bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Plant domestication slows pest evolution
Authors: Turcotte Martin M. , Lochab Amaneet K. , Turley Nash E. , Johnson Marc T. J. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractAgricultural practices such as breeding resistant varieties and pesticide use can cause rapid evolution of pest species, but it remains unknown how plant domestication itself impacts pest contemporary evolution. Using experimental evolution on a comparative phylogenetic scale, we compared the evolutionary dynamics of a globally important economic pest – the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) – growing on 34 plant taxa, represented by 17 crop species and their wild relatives. Domestication slowed aphid evolution by 13.5%, maintained 10.4% greater aphid genotypic diversity and 5.6% higher genotypic richness. The direction of evolution (i.e. which genotypes increased in frequency) differed among independent domestication events but was correlated with specific plant traits. Individual‐based simulation models suggested that domestication affects aphid evolution directly by reducing the strength of selection and indirectly by increasing aphid density and thus weakening genetic drift. Our results suggest that phenotypic changes during domestication can alter pest evolutionary dynamics.
Peripheral nerve sheath tumour of the equine maxillary sinus
Authors: Federici M. , Del Chicca F. , Rütten M. , Fürst A. , Bischofberger A. S. 
Published: June 2015

SummaryThis case report describes an 8‐year‐old Belgian Warmblood mare that was initially diagnosed and treated for a dental sinusitis. Despite removal of the diseased teeth and appropriate treatment, the sinusitis did not resolve. Over time, growth of a peripheral nerve sheath tumour of the left maxillary sinus became apparent, with recurrence after surgical removal. The clinical, radiographic, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and pathological (gross and histological) findings of the first reported peripheral nerve sheath tumour of the equine paranasal region are described and illustrated.
Disseminated alimentary mycobacteriosis in the horse: a retrospective study of nine cases
Authors: Mönki J. A. K. , Hewetson M. , Hahn S. , Vainio K. , Skrzypczak T. 
Published: June 2015

SummaryThis paper summarises the clinical findings of 9 cases of disseminated alimentary mycobacteriosis in horses presented at a Finnish referral equine hospital 2009–2014. Four of 9 horses were Standardbreds and 8/9 horses were male. The median age was 2 years, ranging from 6 months to 15 years. The duration of clinical signs before admission ranged from 2 weeks to 6 months. All horses demonstrated deterioration of the clinical signs after a protracted period of the disease and were finally subjected to euthanasia after poor response to multiple medical therapies. The most common complaints on admission were weight loss and diarrhoea (9/9), pyrexia (7/9), ventral oedema (7/9), lethargy (7/9) and inappetance (6/9). The most common clinicopathological abnormalities were hypoalbuminaemia and hyperfibrinogenaemia, which were present in all horses. Rectal biopsy specimens were examined from 5/9 horses and specimens were stained with Ziehl‐Nielsen (ZN). At rectal biopsy, mild multifocal neutrophilic or mild granulomatous proctitis was recognised in all 5 horses, but theZNstain for mycobacteria was positive in only one biopsy. A liver biopsy was taken from one horse in which hepatomegaly was observed clinically and revealed marked granulomatous hepatitis with the presence of mycobacteria. The rectal biopsy from this horse wasZNnegative. Atpost mortemexamination, chronic, multifocal to coalescing granulomatous typhlocolitis and lymphadenitis were found in all horses with the small intestine less frequently involved. At histopathological examination ofpost mortemsamples, aZNstain was performed and intracellular acid‐fast bacilli were identified in macrophages and multinucleated giant cells in the large intestine, liver and lymph nodes in 9/9 horses and in the small intestine in 5/9 horses.Mycobacterium aviumssp.hominissuiswas isolated in 5/9 horses frompost mortemsamples.
Marine ornamental fish imports in the European Union: an economic perspective
Authors: Leal Miguel Costa , Vaz Marcela Carraro Melo , Puga João , Rocha Rui Jorge Miranda , Brown Chris , Rosa Rui , Calado Ricardo 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThe marine ornamental fish trade (MOFT) is a worldwide industry that targets a remarkable quantity and diversity of reef fish species and provides an important source of revenue for exporting countries, particularly developing nations in Southeast Asia. Here we provide, for the first time, an economic assessment of the MOFT to the European Union (EU), one of the key players of the marine aquarium trade, along with the USA and Japan. Data from EUROSTAT (the European Statistical System) was analysed for the MOFT between 2000 and 2011. Results show that this industry was not affected by the economic crisis and accounted for a total of 135 million Euros during the study period. Both the UK and Indonesia have been reinforcing their importance as leading importer and exporter countries, respectively. The long‐term temporal pattern of the MOFT by EU and non‐EU countries is described, as well as its diversity and evenness between importing and exporting countries. The present economic assessment also identifies the key players of this industry, and ultimately contributes to management and conservation practices that may enhance the sustainable use of world's coral reefs.
Functional trait responses of aquatic macroinvertebrates to simulated drought in a Neotropical bromeliad ecosystem
Authors: Dézerald Olivier , Céréghino Régis , Corbara Bruno , Dejean Alain , Leroy Céline 
Published: June 2015

Summary

The duration of the dry seasons in south‐eastern Amazonia is expected to increase. Little is known of how freshwater assemblages respond to drought in the humid rainforests and of the extent to which they resist the absence of rainfall before the collapse of the system.

We manipulated rainshelters over tank‐forming bromeliads (i.e. the interlocking leaf axils of these plants form wells that collect rainwater) to simulate an exceptionally long dry period (49 days, compared with a 10‐year mean ± SD annual maximum number of 17 ± 5.3 days without rainfall at the study site) and then a rewetting period. By sampling weekly over 3 months, we followed the dynamics of the representation of abundance‐weighted traits in invertebrate assemblages in these treatment plants and in a control group.

The functional structure of assemblages was drought resistant until the water volume in the bromeliad pools dropped by 90%, when there was a sudden shift in the functional trait structure due to the loss of most populations except the drought‐resistant culicids. Traits related to life history, body size and preferred food showed significant responses to drought. There was a convergence in the functional traits of species surviving in dry plants, strengthening the idea that environmental filtering, rather than stochasticity, determines the functional trajectory of aquatic assemblages during drought.

At the end of the dry period, samples of the detritus potentially containing drought‐resistant eggs/cysts (and eventually live larvae) were taken from the dry plants and rewetted in the laboratory, allowing us to distinguish resistant species from those requiring recolonisation via subsequent oviposition by adults from elsewhere. Patches of water‐filled bromeliads persisting in the area provided the most important pool of colonists, and communities returned to the pre‐disturbance state within 1–2 weeks of rewetting.

Our results suggest that the functional trait structure of invertebrate assemblages in bromeliads could remain stable under scenarios of precipitation change that would triple the duration of current dry periods at a local scale. Future experiments should evaluate how environmental factors might alter the tipping point between resistance to drought and a collapse in ecosystem processes.
Small stonefly predators affect microbenthic and meiobenthic communities in stream leaf packs
Authors: Majdi Nabil , Traunspurger Walter , Richardson John S. , Lecerf Antoine 
Published: June 2015

Summary

Predators affect benthic communities and ecological processes through consuming and scaring prey as well as through engineering effects on the habitat. Experimental evidence of top–down predatory effects in leaf packs comes from studies assessing how large predators affect shredders and therefore the litter decomposition rate. In this study, we investigated the effects of smaller invertebrate predators on micro‐ and meiobenthic communities.

In outdoor, flow‐through stream channels, we created a gradient in the density of predacious Chloroperlidae stonefly larvae in enclosures containing alder leaf litter and exposed to natural colonisation by invertebrates and decomposers. We expected that: (i) predators would reduce the biomass and density of invertebrate colonisers, (ii) the strength of predator effects on invertebrates would vary with prey body size; and (iii) increasing predator numbers in enclosures would diminish the per capita strength of predator–prey interactions due to intraguild interference. We also anticipated that litter decomposition would be slower in the presence of predators providing that microbial decomposers did not compensate for the reduction in shredders by an increase in their biomass.

Chloroperlidae had negative effects on the biomass of most major invertebrate taxa, including rotifers, nematodes and larvae of the Chironomidae Corynoneura and Brillia (the dominant shredder in leaf packs). The predatory effect on nematode biomass was strongest for dominant small‐bodied species. Fungal biomass in leaf litter was reduced in the presence of predators, whereas bacterial biomass was not affected.

In addition to feasible direct predation on Chironomidae, Chloroperlidae apparently inhibited meiofauna colonisation of leaf litter, probably through the bioturbation of fine sediment trapped on leaf surfaces.

At the end of the experiment, the mortality of Chloroperlidae in enclosures was considerable at the highest predator density treatment. This observation, along with evidence of the reduced per capita strength of predator–prey interactions with increasing predator density, suggested that intraguild interference moderates the effect of predators in leaf packs.

Our findings are consistent with a key role of small predators in determining the abundance of invertebrates and microbial decomposers in leaf packs. However, in our study, there was no cascade down to the standing stock of leaf litter.
Prepubertal exposure to bisphenol‐A induces ERα upregulation and hyperplasia in adult gerbil female prostate
Authors: Campos Mônica S. , Galvão André L. V. , Rodríguez Daniel A. O. , Biancardi Manoel F. , Marques Mara R. , Vilamaior Patrícia S. L. , Santos Fernanda C. A. , Taboga Sebastião R. 
Published: June 2015

SummaryProstate physiology is highly dependent on oestrogenic and androgenic homeostasis. Interferences in this equilibrium, especially in early periods of life, may disrupt the prostate and increase the susceptibility to the development of diseases with ageing. Taking this into account, and considering the increase of environmental chemicals with endocrine‐disrupting potential such as bisphenol‐A (BPA), this study aimed to evaluate the prostates of adult female gerbils exposed to BPA and BPA plus testosterone from pubertal to adult periods. Morphological, stereological and chemical analyses revealed that long‐term BPA exposure, even in environmental dosages, increases the proliferative status of the prostate, increases the number of ERα‐positive stromal cells and elicits the development of prostatic hyperplasia in adult female gerbils. Moreover, we also observed that the association with testosterone did not increase the proliferative status of the gland, which shows that low levels of BPA are enough to cause an oestrogenic disruption of the prostate in young adults. This evidence suggests that this oestrogenic endocrine disruptor may increase the susceptibility to prostatic disorders with ageing.
Hypotensive, hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects of bioactive compounds from microalgae and marine micro‐organisms
Authors: Zhao Chao , Wu Yijing , Yang Chengfeng , Liu Bin , Huang Yifan 
Published: June 2015

SummaryMicroalgae and marine micro‐organisms (MMs) have received increasing attention for the production of biologically active compounds due to their exclusive characteristics, which have adapted to the specific and extreme conditions of environments. These micro‐organisms are of considerable importance as new and promising potential sources of a huge number of natural bioactive compounds for functional foods and pharmaceutical development. Important natural bioactive compounds exhibiting a wide range of activities such as antimicrobial, antitumour, antioxidative, anti‐inflammatory, antiviral, antituberculosis, antiparasitic, anthelmintic, antimalarial, antiprotozoal, anticoagulant and antiplatelet effects have recently been isolated. To date, only a small number of MMs have been investigated for hypotensive, hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic activities. This study focuses specifically on revealing and discussing prospective human applications of MMs on functional foods and clinical practice and their metabolites associated with hypotensive, hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic activities.
A Reliable Method for Recycling (RE)‐Ba‐Cu‐O (RE: Sm, Gd, Y) Bulk Superconductors
Authors: Shi Yunhua , Namburi Devendra Kumar , Wang Miao , Durrell John , Dennis Anthony , Cardwell David 
Published: June 2015

Single grain (RE)‐Ba‐Cu‐O (RE: Sm, Gd, Y) high‐temperature superconductors are able to generate high magnetic fields. However, the relatively high cost of the raw materials and the low yield of the manufacturing process have impeded the development of practical applications of these materials to date. This article describes a simple, reliable, and economical method of recycling failed bulk (RE)‐Ba‐Cu‐O (RE: Sm, Gd, Y) samples. Sixty‐four failed bulk samples, with diameters up to 31 mm, were recycled with a yield of 90%. The key innovation in this recycling process involves reintroducing the liquid phase into the melt process, which is normally lost during the primary peritectic processing of these materials. This enables the direct re‐growth of failed samples from solid form without the need for re‐grinding into powder. We also demonstrate that the superconducting performance and microstructure of the recycled samples is similar to that of the primary grown samples.
Geographical variability in the controls of giant kelp biomass dynamics
Authors: Bell Tom W. , Cavanaugh Kyle C. , Reed Daniel C. , Siegel David A. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractAimCoastal marine environments experience a wide range of biotic and abiotic forces that can limit and punctuate the geographical range and abundance of species through time. Determining the relative strengths and nonlinear effects of these processes is vital to understanding the biogeographical structures of species. There has been an ongoing discussion concerning the relative importance of these processes in controlling the dynamics of giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, an important structure‐forming species on shallow reefs in the eastern Pacific. We used novel spatial time‐series that span nearly three decades to determine the dominant drivers of giant kelp canopy biomass and the temporal and spatial scales over which they operate across the dominant range of the giant kelp in North America.LocationNear‐shore areas from Año Nuevo, California, to the USA/Mexico border.MethodsWe employed empirical orthogonal functions to elucidate the primary drivers of giant kelp canopy biomass across space and time and then fit generalized additive and linear models to determine the nonlinear effect and relative importance of each of these potential drivers along the c. 1500‐km study region over a 25‐year period.ResultsWave disturbance, nitrate availability and the state of the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation were the most important environmental predictors of giant kelp canopy biomass, explaining 24.5%, 12.7% and 6.1% of the variance, respectively. Environmental drivers of canopy biomass exhibited profound spatial differences in relative effect sizes. Nonlinear effect shapes of each potential biomass driver were determined, which explained these spatial differences.Main conclusionsThese large‐scale analyses help to reconcile the local‐scale conclusions of canopy biomass dynamics across the California coastline and show that these dynamics differ predictably in space and time in accordance with local and regional differences in environmental drivers. By characterizing the nonlinear effects of these drivers, we identified spatio‐temporal patterns of processes that cannot be detected by remote sensing.
Electrocardiographic QRS Fragmentation as a Marker for Myocardial Fibrosis in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: KONNO TETSUO , HAYASHI KENSHI , FUJINO NOBORU , OKA RIE , NOMURA AKIHIRO , NAGATA YOJI , HODATSU AKIHIKO , SAKATA KENJI , FURUSHO HIROSHI , TAKAMURA MASAYUKI , NAKAMURA HIROYUKI , KAWASHIRI MASA‐AKI , YAMAGISHI MASAKAZU 
Published: June 2015

fQRS Predicts Myocardial Fibrosis in HCMIntroductionMyocardial fibrosis in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) usually shows a patchy distribution, which may not be detected by pathological Q waves on 12‐lead ECGs. Fragmented QRS complexes (fQRS) reflect intraventricular conduction delay and can be a marker of myocardial fibrosis. We assessed whether fQRS show better correlation with myocardial fibrosis than pathological Q waves in HCM.Methods and ResultsThis cross‐sectional study included 108 patients with HCM who underwent 12‐lead ECG and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE‐CMR). The number of leads with pathological Q waves was not correlated with the extent of LGE measured at any different standard deviations (SDs) (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 SD), whereas the number of leads with fQRS showed the best correlation with LGE at 6 SD (r = 0.32, P = 0.0008). Further, the number of leads with fQRS was an independent predictor for the extent of LGE at 6 SD. fQRS showed higher accuracy for detecting myocardial fibrosis defined by LGE at 6 SD than pathological Q waves; the overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of fQRS were 40%, 80%, and 64%, respectively, whereas those of pathological Q waves were 7%, 97%, and 60%, respectively. fQRS in lateral leads showed the highest accuracy (75%), followed by inferior leads (59%) and anterior leads (57%), for detecting LGE at 6 SD in the corresponding left ventricular segment.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that fQRS may have a substantially higher sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy compared with pathological Q waves for detecting myocardial fibrosis in HCM.
Efficient cross‐section preparation method for high‐resolution imaging of hard polymer composites with a scanning electron microscope
Authors: BRODUSCH N. , YOURDKHANI M. , HUBERT P. , GAUVIN R. 
Published: June 2015

SummaryCharacterization of distribution and arrangement of filler particles in polymer composites is of primary importance to understand and maximize their mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. An innovative procedure that allows reliable and straightforward preparation of cross‐sections of polymer composites with the use of mechanical polishing, ion beam etching and soft gaseous etching is presented in this paper. Because of the inherent difference between the organic amorphous matrix and the inorganic crystalline nature of composite fillers, the removal of matrix layers at the surface of the cross‐section at the expense of the inorganic materials allowed characterizing the composite filler particles structure and distribution over the surface. Since beam broadening did not occur before the beam hit the nanoparticles, high‐resolution imaging in the scanning electron microscope was possible and true dimensions and orientation of the particles were observed. This provided more flexibility in selecting the primary beam voltage; especially, the use of low beam energy greatly improved the image contrast and reduced charging effects resulting from the primary electron beam bombardment. It was shown that only polymers with a carbonated main chain could be etched selectively by the gaseous etching process.
Diagnostic efficacy of 3‐D hysterosalpingo‐contrast sonography in the detection of tubal occlusion: Systematic meta‐analysis
Authors: Yu Jiangxiu , Cai Mingjin , Liang Weixiang , Deng Zhifeng , Xie Yinong 
Published: June 2015

AbstractAimEvaluation of tubal status is critical in the diagnostic work‐up of infertile women. The purpose of this study was to explore the diagnostic efficacy of three‐dimensional hysterosalpingo‐contrast sonography (3‐D HyCoSy) for tubal occlusion.MethodsMedLine, Embase, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, CNKI, Chinese VIP Database, Chinese Wanfang Database and Chinese Biomedicine Database were searched for relevant trials published from June 1994 to August 2013. Meta‐DiSc (version 1.4) was used for the meta‐analysis. Diagnostic accuracy was determined by pooled estimates of sensitivity and specificity, as well as area under the curve (AUC) and the pooled diagnostic accuracy (Q*) derived from a summary receiver operating characteristic analysis. The heterogeneity test was done using the Cochran Q statistic and the I2 statistic. Significant difference was defined as P < 0.10 (Q‐statistic) or I2 > 50% (I2‐statistic) and a random effect model was used to pool data, otherwise the fixed effects model was used.ResultsA total of 11 studies (1037 Fallopian tubes) were included in this meta‐analysis. The pooled estimates for diagnostic efficacy of 3‐D HyCoSy had a sensitivity of 0.92 (95%CI: 0.89–0.94) and specificity of 0.95 (95%CI: 0.93–0.96). AUC and Q* were 0.976 and 0.929, respectively, but there was significant heterogeneity in sensitivity across the included studies.Conclusions3‐D HyCoSy had good diagnostic performance in the detection of tubal occlusion.
Tubal pregnancy associated with additional conception in a contralateral tube
Authors: Ishikawa Hiroshi , Kiyokawa Takako , Okayama Jun , Usui Hirokazu , Shozu Makio 
Published: June 2015

AbstractPregnancy of unknown location is defined as empty endometrial cavity despite positive pregnancy test, and often develops as overt intrauterine or ectopic pregnancy. The pathophysiology of persistent pregnancy of unknown location, however, which involves continuous low serum human chorionic gonadotropin without any visible implantation site, is unknown. We report a case of left tubal pregnancy associated with additional conception in the contralateral tube. Left tubal pregnancy was suspected in a 40‐year‐old nulligravid woman after two embryo transfers following in vitro fertilization. Laparoscopic bilateral salpingectomy was performed for bilateral hydrosalpinx. Products from an additional conception were identified in the right tube. Short tandem repeat analysis using genomic DNA from resected specimens indicated two conceptions of different origin. The extra conception identified on microscopy may indicate one pathogenesis of persistent pregnancy of unknown location. Salpingectomy of the contralateral tube with hydrosalpinx is an option to prevent persistent occult pregnancy.