bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The toxicity of different lead salts to Enchytraeus crypticus in relation to bioavailability in soil
Authors: Zhang Lulu , Van Gestel Cornelis A.M. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract

The present study aimed to assess the bioavailability and toxicity of lead nitrate and lead chloride to Enchytraeus crypticus in a natural standard soil. Worms were exposed to Pb-spiked soil for 21 d, and survival and reproduction were related to total, 0.01 M CaCl2-extractable, and porewater Pb concentrations in the soil and internal concentrations in the surviving animals. The Pb availability for Pb(NO3)2 and PbCl2 was similar, as confirmed by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The Pb concentrations in surviving worms increased with increasing Pb concentrations in the soil and did not differ for the 2 Pb salts. Lead was toxic to E. crypticus at median lethal concentrations (LC50s) of 543 and 779 mg Pb/kg dry soil and median effect concentrations (EC50s) of 189 and 134 mg Pb/kg dry soil, for Pb(NO3)2 and PbCl2, respectively. Mortality of E. crypticus was related to internal Pb concentrations in the worms rather than to total or available Pb concentrations in the soil, whereas reproduction toxicity was better explained from Pb concentrations in 0.01 M CaCl2 extracts or porewater of the test soil than from total Pb concentrations in the soil or Pb concentrations in the worms. Overall, the bioavailability and toxicity of Pb(NO3)2 and PbCl2 to E. crypticus in LUFA 2.2 soil did not differ. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2083–2091. © 2017 SETAC
Complementary cereals and legumes for health: Synergistic interaction of sorghum flavones and cowpea flavonols against LPS‐induced inflammation in colonic myofibroblasts
Authors: Agah Shima , Kim Hyemee , Mertens‐Talcott Susanne U. , Awika Joseph M. 
Published: February 2017

ScopeCereals and legumes are traditionally consumed together in many cultures, and may provide complementary health benefits beyond what is known about improved indispensable amino acid intake. Here, we use an in vitro model of inflammatory pathways to investigate whether the different flavonoids in sorghum and cowpea could synergistically reduce inflammation.Methods and resultsInteractive effect of combining apigenin and quercetin, as well as extracts (70% acetone, v/v) from a flavone‐dominated white sorghum and flavonol‐dominated white cowpea, against LPS‐induced NF‐κB and downstream cytokines (TNF‐α, IL‐6, IL‐8) gene and protein expression was evaluated using the CCD18Co colon myofibroblasts. Combination of apigenin and quercetin, and sorghum and cowpea extracts synergistically downregulated LPS‐induced NF‐κB gene and protein expression in a dose‐dependent manner, with additive effect producing IC50 values that were 14.6 and 14.0 times, respectively, higher than 1:1 combined treatments. Similar strong synergistic interactions were observed for the downstream cytokines (IC50 values for additive effect 8.3–21 times higher than combined treatments). Furthermore, the ratios of the different combined treatments significantly affected the magnitude of synergy.ConclusionCombining the structurally related cereal flavones and legume flavonols elicit strong synergistic anti‐inflammatory response in LPS‐stimulated nonmalignant colonocytes, likely by targeting interdependent mechanisms.
Evaluation of a decision support strategy for the control of powdery mildew, Erysiphe necator (Schw.) Burr., in grapevine in the central region of Chile
Authors: Valdés‐Gómez Héctor , Araya‐Alman Miguel , Pañitrur‐De la Fuente Carolina , Verdugo‐Vásquez Nicolás , Lolas Mauricio , Acevedo‐Opazo César , Gary Christian , Calonnec Agnès 
Published: February 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe primary strategy to control powdery mildew in Chilean vineyards involves periodic fungicide spraying, which may lead to many environmental and human health risks. This study aimed to implement and evaluate the effectiveness and economic feasibility of a novel decision support strategy (DSS) to limit the number of treatments against this pathogen. An experiment was conducted between the 2010 and 2013 seasons in two irrigated vine fields, one containing a cultivar of Cabernet Sauvignon (CS) and the other a cultivar of Chardonnay (CH).RESULTSThe results showed that the DSS effectively controlled powdery mildew in CS and CH vine fields, as evidenced by a disease severity lower than 3%, which was lower than that observed in untreated vines (approximately 10 and 40% for CS and CH respectively). The DS strategy required the application of only 2–3 fungicide treatments per season in key vine phenological stages, and the cost fluctuated between $US 322 and 415 ha−1, which was 40–60% cheaper than the traditional strategy employed by vine growers.CONCLUSIONThe decision support strategy evaluated in this trial allows a good control of powdery mildew for various types of epidemic with an early and late initiation. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Novel gene‐sequence markers for isolate tracking within Monilinia fructicola lesions
Authors: Dowling Madeline E , Schnabel Guido , Boatwright Harriet G , Everhart Sydney E 
Published: February 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDMonilinia fructicola is a diverse pathogen of pome and stone fruits that causes severe economic losses each year. However, little is known about inoculum flow within or between orchards and pathogen establishment in an orchard, because few methods exist for detecting diversity or tracking isolates over time. SSR loci are an effective option, but may be confounded by a high degree of mutability and potential sensitivity to abiotic stress.RESULTSThrough transcriptome analysis, we identified novel markers mrr1, DHFR and MfCYP01 and validated stability of these markers under fungicide stress in natural infection sites. Nucleotide variation within mrr1, DHFR and MfCYP01 sequences differentiated isolates at all spatial scales: within the same infection site, between trees and between two farms. Sequenced regions were also effective for matching isolates collected from blossoms at the beginning of the season to progeny in cankers obtained at the end of the season.CONCLUSIONSCollectively, results show that mrr1, DHFR and MfCYP01 are able to accurately differentiate M. fructicola isolates at the population level, can be used to track isolates over time, and are more stable than SSRs under external stresses. Either by themselves or combined with SSR markers, these gene‐encoding regions are a much‐needed tool for better understanding M. fructicola population dynamics. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Observer‐based leader‐following consensus of uncertain nonlinear multi‐agent systems
Authors: Shi P. , Shen Q. K. 
Published: February 2017

SummaryIn this paper, the leader‐following consensus problem of uncertain high‐order nonlinear multi‐agent systems on directed graph with a fixed topology is studied, where it is assumed that the relative states of a follower and its neighbors are immeasurable and only the relative outputs are available. Nonlinear adaptive observers are firstly proposed for each follower to estimate the states of it and its neighbors, and an observer‐based distributed adaptive control scheme is constructed to guarantee that all followers asymptotically synchronize to a leader with tracking errors being semi‐globally uniform ultimate bounded. On the basis of algebraic graph theory and Lyapunov theory, the closed‐loop system stability analysis is conducted. Finally, numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the effectiveness and potential of the proposed new design techniques. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TeenySec: a new data link layer security protocol for WSNs
Authors: Dener Murat , Bay Omer Faruk 
Published: February 2017

AbstractA Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) link layer security protocol called TeenySec is proposed in this paper. WSNs are caused by a lot of vulnerability because of factors such as hardware constraints of the sensor nodes, wireless communication medium, real‐time computing, heterogeneous structure, large number of nodes, scalability, mobility, weight and cost requirements of application environment. In sensitive WSN applications like surveillance of enemy lines or border areas, security protocols must be used which provide confidential data transfer from sensors to base station. In this study, a new data link layer protocol is developed which is called TeenySec. The TeenySec combines the advantageous aspects of the Corrected Block Tea Algorithm (XXTEA) with the Offset Codebook Mode (OCB) approaches. TeenySec provides data confidentiality, data integrity, data freshness and data authentication and is also energy efficient. Moreover, proposed protocol has been implemented on the TelosB nodes. The security has been increased in the developed protocol. Also, better results have been obtained than TinySec, MiniSec and SNEP in energy consumption and memory usage which are very important for WSNs. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation reduces exercise-induced perceived pain and improves endurance exercise performance
Authors: Astokorki Ali H. Y. , Mauger Alexis R. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
Purpose
Muscle pain is a natural consequence of intense and prolonged exercise and has been suggested to be a limiter of performance. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and interferential current (IFC) have been shown to reduce both chronic and acute pain in a variety of conditions. This study sought to ascertain whether TENS and IFC could reduce exercise-induced pain (EIP) and whether this would affect exercise performance. It was hypothesised that TENS and IFC would reduce EIP and result in an improved exercise performance.

Methods
In two parts, 18 (Part I) and 22 (Part II) healthy male and female participants completed an isometric contraction of the dominant bicep until exhaustion (Part I) and a 16.1 km cycling time trial as quickly as they could (Part II) whilst receiving TENS, IFC, and a SHAM placebo in a repeated measures, randomised cross-over, and placebo-controlled design. Perceived EIP was recorded in both tasks using a validated subjective scale.

Results
In Part I, TENS significantly reduced perceived EIP (mean reduction of 12%) during the isometric contraction (P = 0.006) and significantly improved participants’ time to exhaustion by a mean of 38% (P = 0.02). In Part II, TENS significantly improved (P = 0.003) participants’ time trial completion time (~2% improvement) through an increased mean power output.

Conclusion
These findings demonstrate that TENS can attenuate perceived EIP in a healthy population and that doing so significantly improves endurance performance in both submaximal isometric single limb exercise and whole-body dynamic exercise.
High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over the left DLPFC for major depression: Session-dependent efficacy: A meta-analysis
Authors: Teng S. , Guo Z. , Peng H. , Xing G. , Chen H. , He B. , McClure M.A. , Mu Q. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractBackgroundDepression is a major debilitating psychiatric disorder. Current antidepressant drugs are often associated with side effects or treatment resistance. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate therapeutic effects of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) in major depression (MD).MethodsThe medical data bases of PubMed, Medline, Embase and Cochrane Central Register were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting the therapeutic effects of high-frequency rTMS for depression, which were published in English between January 1990 and June 2016. The index terms were “depress*”, “depression” and “transcranial magnetic stimulation”. Depression outcome data of different sessions (5, 10, 15, and 20 sessions of rTMS treatment) were extracted and synthesized by calculating standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) by using a random-effect model. Within each session group, the subgroup analyses based on the number of pulses (≤ 1000, 1200–1500, 1600–1800, and 2000–3000) were also conducted.ResultsThirty RCTs with a total of 1754 subjects including 1136 in the rTMS group and 618 in the sham group were included in this meta-analysis. rTMS had a significant overall therapeutic effect on depression severity scores (SMD = −0.73,P< 0.00001). The five, 10, 15, 20 sessions of rTMS treatments yielded the significant mean effect sizes of −0.43, −0.60, −1.13, and −2.74, respectively. In the four groups (5, 10, 15, 20 sessions), the maximal mean effect size was all obtained in the subgroup of 1200–1500 pulses per day (−0.97, −1.14, −1.91, −5.47;P< 0.05).ConclusionsThe increasing of HF-rTMS sessions is associated with the increased efficacy of HF-rTMS in reducing depressed patients’ symptom severity. A total number of pulses of 1200–1500 per day appear to deliver the best antidepressant effects of HF-rTMS.
Measuring stigma in children receiving mental health treatment: Validation of the Paediatric Self-Stigmatization Scale (PaedS)
Authors: Kaushik A. , Papachristou E. , Dima D. , Fewings S. , Kostaki E. , Ploubidis G.B. , Kyriakopoulos M. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractBackground:Research on the impact of stigma associated with mental illness in children is scarce. Considering the known negative effects of stigma associated with mental illness in adults, it is crucial to explore the stigma experienced by children who access mental health treatment. However, no scale measuring self-stigmatization in younger children is available to date. This study aimed to develop and validate such a scale, the Paediatric Self-Stigmatization Scale (PaedS).Methods:A total of 156 children (119 receiving outpatient and 37 receiving inpatient treatment), aged 8–12 years, completed the PaedS, the Self-Perception Profile for Children and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL – Child Report, ages 8–12). In addition, parents completed the PedsQL (Parent Report for Children, ages 8–12), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and a modified subscale of the PaedS measuring the children's rejection by others due to their mental health difficulties.Results:A confirmatory factor analysis showed that a four-factor structure, comprising Societal Devaluation, Personal Rejection, Self-Stigma and Secrecy scales, had excellent fit to the data (CFI = 0.95; TLI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.05). Child-reported PaedS scores were positively correlated with parental-reported PaedS scores and negatively with PedsQL, the SDQ, and 5 out of 6 subscales of the Self-Perception Profile for Children, suggesting adequate convergent validity (all P-values < 0.05).Conclusions:The PaedS is a valid instrument, which is hoped to advance the understanding of self-stigmatization in children with mental health difficulties and contribute to its prevention.
Early Jurassic Caenogastropoda and Architectibranchia from the Neuquén Basin, Argentina
Authors: Ferrari Mariel 
Published: February 2017

AbstractEarly Jurassic marine gastropods are well represented in Argentina by three major taxa: Vetigastropoda, Caenogastropoda and Architectibranchia (=Opisthobranchia). The present paper aims at the description of six new caenogastropod species and one new architectibranch species from the Early Jurassic marine deposits of the Neuquén Basin, namelyProcerithium subimbricatumn. sp.,Microschiza weaverin. sp.,Naricopsina aequabilisn. sp.,Naricopsina ballentaen. sp.,Pictavia rothin. sp.,Oonia acutan. sp., andCylindrobullina brevispiran. sp. Seven other caenogastropods are reported for the first time in the area, includingCryptaulax redeliiFerrari,Procerithium nulloi(Ferrari),Rhabdocolpus patagoniensis(Ferrari),Rhabdocolpus? sp.,Pseudomelania feruglioiFerrari,Pseudomelaniaaff.baugieriana(d’Orbigny), andAnulifera chubutensisFerrari, extending their palaeobiogeographical distribution to the Andean region of Argentina during the Early Jurassic. Caenogastropods such asGlobularia catanlilensis(Weaver) andMicroschiza?americana(Möricke), and the architectibranch speciesStriactaeonina transatlantica(Behrendsen) andCylindrobullina ovata(Behrendsen) are redescribed and discussed based on new specimens from the type and other localities. The new fossils described here expand the known diversity of the gastropod faunas in the Early Jurassic of Argentina and contribute to the paleontological knowledge of the group in the Mesozoic of South America.
Integrals evaluated in terms of Catalan's constant
Authors: Jameson Graham , Lord Nick 
Published: February 2017

Catalan's constant, named after E. C. Catalan (1814-1894) and usually denoted by G, is defined byIt is, of course, a close relative ofThe numerical value is G ≈ 0.9159656. It is not known whether G is irrational: this remains a stubbornly unsolved problem. The best hope for a solution might appear to be the method of Beukers [1] to prove the irrationality of ζ (2) directly from the series, but it is not clear how to adapt this method to G.
The pathogenesis of proventricular dilatation disease
Authors: Tizard Ian , Shivaprasad H. L. , Guo Jianhua , Hameed Samer , Ball Judith , Payne Susan 
Published: February 2017

AbstractBornaviruses cause neurologic diseases in several species of birds, especially parrots, waterfowl and finches. The characteristic lesions observed in these birds include encephalitis and gross dilatation of the anterior stomach — the proventriculus. The disease is thus known as proventricular dilatation disease (PDD). PDD is characterized by extreme proventricular dilatation, blockage of the passage of digesta and consequent death by starvation. There are few clinical resemblances between this and the bornaviral encephalitides observed in mammals. Nevertheless, there are common virus-induced pathogenic pathways shared across this disease spectrum that are explored in this review. Additionally, a review of the literature relating to gastroparesis in humans and the control of gastric mobility in mammals and birds points to several plausible mechanisms by which bornaviral infection may result in extreme proventricular dilatation.
Identification and expression analysis of the apple (Malus × domestica) basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor family
Authors: Yang Jinhua , Gao Min , Huang Li , Wang Yaqiong , van Nocker Steve , Wan Ran , Guo Chunlei , Wang Xiping , Gao Hua 
Published: February 2017

AbstractBasic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins, which are characterized by a conserved bHLH domain, comprise one of the largest families of transcription factors in both plants and animals, and have been shown to have a wide range of biological functions. However, there have been very few studies of bHLH proteins from perennial tree species. We describe here the identification and characterization of 175 bHLH transcription factors from apple (Malus × domestica). Phylogenetic analysis of apple bHLH (MdbHLH) genes and their Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) orthologs indicated that they can be classified into 23 subgroups. Moreover, integrated synteny analysis suggested that the large-scale expansion of the bHLH transcription factor family occurred before the divergence of apple and Arabidopsis. An analysis of the exon/intron structure and protein domains was conducted to suggest their functional roles. Finally, we observed that MdbHLH subgroup III and IV genes displayed diverse expression profiles in various organs, as well as in response to abiotic stresses and various hormone treatments. Taken together, these data provide new information regarding the composition and diversity of the apple bHLH transcription factor family that will provide a platform for future targeted functional characterization.
Predictors of facial attractiveness and health in humans
Authors: Foo Yong Zhi , Simmons Leigh W. , Rhodes Gillian 
Published: February 2017

AbstractFacial attractiveness has been suggested to provide signals of biological quality, particularly health, in humans. The attractive traits that have been implicated as signals of biological quality include sexual dimorphism, symmetry, averageness, adiposity, and carotenoid-based skin colour. In this study, we first provide a comprehensive examination of the traits that predict attractiveness. In men, attractiveness was predicted positively by masculinity, symmetry, averageness, and negatively by adiposity. In women, attractiveness was predicted positively by femininity and negatively by adiposity. Skin colour did not predict attractiveness in either sex, suggesting that, despite recent interest in the literature, colour may play limited role in determining attractiveness. Male perceived health was predicted positively by averageness, symmetry, and skin yellowness, and negatively by adiposity. Female perceived health was predicted by femininity. We then examined whether appearance predicted actual health using measures that have been theoretically linked to sexual selection, including immune function, oxidative stress, and semen quality. In women, there was little evidence that female appearance predicted health. In men, we found support for the phenotype-linked fertility hypothesis that male masculinity signalled semen quality. However, we also found a negative relationship between averageness and semen quality. Overall, these results indicate weak links between attractive facial traits and health.
iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis of the global response to 17β-estradiol in estrogen-degradation strain Pseudomonas putida SJTE-1
Authors: Xu Jing , Zhang Lei , Hou Jingli , Wang Xiuli , Liu Huan , Zheng Daning , Liang Rubing 
Published: February 2017

AbstractMicroorganism degradation is efficient to remove the steroid hormones like 17β-estradiol (E2); but their degradation mechanism and metabolic network to these chemicals are still not very clear. Here the global responses of the estrogen-degradation strain Pseudomonas putida SJTE-1 to 17β-estradiol and glucose were analyzed and compared using the iTRAQ (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantization) strategy combined with LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry). 78 proteins were identified with significant changes in expression; 45 proteins and 33 proteins were up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively. These proteins were mainly involved in the processes of stress response, energy metabolism, transportation, chemotaxis and cell motility, and carbon metabolism, considered probably responding to 17β-estradiol and playing a role in its metabolism. The up-regulated proteins in electron transfer, energy generation and transport systems were thought crucial for efficient uptake, translocation and transformation of 17β-estradiol. The over-expression of carbon metabolism proteins indicated cells may activate related pathway members to utilize 17β-estradiol. Meanwhile, proteins functioning in glucose capture and metabolism were mostly down-regulated. These findings provide important clues to reveal the 17β-estradiol degradation mechanism in P. putida and promote its bioremediation applications.