bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Experimental simulations of volcanic ash resuspension by wind under the effects of atmospheric humidity
Authors: Del Bello E. , Taddeucci J. , Merrison J. P. , Alois S. , Iversen J. J. , Scarlato P. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractAsh deposited during volcanic eruptions can be resuspended by wind and become hazardous for health and infrastructure hours to decades after an eruption. Accurate resuspension forecasting requires accurate modelling of the threshold friction velocity of the volcanic particles (Uth*), which is the key parameter controlling volcanic ash detachment by wind. Using an environmental wind tunnel facility this study provides much needed experimental data on volcanic particle resuspension, with the first systematic parameterization of Uth* for ash from the regions Campi Flegrei in Italy and also Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland. In this study atmospheric relative humidity (and related ash moisture content) was systematically varied, from <10% to >90%, which in the case of the Eyjafjallajökull fine ash (<63 μm) produced a twofold increase in Uth*. Using the Campi Flegrei fine ash (<63 μm) an increase in Uth* of only around a factor of 1.5 was observed. Reasonable agreement with force balance resuspension models was seen, which implied an increase in interparticle adhesion force of up to a factor of six due to high humidity. Our results imply that, contrary to dry conditions, one single modelling scheme may not satisfy the resuspension of volcanic ash from different eruptions under wet conditions.
Influence of enhanced ultraviolet-B radiation during rice plant growth on rice straw decomposition with nitrogen deposition
Authors: Zhou Guixiang , Wei Feng , Qiu Xiuwen , Xu Xiaofeng , Zhang Jiabao , Guo Xiaomin 
Published: September 2018

AbstractAlthough straw decomposition is important for ecosystem fertility and carbon balance, influence of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation and nitrogen (N) deposition on this process is unclear. In this study, UV-B-exposed rice straw was decomposed under different N addition treatments for 15 months to investigate the indirect effects of UV-B radiation on straw chemistry and direct effects of N deposition on decomposition. UV-B exposure during rice plant growth changed the rice straw chemical composition, increasing the concentrations of acid-insoluble fraction (AIF), acid-soluble fraction, and UV-B-absorbing compounds. High N content had a negative effect on decomposition of rice straw exposed to enhanced and ambient UV-B radiation. Both AIF concentration and FTIR peak intensities indicated that lignin in rice straw was selectively preserved following N addition and UV-B radiation, reducing straw decomposition rate, which corresponded to lower activities of lignin-degrading enzymes in the later stage of decomposition. Thus, enhanced UV-B radiation during rice plant growth produced more recalcitrant substrates (lignin) and N reacted with lignin to produce more resistant compounds, further decreasing straw decomposition rate. UV-B radiation during plant growth and N deposition inhibit litter decomposition in agroecosystem, and their effects should be considered when establishing biogeochemical models in response to global changes.
Inhibition-excitation balance in the parietal cortex modulates volitional control for auditory and visual multistability
Authors: Kondo Hirohito M. , Pressnitzer Daniel , Shimada Yasuhiro , Kochiyama Takanori , Kashino Makio 
Published: September 2018

AbstractPerceptual organisation must select one interpretation from several alternatives to guide behaviour. Computational models suggest that this could be achieved through an interplay between inhibition and excitation across competing types of neural population coding for each interpretation. Here, to test for such models, we used magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure non-invasively the concentrations of inhibitory γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and excitatory glutamate-glutamine (Glx) in several brain regions. Human participants first performed auditory and visual multistability tasks that produced spontaneous switching between percepts. Then, we observed that longer percept durations during behaviour were associated with higher GABA/Glx ratios in the sensory area coding for each modality. When participants were asked to voluntarily modulate their perception, a common factor across modalities emerged: the GABA/Glx ratio in the posterior parietal cortex tended to be positively correlated with the amount of effective volitional control. Our results provide direct evidence implicating that the balance between neural inhibition and excitation within sensory regions resolves perceptual competition. This powerful computational principle appears to be leveraged by both audition and vision, implemented independently across modalities, but modulated by an integrated control process.
Transcriptomics and co-expression networks reveal tissue-specific responses and regulatory hubs under mild and severe drought in papaya (Carica papaya L.)
Authors: Gamboa-Tuz Samuel David , Pereira-Santana Alejandro , Zamora-Briseño Jesús Alejandro , Castano Enrique , Espadas-Gil Francisco , Ayala-Sumuano Jorge Tonatiuh , Keb-Llanes Miguel Ángel , Sanchez-Teyer Felipe , Rodríguez-Zapata Luis Carlos 
Published: September 2018

AbstractPlants respond to drought stress through the ABA dependent and independent pathways, which in turn modulate transcriptional regulatory hubs. Here, we employed Illumina RNA-Seq to analyze a total of 18 cDNA libraries from leaves, sap, and roots of papaya plants under drought stress. Reference and de novo transcriptomic analyses identified 8,549 and 6,089 drought-responsive genes and unigenes, respectively. Core sets of 6 and 34 genes were simultaneously up- or down-regulated, respectively, in all stressed samples. Moreover, GO enrichment analysis revealed that under moderate drought stress, processes related to cell cycle and DNA repair were up-regulated in leaves and sap; while responses to abiotic stress, hormone signaling, sucrose metabolism, and suberin biosynthesis were up-regulated in roots. Under severe drought stress, biological processes related to abiotic stress, hormone signaling, and oxidation-reduction were up-regulated in all tissues. Moreover, similar biological processes were commonly down-regulated in all stressed samples. Furthermore, co-expression network analysis revealed three and eight transcriptionally regulated modules in leaves and roots, respectively. Seventeen stress-related TFs were identified, potentially serving as main regulatory hubs in leaves and roots. Our findings provide insight into the molecular responses of papaya plant to drought, which could contribute to the improvement of this important tropical crop.
Shape-Controlled Synthesis of Luminescent Hemoglobin Capped Hollow Porous Platinum Nanoclusters and their Application to Catalytic Oxygen Reduction and Cancer Imaging
Authors: Molaabasi Fatemeh , Sarparast Morteza , Shamsipur Mojtaba , Irannejad Leila , Moosavi-Movahedi Ali Akbar , Ravandi Abouzar , Hajipour Verdom Behnam , Ghazfar Reza 
Published: September 2018

AbstractEngineering hollow and porous platinum nanostructures using biomolecular templates is currently a significant focus for the enhancement of their facet-dependent optical, electronic, and electrocatalytic properties. However, remains a formidable challenge due to lack of appropriate biomolecules to have a structure-function relationship with nanocrystal facet development. Herein, human hemoglobin found to have facet-binding abilities that can control the morphology and optical properties of the platinum nanoclusters (Pt NCs) by regulation of the growth kinetics in alkaline media. Observations revealed the growth of unusual polyhedra by shape-directed nanocluster attachment along a certain orientation accompanied by Ostwald ripening and, in turn, yield well-dispersed hollow single-crystal nanotetrahedrons, which can easily self-aggregated and crystallized into porous and polycrystalline microspheres. The spontaneous, biobased organization of Pt NCs allow the intrinsic aggregation-induced emission (AIE) features in terms of the platinophilic interactions between Pt(II)-Hb complexes on the Pt(0) cores, thereby controlling the degree of aggregation and the luminescent intensity of Pt(0)@Pt(II)−Hb core−shell NCs. The Hb-Pt NCs exhibited high-performance electrocatalytic oxygen reduction providing a fundamental basis for outstanding catalytic enhancement of Hb-Pt catalysts based on morphology dependent and active site concentration for the four-electron reduction of oxygen. The as-prepared Hb-Pt NCs also exhibited high potential to use in cellular labeling and imaging thanks to the excellent photostability, chemical stability, and low cytotoxicity.
On-chip spatiotemporal electrophysiological analysis of human stem cell derived cardiomyocytes enables quantitative assessment of proarrhythmia in drug development
Authors: Asahi Yumiko , Hamada Tomoyo , Hattori Akihiro , Matsuura Kenji , Odaka Masao , Nomura Fumimasa , Kaneko Tomoyuki , Abe Yasuyuki , Takasuna Kiyoshi , Sanbuissho Atsushi , Yasuda Kenji 
Published: September 2018

AbstractWe examined a simultaneous combined spatiotemporal field potential duration (FPD) and cell-to-cell conduction time (CT) in lined-up shaped human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) using an on-chip multielectrode array (MEA) system to evaluate two origins of lethal arrhythmia, repolarization and depolarization. The repolarization index, FPD, was prolonged by E-4031 and astemizole, and shortened by verapamil, flecainide and terfenadine at 10 times higher than therapeutic plasma concentrations of each drug, but it did not change after lidocaine treatment up to 100 μM. CT was increased by astemizol, flecainide, terfenadine, and lidocaine at equivalent concentrations of Nav1.5 IC50, suggesting that CT may be an index of cardiac depolarization because the increase in CT (i.e., decrease in cell-to-cell conduction speed) was relevant to Nav1.5 inhibition. Fluctuations (short-term variability; STV) of FPD and CT, STVFPD and STVCT also discriminated between torsadogenic and non-torsadogenic compounds with significant increases in their fluctuation values, enabling precise prediction of arrhythmogenic risk as potential new indices.
Hard and crack resistant carbon supersaturated refractory nanostructured multicomponent coatings
Authors: Fritze S. , Malinovskis P. , Riekehr L. , von Fieandt L. , Lewin E. , Jansson U. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe combination of ceramic hardness with high crack resistance is a major challenge in the design of protective thin films. High entropy alloys have shown in earlier studies promising mechanical properties with a potential use as thin film materials. In this study, we show that small amounts of carbon in magnetron-sputtered multicomponent CrNbTaTiW films can lead to a significant increase in hardness. The film properties were strongly dependent on the metal composition and the most promising results were observed for TaW-rich films. They crystallised in a bcc structure with a strong (110) texture and coherent grain boundaries. It was possible to deposit films with 8 at.% C in a supersaturated solid-solution into the bcc structure without carbide formation. A major effect of carbon was a significant grain refinement, reducing the column diameter from approximately 35 to 10 nm. This resulted in an increase in hardness from 14.7 to 19.1 GPa while the reduced E-modulus stayed constant at 322 GPa. The carbon-containing films exhibited extremely little plastic deformation around the indent and no cracks were observed. These results show that supersaturation of carbon into high entropy films can be a promising concept to combine superior hardness with high crack resistance.
Comprehensive intravascular imaging of atherosclerotic plaque in vivo using optical coherence tomography and fluorescence lifetime imaging
Authors: Lee Min Woo , Song Joon Woo , Kang Woo Jae , Nam Hyeong Soo , Kim Tae Shik , Kim Sunwon , Oh Wang-Yuhl , Kim Jin Won , Yoo Hongki 
Published: September 2018

AbstractComprehensive imaging of both the structural and biochemical characteristics of atherosclerotic plaque is essential for the diagnosis and study of coronary artery disease because both a plaque’s morphology and its biochemical composition affect the level of risk it poses. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIm) are promising optical imaging methods for characterizing coronary artery plaques morphologically and biochemically, respectively. In this study, we present a hybrid intravascular imaging device, including a custom-built OCT/FLIm system, a hybrid optical rotary joint, and an imaging catheter, to visualize the structure and biochemical composition of the plaque in an atherosclerotic rabbit artery in vivo. Especially, the autofluorescence lifetime of the endogenous tissue molecules can be used to characterize the biochemical composition; thus no exogenous contrast agent is required. Also, the physical properties of the imaging catheter and the imaging procedures are similar to those already used clinically, facilitating rapid translation into clinical use. This new intravascular imaging catheter can open up new opportunities for clinicians and researchers to investigate and diagnose coronary artery disease by simultaneously providing tissue microstructure and biochemical composition data in vivo without the use of exogenous contrast agent.
Identification of novel compounds, oleanane- and ursane-type triterpene glycosides, from Trevesia palmata: their biocontrol activity against phytopathogenic fungi
Authors: Kim Bora , Han Jae Woo , Thi Ngo Men , Le Dang Quang , Kim Jin-Cheol , Kim Hun , Choi Gyung Ja 
Published: September 2018

AbstractPlants contain a number of bioactive compounds that exhibit antimicrobial activity, which can be recognized as an important source of agrochemicals for plant disease control. As part of our search for new antimicrobial agents from natural sources, we found that a crude methanol extract of Trevesia palmata exhibited a promising antifungal activity against phytopathogenic fungi, such as Magnaporthe oryzae and Botrytis cinerea. Furthermore, based on activity-guided fractionation, we isolated five antifungal compounds from the methanol extract of T. palmata: two new triterpene glycosides (TPGs), TPG1 (hederagenin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1  → 3)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-L-arabinopyranoside) and TPG5 (3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl asiatic acid), along with three known TPGs (TPG2 [macranthoside A], TPG3 [α-hederin], and TPG4 [ilekudinoside D]). The chemical structures of the TPGs were determined by spectroscopic analyses and by comparison with literature data. An in vitro antifungal bioassay revealed that except for TPG4 (ilekudinoside D; IC50 >256 μg/ml), the other TPGs exhibited strong antifungal activities against the rice blast pathogen M. oryzae with IC50 values ranging from 2–5 μg/ml. In particular, when the plants were treated with compound TPG1 (500 μg/ml), disease control values against rice blast, tomato grey mold, tomato late blight, and wheat leaf rust were 84, 82, 88, and 70%, respectively, compared to the non-treatment control. Considering the in vitro and in vivo antifungal activities of the TPGs and the T. palmata methanol extracts, our results suggest that T. palmata can be a useful source to develop new natural fungicides.
Interaction of Cu(i) with the Met-X3-Met motif of alpha-synuclein: binding ligands, affinity and structural features
Authors: Gentile Iñaki , Garro Hugo A , Delgado Ocaña Susana , Gonzalez Nazareno , Strohäker Timo , Schibich Daniela , Quintanar Liliana , Sambrotta Luis , Zweckstetter Markus , Griesinger Christian , Menacho Márquez Mauricio , Fernández Claudio O 
Published: September 2018

Abstract
The identity of the Cu(i) binding ligands at Met-X3-Met site of AcαS and its role into the affinity and structural properties of the interaction were elucidated by NMR spectroscopy. We provide evidence that the source of ligands for Cu(i) binding to the Met-X3-Met site comes from the N-terminal acetyl group and the Met-1, Asp-2 and Met-5 residues. From the study of site-directed mutants and synthetic peptide models of αS we demonstrated the critical role played by Met-1 and Met-5 residues on the binding affinity of the Cu(i) complex, acting as the main metal anchoring residues. While having a more modest impact in the affinity features of Cu(i) binding, as compared to the Met residues, the N-terminal acetyl group and Asp-2 are important in promoting local helical conformations, contributing to the stabilization of these structures by favoring Cu(i) binding.
Resistance to dehydration and positive hygrotaxis in the invasive red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii
Authors: Piersanti Silvana , Pallottini Matteo , Salerno Gianandrea , Goretti Enzo , Elia Antonia Concetta , Dörr Ambrosius Josef Martin , Rebora Manuela 
Published: September 2018

The red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii is the most cosmopolitan invasive freshwater crayfish species in the world. High tolerance to a wide range of environmental conditions, among which its great ability to survive drought conditions, and the economic importance are the main factors of its spreading success.
The present study tests for the first time the survival of this species to different relative humidity (RH) conditions (plastic boxes with humidity controlling salt solutions at 30%, 50%, 70%, 100% RH) and its ability to orient in humidity gradients (dual-choice chambers 50–78% RH, 60–75% RH). P. clarkii shows a great ability to survive out of water, positively related to the RH conditions, surviving more than two days at very low humidity (30% RH) and more than one month at 100% RH. In addition the crayfish showed a positive hygrotaxis spending most of their time in the area of the choice chambers with a higher RH.
The results of the present investigation are particularly relevant considering that one of the major challenges to predict and control biological invasion lies in understanding which biological and ecological features might favor the colonization of alien invasive species in new areas.
Spinale Muskelatrophien: Klinik und Therapie
Authors: Walter Maggie C. , Stauber Anne Julia 
Published: September 2018

ZusammenfassungDie spinale Muskelatrophie (SMA) ist eine fortschreitende autosomal rezessive Motoneuronerkrankung mit einer Inzidenz von 1 in 10.000 Lebendgeburten, die durch den Verlust des Survial Motor Neuron 1 Gens (SMN1) verursacht wird, und stellt die häufigste neurodegenerative Erkrankung im Kindesalter dar. Mit besserem Verständnis der molekularen Basis der SMA in den letzten beiden Jahrzehnten verdichtete sich der Fokus therapeutischer Entwicklungen auf eine Erhöhung des Anteils an funktionsfähigem SMN Protein, entweder durch Einschluss von Exon 7 in SNM2 Transkripte, Erhöhung der SMN2 Genexpression, oder durch direkten Genersatz von SMN1. Auch wenn sich die therapeutischen Möglichkeiten bei SMA mit den zahlreichen neuen Therapieansätzen deutlich verbessert haben, bleiben dennoch zahlreiche Fragen wie der richtige Zeitpunkt für eine optimale therapeutische Intervention ungeklärt. Bestimmend für den Therapieerfolg wird die frühzeitige Erkennung der Erkrankung sein – es ist davon auszugehen, dass ein früher, nach Möglichkeit präsymptomatischer Therapiebeginn das Outcome im Vergleich zu einem späteren Therapiebeginn entscheidend verbessert. Ziel muss daher die präsymptomatische Diagnosestellung durch ein molekulargenetisches Neugeborenenscreening auf SMA sein, um eine Behandlung vor dem Untergang der Motoneurone einleiten zu können.
Dystrophische und nicht-dystrophische Myotonien
Authors: Montagnese Federica , Schoser Benedikt 
Published: September 2018

ZusammenfassungMyotone Syndrome sind seltene Erkrankungen der Skelettmuskulatur die mit einer klinischen und elektrischen Myotonie einhergehen. Die genetischen Defekte betreffen primär oder sekundär muskuläre Ionenkanäle und führen zu einer Übererregbarkeit der muskulären Membran. Zu den dystrophischen Myotonien gehören die myotone Dystrophie Typ 1 (DM1) und die myotone Dystrophie Typ 2 (DM2). Es handelt sich bei beiden um multisystemische Erkrankungen, bei denen neben der Myotonie und dystrophischen Veränderungen der Muskulatur (z. B. Muskelatrophie, Muskelschwäche) auch eine Beteiligung verschiedener anderer Organe (Katarakt, Diabetes, Herzerkrankungen, endokrine Störungen) vorhanden ist. Zu den nicht-dystrophischen Myotonien gehören u. a. die Chlorid- und Natriumkanal-Myotonie. Bei diesen steht das Symptom Myotonie im Vordergrund und gelegentlich werden andere muskuläre Auffälligkeiten (Muskelhypertrophie, transiente Muskelschwäche) beobachtet. Die Differentialdiagnose ist oft eine Herausforderung und die zeitliche Verzögerung bis zur endgültigen Diagnosestellung weiterhin sehr lang. In dieser Übersicht werden Hauptaspekte der klinischen Symptome, der Diagnosestellung und der symptomatischen Therapie der dystrophischen und nicht-dystrophischen Myotonien dargestellt.
Pilotstudie zur Erwachsenensexualität in Deutschland – Erste Ergebnisse zu Machbarkeit und Methodenvergleich
Authors: Matthiesen Silja , Dekker Arne , Briken Peer 
Published: September 2018

Zusammenfassung
Einleitung: Für Deutschland liegen bisher keine repräsentativen Daten zum sexuellen Verhalten und zur sexuellen Gesundheit der erwachsenen Bevölkerung
vor. Solche Daten sind dringend erforderlich für die evidenzbasierte Präventionsarbeit und Gesundheitsförderung sowie für länderübergreifende Vergleiche zur
Entwicklung des Sexualverhaltens in Europa.
Forschungsziele: Ziel der Pilotstudie ist es, die Machbarkeit einer Bevölkerungsbefragung zum Thema Sexualität in Deutschland zu testen sowie einen
Methodenvergleich (Face-to-Face-Interviews versus postversandte Papierfragebögen) vorzunehmen.
Methoden: Im Rahmen einer Zufallsstichprobe von Adressen über Einwohnermeldeämter (25 Sample Points, zweistufiges probabilistisches Verfahren)
wurden N = 1 155 Personen im Alter von 18 bis 75 Jahren zu ihren Erfahrungen mit Sexualität, Partnerschaft und ihrer sexuellen Gesundheit befragt.
Ergebnisse: Eine Sexualbefragung der Erwachsenenbevölkerung in Deutschland ist durchführbar; es ist gelungen, alle Bevölkerungs- und Altersgruppen zu
erreichen, auch wenn ältere Menschen seltener teilgenommen haben. Im Vergleich der beiden Erhebungsmethoden zeigt sich, dass die Interviews (CAPI/CASI) den
postversandten Fragebögen überlegen sind. Dies bezieht sich einerseits auf die doppelt so hohe Rücklaufquote (9 % bei postversandten Fragebögen, 18 % bei
Face-to-Face-Interviews) und andererseits auf die Stichprobenqualität: Die Face-to-Face-Erhebung bildet die Bevölkerungen bezüglich wichtiger
soziodemografischer Merkmale besser ab und sie erlaubt eine bessere Kenntnis des Ausfallgeschehens (Verweigerndenbefragung).
Schlussfolgerung: Angesichts der geringen Teilnahmequote lassen sich selbst mit der vorgenommenen Gewichtung der Daten nur vorsichtige Aussagen treffen.
Darüber hinaus ist die Stichprobe zu klein, um Fragestellungen zu behandeln, die nur bestimmte Teilgruppen betreffen. Weitergehende Analysen sind dringend
erforderlich, sie sollten im Rahmen einer Hauptstudie mit einer deutlich größeren Stichprobe durchgeführt werden.