bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On the edge of language acquisition: inherent constraints on encoding multisyllabic sequences in the neonate brain
Authors: Ferry Alissa L. , Fló Ana , Brusini Perrine , Cattarossi Luigi , Macagno Francesco , Nespor Marina , Mehler Jacques 
Published: July 2015

AbstractTo understand language, humans must encode information from rapid, sequential streams of syllables – tracking their order and organizing them into words, phrases, and sentences. We used Near‐Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) to determine whether human neonates are born with the capacity to track the positions of syllables in multisyllabic sequences. After familiarization with a six‐syllable sequence, the neonate brain responded to the change (as shown by an increase in oxy‐hemoglobin) when the two edge syllables switched positions but not when two middle syllables switched positions (Experiment 1), indicating that they encoded the syllables at the edges of sequences better than those in the middle. Moreover, when a 25 ms pause was inserted between the middle syllables as a segmentation cue, neonates’ brains were sensitive to the change (Experiment 2), indicating that subtle cues in speech can signal a boundary, with enhanced encoding of the syllables located at the edges of that boundary. These findings suggest that neonates’ brains can encode information from multisyllabic sequences and that this encoding is constrained. Moreover, subtle segmentation cues in a sequence of syllables provide a mechanism with which to accurately encode positional information from longer sequences. Tracking the order of syllables is necessary to understand language and our results suggest that the foundations for this encoding are present at birth.
Gum acacia mitigates genetic damage in adenine‐induced chronic renal failure in rats
Authors: Ali B.H. , Al Balushi K. , Al‐Husseini I. , Mandel P. , Nemmar A. , Schupp N. , Ribeiro D.A. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractBackgroundSubjects with chronic renal failure (CRF) exhibit oxidative genome damage, which may predispose to carcinogenesis, and Gum acacia (GumA) ameliorates this condition in humans and animals. We evaluated here renal DNA damage and urinary excretion of four nucleic acid oxidation adducts namely 8‐oxoguanine (8‐oxoGua), 8‐oxo‐7,8‐dihydro‐2′‐deoxyguanosine (8‐oxodG), 8‐oxoguanosine (8‐oxoGuo) and 8‐hydroxy‐2‐deoxyguanisone (8‐OHdg) in rats with adenine (ADE)‐induced CRF with and without GumA treatment.Materials and MethodsTwenty‐four rats were divided into four equal groups and treated for 4 weeks. The first group was given normal food and water (control). The second group was given normal food and GumA (15% w/v) in drinking water. The third group was fed powder diet containing adenine (ADE) (0·75% w/w in feed). The fourth group was fed like in the third group, plus GumA in drinking water (15%, w/v).ResultsADE feeding induced CRF (as measured by several physiological, biochemical and histological indices) and also caused a significant genetic damage and significant decreases in urinary 8‐oxo Gua and 8‐oxoGuo, but not in the other nucleic acids. However, concomitant GumA treatment reduced the level of genetic damage in kidney cells as detected by Comet assay and significantly reversed the effect of adenine on urinary 8‐oxoGuo.ConclusionsTreatment with GumA is able to mitigate genetic damage in renal tissues of rats with ADE‐induced CRF.
Clinical features and survival of 338 multiple myeloma patients treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or conventional chemotherapy
Authors: Pérez Raúl , Durán Mª Sol , Mayans Jose , Soler Alfons , Castillo Inmaculada , Jurado Manuel , Ribas Paz , Menchaca Echevarria Mª Carmen , Hernandez Miguel T. , Lopez Garcia‐Carreño Mª Dolores , Echeveste Gutierrez Asunción , Bailen Garcia Alicia , Lopez Silvia , Baquero Jose , Ramirez Gemma 
Published: July 2015

AbstractTherapeutic approaches against multiple myeloma (MM) have largely changed during the past decade. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and licensing of immunomodulators and proteasome inhibitors have resulted in better response and increased overall survival rates compared to previous conventional therapies. To assess the impact that these new strategies have had on outcome of patients with symptomatic MM in Spain, we conducted an epidemiological retrospective analysis of 338 newly diagnosed patients with stage II‐III MM who started first‐line treatment over a 2‐yr period (2003–2005) by collecting data from their medical records. Most patients had been diagnosed with secretory MM (94.4%), 41.7% stage II and 58.3% stage III. The presence of bone lesions (72.2%), as well as anemia (79.8%) and elevated beta2‐microglobulin levels (62.3%), was a common finding; in contrast, hypercalcemia and elevated serum creatinine were less frequent (25% each). First‐line treatment had consisted of either conventional chemotherapy (62%) or induction treatment plus autologous HSCT (38%), as per standard clinical practice. HSCT not only resulted in greater objective response rates (93% vs. 50%), but also contributed to a significant increase in 3‐yr survival (85% vs. 49.7%; 95% CI, range 77–91 vs. 41–58; P < 0.001). Overall, 55% of patients presented treatment‐related adverse events, mainly hematological. Toxicity rates were higher among patients treated with alkylating‐based regimens and in those undergoing transplantation. In conclusion, data analysis shows an adequate balance between increased response rates and safety that supports the use of up‐front high‐dose HSCT therapy in younger patients. Most importantly, this study provides further confirmation that the introduction of HSCT has significantly prolonged survival of patients with MM.
The Trojan Female Technique for pest control: a candidate mitochondrial mutation confers low male fertility across diverse nuclear backgrounds in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Dowling Damian K. , Tompkins Daniel M. , Gemmell Neil J. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractPest species represent a major ongoing threat to global biodiversity. Effective management approaches are required that regulate pest numbers, while minimizing collateral damage to nontarget species. The Trojan Female Technique (TFT) was recently proposed as a prospective approach to biological pest control. The TFT draws on the evolutionary hypothesis that maternally inherited mitochondrial genomes are prone to the accumulation of male, but not female, harming mutations. These mutations could be harnessed to provide trans‐generational fertility‐based control of pest species. A candidate TFT mutation was recently described in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, which confers male‐only sterility in the specific isogenic nuclear background in which it is maintained. However, applicability of the TFT relies on mitochondrial mutations whose male‐sterilizing effects are general across nuclear genomic contexts. We test this assumption, expressing the candidate TFT‐mutation bearing haplotype alongside a range of nuclear backgrounds and comparing its fertility in males, relative to that of control haplotypes. We document consistently lower fertility for males harbouring the TFT mutation, in both competitive and noncompetitive mating contexts, across all nuclear backgrounds screened. This indicates that TFT mutations conferring reduced male fertility can segregate within populations and could be harnessed to facilitate this novel form of pest control.
Consumption, lifestyle and social movements
Authors: Wahlen Stefan , Laamanen Mikko 
Published: July 2015

AbstractIn this editorial, we contemplate how the politics of the everyday in consumption and consumer lifestyles emerge. Foundational here is the overarching question why, how and where do people come to share common spaces, meaning, identity, practice and goals in dispersed lifestyles aiming for (social) change. This special issue is an original endeavour to generate an understanding of the issues, problems and potential for change emerging from individual and collective efforts in and around consumption and lifestyles. The editorial presents principles and commonalities of the intersectional study of consumption, lifestyle and social movements. We connect these principles with the papers that make up the special issue and conclude with an outlook for future research.
Genetic signatures of historical dispersal of fish threatened by biological invasions: the case of galaxiids in South America
Authors: Vanhaecke Delphine , Garcia de Leaniz Carlos , Gajardo Gonzalo , Dunham Jason , Giannico Guillermo , Consuegra Sofia 
Published: July 2015

AbstractAimThe ecological effects of biological invasions are well documented, but little is known about the effects of invaders on the genetic structure of native species. We examined the phylogeography, genetic variation and population structuring of two galaxiid fishes, Aplochiton zebra and A. taeniatus, threatened by non‐native salmonids, and whose conservation is complicated by misidentification and limited knowledge of their genetic diversity.LocationChile and the Falkland Islands.MethodsWe combined microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA (16S rDNA and COI) markers to compare genetic diversity, effective population size and gene flow of Aplochiton spp. populations differentially affected by salmonid presence.ResultsWe identified two 16S rDNA haplotypes among A. zebra – one dominant in coastal populations and another dominant in inland populations. Populations living on the island of Chiloé displayed a mixture of coastal and inland haplotypes, as well as high microsatellite diversity, as one would expect if the island had been a refugium during the Last Glacial Maximum, or a contact zone among populations. Microsatellite data revealed strong population structuring, indicative of current isolation patterns, and a negative correlation between the genetic diversity of A. zebra and the relative abundance of invasive salmonids.Main conclusionsOur study indicates that population structuring of A. zebra reflects the influence of historical patterns of migration, but also the current levels of reduced gene flow among watersheds. Invasive salmonids, known to compete with and prey on native galaxiids, may have had negative impacts on the genetic diversity of Aplochiton spp. The low genetic variation found in some populations, coupled with potential biases in abundance estimates due to species misidentification, highlight the urgent need for more research into the conservation status of the two species of Aplochiton.
Drivers of aquatic macroinvertebrate richness in spring fens in relation to habitat specialization and dispersal mode
Authors: Horsák Michal , Rádková Vanda , Syrovátka Vít , Bojková Jindřiška , Křoupalová Vendula , Schenková Jana , Zajacová Jana 
Published: July 2015

AbstractAimsThe aim was to identify the main drivers of aquatic macroinvertebrate species richness in spring‐fen habitats (i.e. groundwater seepage wetlands) because these habitats are among the most threatened temperate biodiversity hotspots.LocationIsolated spring fens in the western Carpathian Mountains.MethodsAssemblages of Tricladida, Clitellata, Mollusca, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera and Diptera were sampled at 48 fens distributed evenly along a gradient of water mineral richness and grouped according to habitat specialization and dispersal mode. Several physicochemical parameters that have been reported to be the main drivers of species distribution were recorded for each site, along with radiocarbon measurements of the absolute age of the sites. The numbers of species in the taxonomic groups analysed were modelled as a function of the predictors via multiple linear regressions.ResultsWe achieved a notably higher sampling efficiency than had been used in previous spring aquatic macroinvertebrate studies. In total, we collected and identified 255 species within 331 taxa from > 235,000 individuals. The number of species in all taxonomic groups increased with water discharge but the highest predictive power was obtained with water redox potential, which explained as much as 55.7% of the specialist species richness variance. We found contrasting and systematic differences in the importance of predictors related mainly to the level of species habitat specialization. Species richness of spring‐fen specialists was strongly determined by the main environmental gradient of change in groundwater chemistry, while generalists primarily reflected habitat stability linked to higher water discharge, habitat size and absolute age.Main conclusionIsolated island‐like spring fens can harbour unusually species‐rich assemblages of aquatic macroinvertebrates, the species richness of which is shaped by contrasting mechanisms dependent mainly on habitat specialization and also partly on dispersal mode. The richness of habitat specialist species seen at calcareous fens indicates their conservation priority.
Does vocal learning accelerate acoustic diversification? Evolution of contact calls in Neotropical parrots
Authors: Medina‐García A. , Araya‐Salas M. , Wright T. F. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractLearning has been traditionally thought to accelerate the evolutionary change of behavioural traits. We evaluated the evolutionary rate of learned vocalizations and the interplay of morphology and ecology in the evolution of these signals. We examined contact calls of 51 species of Neotropical parrots from the tribe Arini. Parrots are ideal subjects due to their wide range of body sizes and habitats, and their open‐ended vocal learning that allows them to modify their calls throughout life. We estimated the evolutionary rate of acoustic parameters of parrot contact calls and compared them to those of morphological traits and habitat. We also evaluated the effect of body mass, bill length, vegetation density and species interactions on acoustic parameters of contact calls while controlling for phylogeny. Evolutionary rates of acoustic parameters did not differ from those of our predictor variables except for spectral entropy, which had a significantly slower rate of evolution. We found support for correlated evolution of call duration, and fundamental and peak frequencies with body mass, and of fundamental frequency with bill length. The degree of sympatry between species did not have a significant effect on acoustic parameters. Our results suggest that parrot contact calls, which are learned acoustic signals, show evolutionary rates similar to those of morphological traits. This is the first study to our knowledge to provide evidence that change through cultural evolution does not necessarily accelerate the evolutionary rate of traits acquired through life‐long vocal learning.
Liking the good guys: amplifying local adaptation via the evolution of condition‐dependent mate choice
Authors: Veen T. , Otto S. P. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractLocal adaptation can be strengthened through a diversity of mechanisms that reduce gene flow between contrasting environments. Recent work revealed that mate choice could enhance local adaptation when females preferentially mate with locally adapted males and that such female preferences readily evolve, but the opposing effects of recombination, migration and costs of female preferences remain relatively unexplored. To investigate these effects, we develop a two‐patch model with two genes, one influencing an ecological trait and one influencing female preferences, where both male signals and female preferences are allowed to depend on the match between an individual's ecological trait and the local environment (condition). Because trait variation is limited when migration is rare and the benefits of preferential mating are short‐lived when migration is frequent, we find that female preferences for males in high condition spread most rapidly with intermediate levels of migration. Surprisingly, we find that preferences for locally adapted males spread fastest with higher recombination rates, which contrasts with earlier studies. This is because a stronger preference allele for locally adapted males can only get uncoupled from maladapted ecological alleles following migration through recombination. The effects of migration and recombination depend strongly on the condition of the males being chosen by females, but only weakly on the condition of the females doing the choosing, except when it comes to the costs of preference. Although costs always impede the spread of female preferences for locally adapted males, the impact is substantially lessened if costs are borne primarily by females in poor condition. The abundance of empirical examples of condition‐dependent mate choice combined with our theoretical results suggests that the evolution of mate choice could commonly facilitate local adaptation in nature.
Sex‐biased dispersal, kin selection and the evolution of sexual conflict
Authors: Faria Gonçalo S. , Varela Susana A. M. , Gardner Andy 
Published: July 2015

AbstractThere is growing interest in resolving the curious disconnect between the fields of kin selection and sexual selection. Rankin's (2011, J. Evol. Biol. 24, 71–81) theoretical study of the impact of kin selection on the evolution of sexual conflict in viscous populations has been particularly valuable in stimulating empirical research in this area. An important goal of that study was to understand the impact of sex‐specific rates of dispersal upon the coevolution of male‐harm and female‐resistance behaviours. But the fitness functions derived in Rankin's study do not flow from his model's assumptions and, in particular, are not consistent with sex‐biased dispersal. Here, we develop new fitness functions that do logically flow from the model's assumptions, to determine the impact of sex‐specific patterns of dispersal on the evolution of sexual conflict. Although Rankin's study suggested that increasing male dispersal always promotes the evolution of male harm and that increasing female dispersal always inhibits the evolution of male harm, we find that the opposite can also be true, depending upon parameter values.
No evidence of trade‐offs in the evolution of sperm numbers and sperm size in mammals
Authors: Tourmente M. , Delbarco Trillo J. , Roldan E. R. S. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractPost‐copulatory sexual selection, in the form sperm competition, has influenced the evolution of several male reproductive traits. However, theory predicts that sperm competition would lead to trade‐offs between numbers and size of spermatozoa because increased costs per cell would result in a reduction of sperm number if both traits share the same energetic budget. Theoretical models have proposed that, in large animals, increased sperm size would have minimal fitness advantage compared with increased sperm numbers. Thus, sperm numbers would evolve more rapidly than sperm size under sperm competition pressure. We tested in mammals whether sperm competition maximizes sperm numbers and size, and whether there is a trade‐off between these traits. Our results showed that sperm competition maximizes sperm numbers in eutherian and metatherian mammals. There was no evidence of a trade‐off between sperm numbers and sperm size in any of the two mammalian clades as we did not observe any significant relationship between sperm numbers and sperm size once the effect of sperm competition was taken into account. Maximization of both numbers and size in mammals may occur because each trait is crucial at different stages in sperm's life; for example size‐determined sperm velocity is a key determinant of fertilization success. In addition, numbers and size may also be influenced by diverse energetic budgets required at different stages of sperm formation.
Neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin regulates gut microbiota of mice
Authors: Mori Katsuya , Suzuki Takeshi , Minamishima Shizuka , Igarashi Toru , Inoue Kei , Nishimura Daisuke , Seki Hiroyuki , Yamada Takashige , Kosugi Shizuko , Katori Nobuyuki , Hashiguchi Saori , Morisaki Hiroshi 
Published: July 2015

AbstractBackground and Aim:Because neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin (NGAL) is known to provide significant bacteriostatic effects during infectious conditions, we tested the hypothesis that this protein is up‐regulated and secreted into the intraluminal cavity of the gut under critically ill conditions and is thus responsible for the regulation of bacterial overgrowth.Methods:With our institutional approval, male C57BL/6J mouse (6–7 weeks) were enrolled and applied for lipopolysaccharide or peritonitis model compared with naïve control. We assessed NGAL protein concentrations in intestinal lumen and up‐regulation of NGAL expression in intestinal tissues in in vivo as well as ex vivo settings. Simultaneously, we examined the effects of NGAL protein administration on the growth of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in in vivo and in vitro experimental settings. The localization of NGAL in intestinal tissues and lumen was also assessed by immunohistological approach using NGAL antibody.Results:Both lipopolysaccharide and peritonitis insults evoked the marked up‐regulation of NGAL mRNA and protein levels in gut tissues such as crypt cells. In addition, the administration of NGAL protein significantly inhibited the outgrowth of enteric E. coli under both in vitro and in vivo conditions, accompanied by histological evidence.Conclusion:Neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin protein accompanied by apparent bacteriostatic action accumulated in the intestinal wall and streamed into the mucosal layer during critically ill state, thereby possibly shaping microbiota homeostasis in the gut.
Structure, function and toxicity of alpha‐synuclein: the Bermuda triangle in synucleinopathies
Authors: Villar‐Piqué Anna , Lopes da Fonseca Tomás , Outeiro Tiago Fleming 
Published: July 2015

AbstractParkinson's disease belongs to a group of currently incurable neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the misfolding and accumulation of alpha‐synuclein aggregates that are commonly known as synucleinopathies. Clinically, synucleinopathies are heterogeneous, reflecting the somewhat selective neuronal vulnerability characteristic of each disease. The precise molecular underpinnings of synucleinopathies remain unclear, but the process of aggregation of alpha‐synuclein appears as a central event. However, there is still no consensus with respect to the toxic forms of alpha‐synuclein, hampering our ability to use the protein as a target for therapeutic intervention. To decipher the molecular bases of synucleinopathies, it is essential to understand the complex triangle formed between the structure, function and toxicity of alpha‐synuclein. Recently, important steps have been undertaken to elucidate the role of the protein in both physiological and pathological conditions. Here, we provide an overview of recent findings in the field of alpha‐synuclein research, and put forward a new perspective over paradigms that persist in the field. Establishing whether alpha‐synuclein has a causative role in all synucleinopathies will enable the identification of targets for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for this devastating group of disorders.imageAlpha‐synuclein is the speculated cornerstone of several neurodegenerative disorders known as Synucleinopathies. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying the pathogenic effects of this protein remain unknown. Here, we review the recent findings in the three corners of alpha‐synuclein biology – structure, function and toxicity – and discuss the enigmatic roads that have accompanied alpha‐synuclein from the beginning.This article is part of aspecial issue on Parkinson disease.