bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
In Vitro Toxicity Testing of Food Contact Materials: State‐of‐the‐Art and Future Challenges
Authors: Groh Ksenia J. , Muncke Jane 
Published: July 2017

AbstractCurrently, toxicological testing of food contact materials (FCMs) is focused on single substances and their genotoxicity. However, people are exposed to mixtures of chemicals migrating from food contact articles (FCAs) into food, and toxic effects other than genotoxic damage may also be relevant. Since FCMs can be made of more than 8 thousand substances, assessing them one‐by‐one is very resource‐consuming. Moreover, finished FCAs usually contain non‐intentionally added substances (NIAS). NIAS toxicity can only be tested if a substance's chemical identity is known and if it is available as a pure chemical. Often, this is not the case. Nonetheless, regulations require safety assessments for all substances migrating from FCAs, including NIAS, hence new approaches to meet this legal obligation are needed. Testing the overall migrate or extract from an FCM/FCA is an option. Ideally, such an assessment would be performed by means of in vitro bioassays, as they are rapid and cost‐effective. Here, we review the studies using in vitro bioassays to test toxicity of FCMs/FCAs. Three main categories of in vitro assays that have been applied include assays for cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and endocrine disruption potential. In addition, we reviewed studies with small multicellular animal‐based bioassays. Our overview shows that in vitro testing of FCMs is in principle feasible. We discuss future research needs and FCM‐specific challenges. Sample preparation procedures need to be optimized and standardized. Further, the array of in vitro tests should be expanded to include those of highest relevance for the most prevalent human diseases of concern.
Long‐range PCR allows sequencing of mitochondrial genomes from environmental DNA
Authors: Deiner Kristy , Renshaw Mark A. , Li Yiyuan , Olds Brett P. , Lodge David M. , Pfrender Michael E. 
Published: July 2017

Abstract

As environmental DNA (eDNA) from macro‐organisms is often assumed to be highly degraded, current eDNA assays target small DNA fragments to estimate species richness by metabarcoding. A limitation of this approach is the inherent lack of unique species‐specific single‐nucleotide polymorphisms available for unequivocal species identification.

We designed a novel primer pair capable of amplifying whole mitochondrial genomes and evaluated it in silico for a wide range of ray‐finned fishes (Class: Actinopterygii). We tested the primer pair using long‐range PCR and Illumina sequencing in vitro on a mock community of fish species assembled from pooling genomic DNA extracted from tissues. In situ we utilized long‐range PCR and Illumina sequencing to generate fragments between 16 and 17 kb from eDNA extracted from filtered water samples. Water samples were sourced from a mesocosm experiment and from a natural stream.

We validated our method in silico for 61 orders of Actinopterygii; we successfully sequenced mitogenomes in vitro from all six species in our mock community. In situ we recovered mitogenomes for all species present in our mesocosms. We additionally recovered mitogenomes from 10 of 12 species caught at the time of water sampling and two species previously only detected from eDNA metabarcoding of short DNA fragments from a natural stream.

Successful amplification of large fragments (>16 kb) from eDNA demonstrates that not all eDNA is highly degraded. Sequencing whole mitogenomes from filtered water samples will alleviate many problems associated with identification of species from short‐fragment PCR amplicon‐based methods.
Translation fidelity coevolves with longevity
Authors: Ke Zhonghe , Mallik Pramit , Johnson Adam B. , Luna Facundo , Nevo Eviatar , Zhang Zhengdong D. , Gladyshev Vadim N. , Seluanov Andrei , Gorbunova Vera 
Published: July 2017

SummaryWhether errors in protein synthesis play a role in aging has been a subject of intense debate. It has been suggested that rare mistakes in protein synthesis in young organisms may result in errors in the protein synthesis machinery, eventually leading to an increasing cascade of errors as organisms age. Studies that followed generally failed to identify a dramatic increase in translation errors with aging. However, whether translation fidelity plays a role in aging remained an open question. To address this issue, we examined the relationship between translation fidelity and maximum lifespan across 17 rodent species with diverse lifespans. To measure translation fidelity, we utilized sensitive luciferase‐based reporter constructs with mutations in an amino acid residue critical to luciferase activity, wherein misincorporation of amino acids at this mutated codon re‐activated the luciferase. The frequency of amino acid misincorporation at the first and second codon positions showed strong negative correlation with maximum lifespan. This correlation remained significant after phylogenetic correction, indicating that translation fidelity coevolves with longevity. These results give new life to the role of protein synthesis errors in aging: Although the error rate may not significantly change with age, the basal rate of translation errors is important in defining lifespan across mammals.
Effects of testosterone therapy on BMI, blood pressure, and laboratory profile of transgender men: a systematic review
Authors: Velho I. , Fighera T. M. , Ziegelmann P. K. , Spritzer P. M. 
Published: July 2017

SummaryTestosterone is the main hormonal agent used for cross‐sex hormone therapy in female‐to‐male transgender persons. Our aim was to systematically review the literature concerning the effects of testosterone on body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, hematocrit, hemoglobin, lipid profile, and liver enzymes in transgender men. PUBMED and EMBASE were searched for studies published until March 2017. Studies were included if they reported interventions with any dose of testosterone and comparison of variables before and during treatment. Of 455 potentially eligible articles, 13 were reviewed. Study duration ranged from 6 to 60 months, sample size ranged from 12 to 97 patients, and the most common treatment was parenteral testosterone undecanoate 1000 mg/12 weeks. Slight but significant increases in BMI were reported (from 1.3 to 11.4%). Three out of seven studies assessing the impact of different testosterone formulations on blood pressure detected modest increases or clinically irrelevant changes in this variable. In another study, however, two patients developed hypertension, which was resolved after cessation of testosterone therapy. Decreases in HDL‐cholesterol and increases in LDL‐cholesterol were consistently observed. Eight studies observed a relationship between testosterone and increased hemoglobin (range: 4.9–12.5%) and hematocrit (range: 4.4–17.6%), but discontinuation of androgen therapy was not necessary. In one study, two patients developed erythrocytosis (hematocrit >52%) after 9 and 12 months of treatment. One study analyzing testosterone formulations observed smaller increases in hemoglobin and hematocrit with testosterone gel. Six studies assessing liver function showed slight or no changes. Overall, the quality of evidence was low, given the lack of randomized clinical/controlled trials and the small sample sizes. In conclusion, exogenous testosterone administration to transgender men was associated with modest increases in BMI, hemoglobin/hematocrit, and LDL‐cholesterol, and with decreases in HDL‐cholesterol. Long‐term studies are needed to assess the long‐term risks of testosterone therapy, particularly as they relate to cardiometabolic risks such as diabetes, dyslipidemia and the metabolic syndrome.
Longitudinal study shows that depression in childhood is associated with a worse evolution of headaches in adolescence
Authors: Amouroux Rémy , Rousseau‐Salvador Céline , Pillant Magdeleine , Antonietti Jean‐Philippe , Tourniaire Barbara , Annequin Daniel 
Published: July 2017

AbstractAimThe aim of this study was to examine the course of headache diagnosis, headache frequency, anxiety, comorbid depressive symptoms and school absenteeism in adolescents with migraine and tension‐type headaches five years after baseline.MethodsWe followed a group of 122 children with a mean age of 10.1 (±1.3) years, with headache from a paediatric migraine centre in Paris who had taken part in a previous study from September 2007 to June 2008. This five‐year longitudinal study took place in January to June 2012. The measures that were used included demographic variables, headache diagnosis, headache data and a psychological assessment.ResultsAt the five‐year point, about 22% of the children had become headache free, 34% had little to no disability, and 36% had a changed diagnosis. Moreover, a longer history of headache at baseline was associated with a worse evolution of headache at follow‐up. Lastly, high depression scores, but not anxiety, were a predictor of more headache disability at follow‐up.ConclusionHigh depression scores in childhood were a risk factor that was associated with persistence and worsening of headaches in adolescence. This suggests that mental health assessments should be carried out in paediatric headache pain clinics.
Letter: Mendelian randomisation to investigate moderate alcohol consumption in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; modest effects need large numbers
Authors: Parisinos C. A. 
Published: July 2017

Linked ContentThis article is linked to Parisinos and Sookoian and Pirola papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14168 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14182.
Editorial: liver transplantation in patients with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease and obesity
Authors: Townsend S. A. , Newsome P. N. 
Published: July 2017

Linked ContentThis article is linked to Townsend and Newsome et al and Barone papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14179 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14195.
Letter: Mendelian randomisation to investigate moderate alcohol consumption in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; modest effects need large numbers—authors' reply
Authors: Sookoian S. , Pirola C. J. 
Published: July 2017

Linked ContentThis article is linked to Parisinos and Sookoian and Pirola papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14168 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14182.
Editorial: mesalazine to prevent recurrent acute diverticulitis—the final nail in the coffin. Authors’ reply
Authors: Kruis W. , Greinwald R. 
Published: July 2017

Linked ContentThis article is linked to Gracie and Ford et al and Kruis and Greinwald papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14180 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14193.
Effect of ginkgo extract supplementation on in vitro rumen fermentation and bacterial profiles under different dietary conditions
Authors: Oh Seongjin , Koike Satoshi , Kobayashi Yasuo 
Published: July 2017

AbstractGinkgo extract was applied to a batch culture study and evaluated for its potential as a feed additive for ruminant animals under different forage‐to‐concentrate (F:C) ratios (1:9, 3:7, 5:5, 7:3 and 9:1). Rumen fluid was mixed with respective diet and incubated at 39°C for 24 h with and without ginkgo extract (1.6% fruit equivalent in culture). Methane production was significantly decreased by ginkgo extract, with the greatest reductions found in the 5:5 (41.9%) followed by the 7:3 ratios (36.7%). Total short chain fatty acid and ammonia levels were not affected by ginkgo extract supplementation in any of the five different diets. However, ginkgo extract increased propionate proportion and decreased acetate proportion in all dietary conditions tested. The levels of total bacteria, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, Ruminococcus albus and Fibrobacter succinogenes were decreased by ginkgo extract. The levels of Selenomonas ruminantium, Anaerovibrio lipolytica, Ruminobacter amylophilus, Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens and Megasphaera elsdenii were increased by ginkgo extract supplementation, possibly contributing to the higher propionate production. These results suggest that rumen modulation by ginkgo extract can be achieved at a wide range of F:C ratios with no adverse impact on feed digestion. Moreover, F:C ratios of 5:5 and 7:3 may be optimal when methane mitigation is expected.
ON INTERMEDIATE HEADCOUNT INDICES OF POVERTY
Authors: Subramanian S. , Mukherjee Diganta 
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACTThe archetypal population‐relative measure of poverty is the Headcount Ratio, while the archetypal population‐absolute measure is the Aggregate Headcount. The overwhelming emphasis in the poverty measurement literature has been on population‐relative measures. The value‐basis for this preference has been seldom submitted to serious scrutiny, with the result that absolute and intermediate measures have generally been subjected to relative neglect. There would appear to be a strong case for the employment of indices which are intermediate between relative and absolute measures, and which avoid the extreme values underlying both. The present note, building on earlier work by scholars such as Arriaga, Krtscha, Del Rio, Alonso‐Villar, Mukherjee, Zheng and Zoli, aims to advance the cause of a workable and plausible population‐intermediate headcount index of poverty.
Household Socioeconomic Status and Parental Investments: Direct and Indirect Relations With School Readiness in Ghana
Authors: Wolf Sharon , McCoy Dana Charles 
Published: July 2017

This study examines how parent socioeconomic status (SES) directly and indirectly predicts children's school readiness through pathways of parental investment. Data come from direct assessments with preschool children and surveys with their primary caregivers in Ghana at the start of the 2015–2016 school year (N = 2,137; Mage = 5.2 years). Results revealed SES‐related gaps in all parental investment characteristics and child school readiness skills. Preschool involvement served as the primary mediating mechanism in the path from SES to most school readiness skills, though it did not predict executive function. The number of books in the household was marginally positively predictive of early literacy, whereas at‐home stimulation was negatively related to motor, literacy, and numeracy skills.
Prenatal exposure to dexamethasone in the mouse induces sex‐specific differences in placental gene expression
Authors: Lee Ji‐Yeon , Yun Hyo Jung , Kim Clara Yuri , Cho Yong Woo , Lee Yongmin , Kim Myoung Hee 
Published: July 2017

Prenatal stress during pregnancy leads to sex‐specific effects on fetal development and disease susceptibility over the life span; however, the origin of sex differences has not been identified. The placenta not only plays a key role in fetal growth and development throughout pregnancy, but also affects the fetal programming underlying subsequent adult health and accounts. Therefore, sex‐specific adaptation of the placenta may be central to the sex differences in fetal growth and survival. Here, we analyzed the effects of prenatal dexamethasone (Dex) on sex‐specific changes in placental gene expression using RNA‐Seq. Placental tissues from males and females were separated into two developmentally distinct fetal and maternal parts at E11.5 stage. The majority of genes in female placentas were downregulated by prenatal Dex, whereas those were mostly maintained or rather upregulated in male placentas. RNA‐Seq results were validated using independent biological replicates from the same stage and placental tissue samples from E18.5 by realtime PCR assays. Activation of various inflammatory response‐related genes, chemokines and their receptors, particularly in male placentas, strongly implies that prenatal Dex exposure causes sex‐specific physiological responses that can lead to inflammatory diseases involving vascular pathology.
Supporting a friend, housemate or partner with mental health difficulties: The student experience
Authors: Byrom Nicola C. 
Published: July 2017

AimsWhen experiencing mental health difficulties, university students turn to their friends for support. This study assessed the consequences of caregiving among a university sample, identifying predictors of caregiving burden among students.MethodsA total of 79 students with experience of supporting a friend with mental health difficulties were recruited through a UK student mental health charity to complete an online survey. Alongside qualitative data, the online survey used the Experience of Caregiving Inventory and the Involvement Evaluation Questionnaire as measures of the consequences of caregiving.ResultsStudents supporting friends, housemates or partners were found to experience significant consequences of caregiving. Frequency of face‐to‐face contact and duration of illness predicted more negative consequences of caregiving, but these relationships were not straightforward. The presence and intensity of professional support did not influence the experience of caregiving.ConclusionsThe study suggests that the impact of supporting friends with mental health difficulties is not insubstantial for students. Broadening the network of informal social support may help improve the experience for students supporting a friend, but currently, contact with professional services appears to have a limited effect.
Time capsules in natural sediment archives—Tracking phytoplankton population genetic diversity and adaptation over multidecadal timescales in the face of environmental change
Authors: Ellegaard Marianne , Godhe Anna , Ribeiro Sofia 
Published: July 2017

AbstractUndisturbed records of resting stages produced in the past and stored in coastal sediments are very valuable to science, because they may provide unique insights into past evolutionary and ecological trajectories. Within marine phytoplankton, multidecadal time series of monoclonal strains germinated from resting stages have been established for diatoms (Skeletonema marinoi) and dinoflagellates (Pentapharsodinium dalei), spanning ca. a century. Phenotypic and genotypic analyses of these time series have revealed effects of past environmental changes on population genetic structure. Future perspectives include direct comparisons of phenotypes and genotypic data of populations, for example, by genomewide assays that can correlate phenotypic trends with genotypes and allele frequencies in temporally separated strains. Besides their usefulness as historical records, “seed” banks of phytoplankton resting stages also have the potential to provide an inoculum that influences present populations through “dispersal from the past” (the storage effect) and are important for adaptation to future environments through their standing genetic diversity.
Managerial gaming of stock and option grants
Authors: Tian Yisong S. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractIn this paper, we examine managerial gaming of different types of equity grants, both at the initial award of the equity grants (front‐end gaming) and the unwinding of the equity holdings in the future (back‐end gaming). We find that the potential gains from stock price manipulation vary substantially across different types of equity grants. While traditional stock option grants are less vulnerable to front‐end gaming, they are more vulnerable to back‐end gaming than other types of equity grants (e.g., restricted stock grants). To prevent or discourage managerial gaming, firms should preset all terms of the equity grant in advance and link its future payoff to average stock prices (e.g., by granting Asian stock options).
The global rural: Relational geographies of poverty and uneven development
Authors: Rignall Karen , Atia Mona 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThis paper explores rural poverty through a relational lens, arguing that new spatial patterns of poverty stemming from global economic transformations call for a relational approach; one that draws attention to the importance of global integration while recognizing that places are absorbed differently and unevenly into circuits of capital accumulation. The spread of neoliberalism has reconfigured rural spaces, and the production of poverty knowledge reinforces this uneven spatiality. We address recent literature extending the critical analysis of poverty and welfare in the Global North to the production of poverty knowledge and development practice globally. We examine the various technologies of power that ask the subjects of rural poverty to be empowered, moral, and market‐oriented subjects. This attention to how rural poverty is governed and how rural subjects are inserted into the project of development highlights the distinct role of rural spaces in relation to poverty studies. We emphasize the spatially and temporally disjointed ways in which rural spaces and subjectivities are reconfigured, calling for greater attention to ethnographic accounts of the lived experiences of poverty. We argue for a reconsideration the “global rural” in processes of uneven development.
Enhanced electrical properties and strong red light‐emitting in Eu3+‐doped Sr1.90Ca0.15Na0.9Nb5O15 ceramics
Authors: Hao Shenglan , Li Jinhong , Yang Pei , Wei Lingling , Yang Zupei 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe luminescent‐ferroelectic materials based on Sr1.90Ca0.15Na0.9Nb5O15 (SCNN) matrix doping with Eu3+ were synthesized by the conventional solid‐state reaction method. The crystal structure, photoluminescence, thermal stability, dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric behaviors were systematically investigated. XRD results revealed that Eu3+ introduction could induce the tungsten bronze phase transition from orthorhombic to tetragonal structures. The dielectric spectra of all specimens showed two broad dielectric anomalies: a high‐temperature ferroelectric phase transition (Tc) and a low‐temperature ferroelastic phase transition (Ts), both of which were suppressed at higher Eu3+ concentrations. The enhanced electrical properties were obtained in a proper Eu3+ concentration range of 0.03‐0.05. For all SCNN:xEu3+ samples, the strong red emission peak at 617 nm originating from the electric dipole transition of 5D0 →7F2 was excited by different light excitations of 395 or 463 nm. Our results demonstrated that Eu3+‐doped SCNN materials might have promising potential in advanced multifunctional optoelectronic applications.
Perceptions of key participants about Botswana adolescents' risks of unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV: Qualitative findings
Authors: Magowe Mabel K. M. , Seloilwe Esther , Dithole Kefalotse , St. Lawrence Janet 
Published: July 2017

AbstractAimThe qualitative research findings are reported on the perceptions of key participants in Botswana about adolescent sexuality problems and the feasibility (with suggestions) of an adolescent prevention intervention.MethodsTwenty adult key participants who were selected through purposive sampling from schools and youth centers responded to open‐ended questions during face‐to‐face individual in‐depth interviews that were conducted between December, 2011 and January, 2012 in Gaborone, Botswana.ResultsThe data were analyzed by using an inductive content analysis. Five major themes and 12 subthemes emerged from the interviews. The key participants discussed situations that exposed adolescents to HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy. They also discussed unsafe sexual practices, the consequences of unprotected sex, poor parent–adolescent communication on sexuality, and the need for a sexuality education program.ConclusionPolicy changes are needed to improve collaboration between adolescents, parents, teachers, and youth officers in order to address adolescent sexuality problems. Further research is needed to explore the ways in which to improve sexuality communication between these groups. The results of the study provide valuable information on the sexuality risks that expose adolescents to HIV, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections and the strategies for the prevention of these risks, thus informing targeted interventions for risk reduction for adolescents.