bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Asian Summer Monsoon‐Related Relative Humidity Recorded by Tree Ring δ18O During Last 205 Years
Authors: Liu Yu , Wang Lu , Li Qiang , Cai Qiufang , Song Huiming , Sun Changfeng , Liu Ruoshi , Mei Ruochen 
Published: July 2019

AbstractTo deeply understand the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) strength variation in its fringe region, we established a 205‐year stable oxygen isotope (δ18O) chronology based on four individual Pinus tabulaeformis Carr. from Ordos Plateau, China. First, we found that δ18O in tree rings inherits the signals of summer (June to August) monsoonal precipitation δ18O (δ18OP). Second, relative humidity (RH) was observed to have a large effect on the δ18O of pine trees. The tree ring δ18O series significantly correlates with the observed local RH from June to August (RHJJA) with r = −0.65 (N = 56, p < 0.001). The RH over Ordos Plateau is greatly influenced by ASM‐related precipitation. As such, it could well reflect the variations of ASM intensity. Thus, we reconstructed the RHJJA over Ordos, the center of the ASM fringe region (ASMFR), for the last two centuries. Our reconstructed RHJJA series has a large geographical and spatial representativeness, which is well compared with other precipitation reconstructions in ASMFR and jointly reflects ASM variations in the past. The RHJJA reconstruction showed that the 1870s–1890s were the wettest years in the entire reconstruction, while the middle‐late 1920s were the driest. From 1930 to 2012, the RH of the study area continuously decreased. We found significantly negative correlations between RHJJA and the Central Pacific sea surface temperature. This finding means that if the El Niño–Southern Oscillation of the Central Pacific continues to increase in the future, the aridification in the ASMFR will be intensified.
Historical Drought Assessment Over the Contiguous United States Using the Generalized Complementary Principle of Evapotranspiration
Authors: Kim Daeha , Lee Woo‐Seop , Kim Seon Tae , Chun Jong Ahn 
Published: July 2019

AbstractAs drought involves diverse natural and human‐made processes in hydrologic cycles, it is necessary to track a process‐specific variable for efficient drought risk management. In this study, we employed a state‐of‐the‐art formulation of the generalized complementary relationship (GCR) to estimate terrestrial evapotranspiration (ET). The GCR ET estimates were used to assess historical droughts over the contiguous United States (CONUS) in relation to long‐term natural fluctuations. Results showed that the GCR provided strong performance in reproducing water balance ET estimates and correlations to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, when compared to observation‐driven estimates and land surface models. For 1982‐2011, the GCR yielded better performance than land surface models even with estimated radiation inputs and no wind speed variations. The Standardized Evapotranspiration Deficit Index (SEDI) based on the GCR provided a consistent drought assessment with precipitation‐based drought identification and remotely sensed vegetation conditions. The SEDI seems to capture the heat wave‐driven flash drought together with water deficit‐driven droughts. In the CONUS, the La Niña‐like conditions were likely to trigger extensive vegetation droughts with extreme severity. This study found the three long‐term environmental factors that affect the general trend of ET deficits over the CONUS, which are the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, the mean air temperature, and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Especially, the Atlantic Oscillation seems to be the most significant predictor that could explain the long‐term variation of vegetation droughts over the CONUS. This study highlights that the GCR‐based SEDI could be useful for monitoring and assessment of drought risks at a continental scale.
Precocious activation of APC/C-Cdh1 at pre-anaphase causes genome instability
Authors: Yamamoto Ayumu , Ushimaru Takashi , Ohyoshi Takanori , Suzuki Asuka , Toda Kazuhiro , Ueno Masaru , Uritani Masahiro 
Published: July 2019

AbstractFaithful chromosome segregation and thereby accurate gene transmission are crucial for all organisms. Until proper attachment of the mitotic spindle to the kinetochore is established, the ubiquitin ligase (E3) Cdc20-activated APC/C (anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome) is repressed by the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) and sister chromatin cohesion is protected. Mutants defective in SAC fail to arrest at metaphase even in the presence of damaged microtubules. Interestingly, a similar phenomenon occurs in yeast cells defective in Bub2, a negative factor of the mitotic exit network (MEN), which is required for telophase onset, although its precise molecular mechanism is unknown. Here, we show that chromosome missegregation occurs frequently in bub2&x2206; cells in the presence of damaged microtubules. The loss of Bub2 caused precocious activation of APC/C-Cdh1/Hct1 at pre-anaphase, leading to securin degradation and then separase-mediated cohesin cleavage. Overexpression of CDH1 and CDC14, encoding Cdc14 phosphatase, at pre-anaphase similarly caused chromosome missegregation. Thus, sequential activation of APC/C-Cdc20 and then APC/C-Cdh1 is critical for precise chromosome segregation and precocious activation of APC/C-Cdh1 at pre-anaphase causes genomic instability. Since degradation of human securin is also mediated by APC/C-Cdc20 and APC/C-Cdh1, this study predicts that precocious activation APC/C-Cdh1 in human cells similarly causes genomic instability, and thereby cell death or tumorigenesis.
Ancient Trephinations in Neolithic People - Evidence for Stone Age Neurosurgery?
Authors: Piek Juergen , Lidke Gundula , Terberger Thomas 
Published: July 2019

AbstractThe authors present the case of a late neolithic skull (14C dating: 1940 calBC) found 1921 at Bölkendorf, 60 km north-easterly of Berlin. It shows a left frontal trephination (53 x 50 mm) and additionally a left temporo-occipital depressed skull fracture (both survived). Microscopic and 3D-CT analyses strongly suggest that the trephination has been performed for medical purposes.
Biodiversity shapes tree species aggregations in tropical forests
Authors: Wu Shan-Huah , Chao Wei-Chun , Hsieh Chang-Fu 
Published: July 2019

AbstractSpatial patterns of conspecific trees are considered as the consequences of biological interactions and environmental influences. They also reflect species interactions in plant communities. However, biological attributes are often neglected while deliberating the factors shaping species distributions. As rising attentions are paid to spatial patterns of tropical forest trees, we noticed that seven Center of Tropical Forest Sites and four Forest Dynamic Plots in Asia and America have presented analogously high proportions of species with aggregated conspecific individuals coincidently. This phenomenon is distinctive and repudiates fundamental ecology hypotheses which suggested dispersed distributions of conspecific tropical trees due to intensive density and natural enemy pressures in tropical forests. We believe that similar aggregation patterns shared by these tropical forests implies the existence of structuring forces in biogeographical scale instead of habitat heterogeneity in local community scales as scientists have considered. To approach the factors contributing to this cross-continent spatial pattern of trees, we obtained and reviewed ecosystem attributes, including topography, temperature, precipitation, biodiversity, density, and biomass, of these forests. Here we show that the proportions of aggregated species are actually constants independent of any ecosystem attributes regardless the nature of these tropical forests. However, local biodiversity are the major factor determining the number of aggregated species and the aggregation of large individuals of these forests. Aggregation of large trees declines along rising biodiversity, while the numbers of aggregated species increase permanently along lifting biodiversity. We propose a possible equilibrium and saturated status of the tropical forests in accommodating aggregated species. Furthermore, the tight correlations of biodiversity and species aggregation strongly imply the importance of overlooked biological interactions in shaping the spatial patterns in the tropical forests.
Sequence-specific Solution Structures of the Four Isosequential Pairs of Single-stranded DNAs and RNAs
Authors: Chatterjee Subhrangsu , Pathmasiri Wimal , Chattopadhyaya Jyoti 
Published: July 2019

AbstractThe role of the sequence-context in the self-organization of four single-stranded (ss) isosequential pairs of DNAs (1 – 4) and RNAs (5 – 8), [d/r-(5'C^1^A^2^X^3^G^4^Y^5^A^6^C^7^): X^3^ = A or C, Y^5^ = A or C; sequence variations: 2^2^ = 4], has been elucidated by NMR-constrained Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations (2 ns). Following sequence-specific observations have been made from the solution NMR and the NMR constrained MD simulation study: (i) Analysis of the NOESY footprints, mainly (H8/H6)~n~ to (H1' and H3')~n-1~ contacts, of ssDNAs (1 - 4) and ssRNAs (5 – 8) in the aqueous medium have shown that all ssDNAs (1 - 4) and ssRNAs (5 - 8) adopt right handed stacked helical structures in the NMR time scale. (ii) Intra-residual cross-peak intensities for the H(8/6)~n-~ H(1'/2'/2''/H3')~n~ contacts in ssDNAs and ssRNAs are stronger at the 3'-ends in comparison with those at the 5'-ends, suggesting that the dynamics of the nucleobases at the 3'-end are more restricted, whereas those at the 5'-end are more flexible. (iii) This relative NMR found mobility is consistent with the final RMSd calculations of the final NMR-MD structures of ssDNAs and ssRNAs. They show that the 5'-end nucleobases have higher RMSd values compared to those at the 3'-end, except for the sequence d/r(5'C^1^A^2^A^3^G^4^A^5^A^6^C^7^). (iv) Relative nOe intensities of inter-residual H(8/6)~n~ - H(1')~n-1~ and H(8/6)~n~ - H(3')~n-1~ contacts, as well as NMR observed fluctuations in the sugar conformations, for ssDNAs (1 – 4) and ssRNAs (5 – 8) show that no ssDNA or ssRNA adopts either a typical B-type DNA or A-type RNA form. (v) In the final NMR-MD structures all the [H8/6N~(n)~ — H1'N~(n-1)~/ H3'N~(n-1)~, N = A, G, C] distances in different isosequential pairs of ssDNA (1 – 4) and ssRNA (5 – 8) change depending upon the sequence context of the single-stranded nucleic acids. Both in the deoxy and ribo series, it is the purine-rich sequences [d/r-(5'C^1^A^2^A^3^G^4^A^5^A^6^C^7^) which form the most stable self-organized right-handed helical structures because of the favorable purine-purine stacking interactions. (vi) Stacking pattern at each of the dinucleotide steps show that the base-base nearest neighbor stacking interactions depend solely upon the sequence contexts of the respective ssDNAs (1 – 4) and ssRNAs (5 – 8). See pages 47 – 145 for Supplementary Information for detailed spectroscopic data.
Representing an Object by Interchanging What with Where
Authors: Ahn Jong-Hoon , Lee Yillbyung 
Published: July 2019

AbstractExploring representations is a fundamental step towards understanding vision. The visual system carries two types of information along separate pathways: One is about what it is and the other is about where it is. Initially, the what is represented by a pattern of activity that is distributed across millions of photoreceptors, whereas the where is 'implicitly' given as their retinotopic positions. Many computational theories of object recognition rely on such pixel-based representations, but they are insufficient to learn spatial information such as position and size due to the implicit encoding of the where information. Here we try transforming a retinal image of an object into its internal image via interchanging the what with the where, which means that patterns of intensity in internal image describe the spatial information rather than the object information. To be concrete, the retinal image of an object is deformed and turned over into a negative image, in which light areas appear dark and vice versa, and the object's spatial information is quantified with levels of intensity on borders of that image. Interestingly, the inner part excluding the borders of the internal image shows the position and scale invariance. In order to further understand how the internal image associates the what and where, we examined the internal image of a face which moves or is scaled on the retina. As a result, we found that the internal images form a linear vector space under the object translation and scaling. In conclusion, these results show that the what-where interchangeability might play an important role for organizing those two into internal representation of brain.
Diamond nanowires, a new approach towards next generation electrochemical gene sensor platforms
Authors: Yang Nianjun , Uetsuka Hiroshi , Yu Jiuhong , Osawa Eiji , Tokuda Norio , Nebel Christoph 
Published: July 2019

AbstractA novel bio-sensing platform is introduced by combination of a) geometrically controlled DNA bonding using vertically aligned diamond nano-wires and b) the superior electrochemical sensing properties of diamond as transducer material. Ultra-hard vertically aligned diamond nanowires are electrochemically modified to bond phenyl linker-molecules to their tips which provide mesospacing for DNA molecules on the transducer. The nano-wires are generated by reactive ion etching of metallically boron doped atomically smooth single crystalline CVD diamond. Surface properties are characterized by atomic force, scanning electron and scanning tunneling microcopy. Electro- and biochemical sensor properties are investigated using cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry as well as impedance spectroscopy with Fe(CN)63-/4- as redox mediators which reveal sensitivities of 2 pM on 3 mm2 sensor areas and superior DNA bonding stability over 30 hybridization/denaturation cycles. The fabrication of "all diamond" ultra-micro-electrode (UME) arrays and multi-gene sensors are discussed taking into account the unique properties of diamond.
A Report of the Mosquito Host Range of Pythium guiyangense Su
Authors: Su Xiaoqing 
Published: July 2019

AbstractMosquito causes problems in both disease transmission and disturbance to people's daily life. The controlling methods used now are mainly application of chemical pesticides which result in serious harm to environment. Biological control of the pest is one of the ideal ways. But, lack of suitable agent makes it difficult to extend this technique in wider scope. Pythium guiyangense Su is a newly found fungal pathogen of mosquitoes and is promising for practical use. Here we summarize a list of mosquitoes that can be infected by the fungus so far, which shows the potential significance of the application of the fungus in the future.
How gut sampling and microbial invasiveness/noninvasiveness provides mucosal immunity with a nonmolecular pattern means to distinguish commensals from pathogens: A review
Authors: Skoyles John 
Published: July 2019

AbstractMucosal immunity distinguishes not only different microbial antigens but also separates those of pathogens from those of commensals. How this is done is unknown. The present view is that the pathogen/commensal determination of antigens depends upon as yet to be discovered molecular patterns. Here I review the biological feasibility that it also involves the detection of the invasive differences in their motility towards the gut wall when they are sampled by differently biased methods. By their nature, pathogens and commensals have different motility – invasive and noninvasive – in regard to the epithelium. The immune system is in a position to detect such motility differences. This biological opportunity arises since different microbe sampling methods can “catch” different groups of microbes depending upon how their motility interacts with the epithelium. A biological method biased to sample those with invasive motility—pathogens—could be achieved by ‘honey pot traps’ that preferentially (but not exclusively) sample microbes that have a taxis to breaches in the epithelium. A biological method biased to sample those that are noninvasive—commensals—could be done by capturing microbes that are passively and stably residing in the biofilm “offshore” of the epithelium. Such differential sampling strategies would seem to relate to those carried out respectively by (i) M-cells (working with subepithelial dome dendritic cells), and (ii) sub- and intraepithelial dendritic cells.The interactions of antigen presentation can be arranged so that the immune system links antigens from biased microbial sampling with pathogenic or commensal appropriate immune responses. Such immune classification could feasibly occur biologically through a winner-take-all competition between inhibiting and activating antigen presentation. Winner-takes-all types of processing classification are already known to underlie the biologically interactions between neurons that classify sensory inputs making it also plausible that they are exploited by the immune system. In pathogen identification, M-cell antigens would be activating and biofilm antigens inhibitory, and vise versa for commensal identification. This winner-take-all competition between antigen presentation would act to amplify small statistical biases in the two samples linked to invasiveness/noninvasiveness into a reliable pathogen/commensal distinction. This process would both complement, and acts as independent guarantor, upon the alternative pathogenicity/commensality recognition provided by molecular pattern recognition.
Developing Language Abilities by a Non-verbal Training : A fMRI Study
Authors: Lefebvre Laurent , Balériaux Danielle , Paquier Philippe , Lowenthal Francis 
Published: July 2019

AbstractThe language ability is a critical aspect of experimental design in functional imaging studies. Today, it is commonly accepted that the brain structures underlying the language are more distributed than the traditional Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas. Currently, some other areas as the premotor cortex, the supplementary motor area, the cerebellum or subcortical structures, notably, are recognised. However, a lesser studied question is to define if it is possible to observe a reorganisation of the activation observed during language tasks when the subjects have been trained to develop non-verbal abilities. Particularly, Bates and Ellman (1996) claim that probabilistic regularities are the basis of the language acquisition processing.
Desynchronization of pathological low-frequency brain activity by the hypnotic drug zolpidem.
Authors: Hall Stephen , Yamawaki Naoki , Fisher Alison , Clauss Ralf , Woodhall Gavin , Stanford Ian 
Published: July 2019

AbstractReports of the beneficial effects of the hypnotic imidazopyridine, zolpidem, described in persistent vegetative state^1, 2^ have been replicated recently in brain-injured and cognitively impaired patients^3-7^. Previous single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies have suggested that sub-sedative doses of zolpidem increased regional cerebral perfusion in affected areas^5, 8^, implying enhanced neuronal metabolic activity; which has led to speculation that zolpidem 'reawakens' functionally dormant cortex. However, a neuronal mechanism by which this hypnotic drug affords benefits to brain injured patients has yet to be demonstrated. Here, we report the action of sub-sedative doses of zolpidem on neuronal network oscillatory activity in human brain, measured using pharmaco-magnetoencephalography (pharmaco-MEG). Study participant JP suffered a stroke in 1996, causing major damage to the left hemisphere that impaired aspects of both motor and cognitive function. Pharmaco-MEG analyses revealed robust and persistent pathological theta (4-10Hz) and beta (15-30Hz) oscillations within the lesion penumbra and surrounding cortex. Administration of zolpidem (5mg) reduced the power of pathological theta and beta oscillations in all regions of the lesioned hemisphere. This desynchronizing effect correlated well with zolpidem uptake (occurring approximately 40 minutes after acute administration) and was coincident with marked improvements in cognitive and motor function. Control experiments revealed no effect of placebo, while a structurally unrelated hypnotic, zopiclone, administered at a comparable dose (3.5mg) elicited widespread increases in cortical oscillatory power in the beta (15-30Hz) band without functional improvement. These results suggest that in JP, specific motor and cognitive impairments are related to increased low-frequency oscillatory neuronal network activity. Zolpidem is unique amongst hypnotic drugs in its ability to desynchronize such pathological low-frequency activity, thereby restoring cognitive function.
The Broad Spectrum HDAC Inhibitor PCI-24781 Induces Caspase- and ROS-Dependent Apoptosis and is Synergistic with Bortezomib in Lymphoma
Authors: Bhalla Savita , Balasubramanian Sriram , David Kevin , Sirisawad Mint , Buggy Joseph , Mauro Lauren , Prachand Sheila , Miller Richard , Gordon Leo , Evens Andrew 
Published: July 2019

AbstractWe investigated the cytotoxicity and biology of the novel broad-spectrum hydroxamic acid-based histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), PCI-24781. PCI-24781 was studied alone and combined with bortezomib in Hodgkin lymphoma (L428) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cell lines (Ramos, HF1, SUDHL4). PCI-24781 induced dose-dependent apoptosis that was associated with prominent G0/G1 arrest, decreased S-phase, increased p21 protein expression, and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, PCI-24781-induced apoptosis was shown to be ROS- and caspase-dependent. Combined PCI-24781 and bortezomib exposure resulted in strong synergistic apoptosis in all cell lines (combination indices 0.19-0.6). Furthermore, compared to either agent alone, PCI-24781/bortezomib resulted in increased caspase cleavage, mitochondrial depolarization, and histone hyperacetylation. Microarray analyses showed that PCI-24781 alone significantly downregulated several antioxidant genes, proteasome components, and NF-kappaB pathway genes, effects which were enhanced further with bortezomib. RT-PCR confirmed downregulation of NF-kappaB targets NF-kappaB1 (p105), c-Myc, and IkappaB-kinase subunits, while gel-shift showed decreased NF-kappaB DNA-binding activity. Taken together, these results suggest that increased oxidative stress and NF-kappaB inhibition, leading to caspase activation and apoptosis, are likely responsible for the activity of PCI-24781 as well as the observed synergy with bortezomib. These data indicate that PCI-24781 has potential therapeutic value in lymphoma as a single-agent and combined with bortezomib.
Specification of spatial relationships in directed graphs of cell signaling networks
Authors: Lipshtat Azi , Neves Susana , Iyengar Ravi 
Published: July 2019

AbstractGraph theory provides a useful and powerful tool for the analysis of cellular signaling networks. Intracellular components such as cytoplasmic signaling proteins, transcription factors and genes are connected by links, representing various types of chemical interactions that result in functional consequences. However, these graphs lack important information regarding the spatial distribution of cellular components. The ability of two cellular components to interact depends not only on their mutual chemical affinity but also on co-localization to the same subcellular region. Localization of components is often used as a regulatory mechanism to achieve specific effects in response to different receptor signals. Here we describe an approach for incorporating spatial distribution into graphs, and for the development of mixed graphs where links are specified by mutual chemical affinity as well as colocalization. We suggest that such mixed graphs will provide more accurate descriptions of functional cellular networks and their regulatory capabilities and aid in the development of large-scale predictive models of cellular behavior.