bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Quantifying the impacts of defaunation on natural forest regeneration in a global meta-analysis
Authors: Gardner Charlie J. , Bicknell Jake E. , Baldwin-Cantello William , Struebig Matthew J. , Davies Zoe G. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractIntact forests provide diverse and irreplaceable ecosystem services that are critical to human well-being, such as carbon storage to mitigate climate change. However, the ecosystem functions that underpin these services are highly dependent on the woody vegetation-animal interactions occurring within forests. While vertebrate defaunation is of growing policy concern, the effects of vertebrate loss on natural forest regeneration have yet to be quantified globally. Here we conduct a meta-analysis to assess the direction and magnitude of defaunation impacts on forests. We demonstrate that real-world defaunation caused by hunting and habitat fragmentation leads to reduced forest regeneration, although manipulation experiments provide contrasting findings. The extirpation of primates and birds cause the greatest declines in forest regeneration, emphasising their key role in maintaining carbon stores, and the need for national and international climate change and conservation strategies to protect forests from defaunation fronts as well as deforestation fronts.
Thermodynamics and kinetics guided probe design for uniformly sensitive and specific DNA hybridization without optimization
Authors: Chen Xin , Liu Na , Liu Liquan , Chen Wei , Chen Na , Lin Meng , Xu Jiaju , Zhou Xing , Wang Hongbo , Zhao Meiping , Xiao Xianjin 
Published: October 2019

AbstractSensitive and specific DNA hybridization is essential for nucleic acid chemistry. Competitive composition of probe and blocker has been the most adopted probe design for its relatively high sensitivity and specificity. However, the sensitivity and specificity were inversely correlated over the length and concentration of the blocker strand, making the optimization process cumbersome. Herein, we construct a theoretical model for competitive DNA hybridization, which disclose that both the thermodynamics and kinetics contribute to the inverse correlation. Guided by this, we invent the 4-way Strand Exchange LEd Competitive DNA Testing (SELECT) system, which breaks up the inverse correlation. Using SELECT, we identified 16 hot-pot mutations in human genome under uniform conditions, without optimization at all. The specificities were all above 140. As a demonstration of the clinical practicability, we develop probe systems that detect mutations in human genomic DNA extracted from ovarian cancer patients with a detection limit of 0.1%.
Molecular insights into the interaction of hemorphin and its targets
Authors: Ali Amanat , Baby Bincy , Soman Soja Saghar , Vijayan Ranjit 
Published: October 2019

AbstractHemorphins are atypical endogenous opioid peptides produced by the cleavage of hemoglobin beta chain. Several studies have reported the therapeutic potential of hemorphin in memory enhancement, blood regulation, and analgesia. However, the mode of interaction of hemorphin with its target remains largely elusive. The decapeptide LVV-hemorphin-7 is the most stable form of hemorphin. It binds with high affinity to mu-opioid receptors (MOR), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and insulin-regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP). In this study, computational methods were used extensively to elucidate the most likely binding pose of mammalian LVV-hemorphin-7 with the aforementioned proteins and to calculate the binding affinity. Additionally, alignment of mammalian hemorphin sequences showed that the hemorphin sequence of the camel harbors a variation – a Q > R substitution at position 8. This study also investigated the binding affinity and the interaction mechanism of camel LVV-hemorphin-7 with these proteins. To gain a better understanding of the dynamics of the molecular interactions between the selected targets and hemorphin peptides, 100 ns molecular dynamics simulations of the best-ranked poses were performed. Simulations highlighted major interactions between the peptides and key residues in the binding site of the proteins. Interestingly, camel hemorphin had a higher binding affinity and showed more interactions with all three proteins when compared to the canonical mammalian LVV-hemorphin-7. Thus, camel LVV-hemorphin-7 could be explored as a potent therapeutic agent for memory loss, hypertension, and analgesia.
Locally Resonant Phononic Crystals at Low frequencies Based on Porous SiC Multilayer
Authors: Mehaney Ahmed , Ahmed Ashour M. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractIn this work, a one-dimensional porous silicon carbide phononic crystal (1D-PSiC PnC) sandwiched between two rubber layers is introduced to obtain low frequency band gaps for the audible frequencies. The novelty of the proposed multilayer 1D-PnCs arises from the coupling between the soft rubber, unique mechanical properties of porous SiC materials and the local resonance phenomenon. The proposed structure could be considered as a 1D acoustic Metamaterial with a size smaller than the relevant 1D-PnC structures for the same frequencies. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time to use PSiC materials in a 1D PnC structure for the problem of low frequency phononic band gaps. Also, the porosities and thicknesses of the PSiC layers were chosen to obtain the fundamental band gaps within the bandwidth of the acoustic transducers and sound suppression devices. The transmission spectrum of acoustic waves is calculated by using the transfer matrix method (TMM). The results revealed that surprising low band gaps appeared in the transmission spectra of the 1D-PSiC PnC at the audible range, which are lower than the expected ones by Bragg’s scattering theory. The frequency at the center of the first band gap was at the value 7957 Hz, which is 118 times smaller than the relevant frequency of other 1D structures with the same thickness. A comparison between the phononic band gaps of binary and ternary 1D-PSiC PnC structures sandwiched between two rubber layers at the micro-scale was performed and discussed. Also, the band gap frequency is controlled by varying the layers porosity, number and the thickness of each layer. The simulated results are promising in many applications such as low frequency band gaps, sound suppression devices, switches and filters.
Storage and erasure of behavioural experiences at the single neuron level
Authors: Dyakonova T. L. , Sultanakhmetov G. S. , Mezheritskiy M. I. , Sakharov D. A. , Dyakonova V. E. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractAlthough predictions from the past about the future have been of major interest to current neuroscience, how past and present behavioral experience interacts at the level of a single neuron remains largely unknown. Using the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis we found that recent experience of terrestrial locomotion (exercise) results in a long-term increase in the firing rate of serotonergic pedal (PeA) neurons. Isolation from the CNS preserved the “memory” about previous motor activity in the neurons even after the animals rested for two hours in deep water after the exercise. In contrast, in the CNS, no difference in the firing rate between the control and “exercise-rested” (ER) neurons was seen. ER snails, when placed again on a surface to exercise, nevertheless showed faster locomotor arousal. The difference in the firing rate between the control and ER isolated neurons disappeared when the neurons were placed in the microenvironment of their home ganglia. It is likely that an increased content of dopamine in the CNS masks an increased excitation of PeA neurons after rest: the dopamine receptor antagonist sulpiride produced sustained excitation in PeA neurons from ER snails but not in the control. Therefore, our data suggest the involvement of two mechanisms in the interplay of past and present experiences at the cellular level: intrinsic neuronal changes in the biophysical properties of the cell membrane and extrinsic modulatory environment of the ganglia.
The effect of being watched on facial EMG and autonomic activity in response to another individual’s facial expressions
Authors: Hietanen Jari K. , Kylliäinen Anneli , Peltola Mikko J. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractWe tested if facial reactions to another person’s facial expressions depend on the self-relevance of the observed expressions. In the present study (n = 44), we measured facial electromyographic (zygomatic and corrugator) activity and autonomic arousal (skin conductance) responses to a live model’s smiling and neutral faces. In one condition, the participant and the model were able to see each other normally, whereas in the other condition, the participant was led to believe that the model could not see the participant. The results showed that the increment of zygomatic activity in response to smiling faces versus neutral faces was greater when the participants believed they were being watched than it was when the participants believed they were not being watched. However, zygomatic responses to smiles did not differ between the conditions, while the results suggested that the participants’ zygomatic responses to neutral faces seemed to attenuate in the condition of believing they were being watched. Autonomic responses to smiling faces were greater in the belief of being watched than in the belief of not being watched condition. The results suggest that the self-relevance of another individual’s facial expression modulates autonomic arousal responses and to a lesser extent facial EMG responses.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Silencing of Glutathione S-Transferase Pi Inhibits Cancer Cell Growth via Oxidative Stress Induced by Mitochondria Dysfunction
Authors: Fujitani Naoki , Yoneda Akihiro , Takahashi Motoko , Takasawa Akira , Aoyama Tomoyuki , Miyazaki Tadaaki 
Published: October 2019

AbstractAntitumor drug development based on the concept of intervening in the antioxidant system of cancer cells has been gaining increased interest. In this study, we propose a promising strategy for cancer treatment using modulation of oxidative stress by suppression of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), a typical antioxidant enzyme. siRNA which can be applied to the development of nucleic acid drugs, enabling them to eliminate unwanted side effects, increase specificity, and avoid the problem of drug resistance, was employed for GSTP-silencing at the transcriptional level. The silencing of the pi class of GST (GSTP) that displayed the most characteristic expression profile in 13 kinds of cancer cell lines has shown significant impairment in the growth of cancer cells due to oxidative stress caused by excess ROS accumulation. Comparative proteomics between normal cells and GSTP-silenced pancreatic cancer cell PANC-1 suggested that GSTP-silencing facilitated the mitochondrial dysfunction. These findings show promise for the development of strategies toward cancer therapy based on the mechanism that allows genetic silencing of GSTP to promote oxidative stress through mitochondria dysfunction.
Up-regulated MCPIP1 in abdominal aortic aneurysm is associated with vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis and MMPs production
Authors: Xue Ming , Li Gang , Li Dan , Wang Zhu , Mi Lei , Da Jingjing , Jin Xing 
Published: October 2019

AbstractAbdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is often clinically silent before rupture characterized by extensive vascular inflammation and degenerative elasticity of aortic wall. Monocyte chemotactic protein-induced protein-1 (MCPIP1) exhibits anti-infllammatory and pro-apoptotic effects involved in atherogenesis. However, little is known about the expression and the contribution of MCPIP1 in AAA. In the present study, we collected clinical AAA specimens and constructed AAA mice model through Ang-II infusion, and found apparently increased MCPIP1 expression and severe inflammatory infiltration in AAA aortic membrane as evidenced by elevated levels of monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), interleukin 1 β (IL-1β) and NF-κB, as well as HE staining. The elasticity of aortic tunica media was impaired along with multiple apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in Ang-II-induced aneurysmal mouse. In vitro Ang-II administration of VSMCs induced MCPIP1 expression, accompanied by up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9, as well as enhancement of VSMCs proliferation and apoptosis, which may cause damage of intima–media elasticity. Silencing MCPIP1 reversed above effects to further restore the balance of proliferation and apoptosis in VSMCs. Overall, our data indicated that up-regulation of MCPIP1 may become a promising candidate for the diagnosis of AAA, and specific knockdown of MCPIP1 in VSMCs could inhibit VSMCs apoptosis and down-regulate MMPs to maintain vascular wall elasticity. Therefore, knockdown of MCPIP1 may serve as a potential target for gene therapy of AAA.
Fibroblast growth factor 21 protects against lipotoxicity-induced pancreatic β-cell dysfunction via regulation of AMPK signaling and lipid metabolism
Authors: Xie Ting , So Wing Yan , Li Xing Yu , Leung Po Sing 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is known as a potent metabolic regulator but its protective mechanisms against lipotoxicity-induced β-cell dysfunction and apoptosis remain elusive. Here, we aimed to examine the regulatory pathways whereby FGF21 mediates islet lipid metabolism in lipotoxicity-treated cells and animal models. Rat β-cell line (INS-1E cells) and islets isolated from C57/BL6J mice were exposed to palmitic acid (PA) with/without FGF21, mimicking lipotoxic conditions. Resultant insulin secretion and intracellular signaling were analyzed with Western blotting and RNA-seq. C57/BL6J and global FGF21 knockout (KO) mice were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) to induce lipotoxicity and given with a long-acting mimetic of FGF21. Insulin resistance and β-cell function were then assessed using homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and insulinogenic index. FGF21 ameliorated PA-induced lipid accumulation, reversed cell apoptosis, and enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) as impaired by lipotoxicity in islet β-cells. Mechanistically, FGF21 exerted its beneficial effects through activation of AMPK-ACC (acetyl-CoA carboxylase) pathway and peroxisome proliferation-activated receptors (PPARs) δ/γ signaling, thus increasing the levels of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1A (CPT1A) and leading to increased fatty acid (FA) oxidation and reduced lipid deposition in β-cells. Interestingly, FGF21 reduced PA-induced cell death via restoration of the expression of apoptosis inhibitor Birc3. In vivo studies further showed that FGF21 is critical for islet insulinogenic capacity and normal function in the context of HFD-treated animals. FGF21 down-regulates islet cell lipid accumulation, probably via activation of AMPK-ACC and PPARδ/γ signaling, and reduces cell death under lipotoxicity, indicating that FGF21 is protective against lipotoxicity-induced β-cell dysfunction and apoptosis.
Chemical complexity in high-mass star formation
Authors: Gieser C. , Semenov D. , Beuther H. , Ahmadi A. , Mottram J. C. , Henning Th. , Beltran M. , Maud L. T. , Bosco F. , Leurini S. , Peters T. , Klaassen P. , Kuiper R. , Feng S. , Urquhart J. S. , Moscadelli L. , Csengeri T. , Lumsden S. , Winters J. M. , Suri S. , Zhang Q. , Pudritz R. , Palau A. , Menten K. M. , Galvan-Madrid R. , Wyrowski F. , Schilke P. , Sánchez-Monge Á. , Linz H. , Johnston K. G. , Jiménez-Serra I. , Longmore S. , Möller T. 
Published: October 2019

Aims. In order to understand the observed molecular diversity in high-mass star-forming regions, we have to determine the underlying physical and chemical structure of those regions at high angular resolution and over a range of evolutionary stages.
Methods. We present a detailed observational and modeling study of the hot core VLA 3 in the high-mass star-forming region AFGL 2591, which is a target region of the NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) large program CORE. Using NOEMA observations at 1.37 mm with an angular resolution of ~0″. 42 (1400 au at 3.33 kpc), we derived the physical and chemical structure of the source. We modeled the observed molecular abundances with the chemical evolution code MUSCLE (MUlti Stage ChemicaL codE).
Results. With the kinetic temperature tracers CH3CN and H2CO we observe a temperature distribution with a power-law index of q = 0.41 ± 0.08. Using the visibilities of the continuum emission we derive a density structure with a power-law index of p = 1.7 ± 0.1. The hot core spectra reveal high molecular abundances and a rich diversity in complex molecules. The majority of the molecules have an asymmetric spatial distribution around the forming protostar(s), which indicates a complex physical structure on scales <1400 au. Using MUSCLE, we are able to explain the observed molecular abundance of 10 out of 14 modeled species at an estimated hot core chemical age of ~21 100 yr. In contrast to the observational analysis, our chemical modeling predicts a lower density power-law index of p < 1.4. Reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.
Conclusions. Combining high spatial resolution observations with detailed chemical modeling allows us to derive a concise picture of the physical and chemical structure of the famous AFGL 2591 hot core. The next steps are to conduct a similar analysis for the whole CORE sample, and then use this analysis to constrain the chemical diversity in high-mass star formation to a much greater depth.
Endoskopische Abtragung eines vernarbten Adenoms im Rektum mittels EndoRotor
Authors: Stadler Andrea , Knabe Mate , May Andrea 
Published: October 2019

Zusammenfassung
Einleitung Gutartige kolorektale Neoplasien werden gewöhnlich mittels Schlingenresektion oder endoskopischer Submukosadissektion (ESD) reseziert. Diese Techniken sind sicher, aber gerade die Piecemeal-Resektion bei flachen Adenomen mit einer Größe über 20 mm birgt ein relevantes Rezidivrisiko. Die endoskopische Therapie eines Narbenrezidivs kann auch in Expertenhand sehr anspruchsvoll sein. Während kleinere vernarbte Adenomrezidive < 20 mm sich für eine endoskopische Vollwandresektion eignen, waren größere bislang nur mit aufwendigen endoskopischen Methoden anzugehen oder mussten einer chirurgischen Sanierung unterzogen werden.
Methode Der EndoRotor® (Interscope Medical, Vereinigte Staaten) ist ein neues athermisches Resektionssystem zur Abtragung benigner Neoplasien des Gastrointestinaltrakts. Über eine Öffnung an der Spitze eines flexiblen Resektionskatheters wird das Gewebe angesaugt, durch eine rotierende Klinge im Inneren des Katheters abgetragen und schließlich in einer Falle geborgen.
Kasuistik Wir präsentieren den Fall einer 79-jährigen Patientin mit einem großen Adenomrezidiv eines lateral-spreading Tumor granular type im Rektum. Während ein Teil des Adenoms mittels ESD entfernt wurde, waren die vernarbten Adenomanteile mit den herkömmlichen endoskopischen Methoden nicht anzugehen. Durch Anwendung des EndoRotors konnten die Adenomreste, die einer Narbenplatte auflagen, komplikationslos und vollständig abgetragen werden.
Zusammenfassung Vernarbte Adenome stellen eine Herausforderung für die interventionelle Endoskopie dar. In diesem Fallbeispiel hat sich der EndoRotor als neues athermisches Resektionssystem bei komplizierten vernarbten rektalen Adenomen als sichere und praktikable Methode erwiesen.
(Re)manufacturing consent in English
Authors: Gu Chonglong 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Unlike the use of force or coercion, the articulation of ideological discourse constitutes a softer approach in
the legitimation and hegemonic rule of dominant political actors, achieved through manufacturing consent (Gramsci 1971). As a major site of ideology, the televised premier’s press conferences in China represent
such a discursive event, enabling the Chinese government to convey its discursive formations or “regime of truth” (Foucault 1984) and in doing so to manufacture consent. Benefitting from a corpus
containing 20 years of China’s Premier-Meets-the-Press conference data (1998–2017), this corpus-based critical discourse analysis
(CDA) study explores the government-affiliated interpreters’ mediation and (re)construction of China’s discourse on PEOPLE. The
interpreters are found to reinforce China’s discourse on PEOPLE (e.g., increased mentions of PEOPLE-related items) and
(re)construct a more positive image of Beijing being people-oriented and concerned with its people in English (e.g., the repeated
employment of ‘our people’). An examination of the collocational patterns relating to the item ‘people’ (e.g., people’s,
of/to/for/by*people) (re)presented in the English discourse sheds light on the government‒people ties in China. This article
highlights the government interpreters’ vital agency role in image (re)construction and in contributing to the government’s
political legitimation and hegemonic rule, particularly given the increasingly mediat(is)ed world we live in.
A Fourier approach to the inverse source problem in an absorbing and anisotropic scattering medium
Authors: Fujiwara Hiroshi , Sadiq Kamran , Tamasan Alexandru 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
We revisit the inverse source problem in a two dimensional absorbing and scattering medium and present a direct reconstruction method, which does not require iterative solvability of the forward problem, using measurements of the radiating flux at the boundary. The attenuation and scattering coefficients are known and the unknown source is isotropic. The approach is based on the Cauchy problem for a Beltrami-like equation for the sequence valued maps, and extends the original ideas of Bukhgeim from the non-scattering to the scattering media. We demonstrate the feasibility of the method in a numerical experiment in which the scattering is modeled by the two dimensional Henyey–Greenstein kernel with parameters meaningful in optical tomography.
Content structure and analogies in introductory electricity chapters of physics schoolbooks
Authors: Schubatzky Thomas , Rosenberger Michael , Haagen-Schützenhöfer Claudia 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Introductory electricity is a difficult topic for most lower secondary students, especially the development of an adequate conceptualisation of voltage is seen as a major obstacle. A few instructional concepts concerning the teaching and learning of physics have been proven helpful when it comes to constructing conceptual knowledge. For example, the choice of content structure, meaningful elementarisation of basic concepts or adequate use of analogies. What has not been in the focus is how physics school textbooks consider these factors. In this article, we compare four widely used Austrian physics school textbooks concerning their content structure, definition of basic concepts and their use of analogies. Results show that the concept of ‘content structure diagrams’ is a useful tool to analyse schoolbooks. Although Austria has a compulsory syllabus, the four schoolbooks greatly differ in the amount of covered content and interlinking of concepts. However, a few common approaches regarding the sequencing of the concepts were identified and are reported in this article.