direct reconstruction of such processes. To describe community‐level historical trends in forest composition, we turned therefore to inferential methods based on the reconstruction of past demographic changes. In particular, we modelled the history of rainforests in the eastern Guiana Shield over a timescale of several thousand generations, through the application of approximate Bayesian computation and maximum‐likelihood methods to diversity data at nuclear and chloroplast loci in eight species or subspecies of rainforest trees. Depending on the species and on the method applied, we detected population contraction, expansion or stability, with a general trend in favour of stability or expansion, with changes presumably having occurred during or after the LGM. These findings suggest that Guiana Shield rainforests have globally persisted, while expanding, through the Quaternary, but that different species have experienced different demographic events, with a trend towards the increase in frequency of light‐demanding, disturbance‐associated species.
Dura mater graft‐associated Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease with 30‐year incubation period
Authors: Shijo Masahiro , Honda Hiroyuki , Koyama Sachiko , Ishitsuka Koji , Maeda Koichiro , Kuroda Junya , Tanii Mitsugu , Kitazono Takanari , Iwaki Toru 
Published: December 2016

Over 60% of all patients with dura mater graft‐associated Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease (dCJD) have been diagnosed in Japan. The incubation period has ranged from 1 to 30 years and the age at onset from 15 to 80 years. Here, we report a 77‐year‐old male Japanese autopsied dCJD case with the longest incubation period so far in Japan. He received a cadaveric dural graft at the right cranial convexity following a craniotomy for meningioma at the age of 46. At 30 years post‐dural graft placement, disorientation was observed as an initial symptom of dCJD. He rapidly began to present with inconsistent speech, cognitive impairment and tremor of the left upper extremity. Occasional myoclonic jerks were predominantly observed on the left side. Brain MRI presented hyperintense signals on diffusion‐weighted and T2‐weighted images, at the right cerebral cortex. The most hyperintense lesion was located at the right parietal lobe, where the dura mater graft had been transplanted. Single‐photon emission CT scan showed markedly decreased cerebral blood flow at the right parietal lobe. EEG revealed diffuse and slow activities with periodic sharp‐wave complex discharges seen in the right parietal, temporal and occipital lobes. He died of pneumonia 9 months after onset. Brain pathology revealed non‐plaque‐type dCJD. Laterality of neuropathological changes, including spongiform change, neuronal loss, gliosis or PrP deposits, was not evident. Western blot analysis showed type 1 PrPCJD. Alzheimer‐type pathology and PSP‐like pathology were also observed.
Expression of a Drosophila glutathione transferase in Arabidopsis confers the ability to detoxify the environmental pollutant, and explosive, 2,4,6‐trinitrotoluene
Authors: Tzafestas Kyriakos , Razalan Maria M. , Gyulev Ivan , Mazari Aslam M. A. , Mannervik Bengt , Rylott Elizabeth L. , Bruce Neil C. 
Published: December 2016

Summary

The explosive 2,4,6‐trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a significant, global environmental pollutant that is both toxic and recalcitrant to degradation. Given the sheer scale and inaccessible nature of contaminated areas, phytoremediation may be a viable clean‐up approach. Here, we have characterized a Drosophila melanogaster glutathione transferase (DmGSTE6) which has activity towards TNT.

Recombinantly expressed, purified DmGSTE6 produces predominantly 2‐glutathionyl‐4,6‐dinitrotoluene, and has a 2.5‐fold higher Maximal Velocity (Vmax), and five‐fold lower Michaelis Constant (Km) than previously characterized TNT‐active Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) GSTs. Expression of DmGSTE6 in Arabidopsis conferred enhanced resistance to TNT, and increased the ability to remove TNT from contaminated soil relative to wild‐type plants.

Arabidopsis lines overexpressing TNT‐active GSTs AtGST‐U24 and AtGST‐U25 were compromised in biomass production when grown in the absence of TNT. This yield drag was not observed in the DmGSTE6‐expressing Arabidopsis lines. We hypothesize that increased levels of endogenous TNT‐active GSTs catalyse excessive glutathionylation of endogenous substrates, depleting glutathione pools, an activity that DmGST may lack.

In conclusion, DmGSTE6 has activity towards TNT, producing a compound with potential for further biodegradation. Selecting or manipulating plants to confer DmGSTE6‐like activity could contribute towards development of phytoremediation strategies to clean up TNT from polluted military sites.
Fluorescent Protein–photoprotein Fusions and Their Applications in Calcium Imaging
Authors: Bakayan Adil , Domingo Beatriz , Vaquero Cecilia F. , Peyriéras Nadine , Llopis Juan 
Published: December 2016

AbstractCalcium‐activated photoproteins, such as aequorin, have been used as luminescent Ca2+ indicators since 1967. After the cloning of aequorin in 1985, microinjection was substituted by its heterologous expression, which opened the way for a widespread use. Molecular fusion of green fluorescent protein (GFP) to aequorin recapitulated the nonradiative energy transfer process that occurs in the jellyfish Aequorea victoria, from which these two proteins were obtained, resulting in an increase of light emission and a shift to longer wavelength. The abundance and location of the chimera are seen by fluorescence, whereas its luminescence reports Ca2+ levels. GFP‐aequorin is broadly used in an increasing number of studies, from organelles and cells to intact organisms. By fusing other fluorescent proteins to aequorin, the available luminescence color palette has been expanded for multiplexing assays and for in vivo measurements. In this report, we will attempt to review the various photoproteins available, their reported fusions with fluorescent proteins and their biological applications to image Ca2+ dynamics in organelles, cells, tissue explants and in live organisms.
Bootstrapping the P300 in diagnostic psychophysiology: How many iterations are needed?
Authors: Rosenfeld J. Peter , Ward Anne , Meijer Ewout H. , Yukhnenko Denis 
Published: December 2016

AbstractIn psychophysiological research, bootstrapping procedures are often used to classify individual participants. How many iterations are required for a reliable bootstrap test is not universally agreed upon. To investigate the number of iterations needed for a stable bootstrap estimate, we reanalyzed P300 data collected in concealed information test paradigms. We also distinguished between the bootstrap and permutations approaches. We compared results in several studies using 100 versus 1,000 versus 10,000 iterations in the bootstrap, and we concluded that 100 iterations were adequate as results from all three iteration numbers correlated highly.
Taking time to feel our body: Steady increases in heartbeat perception accuracy and decreases in alexithymia over 9 months of contemplative mental training
Authors: Bornemann Boris , Singer Tania 
Published: December 2016

AbstractThe ability to accurately perceive signals from the body has been shown to be important for physical and psychological health as well as understanding one's emotions. Despite the importance of this skill, often indexed by heartbeat perception accuracy (HBPa), little is known about its malleability. Here, we investigated whether contemplative mental practice can increase HBPa. In the context of a 9‐month mental training study, the ReSource Project, two matched cohorts (n = 77 and n = 79) underwent three training modules of 3 months' duration that targeted attentional and interoceptive abilities (Presence module), socio‐affective (Affect module), and socio‐cognitive (Perspective module) abilities. A third cohort (n = 78) underwent 3 months of practice (Affect module) and a retest control group (n = 84) did not undergo any training. HBPa was measured with a heartbeat tracking task before and after each training module. Emotional awareness was measured by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). Participants with TAS scores > 60 at screening were excluded. HBPa was found to increase steadily over the training, with significant and small‐ to medium‐sized effects emerging after 6 months (Cohen's d = .173) and 9 months (d = .273) of mental training. Changes in HBPa were concomitant with and predictive of changes in emotional awareness. Our results suggest that HBPa can indeed be trained through intensive contemplative practice. The effect takes longer than the 8 weeks of typical mindfulness courses to reach meaningful magnitude. These increments in interoceptive accuracy and the related improvements in emotional awareness point to opportunities for improving physical and psychological health through contemplative mental training.
Bovine ovarian stem cells differentiate into germ cells and oocyte‐like structures after culture in vitro
Authors: de Souza GB , Costa JJN , da Cunha EV , Passos JRS , Ribeiro RP , Saraiva MVA , van den Hurk R , Silva JRV 
Published: December 2016

ContentsStem cells have been isolated from ovaries, and their ability to differentiate into oocytes in vitro has been demonstrated for mice and human, but not for bovine species. The aims of this study were to isolate germline stem cells from bovine ovaries and to evaluate the effects of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) 2 and 4, and follicular fluid on the differentiation of these stem cells into oocyte‐like structures. The ovarian stem cells were isolated and cultured in α‐MEM+ supplemented with BMP2, BMP4 or follicular fluid. On days 0 and 14, cells were evaluated for their morphological appearance, viability, expression of alkaline phosphatase and for markers of germ cell formation (VASA and DAZL) and oocyte development (GDF9, ZPA and SCP3) by qPCR. Levels of mRNA were analysed using ANOVA and Bonferroni test (p < .05). The results showed that at day 0, ovarian stem cells expressed specific markers of pluripotency (OCT4, SOX). In addition, these cells were positive for alkaline phosphatase, which is a marker commonly used to identify primordial germ cells (PGCs). After the period of differentiation, cells had morphological features that resemble PGCs and oocyte‐like cells (OLCs). An increase, ranging from five to 14 times, in the expression of VASA was observed in cells cultured in medium supplemented with BMPs and follicular fluid, while the increase in DAZL expression ranged from four to six times. In addition, OLCs had an increase in expression of mRNAs for GDF9, ZPA and SCP3 that ranged from two to eight times. In conclusion, OLCs can be differentiated in vitro from ovarian stem cells and BMPs and follicular fluid are effective in stimulating the expression of mRNAs for germ cell and oocyte markers.
Environmental and maternal factors associated with gross placental morphology in dairy cattle
Authors: Kamal MM , Van Eetvelde M , Vandaele L , Opsomer G 
Published: December 2016

ContentsThis article reports on a study of gross placental morphology of 282 expelled placentas from 89 primi‐ and 193 multiparous Holstein dams immediately after calving and examines associations with environmental factors such as typical herd features and season of calving, and maternal factors such as age at calving, level of milk yield at conception and cumulative amount of milk produced during gestation. The highest correlation between calf measurements and placental characteristics was found between the weight of the calf and the total cotyledonary surface (r = .643; p < .001), confirming the high importance of the cotyledonary surface available for nutrient transfer to the developing foetus. Younger age in adolescent and smaller heart girth in multiparous dams were associated with a higher cotyledon number, suggesting placental compensation in dams with lower capacities in terms of dry matter intake. No significant association between milk yield during gestation in multiparous animals and gross placental morphometrics could be detected, indicating that factors such as the amount of milk produced during gestation affect placental development less than foetal weight close to term. Therefore, placental growth may be sustained at the expense of other tissues in an attempt to maintain pregnancy and minimize the adverse consequences for the foetus. This study offers evidence concerning factors affecting the placental surface size for nutrient transfer from dam to calf in dairy cattle based on gross morphometrics, but needs confirmation from studies in which this surface size is more profoundly assessed by measuring the branches present in the cotyledonary villi.
The Relationship between Political Tensions, Trade and Capital Flows in ASEAN Plus Three
Authors: Gawarkiewicz Thomas , Tang Yao 
Published: December 2016

AbstractWe estimate the effects of political tension on trade and capital flows in ASEAN Plus Three countries in the framework of a gravity model. We quantify political tension through text‐parsing software reading daily Reuters’ articles from 1990 to 2013 and exclude Brunei and Laos due to sparsity of news coverage. Regarding bilateral trade, we find that political conflict, measured by negative reports in Reuters’ articles, seems to only affect bilateral trade between countries that are not both members of the World Trade Organization (WTO). For these countries, a 1 per cent rise in the tension score results in a 0.05 per cent decline in trade. There is weaker evidence that improvement in bilateral relationship, measured by positive reports in Reuters’ articles, is associated with more trade. As for capital flows, while long‐term capital flows, measured by foreign direct investment, appear to be unaffected by short‐term tensions, both a non‐democratic government and a history of war negatively affect FDI.
Quorum Sensing Coordinates Cooperative Expression of Pyruvate Metabolism Genes To Maintain a Sustainable Environment for Population Stability
Authors: Hawver Lisa A. , Giulietti Jennifer M. , Baleja James D. , Ng Wai-Leung 
Published: December 2016

ABSTRACT

Quorum sensing (QS) is a microbial cell-cell communication system that regulates gene expression in response to population density to coordinate collective behaviors. Yet, the role of QS in resolving the stresses caused by the accumulation of toxic metabolic by-products at high cell density is not well defined. In response to cell density, QS could be involved in reprogramming of the metabolic network to maintain population stability. Using unbiased metabolomics, we discovered that
Vibrio cholerae
mutants genetically locked in a low cell density (LCD) QS state are unable to alter the pyruvate flux to convert fermentable carbon sources into neutral acetoin and 2,3-butanediol molecules to offset organic acid production. As a consequence, LCD-locked QS mutants rapidly lose viability when grown with fermentable carbon sources. This key metabolic switch relies on the QS-regulated small RNAs Qrr1-4 but is independent of known QS regulators AphA and HapR. Qrr1-4 dictate pyruvate flux by translational repression of the enzyme AlsS, which carries out the first step in acetoin and 2,3-butanediol biosynthesis. Consistent with the idea that QS facilitates the expression of a common trait in the population, AlsS needs to be expressed cooperatively in a group of cells. Heterogeneous populations with high percentages of cells not expressing AlsS are unstable. All of the cells, regardless of their respective QS states, succumb to stresses caused by toxic by-product accumulation. Our results indicate that the ability of the bacteria to cooperatively control metabolic flux through QS is critical in maintaining a sustainable environment and overall population stability.

IMPORTANCE
Our work reveals a novel role for
Vibrio cholerae
quorum sensing (QS) in relieving the stresses caused by toxic metabolite accumulation when the population becomes crowded through metabolic reprogramming. QS enables
V. cholerae
switching from a low cell density energy-generating metabolism that is beneficial to individuals at the expense of the environment to a high cell density mode that preserves environmental habitability by sacrificing individual fitness. This cooperative switch provides a stable environment as the common good in maintaining the stability of the community. However, the common good can be exploited by uncooperative mutants that pollute the environment, causing population collapse. Our findings provide insights into the metabolic stress response of a major human pathogen, with implications for our understanding of microbial social biology and cooperation from an ecological and evolutionary perspective.
Patients’ views on their experience of the delivery of single-sex accommodation within the endoscopy department: is it worth it?
Authors: Wiseman Elizabeth F , Chatten Kelly , Shah Sita , Keld Richard R , Ang Yeng S 
Published: December 2016

IntroductionProvision of single-sex accommodation (SSA) in hospitals is a key National Health Service objective. Department of Health policy to eliminate mixed-sex accommodation (MSA) was implemented in our endoscopy department in 2011. We found no published studies of patients’ views on MSA in endoscopy units.AimWe explored patients’ views on MSA and their experience of attending our unit at Royal Albert Edward Infirmary (Wigan, UK) since implementation of the SSA policy.MethodsPatients attending the endoscopy unit August–October 2012 and February–April 2015 were invited to participate. Views were surveyed using a 10-point questionnaire.Results155 patients were included. A minority were aware of national (36%) or local (39%) policies regarding MSA provision. Only 20.0% and 22.9% reported that they would feel uncomfortable changing behind a curtain or waiting in a gown in a mixed-sex area, respectively. Most of those that felt uncomfortable (81% and 71%) were female, and women ranked importance of SSA significantly higher than men. However, both sexes ranked importance of SSA significantly lower than that of prompt investigation/treatment. Admissions to an alternative recovery area specifically to maintain SSA compliance reduced from 25% (2012) to 8% (2015), following simple measures to improve list efficiency, with corollary reduction in reports of compromised patient experience.ConclusionsSSA is an important healthcare priority for some patients, especially women. However, most consider prompt investigation/treatment a much higher priority. Measures to comply with SSA can negatively affect patient experience. However, we demonstrate that simple measures can result in significant improvements in service delivery and patient experience while remaining compliant with SSA guidance.
Influence of sympathetic nerve activity on aortic hemodynamics and pulse wave velocity in women
Authors: Harvey Ronée E. , Barnes Jill N. , Hart Emma C. J. , Nicholson Wayne T. , Joyner Michael J. , Casey Darren P. 
Published: December 2016

Central (aortic) blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and sympathetic nerve activity increase with age in women. However, it is unknown if the age-related increase in sympathetic activity influences aortic hemodynamics and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), an index of central aortic stiffness. The goal of this study was to determine if aortic hemodynamics and cfPWV are directly influenced by sympathetic nerve activity by measuring aortic hemodynamics, cfPWV, and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) in women before and during autonomic ganglionic blockade with trimethaphan camsylate. We studied 12 young premenopausal (23 ± 4 yr) and 12 older postmenopausal (57 ± 3 yr) women. These women did not differ in body mass index or mean arterial pressure ( P > 0.05 for both). At baseline, postmenopausal women had higher aortic pulse pressure, augmented pressure, augmentation index adjusted for a heart rate of 75 beats/min, wasted left ventricular pressure energy, and cfPWV than young women ( P < 0.05). During ganglionic blockade, postmenopausal women had a greater decrease in these variables in comparison to young women ( P < 0.05). Additionally, baseline MSNA was negatively correlated with the reductions in aortic pulse pressure, augmented pressure, and wasted left ventricular pressure energy during ganglionic blockade in postmenopausal women ( P < 0.05) but not young women. Baseline MSNA was not correlated with the changes in augmentation index adjusted for a heart rate of 75 beats/min or cfPWV in either group ( P > 0.05 for all). Our results suggest that some aortic hemodynamic parameters are influenced by sympathetic activity to a greater extent in older postmenopausal women than in young premenopausal women.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Autonomic ganglionic blockade results in significant decreases in multiple aortic pulse wave characteristics (e.g., augmented pressure) and central pulse wave velocity in older postmenopausal women but not in young premenopausal women. Certain aortic pulse wave parameters are negatively influenced by sympathetic activity to a greater extent in older postmenopausal women.