bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical usefulness of Mohs' chemosurgery for palliative purposes in patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma with risk factors or without indication for surgery: Three case reports
Authors: Nakai Noriaki , Okuzawa Yasutaro , Katoh Norito 
Published: January 2015

AbstractMohs' chemosurgery is a technique of chemical fixation of a cutaneous tumor using 20% zinc chloride, and the surgeon performs a sequential series of excisions until no residual tumor can be found in the bottom layer of the specimen by microscopic examination. This technique has also been gradually accepted as one of the palliative treatment options in patients with cutaneous tumors with risk factors for surgery. We report three cases of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma that were treated with Mohs' chemosurgery for palliative purposes. In case 1, Mohs' chemosurgery could prevent rapid tumor growth and control the bleeding, exudation and offensive odor from ulcerated tumors. The patient was able to live enjoyably at home with her family before she was transferred to a palliative care hospital. In case 2, Mohs' chemosurgery followed by debridement of residual tumor and a full‐thickness skin graft contributed to an early hospital discharge, which prevented the progression of cognitive decline. In case 3, remission of the tumor was achieved by concurrent treatment with local radiotherapy and Mohs' chemosurgery. Mohs' chemosurgery for palliative purposes is not a radical treatment, but contributes to the patient's quality of life. It has the possibility of becoming a radical treatment if eligible patients and concurrent treatment are carefully selected. An increase in the number of skin cancer patients with risk factors for surgery has been predicted because of the progression of the aging society. Mohs' chemosurgery may become one of the treatment options for such patients.
Climate niche differentiation between two passerines despite ongoing gene flow
Authors: Shaner Pei‐Jen L. , Tsao Tzu‐Hsuan , Lin Rong‐Chien , Liang Wei , Yeh Chia‐Fen , Yang Xiao‐Jun , Lei Fu‐Min , Zhou Fang , Yang Can‐Chao , Hung Le Manh , Hsu Yu‐Cheng , Li Shou‐Hsien 
Published: January 2015

Summary

Niche evolution underpins the generation and maintenance of biological diversity, but niche conservatism, in which niches remain little changed over time in closely related taxa, and the role of ecology in niche evolution are continually debated.

To test whether climate niches are conserved in two closely related passerines in East Asia – the vinous‐throated (Paradoxornis webbianus) and ashy‐throated (P. alphonsianus) parrotbills – we established their potential allopatric and sympatric regions using ecological niche models and compared differences in their climate niches using niche overlap indices in background tests and multivariate statistical analyses. We also used polymorphism data on 44 nuclear genes to infer their divergence demography.

We found that these two parrotbills occupy different climate niches, in both their allopatric and potential sympatric regions. Because the potential sympatric region is the area predicted to be suitable for both parrotbills based on the ecological niche models, it can serve as a natural common garden. Therefore, their observed niche differences in this potential sympatry were not simply rendered by phenotypic plasticity and probably had a genetic basis.

Our genetic analyses revealed that the two parrotbills are not evolutionarily independent for the most recent part of their divergence history. The two parrotbills diverged c. 856 000 years ago and have had substantial gene flow since a presumed secondary contact c. 290 000 years ago.

This study provides an empirical case demonstrating that climate niches may not be homogenized in nascent species in spite of substantial, ongoing gene flow, which in turn suggests a role for ecology in promoting and maintaining diversification among incipient species.
Edge‐mediated compositional and functional decay of tree assemblages in Amazonian forest islands after 26 years of isolation
Authors: Benchimol Maíra , Peres Carlos A. 
Published: January 2015

Summary

Islands formed upstream of mega hydroelectric dams are excellent experimental landscapes to assess the impacts of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity. We examined the effects of plot‐, patch‐ and landscape‐scale variables on the patterns of floristic diversity across 34 forest islands that had experienced 26 years of isolation since the creation of the 4437 km2 Balbina Hydroelectric Reservoir of central Brazilian Amazonia. In addition, three undisturbed continuous forest sites in neighbouring mainland areas were also sampled across a comparable elevational gradient.

We identified all live trees ≥10 cm DBH at species level within a total of 87 quarter‐hectare forest plots and conducted a comprehensive compilation of functional attributes of each tree species. We then examined species‐area relationships (SARs) and the additional effects of patch and landscape‐scale metrics on patterns of tree assemblage heterogeneity, both in terms of taxonomic and functional diversity.

Despite a clearly positive SAR, edge‐mediated forest disturbance was the single most important driver of species composition and abundance within islands. Our results suggest that non‐random floristic transitions within island plots followed a predictable pattern, with different life‐history traits either penalizing or rewarding local persistence of different functional groups. Distance to edges mediated the probability of tree mortality induced by windfalls and episodic surface fires, clearly resulting in faster species turnover and unidirectional changes in guild structure within small islands where light‐wooded fast‐growing pioneers largely replaced heavy‐wooded species of the old‐growth flora.

Synthesis. Following a simultaneous 26‐year post‐isolation history, we disentangle the effects of habitat loss and insularization on tree assemblages within a large set of Amazonian ‘true’ forest islands, of variable sizes, sharing a uniform open‐water matrix. Area effects are expressed via a response to edge effects, with trees in smaller islands being more vulnerable to edge‐related surface fires and wind‐throws. Additionally, forest edge effects can be a powerful driver of non‐random floristic transitions across islands within the Balbina archipelago via a process of rapid pioneer proliferation, drastically affecting both the taxonomic and functional composition of insular tree communities. Finally, our results indicate that detrimental effects of forest fragmentation induced by hydroelectric dams are considerably stronger than those of forest patches embedded within a terrestrial vegetation matrix.
The effectiveness and costs of pathogen resistance strategies in a perennial plant
Authors: Susi Hanna , Laine Anna‐Liisa 
Published: January 2015

SummaryPlants have evolved different strategies to resist pathogens, but little is known about how effective, stable and costly these mechanisms are in perennial plants across multiple growing seasons.We conducted a laboratory experiment to assess resistance variation inPlantago lanceolataagainst the powdery mildew‐causing fungusPodosphaera plantaginisand to measure possible trade‐offs between the different resistance strategies. To test stability and costs of resistance, we established common garden populations of plants possessing three different resistance strategies: qualitative resistance that is the ability to block pathogen infection, quantitative resistance that is the ability to mitigate pathogen development and susceptibility. We measured their performance with and without disease for 3 years.There were no trade‐offs between qualitative and quantitative resistance, and the components of quantitative resistance were positively correlated.Throughout the 3‐year common garden study, pathogen loads were significantly affected by host resistance in the study populations. Qualitative resistance efficiently blocked infections but contrary to laboratory obtained results; quantitative resistance did not hinder epidemic growth.We detected costs in plant performance for qualitative and quantitative resistance compared to susceptible plants in absence of the pathogen. The costs of infection varied according to resistance strategy, pathogen load and plant age.Synthesis. In perennial plants, the costs and benefits of resistance need to be evaluated over multiple years as they may change with plant age. Our results give new insights into how polymorphism in resistance can be maintained through costs of resistance in plant performance and through shifts in resource allocation between vegetative growth and reproduction under infection.
Decreased liver triglyceride content in adult rats exposed to protein restriction during gestation and lactation: Role of hepatic triglyceride utilization
Authors: Qasem Rani J , Li Jing , Tang Hee Man , Browne Veron , Mendez‐Garcia Claudia , Yablonski Elizabeth , Pontiggia Laura , D'Mello Anil P 
Published: January 2015

SummaryWe have previously demonstrated that protein restriction throughout gestation and lactation reduces liver triglyceride content in adult rat offspring. However, the mechanisms mediating the decrease in liver triglyceride content are not understood. The aim of the current study was to use a new group of pregnant animals and their offspring and determine the contribution of increased triglyceride utilization via the hepatic fatty‐acid oxidation and triglyceride secretory pathways to the reduction in liver triglyceride content. Pregnant Sprague–Dawley rats received either a control or a low protein diet throughout pregnancy and lactation. Pups were weaned onto laboratory chow on day 28 and killed on day 65. Liver triglyceride content was reduced in male, but not female, low‐protein offspring, both in the fed and fasted states. The reduction was accompanied by a trend towards higher liver carnitine palmitoyltransferase‐1a activity, suggesting increased fatty‐acid transport into the mitochondrial matrix. However, medium‐chain acyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase activity within the mitochondrial matrix, expression of nuclear peroxisome proliferator activated receptor‐α, and plasma levels of β‐hydroxybutyrate were similar between low protein and control offspring, indicating a lack of change in fatty‐acid oxidation. Hepatic triglyceride secretion, assessed by blocking peripheral triglyceride utilization and measuring serum triglyceride accumulation rate, and the activity of microsomal transfer protein, were similar between low protein and control offspring. Because enhanced triglyceride utilization is not a significant contributor, the decrease in liver triglyceride content in male low‐protein offspring is likely due to alterations in liver fatty‐acid transport or triglyceride biosynthesis.
Effects of Prenatal Alcohol and Cigarette Exposure on Offspring Substance Use in Multiplex, Alcohol‐Dependent Families
Authors: O'Brien Jessica W. , Hill Shirley Y. 
Published: January 2015

BackgroundPrenatal exposures to alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs of abuse are associated with numerous adverse consequences for affected offspring, including increased risk for substance use and abuse. However, maternal substance use during pregnancy appears to occur more often in those with a family history of alcohol dependence. Utilizing a sample that is enriched for familial alcohol dependence and includes controls selected for virtual absence of familial alcohol dependence could provide important information on the relative contribution of familial risk and prenatal exposures to offspring substance use.MethodsA sample of multigenerational families specifically ascertained to be at either high or low risk for developing alcohol dependence (AD) provided biological offspring for a longitudinal prospective study. High‐risk families were selected based on the presence of 2 alcohol‐dependent sisters. Low‐risk families were selected on the basis of minimal first and second‐degree relatives with AD. High‐risk (HR = 99) and Low‐risk offspring (LR = 110) were assessed annually during childhood and biennially in young adulthood regarding their alcohol, drug, and cigarette use. At the first childhood visit, mothers were interviewed concerning their prenatal use of substances.ResultsHigh‐risk mothers were more likely to use alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs during pregnancy than low‐risk control mothers, and to consume these substances in greater quantities. Across the sample, prenatal exposure to alcohol was associated with increased risk for both offspring cigarette use and substance use disorders (SUD), and prenatal cigarette exposure was associated with increased risk for offspring cigarette use. Controlling for risk status by examining patterns within the HR sample, prenatal cigarette exposure remained a specific predictor of offspring cigarette use, and prenatal alcohol exposure was specifically associated with increased risk for offspring SUD.ConclusionsWomen with a family history of SUD are at increased risk for substance use during pregnancy. Both familial loading for alcohol dependence and prenatal exposure to alcohol or cigarettes are important risk factors in the development of offspring substance use. An inadequate assessment of family history may obscure important interactions between familial risk and prenatal exposures on offspring outcomes.
Perceived Medical Risks of Drinking, Alcohol Consumption, and Hepatitis C Status Among Heavily Drinking HIV Primary Care Patients
Authors: Elliott Jennifer C. , Aharonovich Efrat , O'Leary Ann , Johnston Barbara , Hasin Deborah S. 
Published: January 2015

BackgroundHeavy drinking poses significant risks to the health and survival of individuals infected with HIV, particularly those coinfected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). However, little is known about patients’ perceptions of these risks, and whether these perceptions relate to their alcohol consumption.MethodsA sample of 254 heavily drinking HIV primary care patients (78% male; 94.5% minority; 31.8% with HCV) reported on their perceptions of the medical risks of drinking and on their alcohol consumption prior to participation in a drinking‐reduction intervention trial.ResultsIn the HIV‐infected sample as a whole, 62.9% reported that they had a medical problem made worse by drinking, and 64.3% reported restricting drinking to avoid future medical problems. Although patients coinfected with HIV/HCV reported greater efforts to restrict drinking to avoid future medical problems (adjusted odds ratio = 1.94), their reported drinking quantity and frequency did not differ from that of HIV mono‐infected patients. Awareness of medical risk was not associated with drinking level. Effort to restrict drinking to avoid medical risk was associated with lower drinking quantity, frequency, and binge frequency (ps < 0.05), but the association with binge frequency was specific to patients without HCV.ConclusionsOver one‐third of HIV patients are unaware of the medical risks of drinking, and do not restrict use, suggesting the need for intervention in this group. Patients coinfected with HIV/HCV may report more effort to restrict drinking, but their reported drinking quantity and frequency suggest that they are actually drinking just as heavily as HIV mono‐infected patients. Awareness of medical risk was unrelated to drinking, which suggests the need for interventions consisting of more than simple education. However, reported effort to restrict drinking did predict less drinking, suggesting the importance of patient commitment and initiative in change.
Dual‐Trait Selection for Ethanol Consumption and Withdrawal: Genetic and Transcriptional Network Effects
Authors: Metten Pamela , Iancu Ovidiu D. , Spence Stephanie E. , Walter Nicole A. R. , Oberbeck Denesa , Harrington Christina A. , Colville Alexandre , McWeeney Shannon , Phillips Tamara J. , Buck Kari J. , Crabbe John C. , Belknap John K. , Hitzemann Robert J. 
Published: January 2015

BackgroundData from C57BL/6J (B6) × DBA/2J (D2) F2 intercrosses (B6xD2 F2), standard and recombinant inbred strains, and heterogeneous stock mice indicate that a reciprocal (or inverse) genetic relationship exists between alcohol consumption and withdrawal severity. Furthermore, some genetic studies have detected reciprocal quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for these traits. We used a novel mouse model developed by simultaneous selection for both high alcohol consumption/low withdrawal and low alcohol consumption/high withdrawal and analyzed the gene expression and genome‐wide genotypic differences.MethodsRandomly chosen third selected generation (S3) mice (N = 24/sex/line), bred from a B6xD2 F2, were genotyped using the Mouse Universal Genotyping Array, which provided 2,760 informative markers. QTL analysis used a marker‐by‐marker strategy with the threshold for a significant log of the odds (LOD) set at 10. Gene expression in the ventral striatum was measured using the Illumina Mouse 8.2 array. Differential gene expression and the weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA) were implemented.ResultsSignificant QTLs for consumption/withdrawal were detected on chromosomes (Chr) 2, 4, 9, and 12. A suggestive QTL mapped to Chr 6. Some of the QTLs overlapped with known QTLs mapped for 1 of the traits individually. One thousand seven hundred and forty‐five transcripts were detected as being differentially expressed between the lines; there was some overlap with known withdrawal genes (e.g., Mpdz) located within QTL regions. WGCNA revealed several modules of co‐expressed genes showing significant effects in both differential expression and intramodular connectivity; a module richly annotated with kinase‐related annotations was most affected.ConclusionsMarked effects of selection on expression and network structure were detected. QTLs overlapping with differentially expressed genes on Chr 2 (distal) and 4 suggest that these are cis‐eQTLs (Chr 2: Kif3b, Kcnq2; Chr 4: Mpdz, Snapc3). Other QTLs identified were on Chr 2 (proximal), 9, and 12. Network results point to involvement of kinase‐related mechanisms and outline the need for further efforts such as interrogation of noncoding RNAs.
Ethanol Reduces Evoked Dopamine Release and Slows Clearance in the Rat Medial Prefrontal Cortex
Authors: Shnitko Tatiana A. , Kennerly Laura C. , Spear Linda P. , Robinson Donita L. 
Published: January 2015

BackgroundEthanol (EtOH) intoxication affects cognitive performance, contributing to attentional deficits and poor decision making, which may occur via actions in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). mPFC function is modulated by the catecholamines dopamine and norepinephrine. In this study, we examine the acute effects of EtOH on electrically evoked dopamine release and clearance in the mPFC of anesthetized rats naïve to alcohol or chronically exposed to alcohol during adolescence.MethodsDopamine release and clearance was evoked by electrical stimulation of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and measured in the mPFC of anesthetized rats with fast‐scan cyclic voltammetry. In Experiments 1 and 2, effects of a high dose of EtOH (4 g/kg, intraperitoneally) on dopamine neurotransmission in the mPFC of EtOH‐naïve rats and rats given EtOH exposure during adolescence were investigated. Effects of cumulative dosing of EtOH (0.5 to 4 g/kg) on the dopamine release and clearance were investigated in Experiment 3. Experiment 4 studied effects of EtOH locally applied to the VTA on the dopamine neurotransmission in the mPFC of EtOH‐naïve rats.ResultsA high dose of EtOH decreased evoked dopamine release within 10 minutes of administration in EtOH‐naïve rats. When tested via cumulative dosing from 0.5 to 4 g/kg, both 2 and 4 g/kg EtOH inhibited evoked dopamine release in the mPFC of EtOH‐naïve rats, while 4 g/kg EtOH also slowed dopamine clearance. A similar effect on electrically evoked dopamine release in the mPFC was observed after infusion of EtOH into the VTA. Interestingly, intermittent EtOH exposure during adolescence had no effect on observed changes in mPFC dopamine release and clearance induced by acute EtOH administration.ConclusionsTaken together, these data describe EtOH‐induced reductions in the dynamics of VTA‐evoked mPFC dopamine release and clearance, with the VTA contributing to the attenuation of evoked mPFC dopamine release induced by EtOH.
Public attitude toward tiger farming and tiger conservation in Beijing, China
Authors: Liu Z. , Jiang Z. , Li C. , Fang H. , Ping X. , Luo Z. , Tang S. , Li L. , Meng Z. , Zeng Y. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThere are arguments in support of and against use of tiger farming as a tool for the conservation of wild tigers Panthera tigris. Public attitude toward tiger farming can be a useful reference for tiger conservation. To fill this knowledge gap, we surveyed 677 citizens and 381 college students in Beijing to understand their knowledge of tiger conservation and attitude toward tiger farming. The results of ranking questions showed that with regard to the value of tigers, ecological, cultural and aesthetic, and scientific and educational value were ranked as the top three; legislation on wildlife protection and establishment of nature reserves were ranked as the top conservation methods; and poaching and illegal trade, human disturbance and loss of habitat were ranked as the top threatening factors. Apparently, medicinal and healthcare use as well as value as status symbols can be considered the main consumption motivations that trigger poaching and illegal trade. With regard to farming of tigers and the aspects of whether tigers should be farmed, the number of farmed tigers, how to dispose of farmed tigers and so on, we found that most of respondents considered farming of tigers to be a social undertaking and found it difficult to relate to commercial purposes. The results showed that people hold clear positions on arguments for and against the ban on tiger trade and were inclined to support the ban on trading tiger products, especially college students. We also found that the respondents were more balanced toward arguments in support of the use of farmed tigers than arguments against it.
The Feasibility of Coin Motors for Use in a Vibrotactile Display for the Blind
Authors: Stronks H. Christiaan , Parker Daniel J. , Walker Janine , Lieby Paulette , Barnes Nick 
Published: January 2015

AbstractWe have tested the potential of three types of vibration motors for use in a tactile vision substitution device for the blind. The motors were of the coin type, which are available off‐the‐shelf, and are characterized by their affordability, energy efficiency, and ease of implementation. The primary limitation of coin motors is the lack of control they offer over stimulus parameters. Specifically, adjusting the input voltage of a coin motor not only changes the vibration intensity, but also the vibration frequency and duration. This characteristic may result in unpredictable perceptions in psychophysical tests. By using standard psychophysical procedures, we were able to show that the tested coin motors evoked predictable magnitude perceptions across their dynamic range, following Fechner's law as if vibration intensity alone were varied. The best‐performing motor was able to generate a median number of 15 available just‐noticeable differences, meaning that it was potentially capable of conveying 16 gray levels in its dynamic range. We conclude that coin motors are potential candidates for the construction of a tactile display to substitute for lost vision.