bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Band‐Gap Narrowing of Highly Stable Heterogeneous ZrO2–ZnO Nanocomposites for the Reductive Amination of Carbonyl Compounds with Formic Acid and Triethylamine
Authors: Mishra Kanchan , Kim Sung Hong , Lee Yong Rok 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThe band gap of a material can be affected by factors such as size, doping materials, and oxygen vacancies. The decrease in band gap and change in state of ZrO2 with the addition of ZnO indicates interfacial interactions between ZrO2 and ZnO in the nanocomposites (NCs), which is further confirmed by the observed shift of the peaks in the Raman spectra. Heterobimetallic ZrO2–ZnO NCs were synthesized through a sustainable green approach by using sucrose isolated from Angelica gigas Nakai root extract. The highly stable NCs displayed excellent catalytic activity for reductive amination of carbonyl compounds utilizing HCO2H/(CH3CH2)3N as a hydrogen source. The high catalytic performance of the NCs was closely correlated with the narrow band gap and synergistic effect of ZrO2 with ZnO in the NCs.
Electrochemical Oxidative C(sp3)−H/N−H Cross‐Coupling for N‐Mannich Bases with Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Wang Pan , Yang Zhenlin , Wu Ting , Xu Chenyang , Wang Ziwei , Lei Aiwen 
Published: December 2018

AbstractN‐Mannich bases are an important structure in various functional molecules. A new protocol to synthesize N‐Mannich bases was established through electrochemical external‐oxidant‐free C(sp3)−H/N−H cross‐coupling with hydrogen evolution. Various N‐methylanilines were explored in this transformation. Moreover, simple amides, heteroatom‐containing amides, and succinimides were well tolerated in moderate‐to‐good yields. In addition, the electrochemical dehydrogenative C(sp3)−H/N−H cross‐coupling could be scaled up to 5 mmol. By using triethyl phosphite as trapping agent, the phosphorylation product was detected. At the same time, kinetic isotope effect experiments showed that the cleavage of the C−H bond is the rate‐limiting step.
Urinary concentrations of AICAR and mannitol in athlete population
Authors: Sobolevsky Tim , Ahrens Brian 
Published: December 2018

AbstractBoth AICAR and mannitol are prohibited for use in sports, but no decisive criteria that would guide anti‐doping laboratories on data interpretation have been established so far. In an attempt to help harmonize reporting and management of analytical findings, reference population data collected for US athletes are presented. Upon analysis of 12 377 samples, mean urinary AICAR concentration was found to be 647 ± 365 ng/mL with median value of 574 ng/mL, 99th percentile at 1786 ng/mL and 99.7th percentile at 2151 ng/mL. Based on these results, we suggest that any sample with AICAR concentration greater than 2000 or 2500 ng/mL be analyzed by carbon isotope ratio mass spectrometry to establish the origin. Urinary mannitol concentrations demonstrate larger variation with the mean value of 72 ± 140 μg/mL and median at 41 μg/mL (n = 6407). While the 99.7th percentile for mannitol was measured to be 1094 μg/mL, the population data alone is not sufficient to suggest a threshold value. It is also shown that the use of mannitol as a sweetener in amounts of up to 20 g per day results in a urinary concentration of about 14 mg/mL. As only intravenous mannitol is prohibited in sports, controlled excretion studies are needed to see whether intravenous administration could in fact be discriminated from dietary intake. An important observation is that mannitol present in mg/mL quantities significantly increases urine specific gravity, which makes a widely accepted normalization approach not applicable.
Fine‐scale stand structure mediates drought‐induced tree mortality in pinyon–juniper woodlands
Authors: Flake Samuel W. , Weisberg Peter J. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractSevere drought has resulted in widespread tree die‐off events in forests and woodlands globally and is forecast to become more frequent in coming decades. Tree mortality is a complex process influenced by climate, soils, characteristics of individual trees, interactions between trees, and the dynamics of pests and pathogens. The role of stand structure and stand density in mediating the resistance of trees to drought remains poorly understood, especially in semiarid woodlands, which are expected to be highly susceptible to future severe drought. We sampled permanent plots in central Nevada woodlands dominated by single‐leaf pinyon pine and Utah juniper before and after a severe multi‐year drought (2013–2015) to investigate the importance of climate, tree attributes, and local‐neighborhood stand structure on tree mortality and canopy dieback at the level of individual trees and 0.1‐ha plots. We observed widespread tree mortality of pinyon at approximately eight times the reported background mortality rate, and substantial canopy dieback in both pinyon and juniper. Both species were more prone to mortality and dieback in hotter, drier sites. Canopy dieback was associated with both long‐term average climate and the severity of recent drought, with elevated mortality on sites with higher water deficits, average summer temperatures, and vapor pressure deficits. Soils also played a role in tree dieback, with greater mortality on deeper soils. While mortality was driven largely by climate at coarse scales, fine‐scale stand structure interacted with climate to mediate mortality and dieback. Neighborhood statistics showed that trees were susceptible to competitive influence, and pinyon trees were especially sensitive to neighborhood density on drier sites. Mortality and dieback were associated with diverse, co‐occurring insect and parasitic plant mortality agents. Canopy dieback prior to the drought was strongly associated with tree mortality during the drought, implying that current widespread defoliation caused by these agents may foreshadow future elevated woodland decline. Fine‐scale influences such as stand structure and soil characteristics play a key role in the long‐term dynamics of semiarid woodlands, and these factors should be considered in predictive models of forest and woodland susceptibility to drought.
Collapse of trophic‐niche structure in belowground communities under anthropogenic disturbance
Authors: Korotkevich Anastasiya Yu. , Potapov Anton M. , Tiunov Alexei V. , Kuznetsova Natalia A. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThe niche concept is a central paradigm in ecology, but empirical evidence on how the niche structure of belowground communities is affected by ecosystem disturbance is lacking. Niche differentiation evolves due to stable coexistence of species in a community, suggesting that in unstable communities, the niches of species should largely overlap. Here, we test this prediction using empirical data on the trophic‐niche structure of several belowground collembolan communities of natural (forest and meadow) and disturbed (pasture and urban lawn) habitats. Scaled stable isotope compositions of carbon and nitrogen were used to reveal the trophic specialization of species. In full agreement with the theoretical predictions, trophic‐niche structure collapsed in disturbed habitats, which was illustrated by decreased interspecific and increased intraspecific variation in the stable isotope compositions. In stable natural habitats, different trophic niches are occupied by different collembolan species, but in disturbed habitats, poor niche specialization is partly compensated for by intraspecific trophic flexibility. The simplification of food‐web structure was in line with the evidence coming from disturbed aquatic ecosystems, suggesting that the collapse of trophic‐niche structure may be a common feature of disturbed communities across biomes.
The Wisdom of Thanos in Fishery Science: Why Manage Catch-and-Release Fisheries?
Authors: Love Joseph W 
Published: December 2018

Abstract
In the Marvel Comics movie “Avengers: Infinity War,” the god-like character Thanos regulates resources by eliminating half the human population. The goal (not the mechanism) is shared with fishery scientists who labor to allocate resources fairly and sustainably in open-access fisheries. Minimizing human exploitation is perceptively easier via catch-and-release fishing. This widespread and voluntary form of fishing has improved sustainability of Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides. As a fishery manager for bass in Maryland, I therefore asked whether scientists need to manage catch-and-release fisheries. I used an age-structured population model to test for circumstances under which catch-and-release fishing may not sustain Largemouth Bass populations. As was observed for a wild riverine population, I found that low to moderate levels of exploitation (e.g., catch-and-release mortality) could cause negative impacts when habitat loss also restricted recruitment. Although Thanos may have been wrong when thinking that reduced exploitation always leads to more resources, the wisdom in that admission encourages fishery and environmental agencies to jointly manage fish habitat and ensure the sustainability of sport fish.
Are overweight people more susceptible to anxiety?
Authors: Zhang Chichen , Li Mimi , Zhao Huining , Zhu Ruifang , Zheng Xiao , Lu Jiao , Du Yufeng , Yu Lingwei , Yang Tingzhong 
Published: December 2018

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate anxiety status and its relationship with body mass index (BMI) among empty nesters in China, so as to improve their quality of life and provide direction for further research.MethodsA cross‐sectional survey was conducted among 4901 empty nesters in Shanxi, China. Anxiety, weight, height, depression, socio‐demographic variables, attention to daily nutritional health, social activities, and self‐care ability were evaluated in the study. T‐tests and chi‐square tests were used to compare differences in categorical and continuous variables. Binary logistic regression was performed to explore the association between anxiety and BMI among male and female empty nesters.ResultsThe results showed that 44.5% of empty nesters reported anxiety, of which, 43.2% were male participants and 45.9% were female participants. After adjusting for other variables, overweight empty nesters odds ratio (OR; 95% confidence interval [CI]) = 0.813 (0.692‐0.954) were less likely to be anxious, compared with their normal‐weight counterparts. Gender was a significant factor in the relationship, with the negative association between overweight and anxiety only found in female empty nesters OR (95%CI) = 0.718 (0.572‐0.901). Income, education, complete self‐care ability, and depression showed significant associations with anxiety.ConclusionThe prevalence of anxiety was high in the study population. Gender is a significant factor in the relationship between anxiety and BMI among empty nesters. The results intend to inform the government and media that overweight is a protective factor for anxiety among female empty nesters, necessitating a move toward eliminating weight bias.
ROI and phobias: The effect of ROI approach on an ALE meta‐analysis of specific phobias
Authors: Gentili Claudio , Messerotti Benvenuti Simone , Lettieri Giada , Costa Cristiano , Cecchetti Luca 
Published: December 2018

AbstractAbout 90% of fMRI findings on specific phobias (SP) include analysis of region of interest (ROI). This approach characterized by higher sensitivity may produce inflated results, particularly when findings are aggregated in meta‐analytic maps. Here, we conducted a systematic review and activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta‐analysis on SP, testing the impact of the inclusion of ROI‐based studies. ALE meta‐analyses were carried out either including ROI‐based results or focusing on whole‐brain voxelwise studies exclusively. To assess the risk of bias in the neuroimaging field, we modified the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) and measured the reliability of fMRI findings. Of the 31 selected investigations (564 patients and 485 controls) one‐third did not motivate ROI selection: five studies did not report an explicit rationale, whereas four did not cite any specific reference in this regard. Analyses including ROI‐based studies revealed differences between phobics and healthy subjects in several regions of the limbic circuit. However, when focusing on whole‐brain analysis, only the anterior midcingulate cortex differentiated SP from controls. Notably, 13 studies were labeled with low risk of bias according to the adapted NOS. The inclusion of ROI‐based results artificially inflates group differences in fMRI meta‐analyses. Moreover, a priori, well‐motivated selection of ROIs is desirable to improve quality and reproducibility in SP neuroimaging studies. Lastly, the use of modified NOS may represent a valuable way to assess and evaluate biases in fMRI studies: “low risk” of bias was reported for less than half of the included studies, indicating the need for better practices in fMRI.
Chemoselective Derivatization of Folded Synthetic Insulin Variants with Potassium Acyltrifluoroborates (KATs)
Authors: Boross Gábor N. , Schauenburg Dominik , Bode Jeffrey W. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractSynthetic folded insulin variants containing an ornithine‐hydroxylamine residue are readily modified in aqueous buffers by amide‐forming ligations with potassium acyltrifluoroborates (KATs). The synthetic insulin analogs were prepared by Fmoc‐SPPS, α‐ketoacid‐hydroxylamine (KAHA) ligation, and a prosthetic C‐peptide that delivers the correct disulfide pattern and allows facile incorporation at the B0 position of Glargine M2 of a new ornithine hydroxylamine protected with a photolabile group. The folded insulin is readily modified by photo‐deprotection followed by amide‐forming KAT ligation to give insulin variants labeled with dyes, lipids, and PEGs, as well as the formation of a covalent dimer.
MicroRNA‐384 regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis through directly targeting WISP1 in laryngeal cancer
Authors: Wang Liang , Sun Jin , Cao Hua 
Published: December 2018

AbstractLaryngeal cancer (LC) is an increasingly common malignant tumors of head and neck cancer. Aberrant expression of microRNA (miRNA) is closely related with LC development. In the current study, we investigated the biological function and underlying molecular mechanism of miR‐384 in LC. The results showed that the miR‐384 expression was markedly downregulated in LC tissue and cell lines (TU212 and TU686) as compared with that of adjacent nontumor tissues and a normal human bronchial epithelial cell line. Next, we performed gain‐of‐function and loss‐of‐function experiments in the TU212 and TU686 cells by transfecting the cells with miR‐384 mimics, miR‐384 inhibitor, or miRNA control. Moreover, results showed that miR‐384 mimic remarkably inhibited LC cell proliferation, which was notably decreased by miR‐384 inhibitor. Furthermore, miR‐384 mimics notably increased the amounts of DNA fragmentation from the apoptotic cells (a hallmark of apoptosis) and the caspase‐3 activity, whereas miR‐384 inhibitor resulted in a decline of DNA fragmentation and the caspase‐3 activity compared with its control. In addition, a dual‐luciferase reporter assay confirmed that Wnt‐induced secreted protein‐1 (WISP1) gene was a direct target of miR‐384. MiR‐384 mimic remarkably inhibited the messenger RNA and protein expression of WISP1, which was upregulated by miR‐384 inhibitor as compared to its control. WISP1 knockdown by small interfering RNA inhibited LC cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis. WISP1 overexpression partly abrogates the effect of miR‐384 overexpression. Taken together, these data indicate that miR‐384 regulates LC cell proliferation and apoptosis through targeting WISP1 signaling pathway, providing a novel insight into the LC treatment.
Suppression of microRNA‐141 suppressed p53 to protect against neural apoptosis in epilepsy by SIRT1 expression
Authors: Liu Ding , Li Shu , Gong Lina , Yang Yan , Han Yaru , Xie Miao , Zhang Chen 
Published: December 2018

AbstractWe investigated that microRNA (miRNA)‐141 protects against epilepsy‐induced apoptosis and its reaction mechanism. The serum expression of miRNA‐141 in epilepsy model mice and control volunteer was measured by quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction. We found that miRNA‐141 serum expression was upregulated in patients with epilepsy. Overexpression of miRNA‐141 induced nerve cell apoptosis, suppressed proliferation, promoted caspase‐3/9, Bax and p53 protein expression, and reduced silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) protein expression in vitro model. In addition, the downexpression miRNA‐141 using si‐miRNA‐141 reduced nerve cell apoptosis and increased proliferation, suppressed caspase‐3/9, Bax and p53 protein expression, induced SIRT1 protein expression. SIRT1 inhibitor (nicotinamide) decreased SIRT1, reduced the effects of miRNA‐141 on nerve cell apoptosis in vitro model of epilepsy through SIRT1/p53. SIRT1 agonist also reduced the effects of miRNA‐141 overexpression on nerve cell apoptosis in vitro model of epilepsy through SIRT1/p53. Our preliminary findings indicate that anti‐miRNA‐141 protects against epilepsy‐induced apoptosis via SIRT1/p53 expression.
Bone morphogenetic protein‐7 incorporated polycaprolactone scaffold has a great potential to improve survival and proliferation rate of the human embryonic kidney cells
Authors: Saburi Ehsan , Atabati Hadi , Kabiri Ladan , Behdari Asma , Azizi Mina , Ardeshirylajimi Abdolreza , Enderami Seyed Ehsan , Ghaderian Sayyed Mohammad‐Hossein , Nafar Mohsen , Parvin Mahmoud , Omrani Mir Davood 
Published: December 2018

AbstractRenal failures treatment has been faced with several problems during the last decades. Kidney tissue engineering has been created many hopes to improve treatment procedures with scaffold fabrication that can modulate kidney cells/stem cells migration to the lesion site and increase the survival of these cells at that site with imitating the role of the kidney extracellular matrix. In this study, bone morphogenetic protein‐7 (BMP7) as a vital factor for kidney development and regeneration was incorporated in the polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers and after morphological, mechanical, and biocompatible characterization, proliferation, and survival of the human embryonic kidney cells (HEK) were investigated using 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), flow cytometry, and gene expression while cultured on scaffolds. Mechanical properties of the PCL nanofibers modulated after combining with BMP7 and hydration degree, protein adsorption and cell adhesion were enhanced in PCL‐BMP7 compared to the pure PCL. Proliferation rate and growth increased significantly in HEK cells cultured on PCL‐BMP7 when compared with that of PCL and tissue culture plate, whereas these data were also confirmed via significant decrease in apoptotic genes expression level in HEK cell cultured on PCL‐BMP7. According to the results, PCL‐BMP7 demonstrated positive effects on the survival and proliferation rate of the kidney cells and showed has also a great potential to use as a bioimplant for kidney tissue engineering applications.
Polydatin suppresses the development of lung inflammation and fibrosis by inhibiting activation of the NACHT domain‐, leucine‐rich repeat‐, and pyd‐containing protein 3 inflammasome and the nuclear factor‐κB pathway after Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection
Authors: Tang Jin , Li Yungai , Wang Jianqiang , Wu Qiong , Yan Hongli 
Published: December 2018

AbstractMycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) can infect both the upper and lower respiratory tracts. Polydatin (PD), a traditional Chinese medicine, is known to have anti‐inflammation and antifibrosis properties. However, the protective effects of PD against MP pneumonia (MPP) remain unclear. So, the aim of this study was to describe the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of PD against MPP. BALB/c mice were assigned to three groups: a normal control group, MP infection group, or PD‐treated MP infection group. BEAS‐2B cells transfected with or without NACHT domain‐, leucine‐rich repeat‐, and pyd‐containing protein 3 (NLRP3) were used to confirm the protective mechanisms of PD. Immunohistochemical analysis, Western blot analysis, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, and flow cytometry were used in this study. The results showed that PD treatment suppressed MP‐induced lung injury in mice by suppressing the expression of inflammatory factors and inhibiting the development of pulmonary fibrosis. Meanwhile, PD treatment inhibited activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) pathway. Overexpression of NLRP3 reversed the protective effect of PD against MP‐induced injury of BEAS‐2B cells. Taken together, these results indicate that PD treatment suppressed the inflammatory response and the development of pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome and NF‐κB pathway after MP infection.
Interplay between microRNAs and Wnt, transforming growth factor‐β, and bone morphogenic protein signaling pathways promote osteoblastic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Aslani Somayeh , Abhari Alireza , Sakhinia Ebrahim , Sanajou Davoud , Rajabi Hadi , Rahimzadeh Sevda 
Published: December 2018

AbstractOsteoblasts are terminally differentiated cells with mesenchymal origins, known to possess pivotal roles in sustaining bone microstructure and homeostasis. These cells are implicated in the pathophysiology of various bone disorders, especially osteoporosis. Over the last few decades, strategies to impede bone resorption, principally by bisphosphonates, have been mainstay of treatment of osteoporosis; however, in recent years more attention has been drawn on bone‐forming approaches for managing osteoporosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a broad category of noncoding short sequence RNA fragments that posttranscriptionally regulate the expression of diverse functional and structural genes in a negative manner. An accumulating body of evidence signifies that miRNAs direct mesenchymal stem cells toward osteoblast differentiation and bone formation through bone morphogenic protein, transforming growth factor‐β, and Wnt signaling pathways. MiRNAs are regarded as excellent future therapeutic candidates because of their small size and ease of delivery into the cells. Considering their novel therapeutic significance, this review discusses the main miRNAs contributing to the anabolic aspects of bone formation and illustrates their interactions with corresponding signaling pathways involved in osteoblastic differentiation.