bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Biological control of Ziziphus mauritiana (Rhamnaceae): feasibility, prospective agents and research gaps
Authors: Dhileepan K. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe tropical fruit tree, Ziziphus mauritiana (Rhamnaceae), a native of the Indian subcontinent, is a pasture and environmental weed in northern Australia and Fiji. In their native range, Ziziphus spp., including commercially cultivated Z. mauritiana and Z. jujuba, are subjected to a wide range of pests and diseases. The feasibility of classical biological control of this weed has not been explored to date. Effective biological control could reduce plant vigour and seed output, thereby limiting the spread of Z. mauritiana in Australia. Two Ziziphus species are native to Australia, hence, any prospective biological control agent should be specific to Z. mauritiana. Opportunistic field surveys and literature searches identified 133 species of phytophagous insects, 9 species of phytophagous mites and 12 plant pathogens on Ziziphus spp. Host records suggest the following are possibly specific to Z. mauritiana and hence are prospective biological control agents in Australia: the seed‐feeding weevil Aubeus himalayanus; the leaf‐feeding gracillariid moth Phyllonorycter iochrysis; the leaf‐mining chrysomelid beetle Platypria erinaceus; the leaf‐folding crambid moth Synclera univocalis; the leaf‐galling midge Phyllodiplosis jujubae; and the gall‐mites Aceria cernuus and Larvacarus transitans. Host range of the rust Phakopsora zizyphi‐vulgaris includes many Ziziphus species, including the native Z. oenoplia and hence would not be a suitable biological control agent in Australia. The powdery mildew Pseudoidium ziziphi, with a host range restricted to Ziziphus species, has not been reported on Z. oenoplia. All available information on the pests and diseases of Z. mauritiana are from cultivated varieties. Hence, future surveys should focus on wild Z. mauritiana in the Indian subcontinent in areas that are climatically similar to the regions of northern Australia, where it is currently most abundant.
Polygenic risk scores for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder associate with addiction
Authors: Reginsson Gunnar W. , Ingason Andres , Euesden Jack , Bjornsdottir Gyda , Olafsson Sigurgeir , Sigurdsson Engilbert , Oskarsson Hogni , Tyrfingsson Thorarinn , Runarsdottir Valgerdur , Hansdottir Ingunn , Steinberg Stacy , Stefansson Hreinn , Gudbjartsson Daniel F. , Thorgeirsson Thorgeir E. , Stefansson Kari 
Published: February 2017

AbstractWe use polygenic risk scores (PRSs) for schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BPD) to predict smoking, and addiction to nicotine, alcohol or drugs in individuals not diagnosed with psychotic disorders. Using PRSs for 144 609 subjects, including 10 036 individuals admitted for in‐patient addiction treatment and 35 754 smokers, we find that diagnoses of various substance use disorders and smoking associate strongly with PRSs for SCZ (P = 5.3 × 10−50–1.4 × 10−6) and BPD (P = 1.7 × 10−9–1.9 × 10−3), showing shared genetic etiology between psychosis and addiction. Using standardized scores for SCZ and BPD scaled to a unit increase doubling the risk of the corresponding disorder, the odds ratios for alcohol and substance use disorders range from 1.19 to 1.31 for the SCZ‐PRS, and from 1.07 to 1.29 for the BPD‐PRS. Furthermore, we show that as regular smoking becomes more stigmatized and less prevalent, these biological risk factors gain importance as determinants of the behavior.
Sarcophaga maxima sp. nov. (Diptera: Sarcophagidae: Sarcophaginae), a new Australian flesh fly recognised by morphology and DNA barcoding
Authors: Meiklejohn Kelly A , Wallman James F , Pape Thomas 
Published: February 2017

AbstractA new species, Sarcophaga (Sarcorohdendorfia) maxima sp. nov., supported by both morphological and DNA barcoding data, is described from Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. The major morphological features of the new species are listed, and the male terminalia are documented with both photography and scanning electron microscopy. Sarcophaga alcicornis Hardy, 1932 is transferred from subgenus Lioproctia Enderlein to Sarcorohdendorfia Baranov.
Structure of population, grouping patterns and density of forest elephants in north‐west Congo
Authors: Querouil Sophie , Magliocca Florence , Gautier-Hion Annie 
Published: February 2017

SummaryThe structure of the population of forest elephants visiting a clearing in north‐west Congo was studied over 8 months. Out of 3314 sightings, 629 elephants were identified (including 64%, of adults). The sex ratio was about 1:1. The number of offspring per female was 1.12. Solitary elephants (91.4%, of males) made up 35% of the population. Of females, 93.6% were grouped. Groups (mean size 3.5) included females and offspring (3.4), males and females (5.0), or males only (2.3). The return rate of elephants at the clearing suggested that up to 1900 individuals have visited the clearing. This confirms that elephant densities are especially high in north Congo.
Allergenome characterization of the mosquito Aedes aegypti
Authors: Cantillo J. F. , Puerta L. , Puchalska P. , Lafosse‐Marin S. , Subiza J. L. , Fernández‐Caldas E. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractBackgroundSaliva and muscle‐derived mosquito allergens have been purified and characterized. However, the complete set of allergens remains to be elucidated. In this study, we identified and characterized IgE‐binding proteins from the mosquito species Aedes aegypti.MethodsSerum was obtained from 15 allergic individuals with asthma and/or rhinitis and sensitized to mosquito. IgE binding was determined by ELISA. Total proteins from freeze‐dried bodies of A. aegypti were extracted and IgE‐reactive proteins were identified by 2D gel electrophoresis, followed by Western blot with pooled or individual sera. IgE‐reactive spots were further characterized by mass spectrometry.ResultsTwenty‐five IgE‐reactive spots were identified, corresponding to 10 different proteins, some of which appeared as different variants or isoforms. Heat‐shock cognate 70 (HSC‐70) and tropomyosin showed IgE reactivity with 60% of the sera, lysosomal aspartic protease, and “AAEL006070‐PA” (Uniprot: Q177P3) with 40% and the other proteins with <33.3% of the sera. Different variants or isoforms of tropomyosin, arginine or creatine kinase, glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH), calcium‐binding protein, and phosphoglycerate mutase were also identified. The mixture of three allergens (Aed a 6, Aed a 8, and Aed a 10) seems to identify more than 80% of A. aegypti‐sensitized individuals, indicating that these allergens should be considered when designing of improved mosquito allergy diagnostic tools.ConclusionsThe newly identified allergens may play a role in the pathophysiology of mosquito allergy in the tropics, and some of them might be important arthropod‐related proteins involved in cross‐reactivity between A. aegypti and other allergenic arthropods.
Activin and follistatin interactions in the male reproductive tract: activin expression and morphological abnormalities in mice lacking follistatin 288
Authors: Wijayarathna R. , Sarraj M. A. , Genovese R. , Girling J. E. , Michel V. , Ludlow H. , Loveland K. L. , Meinhardt A. , de Kretser D. M. , Hedger M. P. 
Published: February 2017

SummaryActivin A is an important regulator of testicular and epididymal development and function, as well as inflammation and immunity. In the adult murine reproductive tract, activin A mRNA (Inhba) expression levels are highest in the caput epididymis and decrease progressively towards the distal vas deferens. The activin‐binding protein, follistatin (FST), shows the opposite expression pattern, with exceptionally high levels of the Fst288 mRNA variant in the vas deferens. This unique pattern of expression suggests that activin A and follistatin, in particular FST288, play region‐specific roles in regulating the epididymis and vas deferens. The cellular distribution of activin and follistatin and structural organization of the male reproductive tract was examined in wild‐type and transgenic (TghFST315) mice lacking FST288. Compared to wild‐type littermates, TghFST315 mice showed a 50% reduction in serum follistatin and a significant elevation of both activin A and B. Testicular, epididymal and seminal vesicle weights were reduced, but intra‐testicular testosterone was normal. A decrease in the epididymal duct diameter in the corpus and thickening of the peritubular smooth muscle in the cauda, together with increased coiling of the proximal vas deferens, were observed in TghFST315 mice. No immune cell infiltrates were detected. Immunohistochemistry indicated that epithelial cells are the main source of activins and follistatin in the epididymis and vas deferens. Activin A, but not activin B, was also localized to sperm heads in the lumen of the epididymis and vas deferens. Expression of Inhba and another immunoregulatory gene, indoleamine‐2,3‐dioxygenase (Ido‐1), was increased approximately twofold in the TghFST315 caput epididymis, but several other genes associated with immunoregulation, inflammation or fibrosis were unaffected. Our novel data indicate that disruption of follistatin expression has significant effects on the testis and epididymis, and suggest an association between activin A and indoleamine‐2,3‐dioxygenase in the caput epididymis, with implications for the epididymal immunoenvironment.
Shared effects of the clusterin gene on the default mode network among individuals at risk for Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Ye Qing , Su Fan , Shu Hao , Gong Liang , Xie Chun‐Ming , Zhou Hong , Zhang Zhi‐Jun , Bai Feng 
Published: February 2017

SummaryAimsTo explore the common effects of the clusterin (CLU) rs11136000 variant on the default mode network (DMN) in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) subjects and remitted geriatric depression (RGD) subjects.MethodsFifty‐one aMCI subjects, 38 RGD subjects, and 64 cognitively normal elderly subjects underwent resting‐state fMRI scans and neuropsychological tests at both baseline and a 35‐month follow‐up. Posterior cingulate cortex seed‐based functional connectivity (FC) analysis was used to obtain the DMN patterns.ResultsA CLU gene×disease×time interaction for aMCI subjects was mainly detected in the core cortical midline structures of the DMN, and the interaction for RGD subjects was mainly detected in the limbic system. However, they overlapped in two frontal regions, where consistent effects of the CLU gene on FC alterations were found between aMCI and RGD groups. Furthermore, the alterations of FC with frontal, parietal, and limbic regions compensated for episodic memory impairments in CLU‐CT/TT carriers, while no such compensation was found in CLU‐CC carriers.ConclusionThe CLU gene could consistently affect the DMN FC with frontal regions among individuals at risk for Alzheimer's disease, and the CLU‐T allele was associated with more compensatory neural processes in DMN changes.
Inflammation following invasive procedures for Warthin's tumour: A retrospective case series
Authors: Alkan U. , Shkedy Y. , Mizrachi A. , Shpitzer T. , Popovtzer A. , Bachar G. 
Published: February 2017

ObjectiveTo determine the risk of inflammation associated with fine‐needle aspiration during evaluation of Warthin's tumour.DesignRetrospective case series.SettingTertiary medical centre.ParticipantsAll patients who underwent fine‐needle aspiration followed by parotidectomy between 1992 and 2009 for the diagnosis/evaluation of a parotid gland tumour.Main outcome measureRate of fine‐needle‐aspiration‐related parotitis in patients with Warthin's tumour or other parotid pathologies.ResultsA total of 593 parotidectomies were performed in 553 patients during the study period, 96 (16.2%) for Warthin's tumour (study group) and 497 for other parotid‐related pathologies (control group). Parotid gland inflammation following fine‐needle aspiration was observed in 16 cases in the study group (16.7%) and eight (1.6%) in the control group (P<.001). On multivariate regression analysis, parotitis following fine‐needle aspiration was more common in patients with Warthin's tumour than other parotid‐related pathologies even after adjustment for possible confounders (P<.007). Signs of inflammation were noted during surgery in six cases in the study group (6.3%) and none in the control group (P<.001); respective rates of postoperative inflammation (wound infection) were 1.04% and 3.3% (P=NS). Management of parotitis consisted of hospitalisation and systemic antibiotic therapy.ConclusionsWarthin's tumour is associated with a tenfold higher risk of inflammation compared to other parotid tumours following invasive procedures. Clinicians should be alert to this complication in order to initiate proper treatment and patients must be properly counselled.
Testing the feasibility of a hypothetical whaling‐conservation permit market in Norway
Authors: Huang Biao , Abbott Joshua K. , Fenichel Eli P. , Muneepeerakul Rachata , Perrings Charles , Gerber Leah R. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractA cap‐and‐trade system for managing whale harvests represents a potentially useful approach to resolve the current gridlock in international whale management. The establishment of whale permit markets, open to both whalers and conservationists, could reveal the strength of conservation demand, about which little is known. This lack of knowledge makes it difficult to predict the outcome of a hypothetical whale permit market. We developed a bioeconomic model to evaluate the influence of economic uncertainty about demand for whale conservation or harvest. We used simulations over a wide range of parameterizations of whaling and conservation demands to examine the potential ecological consequences of the establishment of a whale permit market in Norwegian waters under bounded (but substantial) economic uncertainty. Uncertainty variables were slope of whaling and conservation demand, participation level of conservationists and their willingness to pay for whale conservation, and functional forms of demand, including linear, quadratic, and log‐linear forms. A whale‐conservation market had the potential to yield a wide range of conservation and harvest outcomes, the most likely outcomes were those in which conservationists bought all whale permits.
Reach tracking reveals dissociable processes underlying inhibitory control in 5‐ to 10‐year‐olds and adults
Authors: Erb Christopher D. , Moher Jeff , Song Joo‐Hyun , Sobel David M. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractResearchers have proposed that two processes featuring distinct types of inhibition support inhibitory control: a response threshold adjustment process involving the global inhibition of motor output and a conflict resolution process involving competitive inhibition among co‐active response alternatives. To target the development of these processes, we measured the reaching behavior of 5‐ to 10‐year‐olds (Experiment 1) and adults (Experiment 2) as they performed an Eriksen flanker task. This method provided two key measures: initiation time (the time elapsed between stimulus onset and movement onset) and reach curvature (the degree to which a movement deviates from a direct path to the selected target). We suggest that initiation time reflects the response threshold adjustment process by indexing the degree of motoric stopping experienced before a movement is started, while reach curvature reflects the conflict resolution process by indexing the degree of co‐activation between response alternatives over the course of a movement. Our results support this claim, revealing different patterns effects in initiation time and curvature, and divergent developmental trajectories between childhood and adulthood. These findings provide behavioral evidence for the dissociation between global and competitive inhibition, and offer new insight into the development of inhibitory control.
Phytophthora cinnamomi A1: An ancient resident of New Guinea and Australia of Gondwanan origin?
Authors: Arentz F. 
Published: February 2017

SummaryThis article re‐examines the hypothesis, first proposed by Shepherd (Search, 6(11‐12), 1975, 484), that Phytophthora cinnamomi is an ancient organism in Australia and New Guinea. It further evaluates data that suggest the A1 mating type is Gondwanan in origin and may have been present in New Guinea for up to 10 million years. It is postulated that there has been a mating type change in P. cinnamomi from A1 to A2 in relatively recent times as a result of genetic transformation of the A1 mating type.
Association study reveals novel risk loci for sporadic inclusion body myositis
Authors: Johari M. , Arumilli M. , Palmio J. , Savarese M. , Tasca G. , Mirabella M. , Sandholm N. , Lohi H. , Hackman P. , Udd B. 
Published: February 2017

Background and purposeThe aim was to identify potential genetic risk factors associated with sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM).MethodsAn association based case−control approach was utilized on whole exome sequencing data of 30 Finnish sIBM patients and a control cohort (n = 193). A separate Italian cohort of sIBM patients (n = 12) was used for evaluation of the results.ResultsSeven single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in five genes that have a considerably higher observed frequency in Finnish sIBM patients compared to the control population, and the previous association of the genetic human leukocyte antigen region was confirmed.ConclusionsAll seven identified variants could individually or in combination increase the susceptibility for sIBM.
Normal‐appearing white matter demyelination in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder
Authors: Jeong I. H. , Choi J. Y. , Kim S.‐H. , Hyun J.‐W. , Joung A. , Lee J. , Kim H. J. 
Published: February 2017

Background and purposeIncreasing evidence suggests the presence of demyelination in the normal‐appearing white matter (NAWM) of patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). The objective was to determine the presence of subclinical demyelination in the NAWM of patients with NMOSD using myelin water imaging (MWI).MethodsWhole brain and regions‐of‐interest (ROIs) analyses, including the centrum semiovale, corona radiata, genu and splenium of the corpus callosum, and optic radiation, were conducted in the NAWM of 28 NMOSD patients and 18 healthy controls (HCs) using two MWI modalities: conventional MWI and direct visualization of short transverse relaxation time component (ViSTa) MWI.ResultsConventional myelin water fractions (MWFs) of the global NAWM and three ROIs (centrum semiovale, corona radiata, and genu of the corpus callosum) were slightly lower in NMOSD patients than in HCs, although not statistically significant. On the other hand, ViSTa MWF values of the global NAWM and all ROIs except the genu of the corpus callosum were significantly lower in NMOSD patients relative to HCs. In particular, the MWF in the optic radiation was significantly reduced in NMOSD patients relative to HCs in both MWI methods, even in patients who had no brain involvement. Additionally, patients with optic neuritis showed lower MWF than patients without optic neuritis and a negative correlation was identified between the MWF of the optic radiation and visual functional system score.ConclusionsThis study identified the presence of widespread demyelination in the NAWM of NMOSD patients and highlighted the optic radiation as a site of marked demyelination.
Indirect comparisons of efficacy and weekly factor consumption during continuous prophylaxis with recombinant factor VIII Fc fusion protein and conventional recombinant factor VIII products
Authors: Iorio A. , Krishnan S. , Myrén K.J. , Lethagen S. , McCormick N. , Yermakov S. , Karner P. 
Published: February 2017

IntroductionRecombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) products with extended half‐lives have the potential to improve adherence and outcomes in haemophilia beyond the results obtained with conventional rFVIII products.AimIn the absence of head‐to‐head comparisons, annualized bleed rates (ABRs) and weekly factor consumption with rFVIII Fc fusion protein (rFVIIIFc) and conventional rFVIII products were indirectly compared using studies of continuous prophylaxis.MethodsA systematic literature review was conducted to identify studies of rFVIII products for comparison with rFVIIIFc in the continuous prophylactic treatment of previously treated adolescents and adults with moderate and severe haemophilia A. Mean ABRs were compared between rFVIIIFc and individual rFVIII studies and between rFVIIIFc and a pooled measure for rFVIII estimated by meta‐analysis. Comparisons of factor consumption were based on mean or median weekly factor consumption.ResultsResults from seven studies of conventional rFVIII products (injections 2–4 times week−1) were compared with rFVIIIFc (injections 1.4–2.4 times week−1). The pooled mean ABR for rFVIII products was significantly higher compared with rFVIIIFc (difference = 2.0; P = 0.007). Compared with most rFVIII studies, the reported weekly factor consumption was lower with rFVIIIFc [mean differences = 15.5–21.8 IU kg−1 week−1 (17–26%); median differences = 12.7–29.8 IU kg−1 week−1 (16–37%)]. In one comparison, mean weekly factor consumption with rFVIII was significantly lower but mean ABR was significantly higher than rFVIIIFc.ConclusionProphylaxis with rFVIIIFc may be associated with improved bleeding rates and lower weekly factor consumption than more frequently injected rFVIII products. Relative to rFVIII products with similar bleeding rates, results indicate that rFVIIIFc is associated with reduced weekly factor consumption while requiring fewer prescribed injections.
Pseudochromhidrosis: report and review of literature
Authors: Tempark Therdpong , Wittayakornrerk Sanchawan , Jirasukprasert Laksanaree , Chatproedprai Susheera , Wananukul Siriwan 
Published: February 2017

AbstractChromhidrosis is a rare condition where colored sweat comes from the apocrine or eccrine glands. Pseudochromhidrosis is an uncommon condition where colored sweat is related to specific dye‐producing bacteria, drugs, dyes, or chemical agents. This article provides a literature review of the various etiology, investigation, treatment, and prognosis. We propose an investigative algorithm to assist dermatologists, pediatric dermatologists, and general practitioners to diagnose this uncommon condition. The treatment options rely on the primary etiology such as removing dyes and chemical agents first and then treating the chromogenic bacteria. Topical and oral erythromycin seems to be the most effective treatment both in unidentified and identified chromogenic bacteria cases. Results and prognosis were excellent and without recurrence.