bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Climatic droplet keratopathy: an old disease in new clothes
Authors: Serra Horacio M. , Holopainen Juha M. , Beuerman Roger , Kaarniranta Kai , Suárez María F. , Urrets‐Zavalía Julio A. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractClimatic droplet keratopathy (CDK) is an acquired and potentially handicapping cornea degenerative disease that is highly prevalent in certain rural communities around the world. It predominantly affects males over their forties. It has many other names such as Bietti's band‐shaped nodular dystrophy, Labrador keratopathy, spheroidal degeneration, chronic actinic keratopathy, oil droplet degeneration, elastoid degeneration and keratinoid corneal degeneration. CDK is characterized by the haziness and opalescence of the cornea's most anterior layers which go through three stages with increasing severity. Globular deposits of different sizes may be histopathologically observed under the corneal epithelium by means of light and electron microscopy. The coalescence and increased volume of these spherules may cause the disruption of Bowman's membrane and the elevation and thinning of the corneal epithelium. The exact aetiology and pathogenesis of CDK are unknown, but they are possibly multifactorial. The only treatment in CDK advanced cases is a corneal transplantation, which in different impoverished regions of the world is not an available option. Many years ago, the clinical and histological aspects of this disease were described in several articles. This review highlights new scientific evidence of the expanding knowledge on CDK's pathogenesis which will open the prospect for new therapeutic interventions.
Saliency‐Preserving Slicing Optimization for Effective 3D Printing
Authors: Wang Weiming , Chao Haiyuan , Tong Jing , Yang Zhouwang , Tong Xin , Li Hang , Liu Xiuping , Liu Ligang 
Published: January 2015

AbstractWe present an adaptive slicing scheme for reducing the manufacturing time for 3D printing systems. Based on a new saliency‐based metric, our method optimizes the thicknesses of slicing layers to save printing time and preserve the visual quality of the printing results. We formulate the problem as a constrained ℓ0 optimization and compute the slicing result via a two‐step optimization scheme. To further reduce printing time, we develop a saliency‐based segmentation scheme to partition an object into subparts and then optimize the slicing of each subpart separately. We validate our method with a large set of 3D shapes ranging from CAD models to scanned objects. Results show that our method saves printing time by 30–40% and generates 3D objects that are visually similar to the ones printed with the finest resolution possible.
Validity of theOMNIrating of perceived exertion scale for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy
Authors: Fragala‐Pinkham Maria , O′Neil Margaret E , Lennon Nancy , Forman Jeffrey L , Trost Stewart G 
Published: January 2015

AimThis study evaluated the validity of theOMNIWalk/Run Rating of Perceived Exertion (OMNI‐RPE) scores with heart rate and oxygen consumption (VO2) for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP).MethodChildren and adolescents withCP, aged 6 to 18 years and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I toIIIcompleted a physical activity protocol with seven trials ranging in intensity from sedentary to moderate‐to‐vigorous.VO2and heart rate were recorded during the physical activity trials using a portable indirect calorimeter and heart rate monitor. Participants reportedOMNI‐RPEscores for each trial. Concurrent validity was assessed by calculating the average within‐subject correlation betweenOMNI‐RPEratings and the two physiological indices.ResultsFor the correlational analyses, 48 participants (22 males, 26 females; age 12y 6mo,SD3y 4mo) had valid bivariate data forVO2andOMNI‐RPE, while 40 participants (21 males, 19 females; age 12y 5mo,SD2y 9mo) had valid bivariate data for heart rate andOMNI‐RPE.VO2(r=0.80; 95%CI0.66–0.88) and heart rate (r=0.83; 95%CI0.70–0.91) were moderately to highly correlated toOMNI‐RPEscores. No difference was found for the correlation of physiological data andOMNI‐RPEscores across the threeGMFCSlevels. TheOMNI‐RPEscores increased significantly in a dose‐response manner (F6,258=116.1,p<0.001) as exercise intensity increased from sedentary to moderate‐to‐vigorous.InterpretationOMNI‐RPEis a clinically feasible option to monitor exercise intensity in ambulatory children and adolescents withCP.
Evolution of gamete attraction molecules: evidence for purifying selection in speract and its receptor, in the pantropical sea urchin Diadema
Authors: Jagadeeshan Santosh , Coppard Simon E. , Lessios Harilaos A. 
Published: January 2015

SUMMARYMany free‐spawning marine invertebrates, such as sea urchins, lack any courtship or assortative mating behavior. Mate recognition in such cases occur at the gametic level, and molecules present on the sperm and egg are major determinants of species‐specific fertilization. These molecules must also coevolve in relation to each other in order to preserve functional integrity. When sea urchins release their gametes in seawater, diffusible molecules from the egg, termed sperm‐activating peptides, activate and attract the sperm to swim toward the egg, initiating a series of interactions between the gametes. Although the compositions and diversity of such sperm‐activating peptides have been characterized in a variety of sea urchins, little is known about the evolution of their genes. Here we characterize the genes encoding the sperm‐activating peptide of the egg (speract) and its receptor on the sperm, and examine their evolutionary dynamics in the sea urchin genus Diadema, in the interest of determining whether they are involved in reproductive isolation between the species. We found evidence of purifying selection on several codon sites in both molecules and of selectively neutral evolution in others. The diffusible speract peptide that activates sperm is invariant across species, indicating that Diadema egg peptides do not discriminate between con‐ and hetero‐specific sperm at this stage of the process. Speract and its receptor do not contribute to reproductive isolation in Diadema.
Color pattern evolution inVanessabutterflies (Nymphalidae: Nymphalini): non‐eyespot characters
Authors: Abbasi Roohollah , Marcus Jeffrey M. 
Published: January 2015

SUMMARYA phylogenetic approach was used to study color pattern evolution inVanessabutterflies. Twenty‐four color pattern elements from the Nymphalid ground plan were identified on the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the fore‐ and hind wings. Eyespot characters were excluded and will be examined elsewhere. The evolution of each character was traced over a Bayesian phylogeny ofVanessareconstructed from 7750 DNA base pairs from 10 genes. Generally, the correspondence between character states on the same surface of the two wings is stronger on the ventral side compared to the dorsal side. The evolution of character states on both sides of a wing correspond with each other in most extant species, but the correspondence between dorsal and ventral character states is much stronger in the forewing than in the hindwing. The dorsal hindwing of many species ofVanessais covered with an extended Basal Symmetry System and the Discalis I pattern element is highly variable between species, making this wing surface dissimilar to the other wing surfaces. The Basal Symmetry System and Discalis I may contribute to behavioral thermoregulation inVanessa. Overall, interspecific directional character state evolution of non‐eyespot color patterns is relatively rare inVanessa,with a majority of color pattern elements showing non‐variable, non‐directional, or ambiguous character state evolution. The ease with which the development of color patterns can be modified, including character state reversals, has likely made important contributions to the production of color pattern diversity inVanessaand other butterfly groups.
Phylogenetic analysis and expression patterns of Pax genes in the onychophoran Euperipatoides rowelli reveal a novel bilaterian Pax subfamily
Authors: Franke Franziska Anni , Schumann Isabell , Hering Lars , Mayer Georg 
Published: January 2015

SUMMARYPax family genes encode a class of transcription factors that regulate various developmental processes. To shed light on the evolutionary history of these genes in Panarthropoda (Onychophora + Tardigrada + Arthropoda), we analyzed the Pax repertoire in the embryonic and adult transcriptomes of the onychophoran Euperipatoides rowelli. Our data revealed homologs of all five major bilaterian Pax subfamilies in this species, including Pax2/5/8, Pax4/6, Pox‐neuro, Pax1/9/Pox‐meso, and Pax3/7. In addition, we identified a new Pax member, pax‐α, which does not fall into any other known Pax subfamily but instead clusters in the heterogenic Pax‐α/β clade containing deuterostome, ecdysozoan, and lophotrochozoan gene sequences. These findings suggest that the last common bilaterian ancestor possessed six rather than five Pax genes, which have been retained in the panarthropod lineage. The expression data of Pax orthologs in the onychophoran embryo revealed distinctive patterns, some of which might be related to their ancestral roles in the last common panarthropod ancestor, whereas others might be specific to the onychophoran lineage. The derived roles include, for example, an involvement of pax2/5/8, pox‐neuro, and pax3/7 in onychophoran nephridiogenesis, and an additional function of pax2/5/8 in the formation of the ventral and preventral organs. Furthermore, our transcriptomic analyses suggest that at least some Pax genes, including pax6 and pax‐α, are expressed in the adult onychophoran head, although the corresponding functions remain to be clarified. The remarkable diversity of the Pax expression patterns highlights the functional and evolutionary plasticity of these genes in panarthropods.
Evolutionary origin and status of two insect acetylcholinesterases and their structural conservation and differentiation
Authors: Cha Deok Jea , Lee Si Hyeock 
Published: January 2015

SUMMARYAcetylcholinesterase (AChE) plays a pivotal role in synaptic transmission in the cholinergic nervous system of most animals, including insects. Insects possess duplicated AChE gene loci (ace1 vs. ace2) encoding two distinct AChEs (AChE1 and AChE2). A phylogenetic analysis suggested that the last common ancestor of two aces shared its origin with Platyhelminthes. In addition, the ace duplication event likely occurred after the divergence of Protostomian but before the split of Ecdysozoa. The ace1 lineage exhibited a significantly lower evolutionary rate (d and dN/dS ratio) than the ace2 lineage, suggesting that the ace1 lineage has retained the essential function of synaptic transmission following its duplication. Therefore, the putative functional transition from ace1 to ace2 observed in some Hymenopteran insects appears to be a local and relatively recent event. The amino acid sequence comparison and three‐dimensional modeling of insect AChEs identified a few consistent differences in the amino acid residues in functionally crucial domains between two AChEs, which are likely responsible for the functional differentiation between two AChEs. A unique amino acid substitution causing a dramatic reduction in the catalytic activity of AChE1 in some Hymenopteran insects was suggested to be responsible for the aforementioned functional transition of ace.
From shavenbaby to the naked valley: trichome formation as a model for evolutionary developmental biology
Authors: Arif Saad , Kittelmann Sebastian , McGregor Alistair P. 
Published: January 2015

SUMMARYMicrotrichia or trichomes are non‐sensory actin protrusions produced by the epidermal cells of many insects. Studies of trichome formation in Drosophila have over the last 30 years provided key insights towards our understanding of gene regulation, gene regulatory networks (GRNs), development, the genotype to phenotype map, and the evolution of these processes. Here we review classic studies that have used trichome formation as a model to shed light on Drosophila development as well as recent research on the architecture of the GRN underlying trichome formation. This includes the findings that both small peptides and microRNAs play important roles in the regulation and evolution of this network. In addition, we review research on the evolution of trichome patterns that has provided novel insights into the function and architecture of cis‐regulatory modules, and into the genetic basis of morphological change. We conclude that further research on these apparently simple and often functionally enigmatic structures will continue to provide new and important knowledge about development and evolution.
A diagnostic approach to the pruritic horse
Authors: White S. D. 
Published: January 2015

SummaryPruritus is a common complaint in equine medicine. While pruritus in most horses is due to ectoparasites (midges, flies, mites) or environmental allergens (pollens, barn dust, moulds, etc.), other causes such as staphylococcal or fungal infections, vasculitis, and internal organ dysfunction should not be overlooked. In a rational approach to the pruritic horse, history and physical examination become very important as a guide to choosing diagnostic tests.
Acidification effects on biofouling communities: winners and losers
Authors: Peck Lloyd S. , Clark Melody S. , Power Deborah , Reis João , Batista Frederico M. , Harper Elizabeth M. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractHow ocean acidification affects marine life is a major concern for science and society. However, its impacts on encrusting biofouling communities, that are both the initial colonizers of hard substrata and of great economic importance, are almost unknown. We showed that community composition changed significantly, from 92% spirorbids, 3% ascidians and 4% sponges initially to 47% spirorbids, 23% ascidians and 29% sponges after 100 days in acidified conditions (pH 7.7). In low pH, numbers of the spirorbid Neodexiospira pseudocorrugata were reduced ×5 compared to controls. The two ascidians present behaved differently with Aplidium sp. decreasing ×10 in pH 7.7, whereas Molgula sp. numbers were ×4 higher in low pH than controls. Calcareous sponge (Leucosolenia sp.) numbers increased ×2.5 in pH 7.7 over controls. The diatom and filamentous algal community was also more poorly developed in the low pH treatments compared to controls. Colonization of new surfaces likewise showed large decreases in spirorbid numbers, but numbers of sponges and Molgula sp. increased. Spirorbid losses appeared due to both recruitment failure and loss of existing tubes. Spirorbid tubes are comprised of a loose prismatic fabric of calcite crystals. Loss of tube materials appeared due to changes in the binding matrix and not crystal dissolution, as SEM analyses showed crystal surfaces were not pitted or dissolved in low pH conditions. Biofouling communities face dramatic future changes with reductions in groups with hard exposed exoskeletons and domination by soft‐bodied ascidians and sponges.
How do climate and dispersal traits limit ranges of tree species along latitudinal and elevational gradients?
Authors: Siefert Andrew , Lesser Mark R. , Fridley Jason D. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractAimWe compared the upper range limits of tree species along latitudinal and elevational gradients to assess the influence of specific climatic factors – winter temperature, summer temperature and growing season length – in determining species range limits. We analysed the degree and direction of climatic mismatches between latitudinal and elevational limits to determine whether mismatches could be explained by species dispersal traits.LocationEastern North America and the Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee and North Carolina), USA.MethodsWe determined the climatic limits for each of 28 common tree species along a latitudinal gradient in eastern North America and across an elevational gradient in the Great Smoky Mountains. We calculated the degree of climatic mismatch between species limits along the two gradients and tested for relationships with species dispersal traits (seed mass, maximum height, seed and pollen dispersal mode).ResultsWe found strong positive relationships between species latitudinal and elevational climatic limits. Winter temperatures were much lower at species poleward limits compared with their upper elevational range limits, but there were close matches between limits for variables related to summer temperature and growing season length. The degree of climatic mismatch was influenced by species dispersal traits; species with unassisted seed dispersal and low maximum height tended to have lower latitudinal than elevational limits.Main conclusionsOur results suggest that low summer temperatures and a short growing season length limit species distributions along both latitudinal and elevational gradients, whereas winter temperature does not play a critical role. The failure of some species with poor dispersal ability to grow as far poleward as expected based on their elevational limits supports the hypothesis that historical dispersal constraints may limit species distributions along the latitudinal gradient.
Disease alters macroecological patterns of North American bats
Authors: Frick Winifred F. , Puechmaille Sébastien J. , Hoyt Joseph R. , Nickel Barry A. , Langwig Kate E. , Foster Jeffrey T. , Barlow Kate E. , Bartonička Tomáš , Feller Dan , Haarsma Anne‐Jifke , Herzog Carl , Horáček Ivan , van der Kooij Jeroen , Mulkens Bart , Petrov Boyan , Reynolds Rick , Rodrigues Luísa , Stihler Craig W. , Turner Gregory G. , Kilpatrick A. Marm 
Published: January 2015

AbstractAimWe investigated the effects of disease on the local abundances and distributions of species at continental scales by examining the impacts of white‐nose syndrome, an infectious disease of hibernating bats, which has recently emerged in North America.LocationNorth America and Europe.MethodsWe used four decades of population counts from 1108 populations to compare the local abundances of bats in North America before and after the emergence of white‐nose syndrome to the situation in Europe, where the disease is endemic. We also examined the probability of local extinction for six species of hibernating bats in eastern North America and assessed the influence of winter colony size prior to the emergence of white‐nose syndrome on the risk of local extinction.ResultsWhite‐nose syndrome has caused a 10‐fold decrease in the abundance of bats at hibernacula in North America, eliminating large differences in species abundance patterns that existed between Europe and North America prior to disease emergence. White‐nose syndrome has also caused extensive local extinctions (up to 69% of sites in a single species). For five out of six species, the risk of local extinction was lower in larger winter populations, as expected from theory, but for the most affected species, the northern long‐eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), extinction risk was constant across winter colony sizes, demonstrating that disease can sometimes eliminate numerical rarity as the dominant driver of extinction risk by driving both small and large populations extinct.Main conclusionsSpecies interactions, including disease, play an underappreciated role in macroecological patterns and influence broad patterns of species abundance, occurrence and extinction.
Dysregulation of redox‐state‐regulating enzymes in melanocytic skin tumours and the surrounding microenvironment
Authors: Hintsala Hanna‐Riikka , Soini Ylermi , Haapasaari Kirsi‐Maria , Karihtala Peeter 
Published: January 2015

AimsTo investigate redox‐regulating enzymes that may have a special role in melanoma pathogenesis due to continuous exposure to microenvironment‐produced and ultraviolet radiation‐induced oxidative stress.Methods and resultsWe assessed immunohistochemically the expression of antioxidant enzymes peroxiredoxins (Prxs) I–IV, sulfiredoxin (Srx) and redox‐regulated proto‐oncogene DJ‐1 in material consisting of 30 benign naevi, 14 lentigo malignas and 67 malignant melanomas. Evaluation of immunostaining was performed with special attention paid to protein expression in different tumour compartments. In particular, the expression patterns of nuclear Prx I and Prx II and cytoplasmic DJ‐1 were decreased significantly in melanomas compared with dysplastic and benign naevi. In multivariate analysis, several prognostic factors were identified: Prx III expression in the cytoplasm of stromal fibroblasts was associated with shortened melanoma‐specific survival [hazard ratio (HR) 6.730; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.579–28.689], while cytoplasmic Prx IV expression in endothelial cells (HR 6.563; 95% CI 1.750–24.620) and Srx expression in the cytoplasm of keratinocytes (HR 6.988; 95% CI 1.559–31.324) were associated with better prognosis independently of ulceration, thickness of melanoma or its diagnostic type.ConclusionsRedox‐regulating enzymes have the potential to serve as novel prognostic factors and targeting them may offer new therapeutic options in malignant melanoma.
Novel missense mutation in the EDA1 gene identified in a family with hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia
Authors: Pozo‐Molina Glustein , Reyes‐Reali Julia , Mendoza‐Ramos María Isabel , Villalobos‐Molina Rafael , Garrido‐Guerrero Efraín , Méndez‐Cruz Adolfo René 
Published: January 2015

AbstractBackgroundHypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED) is a human genetic disorder that affects structures of ectodermal origin such as hair, teeth, and sweat glands. Although there are autosomal recessive and dominant forms, X‐linked (XL) is the most frequent form of the disease. This XL‐HED phenotype is associated with mutations in the gene encoding the transmembrane protein ectodysplasin‐1 (EDA1). We report the clinical and molecular analysis of a novel mutation in exon 1 affecting the transmembrane domain of the protein.MethodsWe have screened 20 members of a family from Yucatán, México, nine men and 11 women, searching clinical and histopathological signs of HED. We searched mutations in EDA1 gene from patients with XL‐HED, carriers, and controls.ResultsWe identified seven men with clinical characteristics of HED showing short toes and plantar hyperkeratosis not reported previously in patients with HED. A mutational study of the EDA1 gene showed that all seven patients with HED carry a novel missense mutation of the nucleotide 409 (c.409T>C) in exon 1, which changes p.Leu56‐Pro in the protein amino acid sequence; five women are heterozygous compatible with carrier status.ConclusionsWe found a novel missense mutation in exon 1 of the EDA1 gene in a putative Mayan family from México with XL‐HED. We identified in this population some novel clinical signs of HED.