bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Local bumble bee decline linked to recovery of honey bees, drought effects on floral resources
Authors: Thomson Diane M. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractTime series of abundances are critical for understanding how abiotic factors and species interactions affect population dynamics, but are rarely linked with experiments and also scarce for bee pollinators. This gap is important given concerns about declines in some bee species. I monitored honey bee (Apis mellifera) and bumble bee (Bombus spp.) foragers in coastal California from 1999, when feral A. mellifera populations were low due to Varroa destructor, until 2014. Apis mellifera increased substantially, except between 2006 and 2011, coinciding with declines in managed populations. Increases in A. mellifera strongly correlated with declines in Bombus and reduced diet overlap between them, suggesting resource competition consistent with past experimental results. Lower Bombus numbers also correlated with diminished floral resources. Declines in floral abundances were associated with drought and reduced spring rainfall. These results illustrate how competition with an introduced species may interact with climate to drive local decline of native pollinators.
The TRAIL to acne pathogenesis: let's focus on death pathways
Authors: Melnik Bodo C. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThis hypothesis presents acne as a PI3K‐Akt‐mTORC1‐driven pro‐survival disease of the sebaceous follicle with impaired TRAIL‐mediated death signalling. It is predicted that anti‐acne agents such as isotretinoin enhance death signalling and thereby readjust the disturbed balance of pro‐survival and death signalling of the sebaceous follicle in acne vulgaris. For this purpose, immortalized sebocyte cultures are regarded as inapproproate models to study the key features of acne pathogenesis.
Can intensification reduce emission intensity of biofuel through optimized fertilizer use? Theory and the case of oil palm in Indonesia
Authors: van Noordwijk Meine , Khasanah Ni'matul , Dewi Sonya 
Published: August 2016

AbstractClosing yield gaps through higher fertilizer use increases direct greenhouse gas emissions but shares the burden over a larger production volume. Net greenhouse gas (GHG) footprints per unit product under agricultural intensification vary depending on the context, scale and accounting method. Life cycle analysis of footprints includes attributable emissions due to (i) land conversion (‘fixed cost’); (ii) external inputs used (‘variable cost’); (iii) crop production (‘agronomic efficiency’); and (iv) postharvest transport and processing (‘proportional’ cost). The interplay between fixed and variable costs results in a nuanced opportunity for intermediate levels of intensification to minimize footprints. The fertilizer level that minimizes the footprint may differ from the economic optimum. The optimization problem can be solved algebraically for quadratic crop fertilizer response equations. We applied this theory to data of palm oil production and fertilizer use from 23 plantations across the Indonesian production range. The current EU threshold requiring at least 35% emission saving for biofuel use can never be achieved by palm oil if produced: (i) on peat soils, or (ii) on mineral soils where the C debt due to conversion is larger than 20 Mg C ha−1, if the footprint is calculated using an emission ratio of N2O–N/N fertilizer of 4%. At current fertilizer price levels in Indonesia, the economically optimized N fertilizer rate is 344–394 kg N ha−1, while the reported mean N fertilizer rate is 141 kg N ha−1 yr−1 and rates of 74–277 kg N ha−1 would minimize footprints, for a N2O–N/N fertilizer ratio of 4–1%, respectively. At a C debt of 30 Mg C ha−1, these values are 200–310 kg N ha−1. Sustainable weighting of ecology and economics would require a higher fertilizer/yield price ratio, depending on C debt. Increasing production by higher fertilizer use from current 67% to 80% of attainable yields would not decrease footprints in current production conditions.
Break the pattern: breakpoints in beta diversity of vertebrates are general across clades and suggest common historical causes
Authors: Castro‐Insua Adrián , Gómez‐Rodríguez Carola , Baselga Andrés 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe use of correlative analyses might be insufficient to understand the processes that control biodiversity, because the variables accounting for different hypotheses (e.g. current climate, past climate change, post‐glacial dispersal limitation) are mutually correlated. We suggest here that, in order to gain insight, it could be useful to search for latitudinal thresholds that could provide information about qualitative changes in the way biodiversity varies in space. Such tipping points could inform about higher‐level processes that are not reflected in correlative analyses. We test whether similar breakpoints in latitudinal beta‐diversity patterns exist for different vertebrate groups with diverse life histories and dispersal abilities. In birds, bats and non‐volant mammals we find breakpoints similar to those of amphibians. Differences in species composition are mainly due to species replacement from the equator to the breakpoint, but are dominated by nested species losses from the breakpoint to higher latitudes. Thus, marked thresholds discriminate two world regions where different processes appear to drive biodiversity.
Thrombospondin‐1 expression may be implicated in liver atrophic mechanism due to obstructed portal venous flow
Authors: Hayashi Hiromitsu , Kuroki Hideyuki , Higashi Takaaki , Takeyama Hideaki , Yokoyama Naomi , Okabe Hirohisa , Nitta Hidetoshi , Beppu Toru , Takamori Hiroshi , Baba Hideo 
Published: August 2016

AimLiver is an amazing organ that can undergo regenerative and atrophic changes inversely, depending on blood flow conditions. Although the regenerative mechanism has been extensively studied, the atrophic mechanism remains to be elucidated.Methods and ResultsTo assess the molecular mechanism of liver atrophy due to reduced portal blood flow, we analyzed the gene expressions between atrophic and hypertrophic livers induced by portal vein embolization in three human liver tissues using microarray analyses. Thrombospondin (TSP)‐1 is an extracellular protein and a negative regulator of liver regeneration through its activation of the transforming growth factor‐β/Smad signaling pathway. TSP‐1 was extracted as the most upregulated gene in atrophic liver compared to hypertrophic liver due to portal flow obstruction in human. Liver atrophic and hypertrophic changes were confirmed by HE and proliferating cell nuclear antigen staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated digoxigenin‐dUTP nick‐end labeling. In an in vivo model with portal ligation, TSP‐1 and phosphorylated Smad2 expression were continuously induced at 6 h and thereafter in the portal ligated liver, whereas the induction was transient at 6 h in the portal non‐ligated liver. Indeed, while cell proliferation represented by proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression at 48 h was induced in the portal ligated liver, the sinusoidal dilatation and hepatocyte cell death with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated digoxigenin‐dUTP nick‐end labeling was detectable at 48 h in the portal ligated liver.ConclusionsObstructed portal flow induces persistent TSP‐1 expression and transforming growth factor‐β/Smad signal activation in atrophic liver. Thrombospondin‐1 may be implicated in the liver atrophic change due to obstructed portal flow as a pro‐atrophic factor.
Liver stiffness measurement to platelet ratio index predicts the stage of liver fibrosis in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Okajima Akira , Sumida Yoshio , Taketani Hiroyoshi , Hara Tasuku , Seko Yuya , Ishiba Hiroshi , Nishimura Takeshi , Umemura Atsushi , Nishikawa Taichiro , Yamaguchi Kanji , Moriguchi Michihisa , Mitsuyoshi Hironori , Yasui Kohichiroh , Minami Masahito , Itoh Yoshito 
Published: August 2016

AimPlatelet count and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) using transient elastography could identify significant fibrosis in patients with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We constructed a novel index combining LSM with platelet count for staging fibrosis in Japanese patients with NAFLD.MethodsWe recruited 173 Japanese patients with liver biopsy‐proven NAFLD. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated and compared with established parameters and scoring systems for staging liver fibrosis.ResultsAfter excluding 10 patients in whom LSM failed, 163 patients with NAFLD were enrolled. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of the LSM/platelet ratio (LPR) index for detecting fibrosis ≥stage 1, ≥stage 2, and ≥stage 3 were the greatest (0.835, 0.913, and 0.936, respectively) compared with those for various other parameters and established scoring systems, such as LSM, type IV collagen 7 s domain, platelet count, NAFIC score, fibrosis‐4 index, NAFLD fibrosis score, aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio, and aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index. The optimal cut‐off, positive predictive, and negative predictive values of the LPR index for detecting ≥stage 3 fibrosis were 0.60, 48.9%, and 99.2%, whereas those of LSM were 10.0 kPa, 35.0%, and 99.0%, respectively. The novel LPR index helps avoid biopsies in a larger percentage of patients with NAFLD compared with that LSM alone.ConclusionsThe LPR index was the best predictor for staging fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. It represents a simple and non‐invasive alternative to liver biopsy in clinical practice.
Variations in stress and driving pore fluid pressure ratio using vein orientations along megasplay faults : Example from the Nobeoka Thrust, Southwest Japan
Authors: Otsubo Makoto , Miyakawa Ayumu , Kawasaki Ryoji , Sato Katsushi , Yamaguchi Asuka , Kimura Gaku 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe Nobeoka Thrust of Southwest Japan is an on‐land example of an ancient megasplay fault that provides an excellent record of deformation and fluid flow at seismogenic depths. The present study reports: (i) temporal stress changes for the seismogenic period of the Nobeoka Thrust; and (ii) spatial heterogeneities in driving pressure ratios P* obtained from mineral veins around the Nobeoka Thrust fault zone. Many quartz veins that filled mode I cracks can be observed in the hanging wall and footwall of the thrust. Inversion for stress orientation suggests that normal faulting dominated in both the hanging wall and footwall, with similar stress axis orientations in both. The orientation of σ3 for the estimated stress regime is parallel to the slip direction of the Nobeoka Thrust. The detected normal‐faulting‐type stress regimes likely resulted from post‐seismic stress buildup after megathrust earthquakes. The hanging wall of the Nobeoka Thrust has smaller P* values than the footwall. Two possible explanations are proposed for the observed spatial variations in the driving pore fluid pressure ratio, P*: spatial variations in pore fluid pressure Pf are directly responsible for P* variations, or P* variations are controlled by differences in mechanical properties between the hanging wall and footwall.
Consensus on an Australian Nurse practitioner specialty framework using Delphi methodology: results from the CLLEVER 2 study
Authors: Helms Christopher , Gardner Anne , McInnes Elizabeth 
Published: August 2016

AbstractAimThe aim of this study was to achieve profession‐wide consensus on an Australian nurse practitioner specialty framework.BackgroundSince its introduction in 1998, the Australian nurse practitioner profession has grown to over 1300 endorsed practitioners, representing over 50 different specialties. To complement better a generalist learning and teaching framework with specialist clinical education, prior research proposed a broad framework of Australian nurse practitioner specialty areas termed metaspecialties.DesignThis study employed an online three‐round modified Delphi method.MethodRecruitment using purposive sampling and snowballing techniques identified an eligible sample from a population of nurse practitioners with at least 12 months’ postendorsement experience (n = 966). Data were collected using online survey software from September 2014–January 2015 and analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The Content Validity Index and McNemar's Test for Change were used to determine consensus on the nurse practitioner metaspecialties.ResultsOne‐fifth of the total eligible population completed the study. Participants achieved high consensus on four metaspecialties, including: Emergency and acute care, primary health care, child and family health care and mental health care. Two metaspecialties did not achieve consensus and require further investigation.ConclusionA large sample of nurse practitioners achieved consensus on an Australian metaspecialty framework, increasing the likelihood of widespread acceptance across the profession. This technique may be appropriate for use in jurisdictions with smaller populations of nurse practitioners. Ongoing research is needed to re‐evaluate the metaspecialties as the profession grows.
Advances in finding Alba: the locus affecting life history and color polymorphism in a Colias butterfly
Authors: Woronik A. , Wheat C. W. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractAlthough alternative life‐history strategies exist within many populations, very little is known about their genetic basis and mechanistic insight into these traits could greatly advance the understanding of eco‐evolutionary dynamics. Many species of butterfly within the genus Colias exhibit a sex‐limited wing colour polymorphism, called Alba, which is correlated with an alternative life‐history strategy. Here, we have taken the first steps in localizing the region carrying Alba in Colias croceus, a species with no genomic resources, by generating whole genome sequence of a single Alba mother and two sequencing pools, one for her Alba and another for her orange, offspring. These data were used in a bulk‐segregant analysis wherein SNPs fulfilling the Mendelian inheritance expectations of Alba were identified. Then, using the conserved synteny in Lepidoptera, the Alba locus was assigned to chromosome 15 in Bombyx mori. We then identified candidate regions within the chromosome by investigating the distribution of Alba SNPs along the chromosome and the difference in nucleotide diversity in exons between the two pools. A region spanning ~ 5.7 Mbp at the 5′ end of the chromosome was identified as likely to contain the Alba locus. These insights set the stage for more detailed genomic scans and mapping of the Alba phenotype, and demonstrate an efficient use of genomic resources in a novel species.
Femtosecond laser cutting of human corneas for the subbasal nerve plexus evaluation
Authors: KOWTHARAPU B.S. , MARFURT C. , HOVAKIMYAN M. , WILL F. , RICHTER H. , WREE A. , STACHS O. , GUTHOFF R.F. 
Published: August 2016

SummaryAssessment of various morphological parameters of the corneal subbasal nerve plexus is a valuable method of documenting the structural and presumably functional integrity of the corneal innervation in health and disease. The aim of this work is to establish a rapid, reliable and reproducible method for visualization of the human corneal SBP using femtosecond laser cut corneal tissue sections. Trephined healthy corneal buttons were fixed and processed using TissueSurgeon—a femtosecond laser based microtome, to obtain thick tissue sections of the corneal epithelium and anterior stroma cut parallel to the ocular surface within approximately 15 min. A near infrared femtosecond laser was focused on to the cornea approximately 70–90 μm from the anterior surface to induce material separation using TissueSurgeon. The obtained corneal sections were stained following standard immunohistochemical procedures with anti‐neuronal β‐III tubulin antibody for visualization of the corneal nerves. Sections that contained the epithelium and approximately 20–30 μm of anterior stroma yielded excellent visualisation of the SBP with minimal optical interference from underlying stromal nerves. In conclusion, the results of this study have demonstrated that femtosecond laser cutting of the human cornea offers greater speed, ease and reliability than standard tissue preparation methods for obtaining high quality thick sections of the anterior cornea cut parallel to the ocular surface.
Prenatal Depression Screening by Certified Nurse‐Midwives, Oregon
Authors: Rompala Kathryn S. , Cirino Nicole , Rosenberg Kenneth D. , Fu Rochelle , Lambert William E. 
Published: August 2016

IntroductionAbout 18% of pregnant women have major or minor depression during pregnancy, but many are neither screened nor treated. Lack of treatment can have serious adverse consequences for the woman and her child. Since 2002, the American College of Nurse‐Midwives has advised midwives to integrate prevention, universal screening, treatment, and/or referral for depression into the care they provide. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ 2015 guidelines recommend screening at least once in the perinatal period using a standardized, validated tool. A consensus has not been reached by professional organizations about the specifics of whether and when to screen for prenatal depression. The objective of this study is to understand the prenatal screening practices of midwives who practice in Oregon.MethodsWe surveyed all 162 Oregon‐licensed certified nurse‐midwives (CNMs). The survey asked about practice characteristics, demographics, screening, and perceived barriers to screening. The survey was administered electronically from October through December 2014.ResultsThe response rate was 37%. Among the 53 CNM respondents who had provided prenatal care in the previous year, 50 (94%) reported screening for prenatal depression, and 38 (72%) reported the use of a standardized screening tool on more than 90% of prenatal patients. Thirty‐five (66%) CNMs reported using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. More than 60% of respondents indicated that availability of mental health services and insurance constraints were barriers to screening.DiscussionWe explored prenatal depression screening practices of CNMs. Most Oregon CNMs use a standardized screening tool. We suggest 2 strategies to overcome barriers to screening: incorporation of a standardized screening tool into electronic medical records and negotiation with insurance companies. More research is needed to clarify when and how often pregnant women should be screened for depression and how to increase the number of women who receive treatment.
Brain repair and reprogramming: the route to clinical translation
Authors: Grealish S. , Drouin‐Ouellet J. , Parmar M. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe adult brain has a very limited capacity for generation of new neurons, and neurogenesis only takes place in restricted regions. Some evidence for neurogenesis after injury has been reported, but few, if any, neurons are replaced after brain injury or degeneration, and the permanent loss of neurons leads to long‐term disability and loss of brain function. For decades, researchers have been developing cell transplantation using exogenous cell sources for brain repair, and this method has now been shown to successfully restore lost function in experimental and clinical trials. Here, we review the development of cell‐replacement strategies for brain repair in Parkinson's disease using the example of human foetal brain cells being successfully translated from preclinical findings to clinical trials. These trials demonstrate that cell‐replacement therapy is a viable option for patients with Parkinson's disease, but more importantly also show how the limited availability of foetal cells calls for development of novel cell sources and methods for generating new neurons for brain repair. We focus on new stem cell sources that are on the threshold of clinical application for brain repair and discuss emerging cellular reprogramming technologies. Reviewing the current status of direct neural conversion, both in vitro and in vivo, where somatic cells are directly reprogrammed into functional neurons without passing through a stem cell intermediate, we conclude that both methods result in the successful replacement of new neurons that mature and integrate into the host brain. Thus, this new field shows great promise for future brain repair, although much work is still needed in preclinical animal models before it can be seriously considered for clinical applications.
Limbic Pathway Correlates of Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Keser Zafer , Hasan Khader M. , Mwangi Benson , Gabr Refaat E. , Steinberg Joel L. , Wilken Jeffrey , Wolinsky Jerry S. , Nelson Flavia M. 
Published: August 2016

ABSTRACTBACKGROUND AND PURPOSEDistinct injuries to various limbic white matter pathways have been reported to be associated with different aspects of cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis (MS). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) offers a noninvasive method to map tissue microstructural organization. We utilized quantitative magnetic resonance imaging methods to analyze the main limbic system—white matter structures in MS patients with cognitive impairment (CI).METHODSTen cognitively nonimpaired MS (MSNI) patients and 36 patients with diagnosed CI (MSCI) underwent the minimal assessment of Cognitive Function in MS (MACFIMS) battery. DTI measures of fornix, cingulum, uncinate fasciculus (UF) included tract volume and corresponding fractional anisotropy (FA), mean (MD), axial (AD), and radial (AD) diffusivities. These were statistically analyzed for associations with CI after adjusting for the confounders.RESULTSFornix FA and RD, left cingulum FA, MD, and RD, right cingulum FA, MD, and RD, and left UF FA showed significant differences between MSNI and MSCI (P< .001). Fornix FA (r= −.6) and RD (r= .52), and right cingulum FA (r= −.54) and RD (r= .5) correlated significantly with CI in regression analyses.CONCLUSIONSThe extent of disruption of microstructural disorganization in the main limbic pathways using DTI impacts the extent of CI seen in subjects with MS.
Pathogenicity Variation and Population Genetic Structure of Plasmopara viticola in China
Authors: Li Xinlong , Yin Ling , Ma Lingjun , Zhang Yali , An Yunhe , Lu Jiang 
Published: August 2016

AbstractViticulture in China, like in many other major grape‐growing countries around the world, is severely affected by downy mildew (DM) disease caused by Plasmopara viticola (Pv). However, little has been known about the pathogenicity and genetic structure of the pathogen distributed in China. In this study, 206 single‐sporangiophore Pv strains were isolated from Pv‐infected leaves collected from the most important grape‐growing regions in China. Among them, 29 strains, isolated from a majority of sampled regions and from the hosts with different DM resistance, were tested for their pathogenicity by inoculating into six grape cultivars with different levels of DM resistance. Significant difference in pathogenicity was observed among these strains. Seven pairs of SSR primers selected from previous reports were used for genetic studies of these 206 Pv strains. A total of 64 alleles and 193 genotypes were identified, suggesting that oosporic infection resulted from sexual reproduction made the major contributions to the disease epidemics during the growing season. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) showed that most of genetic variations were within populations. In addition, low levels of pairwise FST value (ranged from 0.02 to 0.07) and high levels of gene flow were detected between populations. Results from this study suggest that long‐distance dispersals of Pv oospore occur in China.