bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bar-HRM: a reliable and fast method for species identification of ginseng (Panax ginseng, Panax notoginseng, Talinum paniculatum and Phytolacca Americana)
Authors: Osathanunkul Maslin , Madesis Panagiotis 
Published: September 2019

Background
Korean ginseng has long been famous and is one of the most well known forms of ginseng. The root of plants in the genus Panax is commonly recognized as ginseng. Different Panax species of ginseng root have been used as treatments. Although many other herbs are called ginseng, they do not contain the active compounds of ginsenosides. In Thailand, we have Thai ginseng which is of course not one of Panax species. Thai ginseng is the root from Talinum paniculatum and, due to its morphological root similarity, it is almost impossible to differentiate between them. Also, another plant species, Phytollacca americana, has significantly similar root morphology to real ginseng but its seeds and root are poisonous. Misunderstanding what true ginseng is compared to others could endanger lives and cause financial loss by buying inferior products.

Methods
DNA barcoding combination with High Resolution Melting (called Bar-HRM) was used for species discrimination of the Panax ginseng and others. Five regions included ITS2, matK, psbA-trnH and rbcL were evaluated in the analyses.

Results
The ITS2 region was found to be the most suitable primers for the analysis. The melting profile from the HRM analyses using the chosen ITS2 primers showed that Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) could be discriminated from other Penax species. Also, other ginseng species with morphological similarity could be easily distinguished from the true ginseng. The developed Bar-HRM method poses a great potential in ginseng species discrimination and thus could be also useful in ginseng authentication.
The interplay between cognitive tasks and vision for upright posture balance in adolescents
Authors: Meng Hai-Jiang , Luo Shan-Shan , Wang Yuan-Gang 
Published: September 2019

Background
The control of an upright stance in humans is important in medicine, psychology, and physiology. The maintenance of upright stance balance depends not only on sensory information from proprioceptive, vestibular, cutaneous, and visual sources but also on cognitive resources. The present study investigated the effects of cognitive tasks while standing with eyes open on upright stance balance in adolescents. We hypothesized that performing a cognitive task while standing with eyes open would increase body sway among these adolescents and that the upright posture would thus become less stable.

Methods
A static balance assessment system comprising a force platform connected to a computer was used to evaluate the stability of the upright stance among 21 healthy adolescents under six conditions: no cognitive task, a relatively easy cognitive task, or the same cognitive task made more difficult, with each task being performed while the eyes were open and again while the eyes were closed. The participants performed mental calculations as fast as possible by subtracting either 3 or 18 from a random three-digit number continuously, for the simple cognitive task or the difficult cognitive task, respectively. Each calculation was completed within 10 s. The evaluation indexes used to measure upright posture stability were the root mean square (RMS) of the total body sway in the mediolateral and anteroposterior directions, the mean velocity (MV) value of the total body sway, and the Romberg quotient (RQ) of these values.

Results
The RMS (p < 0.01) and MV (p < 0.01) values of the upright posture sway were lower when participants performed no cognitive task and their eyes were open than when their eyes were closed. When their eyes were open, compared with no cognitive task, the values of the measures evaluating upright posture sway were higher, meaning the stance was less stable, while performing either the simple or the more difficult cognitive task (RMS: simple task, p < 0.01; difficult task, p < 0.05; MV: simple task, p < 0.01; difficult task, p < 0.01) although no significant differences were detected for the RMS or MV values between the simple and more difficult cognitive tasks. The RQs for both the RMS and the total MV values of the upright posture sway during performance of the difficult cognitive task were significantly lower than when the participants performed no task.

Conclusion
Performance of a cognitive task significantly reduced the upright posture balance in adolescents during eyes open although increased task difficulty did not show a greater effect. The interference between the performance of a cognitive task and the visual control of an upright stance may be attributable in part to cognitive and visual processing streams competing for common central resources, consistent with the Multiple Resource Theory of information processing.
Soil warming increases soil temperature sensitivity in subtropical Forests of SW China
Authors: Yuan Chaoxiang , Zhu Guiqing , Yang Shuangna , Xu Gang , Li Yingyun , Gong Hede , Wu Chuansheng 
Published: September 2019

Background
Soil respiration (RS) plays an important role in the concentration of atmospheric CO2 and thus in global climate patterns. Due to the feedback between RS and climate, it is important to investigate RS responses to climate warming.

Methods
A soil warming experiment was conducted to explore RS responses and temperature sensitivity (Q10) to climate warming in subtropical forests in Southwestern China, and infrared radiators were used to simulate climate warming.

Results
Warming treatment increased the soil temperature and RS value by 1.4 °C and 7.3%, respectively, and decreased the soil water level by 4.2% (%/%). Both one- and two-factor regressions showed that warming increased the Q10 values by 89.1% and 67.4%, respectively. The effects of water on Q10show a parabolic relationship to the soil water sensitivity coefficient. Both RS and Q10 show no acclimation to climate warming, suggesting that global warming will accelerate soil carbon release.
Cloning expression and immunogenicity analysis of inhibin gene in Ye Mule Aries sheep
Authors: Huang Zengwen , Zhang Juan , Hazihan WuReliHazi , Cai Zhengyun , Xin Guosheng , Feng Xiaofang , Gu Yaling 
Published: September 2019

Background
Ye Mule Aries sheep is one of the most important sheep breeds in Xinjiang, China. This breed is well adapted to harsh environmental conditions and displays strong disease resistance, fast growth, and high cold tolerance. To analyze the clonal expression and immunogenicity of the Ye Mule Aries sheep inhibin gene, total RNA was extracted from sheep ovarian tissue and used as a template to generate a eukaryotic expression vector and study inhibin immunogenicity.

Methods
Primers were designed to amplify the inhibin A gene via polymerase chain reaction and the amplified product was cloned between the ScalI and EcoRI restriction sites of the expression vector pEGFP-N1 to construct a recombinant plasmid, pEGFP-INHα. Following the validation of successful cloning, the pEGFP-INHα plasmid was transfected into BHK cells to verify expression in eukaryotes and subsequently utilized as an antigen in rabbits. Rabbits were tested for anti-inhibin antibodies and serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentrations.

Results
The analysis of the INHα gene sequence revealed that INHα is 1109 bp long and is translated to an approximately 40 KDa protein. Bioinformatics approach indicated that the INHα gene is highly conserved between organisms. Immunization with the eukaryotic expression vector, pEGFP-INHα, which expresses the INHα gene elicited immune response and generatigeneration on of anti-INHα antibody. The antibody had a significant regulatory effect on the serum concentration of FSH in rabbits and led to higher levels of FSH, indicating increased ovary function.

Conclusions
The present work resulted in a successful construction of eukaryotic expression plasmid pEGFP-INHα and verified the immunogenicity of this highly conserved protein. Further, the expression of pEGFP-INHα was shown to have a significant impact on the secretion of FSH, indicating a potential regulatory role in ovarian function. In conclusion, our current findings can serve as a working model for studying the effect of INHα on the breeding performance of Ye Mule Aries sheep, providing a novel strategy to improve their reproduction rates.
A Melanin‐Based Natural Antioxidant Defense Nanosystem for Theranostic Application in Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Sun Tuanwei , Jiang Dawei , Rosenkrans Zachary T. , Ehlerding Emily B. , Ni Dalong , Qi Chao , Kutyreff Christopher J. , Barnhart Todd E. , Engle Jonathan W. , Huang Peng , Cai Weibo 
Published: September 2019

AbstractAcute kidney injury (AKI) is frequently associated with oxidative stress and causes high mortality annually in clinics. Nanotechnology‐mediated antioxidative therapy is emerging as a novel strategy for the treatment of AKI. Herein, a novel biomedical use of the endogenous biopolymer melanin as a theranostic natural antioxidant defense nanoplatform for AKI is reported. In this study, ultrasmall Mn2+‐chelated melanin (MMP) nanoparticles are easily prepared via a simple coordination and self‐assembly strategy, and further incorporated with polyethylene glycol (MMPP). In vitro experiments reveal the ability of MMPP nanoparticles to scavenge multiple toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) and suppress ROS‐induced oxidative stress. Additionally, in vivo results from a murine AKI model demonstrate preferential renal uptake of MMPP nanoparticles and a subsequent robust antioxidative response with negligible side effects according to positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance (PET/MR) bimodal imaging and treatment assessment. These results indicate that the effectiveness of MMPP nanoparticles for treating AKI suggests the potential efficacy of melanin as a natural theranostic antioxidant nanoplatform for AKI, as well as other ROS‐related diseases.
A Reduction‐responsive Amphiphilic Methotrexate‐Podophyllotoxin Conjugate for Targeted Chemotherapy
Authors: Hou Meili , Li Shanshan , Xu Zhigang , Li Baosheng 
Published: September 2019

AbstractOwing to the naturally high toxicity, poor water solubility, and other side effects of podophyllotoxin (PPT), its applications are limited. To address these issues, we developed a new PPT delivery system, in which the hydrophilic drug methotrexate (MTX) and the hydrophobic drug PPT were linked by a reduction‐responsive disulfide bond to form an amphiphilic drug‐drug conjugate prodrug (MTX‐SS‐PPT). The conjugate could self‐assemble into spherical nanoaggregates in aqueous solution and self‐deliver to tumor tissues. In addition, MTX could target to folate‐receptor‐positive cells. Over‐expression of glutathione in tumor cells broke the disulfide bonds and released the free drug. In vitro and in vivo experiments indicated that the nanodrug could effectively improve the biocompatibility and reduce the toxicity of PPT.
Effects of restoration on tree communities and carbon storage in rainforest fragments of the Western Ghats, India
Authors: Osuri Anand M. , Kasinathan Srinivasan , Siddhartha Mrinalini K. , Mudappa Divya , Raman T. R. Shankar 
Published: September 2019

AbstractEcological restoration is a leading strategy for reversing biodiversity losses and enhancing terrestrial carbon sequestration in degraded tropical forests. There have been few comprehensive assessments of recovery following restoration in fragmented forest landscapes, and the efficacy of active versus passive (i.e., natural regeneration) restoration remains unclear. We examined 11 indicators of forest structure, tree diversity and composition (adult and sapling), and aboveground carbon storage in 25 pairs of actively restored (AR; 7–15 yr after weed removal and mixed‐native tree species planting) and naturally regenerating (NR) plots within degraded rainforest fragments, and in 17 less‐disturbed benchmark (BM) rainforest plots in the Western Ghats, India. We assessed the effects of active restoration on the 11 indicators and tested the hypothesis that the effects of active restoration increase with isolation from contiguous and relatively intact rainforests. Active restoration significantly increased canopy cover, adult tree and sapling density, adult and sapling species density (overall and late‐successional), compositional similarity to benchmarks, and aboveground carbon storage, which recovered 14–82% toward BM targets relative to NR baselines. By contrast, tree height–diameter ratios and the proportion of native saplings did not recover consistently in actively restored forests. The effects of active restoration on canopy cover, species density (adult), late‐successional species density (adult and sapling), and species composition, but not carbon storage, increased with isolation across the fragmented landscape. Our findings show that active restoration can promote recovery of forest structure, composition, and carbon storage within 7–15 yr of restoration in degraded tropical rainforest fragments, although the benefits of active over passive restoration across fragmented landscapes would depend on indicator type and may increase with site isolation. These findings on early stages of recovery suggest that active restoration in ubiquitous fragmented landscapes of the tropics could complement passive restoration of degraded forests in less fragmented landscapes, and protection of intact forests, as a key strategy for conserving biodiversity and mitigating climate change.
Extended Surfactants Including an Alkoxylated Central Part Intermediate Producing a Gradual Polarity Transition—A Review of the Properties Used in Applications Such as Enhanced Oil Recovery and Polar Oil Solubilization in Microemulsions
Authors: Salager Jean‐Louis , Forgiarini Ana , Marquez Ronald 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe research published in the past half century indicates that surfactant interfacial performance in producing low tension or high solubilization with polar oils is not generally attained with pure conventional species exhibiting well‐defined polar and nonpolar parts. The improvement trends reached with surfactant mixtures as well as the introduction of additives like cosurfactants and linkers lead to the introduction of the so‐called extended surfactants, whose structure includes an intermediate polarity spacer between the hydrophilic head and the lipophilic tail. Recent investigations on different kinds of surfactants in a variety of applications—such as detergency, cosmetics, enhanced oil recovery or crude demulsifying, and vegetable oil extraction—indicate that these extended surfactants are likely to be particularly performing with oils containing polar groups, such as triacylglycerols and asphaltenic crudes. Possible applications of extended surfactants in enhanced oil recovery, crude emulsion breaking, detergency and cleaning, medicine and cosmetics vehicles, and natural oil extraction as well as some other cases are quickly reviewed.
Identifying the Key Risk Factors for Adverse Psychological Outcomes Among Police Officers: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Sherwood Larissa , Hegarty Siobhan , Vallières Frédérique , Hyland Philip , Murphy Jamie , Fitzgerald Geraldine , Reid Tracey 
Published: September 2019

AbstractIt is well established that police work is highly stressful; however, a paucity of evidence limits our knowledge and understanding of the factors that may lead to, compromise, and/or compound psychological distress for this unique population. To address this lack, the current systematic review was conducted to reveal the individual, organizational, and operational risk factors that have been identified in the research literature to date and their associations with depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and burnout. We performed searches on literature published between January 2008 and January 2018 and identified a total of 20 studies that met our inclusion criteria. The results indicated that individual factors, including high levels of neuroticism, low social support, and engaging in passive or avoidant coping strategies, were associated with adverse psychological outcomes. This review identified low social support from colleagues as the most common risk factor linked to adverse psychological outcomes. Other organizational risk factors associated with such outcomes included high work demands, low resources, and low reward. This article demonstrates that individual, organizational, and operational factors all impact the negative psychological outcomes of police officers to some degree. In particular, the current review suggests that certain negative psychological outcomes are likely a result of a combination of risk factors across the three domains of risk, highlighting the necessity to observe psychological risk of police in a more comprehensive way.
Light‐Responsive Serinol‐Based Polyurethane Nanocarrier for Controlled Drug Release
Authors: Sun Jingjiang , Rust Tarik , Kuckling Dirk 
Published: September 2019

AbstractIn the present work, a new and facile strategy for the synthesis of light‐responsive polyurethanes (LrPUs) based on serinol with o‐nitrobenzyl pendent groups is developed. Stable monodisperse nanoparticles from these LrPUs can be formulated reproducibly in a simple manner, which is shown by dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. Upon irradiation with UV light, both polymers and nanoparticles undergo rapid degradation, which is investigated by DLS, scanning electron microscopy, size exclusion chromatography, and UV–vis spectroscopy. The nanoparticles are also employed for the encapsulation of the model drug Nile Red, and by exposure to UV light, a burst release of the payload is detected via fluorescence spectroscopy. This strategy can be easily applied to the straightforward synthesis of various new serinol‐based monomers with different stimuli‐responsive properties and therefore expand the family of biodegradable polymers.
Evolution of cytokines/chemokines in cases with community‐acquired pneumonia and distinct etiologies
Authors: Nascimento‐Carvalho Eduardo C. , Vasconcellos Ângela G. , Clarêncio Jorge , Andrade Daniela , Barral Aldina , Barral‐Netto Manoel , Nascimento‐Carvalho Cristiana M. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractAimTo compare the systemic cytokines/chemokines levels over time during the evolution of children hospitalized with community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) with and without pneumococcal infection.MethodsChildren less than 5‐years‐old hospitalized with CAP were prospectively investigated in Salvador, Brazil. Clinical data and biological samples were collected to investigate 20 etiological agents and to determine serum cytokines/chemokines levels on admission and 2 to 4 weeks later. Cases with pneumococcal infection received this diagnosis irrespective of also having other etiologies.ResultsA total of 277 patients were enrolled, however, serum sample was unavailable for cytokine measurement upon admission (n = 61) or upon follow‐up visit (n = 36), etiology was undetected (n = 50) and one patient did not attend the follow‐up visit. Therefore, this study group comprised of 129 cases with established etiology. The median (interquartile range) age and sampling interval was 18 (9‐27) months and 18 (16‐21) days, respectively. Established etiology was viral (52.0%), viral‐bacterial (30.2%), and bacterial (17.8%). Pneumococcal infection was found in 31 (24.0%) patients. Overall, median interleukin‐6 (IL‐6; 10.6 [4.7‐30.6] vs 21.0 [20.2‐21.7]; P = .03), IL‐10 (3.5 [3.1‐4.5] vs 20.1 [19.8‐20.4]; P < .001), and CCL2 (19.3 [12.4‐23.2] vs 94.0 [67.2‐117.8]; P < .001) were significantly higher in convalescent serum samples, whereas median CXCL10 (83.6 [36.4‐182.9] vs 14.6 [0‐116.6]; P < .001) was lower. Acute vs convalescent levels evolution of IL‐10, CCL2, and CXCL10 did not differ among patients with or without pneumococcal infection. However, IL‐6 decreased (27.8 [12.3‐48.6] vs 20.8 [20.2‐22.6]; P = .1) in patients with pneumococcal infection and increased (9.0 [4.2‐22.6] vs 21.0 [20.2‐21.7]; P = .001) in patients without it.ConclusionThe marked increase of IL‐6 serum levels during the acute phase makes it a potential biomarker of pneumococcal infection among children with CAP.
Development of dam inspection robot with negative pressure effect plate
Authors: Sakagami Norimitsu , Yumoto Yosuke , Takebayashi Takahiro , Kawamura Sadao 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThis paper describes the development of an underwater robot that performs visual inspection while making mechanical contact with a dam surface by a pulling force generated from thrusters with negative pressure effect plates. In general, small and lightweight remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) have low‐power thrusters. Their positioning performance is inferior with respect to external disturbances. Moreover, it is difficult for untrained operators to control the ROV position to check and inspect dams visually. A negative pressure effect plate attached to a thruster produces negative pressure that maintains mechanical contact between the robot and a dam wall surface and ensures stable robot motion on a dam surface to acquire clear continuous images. As described herein, we theoretically investigate the negative pressure effect plate characteristics and experimentally measure the force generated by the pressure difference. Results show that the force of a thruster with the effect plate is five times greater than the nominal thrust force provided by the thruster alone. Based on those results, we designed and developed the underwater robot with the negative pressure effect plates for dam inspection. Moreover, we conducted an experiment in a water tank and a field test at Shorenji Dam, Mie‐prefecture, Japan. The experimentally obtained results indicated that the negative pressure effective plate is effective at generating sufficient force and at realizing stable robot motion on the dam surface. Results demonstrate that the developed robot acquired clear images of the dam surface continuously with no sophisticated operator or controller.
The Effect of Various Extracting Agents on the Physicochemical and Nutritional Properties of Pea Starch
Authors: Lu Zhan‐Hui , Donner Elizabeth , Liu Qiang 
Published: September 2019

AbstractOrganic acids (5% lactic acid and 5% acetic acid, w/v) and biosolvents (5% ethyl lactate, 5% and 10% d‐limonene, w/v) are used as extraction agents during starch isolation from pea flour. NaOH at 0.4% w/v served as a control. The results show few differences in starch granular morphology, apparent amylose content, and most thermal parameters, and negligible differences in starch crystalline structure. However, noticeable differences are observed in protein and starch damage content, and pasting viscosities among starch isolated by different extraction agents. The starch extracted by 5% ethyl lactate has the highest protein residue (1.1%) compared to others (≤0.4%), while the starch extracted by 5% acetic acid shows the lowest pasting viscosities. d‐Limonene at 5% seems to be a promising biosolvent to isolate pea starch for its low residual protein, and no solvent residue, yet the highest pasting viscosities in starch. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) detects bands of residual protein in all samples, and also unique bands at 1564, 1575, and 1720 cm−1 related to acid residue in starches extracted by the two organic acids. Chemometric analysis of FTIR spectra differentiates starches extracted by biosolvents from those extracted by alkali and acidic agents.