bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous Episodes of Heavy Rainfall in Morocco and Southern Alps: 2. Time Scales and Mapping of Remote and Local Evaporative Sources
Authors: Gangoiti G. , Sáez de Cámara E. , Alonso L. , Iza J. , García J. A. , Valdenebro V. , Gómez M. C. , Navazo M. , García E. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractA mesoscale modeling system, previously used to evaluate the evaporation sources during the August 2002 Central‐European Floods (ACEF), is now adapted to analyze the 14–16 November 2002 simultaneous torrential rains in the Alps and Morocco. The meteorology of the selected episode and the climatology and time of recurrence of similar episodes were discussed in the companion article. Contrary to the ACEF estimations, the vapor sources keep almost constant for the 3‐day rainfalls, in accordance with a quasi‐stationary large‐scale forcing. They show a dominance of marine sources (60% and 93% of the total attributed precipitations in the Alps and Morocco, respectively) with a main role of the Western Central Mediterranean for the Alpine targets and the Atlantic Ocean for Morocco. A share of 12%, comparable with the August episode, comes from direct rain‐column evaporation in the Alps. Vapor loading rates of the target vapor show an exponential increase during the last 3–4 days before the initiation of the episode, while for the ACEF episode we estimate a longer period of 6–7 days. Three areas of intense marine evaporation are observed, two in the North Atlantic Ocean and one in the Mediterranean Sea, related with the rainfall targets and corresponding with regions of enhanced sea surface temperature decrease. Vapor from the main terrestrial source in North Africa, including the tropical region, is transported inside the prefrontal secondary circulation into the Alpine region. A similar circulation and evaporative source distribution are documented during other simultaneous episodes.
Trumpet‐Shaped Topography Modulation of the Frequency, Vertical Structures, and Water Path of Cloud Systems in the Summertime Over the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau: A Perspective of Daytime–Nighttime Differences
Authors: Yu Lu , Fu YunFei , Yang Yuanjian , Pan Xiao , Tan Ruiting 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe warm and humid summer monsoon frequently reaches the steep southern slope of the Himalayas, which is conducive to the formation of unique cloud systems. However, few studies have comprehensively evaluated the characteristics and mechanisms of cloud systems over the trumpet‐shaped topography (TST) region in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. Therefore, we investigated the occurrence frequency, vertical structures, and water path of clouds over the TST regions and their daytime–nighttime differences using the combined measurements of the CloudSat and CALIPSO satellites from 2007 to 2010 during June–August. Results show a marginal difference in occurrence frequency of total clouds between the daytime (95.4%) and nighttime (97%) over the TST region, while different‐typed clouds exhibit various daytime–nighttime differences in frequency, vertical structures, and water path. In particular, deep convection, cirrus, altocumulus, and nimbostratus clouds tend to occur more frequently at nighttime, while stratocumulus and cumulus clouds occur more in the daytime. Multilayered clouds form more easily at nighttime, especially triple‐layered clouds. The cloud top/bottom heights and liquid/ice water paths of clouds are higher at nighttime than in the daytime over the TST region, which is associated with the increase in deep convection, cirrus, and altocumulus clouds at nighttime. In general, the differences in cloud properties are mainly related to the combined effects of the TST‐induced unique mountain‐valley circulation, the large‐scale monsoonal circulation, and the thermal difference between the day and night. These findings provide valuable observational evidence for the further understanding and accurate simulation of cloud systems over the southeastern Tibetan Plateau region.
Provenance of Synorogenic Foreland Basin Strata in Southwestern Montana Requires Revision of Existing Models for Laramide Tectonism: North American Cordillera
Authors: Garber K. L. , Finzel E. S. , Pearson D. M. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe Laramide province is characterized by foreland basin partitioning through the growth of basement arches. Although variable along the western U.S. margin, the general consensus is initiation of this structural style by the early Campanian (~80 Ma). This has been linked to flat‐slab subduction beneath western North America, but the extent and cause for a flat slab remain debated, invoking the need for better constraints on the regional variations in timing of Laramide deformation. We present new conglomerate clast composition, sandstone petrographic, and detrital zircon U‐Pb geochronologic data from the Upper Cretaceous Beaverhead Group in southwestern Montana that suggest a pre‐Campanian history of basement‐involved deformation. During the early stages of deposition (~88–83 Ma), two separate depositional systems derived sediment from the Lemhi subbasin and distal thrust sheets to the west as well as Paleozoic strata eroding off the exhuming Blacktail‐Snowcrest arch to the east. Our data provide the first conclusive evidence for the longitudinal transport of gravel via Cordilleran paleorivers connecting sediment sources in east central Idaho to depocenters in southwestern Montana and northwestern Wyoming. Furthermore, erosion of Paleozoic strata by this time requires that the Blacktail‐Snowcrest arch was exhuming prior to ~88 Ma in order to remove the Mesozoic overburden. Later (~73–66 Ma) sediment flux was entirely from the foreland‐propagating fold‐thrust belt to the west. These results suggest that Laramide‐style deformation in southwestern Montana preceded initiation elsewhere along the margin, requiring revision of existing models for Laramide tectonism.
A Classification of Streamflow Patterns Across the Coastal Gulf of Alaska
Authors: Sergeant Christopher J. , Falke Jeffrey A. , Bellmore Rebecca A. , Bellmore J. Ryan , Crumley Ryan L. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractStreamflow controls many freshwater and marine processes, including salinity profiles, sediment composition, fluxes of nutrients, and the timing of animal migrations. Watersheds that border the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) comprise over 400,000 km2 of largely pristine freshwater habitats and provide ecosystem services such as reliable fisheries for local and global food production. Yet no comprehensive watershed‐scale description of current temporal and spatial patterns of streamflow exists within the coastal GOA. This is an immediate need because the spatial distribution of future streamflow patterns may shift dramatically due to warming air temperature, increased rainfall, diminishing snowpack, and rapid glacial recession. Our primary goal was to describe variation in streamflow patterns across the coastal GOA using an objective set of descriptors derived from flow predictions at the downstream‐most point within each watershed. We leveraged an existing hydrologic runoff model and Bayesian mixture model to classify 4,140 watersheds into 13 classes based on seven streamflow statistics. Maximum discharge timing (annual phase shift) and magnitude relative to mean discharge (amplitude) were the most influential attributes. Seventy‐six percent of watersheds by number showed patterns consistent with rain or snow as dominant runoff sources, while the remaining watersheds were driven by rain‐snow, glacier, or low‐elevation wetland runoff. Streamflow classes exhibited clear mechanistic links to elevation, ice coverage, and other landscape features. Our classification identifies watersheds that might shift streamflow patterns in the near future and, importantly, will help guide the design of studies that evaluate how hydrologic change will influence coastal GOA ecosystems.
Accessing the nursing behaviour of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edilus) on carbohydrates dynamics and photosystems
Authors: Wang Shitephen , Chen Tsai-Huei , Liu En-U , Liu Chiung-Pin 
Published: January 2020

AbstractNursing behaviour, also known as breastfeeding behaviour, is the feeding of juvenile individuals with nutrients or proteins from matures especially in mammals. As a hypothetical phenomenon in bamboo forests, mature bamboos have transferred photoassimilates to young bamboos for recovering and rebuilding their photosystems especially in winter. This process is accompanied by changes in the ability of photosystems and the mass fraction of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs), structural carbohydrates (SCs), and lignin. We analysed carbohydrates and chlorophyll fluorescence to compare the physiological traits in mature (age 2, 3, 4) and immature (age 1) Moso bamboos (Phyllostachys edilus) during a year using the Portable Chlorophyll Fluorometer (PCF) and the Liquid Chromatographic (LC) method. The results showed that the mass fraction of total soluble carbohydrates (TSCs) and starch in the bottom of bamboo at age 1 was higher than other parts and ages in spring, whereas the mass fraction of TSCs, starch, and sucrose at age 3 was higher than other parts and ages in winter. The Fv/Fm, an indicator to reveal photosystems were functional or not, at age 1 dramatically dropped when the cold current attacked first time in October, and then quickly recovered in November. Our findings indicate that mature bamboos very possibly provide carbohydrates to immature bamboos and help them rebuild their photosystems when a bamboo forest resists cold stress.
Effect of cereal soaking and carbohydrase supplementation on growth, nutrient digestibility and intestinal microbiota in liquid-fed grow-finishing pigs
Authors: Torres-Pitarch Alberto , Gardiner Gillian E. , Cormican Paul , Rea Mary , Crispie Fiona , O’Doherty John V. , Cozannet Pierre , Ryan Tomas , Lawlor Peadar G. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractSoaking the cereal fraction of a liquid diet prior to feeding (Csoak), and/or carbohydrase enzyme supplementation (ENZ) are likely to modulate both feed and intestinal microbial populations and improve feed efficiency (FE) in pigs. To test this hypothesis, a total of 392 grow-finisher pigs (~33.4 kg, 7 pigs/pen) were randomly allocated to 4 treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement for 70 days as follows: (1) fresh liquid feed (Fresh); (2) Cereal soaked liquid feed (Soak); (3) Fresh + ENZ and (4) Soak + ENZ. An interaction between ENZ and Csoak was found for average daily gain (ADG) during the growing phase (day 0 to 21; P < 0.05) where pigs fed the Soak + ENZ diet had higher ADG than pigs fed the Fresh + ENZ diet. No treatment effect was found for ADG thereafter. Enzyme supplementation increased total tract nutrient digestibility (P < 0.05) and reduced caecal VFA concentrations (P < 0.05) but did not improve pig growth or FE. Both Csoak and ENZ modulated intestinal microbiota composition; increasing abundance of bacterial taxa that were negatively correlated with pig growth and reducing abundance of taxa positively correlated with pig growth and caecal butyrate concentration. In conclusion, both strategies (Csoak and ENZ) improved nutrient digestibility in pigs and modulated intestinal microbiota composition.
Cancer staging at diagnosis data comparisons in South Australia
Authors: Meng Rosie , Venugopal Kamalesh , Thomas Helen , D’Onise Katina 
Published: January 2020

AbstractCancer stage at diagnosis is an important gap for Australian population based cancer registries. The study aims to understand the quality and completeness of three different collections of cancer staging data. The South Australian Cancer Registry data collection for breast and colorectal cancer (CRC) cases diagnosed in 2011, was linked to Registry Derived Stage (RDS) data, pathology plus hospital metastasis codes (pathology stage), and the South Australian Clinical Cancer Registry Stage (SACCR stage). The agreement between staging systems was examined using kappa statistics. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression were used to examine the difference in survival by staging methods. Among 2,530 breast and CRC cases 98.8% were stageable (n = 2,500) according to histology. Among stageable cases, 84.6% had RDS, 51.2% had pathology stage and 29.5% had SACCR stage. The kappa statistic for RDS and pathology stage was 0.930 for breast cancer and 0.973 for CRC, and 0.574 for RDS and SACCR stage for breast cancer and 0.632 for CRC. The agreement between pathology stage and SACCR stage was 0.430 for breast cancer and 0.528 for CRC. The distribution of stage was similar across staging methods, although more stage four cancers by pathology stage, and survival patterns were similar but not the same. The agreement was high between different staging systems. Pathology stage had a higher than expected stage 4 proportion. This study highlights an opportunity to collect stage information in a cost-effective manner, while collecting data that usefully represent stage at diagnosis across the population, for population based epidemiological analyses.
Semantic Segmentation of the Choroid in Swept Source Optical Coherence Tomography Images for Volumetrics
Authors: Tsuji Shingo , Sekiryu Tetsuju , Sugano Yukinori , Ojima Akira , Kasai Akihito , Okamoto Masahiro , Eifuku Satoshi 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe choroid is a complex vascular tissue that is covered with the retinal pigment epithelium. Ultra high speed swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) provides us with high-resolution cube scan images of the choroid. Robust segmentation techniques are required to reconstruct choroidal volume using SS-OCT images. For automated segmentation, the delineation of the choroidal-scleral (C-S) boundary is key to accurate segmentation. Low contrast of the boundary, scleral canals formed by the vessel and the nerve, and the posterior stromal layer, may cause segmentation errors. Semantic segmentation is one of the applications of deep learning used to classify the parts of images related to the meanings of the subjects. We applied semantic segmentation to choroidal segmentation and measured the volume of the choroid. The measurement results were validated through comparison with those of other segmentation methods. As a result, semantic segmentation was able to segment the C-S boundary and choroidal volume adequately.
First in man study of [18F]fluoro-PEG-folate PET: a novel macrophage imaging technique to visualize rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Verweij Nicki J. F. , Yaqub Maqsood , Bruijnen Stefan T. G. , Pieplenbosch S. , ter Wee Marieke M. , Jansen Gerrit , Chen Qingshou , Low Philip S. , Windhorst Albert D. , Lammertsma Adriaan A. , Hoekstra Otto S. , Voskuyl Alexandre E. , van der Laken Conny J. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractNon-invasive imaging of arthritis activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients using macrophage PET holds promise for early diagnosis and therapeutic response monitoring. Previously obtained results with macrophage tracer (R)-[11C]PK11195 were encouraging, but the imaging signal could be further improved by reduction of background uptake. Recently, the novel macrophage tracer [18F]fluoro-PEG-folate was developed. This tracer showed excellent targeting of the folate receptor β on activated macrophages in synovial tissue in a preclinical arthritic rat model. We performed three substudies to investigate the biodistribution, potential for imaging arthritis and kinetic properties of [18F]fluoro-PEG-folate in RA patients. Firstly, biodistribution demonstrated fast clearance of [18F]fluoro-PEG-folate from heart and blood vessels and no dose limiting uptake in organs. Secondly, [18F]fluoro-PEG-folate showed uptake in arthritic joints with significantly lower background and hence significantly higher target-to-background ratios as compared to reference macrophage tracer (R)-[11C]PK11195. Lastly, dynamic scanning demonstrated fast tracer uptake in affected joints, reaching a plateau after 1 minute, co-existing with a rapid blood clearance. In conclusion, this first in man study demonstrates the potential of [18F]fluoro-PEG-folate to image arthritis activity in RA with favourable imaging characteristics of rapid clearance and low background uptake, that allow for detection of inflammatory activity in the whole body.
A lysosomal K+ channel regulates large particle phagocytosis by facilitating lysosome Ca2+ release
Authors: Sun Xue , Xu Mengnan , Cao Qi , Huang Peng , Zhu Xiaojuan , Dong Xian-Ping 
Published: January 2020

AbstractMacrophages are highly specialized in removing large particles including dead cells and cellular debris. When stimulated, delivery of the intracellular lysosomal membranes is required for the formation of plasmalemmal pseudopods and phagosomes. As a key lysosomal Ca2+ channel, Transient Receptor Potential Mucolipin-1 (TRPML1) regulates lysosomal exocytosis and subsequent phagosome biogenesis, thereby promoting phagocytosis of large extracellular particles. Recently, we have suggested that TRPML1-mediated lysosomal exocytosis is essentially dependent on lysosomal big conductance Ca2+-activated potassium (BK) channel. Therefore, we predict that lysosomal BK channels regulate large particle phagocytosis. In this study, by using RAW264.7 macrophage cell line and bone marrow-derived macrophages, we show that although BK is dispensable for small particle uptake, loss of BK significantly inhibits the ingestion of large particles whereas activating BK increases the uptake of large particles. BK facilitating effect on large particle ingestion is inhibited by either blocking TRPML1 or suppressing lysosomal exocytosis. Additionally, the increased uptake of large particles by activating TRPML1 is eliminated by inhibiting BK. These data suggest that BK and TRPML1 are functionally coupled to regulate large particle phagocytosis through modulating lysosomal exocytosis.
Special vulnerability of somatic niche cells to transposable element activation in Drosophila larval ovaries
Authors: Sokolova Olesya A. , Mikhaleva Elena A. , Kharitonov Sergey L. , Abramov Yuri A. , Gvozdev Vladimir A. , Klenov Mikhail S. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractIn theDrosophilaovary, somatic escort cells (ECs) form a niche that promotes differentiation of germline stem cell (GSC) progeny. The piRNA (Piwi-interacting RNA) pathway, which represses transposable elements (TEs), is required in ECs to prevent the accumulation of undifferentiated germ cells (germline tumor phenotype). The soma-specific piRNA clusterflamenco(flam) produces a substantial part of somatic piRNAs. Here, we characterized the biological effects of somatic TE activation on germ cell differentiation inflammutants. We revealed that the choice between normal and tumorous phenotypes offlammutant ovaries depends on the number of persisting ECs, which is determined at the larval stage. Accordingly, we found much more frequent DNA breaks in somatic cells offlamlarval ovaries than in adult ECs. The absence of Chk2 or ATM checkpoint kinases dramatically enhanced oogenesis defects offlammutants, in contrast to the germline TE-induced defects that are known to be mostly suppressed byсhk2mutation. These results demonstrate a crucial role of checkpoint kinases in protecting niche cells against deleterious TE activation and suggest substantial differences between DNA damage responses in ovarian somatic and germ cells.
Evaluating Mild Cognitive Dysfunction in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease in Clinical Practice in Taiwan
Authors: Yu Rwei-Ling , Lee Wei-Ju , Li Jie-Yuan , Chang Yung-Yee , Chen Chin-Chung , Lin Juei-Jueng , Sung Yueh-Feng , Lin Tsu-Kung , Fuh Jong-Ling 
Published: January 2020

AbstractOur study aimed to examine the contribution of commonly used tools, including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and develop a formula for conversion of these tests in the Chinese population. We also create a predictive model for the detection of Chinese patients’ mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We recruited 168 patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) from 12 medical centres or teaching hospitals in Taiwan, and each participant received a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to find predictors of MCI with the help of a generalized additive model. We found that patients with an MMSE > 25 or a MoCA > 21 were less likely to have MCI. The discrimination powers of the two tests used for detecting MCI were 0.902 and 0.868, respectively, as measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). The best predictive model suggested that patients with a higher MMSE score, delayed recall scores of the 12-item Word Recall Test ≥ 5.817, and no test decline in the visuospatial index were less likely to have MCI (ROC = 0.982). Our findings have clinical utility in MCI detection in Chinese PD and need a larger sample to confirm.
Pifithrin-α alters p53 post-translational modifications pattern and differentially inhibits p53 target genes
Authors: Zhu Jiawei , Singh Madhurendra , Selivanova Galina , Peuget Sylvain 
Published: January 2020

AbstractPifithrin-α (PFT-α) is a small molecule which has been widely used as a specific inhibitor of p53 transcription activity. However, its molecular mechanism of action remains unclear. PFT-α has also been described to display potent p53-independent activity in cells. In this study, we addressed the mechanism of action of PFT-α. We found that PFT-α failed to prevent the effects of Mdm2 inhibitor Nutlin-3 on cell cycle and apoptosis in several cancer cell lines. However, PFT-α rescued normal primary fibroblasts from growth inhibition by Nutlin-3. PFT-α displayed a very limited effect on p53-dependent transcription upon its activation by Nutlin-3. Moreover, PFT-α inhibitory effect on transcription was highly dependent on the nature of the p53 target gene. PFT-α attenuated post-translational modifications of p53 without affecting total p53 protein level. Finally, we found that PFT-α can decrease the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species through activation of an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR)-Nrf2 axis in a p53-independent manner. In conclusion, PFT-α inhibits only some aspects of p53 function, therefore it should be used with extreme caution to study p53-dependent processes.
Development of chimeric peptides to facilitate the neutralisation of lipopolysaccharides during bactericidal targeting of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli
Authors: Wang Zhenlong , Liu Xuehui , Da Teng  , Mao Ruoyu , Hao Ya , Yang Na , Wang Xiao , Li Zhanzhan , Wang Xiumin , Wang Jianhua 
Published: January 2020

AbstractPathogenic Escherichia coli can cause fatal diarrheal diseases in both animals and humans. However, no antibiotics or antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can adequately kill resistant bacteria and clear bacterial endotoxin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) which leads to inflammation and sepsis. Here, the LPS-targeted smart chimeric peptides (SCPs)-A6 and G6 are generated by connecting LPS-targeting peptide-LBP14 and killing domain-N6 via different linkers. Rigid and flexible linkers retain the independent biological activities from each component. SCPs-A6 and G6 exert low toxicity and no bacterial resistance, and they more rapidly kill multiple-drug-resistant E. coli and more effectively neutralize LPS toxicity than N6 alone. The SCPs can enhance mouse survival more effectively than N6 or polymyxin B and alleviate lung injuries by blocking mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor kappa-B p65 activation. These findings uniquely show that SCPs-A6 and G6 may be promising dual-function candidates as improved antibacterial and anti-endotoxin agents to treat bacterial infection and sepsis.