bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An intracellular membrane protein GEP1 regulates xanthurenic acid induced gametogenesis of malaria parasites
Authors: Jiang Yuanyuan , Wei Jun , Cui Huiting , Liu Chuanyuan , Zhi Yuan , Jiang ZhengZheng , Li Zhenkui , Li Shaoneng , Yang Zhenke , Wang Xu , Qian Pengge , Zhang Cui , Zhong Chuanqi , Su Xin-zhuan , Yuan Jing 
Published: April 2020

AbstractGametocytes differentiation to gametes (gametogenesis) within mosquitos is essential for malaria parasite transmission. Both reduction in temperature and mosquito-derived XA or elevated pH are required for triggering cGMP/PKG dependent gametogenesis. However, the parasite molecule for sensing or transducing these environmental signals to initiate gametogenesis remains unknown. Here we perform a CRISPR/Cas9-based functional screening of 59 membrane proteins expressed in the gametocytes of Plasmodium yoelii and identify that GEP1 is required for XA-stimulated gametogenesis. GEP1 disruption abolishes XA-stimulated cGMP synthesis and the subsequent signaling and cellular events, such as Ca2+ mobilization, gamete formation, and gametes egress out of erythrocytes. GEP1 interacts with GCα, a cGMP synthesizing enzyme in gametocytes. Both GEP1 and GCα are expressed in cytoplasmic puncta of both male and female gametocytes. Depletion of GCα impairs XA-stimulated gametogenesis, mimicking the defect of GEP1 disruption. The identification of GEP1 being essential for gametogenesis provides a potential new target for intervention of parasite transmission.
Sub-Hertz resonance by weak measurement
Authors: Qu Weizhi , Jin Shenchao , Sun Jian , Jiang Liang , Wen Jianming , Xiao Yanhong 
Published: April 2020

AbstractWeak measurement (WM) with state pre- and post-selection can amplify otherwise undetectable small signals and thus has potential in precision measurement applications. Although frequency measurements offer the hitherto highest precision due to the stable narrow atomic transitions, it remains a long-standing interest to develop new schemes to further escalate their performance. Here, we demonstrate a WM-enhanced correlation spectroscopy technique capable of narrowing the resonance linewidth down to 0.1 Hz in a room-temperature atomic vapour cell. The potential of this technique for precision measurement is demonstrated through weak magnetic-field sensing. By judiciously pre- and post-selecting frequency-modulated input and output optical states in a nearly orthogonal manner, a sensitivity of 7 fT Hz−1/2 at a low frequency near DC is achieved using only one laser beam with 15 µW of power. Additionally, our results extend the WM framework to a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian and shed new light on metrology and bio-magnetic field sensing.
Poor early cortical differentiation of speech predicts perceptual difficulties of severely hearing-impaired listeners in multi-talker environments
Authors: Paul Brandon T. , Uzelac Mila , Chan Emmanuel , Dimitrijevic Andrew 
Published: April 2020

AbstractHearing impairment disrupts processes of selective attention that help listeners attend to one sound source over competing sounds in the environment. Hearing prostheses (hearing aids and cochlear implants, CIs), do not fully remedy these issues. In normal hearing, mechanisms of selective attention arise through the facilitation and suppression of neural activity that represents sound sources. However, it is unclear how hearing impairment affects these neural processes, which is key to understanding why listening difficulty remains. Here, severely-impaired listeners treated with a CI, and age-matched normal-hearing controls, attended to one of two identical but spatially separated talkers while multichannel EEG was recorded. Whereas neural representations of attended and ignored speech were differentiated at early (~ 150 ms) cortical processing stages in controls, differentiation of talker representations only occurred later (~250 ms) in CI users. CI users, but not controls, also showed evidence for spatial suppression of the ignored talker through lateralized alpha (7–14 Hz) oscillations. However, CI users’ perceptual performance was only predicted by early-stage talker differentiation. We conclude that multi-talker listening difficulty remains for impaired listeners due to deficits in early-stage separation of cortical speech representations, despite neural evidence that they use spatial information to guide selective attention.
Spatial and temporal variations and significance identification of ecosystem services in the Sanjiangyuan National Park, China
Authors: Cao Wei , Wu Dan , Huang Lin , Liu Lulu 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe establishment of the Sanjiangyuan National Park (SNP) favours implementation of strictest ecological protection on the Tibetan Plateau, thus firmly ensuring national ecological security. To understand ecological background in the SNP, spatial and temporal variations of ecosystem, and its services during the period 2000–2015 and significance identification were analysed by using the methods of remote sensing, GIS and model simulation. The results showed that: (1) Area with extremely important ecosystem services accounted for approximately 51.4% of the SNP’s total area, of which extreme importance water regulation, soil conservation and sand fixation regions contributed 15.3%, 13.7% and 22.4%, respectively. (2) The SNP had formed a spatial pattern of ecosystem services with water regulation as core in the eastern part, soil conservation as core in the central part and sand fixation as core in the western part. (3) For the period 2000–2015, water regulation service generally improved in the SNP. Soil conservation service also improved overall; and sand fixation service exhibited a decreasing trend due to reduction in wind speed and vegetation coverage. (4) Climate warming and humidification, combined with the implementation of ecological protection project in the SNP were the primary reasons for ecosystem services improvement. However, grassland degradation had not yet been fundamentally suppressed, and vegetation coverage was still declining in regional areas. For strict protection and sustainable use of the SNP and its natural resources, overall planning and scientific layout should be paid more attention, and classification and subarea protection should be implemented based on natural ecosystem laws.
TLR4-mediated pyroptosis in human hepatoma-derived HuH-7 cells induced by a branched-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid, geranylgeranoic acid
Authors: Yabuta Suemi , Shidoji Yoshihiro 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
A branched-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid, geranylgeranoic acid (GGA; C20:4), which is an endogenous metabolite derived from the mevalonate pathway in mammals, has been reported to induce cell death in human hepatoma cells. We have previously shown that the lipid-induced unfolded protein response (UPR) is an upstream cellular process for an incomplete autophagic response that might be involved in GGA-induced cell death. Here, we found that Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-mediated pyroptosis in HuH-7 cells occurred by GGA treatment. The TLR4-specific inhibitor VIPER prevented both GGA-induced cell death and UPR. Knockdown of the TLR4 gene attenuated GGA-induced cell death significantly. Upon GGA-induced UPR, caspase (CASP) 4 (CASP4) was activated immediately and gasdermin D (GSDMD) was translocated concomitantly to the plasma membrane after production of the N-terminal fragment of GSDMD. Then, cellular CASP1 activation occurred following a second gradual up-regulation of the intracellular Ca2+ concentration, suggesting that GGA activated the inflammasome. Indeed, the mRNA levels of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) and interleukin-1 β (IL1B) genes were up-regulated dramatically with translocation of cytoplasmic nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) to nuclei after GGA treatment, indicating that GGA induced priming of the NLRP3 inflammasome through NF-κB activation. GGA-induced up-regulation of CASP1 activity was blocked by either oleic acid, VIPER, MCC950 (a selective inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome), or CASP4-specific inhibitor peptide cotreatment. Pyroptotic cell death was also confirmed morphologically by bleb formation in time-series live cell imaging of GGA-treated cells. Taken together, the present results strongly indicate that GGA causes pyroptotic cell death in human hepatoma-derived HuH-7 via TLR4 signalling.
Knockdown of LINC01694 inhibits growth of gallbladder cancer cells via miR-340-5p/Sox4
Authors: Liu Lei , Yan Yuexiang , Zhang Guanyu , Chen Chengxue , Shen Weihong , Xing Peixiang 
Published: April 2020

AbstractPurpose: The indispensable role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in tumorigenesis has been increasingly reported. In the present study, LINC01694 was found to regulate the proliferation, invasion, as well as apoptosis in gallbladder cancer (GBC) cells through sponging miR-340-5p.Methods: LINC01694 level in GBC cells was quantified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis were determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), Transwell, and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression of Sry-related high-mobility group box 4 (Sox4) was detected by Western blot (WB). The interaction between LINC01694 and miR-340-5p was measured by dual-luciferase reporter (DLR) assay, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) test, and RNA pull-down. Tumor formation was examined by in vivo experiment.Results: qRT-PCR illustrated that cancerous tissues had higher LINC01694 than normal tissues. Survival analysis demonstrated that the prognosis of patients with high LINC01694 was significantly poorer than those with low LINC01694. Down-regulation of LINC01694 slowed down the proliferation and invasion in GBC cells and accelerated the apoptosis. DLR assay indicated that LINC01694 elevated Sox4 expression by regulating miR-340-5p. LINC01694 functioned as miR-340-5p sponge to inhibit Sox4 expression.Conclusion: LINC01694 level is elevated in GBC by regulating miR-340-5p/Sox4 axis, which indicates the poor prognosis of the patients.
10 MHz boost converter with subthreshold voltage startup and predictive dead‐time techniques for energy‐harvesting systems
Authors: Huang Wenbin , Liao Xufeng , Liu Lianxi 
Published: April 2020

A 10 MHz synchronous boost converter with the subthreshold startup scheme and predictive dead‐time control for energy‐harvesting systems is presented in this study. The input feed‐forward technique is adopted to achieve a fast line response, and a three‐stage startup technique is proposed to realise subthreshold voltage startup without using any extra startup circuits or special devices. Moreover, the efficiency of the high‐frequency converter can be improved by the proposed predictive dead‐time control with a high resolution of ∼300 ps. The proposed converter is implemented in a standard 0.18 μm complimentary metal oxide semiconductor process and occupies a die area of 1.4 × 1.5 mm2. Experimental results show that the input voltage ranges from 0.3 to 1.5 V at 1.8 V output, and the minimum startup voltage is 0.3 V. Under VIN = 1.5 V, VOUT = 1.8 V and 150 mA load, the power efficiency can be improved by 2.6% because of the proposed predictive dead‐time control. The peak efficiency can reach 90.7% under VIN = 1.5 V. The line transient response can be improved with small overshoot voltage at the output.
High-resolution, 3D radiative transfer modelling
Authors: Verstocken Sam , Nersesian Angelos , Baes Maarten , Viaene Sébastien , Bianchi Simone , Casasola Viviana , Clark Christopher J. R. , Davies Jonathan I. , De Looze Ilse , De Vis Pieter , Dobbels Wouter , Galliano Frédéric , Jones Anthony P. , Madden Suzanne C. , Mosenkov Aleksandr V. , Trčka Ana , Xilouris Emmanuel M. 
Published: April 2020

Context. Interstellar dust absorbs stellar light very efficiently, thus shaping the energy output of galaxies. Studying the impact of different stellar populations on the dust heating continues to be a challenge because it requires decoupling the relative geometry of stars and dust and also involves complex processes such as scattering and non-local dust heating.
Aims. We aim to constrain the relative distribution of dust and stellar populations in the spiral galaxy M 81 and create a realistic model of the radiation field that adequately describes the observations. By investigating the dust-starlight interaction on local scales, we want to quantify the contribution of young and old stellar populations to the dust heating. We aim to standardise the setup and model selection of such inverse radiative transfer simulations so these can be used for comparable modelling of other nearby galaxies.
Methods. We present a semi-automated radiative transfer modelling pipeline that implements necessary steps such as the geometric model construction and the normalisation of the components through an optimisation routine. We used the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code SKIRT to calculate a self-consistent, panchromatic model of the interstellar radiation field. By looking at different stellar populations independently, we were able to quantify to what extent different stellar age populations contribute to the heating of dust. Our method takes into account the effects of non-local heating.
Results. We obtained a realistic 3D radiative transfer model of the face-on galaxy M 81. We find that only 50.2% of the dust heating can be attributed to young stellar populations (≲100 Myr). We confirm that there is a tight correlation between the specific star formation rate and the heating fraction by young stellar populations, both in sky projections and in 3D, which is also found for radiative transfer models of M 31 and M 51.
Conclusions. We conclude that old stellar populations can be a major contributor to the heating of dust. In M 81, old stellar populations are the dominant heating agent in the central regions, contributing to half of the absorbed radiation. Regions of higher star formation do not correspond to the highest dust temperatures. On the contrary, it is the dominant bulge which is most efficient in heating the dust. The approach we present here can immediately be applied to other galaxies. It does contain a number of caveats, which we discuss in detail.
Antipsychotika im klinischen Einsatz
Authors: Augustin Marc 
Published: April 2020

ZUSAMMENFASSUNGKlinisch tätige Ärztinnen und Ärzte begegnen häufig Patienten, die bereits mit Antipsychotika behandelt werden oder die Erkrankungen wie beispielsweise ein Delir aufweisen, bei denen eine Behandlung mit Antipsychotika erwogen werden kann. Der Artikel gibt einen Überblick über Indikationen, unerwünschte Wirkungen und potenzielle Wechselwirkungen beim Einsatz von Antipsychotika. Besonderes Augenmerk wird auf internistisch relevante unerwünschte Wirkungen gelegt wie thromboembolische Ereignisse, Pneumonie, Agranulozytose und metabolisches Syndrom. Zudem werden bekannte Wechselwirkungen zwischen Antipsychotika und anderen Medikamenten erläutert, die für den klinischen Alltag besondere Relevanz aufweisen. In bestimmten Situationen erfordern diese pharmakokinetischen Wechselwirkungen eine Änderung der Dosis oder den Einsatz von Therapeutischem Drug Monitoring (TDM) zur Bestimmung des Medikamentenspiegels, um die individuell optimale Behandlung zu gewährleisten.
Interaktionen von Psychopharmaka
Authors: Petri Holger 
Published: April 2020

ZUSAMMENFASSUNGPatienten mit seelischen Erkrankungen nehmen häufig Psychopharmaka ein, die Interaktionsrisiken bergen. Auch bei einer gewöhnlich kurzen stationären Verweildauer können in der Kombinationstherapie Wechselwirkungen zu seltenen, aber vital bedrohlichen Nebenwirkungen führen. Deshalb sollten dem klinisch tätigen Arzt die hierauf beruhenden Wirkmechanismen bekannt sein. Bei Verschreibung neuer Medikamente sind diese mit den bereits bestehenden Verordnungen von Psychopharmaka auf mögliche Arzneimittelinteraktionen zu überprüfen. Durch Wechselwirkungen verursachte unerwünschte Arzneimittelwirkungen sind in der Regel vorhersagbar und damit potenziell vermeidbar. Lässt sich eine risikobehaftete Kombinationstherapie nicht vermeiden, sollte auf entsprechende Frühsymptome geachtet werden und bekannte Risikofaktoren minimiert werden. Im Vordergrund steht aber das Erkennen und Vermeiden problematischer Medikationen. Computergestützte Programme können hierbei eine hilfreiche Unterstützung leisten, jedoch sollten dem Patienten keine zweckmäßigen Arzneimitteltherapien vorenthalten werden aufgrund einer Overalertness.
Verordnung von Antidepressiva
Authors: Regen Francesca 
Published: April 2020

ZUSAMMENFASSUNGDieser Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über die wichtigsten Aspekte bei der Verordnung von Antidepressiva. Nach einer Einführung in die Wirkmechanismen und Klassifikationen von Antidepressiva sowie einer zusammenfassenden Darstellung der wichtigsten Nebenwirkungen wird ein Überblick über Vor- und Nachteile einzelner Antidepressiva gegeben, um im Einzelfall die Auswahl eines Antidepressivums selber zu treffen oder nachvollziehen zu können.
Effectiveness of Adjunctive Mother Tinctures to Individualized Homeopathic Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: An Open Randomized Pragmatic Pilot Trial
Authors: Banerjee Aniruddha , Nahar Laijun , Bhat Showket Ahmad , Kumar Ashutosha , Goenka Rachna , Sharma Pralay , Paul Swapan , Chattopadhyay Abhijit , Ali Sk Swaif , Basu Anamika , Michael James , Koley Munmun , Saha Subhranil 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background We evaluated whether adjunctive mother tinctures (MTs) to individualized homeopathy (IH) have significant effect beyond IH alone in treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD).
Methods An open, randomized (1:1; IH + MT versus IH only), two parallel arms, pragmatic trial (n = 60) was conducted at National Institute of Homoeopathy, India. Primary outcomes were forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC, measured at baseline and 6 months; secondary outcomes were Bengali COPD assessment test (CAT-B) questionnaire and (clinical COPD questionnaire) CCQ-B, measured at baseline, and after 3 and 6 months; and exacerbation frequencies during 6 months.
Results Five patients dropped out (IH + MT: 3, IH: 2). Though intragroup changes were significant, intergroup differences of spirometric changes over 6 months were nonsignificant (Mann Whitney U test); FEV1 (P
0–6 = 0.761), FVC (P
0–6 = 0.512), and FEV1/FVC (P
0–6 = 0.741). Over 3 and 6 months, differences of changes in CAT-B (P
0–3 = 0.553 and P
0–6 = 0.900) and CCQ-B (P
0–3 = 0.428 and P
0–6 = 0.953) scores were also nonsignificant. Exacerbation frequencies were nonsignificant between groups over 6 months (p = 1.000).
Conclusion Although adjunctive MTs to IH could not produce any treatment benefits in COPD, the trial being underpowered, cautious interpretation is necessary.
Trial registration CTRI/2018/04/013394.
The Wave Changer—from longitudinal to
transverse
Authors: Williams Gary 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
A description of a physical device that explains how longitudinal waves can be
transformed into transverse waves is given. The device is easy to construct from
standard materials one would expect to find in any physics teaching laboratory,
but can be even simpler. Pedagogically, the device helps students to understand
how a sound wave can be displayed on an oscilloscope screen as a transverse
wave.
Stochastic thermodynamics of all-to-all interacting many-body systems
Authors: Herpich Tim , Cossetto Tommaso , Falasco Gianmaria , Esposito Massimiliano 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
We provide a stochastic thermodynamic description across scales for N identical units with all-to-all interactions that are driven away from equilibrium by different reservoirs and external forces. We start at the microscopic level with Poisson rates describing transitions between many-body states. We then identify an exact coarse graining leading to a mesoscopic description in terms of Poisson transitions between system occupations. We proceed studying macroscopic fluctuations using the Martin–Siggia–Rose formalism and large deviation theory. In the macroscopic limit (N → ∞), we derive the exact nonlinear (mean-field) rate equation describing the deterministic dynamics of the most likely occupations. We identify the scaling of the energetics and kinetics ensuring thermodynamic consistency (including the detailed fluctuation theorem) across microscopic, mesoscopic and macroscopic scales. The conceptually different nature of the ‘Shannon entropy’ (and of the ensuing stochastic thermodynamics) at different scales is also outlined. Macroscopic fluctuations are calculated semi-analytically in an out-of-equilibrium Ising model. Our work provides a powerful framework to study thermodynamics of nonequilibrium phase transitions.
Nuclear astrophysics at Gran Sasso : the study of BBN and post-main sequence fusion reactions at LUNA
Authors: Zavatarelli Sandra 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
The first nuclei were formed a few minutes after the Big Bang, through the process called Big Bang nucleosynthesis, that left our universe containing about 75% hydrogen, 24% helium by mass, with small traces of other elements such as lithium and the hydrogen isotope deuterium. Heavier nuclei are produced during the different characteristic phases of the star evolution. At astrophysical energies the cross section of nuclear processes is usually extremely small and the cosmogenic background prevents their measurement at stellar energies on Earth surface. Deep underground in the Gran Sasso laboratory, several crucial reactions involved in hydrogen burning has been measured directly at astrophysical energies by the LUNA (Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics) Collaboration with both the LUNA-50kV and the LUNA-400kV accelerators. This intense work will continue with the installation of a new LUNA-MV machine able to provide hydrogen, helium and carbon high current beams: the new facility will allow to explore the helium and carbon burning processes, by studying the key reactions shaping the evolution of massive stars towards their final fate. The present contribution is aimed to summarise the most recent results achieved by LUNA Collaboration and to highlight the rich experimental program connected to the new facility.
Weakly-Supervised Semantic Segmentation via Self-training
Authors: Cheng Hao , Gu Chaochen , Wu Kaijie 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Weakly-supervised semantic segmentation with image tags is a challenging computer vision task. Unlike pixel-level masks, image tags give high level semantic information, without low level appearance information. In this paper, we propose an iteratively self-training framework to bridge this two information, which expand and refine the pseudo-labels with training process going. Initial masks are generated from classification network. In the top-down step, rendered images and its labels as well as spatially weight loss are added to jointly training the model for alleviate the effect of inaccurate object masks. Then in the bottom-up step, an adaptive threshold to the confidence model predictions to keep predicted masks reliable. The top-down and bottom-up steps are conducted iteratively to extract the fine object mask. Experiments on our self-build dataset and GTA5 to CityScapes demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed framework.