bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Stand dynamics and competition in a mixed forest at the northern distribution limit of evergreen hardwood species
Authors: Takahashi Koichi , Ikeyama Yoshifumi , Okuhara Isao 
Published: October 2018

AbstractTree species of three growth forms (evergreen conifers, deciduous hardwoods, and evergreen hardwoods) codominate at the northern distribution limit of evergreen hardwoods in central Japan. This study examined the stand dynamics and competition during 13 years at a single plot to reveal how three growth forms codominate at the ecotone. Species were characterized as large DBH and low tree density for evergreen conifers, and conversely for evergreen hardwoods. Total basal area increased during the examined period, accompanied with the reduction in tree density (i.e., mortality exceeded the recruitment rate). Mortality increased with time especially for small trees of deciduous hardwoods. The effect of competition among the three growth forms on tree growth was not detected. Species were classified into two axes. Ingrowth and recruitment rates of large evergreen conifers were lower than those of small evergreen hardwoods. The population growth rate was lower in species with greater mortality within each growth form. Deciduous hardwoods showed the highest mortality and lowest population growth rates among the three growth forms. Although the tree‐ring analysis revealed that disturbances occurred to some extent, the current disturbance regime would not trigger the regeneration of deciduous hardwoods. This study suggests that negative relations of maximum DBH with ingrowth and recruitment rates contribute to codominance of evergreen conifers and evergreen hardwoods, and more frequent or larger disturbances than at present are necessary for regeneration of deciduous hardwoods.
Retracted: Manifold learning‐based fuzzy k‐principal curve similarity evaluation for wind turbine condition monitoring
Authors: Yuan Nanqi , Yang Wenli , Kang Byeong , Xu Shuxiang , Wang Xiaolin , Li Chengjiang 
Published: October 2018

AbstractAs wind energy is experiencing an unprecedented development in today's world, the condition monitoring of wind turbine systems which can avoid serious accidents and economic losses are gathering more and more attentions. Considering the evaluation methods based on machine learning are complicated and unstable in terms of model training and parameter selection, this paper proposed a novel assessment algorithm based on similarity analysis of fuzzy k‐principal curves (FKPCs) in manifold space. Initially, 38 fusion features containing time‐domain, frequency‐domain, and wavelet node energy features are extracted from the vibration signal of the wind turbine bearing. Then, the nonlinear local algorithm Laplacian eigenmaps was introduced to transform the original features to the projected lower dimensional space and obtain the more typical parameters. Combining fuzzy clustering with the k‐principal curve creatively, smooth principal curves of the feature sets were then extracted according to point distribution in three‐dimensional manifold space. Finally, the Hausdorff distance algorithm was employed to calculate the similarity between the principal curves of healthy and test datasets to assess the running condition of wind turbine. To validate the present method, the experiments of accelerated bearing degradation were carried out. A series of comprehensive and persuasive comparisons and analysis with different feature conversion methods (principal component analysis [PCA] and Isomap), different distance analysis algorithms (Euclidean distance and Mahalanobis distance), and different assessment models (hidden Markov model [HMM] and deep belief network [DBN]) verified that the proposed FKPC technique can monitor the operating status of the machine more accurately without complex model training and parameter selection processes.
Influence of defatted mango kernel seed flour addition on the rheological characteristics and cookie making quality of wheat flour
Authors: Awolu Olugbenga O. , Sudha Lakshminarayan M. , Manohar Balaraman 
Published: October 2018

AbstractDefatted mango kernel seed flour was added to wheat flour for the production of cookies. The protein contents of the wheat‐mango kernel flour blend were optimized using optimal mixture design of response surface methodology. The farinograph analysis had acceptable mixing profile at 25%‐defatted mango kernel flour incorporation, after which the mixing profile was adversely affected. The pasting temperature was between 65.8 and 75.6°C; peak viscosity ranged between 448 and 521 BU while the final viscosity ranged between 594 and 709 BU. The flour blends had promising dynamic rheological characteristics; at 15% incorporation of defatted mango kernel flour, G’ was greater than G’’ while a stage was reached when G’ was equal to G’’ at 25% incorporation. At 50% incorporation, G’’ was greater than G’. The cookies produced showed high (>70%) quality in terms of physical properties, color, and sensory evaluation at 25% incorporation of defatted mango flour.
Nature Inspired Small Molecules for Chemical Biology
Authors: Kumar Kamal , Waldmann Herbert 
Published: October 2018

AbstractChemical biology and drug discovery are instrumental sciences to address unmet medical needs and to gain a deeper understanding of normal and disease state biology in mammalian systems. Unlike most genetic tools, the small molecule modulation of biology is reversible, controllable in space, time and quantity, avoids the removal of gene products from cellular systems and thus enables perturbation of biology in its native state. Natural products, their derivatives as well as small molecules based on the core‐scaffolds of natural products including natural product fragments allow targeting unique, biologically relevant fractions of chemical space that may deliver quality tool compounds. In this essay, we discuss various synthesis approaches inspired by natural products to deliver biologically active small molecules. We argue and provide evidence that inspiration by natural product structure remains a powerful guiding principle for the development of novel approaches to the study biology by means of novel bioactive small molecules.
Reelin regulates male mouse reproductive capacity via the sertoli cells
Authors: Zhuang Mengru , Li Bo , Huang Yangxue , Lei Qijing , Yan Ruichuan , Li Na , Sidhu Kuldip , Cheng Xiang , Yan Xinrong , Miao Yiliang , Zhao Shanting , Hua Jinlian 
Published: October 2018

AbstractReelin plays important roles in brain development. Reeler mutant mice that lack the protein reelin (RELN) suffer from cell type‐ and region‐dependent changes in their neocortical layers, and adult reeler mutant mice have dilated seminiferous tubules. Meanwhile, the mechanism by which
Reelin regulates the spermatogenic cell development in mice and their reproductive abilities remains unclear. In the present study, we used reeler mutant mice to investigate the effects of
Reelin on reproduction in mice. The results indicated variations in sex hormone expression among the reeler mice, indicating that they produce few offspring and their spermatogenic cells are irregularly developed. Moreover, glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)/GDNF family receptor alpha 1, Ras/extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK), and promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF)/chemokine (C‐X‐C motif) receptor 4 (CXCR4) serve as potential regulatory pathways that respond to the changes in sertoli cells and the niche of male germ cells. Our findings provided valuable insights into the role of reeler in the reproductive abilities of male mice and development of their spermatogonia stem cells.
LncRNA X inactive specific transcript contributes to neuropathic pain development by sponging miR‐154‐5p via inducing toll‐like receptor 5 in CCI rat models
Authors: Wei Meng , Li Lin , Zhang Yang , Zhang Zhi‐Jie , Liu Hai‐Lin , Bao Hong‐Guang 
Published: October 2018

AbstractNoncoding RNAs, including long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs, are involved in the development of neuropathic pain. Currently, we investigated that lncRNA X inactive–specific transcript (XIST) and toll‐like receptor 5 (TLR5) were greatly upregulated in chronic constriction injury rat models, whereas miR‐154‐5p (microRNA‐154‐5p) was significantly downregulated. Bioinformatics analysis was used to predict miR‐154‐5p as a target gene of XIST, and dual‐luciferase reporter tests proved the correlation between them. We observed that miR‐154‐5p was negatively modulated by XIST in vitro. XIST overexpression markedly induced neuropathic pain development in rats with chronic constriction injury, whereas the upregulation of miR‐154‐5p could reverse this phenomenon. Furthermore, TLR5 was demonstrated to be a target gene of miR‐154‐5p by using bioinformatics predictions. miR‐154‐5p negatively regulated TLR5 expression in vitro, and TLR5 was able to promote neuropathic pain development. In addition, overexpressing miR‐154‐5p can reverse the role of TLR5 neuropathic pain in vivo. Taken these together, we indicated that XIST could increase TLR5 expression by acting as a sponge of miR‐154‐5p in neuropathic pain development. This study revealed that XIST can contribute to neuropathic pain progression in rats through decreasing miR‐154‐5p and increasing TLR5. The XIST/miR‐154‐5p/ TLR5 axis can be provided as a novel therapeutic target in treating neuropathic pain.
Retracted: EBF1 gene promotes the proliferation and inhibits the apoptosis of bone marrow CD34+ cells in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome through negative regulation of mitogen‐activated protein kinase axis
Authors: Hou Shuang , Hao Jie , Wang Yan‐Yu , Zhao Bing‐Bing , Xiao Gong‐Wei , Li Yan‐Qing , Liu Xi , Zou Zhi‐Lan , Yao Ye , Xiong Hong 
Published: October 2018

AbstractThe transcription factor, early B cell factor 1 (EBF1), plays a vital role in the lineage specification involving early B cell development and the onset of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Therefore, to investigate whether or not EBF1 affects MDS as well as the transcription factor's underlying mechanism, we used CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells in bone marrow from patients with MDS. The extracted cells were then transfected with a series of EBF1, short hairpin RNA against EBF1 (shEBF1), and SB203580 (a specific mitogen‐activated protein kinase [MAPK] axis inhibitor). The effects EBF1 gene and MAPK axis had on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration were determined by in vitro cell culturing. We made observations that involved EBF1 inhibiting the messenger RNA (mRNA) level of p38 MAPK, increasing the mRNA levels of extracellular‐signal–regulated kinase (ERK), c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular‐signal–regulated kinase 5 (ERK5), decreasing the protein expression of Bcl‐2–associated X protein (Bax), and finally elevating the protein levels of B cell lymphoma/leukemia‐2 (Bcl‐2), stem cell factor (SCF), erythropoietin receptor (EpoR), p‐ERK, p‐JNK, p‐ERK5, cyclin D, cyclin E, cyclin‐dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), and CDK6, implying that EBF1 may very well have an inhibitory role in the MAPK axis. Another discovery found that EBF1 had a positive effect on the promotion of bone marrow CD34+ cell proliferation as well as its migration, but inhibited the apoptosis of cells. The results we obtained from this study indicated that the EBF1 gene suppresses the activation of the MAPK axis, thereby promoting both the proliferation and migration of bone marrow CD34+ cells as well as inhibiting the associating apoptosis. The effects of the EBF1 gene are likely to present a new therapeutic target in preventing the progression of MDS.
microRNA‐206 is required for osteoarthritis development through its effect on apoptosis and autophagy of articular chondrocytes via modulating the phosphoinositide 3‐kinase/protein kinase B‐mTOR pathway by targeting insulin‐like growth factor‐1
Authors: Yu Qian , Zhao Bei , He Qi , Zhang Yuan , Peng Xian‐Bo 
Published: October 2018

AbstractmicroRNA (miR) has been shown to be involved in the treatment of diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA). This study aims to investigate the role of miR‐206 in regulating insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) in chondrocyte autophagy and apoptosis in an OA rat model via the phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (P13K)/protein kinase B (AKT)‐mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. Wistar rats were used to establish the OA rat model, followed by the observation of histopathological changes, Mankin score, and the detection of IGF‐1‐positive expression and tissue apoptosis. The underlying regulatory mechanisms of miR‐206 were analyzed in concert with treatment by an miR‐206 mimic, an miR‐206 inhibitor, or small interfering RNA against IGF‐1 in chondrocytes isolated from OA rats. Then, the expression of miR‐206, IGF‐1, and related factors in the signaling pathway, cell cycle, and apoptosis, as well as inflammatory factors, were determined. Subsequently, chondrocyte proliferation, cell cycle distribution, apoptosis, autophagy, and autolysosome were measured. OA articular cartilage tissue exhibited a higher Mankin score, promoted cell apoptotic rate, increased expression of IGF‐1, Beclin1, light chain 3 (LC3), Unc‐51‐like autophagy activating kinase 1 (ULK1), autophagy‐related 5 (Atg5), caspase‐3, and Bax, yet exhibited decreased expression of miR‐206, P13K, AKT, mTOR, and Bcl‐2. Besides, miR‐206 downregulated the expression of IGF‐1 and activated the P13K/AKT signaling pathway. Moreover, miR‐206 overexpression and IGF‐1 silencing inhibited the interleukins levels (IL‐6, IL‐17, and IL‐18), cell apoptotic rate, the formation of autolysosome, and cell autophagy while promoting the expression of IL‐1β and cell proliferation. The findings from our study provide a basis for the efficient treatment of OA by investigating the inhibitory effects of miR‐206 on autophagy and apoptosis of articular cartilage in OA via activating the IGF‐1‐mediated PI3K/AKT‐mTOR signaling pathway.
Differences in the genetic backgrounds of patients with alcoholic liver disease and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Yamamoto Kuniko , Kogiso Tomomi , Taniai Makiko , Hashimoto Etsuko , Tokushige Katsutoshi 
Published: October 2018

Background and AimAlcoholic liver disease (ALD) and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have common hepatic histological features, but few studies have compared the genomic backgrounds of these two diseases. Here, we compared the genetic differences between ALD and NAFLD.MethodsThis study enrolled 318 Japanese patients with ALD (n = 118; male, 86%; median age, 62 years; liver cirrhosis, 58%; hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC], 31%) and NAFLD (n = 200; male, 55%; age, 61 years; cirrhosis, 19%; HCC, 12%). The genotype frequencies of 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed.ResultsThe ADH1B genotype GG and ALDH2 genotype GG were observed more frequently, and the percentage of patients with the MTP genotype GG was lower in ALD compared with NAFLD patients (ADH1B, 16 vs 4%; ALDH2 84 vs 44%; MTP 62 vs 72%, respectively; all P < 0.01). Comparing noncirrhosis to cirrhosis, the frequency of the potassium voltage‐gated channel subfamily Q member 1 (KCNQ1) genotype TT and adrenoceptor beta 3 (ADRB3) genotype TT was increased significantly in ALD‐related cirrhosis. In contrast, the patatin‐like phospholipase 3 (PNPLA3) genotype CC was decreased significantly in NAFLD‐related cirrhosis. A comparison of patients with and without HCC demonstrated that the KCNQ1 genotype TT was increased significantly in both HCC groups. In addition, associations between the KCNJ15 genotype GG and ALD‐HCC and the G allele of PNPLA3 and NAFLD‐HCC were identified.ConclusionsSNPs in genes related to ethanol and lipid metabolism clearly differed between patients with ALD and NAFLD. KCNQ1 might affect the progression and hepatocarcinogenesis in both ALD and NAFLD.
Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction for diagnosis of gastrointestinal tuberculosis
Authors: Malik Sarthak , Sharma Kusum , Vaiphei Kim , Dhaka Narendra , Berry Neha , Gupta Pankaj , Sharma Megha , Mallick Bipadabhanjan , Kochhar Rakesh , Sinha Saroj K 
Published: October 2018

Background and AimTo evaluate the role of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for diagnosis of gastrointestinal tuberculosis (GITB).MethodsThis was a prospective observational study conducted from July 2015 to November 2016 at a tertiary care teaching institution in north India. Fifty individuals with clinically suspected GITB and older than 18 years of age were recruited. Patients underwent radiological investigations, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, or colonoscopy as clinically indicated. Multiple biopsies for tissue diagnosis and PCR were taken. All specimens were subjected to Ziehl Neelsen staining, histopathology, and multiplex PCR using specific primers for genes IS6110, MPB64, and Protein b. The performance of the assay was assessed using a composite reference standard for diagnosis of tuberculosis. It comprised a combination of clinical characteristics and microbiological methods, including smear, Bactenecin (BACTEC) culture, histopathology, and response to antitubercular therapy.ResultsA final diagnosis of tuberculosis was made in 32 cases (Duodenal‐4, Ileo‐colonic‐28). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of histopathology for the diagnosis of tuberculosis was 28.12, 100, 100, and 43.9%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of BACTEC Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) culture for the diagnosis of tuberculosis was 9.3, 100, 100, and 38.29%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of multiplex PCR for the diagnosis of tuberculosis was 87.5, 100, 100, and 86.2%, respectively.ConclusionMultiplex PCR using specific primers for genes IS6110, MPB64, and Protein b had a higher sensitivity compared to conventional techniques for the diagnosis of GITB.
Design, Synthesis, and In Vitro Anti‐mycobacterial Activities of 1,2,3‐Triazole‐tetraethylene Glycol Tethered Isatin Dimers
Authors: Zhao Shi‐Jia , Lv Zao‐Sheng , Deng Jia‐Lun , Gao Feng , Zhang Guang‐De , Xu Zhi 
Published: October 2018

We report herein the design, synthesis, and in vitro anti‐mycobacterial activities of a series of 1,2,3‐triazole‐tetraethylene glycol tethered isatin dimers. Our results indicated that all the synthesized isatin dimers showed weak to moderate anti‐mycobacterial activities against both Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and multidrug‐resistant tuberculosis strains. Dimer 7g was found to be most active against the tested two strains with minimum inhibitory concentration of 128 and 64 μg/mL, which was eightfold more potent than INH (minimum inhibitory concentration: 512 μg/mL) against multidrug‐resistant tuberculosis. Moreover, dimer 7g (CC50: 62.5 μg/mL) also showed acceptable cytotoxicity against VERO cell line, could act as a lead for further investigation. The enriched structure–activity relationship may pave the way to find more effective anti‐mycobacterial candidates.
Net nitrogen mineralization and enzyme activities in an alpine meadow soil amended with litter tannins
Authors: Zong Wenzhen , Wang Jing , He Yongsheng , Qiu Yifan , Guo Ding , Fu Hua 
Published: October 2018

AbstractCondensed tannins in plant litter play an important role in soil nitrogen (N) cycling at the plant–soil interface. However, how soil net N mineralization is affected by litter tannins through their interactions with soil enzymes remains unclear. The aims of our study are to explore the effects of litter tannins with different structures on soil net N mineralization and on the activities of soil enzymes that are directly or indirectly related to N mineralization. Soils were collected from a Tibetan alpine meadow community dominated by a tannin‐rich forb species, Polygonum viviparum. Condensed tannins purified from the litter were separated into the light‐fraction and heavy‐fraction tannins, with the former having a lower mean degree of polymerization and a higher prodelphinidin:procyanidin (PD:PC) monomer ratio in the structure than the latter. Soils were amended with the light‐fraction, heavy‐fraction, and unfractionated tannins, and then incubated for four weeks. The dynamics of soil enzyme activities and soil net N mineralization were monitored during the incubation. The results show that among the enzyme activities tested, the activities of laccase and peroxidase were significantly inhibited by the three tannins, whereas the activity of polyphenol oxidase was only significantly suppressed by the heavy‐fraction tannins. The overall activity of urease was not significantly affected by the tannin additions. In contrast, the activity of N‐acetyl‐β‐D‐glucosaminidase was significantly enhanced by the three tannins. These results suggest that the interactions between litter tannins and soil enzymes rely on both the structure of the tannins and the type of enzymes. Soil net N mineralization was significantly decreased by the three tannins, which could be attributed to the decreased net ammonification and increased immobilization of inorganic N. The light‐fraction tannins caused a more pronounced inhibitory effect on soil net N mineralization than the heavy‐fraction and unfractionated tannins, probably due to the stronger interaction of the PD monomers with soil enzymes and soil organic N compounds than the PC monomers. Overall, this study indicates that litter tannins with different structures could exert different effects on the activities of soil enzymes as well as on soil net N mineralization, which is important for interpreting the role of different litter tannins in N cycling at the plant–soil interface.
Renewable Surfactants for Biochemical Applications and Nanotechnology
Authors: Le Guenic Sarah , Chaveriat Ludovic , Lequart Vincent , Joly Nicolas , Martin Patrick 
Published: October 2018

AbstractSurfactants find applications in almost every chemical industry, such as household and industrial cleaning, paper, inks, agrochemicals, and personal care or pharmaceuticals. However, their production and use can have a negative impact on the environment and health. Increasing environmental concerns and the strong interest in renewable resources have led to the development of innovative and environmentally friendly surfactants produced by clean and/or sustainable technologies. The aim of this review is to explore the different types of surfactants and their architectures. Then, it will describe the two categories of renewable surfactants: biosurfactants obtained by fermentation, and bio‐based surfactants containing either a bio‐sourced polar head group or a bio‐sourced hydrophobic tail. Finally, this review will focus on highly specialized applications of surfactants (protein crystallization, transfection, and nanotechnology), which are closely related to the ability of surfactants to organize themselves in supramolecular architectures.