bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Accelerated kindling epileptogenesis in Tg4510 tau transgenic mice, but not in tau knockout mice
Authors: Liu Shijie , Shen Yu , Shultz Sandy R. , Nguyen Anne , Hovens Christopher , Adlard Paul A. , Bush Ashley I. , Chan Jianxiong , Kwan Patrick , O'Brien Terence J. , Jones Nigel C. 
Published: July 2017

SummaryThe biologic processes underlying epileptogenesis following a brain insult are not fully understood, but several lines of evidence suggest that hyperphosphorylation of tau may be an important factor in these processes. To provide further insight into the causal relationship between tau and epileptogenesis, this study applied amygdala kindling to rTg4510 mice that, concurrent with other pathologies, overexpress phosphorylated tau, tau knockout mice, or their respective wild‐type controls. Mice were electrically stimulated twice daily, 5 days per week for 3 weeks. Electroencephalography was recorded to measure the primary afterdischarge duration, and the behavioral progression of kindling‐induced seizures was assessed. rTg4510 mice (n = 10) had increased primary afterdischarge durations (p < 0.001), and significantly more rapid progression of kindling (p < 0.001), compared with wild‐type mice (n = 10). Tau knockout mice (n = 7), however, did not differ from their wild‐type counterparts (n = 8) on any of the seizure outcomes. These results suggest that Tg4510 mice are more vulnerable to epileptogenesis, but that the presence of tau itself is not necessary for kindling epileptogenesis to occur.
Effects of dobutamine, dopamine, phenylephrine and noradrenaline on systemic haemodynamics and intestinal perfusion in isoflurane anaesthetised horses
Authors: Dancker C. , Hopster K. , Rohn K. , Kästner S. B. 
Published: July 2017

SummaryBackgroundIn the horse, effects of cardiovascular‐active drugs on local perfusion of the gastrointestinal tract are poorly understood.ObjectivesTo determine the effect of drugs commonly used to support blood pressure, on local intestinal blood flow and tissue oxygenation under isoflurane anaesthesia.Study designIn vivorandomised crossover experiment.MethodsTen horses were anaesthetised with isoflurane. After 90 min of equilibration three doses (μg/kg bwt/min) of dobutamine (DOB0.5/1/3), dopamine (DA1/2/5), noradrenaline (NA0.1/0.2/0.5) and phenylephrine (PHE0.5/1/3) were infused for 15 min, in a randomised order, with a 45 min washout‐period. Blood flow and tissue oxygenation (sO2) of jejunum, colon and stomach were measured using white light remission spectrophotometry and laser doppler flowmetry; heart rate (HR), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO) were measured and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) calculated.ResultsCompared to baseline high dose dobutamine significantly increasedCO,HR,MAP(P<0.001) and blood flow to the jejunum (+47 ± 26%, P = 0.001) and colon (+29 ± 15%, P<0.001) (mean ± s.d.). Dopamine (DA5) increasedCObut decreased colonic blood flow (−39 ± 21% from baseline, P<0.001), as well asSVRandMAPcompared to baseline (P<0.001). Noradrenaline had no significant influence on intestinal perfusion, but increasedMAPandSVRfrom baseline (P<0.001). Phenylephrine (PHE3) caused a significant decrease in blood flow andsO2, most profoundly at the colon compared to baseline (flow −44 ± 21%;sO2−16 ± 3%, P<0.001), whileMAPandSVRincreased andCOandHRdecreased (P<0.001).Main limitationsThe measurement technique only allows for flow measurements in arbitrary units, which can limit comparability to other techniques.ConclusionAt the investigated doses dobutamine improved systemic and peripheral haemodynamics, while dopamine decreasedMAPand peripheral perfusion. Noradrenaline increasedMAPandSVRwhile peripheral blood flow was maintained, phenylephrine increasedMAP, but reduced both local and systemic perfusion.
Short frontal plane fractures involving the dorsoproximal articular surface of the proximal phalanx: Description of the injury and a technique for repair
Authors: Wright I. M. , Minshall G. J. 
Published: July 2017

SummaryBackgroundChip fractures of the dorsoproximal articular margin of the proximal phalanx are common injuries in racehorses. Large fractures can extend distal to the joint capsule insertion and have been described as dorsal frontal fractures.ObjectivesTo report the location and morphology of short frontal plane fractures involving the dorsoproximal articular surface of the proximal phalanx and describe a technique for repair under arthroscopic and radiographic guidance.Study designSingle centre retrospective case study.MethodsCase records of horses with frontal plane fractures restricted to the dorsoproximal epiphysis and metaphysis of the proximal phalanx referred to Newmarket Equine Hospital were retrieved, images reviewed and lesion morphology described. A technique for repair and the results obtained are reported.ResultsA total of 22 fractures in 21 horses commencing at the proximal articular surface exited the dorsal cortex of the proximal phalanx distal to the metacarpophalangeal/metatarsophalangeal joint capsule in 17 hind‐ and five forelimbs. All were in Thoroughbred racehorses. In 16 cases these were acute racing or training injuries; 20 fractures were medial, one lateral and one was midline. All were repaired with a single lag screw using arthroscopic and radiographically determined landmarks. A total of 16 horses raced after surgery with performance data similar to their preinjury levels.Main limitationsThe study demonstrates substantial morphological similarities between individual lesions supporting a common pathophysiology, but does not identify precise causation. There are no cases managed differently that might permit assessment of the comparative efficacy of the treatment described.ConclusionsShort frontal plane fractures involving the dorsoproximal margin of the proximal phalanx that exit the bone distal to the metacarpophalangeal/metatarsophalangeal joint capsule have substantial morphological similarities, are amenable to minimally invasive repair and carry a good prognosis for return to training and racing.
Projected climate changes threaten ancient refugia of kelp forests in the North Atlantic
Authors: Assis Jorge , Araújo Miguel B. , Serrão Ester A. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractIntraspecific genetic variability is critical for species adaptation and evolution and yet it is generally overlooked in projections of the biological consequences of climate change. We ask whether ongoing climate changes can cause the loss of important gene pools from North Atlantic relict kelp forests that persisted over glacial–interglacial cycles. We use ecological niche modelling to predict genetic diversity hotspots for eight species of large brown algae with different thermal tolerances (Arctic to warm temperate), estimated as regions of persistence throughout the Last Glacial Maximum (20,000 YBP), the warmer Mid‐Holocene (6,000 YBP), and the present. Changes in the genetic diversity within ancient refugia were projected for the future (year 2100) under two contrasting climate change scenarios (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5). Models predicted distributions that matched empirical distributions in cross‐validation, and identified distinct refugia at the low latitude ranges, which largely coincide among species with similar ecological niches. Transferred models into the future projected polewards expansions and substantial range losses in lower latitudes, where richer gene pools are expected (in Nova Scotia and Iberia for cold affinity species and Gibraltar, Alboran, and Morocco for warm‐temperate species). These effects were projected for both scenarios but were intensified under the extreme RCP8.5 scenario, with the complete borealization (circum‐Arctic colonization) of kelp forests, the redistribution of the biogeographical transitional zones of the North Atlantic, and the erosion of global gene pools across all species. As the geographic distribution of genetic variability is unknown for most marine species, our results represent a baseline for identification of locations potentially rich in unique phylogeographic lineages that are also climatic relics in threat of disappearing.
Genetic mapping of biomass yield in three interconnected Miscanthus populations
Authors: Dong Hongxu , Liu Siyao , Clark Lindsay V. , Sharma Shailendra , Gifford Justin M. , Juvik John A. , Lipka Alexander E. , Sacks Erik J. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractImproving biomass yield is a major goal of Miscanthus breeding. We conducted a study on one interspecific Miscanthus sinensis × Miscanthus sacchariflorus F1 population and two intraspecific M. sinensis F1 populations, each of which shared a common parent. A field trial was established at Urbana, IL during spring 2011, and phenotypic data were collected in 2012 and 2013 for fourteen yield traits. Six high‐density parental genetic maps, as well as a consensus genetic map integrating M. sinensis and M. sacchariflorus, were developed via the pseudotestcross strategy for noninbred parents with ≥1214 single‐nucleotide polymorphism markers generated from restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing. We confirmed for the first time a whole‐genome duplication in M. sacchariflorus relative to Sorghum bicolor, similar to that observed previously for M. sinensis. Four quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis methods for detecting marker‐trait associations were compared: (1) individual parental map composite interval mapping analysis, (2) individual parental map stepwise analysis, (3) consensus map single‐population stepwise analysis and (4) consensus map joint‐population stepwise analysis. These four methods detected 288, 264, 133 and 109 total QTLs, which resolved into 157, 136, 106 and 86 meta‐QTLs based on QTL congruency, respectively, including a set of 59 meta‐QTLs common to all four analysis methods. Composite interval mapping and stepwise analysis co‐identified 118 meta‐QTLs across six parental maps, suggesting high reliability of stepwise regression in QTL detection. Joint‐population stepwise analysis yielded the highest resolution of QTLs compared to the other three methods across all meta‐QTLs. Strong, frequently advantageous transgressive segregation in the three populations indicated a promising future for breeding new higher‐yielding cultivars of Miscanthus.
The greenhouse gas intensity and potential biofuel production capacity of maize stover harvest in the US Midwest
Authors: Jones Curtis D. , Zhang Xuesong , Reddy Ashwan D. , Robertson G. Philip , Izaurralde Roberto César 
Published: July 2017

AbstractAgricultural residues are important sources of feedstock for a cellulosic biofuels industry that is being developed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy independence. While the US Midwest has been recognized as key to providing maize stover for meeting near‐term cellulosic biofuel production goals, there is uncertainty that such feedstocks can produce biofuels that meet federal cellulosic standards. Here, we conducted extensive site‐level calibration of the Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) terrestrial ecosystems model and applied the model at high spatial resolution across the US Midwest to improve estimates of the maximum production potential and greenhouse gas emissions expected from continuous maize residue‐derived biofuels. A comparison of methodologies for calculating the soil carbon impacts of residue harvesting demonstrates the large impact of study duration, depth of soil considered, and inclusion of litter carbon in soil carbon change calculations on the estimated greenhouse gas intensity of maize stover‐derived biofuels. Using the most representative methodology for assessing long‐term residue harvesting impacts, we estimate that only 5.3 billion liters per year (bly) of ethanol, or 8.7% of the near‐term US cellulosic biofuel demand, could be met under common no‐till farming practices. However, appreciably more feedstock becomes available at modestly higher emissions levels, with potential for 89.0 bly of ethanol production meeting US advanced biofuel standards. Adjustments to management practices, such as adding cover crops to no‐till management, will be required to produce sufficient quantities of residue meeting the greenhouse gas emission reduction standard for cellulosic biofuels. Considering the rapid increase in residue availability with modest relaxations in GHG reduction level, it is expected that management practices with modest benefits to soil carbon would allow considerable expansion of potential cellulosic biofuel production.
Prevalence and significance of HMGA2 expression in oesophageal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Mito Jeffrey K , Agoston Agoston T , Dal Cin Paola , Srivastava Amitabh 
Published: July 2017

AimsOesophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) tumorigenesis has been linked primarily to loss‐of‐function mutations in tumour suppressor genes. Knowledge of specific oncogenes that drive tumour progression, and their relationship to outcomes, is limited. High mobility group AT‐hook 2 (HMGA2) has been reported to be amplified in a subset of EACs, but the clinicopathological and prognostic implications of HMGA2 expression in EAC are unknown.Methods and resultsWe performed HMGA2 immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in‐situ hybridization (FISH) in EAC to determine its clinicopathological and prognostic significance. Ninety‐one primary EAC resections without neoadjuvant treatment were identified and immunohistochemistry for HMGA2 was performed. The presence or absence of nuclear staining was evaluated and correlated with predetermined clinicopathological parameters and patient outcomes. A selected subset of tumours was subjected to FISH to identify alterations at the HMGA2 locus. HMGA2 expression was present in 25 of 91 (27.4%) tumours. HMGA2‐expressing cells were present in solid, poorly differentiated areas of the tumours at the invasive front, or as single infiltrating cells. FISH showed that three to four copies of HMGA2 are frequently present in EAC irrespective of HMGA2 protein expression and that high level HMGA2 amplification is a rare event. HMGA2 expression was associated with numerous adverse clinicopathological parameters, including higher T‐ and N‐stage, the presence of lymphovascular invasion and with a worse recurrence‐free and overall survival.ConclusionOur data suggest that HMGA2 is regulated in EAC primarily through non‐chromosomal‐level alterations that lead to increased HMGA2 expression. HMGA2‐positive EAC correlates with adverse pathological features and worse patient outcomes.
A GRASP heuristic using path‐relinking and restarts for the Steiner traveling salesman problem
Authors: Interian Ruben , Ribeiro Celso C. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe traveling salesman problem (TSP) is one of the most studied problems in combinatorial optimization. Given a set of nodes and the distances between them, it consists in finding the shortest route that visits each node exactly once and returns to the first. Nevertheless, more flexible and applicable formulations of this problem exist and can be considered. The Steiner TSP (STSP) is a variant of the TSP that assumes that only a given subset of nodes must be visited by the shortest route, eventually visiting some nodes and edges more than once. In this paper, we adapt some classical TSP constructive heuristics and neighborhood structures to the STSP variant. In particular, we propose a reduced 2‐opt neighborhood and we show that it leads to better results in smaller computation times. Computational results with an implementation of a GRASP heuristic using path‐relinking and restarts are reported. In addition, ten large test instances are generated. All instances and their best‐known solutions are made available for download and benchmarking purposes.
Quality of life, anxiety prevalence, depression symptomatology and suicidal ideation among acne patients in Lithuania
Authors: Lukaviciute L. , Navickas P. , Navickas A. , Grigaitiene J. , Ganceviciene R. , Zouboulis C.C. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackground/ObjectiveWe aimed to determine the prevalence of anxiety, depression symptomatology and suicidal ideation among patients with acne and the impact of this skin condition on the quality of life in Lithuania.MethodsThe mental health of patients with acne was assessed using an adapted Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Dermatology Quality of Life Index, questions about characteristics of acne. The study was authorized by the Regional Biomedical Research Ethics Committee.ResultsA total of 255 responders of 324 patients with acne included (84.4%) were assessed. 56.1% of the responders had comorbid anxiety, depression symptomatology or suicidal ideation related to acne. Among them, 38.4% had anxiety symptoms, 23.1% had depression symptoms and 12.9% had suicidal thoughts due to acne. About 96.5% of the responders had a reduced quality of life due to acne.ConclusionMore than a half of the patients with acne who participated at the study had comorbid emotional disorders. Anxiety was the most prevalent sign, 1.7‐fold more prevalent than depression and threefold more prevalent than suicidal ideation. Depression was prevalent in more than every fourth responder and suicidal ideation afflicted every eighth acne patient. More than 90% of the patients had impaired life quality.
Preferential Plastid Retention by the Acquired Phototroph Mesodinium chamaeleon
Authors: Moeller Holly V. , Johnson Matthew D. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe ciliate genus Mesodinium contains species that rely to varying degrees on photosynthetic machinery stolen from cryptophyte algal prey. Prey specificity appears to scales inversely with this reliance: The predominantly phototrophic M. major/rubrum species complex exhibits high prey specificity, while the heterotrophic lineages M. pulex and pupula are generalists. Here, we test the hypothesis that the recently described mixotroph M. chamaeleon, which is phylogenetically intermediate between M. major/rubrum and M. pulex/pupula, exhibits intermediate prey preferences. Using a series of feeding and starvation experiments, we demonstrate that M. chamaeleon grazes and retains plastids at rates which often exceed those observed in M. rubrum, and retains plastids from at least five genera of cryptophyte algae. Despite this relative generality, M. chamaeleon exhibits distinct prey preferences, with higher plastid retention, mixotrophic growth rates and efficiencies, and starvation tolerance when offered Storeatula major, a cryptophyte that M. rubrum does not appear to ingest. These results suggest that niche partitioning between the two acquired phototrophs may be mediated by prey identity. M. chamaeleon appears to represent an intermediate step in the transition to strict reliance on acquired phototrophy, indicating that prey specificity may evolve alongside degree of phototrophy.
New Species of Spirotrichonympha from Reticulitermes and the Relationships Among Genera in Spirotrichonymphea (Parabasalia)
Authors: Gile Gillian H. , James Erick R. , Tai Vera , Harper James T. , Merrell Trevor L. , Boscaro Vittorio , Husník Filip , Scheffrahn Rudolf H. , Keeling Patrick J. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractSpirotrichonymphea is a class of hypermastigote parabasalids defined by their spiral rows of many flagella. They are obligate hindgut symbionts of lower termites. Despite more than 100 yr of morphological and ultrastructural study, the group remains poorly characterised by molecular data and the phylogenetic positions and taxonomic validity of most genera remain in question. The genus Spirotrichonympha has been reported to inhabit several termite genera, including Reticulitermes, Coptotermes, and Hodotermopsis. The type species for this genus, Spirotrichonympha flagellata, was described from Reticulitermes lucifugus but no molecular data are yet available for this species. In this study, three new Spirotrichonympha species are described from three species of Reticulitermes. Their molecular phylogenetic position indicates that the genus is not monophyletic, as Spirotrichonympha species from Coptotermes, Paraneotermes, and Hodotermopsis branch separately. In contrast, the genus Holomastigotoides is monophyletic, as demonstrated using new sequences from Holomastigotoides species. The presence of Holomastigotoides in Prorhinotermes and the distinct phylogenetic positions of Spirotrichonympha from Reticulitermes and Coptotermes are consistent with a previously proposed symbiont fauna replacement in the ancestor of Reticulitermes.
Identification of EloR (Spr1851) as a regulator of cell elongation in Streptococcus pneumoniae
Authors: Stamsås Gro Anita , Straume Daniel , Ruud Winther Anja , Kjos Morten , Frantzen Cyril Alexander , Håvarstein Leiv Sigve 
Published: July 2017

SummaryIn a screen for mutations suppressing the lethal loss of PBP2b in Streptococcus pneumoniae we identified Spr1851 (named EloR), a cytoplasmic protein of unknown function whose inactivation removed the requirement for PBP2b as well as RodA. It follows from this that EloR and the two elongasome proteins must be part of the same functional network. This network also includes StkP, as this serine/threonine kinase phosphorylates EloR on threonine 89 (T89). We found that ΔeloR cells, and cells expressing the phosphoablative form of EloR (EloRT89A), are significantly shorter than wild‐type cells. Furthermore, the phosphomimetic form of EloR (EloRT89E) is not tolerated unless the cell in addition acquires a truncated MreC or non‐functional RodZ protein. By itself, truncation of MreC as well as inactivation of RodZ gives rise to less elongated cells, demonstrating that the stress exerted by the phosphomimetic form of EloR is relieved by suppressor mutations that reduce or abolish the activity of the elongasome. Of note, it was also found that loss of elongasome activity caused by truncation of MreC elicits increased StkP‐mediated phosphorylation of EloR. Together, the results support a model in which phosphorylation of EloR stimulates cell elongation, while dephosphorylation has an inhibitory effect.
GacS/GacA activates pyoluteorin biosynthesis through Gac/Rsm‐RsmE cascade and RsmA/RsmE‐driven feedback loop in Pseudomonas protegens H78
Authors: Wang Zheng , Huang Xianqing , Liu Yujie , Yang Guohuan , Liu Yang , Zhang Xuehong 
Published: July 2017

SummaryThe Gac/Rsm regulatory pathway in Pseudomonas spp. activates the production of various secondary metabolites, such as antibiotics, siderophores and exoenzymes. However, the biosynthesis of antifungal compound pyoluteorin (Plt) in Pseudomonas protegens H78 is almost entirely inhibited by double deletion of two csrA/rsmA family genes, namely, rsmA and rsmE. Here, we investigated the complicated regulatory mechanism of RsmA and RsmE in Plt biosynthesis in P. protegens H78. RsmE negatively regulated Plt biosynthesis and pltLABCDEFG expression by directly interacting with the mRNA leaders of pltR and pltAB. Conversely, the transcription of pltL‐G and pltR was positively influenced by RsmA through an uncharacterized mechanism. Further analyses demonstrated that pltL‐G expression was diminished in the rsmA/E mutant. The deficiency of pltL‐G expression in the gacA mutant was not reversed by any of the rsmA/E single or double mutations. The double deletion of rsmA/E reduced gacA expression by approximately 50% and almost completely inhibited the promoter activities of rsmXYZ sRNAs. The rsmY mutation significantly inhibited Plt biosynthesis. Taken together, GacS/GacA modulates Plt biosynthesis through two distinct pathways: Gac/Rsm‐RsmE traditional positive regulatory cascade and RsmA‐mediated positive transcriptional regulation. Moreover, a new positive feedback loop between RsmA/E and GacS/A‐RsmXYZ is essential for activating Plt biosynthesis.