bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Wild bee community change over a 26‐year chronosequence of restored tallgrass prairie
Authors: Griffin Sean R. , Bruninga‐Socolar Bethanne , Kerr Morgan A. , Gibbs Jason , Winfree Rachael 
Published: January 2017

AbstractRestoration efforts often focus on plants, but additionally require the establishment and long‐term persistence of diverse groups of nontarget organisms, such as bees, for important ecosystem functions and meeting restoration goals. We investigated long‐term patterns in the response of bees to habitat restoration by sampling bee communities along a 26‐year chronosequence of restored tallgrass prairie in north‐central Illinois, U.S.A. Specifically, we examined how bee communities changed over time since restoration in terms of (1) abundance and richness, (2) community composition, and (3) the two components of beta diversity, one‐to‐one species replacement, and changes in species richness. Bee abundance and raw richness increased with restoration age from the low level of the pre‐restoration (agricultural) sites to the target level of the remnant prairie within the first 2–3 years after restoration, and these high levels were maintained throughout the entire restoration chronosequence. Bee community composition of the youngest restored sites differed from that of prairie remnants, but 5–7 years post‐restoration the community composition of restored prairie converged with that of remnants. Landscape context, particularly nearby wooded land, was found to affect abundance, rarefied richness, and community composition. Partitioning overall beta diversity between sites into species replacement and richness effects revealed that the main driver of community change over time was the gradual accumulation of species, rather than one‐to‐one species replacement. At the spatial and temporal scales we studied, we conclude that prairie restoration efforts targeting plants also successfully restore bee communities.
Clinical management of Candida albicans keratomycosis in a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
Authors: Simeone Claire A. , Traversi John P. , Meegan Jenny M. , LeBert Carolina , Colitz Carmen M. H. , Jensen Eric D. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractObjectiveCorneal ulceration secondary to trauma commonly affects marine mammals, often with opportunistic secondary bacterial or fungal infections. This report characterizes the combined use of auriculopalpebral and ophthalmic nerve blocks, adipose‐derived stem cells, and subconjunctival injections for successful treatment of corneal trauma and infection in dolphins.Animal studiedAn 11‐year‐old, female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) presented with bilateral diffuse corneal opacities, which progressed to keratomycosis caused by Candida albicans.ProcedureAggressive medical management was employed, including the use of subconjunctival injections of adipose‐derived stem cells, plasma, topical and oral antifungals and antibiotics, and anti‐inflammatory and pain medications. Anesthetic block of the auriculopalpebral and ophthalmic nerves was employed to evaluate the corneas.ConclusionSubconjunctival injections were employed over 52 days, followed by topical drops for 5 months. At last evaluation, there was no evidence of blepharospasm bilaterally. Only a faint superficial gray corneal opacity remained OS. A temporal paraxial corneal opacity was present OD, with receding inactive vascularization and a small amount of melanosis temporally.
Adenosine receptors regulate gap junction coupling of the human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells hCMEC/D3 by Ca2+ influx through cyclic nucleotide‐gated channels
Authors: Bader Almke , Bintig Willem , Begandt Daniela , Klett Anne , Siller Ina G. , Gregor Carola , Schaarschmidt Frank , Weksler Babette , Romero Ignacio , Couraud Pierre‐Olivier , Hell Stefan W. , Ngezahayo Anaclet 
Published: January 2017

Key points
Gap junction channels are essential for the formation and regulation of physiological units in tissues by allowing the lateral cell‐to‐cell diffusion of ions, metabolites and second messengers.
Stimulation of the adenosine receptor subtype A2B increases the gap junction coupling in the human blood–brain barrier endothelial cell line hCMEC/D3.
Although the increased gap junction coupling is cAMP‐dependent, neither the protein kinase A nor the exchange protein directly activated by cAMP were involved in this increase.
We found that cAMP activates cyclic nucleotide‐gated (CNG) channels and thereby induces a Ca2+ influx, which leads to the increase in gap junction coupling.
The report identifies CNG channels as a possible physiological link between adenosine receptors and the regulation of gap junction channels in endothelial cells of the blood–brain barrier.
AbstractThe human cerebral microvascular endothelial cell line hCMEC/D3 was used to characterize the physiological link between adenosine receptors and the gap junction coupling in endothelial cells of the blood–brain barrier. Expressed adenosine receptor subtypes and connexin (Cx) isoforms were identified by RT‐PCR. Scrape loading/dye transfer was used to evaluate the impact of the A2A and A2B adenosine receptor subtype agonist 2‐phenylaminoadenosine (2‐PAA) on the gap junction coupling. We found that 2‐PAA stimulated cAMP synthesis and enhanced gap junction coupling in a concentration‐dependent manner. This enhancement was accompanied by an increase in gap junction plaques formed by Cx43. Inhibition of protein kinase A did not affect the 2‐PAA‐related enhancement of gap junction coupling. In contrast, the cyclic nucleotide‐gated (CNG) channel inhibitor l‐cis‐diltiazem, as well as the chelation of intracellular Ca2+ with BAPTA, or the absence of external Ca2+, suppressed the 2‐PAA‐related enhancement of gap junction coupling. Moreover, we observed a 2‐PAA‐dependent activation of CNG channels by a combination of electrophysiology and pharmacology. In conclusion, the stimulation of adenosine receptors in hCMEC/D3 cells induces a Ca2+ influx by opening CNG channels in a cAMP‐dependent manner. Ca2+ in turn induces the formation of new gap junction plaques and a consecutive sustained enhancement of gap junction coupling. The report identifies CNG channels as a physiological link that integrates gap junction coupling into the adenosine receptor‐dependent signalling of endothelial cells of the blood–brain barrier.
Promyelocytic Leukemia Protein (PML) ControlsListeria monocytogenesInfection
Authors: Ribet David , Lallemand-Breitenbach Valérie , Ferhi Omar , Nahori Marie-Anne , Varet Hugo , de Thé Hugues , Cossart Pascale 
Published: January 2017

ABSTRACTThe promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) is the main organizer of stress-responsive subnuclear structures called PML nuclear bodies. These structures recruit multiple interactors and modulate their abundance or their posttranslational modifications, notably by the SUMO ubiquitin-like modifiers. The involvement of PML in antiviral responses is well established. In contrast, the role of PML in bacterial infection remains poorly characterized. Here, we show that PML restricts infection by the pathogenic bacteriumListeria monocytogenesbut not bySalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium. During infection, PML undergoes oxidation-mediated multimerization, associates with the nuclear matrix, and becomes de-SUMOylated due to the pore-forming activity of theListeriatoxin listeriolysin O (LLO). These events trigger an antibacterial response that is not observed duringin vitroinfection by an LLO-defectiveListeriamutant, but which can be phenocopied by specific induction of PML de-SUMOylation. Using transcriptomic and proteomic microarrays, we also characterized a network of immunity genes and cytokines, which are regulated by PML in response toListeriainfection but independently from the listeriolysin O toxin. Our study thus highlights two mechanistically distinct complementary roles of PML in host responses against bacterial infection.IMPORTANCEThe promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) is a eukaryotic protein that can polymerize in discrete nuclear assemblies known as PML nuclear bodies (NBs) and plays essential roles in many different cellular processes. Key to its function, PML can be posttranslationally modified by SUMO, a ubiquitin-like modifier. Identification of the role of PML in antiviral defenses has been deeply documented. In contrast, the role of PML in antibacterial defenses remains elusive. Here, we identify two mechanistically distinct complementary roles of PML in antibacterial responses against pathogens such asListeria: (i) we show that PML regulates the expression of immunity genes in response to bacterial infection, and (ii) we unveil the fact that modification of PML SUMOylation by bacterial pore-forming toxins is sensed as a danger signal, leading to a restriction of bacterial intracellular multiplication. Taken together, our data reinforce the concept that intranuclear bodies can dynamically regulate important processes, such as defense against invaders.
Adult parenteral nutrition in the North of England: a region-wide audit
Authors: Dyson Jessica K , Thompson Nick 
Published: January 2017

ObjectivesParenteral nutrition (PN) is widely used to provide nutritional support to patients with inaccessible or inadequate length of gut or non-functioning gut. The objective was to compare practice in PN administration to results of the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) report, ‘A Mixed Bag’, and to establish whether good practice was being followed within this part of the UK.SettingUsing the Northern Nutrition Network (NNN), we examined the care of adult patients receiving PN in all 10 secondary care hospitals in our region.ParticipantsAll patients receiving PN were included with no exclusions. Data were collected on 192 patients (51% females, median age 65 years (range 18–96)).Outcome measuresA data collection tool was designed based on the recommendations of the NCEPOD report.ResultsPN was used for a median of 7 days with a 30-day mortality rate of 8%. Metabolic complications occurred in 34%, of which only 13% were avoidable. The catheter sepsis rate was 1.5 per 1000 PN days. The audit suggests that nutrition team input improves patient assessment prior to starting PN and review once PN is established. Risk of refeeding syndrome was identified in 75%. Areas for improvement are documentation of treatment goal (39%), review of PN constitution (38%), ensuring patients are weighed regularly (56%) and documentation of line-tip position (52%).ConclusionsThis region-wide prospective audit suggests improved practice within the UK compared to the NCEPOD audit with lower mortality and line sepsis rates. However, documentation remains suboptimal. This work strengthens the case for introducing nutrition teams in hospitals without this service. These findings are likely to be reproduced across the UK and in other healthcare settings. We provide a template for similar audits of clinical practice.
Socioeconomic, remoteness and sex differences in life expectancy in New South Wales, Australia, 2001–2012: a population-based study
Authors: Stephens Alexandre S , Gupta Leena , Thackway Sarah , Broome Richard A 
Published: January 2017

ObjectivesDespite being one of the healthiest countries in the world, Australia displays substantial mortality differentials by socioeconomic disadvantage, remoteness and sex. In this study, we examined how these mortality differentials translated to differences in life expectancy between 2001 and 2012.Design and settingPopulation-based study using mortality and estimated residential population data from Australia's largest state, New South Wales (NSW), between 2001 and 2012. Age-group-specific death rates by socioeconomic disadvantage quintile, remoteness (major cities vs regional and remote areas), sex and year were estimated via Poisson regression, and inputted into life table calculations to estimate life expectancy.ResultsLife expectancy decreased with increasing socioeconomic disadvantage in males and females. The disparity between the most and least socioeconomically deprived quintiles was 3.77 years in males and 2.39 years in females in 2012. Differences in life expectancy by socioeconomic disadvantage were mostly stable over time. Gender gaps in life expectancy ranged from 3.50 to 4.93 years (in 2012), increased with increasing socioeconomic disadvantage and decreased by ∼1 year for all quintiles between 2001 and 2012. Overall, life expectancy varied little by remoteness, but was 1.8 years higher in major cities compared to regional/remote areas in the most socioeconomically deprived regions in 2012.ConclusionsSocioeconomic disadvantage and sex were strongly associated with life expectancy. The disparity in life expectancy across the socioeconomic spectrum was larger in males and was stable over time. In contrast, gender gaps reduced for all quintiles between 2001 and 2012, and a remoteness effect was evident in 2012, but only for those living in the most deprived areas.
The effects of feedback and incentive-based insurance on driving behaviours: study approach and protocols
Authors: Stevenson Mark , Harris Anthony , Mortimer Duncan , Wijnands Jasper S , Tapp Alan , Peppard Frank , Buckis Samantha 
Published: January 2017

BackgroundRoad injury is the leading cause of death for young people, with human error a contributing factor in many crash events. This research is the first experimental study to examine the extent to which direct feedback and incentive-based insurance modifies a driver's behaviour. The study applies in-vehicle telematics and will link the information obtained from the technology directly to personalised safety messaging and personal injury and property damage insurance premiums.MethodsThe study has two stages. The first stage involves laboratory experiments using a state-of-the-art driving simulator. These experiments will test the effects of various monetary incentives on unsafe driving behaviours. The second stage builds on these experiments and involves a randomised control trial to test the effects of both direct feedback (safety messaging) and monetary incentives on driving behaviour.DiscussionAssuming a positive finding associated with the monetary incentive-based approach, the study will dramatically influence the personal injury and property damage insurance industry. In addition, the findings will also illustrate the role that in-vehicle telematics can play in providing direct feedback to young/novice drivers in relation to their driving behaviours which has the potential to transform road safety.
Factors influencing the use of tocilizumab as monotherapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in a real-life setting: results at 1 year of the ACT-SOLO study
Authors: Flipo René-Marc , Maillefert Jean-Francis , Chazerain Pascal , Idier Isabelle , Coudert Mathieu , Tebib Jacques 
Published: January 2017

IntroductionUsing a biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD) as monotherapy in clinical practice for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is common and recognised by health authorities although current guidelines recommend to combine them with conventional synthetic (cs)DMARDs. This study mainly aimed to search for real-life factors influencing the use of tocilizumab as MONO or in combination (COMBO).MethodsIn this non-interventional, prospective, national, multicentre study, data were collected every 3 months over a 12-month period in RA patients starting tocilizumab. The proportion of monotherapy patients was described, together with significant explicative factors.ResultsAmong the 577 analysed patients recruited from January 2012 to August 2013 (228 monotherapy patients; 40%), 79% were women, mean RA duration was 11±9 years, previous RA treatments included bDMARDs and csDMARDs in 75% of cases and mean Disease Activity Score 28 joints-Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (DAS28-ESR) was 5.2±1.3 at inclusion. Explicative factors for monotherapy were at least 65 years (OR=1.47, p=0.0485), no methotrexate within the two last years (OR=5.96, p<0.0001), past severe infection (OR=1.99, p=0.0272) and higher baseline DAS28-ESR (OR=1.22, p=0.0086). Regarding clinical results (DAS28-ESR, Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and Simple Disease Activity Index (SDAI) low disease activity and remission; ACR20/50/70 and European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response; Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) score), no relevant differences between monotherapy and combination patients were observed at 1 year. A total of 23 tocilizumab-treated patients (4%) experienced serious infections; no new safety signals were noted with no differences between groups.ConclusionsACT-SOLO confirms the high proportion of RA patients receiving tocilizumab as MONO in clinical practice. The study also showed that clinical results at 1 year were similar between MONO and COMBO patients in a real-life setting.Trial registration numberNCT01474291.
Intertwining operator in thermal CFTd
Authors: Ohya Satoshi 
Published: January 2017

It has long been known that two-point functions of conformal field theory (CFT) are nothing but the integral kernels of intertwining operators for two equivalent representations of conformal algebra. Such intertwining operators are known to fulfill some operator identities — the intertwining relations — in the representation space of conformal algebra. Meanwhile, it has been known that the S-matrix operator in scattering theory is nothing but the intertwining operator between the Hilbert spaces of in- and out-particles. Inspired by this algebraic resemblance, in this paper, we develop a simple Lie-algebraic approach to momentum-space two-point functions of thermal CFT living on the hyperbolic space–time [Formula: see text] by exploiting the idea of Kerimov’s intertwining operator approach to exact S-matrix. We show that in thermal CFT on [Formula: see text], the intertwining relations reduce to certain linear recurrence relations for two-point functions in the complex momentum space. By solving these recurrence relations, we obtain the momentum-space representations of advanced and retarded two-point functions as well as positive- and negative-frequency two-point Wightman functions for a scalar primary operator in arbitrary space–time dimension [Formula: see text].
In monkeys making value-based decisions, amygdala neurons are sensitive to cue value as distinct from cue salience
Authors: Leathers Marvin L. , Olson Carl R. 
Published: January 2017

Neurons in the lateral intraparietal (LIP) area of macaque monkey parietal cortex respond to cues predicting rewards and penalties of variable size in a manner that depends on the motivational salience of the predicted outcome (strong for both large reward and large penalty) rather than on its value (positive for large reward and negative for large penalty). This finding suggests that LIP mediates the capture of attention by salient events and does not encode value in the service of value-based decision making. It leaves open the question whether neurons elsewhere in the brain encode value in the identical task. To resolve this issue, we recorded neuronal activity in the amygdala in the context of the task employed in the LIP study. We found that responses to reward-predicting cues were similar between areas, with the majority of reward-sensitive neurons responding more strongly to cues that predicted large reward than to those that predicted small reward. Responses to penalty-predicting cues were, however, markedly different. In the amygdala, unlike LIP, few neurons were sensitive to penalty size, few penalty-sensitive neurons favored large over small penalty, and the dependence of firing rate on penalty size was negatively correlated with its dependence on reward size. These results indicate that amygdala neurons encoded cue value under circumstances in which LIP neurons exhibited sensitivity to motivational salience. However, the representation of negative value, as reflected in sensitivity to penalty size, was weaker than the representation of positive value, as reflected in sensitivity to reward size. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to characterize amygdala neuronal responses to cues predicting rewards and penalties of variable size in monkeys making value-based choices. Manipulating reward and penalty size allowed distinguishing activity dependent on motivational salience from activity dependent on value. This approach revealed in a previous study that neurons of the lateral intraparietal (LIP) area encode motivational salience. Here, it reveals that amygdala neurons encode value. The results establish a sharp functional distinction between the two areas.
The mammalian efferent vestibular system plays a crucial role in vestibulo-ocular reflex compensation after unilateral labyrinthectomy
Authors: Hübner Patrick P. , Khan Serajul I. , Migliaccio Americo A. 
Published: January 2017

The α9-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α9-nAChR) subunit is expressed in the vestibular and auditory periphery, and its loss of function could compromise peripheral input from the predominantly cholinergic efferent vestibular system (EVS). A recent study has shown that α9-nAChRs play an important role in short-term vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) adaptation. We hypothesize that α9-nAChRs could also be important for other forms of vestibular plasticity, such as that needed for VOR recovery after vestibular organ injury. We measured the efficacy of VOR compensation in α9 knockout mice. These mice have deletion of most of the gene ( chrna9) encoding the nAChR and thereby lack α9-nAChRs. We measured the VOR gain (eye velocity/head velocity) in 20 α9 knockout mice and 16 cba129 controls. We measured the sinusoidal (0.2–10 Hz, 20–100°/s) and transient (1,500–6,000°/s2) VOR in complete darkness before (baseline) unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL) and then 1, 5, and 28 days after UL. On day 1 after UL, cba129 mice retained ~50% of their initial function for contralesional rotations, whereas α9 knockout mice only retained ~20%. After 28 days, α9 knockout mice had ~50% lower gain for both ipsilesional and contralesional rotations compared with cba129 mice. Cba129 mice regained ~75% of their baseline function for ipsilesional and ~90% for contralesional rotations. In contrast, α9 knockout mice only regained ~30% and ~50% function, respectively, leaving the VOR severely impaired for rotations in both directions. Our results show that loss of α9-nAChRs severely affects VOR compensation, suggesting that complimentary central and peripheral EVS-mediated adaptive mechanisms might be affected by this loss. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Loss of the α9-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α9-nAChR) subunit utilized by the efferent vestibular system (EVS) has been shown to significantly affect vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) adaptation. In our present study we have shown that loss of α9-nAChRs also affects VOR compensation, suggesting that the mammalian EVS plays an important role in vestibular plasticity, in general, and that VOR compensation is a more distributed process than previously thought, relying on both central and peripheral changes.