bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Space of Disse: a stem cell niche in the liver
Authors: Häussinger Dieter , Kordes Claus 
Published: July 2019

Abstract
Recent evidence indicates that the plasticity of preexisting hepatocytes and bile duct cells is responsible for the appearance of intermediate progenitor cells capable of restoring liver mass after injury without the need of a stem cell compartment. However, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exist in all organs and are associated with blood vessels which represent their perivascular stem cell niche. MSCs are multipotent and can differentiate into several cell types and are known to support regenerative processes by the release of immunomodulatory and trophic factors. In the liver, the space of Disse constitutes a stem cell niche that harbors stellate cells as liver resident MSCs. This perivascular niche is created by extracellular matrix proteins, sinusoidal endothelial cells, liver parenchymal cells and sympathetic nerve endings and establishes a microenvironment that is suitable to maintain stellate cells and to control their fate. The stem cell niche integrity is important for the behavior of stellate cells in the normal, regenerative, aged and diseased liver. The niche character of the space of Disse may further explain why the liver can become an organ of extra-medullar hematopoiesis and why this organ is frequently prone to tumor metastasis.
Antidiabetic and antioxidative properties of the hydro-methanolic extract (60:40) of rhizomes of Curcuma amada roxb. (Zingiberaceae) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic male albino rat: a dose-dependent study through biochemical and genomic approaches
Authors: Mitra Dipanwita , Sarkar Riya , Ghosh Debidas 
Published: July 2019

Abstract

Background

Curcuma amada is the most popular traditional medicine in India for the treatment of diabetes. The present study aimed to focus the antidiabetic and antioxidative activity of C. amada through the analysis of biochemical and genomic levels in a dose-dependent manner in streptozotocin-induced male adult rat.

Method
Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were administered orally with hydro-methanolic extract of C. amada at the dose of 10, 20, 40 and 80 mg/100 g body weight of rats for 28 days. The antidiabetic and antioxidative efficacy of the extract on glycemic, enzymatic, genomic and histological sensors along with toxicity study was investigated.

Results
The result showed a significant antidiabetic and antioxidative effect of the extract at dose-dependent manner. The significant recovery of fasting blood glucose level, serum insulin, activity of carbohydrate metabolic enzymes and antioxidative enzymes in extract-treated diabetic group as compared to untreated diabetic group were noted. After the extract treatment, the size of pancreatic islet and cell population densities were significantly increased. Activities of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and glutamate pyruvate transaminase in liver were significantly recovered along with the correction of Bax and Bcl-2 gene expression in hepatic tissue after the extract treatment in diabetic rats in respect to untreated diabetic group. Out of all the doses, the significant effects were noted at the dose of 20 mg/100 g body weight which has been considered as threshold dose in the concern.

Conclusion
It may be concluded that the significant and corrective effect in most of the sensors was noted at the minimum dose of 20 mg/100 g body weight of hydro-methanolic extract of C. amada without producing any toxicity.
Evaluation of in-vitro and in-vivo antidiabetic, antilipidemic and antioxidant potentials of aqueous root extract of Strophanthus hispidus DC (Apocynaceae)
Authors: Fageyinbo Muyiwa Samuel , Akindele Abidemi James , Adenekan Sunday Oluwaseun , Agbaje Esther Oluwatoyin 
Published: July 2019

Abstract

Background
Antidiabetic activity of aqueous root extract of Strophanthus hispidus (SHP) was evaluated based on its folklore used in traditional medicine for the treatment of diabetes. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the in-vitro and in-vivo antidiabetic potential of the aqueous root extract of SHP.

Methods
SHP (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg p.o.), glibenclamide (5 mg/kg p.o.), normal saline (10 mL/kg; diabetic control) and distilled water (10 mL/kg; normal control) were administered once daily for 28 days, with the measurement of fasting blood glucose level at 7 days interval. Blood samples were collected on day 28 for serum biochemical (albumin, total protein [TP], creatinine, alanine transaminase [ALT], aspartate transaminase [AST], alkaline phosphatase [ALP], triglycerides [TG], total cholesterol [TC], high-density lipoprotein [HDL], low-density lipoprotein [LDL], bilirubin and urea) and hematological assays. The in-vitro antidiabetic activity was investigated using α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes inhibitory assays.

Results
SHP produced a day-dependent reduction in glucose level. Peak reduction (82.94 %; p < 0.05) was produced at the dose of 100 mg/kg. SHP significantly (p < 0.05) increased the level of HDL and TP but significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the levels of TG, LDL, TC, AST, ALT, ALP, bilirubin, creatinine and urea compared with diabetic control rats. Furthermore, SHP significantly (p < 0.05) increased the level of catalase, superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione compared to diabetic control rats. SHP significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes compared with acarbose.

Conclusion
The findings in this study showed that SHP possesses beneficial antidiabetic activity.
Application of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to forecast rodent population abundance in smallholder agro-ecosystems in semi-arid areas in Tanzania
Authors: Chidodo Davis J. , Kimaro Didas N. , Hieronimo Proches , Makundi Rhodes H. , Isabirye Moses , Leirs Herwig , Massawe Apia W. , Mdangi Mashaka E. , Kifumba David , Mulungu Loth S. 
Published: July 2019

Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the potential use of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from satellite-derived remote sensing data for monitoring rodent abundance in semi-arid areas of Tanzania. We hypothesized that NDVI could potentially complement rainfall in predicting rodent abundance spatially and temporally. NDVI were determined across habitats with different vegetation types in Isimani landscape, Iringa Region, in the southern highlands of Tanzania. Normalized differences in reflectance between the red (R) (0.636–0.673 mm) and near-infrared (NIR) (0.851–0.879 mm) channels of the electromagnetic spectrum from the Landsat 8 [Operational Land Imager (OLI)] sensor were obtained. Rodents were trapped in a total of 144 randomly selected grids each measuring 100 × 100 m2, for which the corresponding values of NDVI were recorded during the corresponding rodent trapping period. Raster analysis was performed by transformation to establish NDVI in study grids over the entire study area. The relationship between NDVI, rodent distribution and abundance both spatially and temporally during the start, mid and end of the dry and wet seasons was established. Linear regression model was used to evaluate the relationships between NDVI and rodent abundance across seasons. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) at p ≤ 0.05 was carried out to describe the degree of association between actual and NDVI-predicted rodent abundances. The results demonstrated a strong linear relationship between NDVI and actual rodent abundance within grids (R2 = 0.71). NDVI-predicted rodent abundance showed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.99) with estimated rodent abundance. These results support the hypothesis that NDVI has the potential for predicting rodent population abundance under smallholder farming agro-ecosystems. Hence, NDVI could be used to forecast rodent abundance within a reasonable short period of time when compared with sparse and not widely available rainfall data.
Fluorescent surfactants from common dyes – Rhodamine B and Eosin Y
Authors: Smith McWilliams Ashleigh D. , Ergülen Selin , Ogle Meredith M. , de los Reyes Carlos A. , Pasquali Matteo , Martí Angel A. 
Published: July 2019

Abstract
Eight fluorescent surfactants were synthesized by attaching aliphatic chains of 6, 10, 12, or 16 carbons to the fluorescent dyes Rhodamine B and Eosin Y. The obtained critical micelle concentrations (CMC) demonstrate an increasing CMC with decreasing aliphatic chain length, which is a typical behavior for surfactants. Additionally, fluorescence quantum yield experiments show a decrease in quantum yield with increasing aliphatic chain length, suggesting that the tails can interact with the dye, influencing its excited state. Finally, applications for the fluorescent surfactants were demonstrated; as a cellular stain in Panc-1 cells and as a dispersion and imaging tool for carbon and boron nitride nanotubes. These surfactants could provide a useful tool for a wide array of potential applications, from textile dyes to fluorescence imaging.
Dual inhibitors of urease and carbonic anhydrase-II from Iris species
Authors: Saleem Muhammad , Hareem Sumaira , Khan Ajmal , Naheed Suad , Raza Muslim , Hussain Riaz , Imran Muhammad , Choudhary M. Iqbal 
Published: July 2019

Abstract
Twenty seven (1–27) known natural organic compounds were isolated for first time from two species of Iris, i.e. loczyi and Iris unguicularis. The structures of these compounds were deduced from the spectral data of NMR, IR, and mass spectrogram. These were evaluated against urease and carbonic anhydrase inhibition studies. For carbonic anhydrase-II inhibition studies, these compounds were evaluated by biochemical mechanism based in vitro bio-assay. Some compounds showed significant inhibition against CA-II enzyme. Compartively, compound (12) showed IC50 value of 17.60 ± 0.08 μM against urease enzyme, while compound (3) was found to be most active against carbonic anhydrase-II, having an IC50 value of 66.27 ± 0.89 μM. Izalpinin (3), 5,7-dihydroxy-2′,6-dimethoxyisoflavone (9), 4′,5,7-trihydroxy-6-methoxyflavanone (16), 4′,5,7-trihydroxy-3′,8-dimethoxyflavanone (20), 8-methoxyeriodictyol (21), and mangiferin (26) were found to be dual inhibitors of both the enyzmes. The most active compounds were docked using Autodock Vina and i-GEMDOCK softwares. The docking and in-vitro results are in agreement which showed secondary interactions with the enzymes. The compounds can serve as therapeutic agents to treat urease and carbonic anhydrase associated disorders.
An attempt to correlate the physical properties of fossil and subfossil resins with their age and geographic location
Authors: Stach Paweł , Martinkutė Gintarė , Šinkūnas Petras , Natkaniec-Nowak Lucyna , Drzewicz Przemysław , Naglik Beata , Bogdasarov Maxim 
Published: July 2019

Abstract
Testing of the correlation between physical properties of natural resins such as microhardness, density and UV-excited fluorescence emission with their age, geological conditions, botanical and geographical origin and chemical structure was performed. These physical parameters, especially microhardness, are the result of resins fossilization processes like cross-linking and polymerizations of compounds present in the fossils. In addition, hardening of the resins may be also an effect of miscellaneous chemical processes induced by various environmental, biological and geological conditions. The principal component analysis found that the correlation of microhardness, density and fluorescence intensity with the resin age is quite low. The results suggest that variability of physical properties is caused by geographic location and locally occurring geological conditions. The physical properties of natural resins are most strongly correlated with chemical structure and geographic location. The resins with higher microhardness values come from marine environment depositions. The same trend was observed for resins affected by volcanic activity. Moreover, high fluorescence intensity was also observed for resins affected by above mentioned geological conditions. However, the density values of tested resins revealed the lowest correlation with their age, botanical source and geological history.
Studies on nucleation and crystal growth kinetics of uranium(IV) oxalate
Authors: Li Chuanbo , Ning Yongzhi , Yan Taihong , Zheng Weifang 
Published: July 2019

Abstract
An improved apparatus is used for nucleation measurements according to Nielsen’s method. A new method is proposed to calculate the dilution ratio N of the reaction solution during nucleation rate determination. With the rule, when the initial apparent supersaturation ratio S′ = f(N) in the dilution tank is controlled from 1.2 to 2.7, crystal nucleus dissolving and secondary nucleation can be avoided satisfactorily. Experiments are realized by varying the supersaturation ratio from 26.0 to 297.5 and temperature from 30 °C to 50 °C. Uranium(IV) oxalate is precipitated by mixing equal volumes of tetravalent uranium nitrate and oxalic acid solution. The experimental results show that the nucleation rate of uranium(IV) oxalate in the supersaturation range as show above is characterized by the primary homogeneous mechanism and can be expressed by the equation

R
N

=

A
N

exp
(
−

E
a

/
R
T
)
exp
[
−
B
/

(
ln
S
)

2

]
,

${R_N} = {A_N}{\rm{exp}}( - {E_a}/RT){\rm{exp}}[ - B/{({\rm{ln }}S)^2}],$

where AN
= 1.9 × 1027 m−3s−1, Ea
= 71.2 kJ mol−1, and B = 34.3. The crystal growth rate can be expressed by the equation

G
(
t
)
=

k
g

exp(
−

E
′

a

/
R
T
)(
c
−

c

eq

)
g

,

$G(t) = {k_g}{\rm{exp(}} - {E^{\prime}_a}/RT{\rm{)(}}c - {c_{{\rm{eq}}}}{{\rm{)}}^g},$

where kg
= 7.1 × 105 (mol/L)−0.98 (m/s),

E
′

a

=
33.1

kJ mol

−
1

,

${E^{\prime}_a} = 33.1 \ {\rm{ kJ \ mo}}{{\rm{l}}^{ - 1}},$

and g = 0.98. The results indicate that the crystal growth of tetravalent uranium(IV) oxalate is controlled by the BCF model.
Borders and translation: Revisiting Juri Lotman’s semiosphere
Authors: Monticelli Daniele 
Published: July 2019

AbstractIn the framework of the theory of the semiosphere elaborated by Juri Lotman in the 1980s, the notion of translation acquires a new, broadened meaning and is used to describe a general mechanism of cultural dynamics. This is a direct consequence of the understanding of the semiosphere as a “continuum of semiotic systems” of which heterogeneity and polyglotism are constitutive features. If the “smallest functioning semiotic mechanism” is not an isolated system, but always a (at least) binary system, translation will play a central role in communication not only between different cultures, but also within every single culture.The article focuses on the different places of translation within the semiosphere as a system of systems and its relations to the notion of border. It argues that in Lotman’s theory, translation can function both as a homogenizing and a heterogenizing semiotic force, depending on its position at the center or the periphery of a given semiotic system. The first part of the article develops a theoretical argument on the relation between translation processes and cultural borders, which acquire different meanings and functions within Lotman’s theory of the semiosphere corresponding to differently oriented kinds of translation. The second part of the article develops a close analysis of Giacomo Leopardi’s poem “L’Infinito,” where the tension and dialogue between the different functions of the Lotmanian borders and the different kinds of cultural translation become devices for the generation of new meanings. Finally, the article briefly considers the significance of Lotman’s semiospheric understanding of the relation between borders and translation for contemporary translation and border studies.
Mythic symbolic type, utopia, and body without organs
Authors: Meir-Dviri Mina 
Published: July 2019

Abstract
A mythic symbolic type is a binary-structured, gender-oriented cultural mask. Whoever enters it will never exit and will behave according to the mask’s logic. The article focuses on the men of the semi-commune Little Home trapped in the mask. It will examine this cultural structure’s organization of binary-opposition in a unique kind of intensity, I called “masculine waves.” In the final part, a discussion will be presented in the context of Deleuze’s Becoming and Bloch’s utopia.
Creative Practice and the Limits of Knowledge in Reconstructing Lost Songs from Boethius’s On the Consolation of Philosophy
Authors: Barrett Sam 
Published: July 2019

This study seeks to reconstruct the music for Boethius’s final and most widely read work, On the Consolation of Philosophy. Although a handful of neumations for Boethius’s thirty-nine poems have long been known, the almost complete absence of surviving pitched versions of the melodies has hindered the task of reconstruction. Following a systematic study of neumed manuscripts dating from the ninth to the eleventh centuries and identification of underlying principles of melodic design, it is now possible to attempt informed reconstructions. Even so, the leap from scholarship to modern performance remains substantial, involving a preliminary need to recreate melodies through experimentation.
Collaboration with members of the ensemble Sequentia over a four-year period (2014–17) provided an opportunity to explore ways in which creative practice might supplement scholarly knowledge, whether through posing new research questions, the formation and exploration of hypotheses, or recourse to memorized practices built up through sustained engagement with early medieval repertories and instruments. Taking a recovered mid eleventh-century leaf of the Cambridge Songs as a focus for investigation, songs from the first book of Boethius’s De consolatione philosophiae were newly reconstructed. Although debate continues to surround the status of results obtained through creative practice, comparison with the way other disciplines have proceeded under similar conditions reveals acceptance of experimentation as a mode of inquiry. This essay proposes that performance can fruitfully supplement philology in seeking to reconstruct lost songs from notated traces.
Renal impairment is closely associated with plasma aldosterone concentration in patients with primary aldosteronism
Authors: Kawashima Akiyuki , Sone Masakatsu , Inagaki Nobuya , Takeda Yoshiyu , Itoh Hiroshi , Kurihara Isao , Umakoshi Hironobu , Ichijo Takamasa , Katabami Takuyuki , Wada Norio , Ogawa Yoshihiro , Kawashima Junji , Fujita Megumi , Miyauchi Shozo , Okamura Shintaro , Fukuoka Tomikazu , Yanase Toshihiko , Izawa Shoichiro , Yoshikawa Yuichiro , Hashimoto Shigeatsu , Yamada Masanobu , Kai Tatsuya , Suzuki Tomoko , Naruse Mitsuhide , _ _ 
Published: July 2019

Objective
Several clinical studies have reported that renal impairments are sometimes observed in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA). We analyzed the prevalence of renal impairments in PA patients and identified parameters that increase the risk for them.

Design
This is a retrospective cross-sectional study. We assessed the PA database established by the multicenter Japan PA study (JPAS). Data were also collected from patients with essential hypertension (EHT).

Methods
We compared the prevalences of proteinuria and lowered estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) between patients with PA and age, sex, blood pressure and duration of hypertension-matched patients with EHT. We also performed logistic regression analysis to identify parameters that increase the risk for these renal impairments.

Results
Among 2366 PA patients, the prevalences of proteinuria and lowered eGFR were 10.3 and 11.6%, respectively. The prevalence of proteinuria was significantly higher in PA patients than matched-EHT patients (16.8 vs 4.4%), whereas there was no significant difference in the prevalence of lowered eGFR (17.2 vs 15.0%). The logistic regression analysis also showed that the plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) significantly increases the risk of proteinuria and lowered eGFR, independent of other known risk factors.

Conclusion
Plasma aldosterone levels are closely associated with renal impairment in patients with PA. This is contrast to our earlier finding that the PAC was not itself linearly associated with cardiovascular events such as stroke or ischemic heart disease. The mechanism underlying the kidney damage in patients with PA may differ from that affecting the cardiovascular system.
Efecto de la quercetina sobre la tasa de desarrollo y la viabilidad de embriones bovinos producidos in vitro
Authors: Maturana Diana , Gómez O. Jorge , Restrepo B. Giovanni 
Published: July 2019

Las tasas de desarrollo y la calidad de los embriones bovinos producidos in vitro son menores que los producidos in vivo, debido al estrés oxidativo al que son sometidos durante su manipulación y las condiciones de cultivo. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la producción, la celularidad y la vitalidad de los blastocistos bovinos producidos in vitro con diferentes concentraciones de quercetina. Un total de 2108 oocitos fueron madurados in vitro en medio 199 con 10% de SFB, 5.0 μg/ml de LH y 0.5 μg/ml de FSH. La fertilización se realizó en medio TALP con 2x106 espermatozoides/ml. Los posibles cigotos fueron cultivados a 38.7 °C con 5% de CO2 en medio de cultivo SOF suplementado con seis concentraciones de quercetina (1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 50 µM) y como controles se utilizaron el medio SOF sin quercetina y suplementado con DMSO. Se determinaron las tasas de clivaje (día 2) y blastocistos (día 7), así como la celularidad y la viabilidad celular de los blastocistos. Se realizó un análisis de varianza y las medias de los tratamientos se compararon con la prueba de Tukey. Los tratamientos con 1 y 5 µM de quercetina fueron superiores para la tasa de blastocistos (p<0.05). Se observó una reducción en la tasa de clivaje, la tasa de blastocistos y la viabilidad celular para 20 y 50 µM, y se encontró una disminución en la celularidad para 15 µM. La quercetina utilizada a bajas concentraciones durante el cultivo in vitro de embriones bovinos produce un incremento en la tasa de blastocistos, mientras que el uso altas concentraciones de quercetina genera efectos deletéreos en los embriones bovinos.