bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
ab initio Energetics and Thermoelectric Profiles of Gallium Pnictide Polytypes
Authors: Gajaria Trupti K. , Dabhi Shweta D. , Jha Prafulla K. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractThe state-of-the-art Density Functional Theory (DFT) is utilized to investigate the structural, electronic, vibrational, thermal and thermoelectric properties of gallium pnictides GaX (X = P, As, Sb) in cubic zincblende (ZB) and hexagonal wurtzite (WZ) phases. The lattice parameters, bulk modulus, energy band nature and bandgap values, phonon, thermal and thermoelectric properties are revisited for ZB phase while for WZ phase they are predictive. Our results agree reasonably well with the experimental and theoretical data wherever they are available. The phonon dispersion curves are computed to validate the dynamic stability of these two polytypes and for further investigating the thermal and thermoelectric properties. Our computed thermoelectric figure of merit ZT gives consistent results with highest observed magnitude of 0.72 and 0.56 for GaSb compound in ZB and WZ phases respectively. The first time calculated temperature variation of lattice thermal conductivity for WZ phase shows lower value than ZB phase and hence an important factor to enhance the figure of merit of considered gallium pnictides in WZ phase. Present results validate the importance of GaX in high temperature thermoelectric applications as the figure of merit ZT shows enhancement with significant reduction in thermal conductivity at higher temperature values.
Lipid normalization and stable isotope discrimination in Pacific walrus tissues
Authors: Clark Casey T. , Horstmann Lara , Misarti Nicole 
Published: April 2019

AbstractAnalysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values (δ13C and δ15N) of animal tissues can provide important information about diet, physiology, and movements. Interpretation of δ13C and δ15N values, however, is influenced by factors such as sample lipid content, tissue-specific isotope discrimination, and tissue turnover rates, which are typically species- and tissue-specific. In this study, we generated lipid normalization models for δ13C and investigated the effects of chemical lipid extractions on δ13C and δ15N in Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) muscle, liver, and skin. We also evaluated tissue-specific isotope discrimination in walrus muscle, liver, skin, and bone collagen. Mean δ13Clipid-free of skin and bone collagen were similar, as were mean δ15N of muscle and liver. All other tissues differed significantly for both isotopes. Differences in δ13Clipid-free and δ15N among tissues agreed with published estimates of marine mammal tissue-specific isotope discrimination factors, with the exception of skin. The results of this work will allow researchers to gain a clearer understanding of walrus diet and the structure of Arctic food webs, while also making it possible to directly compare the results of contemporary walrus isotope research with those of historic and paleoecological studies.
Distinct Phenotypes Induced by Three Degrees of Transverse Aortic Constriction in Mice
Authors: Richards Daniel A. , Aronovitz Mark J. , Calamaras Timothy D. , Tam Kelly , Martin Gregory L. , Liu Peiwen , Bowditch Heather K. , Zhang Phyllis , Huggins Gordon S. , Blanton Robert M. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractTransverse aortic constriction (TAC) is a well-established model of pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy and failure in mice. The degree of constriction “tightness” dictates the TAC severity and is determined by the gauge (G) of needle used. Though many reports use the TAC model, few studies have directly compared the range of resulting phenotypes. In this study adult male mice were randomized to receive TAC surgery with varying degrees of tightness: mild (25G), moderate (26G) or severe (27G) for 4 weeks, alongside sham-operated controls. Weekly echocardiography and terminal haemodynamic measurements determined cardiac remodelling and function. All TAC models induced significant, severity-dependent left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction compared to sham mice. Mice subjected to 26G TAC additionally exhibited mild systolic dysfunction and cardiac fibrosis, whereas mice in the 27G TAC group had more severe systolic and diastolic dysfunction, severe cardiac fibrosis, and were more likely to display features of heart failure, such as elevated plasma BNP. We also observed renal atrophy in 27G TAC mice, in the absence of renal structural, functional or gene expression changes. 25G, 26G and 27G TAC produced different responses in terms of cardiac structure and function. These distinct phenotypes may be useful in different preclinical settings.
The nitrogen nutrition potential of arable soils
Authors: Nendel Claas , Melzer Dennis , Thorburn Peter J. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractSoils are an important source of nitrogen in many of the world’s cropping systems. Especially in low-input production systems, nitrogen release from soil organic matter turn-over is the major part of the crop’s nitrogen supply and research suggests that this process is significantly affected by changes in climate. The knowledge of the amount of nitrogen being accountable for crop nutrition is purely empirical in many production areas in the world and data as a foundation of global-scale climate change and food security assessments is scarce. Here we demonstrate that nitrogen mineralisation in general follows similar rules as for carbon, but with different implications for agricultural systems. We analysed 340 data sets from previously published incubation experiments for potential nitrogen mineralisation which covered a large range of soils and climate conditions. We find that under warm and all-year humid conditions the share of potentially mineralisable nitrogen in the soil’s total nitrogen is significantly smaller than in dry or temperate environments. We conclude that – despite relatively high soil nitrogen stocks – soil-borne nitrogen supply for crop production is very low in tropical and humid subtropical environments, which is a critical piece of information for global assessments of agricultural production and food security.
Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) approach for detection of heat-resistant Talaromyces flavus species
Authors: Panek Jacek , Frąc Magdalena 
Published: April 2019

AbstractTalaromyces flavus is a soilborne fungus that can contaminate fruits. It constitutes serious influence on heat-processed food spoilage, as T. flavus belongs to the heat-resistant fungi group, which are able to survive the pasteurization process. Moreover T. flavus has been reported to be capable of mycotoxigenicity, therefore they have a serious threat to human health. To maintain the safety of food production, sensitive method for T. flavus detection was developed. The loop mediated amplification, abbreviated LAMP, reactions were designed as specific for detection of DNA replication licensing factor gene of T. flavus. The specificity of assay was confirmed by use of 5 T. flavus strains and 35 other fungal isolates. The achieved limit of detection was 1fg of T. flavus genomic DNA and 64 ascospores in 1 g of strawberry fruits or soil samples.
Pattern Learning Electronic Density of States
Authors: Yeo Byung Chul , Kim Donghun , Kim Chansoo , Han Sang Soo 
Published: April 2019

AbstractElectronic density of states (DOS) is a key factor in condensed matter physics and material science that determines the properties of metals. First-principles density-functional theory (DFT) calculations have typically been used to obtain the DOS despite the considerable computation cost. Herein, we report a fast machine learning method for predicting the DOS patterns of not only bulk structures but also surface structures in multi-component alloy systems by a principal component analysis. Within this framework, we use only four features to define the composition, atomic structure, and surfaces of alloys, which are the d-orbital occupation ratio, coordination number, mixing factor, and the inverse of miller indices. While the DFT method scales as O(N3) in which N is the number of electrons in the system size, our pattern learning method can be independent on the number of electrons. Furthermore, our method provides a pattern similarity of 91 ~ 98% compared to DFT calculations. This reveals that our learning method will be an alternative that can break the trade-off relationship between accuracy and speed that is well known in the field of electronic structure calculations.
Pathway centrality in protein interaction networks identifies putative functional mediating pathways in pulmonary disease
Authors: Park Jisoo , Hescott Benjamin J. , Slonim Donna K. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractIdentification of functional pathways mediating molecular responses may lead to better understanding of disease processes and suggest new therapeutic approaches. We introduce a method to detect such mediating functions using topological properties of protein-protein interaction networks. We define the concept of pathway centrality, a measure of communication between disease genes and differentially expressed genes. Using pathway centrality, we identify mediating pathways in three pulmonary diseases (asthma; bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD); and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)). We systematically evaluate the significance of all identified central pathways using genetic interactions. Mediating pathways shared by all three pulmonary disorders favor innate immune and inflammation-related processes, including toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling, PDGF- and angiotensin-regulated airway remodeling, the JAK-STAT signaling pathway, and interferon gamma. Disease-specific mediators, such as neurodevelopmental processes in BPD or adhesion molecules in COPD, are also highlighted. Some of our findings implicate pathways already in development as drug targets, while others may suggest new therapeutic approaches.
Tropical forest conversion to rubber plantation affects soil micro- & mesofaunal community & diversity
Authors: Singh Dharmesh , Slik J. W. Ferry , Jeon Yoon-Seong , Tomlinson Kyle W. , Yang Xiaodong , Wang Jin , Kerfahi Dorsaf , Porazinska Dorota L. , Adams Jonathan M. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractTropical rainforests play important roles in carbon sequestration and are hot spots for biodiversity. Tropical forests are being replaced by rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) plantations, causing widespread concern of a crash in biodiversity. Such changes in aboveground vegetation might have stronger impacts on belowground biodiversity. We studied tropical rainforest fragments and derived rubber plantations at a network of sites in Xishuangbanna, China, hypothesizing a major decrease in diversity with conversion to plantations. We used metabarcoding of the 18S rRNA gene and recovered 2313 OTUs, with a total of 449 OTUs shared between the two land-use types. The most abundant phyla detected were Annelida (66.4% reads) followed by arthropods (15.5% reads) and nematodes (8.9% reads). Of these, only annelids were significantly more abundant in rubber plantation. Taken together, α- and β-diversity were significantly higher in forest than rubber plantation. Soil pH and spatial distance explained a significant portion of the variability in phylogenetic community structure for both land-use types. Community assembly was primarily influenced by stochastic processes. Overall it appears that forest replacement by rubber plantation results in an overall loss and extensive replacement of soil micro- and mesofaunal biodiversity, which should be regarded as an additional aspect of the impact of forest conversion.
Temporal changes in obesity and sleep habits in Hong Kong Chinese school children: a prospective study
Authors: Lim Lee-Ling , Tse Gary , Choi Kai Chow , Zhang Jihui , Luk Andrea O. Y. , Chow Elaine , Ma Ronald C. W. , Chan Michael H. M. , Wing Yun Kwok , Kong Alice P. S. , Chan Juliana C. N. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractWe examined the temporal changes in obesity and sleep habits and their relationship in a prospective cohort of healthy Chinese adolescents. We collected data on anthropometric and questionnaire-measured sleep parameters in 2007–2008. 516 participants returned for examinations in 2013–2015. General obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥age- and sex-specific 95th percentile or ≥25 kg/m2 for participants aged <18 or ≥18 years, respectively. Central obesity was defined as waist circumference (WC) ≥ age- and sex-specific 90th percentile or using adult cut-offs. After a mean follow-up of 6.2 ± 0.5 years, the mean BMI increased from 18.5 ± 3.1 to 20.9 ± 3.4 kg/m2. The corresponding WC were 63.7 ± 8.9 and 69.8 ± 9.7 cm. General obesity rate increased from 8.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.1–11.1) to 11.3% (8.7–14.4; p = 0.034). Central obesity rate decreased from 16.9% (13.7–20.4) to 13.5% (10.6–16.8; p = 0.034). During follow-up, more participants reported short sleep (<7 hours/day during weekday: 20.5% [17.1–24.2] vs. 15.3% [12.3–18.8]; p = 0.033) and bedtime after midnight (60.5% [56.2–64.8] vs. 16.2% [13.1–19.7]; p < 0.001) than baseline. The relative risk of overweight/obesity in participants with short sleep and late bedtime was 1.30 (0.48–3.47) and 1.46 (0.70–3.05), respectively. Despite rising rates of unhealthy sleep habits and general obesity, their associations were not significant at 6-year of follow-up.
Reconstructing recent population history while mapping rare variants using haplotypes
Authors: Yunusbaev Ural , Valeev Albert , Yunusbaeva Milyausha , Kwon Hyung Wook , Mägi Reedik , Metspalu Mait , Yunusbayev Bayazit 
Published: April 2019

AbstractHaplotype-based methods are a cost-effective alternative to characterize unobserved rare variants and map disease-associated alleles. Moreover, they can be used to reconstruct recent population history, which shaped distribution of rare variants and thus can be used to guide gene mapping studies. In this study, we analysed Illumina 650 k genotyped dataset on three underrepresented populations from Eastern Europe, where ancestors of Russians came into contact with two indigenous ethnic groups, Bashkirs and Tatars. Using the IBD mapping approach, we identified two rare IBD haplotypes strongly enriched in asthma patients of distinct ethnic background. We reconstructed recent population history using haplotype-based methods to reconcile this contradictory finding. Our ChromoPainter analysis showed that these haplotypes each descend from a single ancestor coming from one of the ethnic groups studied. Next, we used DoRIS approach and showed that source populations for patients exchanged recent (<60 generations) asymmetric gene flow, which supported the ChromoPainter-based scenario that patients share haplotypes through inter-ethnic admixture. Finally, we show that these IBD haplotypes overlap with asthma-associated genomic regions ascertained in European population. This finding is consistent with the fact that the two donor populations for the rare IBD haplotypes: Russians and Tatars have European ancestry.
Effects of a brief workplace-centered consultation for employees with musculoskeletal pain on health outcomes: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Leiss Harald , Hucke Miriam , Bécède Manuel , Machold-Fabrizii Veronika , Smolen Josef S. , Machold Klaus P. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractMusculoskeletal (MSK) diseases affect a substantial proportion of the population. Specialist consultations were offered at the workplace for people with musculoskeletal (MSK)-complaints. We analyzed data on pain and well-being as well as health economic data at baseline. Lasting effects of the consultation were analyzed at a follow-up-interview after 12 months. Baseline data of 344 individuals were available. Occupations were divided into physically highly demanding (HD) or less demanding. Women reported significantly higher pain levels and less QoL than men. Sick leave days were significantly more in HD-workers. Independent of workload, significantly higher percentages of women had cervical- and upper limb-pain than men, with significantly higher pain in upper limbs in HD-workers. 235 participants were available for telephone-follow-up. QoL and MSK-pain improved significantly. Yearly out-of-pocket spendings for treatments significantly increased. NSAID use significantly decreased, whereas use of non-drug musculoskeletal-medical-services was significantly higher after one year. Regarding MSK-symptoms in gainfully employed individuals, the study showed significantly different workload-dependent differences in QoL. Significant effects of a consultation by a MSK-specialist were shown in terms of improved MSK-pain and overall well-being. This workplace-centered consultation had significant effects on beneficial health-behavior such as decreased use of NSAID and increased engagement in gymnastics and physiotherapy.
Role of Per3, a circadian clock gene, in embryonic development of mouse cerebral cortex
Authors: Noda Mariko , Iwamoto Ikuko , Tabata Hidenori , Yamagata Takanori , Ito Hidenori , Nagata Koh-ichi 
Published: April 2019

AbstractPer3 is one of the primary components of circadian clock system. While circadian dysregulation is known to be involved in the pathogenesis of several neuropsychiatric diseases. It remains largely unknown whether they participate in embryonic brain development. Here, we examined the role of clock gene Per3 in the development of mouse cerebral cortex. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that Per3 is expressed in the developing mouse cortex. Acute knockdown of Per3 with in utero electroporation caused abnormal positioning of cortical neurons, which was rescued by RNAi-resistant Per3. Per3-deficient cells showed abnormal migration phenotypes, impaired axon extension and dendritic arbor formation. Taken together, Per3 was found to play a pivotal role in corticogenesis via regulation of excitatory neuron migration and synaptic network formation.
Telocytes constitute a widespread interstitial meshwork in the lamina propria and underlying striated muscle of human tongue
Authors: Rosa Irene , Taverna Cecilia , Novelli Luca , Marini Mirca , Ibba-Manneschi Lidia , Manetti Mirko 
Published: April 2019

AbstractTelocytes have recently emerged as unique interstitial cells defined by their extremely long, thin and moniliform prolongations termed telopodes. Despite growing evidence that these cells consistently reside in the stromal compartment of various organs from human beings, studies dealing with telocytes in structures of the oral cavity are scarce. Hence, the present morphologic study was undertaken to explore for the first time the presence and specific localization of telocytes within tissues of the normal human tongue, a complex muscular organ whose main functions include taste, speech, and food manipulation in the oral cavity. Telocytes were initially identified by CD34 immunostaining and confirmed by CD34/PDGFRα double immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy. CD34+/PDGFRα+ telocytes were organized in interstitial meshworks either in the tongue lamina propria or in the underlying striated muscle. Lingual telocytes were immunonegative for CD31, c-kit and α-SMA. Telopodes were finely distributed throughout the stromal space and concentrated beneath the lingual epithelium and around CD31+ vessels, skeletal muscle bundles/fibers, and intramuscular nerves and ganglia. They also enveloped salivary gland units outside the α-SMA+ myoepithelial cells and delimited lymphoid aggregates. These findings establish telocytes as a previously overlooked interstitial cell population worth investigating further in the setting of human tongue pathophysiology.
Exploitation of the Escherichia coli lac operon promoter for controlled recombinant protein production
Authors: Browning Douglas F. , Godfrey Rita E. , Richards Kirsty L. , Robinson Colin , Busby Stephen J.W. 
Published: April 2019

Abstract
The Escherichia coli lac operon promoter is widely used as a tool to control recombinant protein production in bacteria. Here, we give a brief review of how it functions, how it is regulated, and how, based on this knowledge, a suite of lac promoter derivatives has been developed to give a controlled expression that is suitable for diverse biotechnology applications.
Attention in Bilingual Children With Developmental Language Disorder
Authors: Ebert Kerry Danahy , Rak Diane , Slawny Caitlyn M. , Fogg Louis 
Published: April 2019

Purpose
Attention and language are hypothesized to interact in bilingual children and in children with developmental language disorder (DLD). In children who are bilingual, attentional control may be enhanced by repeated experience regulating 2 languages. In children with DLD, subtle weaknesses in sustained attention may relate to impaired language processing. This study measured attentional control and sustained attention in monolingual and bilingual children with and without DLD in order to examine the potential influences of bilingualism and DLD, as well as their intersection, on attention.

Method
Monolingual English-only and bilingual Spanish–English children aged 6–8 years were categorized into participant groups based on eligibility testing and parent interviews. Parent interviews included standardized assessment of language environment and parent concern regarding language. Participants completed 2 nonlinguistic computerized assessments: a flanker task to measure attentional control and a continuous performance task to measure sustained attention.

Results
One hundred nine children met all eligibility criteria for inclusion in a participant group. Regression models predicting performance on the attention tasks were similar for both sustained attention and attentional control. For both tasks, DLD was a significant predictor, and bilingualism was not. Measuring bilingualism continuously using parent-reported exposure did not alter results.

Conclusions
This study found no evidence of a “bilingual cognitive advantage” on 2 types of attention among sequential Spanish–English bilingual children but also found a negative effect of DLD that was consistent across both types of attention and both bilingual and monolingual children. Results are consistent with the broader literature on subtle nonlinguistic deficits in children with DLD and suggest these deficits are minimally affected by diverse linguistic experience.
Assessing the Link Between Perception and Production in Cantonese Tone Acquisition
Authors: Mok Peggy Pik Ki , Fung Holly Sze Ho , Li Vivian Guo 
Published: April 2019

PurposePrevious studies showed early production precedes late perception in Cantonese tone acquisition, contrary to the general principle that perception precedes production in child language. How tone production and perception are linked in 1st language acquisition remains largely unknown. Our study revisited the acquisition of tone in Cantonese-speaking children, exploring the possible link between production and perception in 1st language acquisition.MethodOne hundred eleven Cantonese-speaking children aged between 2;0 and 6;0 (years;months) and 10 adolescent reference speakers participated in tone production and perception experiments. Production materials with 30 monosyllabic words were transcribed in filtered and unfiltered conditions by 2 native judges. Perception accuracy was based on a 2-alternative forced-choice task with pictures covering all possible tone pair contrasts.ResultsChildren's accuracy of production and perception of all the 6 Cantonese tones was still not adultlike by age 6;0. Both production and perception accuracies matured with age. A weak positive link was found between the 2 accuracies. Mother's native language contributed to children's production accuracy.ConclusionsOur findings show that production and perception abilities are associated in tone acquisition. Further study is needed to explore factors affecting production accuracy in children.Supplemental Materialhttps://doi.org/10.23641/asha.7960826