bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
High‐temperature multilayer actuators based on CuO added BiScO3–PbTiO3 piezoceramics and Ag electrodes
Authors: Qaiser Muhammad Adnan , Ma Xiao‐Zi , Ma Rongtian , Ali Wajid , Xu Xijun , Yuan Guoliang , Chen Lang 
Published: March 2019

AbstractHigh‐temperature multilayer actuators based on Cu doping 0.367BiScO3–0.633PbTiO3 ceramic slices and Ag electrodes were prepared by low‐temperature co‐firing technology. The 0.3 wt% CuO addition has effectively reduced the sintering temperature of the ceramic from ~1080 to 930°C, thus the multilayer actuator were sintered at 930°C which is lower than the Ag melting point, that is, 961°C. The 4.3 mm thick multilayer actuator is composed of a series of ~44‐μm‐thick ceramic slices and ~2‐μm‐thick Ag electrodes. As a result, a ≥0.13% strain with nm‐scale preciseness can be produced in the actuator by 200 V driving voltage not only at room temperature but also at a high temperature up to 200°C. This actuator is essential for industrial machinery that requires nm‐scale position control at 20‐200°C.
The effect of intergroup contact on solidarity‐based collective action is mediated by reductions in SDO
Authors: Meleady Rose , Vermue Marieke 
Published: March 2019

AbstractThis paper explores the impact of positive and negative intergroup contact on advantaged group members’ willingness to engage in collective action on behalf of disadvantaged outgroups, and the mediational role of social dominance orientation (SDO) in this process. SDO captures an individual’s ideological support for inequality. If contact is going to promote collective action to reduce inequality among the advantaged group, it must be expected to influence their ideological beliefs about hierarchy. In Study 1, only positive, and not negative contact was found to be associated with Whites’ support for the Black Lives Matter movement, mediated by reductions in SDO. In Study 2, both positive and negative contact were associated, respectively, with more or less support for collective action to protect the rights of European immigrants during Brexit negotiations. While positive contact was associated with reduced SDO and more support for collective action among British nationals, negative contact was associated with increased SDO and lower support for collective action.
The role of NUDT21 in microRNA‐binding sites of EZH2 gene increases the risk of preeclampsia
Authors: Lang Xiao , Zhao Wenxia , Huang Ding , Liu Wei , Shen Hong , Xu Liang , Xu Shan , Huang Yongfang , Cheng Weiwei 
Published: March 2019

AbstractObjectivesPreeclampsia (PE) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity among pregnant mothers and their fetuses worldwide. Recent studies have shown that several microRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial role in pathogenesis of PE patients; however, the mechanisms responsible for differences in miRNA function in PE largely remain to be determined.Materials and MethodsWe studied that NUDT21 expression was markedly increased, whereas EZH2 was decreased in placental samples from patients with PE. We identified NUDT21 as an interaction partner of enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2). NUDT21 co‐localized with EZH2 in the human trophoblast cell line, HTR‐8/SVneo and NUDT21 was shown to bind to EZH2 in RNA immunoprecipitation assays. NUDT21 has previously been reported to be involved in alternative polyadenylation; thus, the interaction between NUDT21 and EZH2 may play an important role in the crosstalk between alternative polyadenylation (APA) and miRNA‐mediated gene silencing in PE.ResultsIn the human trophoblast cell line HTR‐8/SVneo, loss‐of‐function assays indicated that knockdown of NUDT21 suppressed cell proliferation, migration and tube formation. Furthermore, functional studies showed that NUDT21 elongated the 3'‐UTR of mRNAs thereby exposing more miRNA binding sites (including miR138 and miR363), which enhanced the efficiency of miRNA‐mediated gene silencing and promoted EZH2 binding.ConclusionsThis is the first report about the relationship of NUDT21 and EZH2. The data indicate that the aberrant expression of NUDT21 contributes to PE by targeting 3'‐UTR of EZH2 mRNA. These findings may provide novel targets for future investigations into therapeutic strategies for PE.
Prevalence of pancreatic cystic lesions detected by magnetic resonance imaging in the Chinese population
Authors: Sun Liqi , Wang Yang , Jiang Fei , Qian Wei , Shao Chengwei , Jin Zhendong 
Published: March 2019

AbstractBackground and AimIncidental pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs) are being diagnosed more frequently. However, little is known about the prevalence of PCLs in the Chinese population. The aim of the study was to assess the crude prevalence of PCLs in individuals who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).MethodsData from consecutive patients who underwent MRI without pancreatic indications were included. MRI images were reviewed for the presence of pancreatic cysts. The prevalence of PCLs and high‐risk PCLs in different gender and age groups was calculated. To assess the crude prevalence, the prevalence and demographic data were standardized on the basis of Chinese national population data in 2017.ResultsA total of 10 987 individuals were included (7344 men). Incidental PCLs were identified in 212 individual (128 men). The prevalence of PCLs was 1.93%, and PCLs were more often discovered in women (1.74% vs 2.31%, P = 0.043). Prevalence increased with age (r = 0.804, P < 0.001). The prevalence of high‐risk PCLs was 0.12% (n = 13). Gender predominance and age distribution showed no difference between high‐risk PCLs and low‐risk PCLs (P = 0.234 and P = 0.855), but cysts located in the pancreatic head were more likely to develop into high‐risk PCLs (P = 0.001). After data standardization, the crude prevalence of PCLs was 1.31%, and PCLs were more often discovered in women (1.11% vs 1.5%, P < 0.001). The crude prevalence of high‐risk PCLs was 0.07%.ConclusionPancreatic cystic lesions in the Chinese population are not rare. The prevalence of PCLs increased with age and is higher in the female population. The prevalence of high‐risk PCLs should not be ignored.
Mechanisms for the metabolic success of bariatric surgery
Authors: Sandoval Darleen A. 
Published: March 2019

To date, bariatric surgery remains the most effective strategy for the treatment of obesity and its comorbidities. However, given the enormity of the obesity epidemic, and sometimes variable results, it is not a feasible strategy for the treatment of all obese patients. A simple PubMed search for ‘bariatric surgery' reveals over 28 000 papers that have been published since the 1940s when the first bariatric surgeries were performed. However, there is still an incomplete understanding of the mechanisms for the weight loss and metabolic success of surgery. An understanding of the mechanisms is important because it may lead to greater understanding of the pathophysiology of obesity and thus surgery‐alternative strategies for the treatment of all obese patients. In this review, the potential mechanisms that underlie the success of surgery are discussed, with a focus on the potential endocrine, neural and other circulatory factors (eg, bile acids) that have been proposed to play a role.
More than reproduction: Central gonadotropin‐releasing hormone antagonism decreases maternal aggression in lactating rats
Authors: Bayerl Doris S. , Klampfl Stefanie M. , Bosch Oliver J. 
Published: March 2019

Gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) is a major regulator and activator of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐gonadal axis. Many studies have demonstrated the importance of GnRH in reproduction and sexual behaviour. However, to date, only a single study shows an involvement of GnRH in maternal behaviour where a 30% reduction of GnRH neurones abolishes a mother's motivation to retrieve pups. On this basis, we aimed to investigate the effects of acute central GnRH receptor blockade in lactating rats on maternal care under non‐stress and stress conditions, maternal motivation in the pup retrieval test, maternal anxiety on the elevated plus maze, and maternal aggression in the maternal defence test. We found that acute central infusion of a GnRH antagonist ([d‐Phe2,6,Pro3]‐luteinising hormone‐releasing hormone; 0.5 ng 5 μL‐1) impaired a mother's attack behaviour against a female intruder rat during the maternal defence test compared to vehicle controls. However, in contrast to the previous study on reduced GnRH neurones, acute central GnRH antagonism did not affect pup retrieval, nor any other parameter of maternal behaviour or maternal anxiety. Taken together, GnRH receptor activation is mandatory for protection of the offspring. These findings shed new light on GnRH as a neuropeptide acting not exclusively on the reproductive axis but, additionally, on maternal behaviour including pup retrieval and maternal aggression.
The mechanism of activated platelet‐rich plasma supernatant promotion of hair growth by cultured dermal papilla cells
Authors: Xiao Shune , Wang Jin , Chen Qian , Miao Yong , Hu Zhiqi 
Published: March 2019

SummaryBackgroundPlatelet‐rich plasma (PRP) is an innovative treatment of androgenic alopecia in the early stages of development, and its mechanism of action is not well investigated.ObjectiveThe objective was to investigate the promotion of hair growth by activated PRP supernatant in cultured dermal papilla cells (DPCs).Methods and MaterialsHuman DPCs were isolated and grown in culture with or without activated PRP supernatant. The expression of phosphorylated growth factor receptors (GFRs) in cultured DPCs was assayed by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. Signal pathways mediated by GFRs were identified by a human phosphokinase array.ResultsActivated PRP supernatant enhanced the expression of phosphorylated fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)‐1, platelet‐derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR)α, and PDGFRβ in cultured DPCs. Activated PRP supernatant activated mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) and protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathways that promoted proliferation of DPCs. Downregulation of glycogen synthase kinase‐3 was consistent with the involvement of Wnt signaling. Activated PRP supernatant increased the hair growth promoting ability of DPCs by activating the Wnt signaling pathway.ConclusionAutologous activated PRP supernatant promoted signaling in cultured human DPCs via pathways known to be involved in hair growth. The results warrant further study of PRP for the clinical treatment of androgenic alopecia.
The relationship of shammah (Arabian snuff) chewing to the risk of oral cancer and oral potentially malignant disorders
Authors: Patil Shankargouda , Alamir Abdul Wahab H. , Arakeri Gururaj , Awan Kamran Habib , Bhandi Shilpa H. , Aljabab Abdulsalam , Maddur Nagaraj , Gomez Ricardo S. , Brennan Peter A. 
Published: March 2019

IntroductionShammah is a form of smokeless tobacco commonly used in the Arabian Peninsula. The data on the harmful effects of shammah on oral health, particularly oral malignancies, are scarce. The aim of this review was to explore the association between shammah use and development of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) and/or oral cancer.Materials and methodsPubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science and grey literature from January 1990 up to and including April 2018 were searched. Two independent reviewers performed the study selection according to eligibility criteria.ResultsA total of 10 studies that met the eligibility criteria were included. The odds of developing OPMD and/or oral cancer in relation to shammah use varied, with one study reporting a 39 increased risk (39, 95% CI: 14‐105). The associated increased risk was relatively low among those that have stopped using shammah and ranged from threefold (3.65; 95% CI: 1.40‐9.50) to 12‐fold (12.6; 95% CI: 3.3‐48.2).ConclusionShammah use seems to increase the risk of development of OPMD and/or oral cancer.
Convergent evolution of root system architecture in two independently evolved lineages of weedy rice
Authors: Wedger Marshall J. , Topp Christopher N. , Olsen Kenneth M. 
Published: March 2019

Summary

Root system architecture (RSA) is a critical aspect of plant growth and competitive ability. Here we used two independently evolved strains of weedy rice, a de‐domesticated form of rice, to study the evolution of weed‐associated RSA traits and the extent to which they evolve through shared or different genetic mechanisms.

We characterised 98 two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional RSA traits in 671 plants representing parents and descendants of two recombinant inbred line populations derived from two weed × crop crosses. A random forest machine learning model was used to assess the degree to which root traits can predict genotype and the most diagnostic traits for doing so. We used quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping to compare genetic architecture between the weed strains.

The two weeds were distinguishable from the crop in similar and predictable ways, suggesting independent evolution of a ‘weedy’ RSA phenotype. Notably, comparative QTL mapping revealed little evidence for shared underlying genetic mechanisms.

Our findings suggest that despite the double bottlenecks of domestication and de‐domestication, weedy rice nonetheless shows genetic flexibility in the repeated evolution of weedy RSA traits. Whereas the root growth of cultivated rice may facilitate interactions among neighbouring plants, the weedy rice phenotype may minimise below‐ground contact as a competitive strategy.
Crossing the boundaries of the unknown with Jeff VanderMeer
Authors: Ersoy Gözde 
Published: March 2019

AbstractAnnihilation (2014), the first book of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, is significant because it represents a new phase in our relationship with the monstrous. The book was made into a film in 2018 by the acclaimed director Alex Garland, with the same title and starring Natalie Portman. Following a cataclysmic event in a coastal town, the fear that the world beyond the town might also be affected creates tension, and a team of experts is sent to “the Area” to understand the reason behind the disaster. This paper firstly introduces the contemporary “weird” genre, and goes on to give a brief history of its progression to the present day. It then incorporates the weird visionary China Miéville's “abcanny” concept into the analysis, since the story is situated in the abcanny rather than the presumed “uncanny.” The discussion is opened up to include Mark Fisher's distinction between “the weird” and “the eerie” by incorporating examples from the novel. But, most importantly, the paper relates philosopher Slavoj Žižek's concept of “inhuman monsters” to the extraordinary beast that VanderMeer creates, thus suggesting a new reading of the narrative as a moral tale of the need to move beyond the human‐centric in the twenty‐first century.
Comparing phase and electrographic flow mapping for persistent atrial fibrillation
Authors: Swerdlow M. , Tamboli M. , Alhusseini M.I. , Moosvi N. , Rogers A.J. , Leef G. , Wang P.J. , Rillig A. , Brachmann J. , Sauer W.H. , Ruppersberg P. , Narayan S.M. , Baykaner T. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractBackgroundAn increasing number of methods are being used to map atrial fibrillation (AF), yet the sensitivity of identifying potential localized AF sources of these novel methods are unclear. Here, we report a comparison of two approaches to map AF based upon (1) electrographic flow mapping and (2) phase mapping in a multicenter registry of patients in whom ablation terminated persistent AF.MethodsFifty‐three consecutive patients with persistent AF in whom ablation terminated AF in an international multicenter registry were enrolled. Electrographic flow mapping (EGF) and phase mapping were applied to the multipolar simultaneous electrograms recorded from a 64‐pole basket catheter in the chamber (left vs right atrium) where AF termination occurred. We analyzed if the mapping methods were able to detect localized sources at the AF termination site. We also analyzed global results of mapping AF for each method, patterns of activation of localized sources.ResultsPatients were 64.3 ± 9.4 years old and 69.8% were male. EGF and phase mapping identified localized sources at AF termination sites in 81% and 83% of the patients, respectively. Methods were complementary and in only n = 2 (3.7%) neither method identified a source. Globally, EGF identified more localized sources than phase mapping (5.3 ± 2.8 vs 1.8 ± 0.5, P < 0.001), with a higher prevalence of focal (compared to rotational) activation pattern (49% vs 2%, P < 0.01).ConclusionsEGF is a novel vectorial‐based AF mapping method, which can detect sites of AF termination, agreeing with, and complementary to, an alternative AF mapping method using phase analysis.
Y75B8A.8 (HC8) protein of Haemonchus contortus: A functional inhibitor of host IL‐2
Authors: Wang Wenjuan , Wang Yujian , Tian Xiaowei , Lu Mingmin , Ehsan Muhammad , Yan RuoFeng , Song XiaoKai , Xu LiXin , Li XiangRui 
Published: March 2019

SummaryInterleukin 2 (IL‐2) is an important immune regulatory factor in the immune response of the host. However, little is known about the inhibitor of host IL‐2 in Haemonchus contortus infection. In this study, we found that globin domain‐containing protein (HCGB) and Protein Y75B8A.8 (HC8) from H contortus excretory and secretory products are two binding proteins of IL‐2 in goats. The yeast two‐hybrid screening further validated the positive interactions of IL‐2 with HCGB and HC8. Meanwhile, we found that HC8 had inhibitory effects on IL‐2‐induced peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation, while HCGB did not. Furthermore, transcriptional analysis revealed that HC8 could block the IL‐2‐activated signalling pathway. Our results showed that HC8 was a functional inhibitor of goat IL‐2.
Positive emotional reactions to loved names
Authors: Lucas Ignacio , Sánchez‐Adam Alicia , Vila Jaime , Guerra Pedro 
Published: March 2019

AbstractStudies concerning personal attachment have successfully used loved familiar faces to prompt positive affective and physiological reactions. Moreover, the processing of emotional words shows similar physiological patterns to those found with affective pictures. The objective of this study was to assess whether the passive viewing of loved names would produce a pattern of subjective and physiological reactivity similar to that produced by the passive viewing of loved faces. The results showed that, compared to neutral (unknown) and famous names, loved names produced a biphasic pattern of heart rate deceleration‐acceleration, heightened skin conductance and zygomaticus muscle activity, inhibition of corrugator muscle activity, and potentiation of the startle reflex response. This pattern of physiological responses was accompanied by subjective reports of higher positive affect and arousal for loved names than for neutral and famous ones. These findings highlight not only the similarity but also the differences between the affective processing of identity recognition by loved faces and names.
Is the model “loans‐plus‐savings” better for microfinance in Eastern Europe and Central Asia? A propensity score matching comparison
Authors: Khachatryan Knar , Baghdasaryan Vardan , Hartarska Valentina 
Published: March 2019

AbstractMicrofinance institutions are gradually evolving into multiservice organizations offering not only loans but also savings, and other financial and nonfinancial services. We contribute to the literature aimed at identifying how combining credit with savings affects outreach and sustainability in microfinance institutions (MFIs). We apply the propensity score matching method as well as its augmented dose–response version to compare the performance of loans‐plus‐savings MFIs with that of lending‐only in a sample of 710 observations from Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Owing to our unique capital structure data, we control for the use of subsidized capital, which related work ignores while existing evidence points to tradeoffs between subsidies and savings. We find that financial performance and breadth of outreach are positively associated with savings mobilization, while the evidence on depth of outreach points to a possible mission drift.
A Deleuzian rethinking of time in healthy lifestyle advice and change
Authors: Robson Martine , Riley Sarah 
Published: March 2019

AbstractTime is a powerful but under‐examined element in healthy lifestyle advice, particularly in the promise of stable states of future health achievable through sustained lifestyle change. But such linear, sequential time frames reinforce notions of rational choice, personal control, and responsibility despite common experiences of diet and exercise regimens as non‐linear, effortful, and difficult to maintain. An over‐simplification of time thus contributes to the logic of blame when people fail to achieve healthy lifestyle goals, producing spoiled health identities and abject bodies as people struggle to sustain what can be unsustainable. Addressing these problems, we argue that Deleuze's philosophy offers tools to develop an alternative approach in health promotion. Deleuze affords a conceptualisation of multidimensional, embodied, and affective temporalities of health, which give rise to plural subjectivities and disrupt linear models of time. This framework affords a recognition of multiple time frames, such as histories and imagined futures that form part of a living present and shape lifestyle behaviours and identities. Deleuzian concepts that tie into his philosophy of time and form his process ontology, including monism and rhizomes, affect, becoming, and assemblages, are discussed in relation to health promotion. The article concludes that Deleuze offers a critical theory of time that enables a mapping of the ways that people embody multiplicity, non‐linearity, and fluidity as they negotiate healthy lifestyle advice. His concepts illuminate ways in which people can be oppressed and limited by discourses of healthy living, but also point to new, more affirmative directions for health promotion and healthy lifestyle advice.
Impact of direct‐acting antivirals for hepatitis C virus therapy on tacrolimus dosing in liver transplant recipients
Authors: Bixby Alexandra L. , Fitzgerald Linda , Leek Rachael , Mellinger Jessica , Sharma Pratima , Tischer Sarah 
Published: March 2019

AbstractIntroductionDirect‐acting antivirals (DAAs) have transformed hepatitis C virus (HCV) management post‐liver transplant. As HCV clears during DAA treatment, hepatic metabolism improves, resulting in decreased tacrolimus concentrations that may require dose adjustment. The purpose of this study was to determine appropriate management of immunosuppression in liver transplant recipients during and following treatment of HCV.MethodsThis study was a single‐center retrospective analysis of 71 liver transplant recipients who were treated for HCV with DAAs. The primary outcome was change in dose‐normalized tacrolimus concentrations from the start of DAA treatment to 12 weeks following therapy.ResultsThe mean change in log‐transformed dose‐normalized tacrolimus concentrations was a reduction of 0.43 ng/mL/mg (95% CI; 0.26‐0.60, P < 0.0001). The greatest decrease occurred in the first 4 weeks of treatment, after which levels stabilized. The overall mean tacrolimus concentration was 4.8 ng/mL (±2.5). Two patients (3%) developed acute cellular rejection and two patients (3%) had graft loss and died.ConclusionFrom the start of treatment to 12 weeks post‐DAA therapy, liver transplant recipients experienced a significant decrease in dose‐normalized tacrolimus concentrations. In conclusion, close monitoring of tacrolimus concentrations is warranted during and following treatment with DAAs, as dose increases may be indicated in order to maintain therapeutic concentrations to prevent graft rejection.