bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Derangements of amino acids in cachectic skeletal muscle are caused by mitochondrial dysfunction
Authors: Kunzke Thomas , Buck Achim , Prade Verena M. , Feuchtinger Annette , Prokopchuk Olga , Martignoni Marc E. , Heisz Simone , Hauner Hans , Janssen Klaus‐Peter , Walch Axel , Aichler Michaela 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBackgroundCachexia is the direct cause of at least 20% of cancer‐associated deaths. Muscle wasting in skeletal muscle results in weakness, immobility, and death secondary to impaired respiratory muscle function. Muscle proteins are massively degraded in cachexia; nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms related to this process are poorly understood. Previous studies have reported conflicting results regarding the amino acid abundances in cachectic skeletal muscle tissues. There is a clear need to identify the molecular processes of muscle metabolism in the context of cachexia, especially how different types of molecules are involved in the muscle wasting process.MethodsNew in situ ‐omics techniques were used to produce a more comprehensive picture of amino acid metabolism in cachectic muscles by determining the quantities of amino acids, proteins, and cellular metabolites. Using matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging, we determined the in situ concentrations of amino acids and proteins, as well as energy and other cellular metabolites, in skeletal muscle tissues from genetic mouse cancer models (n = 21) and from patients with cancer (n = 6). Combined results from three individual MALDI mass spectrometry imaging methods were obtained and interpreted. Immunohistochemistry staining for mitochondrial proteins and myosin heavy chain expression, digital image analysis, and transmission electron microscopy complemented the MALDI mass spectrometry imaging results.ResultsMetabolic derangements in cachectic mouse muscle tissues were detected, with significantly increased quantities of lysine, arginine, proline, and tyrosine (P = 0.0037, P = 0.0048, P = 0.0430, and P = 0.0357, respectively) and significantly reduced quantities of glutamate and aspartate (P = 0.0008 and P = 0.0124). Human skeletal muscle tissues revealed similar tendencies. A majority of altered amino acids were released by the breakdown of proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation. Decreased energy charge was observed in cachectic muscle tissues (P = 0.0101), which was related to the breakdown of specific proteins. Additionally, expression of the cationic amino acid transporter CAT1 was significantly decreased in the mitochondria of cachectic mouse muscles (P = 0.0133); this decrease may play an important role in the alterations of cationic amino acid metabolism and decreased quantity of glutamate observed in cachexia.ConclusionsOur results suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction has a substantial influence on amino acid metabolism in cachectic skeletal muscles, which appears to be triggered by diminished CAT1 expression, as well as the degradation of mitochondrial proteins. These findings provide new insights into the pathobiochemistry of muscle wasting.
Blockade of dopamine D1 receptors in male rats disrupts morphine reward in pain naïve but not in chronic pain states
Authors: Grenier Patrick , Mailhiot Madison C. , Cahill Catherine M. , Olmstead Mary C. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThe rewarding effect of opiates is mediated through dissociable neural systems in drug naïve and drug‐dependent states. Neuroadaptations associated with chronic drug use are similar to those produced by chronic pain, suggesting that opiate reward could also involve distinct mechanisms in chronic pain and pain‐naïve states. We tested this hypothesis by examining the effect of dopamine (DA) antagonism on morphine reward in a rat model of neuropathic pain.Neuropathic pain was induced in male Sprague‐Dawley rats through chronic constriction (CCI) of the sciatic nerve; reward was assessed in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm in separate groups at early (4‐8 days post‐surgery) and late (11‐15 days post‐surgery) phases of neuropathic pain. Minimal effective doses of morphine that produced a CPP in early and late phases of neuropathic pain were 6 mg/kg and 2 mg/kg respectively. The DA D1 receptor antagonist, SCH23390, blocked a morphine CPP in sham, but not CCI, rats at a higher dose (0.5 mg/kg), but had no effect at a lower dose (0.1 mg/kg). The DA D2 receptor antagonist, eticlopride (0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg), had no effect on a morphine CPP in sham or CCI rats, either in early or late phases of neuropathic pain. In the CPP paradigm, morphine reward involves DA D1 mechanisms in pain‐naïve but not chronic pain states. This could reflect increased sensitivity to drug effects in pain versus no pain conditions and/or differential mediation of opiate reward in these two states.
Dietary resistant starch modifies the composition and function of caecal microbiota of broilers
Authors: Zhang Yingying , Liu Yingsen , Li Jiaolong , Xing Tong , Jiang Yun , Zhang Lin , Gao Feng 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBACKGROUNDDiet plays an important role in shaping the composition of gut microbiota. Starch is the main source of carbohydrates in diets of broilers. This study investigated the effects of dietary corn starch and resistant starch on composition and function of caecal microbiota of broilers. A total of 320, 1‐day‐old male Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly assigned into five groups including normal corn‐soybean (NC) diet, corn starch (CS) diet group, 4%, 8% and 12% resistant starch (RS) diet groups. The caecal contents of 42‐day old broilers were sampled and microbiota community was analysed with 16S rRNA gene sequences.RESULTSThe CS group increased the abundances of Bilophila, Eggerthella, Olsenella and Sellimonas and decreased proportion of Akkermansia, Eisenbergiella, Oscillospira, Ruminococcaceae NK4A214 group and Synergistes in the caecum of birds compared to the NC group. However, the birds from RS groups had higher abundances of Anaerofilum, Bacteroides, Desulfovibrio and Parasutterella and lower abundances of Alistipes, Bilophila, Christensenellaceae R‐7 group, Eggerthella and Ruminiclostridium 1 than the CS group. Functional prediction of these changes in microbiota revealed that the CS diet drove caecal microbiota that were more inclined to utilize carbohydrates through glycolysis/gluconeogenesis metabolism, while the 8%RS and 12%RS diets depleted microbial glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and amino acids metabolism.CONCLUSIONDietary CS and RS alter the microbial composition and diversity, and modulate the metabolic pathways of microbial metabolism in caecum of broilers, which may further affect nutrient utilization and hindgut health of the host. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Do Positional Patients Become Nonpositional Patients With Time?
Authors: Oksenberg Arie , Goizman Vlada , Eitan Edith , Nasser Kitham , Gadoth Natan , Leppänen Timo 
Published: November 2019

ObjectivesObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients with breathing abnormalities only or mainly in the supine posture are designated positional patients (PPs), whereas nonpositional patients (NPPs) have many breathing abnormalities in both lateral and supine postures. Positional therapy (PT), the avoidance of the supine posture during sleep, is the obvious treatment for PPs. The stability over time of being PP and leading factors that are involved in converting a PP to an NPP are addressed.MethodsWe analyzed polysomnographic (PSG) recordings of 81 consecutive adult patients with OSA who were judged to be PPs at the first PSG evaluation, and their follow‐up PSGs were obtained after an average period of 6.6 years.ResultsThe follow‐up PSGs indicated that 57 PPs (70.4%) remained PPs, whereas 24 (29.6 %) converted to NPPs. Among PPs and NPPs, body mass index (P ≤ 0.05), overall Apnea–Hypopnea Index (AHI, P ≤ 0.087), and lateral AHI (P ≤ 0.046) increased and minimum SpO2 during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (P ≤ 0.028) decreased significantly during the follow‐up. However, among patients who became NPPs, the changes in these parameters were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) more pronounced compared to the patients who remained PPs.ConclusionAfter an average of 6.6 years, 70.4% of PPs remained PPs. Therefore, if adherence for PT is good, they could continue to benefit from this therapy. For those who turned to NPPs, PT will not be the optimal treatment anymore; thus, these patients should be frequently monitored. Furthermore, an early treatment of PPs with PT would be highly beneficial to prevent worsening of their OSA.Level of Evidence2b Laryngoscope, 130:2263–2268, 2020
Comparison of different land degradation indicators: Do the world regions really matter?
Authors: Morales Narkis S. , Zuleta Gustavo A. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractIn 2010, the Convention on Biological Diversity created the Aichi Biodiversity targets to aid the restoration of degraded ecosystems, which include the restoration of at least 15% of degraded ecosystems by 2020. A crucial step to achieve this goal is the development of nonbiased prioritization methodologies that help establish key areas for restoration. However, prioritization methodologies depend heavily on each country's economic capability, governance, internal politics, degradation level, and access to data. Because only 78 countries are considered high‐income economies, only this select group of countries would potentially have the necessary resources to compile the information needed to carry out a prioritization process. In this work, our aim was to analyze and compare key land degradation indicators (e.g., land use/change, primary productivity, biodiversity loss, soil organic carbon, degradation level, and social acceptance) in five world regions, with different incomes and political and cultural background, Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America (USA–Canada), and Oceania. We also grouped these key land degradation indicators by type (ecological, social, cultural, economic, and policy). Our results indicate that the different world regions seem not to have a direct impact on the number of land degradation indicators used. However, we found differences in the type of indicators used per region, partially denoting the idiosyncrasy of each of these regions. Our study shows that governance is important in the use of indicators although we suspect that there are other variables that could be at play not included in this study.
Responses of secondary wind dispersal to environmental characteristics and diaspore morphology of seven Calligonum species
Authors: Zhou Quanlai , Liu Zhimin , Xin Zhiming , Daryanto Stefani , Wang Lixin , Li Xuehua , Wang Yongcui , Liang Wei , Qin Xuanping , Zhao Yingming , Li Xinle , Cui Xue , Liu Minghu 
Published: November 2019

AbstractSecondary diaspore dispersal by wind, that is, wind‐driven movement along the ground surface (GS), is important for the structure and dynamics of plant populations and communities. However, how wind velocity (WV), GS, and diaspore morphology influence diaspore secondary dispersal by wind are unclear. We used a wind tunnel and video camera to measure the threshold of WV (TWV) and diaspore velocities (DV) of secondary diaspore dispersal. Diaspores of seven Calligonum species with different appendages (wings, bristles, membranous balloon, and wings + thorns) were used to determine the TWV and DV under variable wind speed (4, 6, 8, and 10 m s‐1) and four GSs (cement, sand, loam, and gravel). GS and diaspore morphological traits explained 37.1 and 18% of diaspore TWV, respectively. Meanwhile, WV, GS, and diaspore morphological traits explained 62.4, 13.6, and 3.2% of DV, respectively. An increasing trend was shown for TWV, and a decreasing trend was shown for DV in the order of cement, sand, loam, and gravel surfaces. Spherical and light diaspores had low TWV and high DV, whereas winged and heavy diaspores had high TWV and low DV. Our results indicated that adaptive features of diaspore appendages might be the result of selection for primary dispersal or secondary dispersal. The mechanism of diaspore secondary dispersal is important for understanding the recovery of degraded sand dunes and providing theoretical support for restoration practices.
Agricultural mechanization, environmental degradation, and gendered livelihood implications in northern Ghana
Authors: Kansanga Moses Mosonsieyiri , Mkandawire Paul , Kuuire Vincent , Luginaah Isaac 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThis paper draws theoretical insights from political ecology to examine the environmental and livelihood impacts of smallholder agricultural mechanization in Ghana in the context of the ongoing pursuit of a new Green Revolution for Africa. Our findings highlight the complex linkages between agricultural development, environmental degradation, and rural livelihoods. Despite the associated increased returns‐to‐scale in agricultural productivity and enhanced speed in land preparation with tractor‐based mechanization, the clearing of major trees on farmlands as a precondition for obtaining ploughing services encourages land degradation, including the depletion of vital naturally growing tree species—shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) and dawadawa (Parkia biglobosa)—that have critical food provisioning, cultural, and socioeconomic value. The drive towards extensification has further produced competitive forces that fuel the appropriation of previously inalienable communal lands and weakening of longstanding norms that mediate environmental resource conservation and use. This situation is poised to alter customary land governance and the basis on which women assert their rights to land‐based resources including shea and dawadawa. Marginalized women are progressively shifting their livelihood strategies into environmentally unsustainable subsistence activities. This study demonstrates the adverse ecological, socioeconomic, and political impacts of agricultural mechanization when implemented in agrarian societies marked by widespread poverty and pervasive gender inequities. Given the growing centrality of tractors and trees to rural livelihoods, we recommend conservation agriculture for the simultaneous promotion of sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation. Relevant social policies must also be implemented to ameliorate the adverse livelihood impacts of these agrarian reforms.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi alleviate the negative effect of nitrogen deposition on ecosystem functions in meadow grassland
Authors: Kang Furong , Yang Bing , Wujisiguleng  , Yang Xue , Wang Lei , Guo Jixun , Sun Wei , Zhang Qiang , Zhang Tao 
Published: November 2019

AbstractNitrogen (N) deposition can reduce plant species richness and cause grassland degradation, thus affecting grassland ecosystem stability. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi play an important role in ecosystem stability. However, the influences of AM fungi on grassland ecosystem stability under N deposition remain unclear. We need more information on the impacts of N accumulation on the interactions between AM fungi and the plant community. To test the contribution of AM fungi to grassland stability under N deposition, a 5‐year field experiment was conducted in a temperate meadow with two manipulated factors, namely, N addition and AM fungi suppression. The plant species richness and diversity, biomass stability, litter decomposition, and greenhouse gas emissions were quantified. Under N addition, AM fungi did not affect the plant species diversity and richness but altered the coverages of different functional groups and increased the aboveground productivity and biomass stability. Litter decomposition increased under N addition and increased more in the treatment where AM fungi were not suppressed. The emissions of N2O and CH4 in the AM fungi suppression treatment were much higher than those in the nonsuppression treatment under N addition. Our results suggest that AM fungi can alter the plant community structure, increase plant productivity and community biomass stability, accelerate litter decomposition, and reduce the soil total N concentration and emissions of N2O and CH4 under N addition. Our results highlight that the conservation of AM fungi should be considered to alleviate grassland degradation and maintain grassland ecosystem multifunctionality in the future considering global change.
Season affects strength and direction of the interactive impacts of ocean warming and biotic stress in a coastal seaweed ecosystem
Authors: Wahl Martin , Werner Franziska Julie , Buchholz Björn , Raddatz Stefanie , Graiff Angelika , Matthiessen Birte , Karsten Ulf , Hiebenthal Claas , Hamer Jorin , Ito Maysa , Gülzow Elisa , Rilov Gil , Guy‐Haim Tamar 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThe plea for using more “realistic,” community‐level, investigations to assess the ecological impacts of global change has recently intensified. Such experiments are typically more complex, longer, more expensive, and harder to interpret than simple organism‐level benchtop experiments. Are they worth the extra effort? Using outdoor mesocosms, we investigated the effects of ocean warming (OW) and acidification (OA), their combination (OAW), and their natural fluctuations on coastal communities of the western Baltic Sea during all four seasons. These communities are dominated by the perennial and canopy‐forming macrophyte Fucus vesiculosus—an important ecosystem engineer Baltic‐wide. We, additionally, assessed the direct response of organisms to temperature and pH in benchtop experiments, and examined how well organism‐level responses can predict community‐level responses to the dominant driver, OW. OW affected the mesocosm communities substantially stronger than acidification. OW provoked structural and functional shifts in the community that differed in strength and direction among seasons. The organism‐level response to OW matched well the community‐level response of a given species only under warm and cold thermal stress, that is, in summer and winter. In other seasons, shifts in biotic interactions masked the direct OW effects. The combination of direct OW effects and OW‐driven shifts of biotic interactions is likely to jeopardize the future of the habitat‐forming macroalga F. vesiculosus in the Baltic Sea. Furthermore, we conclude that seasonal mesocosm experiments are essential for our understanding of global change impact because they take into account the important fluctuations of abiotic and biotic pressures.
Organizing for collaboration: An actor‐oriented architecture in ImproveCareNow
Authors: Seid Michael , Hartley David M. , Dellal George , Myers Sarah , Margolis Peter A. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBackgroundCollaborative learning health systems (CLHSs) enable patients, clinicians, researchers, and others to collaborate at scale to improve outcomes and generate new knowledge. An organizational framework to facilitate this collaboration is the actor‐oriented architecture, composed of (a) actors (people, organizations, and databases) with the values and abilities to self‐organize; (b) a commons where they create and share resources; and (c) structures, protocols, and processes that facilitate multiactor collaboration. CLHSs may implement a variety of changes to strengthen the actor‐oriented architecture and enable more actors to create and share resources.ObjectiveTo describe and measure implementation of elements of the actor‐oriented architecture in an existing Collaborative Learning Health System.MethodsWe used the case of ImproveCareNow, a CLHS improving outcomes in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease, founded in 2006. We traced several network‐level indicators of actor‐oriented architecture between 2010 and 2016.ResultsWe identified measures of actors, the commons, and ways that have made it easier for network member sites to participate. These indicators show ImproveCareNow has made changes in the three elements of the actor‐oriented architecture over time.ConclusionIt is possible to measure the implementation of an actor‐oriented architecture in a CLHS. The elements of the actor‐oriented architecture may provide a conceptual framework for their development and optimization. Metrics such as those described here may be actionable indicators of the “health of the system.”
On a generalization of the Neumann problem for the Laplace equation
Authors: Turmetov B. , Nazarova K. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractWe investigate solvability of a fractional analogue of the Neumann problem for the Laplace equation. As a boundary operator we consider operators of fractional differentiation in the Hadamard sense. The problem is solved by reduction to an integral Fredholm equation. A theorem on existence and uniqueness of the problem solution is proved.
Implementation of the Crank‐Nicolson Douglas‐Gunn finite‐difference time domain with complex frequency‐shifted perfectly matched layer for modeling unbounded isotropic dispersive media in two dimensions
Authors: Shi Xue‐Yang , Jiang Xun‐Ya 
Published: November 2019

AbstractTo model open‐domain problems with Drude, Lorentz, and Debye media, the complex frequency‐shifted perfectly matched layer (CFS‐PML) is adopted to truncate the Crank‐Nicolson Douglas‐Gunn finite‐difference time‐domain (CNDG‐FDTD) region. The auxiliary differential equation (ADE) and the bilinear Z‐transform methods are incorporated separately into the implementations of CNDG‐CFS‐PML formulations, while the ADE, piecewise linear recursive convolution (RC), and trapezoidal RC methods are utilized to model dispersive media. The proposed formulations can not only circumvent the stability condition, but also have the advantages of the CFS‐PML in attenuating the evanescent waves and reducing the late‐time reflection. Three numerical examples have been carried out to validate these formulations. The simulation results show that the proposed CNDG‐CFS‐PML algorithm is efficient in absorbing performance and saving more computational time compared with the conventional FDTD method, which leads to extensive applicability and acts as a very good prospect.
Compact MIMO antenna with high isolation characteristic for UWB portable applications
Authors: Chang Yujia , Liu Qiang , Tang Xianggan , Du Guangxing , Li Guolin , Cheng Dong 
Published: November 2019

AbstractA compact two elements multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) antenna is proposed. The simple monopoles act as the radiating elements, and the parasitic resonant elements near the monopoles make the antenna better matched in the low band. At back of the substrate, the ground planes of the elements are loaded by three curved branches for introducing additional resonant frequencies, which not only decreases the volume of the antenna but also increases the bandwidth. High isolation is achieved between the two antenna elements by adding three parallel metal strips on the back of the substrate. A MIMO antenna prototype with a compact size of 39 × 17.5 × 1 mm3 is fabricated and measured. The measured and simulated results show that the band of the antenna covers 3.13 to 3.20 GHz and 7.87 to 12.08 GHz, and it can prevent the interference from the bands of WiMAX (3.4‐3.8 GHz) and C‐band (4‐7.87 GHz). The peak gain of the proposed antenna is 2.9 dBi, the envelope correlation coefficient and mutual coupling between the two elements are respectively lower than 0.001 and −20 dB in the band, Therefore, the antenna is very suitable for portable ultrawideband MIMO systems.