bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Volatile organic compounds as new biomarkers for colorectal cancer: a review
Authors: Di Lena M. , Porcelli F. , Altomare D. F. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractAnalysis of the volatile part of the metabolome (volatile organic compounds, VOC) present in the gas phase of excreted materials is a promising new screening tool for several cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). The VOC signature can reflect health status, like a ‘fingerprint’, and can be modified in several diseases. Technical difficulties still limit the widespread use of VOC analysis in the clinical setting, but this approach has already been applied successfully in the diagnosis of CRC. The present study reviews the available data on VOC present in the headspace (the gaseous constituents of a closed space above a liquid or solid) of blood, urine, faeces and breath as a potential screening tool for CRC. A systematic electronic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scirus and Google using the following keywords: Metabolomic, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), Electronic‐nose and Colorectal Cancer. Only articles published in English between 2000 and 2015 were selected and these were independently checked by two of the authors. Ten papers describing the reliability of VOC analysis in breath and faeces, blood and urine were selected; all indicated good reliability in detecting CRC. The use of different substrates and different analytical platforms has led to the identification of different patterns of VOC. The reliability of a metabolomic approach as a noninvasive biomarker for use in CRC screening is supported by this review despite several limitations due to the number of patients included in each study, the different analytical platforms and biological materials used and different VOC identified.
Native versus non‐native invasions: similarities and differences in the biodiversity impacts of Pinus contorta in introduced and native ranges
Authors: Taylor Kimberley T. , Maxwell Bruce D. , Pauchard Aníbal , Nuñez Martin A. , Rew Lisa J. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractAimTo determine whether one of the most invasive pine species introduced to the Southern Hemisphere, Pinus contorta, has changed plant species richness, composition, diversity, and litter depth where it has invaded into native open forest, shrub steppe and grassland communities and to assess whether changes were similar in its native and introduced ranges.LocationRío Negro Province, Argentina; Aysén and Araucanía Regions, Chile; Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, USA.MethodsWe measured changes in plant species richness, species composition and cover, diversity, and litter depth associated with increasing P. contorta tree cover along the invasion front at three sites in the introduced range (Argentina and Chile) and one in the native range (Montana, USA).ResultsPlant species richness and cover generally declined with increasing P. contorta canopy cover, at similar rates in both the introduced and native ranges. However, plant cover was not affected by P. contorta in a forested setting in the introduced range. P. contorta invasion explained more of the decline in species richness in the introduced than native range. Native species composition changed more strongly across the invasion gradient in the introduced than native range. Litter depth increased more rapidly with P. contorta cover in the native than introduced range.Main conclusionsOur results highlight the potential of pines to alter plant communities whether encroaching from forests in the native range or from plantations in the introduced range. Species richness and plant cover declined in both settings; however, individual species abundance and species composition were more impacted in the introduced range than in the native range. We suggest that invading trees have a greater capacity to cause ecological impacts in their introduced than in their native range, particularly where they represent a novel life‐form.
Mixture or mosaic? Genetic patterns in UK grey squirrels support a human‐mediated ‘long‐jump’ invasion mechanism
Authors: Signorile A. L. , Lurz P. W.W. , Wang J. , Reuman D. C. , Carbone C. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractAimClarifying whether multiple introductions of a species remain relatively isolated or merge and interbreed is essential for understanding the dynamics of invasion processes. Multiple introductions from different sources can result in a mixture of genetically distinct populations, increasing the total genetic diversity. This mixing can resolve the ‘genetic paradox’, whereby in spite of the relatively small numbers of introduced individuals, the augmented diversity due to this mixing increases adaptability and the ability of the species to spread in new environments. Here, we aim to assess whether the expansion of a successful invader, the Eastern grey squirrel, was partly driven by the merger of multiple introductions and the effects of such a merger on diversity.LocationUK, Ireland.MethodsWe analysed the genetic variation at 12 microsatellite loci of 381 individuals sampled from one historical and 14 modern populations of grey squirrels.ResultsOur data revealed that current UK population structure resembles a mosaic, with minimal interpopulation mixing and each element reflecting the genetic make‐up of historic introductions. The genetic diversity of each examined population was lower than a US population or a historical UK population. Numbers of releases in a county did not correlate with county‐level genetic diversity. Inbreeding coefficients remain high, and effective population sizes remain small.Main conclusionsOur results support the conclusion that rapid and large‐scale expansion in this species in the UK was not driven by a genetic mixing of multiple introduced populations with a single expansion front, but was promoted by repeated translocations of small propagules. Our results have implications for the management of grey squirrels and other invasive species and also demonstrate how invaders can overcome the genetic paradox, if spread is facilitated by human‐mediated dispersal.
Functional connectivity of brain regions for self‐ and other‐evaluation in children, adolescents and adults with autism
Authors: Burrows Catherine A. , Laird Angela R. , Uddin Lucina Q. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractDeveloping strong ties between oneself and others lays the foundation for developing social competence. Neuroimaging studies have consistently identified specific cortical midline regions activated during evaluative judgments about the self and others. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) process self‐relevant information differently from their peers, both behaviorally and at the neural level. We compared resting‐state functional connectivity (rsFC) of regions involved in self‐referential (e.g. medial prefrontal cortex; mPFC) and other‐referential (e.g. posterior cingulate cortex; PCC) processing between neurotypical individuals and individuals with ASD in three age cohorts using regions of interest (ROIs) identified through an activation likelihood estimation meta‐analysis. Typically developing children demonstrated greater connectivity within the midline self‐ and other‐referential networks compared with age‐matched children with ASD. No group differences in rsFC of mPFC or PCC emerged between typically developing adolescents and adolescents with ASD. Neurotypical adults exhibited stronger rsFC of the PCC with orbitofrontal cortex compared with adults with ASD. Developmental differences in functional connectivity between areas underlying self‐ and other‐referential thought may explain altered developmental trajectories in the understanding of self and others in individuals with ASD.
The roles of juvenile hormone and biogenic amines on pheromone response plasticity and diapause termination in male Caloptilia fraxinella
Authors: Lemmen Joelle K. , Evenden Maya L. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractIn insects that exhibit a period of delayed reproduction, the timing of mating and reproduction is controlled by environmental conditions that regulate endogenous factors such as hormones and biogenic amines (BAs). Caloptilia fraxinella (Ely) (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) undergoes a 9‐month reproductive diapause from adult eclosion in the summer until diapause termination the following spring when adults mate. Male response to female sex pheromone is plastic, and is most acute when moths are reproductively active. The aim of this study is to further elucidate the mechanisms involved in the regulation of male response to pheromone in C. fraxinella, and to test whether the application of BAs with and without a juvenile hormone analogue (JHA) to males in different physiological states impacts pheromone responsiveness, as measured by electroantennogram and wind tunnel bioassays. Treatment of male C. fraxinella in reproductive diapause with one application of a JHA induces the highest subsequent pheromone response in the fall, but does not alter pheromone response earlier in reproductive diapause in the summer. The JHAs methoprene and pyriproxyfen similarly enhance pheromone response in the fall. Treatment with methoprene alone or in combination with one of the BAs octopamine, dopamine or serotonin increases male pheromone responsiveness in the fall. The increase in pheromone response can be attributed to methoprene only, as treatment with any of the BAs alone does not enhance male response to pheromone. Biogenic amine treatment lowers male responsiveness to pheromone in some experiments, indicating that there may be a role for BAs in maintaining low pheromone response during reproductive diapause in this species.
Orexin/hypocretin neuron activation is correlated with alcohol seeking and preference in a topographically specific manner
Authors: Moorman David E. , James Morgan H. , Kilroy Elisabeth A. , Aston‐Jones Gary 
Published: January 2016

AbstractOrexin (ORX) (also known as hypocretin) neurons are located exclusively in the posterior hypothalamus, and are involved in a wide range of behaviours, including motivation for drugs of abuse such as alcohol. Hypothalamic subregions contain functionally distinct populations of ORX neurons that may play different roles in regulating drug‐motivated and alcohol‐motivated behaviours. To investigate the role of ORX neurons in ethanol (EtOH) seeking, we measured Fos activation of ORX neurons in rats following three different measures of EtOH seeking and preference: (i) context‐induced reinstatement, or ABA renewal; (ii) cue‐induced reinstatement of extinguished responding for EtOH; and (iii) a home cage task in which preference for EtOH (vs. water) was measured in the absence of either reinforcer. We found significant activation of ORX neurons in multiple subregions across all three behavioural tests. Notably, ORX neuron activation in the lateral hypothalamus correlated with the degree of seeking in context reinstatement and the degree of preference in home cage preference testing. In addition, Fos activation in ORX neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamic and perifornical areas was correlated with context and home cage seeking/preference, respectively. Surprisingly, we found no relationship between the degree of cue‐induced reinstatement and ORX neuron activation in any region, despite robust activation overall during reinstatement. These results demonstrate a strong relationship between ORX neuron activation and EtOH seeking/preference, but one that is differentially expressed across ORX field subregions, depending on reinstatement modality.
Effects of experimental fuel additions on fire intensity and severity: unexpected carbon resilience of a neotropical forest
Authors: Brando Paulo M. , Oliveria‐Santos Claudinei , Rocha Wanderley , Cury Roberta , Coe Michael T. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractGlobal changes and associated droughts, heat waves, logging activities, and forest fragmentation may intensify fires in Amazonia by altering forest microclimate and fuel dynamics. To isolate the effects of fuel loads on fire behavior and fire‐induced changes in forest carbon cycling, we manipulated fine fuel loads in a fire experiment located in southeast Amazonia. We predicted that a 50% increase in fine fuel loads would disproportionally increase fire intensity and severity (i.e., tree mortality and losses in carbon stocks) due to multiplicative effects of fine fuel loads on the rate of fire spread, fuel consumption, and burned area. The experiment followed a fully replicated randomized block design (N = 6) comprised of unburned control plots and burned plots that were treated with and without fine fuel additions. The fuel addition treatment significantly increased burned area (+22%) and consequently canopy openness (+10%), fine fuel combustion (+5%), and mortality of individuals ≥5 cm in diameter at breast height (dbh; +37%). Surprisingly, we observed nonsignificant effects of the fuel addition treatment on fireline intensity, and no significant differences among the three treatments for (i) mortality of large trees (≥30 cm dbh), (ii) aboveground forest carbon stocks, and (iii) soil respiration. It was also surprising that postfire tree growth and wood increment were higher in the burned plots treated with fuels than in the unburned control. These results suggest that (i) fine fuel load accumulation increases the likelihood of larger understory fires and (ii) single, low‐intensity fires weakly influence carbon cycling of this primary neotropical forest, although delayed postfire mortality of large trees may lower carbon stocks over the long term. Overall, our findings indicate that increased fine fuel loads alone are unlikely to create threshold conditions for high‐intensity, catastrophic fires during nondrought years.
The effectiveness of conically shaped compared with cylindrically shaped interdental brushes – a randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Larsen HC , Slot DE , Van Zoelen C , Barendregt DS , Van der Weijden GA 
Published: January 2016

AbstractAimThe purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of conically shaped versus cylindrically shaped interdental brushes (IDB) in patients receiving supportive periodontal therapy.Materials and methodsPeriodontal maintenance patients volunteered to be enrolled into this randomized controlled examiner‐blind parallel study. At baseline and after 3 months, plaque scores, bleeding upon pocket probing scores and probing pocket depth (PPD) were assessed. The type of IDB (conical or cylindrical) was randomly assigned to each patient and individual instruction was provided regarding the method of use and the appropriate size. Only those approximal sites that had sufficient space for the IDB were eligible, and for those sites the data were analysed separately. Analyses were performed for all eligible approximal surfaces and a sub‐analysis was performed for vestibular and lingual surfaces.ResultsIn total, 51 participants attended the baseline and the 3‐month clinical appointments. Overall, there was no difference between conical and cylindrical IDBs. However, the conical IDB showed significantly higher plaque and bleeding scores at the lingual approximal sites. The cause of this difference was an increase in plaque and bleeding scores compared with baseline. With respect to the PPD, no difference between the IDBs was observed.ConclusionWithin the limitations of this experiment, the conical IDBs are less effective than cylindrical IDBs with respect to lingual approximal plaque removal. Thus, in patients receiving supportive periodontal therapy, the cylindrical shape should be the first choice of IDB to obtain and maintain gingival health around natural teeth.
Current status of palliative care services in Indonesia: a literature review
Authors: Rochmawati Erna , Wiechula Rick , Cameron Kate 
Published: January 2016

AimTo review healthcare literature in relation to the provision of palliative care in Indonesia and to identify factors that may impact on palliative care development.BackgroundPeople living with life‐limiting illness benefit from access to palliative care services to optimize quality of life. Palliative care services are being expanded in developing countries but in Indonesia such services are in their infancy with many patients with life‐limiting illnesses having access to appropriate health care compromised.MethodsRelevant healthcare databases including CINAHL, PubMed, Science Direct and Scopus were searched using the combinations of search terms: palliative care, terminal care, end‐of‐life care, Indonesia and nursing. A search of grey literature including Internet sites was also carried out.ResultsNine articles were included in the review. Facilitating factors supporting the provision of palliative care included: a culture of strong familial support, government policy support, volunteering and support from regional organizations. Identified barriers to palliative care provision were a limited understanding of palliative care among healthcare professionals, the challenging geography of Indonesia and limited access to opioid medications.ConclusionsThere are facilitators and barriers that currently impact on the development of palliative care in Indonesia. Strategies that can be implemented to improve palliative care include training of nurses and doctors in the primary care sector, integrating palliative care in undergraduate medical and nursing curriculum and educating family and community about basic care. Nurses and doctors who work in primary care can potentially play a role in supporting and educating family members providing direct care to patients with palliative needs.
Nitrogen Sustains Seed Yield of Quinoa Under Intermediate Drought
Authors: Alandia G. , Jacobsen S.‐E. , Kyvsgaard N. C. , Condori B. , Liu F. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractQuinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a promising crop for food security in dry areas. Studies have been conducted to define nitrogen (N) fertilization levels and to understand the responses of quinoa to drought, but little is known about the response of this crop to N fertilization under drought stress. The aim of this study was to investigate whether N fertilization could improve quinoa yield and physiology under limited water. A greenhouse experiment was carried out with quinoa grown at four N fertilization levels (0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 g N pot−1) and two watering treatments (progressive drought and full irrigation; 10 and 98 % of pot water holding capacity, respectively). Results of this experiment showed that N may confer a certain degree of drought tolerance to quinoa as seed quality and yield of N‐fertilized plants were not affected by drought stress. Responses such as faster stomatal closure, reduced leaf water potential, higher leaf abscisic acid (ABA) concentration and particularly an improved N remobilization in N‐fertilized plants may have played a role in sustaining seed yield in the drought‐stressed treatment. These results under controlled conditions serve as a basis to elucidate drought tolerance mechanisms activated with N fertilization and to define the use of N in management practices under semi‐arid environments.
Evaluation of the internal and external responsiveness of the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) tool for assessing acute and chronic wounds
Authors: Choi Edmond P.H. , Chin Weng Yee , Wan Eric Y.F. , Lam Cindy L.K. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractAimTo examine the internal and external responsiveness of the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) tool for assessing the healing progress in acute and chronic wounds.BackgroundIt is important to establish the responsiveness of instruments used in conducting wound care assessments to ensure that they are able to capture changes in wound healing accurately over time.DesignProspective longitudinal observational study.MethodThe key study instrument was the PUSH tool. Internal responsiveness was assessed using paired t‐testing and effect size statistics. External responsiveness was assessed using multiple linear regression. All new patients with at least one eligible acute or chronic wound, enrolled in the Nurse and Allied Health Clinic‐Wound Care programme between 1 December 2012 – 31 March 2013 were included for analysis (N = 541).ResultsOverall, the PUSH tool was able to detect statistically significant changes in wound healing between baseline and discharge. The effect size statistics were large. The internal responsiveness of the PUSH tool was confirmed in patients with a variety of different wound types including venous ulcers, pressure ulcers, neuropathic ulcers, burns and scalds, skin tears, surgical wounds and traumatic wounds. After controlling for age, gender and wound type, subjects in the ‘wound improved but not healed’ group had a smaller change in PUSH scores than those in the ‘wound healed’ group. Subjects in the ‘wound static or worsened’ group had the smallest change in PUSH scores. The external responsiveness was confirmed.ConclusionThe internal and external responsiveness of the PUSH tool confirmed that it can be used to track the healing progress of both acute and chronic wounds.
Enzymes Involved in Pyrophosphate and Calcium Metabolism as Targets for Anti‐scuticociliate Chemotherapy
Authors: Mallo Natalia , Lamas Jesús , DeFelipe Ana‐Paula , Sueiro Rosa‐Ana , Fontenla Francisco , Leiro José‐Manuel 
Published: January 2016

AbstractInorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) is a key metabolite in cellular bioenergetics under chronic stress conditions in prokaryotes, protists and plants. Inorganic pyrophosphatases (PPases) are essential enzymes controlling the cellular concentration of PPi and mediating intracellular pH and Ca2+ homeostasis. We report the effects of the antimalarial drugs chloroquine (CQ) and artemisinin (ART) on the in vitro growth of Philasterides dicentrarchi, a scuticociliate parasite of turbot; we also evaluated the action of these drugs on soluble (sPPases) and vacuolar H+‐PPases (H+‐PPases). CQ and ART inhibited the in vitro growth of ciliates with IC50 values of respectively 74 ± 9 μM and 80 ± 8 μM. CQ inhibits the H+ translocation (with an IC50 of 13.4 ± 0.2 μM), while ART increased translocation of H+ and acidification. However, both drugs caused a decrease in gene expression of H+‐PPases. CQ significantly inhibited the enzymatic activity of sPPases, decreasing the consumption of intracellular PPi. ART inhibited intracellular accumulation of Ca2+ induced by ATP, indicating an effect on the Ca2+‐ATPase. The results suggest that CQ and ART deregulate enzymes associated with PPi and Ca2+ metabolism, altering the intracellular pH homeostasis vital for parasite survival and providing a target for the development of new drugs against scuticociliatosis.
Trypanosoma cruzi Proline Transport Presents a Cell Density‐dependent Regulation
Authors: Sayé Melisa , Miranda Mariana R. , Reigada Chantal , Pereira Claudio A. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractTrypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, uses proline as its main carbon source, essential for parasite growth and stage differentiation in epimastigotes and amastigotes. Since proline is mainly obtained from extracellular medium by transport proteins, in this work we studied the regulation of the T. cruzi proline transporter TcAAAP069. Proline uptake and intracellular concentration presented oscillations during epimastigote growth phases, increasing during the early exponential phase (322 pmol/min) and decreasing to undetectable levels during the late exponential phase. Transporter expression rate correlated with proline uptake, and its subcellular localization alternated from both, the plasma membrane and close to the flagellar pocket, when the transport is higher, to only the flagellar pocket region, when the transport decreased until proline uptake and TcAAAP069 protein became undetectable at the end of the growth curve. Interestingly, when parasites were treated with conditioned medium or were concentrated to artificially increase the culture density, the proline transport was completely abolished resembling the effects observed in late exponential phase. These data highlight for the first time the existence of a density‐associated regulation of relevant physiological processes such as proline metabolism.