bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Early exposure to Aroclor 1254 in vivo disrupts the functional synaptic development of newborn hippocampal granule cells
Authors: Parent A. S. , Pinson A. , Woods N. , Chatzi C. , Vaaga C. E. , Bensen A. , Gérard A. , Thome J. P. , Bourguignon J. P. , Westbrook G. L. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractNeurogenesis in the dentate gyrus is sensitive to endogenous and exogenous factors that influence hippocampal function. Ongoing neurogenesis and the integration of these new neurons throughout life thus may provide a sensitive indicator of environmental stress. We examined the effects of Aroclor 1254 (A1254), a mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), on the development and function of newly generated dentate granule cells. Early exposure to A1254 has been associated with learning impairment in children, suggesting potential impact on the development of hippocampus and/or cortical circuits. Oral A1254 (from the 6th day of gestation to postnatal day 21) produced the expected increase in PCB levels in brain at postnatal day 21, which persisted at lower levels into adulthood. A1254 did not affect the proliferation or survival of newborn neurons in immature animals nor did it cause overt changes in neuronal morphology. However, A1254 occluded the normal developmental increase in sEPSC frequency in the third post‐mitotic week without altering the average sEPSC amplitude. Our results suggest that early exposure to PCBs can disrupt excitatory synaptic function during a period of active synaptogenesis, and thus could contribute to the cognitive effects noted in children exposed to PCBs.
Behavioural benefits of multisensory processing in ferrets
Authors: Hammond‐Kenny Amy , Bajo Victoria M. , King Andrew J. , Nodal Fernando R. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractEnhanced detection and discrimination, along with faster reaction times, are the most typical behavioural manifestations of the brain's capacity to integrate multisensory signals arising from the same object. In this study, we examined whether multisensory behavioural gains are observable across different components of the localization response that are potentially under the command of distinct brain regions. We measured the ability of ferrets to localize unisensory (auditory or visual) and spatiotemporally coincident auditory–visual stimuli of different durations that were presented from one of seven locations spanning the frontal hemifield. During the localization task, we recorded the head movements made following stimulus presentation, as a metric for assessing the initial orienting response of the ferrets, as well as the subsequent choice of which target location to approach to receive a reward. Head‐orienting responses to auditory–visual stimuli were more accurate and faster than those made to visual but not auditory targets, suggesting that these movements were guided principally by sound alone. In contrast, approach‐to‐target localization responses were more accurate and faster to spatially congruent auditory–visual stimuli throughout the frontal hemifield than to either visual or auditory stimuli alone. Race model inequality analysis of head‐orienting reaction times and approach‐to‐target response times indicates that different processes, probability summation and neural integration, respectively, are likely to be responsible for the effects of multisensory stimulation on these two measures of localization behaviour.
Low ratios of silica to dissolved nitrogen supplied to rivers arise from agriculture not reservoirs
Authors: Downing John A. , Cherrier Christine T. , Fulweiler Robinson W. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractCoastal marine systems are greatly altered by toxic marine algae, eutrophication and hypoxia. These problems have been linked to decreased ratios of dissolved silica to inorganic nitrogen (Si : DIN) delivered from land. Two mechanisms for this decline under consideration are enhanced nitrogen (N) fertiliser losses from agricultural lands or Si sequestration in reservoirs. Here we examine these mechanisms via nutrient concentrations in impoundments receiving water from 130 watersheds in a landscape representative of the agriculture that often dominates coastal nutrient inputs. Decreased Si : DIN was correlated with agriculture, not impoundment. Watersheds with > 60% agricultural land yielded highest DIN, whereas Si was uncorrelated with agricultural intensity. Furthermore, eutrophic lakes were dominated by Cyanobacteria that use little Si, so reservoirs did not diminish Si : DIN. Instead, Si : DIN increased slightly as reservoir residence time increased. These data suggest that impoundments in agricultural watersheds may enhance the water quality of coastal ecosystems, whereas fertiliser losses are detrimental.
Exchangeable copper: a reflection of the neurological severity in Wilson's disease
Authors: Poujois A. , Trocello J.‐M. , Djebrani‐Oussedik N. , Poupon J. , Collet C. , Girardot‐Tinant N. , Sobesky R. , Habès D. , Debray D. , Vanlemmens C. , Fluchère F. , Ory‐Magne F. , Labreuche J. , Preda C. , Woimant F. 
Published: October 2016

Background and purposeThe severity of Wilson's disease (WD) is linked to free copper accumulating in the liver and brain. Exchangeable copper (CuEXC) is a new technique to determine plasmatic copper and is useful in the diagnosis of WD. It is hypothesized that it may also enable a good evaluation of extra‐hepatic involvement and its severity.MethodsForty‐eight newly diagnosed WD patients were prospectively evaluated using hepatic, neurological, ophthalmological and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scores. Three phenotypic presentations were distinguished: pre‐symptomatic, hepatic and extra‐hepatic. CuEXC was determined in addition to standard copper assays before decoppering therapy. Correlations between biological parameters and the different scores were determined and compared in the hepatic and extra‐hepatic groups.ResultsExtra‐hepatic patients had significantly higher CuEXC values than those with the hepatic form (P < 0.0001). The overall ability of CuEXC to separate the two forms was satisfactory, with an area under the curve of 0.883 (95% confidence interval 0.771–0.996) and an optimal threshold for extra‐hepatic diagnosis of 2.08 μmol/l (sensitivity 85.7%; specificity 94.1%). In extra‐hepatic patients, CuEXC was the only biological marker to be positively correlated with the Unified Wilson Disease Rating Score (r = 0.45, P = 0.016), the Kayser−Fleischer ring score (r = 0.46, P = 0.014) and the brain MRI score (r = 0.38, P = 0.048), but it was not correlated with the hepatic score.ConclusionsExchangeable copper determination is useful when diagnosing WD as a value >2.08 μmol/l is indicative of the severity of the extra‐hepatic involvement. In the case of purely hepatic presentation, atypical or mild neurological signs, it should encourage physicians to search for lesions in the brain and eyes.
Identification of risk for severe psychiatric comorbidity in pediatric epilepsy
Authors: Jones Jana E. , Siddarth Prabha , Almane Dace , Gurbani Suresh , Hermann Bruce P. , Caplan Rochelle 
Published: October 2016

SummaryObjectiveThis study identified items on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) that predict those children and adolescents with epilepsy at highest risk for multiple psychiatric diagnoses.MethodsThree hundred twenty‐eight children, ages 5–18 years, and their parents participated in separate structured psychiatric interviews about the children, which yielded Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Text Revision (DSM‐IV‐TR) diagnoses. Parents completed theCBCL. The sample was divided into a younger (≤12 years, n = 214) group and an older (>12–18 years, n = 114) group. This study identified a reduced set of parent‐reportedCBCLitems associated with Multiple Diagnoses versus Single Diagnosis versus No Diagnosis using chi‐square tests and stepwise logistic regression. We then performed a generalized logistic regression with Multiple Diagnoses versus Single Diagnosis versus No Diagnosis as the dependent variable and the reducedCBCLset of items as predictors. We calculated the area under the ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve (AUC) as a measure of diagnostic accuracy for pairwise comparisons.ResultsFor the younger group, seven items (clingy, cruelty/bullying, perfectionist, nervous, poor school work, inattentive, and sulks) had high diagnostic accuracy (AUC= 0.88), and for the older group, three items (disobedient at school, loner, and lies/cheats) had high accuracy (AUC= 0.91) when comparing children with multiple psychiatric diagnoses to children with no diagnosis. For both age groups, there was less diagnostic accuracy in identifying children with a single versus no diagnosis (AUC= 0.75 [young]; 0.70 [older]).SignificanceThese findings suggest that responses to these two subsets of parent‐reportedCBCLitems should alert clinicians to children and adolescents with epilepsy at risk for multiple psychiatric diagnoses and in need of a psychiatric referral.
Acute treatment with minocycline, but not valproic acid, improves long‐term behavioral outcomes in the Theiler's virus model of temporal lobe epilepsy
Authors: Barker‐Haliski Melissa L. , Heck Taylor D. , Dahle E. Jill , Vanegas Fabiola , Pruess Timothy H. , Wilcox Karen S. , White H. Steve 
Published: October 2016

SummaryObjectiveInfection with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) in C57Bl/6J mice induces acute seizures and development of spontaneous recurrent seizures and behavioral comorbidities weeks later. The present studies sought to determine whether acute therapeutic intervention with an anti‐inflammatory–based approach could prevent or modify development of TMEV‐induced long‐term behavioral comorbidities. Valproic acid (VPA), in addition to its prototypical anticonvulsant properties, inhibits histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity, which may alter expression of the inflammasome. Minocycline (MIN) has previously demonstrated an antiseizure effect in the TMEV model via direct anti‐inflammatory mechanisms, but the long‐term effect of MIN treatment on the development of chronic behavioral comorbidities is unknown.MethodsMice infected with TMEV were acutely administered MIN (50 mg/kg, b.i.d. and q.d.) or VPA (100 mg/kg, q.d.) during the 7‐day viral infection period. Animals were evaluated for acute seizure severity and subsequent development of chronic behavioral comorbidities and seizure threshold.ResultsAdministration of VPA reduced the proportion of mice with seizures, delayed onset of symptomatic seizures, and reduced seizure burden during the acute infection. This was in contrast to the effects of administration of once‐daily MIN, which did not affect the proportion of mice with seizures or delay onset of acute symptomatic seizures. However, VPA‐treated mice were no different from vehicle (VEH)–treated mice in long‐term behavioral outcomes, including open field activity and seizure threshold. Once‐daily MIN treatment, despite no effect on the maximum observed Racine stage seizure severity, was associated with improved long‐term behavioral outcomes and normalized seizure threshold.SignificanceAcute seizure control alone is insufficient to modify chronic disease comorbidities in the TMEV model. This work further supports the role of an inflammatory response in the development of chronic behavioral comorbidities and further highlights the utility of this platform for the development of mechanistically novel pharmacotherapies for epilepsy.
Friends in Low Places: Responses of a Benthic Stream Fish to Intra‐Prey‐Guild Alarm Cues
Authors: Anderson Kelsey A. , Mathis Alicia 
Published: October 2016

AbstractMany aquatic species produce chemical alarm cues that serve as a warning to nearby conspecifics. In mixed‐species aggregations, individuals may also benefit by ‘eavesdropping’ on the chemical alarm cues of other species that are in the same prey guild. Rainbow Darters (Etheostoma caeruleum) are benthic fish that co‐occur with native Ozark Minnows (Notropis nubilus), recently introduced Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), and native Oklahoma Salamanders (Eurycea tyrnerensis), all of whom are vulnerable to the same predators. We tested the responses of darters to the damage‐released alarm cues of conspecifics (positive control), minnows, and mosquitofish; alarm cues from Bumblebee Gobies (Brachygobius doriae) served as a negative (allopatric) control. We also tested the response of sympatric and allopatric darters to the damage‐released alarm cues of Oklahoma Salamander. Darters exhibited a fright response to conspecific and minnow alarm cues, but not to cues from mosquitofish or gobies. Lack of response to mosquitofish cues could be because they are introduced or because they typically occur higher in the water column than darters. Darters that were sympatric with the salamander exhibited a fright response to the alarm cues of the salamander, while allopatric darters did not. Rainbow Darters can develop responses to the alarm cues of syntopic species (minnows and Oklahoma Salamander) within their prey guild.
A Potential Cost of Long Genitalia in Male Guppies: the Effects of Current Speed on Reproductive Behaviour
Authors: Kwan Lucia , Dobkin Adam N. , Rodd F. Helen , Rowe Locke 
Published: October 2016

AbstractIn the fish family Poeciliidae, male genitalia, the gonopodia, are remarkably diverse across species; however, we still do not have a good understanding of the evolutionary processes promoting this diversity. For one trait, gonopodium length, several studies support a role for sexual conflict in selection for longer gonopodia. However, genital elongation may come at a cost of reduced locomotor abilities (e.g. resulting from greater drag and resistance). In this study, we were interested in the potential role of natural selection on the evolution of gonopodium length in poeciliids. Specifically, we asked whether a greater genital length impedes male reproductive behaviours at higher flow rates in the Trinidadian guppy, Poecilia reticulata. Using a flow chamber, males were placed with females in low‐ and high‐flow regimes and reproductive behaviours were measured. We did not find evidence for a cost of bearing a longer gonopodium at high flow. However, males did alter their mating tactics in response to current flow. We discuss the implications of our findings, in the light of habitat selection, on the forms of selection operating on gonopodium length and the mating interactions between the sexes in poeciliids.
How Pronghorn Females Avoid Inbreeding Depression
Authors: Dunn Stacey J. , Byers John A. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractAfter a bottleneck in a closed population of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), some inbred matings occurred, and we detected significant inbreeding depression. But inbred matings occurred less frequently than would be expected by chance. Pronghorn females chose mates after a sampling period and had complete control of the mating decision. Therefore, to discover the behavioral mechanism by which females avoided mating with close kin, we studied female movements and courtship sequences. When females moved from one harem to another in the sampling process, they did not shift to harem males of lower coancestry as they approached estrus. Rather, females progressed more slowly through the later courtship stages when the harem male was related vs. unrelated. Also, the rates of male courtship acts were higher within unrelated vs. related pairs. Some females appeared to use multiple mating as an inbreeding avoidance strategy. Our results suggested that inbreeding avoidance by female pronghorn occurred primarily by reactions to the late stages of male courtship, rather than by spatial avoidance of related males.
Lysyl oxidase‐like 2 (LOXL2) oxidizes trimethylated lysine 4 in histone H3
Authors: Herranz Nicolás , Dave Natàlia , Millanes‐Romero Alba , Pascual‐Reguant Laura , Morey Lluis , Díaz Víctor M. , Lórenz‐Fonfría Víctor , Gutierrez‐Gallego Ricardo , Jerónimo Celia , Iturbide Ane , Di Croce Luciano , García de Herreros Antonio , Peiró Sandra 
Published: October 2016

Methylation of histone H3 lysine 4 is linked to active transcription and can be removed by LSD1 or the JmjC domain‐containing proteins by amino‐oxidation or hydroxylation, respectively. Here we describe that its deamination can be catalyzed by lysyl oxidase‐like 2 protein (LOXL2), presenting an unconventional chemical mechanism for H3K4 modification. Infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry analyses demonstrated that recombinant LOXL2 specifically deaminates trimethylated H3K4. Moreover, by regulating H3K4me3 deamination, LOXL2 activity is linked with the transcriptional control of the CDH1 gene. These results reveal the existence of further H3 modification as well as a novel mechanism for H3K4me3 demethylation.DatabaseThe GEO accession number for the data referred to this paper is GSE35600.
A bacterial acyl aminoacyl peptidase couples flexibility and stability as a result of cold adaptation
Authors: Brocca Stefania , Ferrari Cristian , Barbiroli Alberto , Pesce Alessandra , Lotti Marina , Nardini Marco 
Published: October 2016

Life in cold environments requires an overall increase in the flexibility of macromolecular and supramolecular structures to allow biological processes to take place at low temperature. Conformational flexibility supports high catalytic rates of enzymes in the cold but in several cases is also a cause of instability. The three‐dimensional structure of the psychrophilic acyl aminoacyl peptidase from Sporosarcina psychrophila (SpAAP) reported in this paper highlights adaptive molecular changes resulting in a fine‐tuned trade‐off between flexibility and stability. In its functional form SpAAP is a dimer, and an increase in flexibility is achieved through loosening of intersubunit hydrophobic interactions. The release of subunits from the quaternary structure is hindered by an ‘arm exchange’ mechanism, in which a tiny structural element at the N terminus of one subunit inserts into the other subunit. Mutants lacking the ‘arm’ are monomeric, inactive and highly prone to aggregation. Another feature of SpAAP cold adaptation is the enlargement of the tunnel connecting the exterior of the protein with the active site. Such a wide channel might compensate for the reduced molecular motions occurring in the cold and allow easy and direct access of substrates to the catalytic site, rendering transient movements between domains unnecessary. Thus, cold‐adapted SpAAP has developed a molecular strategy unique within this group of proteins: it is able to enhance the flexibility of each functional unit while still preserving sufficient stability.DatabaseStructural data are available in the Protein Data Bank under the accession number 5L8S.
The Association between Board Composition and Corporate Pension Policies
Authors: Vafeas Nikos , Vlittis Adamos 
Published: October 2016

AbstractThis study examines the role of board composition in the determination of pension policies. The results suggest that the proportion of outside directors serving on the board is positively related with pension plan funding levels. In addition, the proportion of outside directors mitigates the relation between financial distress risk and plan underfunding. Last, as firms approach distress, boards with a greater proportion of outside directors tend to allocate a lower fraction of plan assets to riskier securities. Together, our findings suggest that outside directors are mindful of their obligations toward pension plan beneficiaries.
Colonialism and Other Afflictions: Rethinking Native American Health History
Authors: Archer Seth 
Published: October 2016

AbstractScholarly debate persists about the role of disease in the European colonization of the Americas. Were human pathogens the shock troops of conquest or a by‐product of colonial incursions? Biological warfare or an accident of ecology? Historians and other scholars have recently raised the stakes on this 500‐year‐old debate by questioning the received narrative of Native American disease and depopulation after 1492 – in particular, the notion of “virgin soil” epidemics. This article reviews that new literature and makes a case for understanding the Native health past in all its complexity. Departing from a growing consensus about the contingent role of disease in the colonial process, the article suggests ways to develop the broader history of Native American health.
Building Burma: Constructing Rangoon's Urban Influence on Citizenship and Nationhood
Authors: Sugarman Michael 
Published: October 2016

AbstractWhile Burma has often been discussed at the margins of South and Southeast Asian historiography, contemporary scholarship has begun to construct Burma as central to wider regional and inter‐Asian histories. This essay considers how notions of nationhood and citizenship relating to Rangoon's urban environment can begin to be understood in light of recent historical work on other Asian port cities. Looking at published work on Asian cities like Bombay, Hong Kong, and Singapore, this article constructs a contextual framework from which Rangoon's role in building a Burmese identity can be analysed. Nikhil Rao'sHouse, But No Gardenon Bombay offers a productive means through which a middle‐class and commercial Burmese identity could be constructed in Rangoon's pre‐war ‘suburbs’, while Alan Smart'sThe Shek Kip Mei Mython Hong Kong and Loh Kah Seng'sSquatters into Citizenson Singapore provide a way of understanding the role that disaster and crisis play on forming identities of belonging and citizenship among the poorest sections of Rangoon's war torn post‐war society. These cities, along with others across the Indian Ocean world – each with a long, continuous and often separate tradition of historical inquiry – can then help begin to build an understanding of citizenship and nationhood in Burma as it relates to the construction of Rangoon's urban environment.
Active Learning Methods and Technology: Strategies for Design Education
Authors: Coorey Jillian 
Published: October 2016

AbstractThe demands in higher education are on the rise. Charged with teaching more content, increased class sizes and engaging students, educators face numerous challenges. In design education, educators are often torn between the teaching of technology and the teaching of theory. Learning the formal concepts of hierarchy, contrast and space provide the critical foundation of a design education. However, without learning the tools (technology) a student will struggle to bring their concept to fruition. This article proposes using active learning techniques, specifically peer learning, as an engaging method to augment teaching technology. Students participated in peer‐based exercises throughout the course of a semester, including technology teams, technology checklists and group software challenges. Observations and survey data conclude students comprehension of technology improved and the instructor was afforded time to spend on the teaching of theory and process. Peer learning fosters a collaborative learning community, increases leadership skills and creates lifelong learners. Although these methods were used in a design course, this study can serve as a model for other disciplines that integrate technology in the classroom or for educators seeking active learning methods.