bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Seasonality of the Transpiration Fraction and Its Controls Across Typical Ecosystems Within the Heihe River Basin
Authors: Tong Yaqin , Wang Pei , Li Xiao‐Yan , Wang Lixin , Wu Xiuchen , Shi Fangzhong , Bai Yan , Li Engui , Wang Jiaqi , Wang Yang 
Published: January 2019

AbstractUnderstanding the seasonality of the transpiration fraction (T/ET) of total terrestrial evapotranspiration (ET) is vital for coupling ecological and hydrological systems and quantifying the heterogeneity among various ecosystems. In this study, a two‐source model was used to estimate T/ET in five ecosystems over the Heihe River Basin. In situ measurements of daily energy flux, sap flow, and surface soil temperature were compared with model outputs for 2014 and 2015. Agreement between model predictions and observations demonstrates good performance in capturing the ecosystem seasonality of T/ET. In addition, sensitivity analysis indicated that the model is insensitive to errors in measured input variables and parameters. T/ET among the five sites showed only slight interannual fluctuations while exhibited significant seasonality. All the ecosystems presented a single‐peak trend, reaching the maximum value in July and fluctuating day to day. During the growing season, average T/ET was the highest for the cropland ecosystem (0.80 ± 0.13), followed by the alpine meadow ecosystem (0.79 ± 0.12), the desert riparian forest Populus euphratica (0.67 ± 0.07), the Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb desert riparian shrub ecosystem (0.67 ± 0.06), and the alpine swamp meadow (0.55 ± 0.23). Leaf area index exerted a first‐order control on T/ET and showed divergence among the five ecosystems because of different vegetation dynamics and environmental conditions (e.g., water availability or vapor pressure deficits). This study quantified transpiration fraction across diverse ecosystems within the same water basin and emphasized the biotic controls on the seasonality of the transpiration fraction.
Adaptive Jamming Waveform Design for Distributed Multiple‐Radar Architectures Based on Low Probability of Intercept
Authors: Shi C. G. , Wang F. , Salous S. , Zhou J. J. 
Published: January 2019

AbstractThis paper investigates the problem of low probability of intercept (LPI)‐based adaptive jamming waveform design for distributed multiple‐radar architectures. Such a smart jammer system adopts a multibeam working mode, where multiple simultaneous jamming beams are synthesized to interfere with multiple radars independently. The primary objective of the smart jammer is to minimize the total jamming power by optimizing the transmitted jamming waveform while the achieved signal‐to‐interference‐plus‐noise ratio (SINR) and mutual information (MI) between the received echoes from the target at each radar receiver and the target impulse responses are enforced to be below specified thresholds. First, the expressions of SINR and MI are derived to characterize target detection and characterization performance, respectively. Then, two different LPI‐based jamming waveform design strategies are proposed to minimize the total noise jamming power by optimizing the jamming waveform while the achieved SINR/MI is enforced to be below a certain threshold. The resulting optimization problems are solved analytically by employing the technique of Lagrange multipliers. With the aid of some numerical examples, it is illustrated that the two schemes result in different jamming waveform design results, which is useful to guide jamming power allocation for various jamming tasks. It is also shown that the LPI performance of the smart jammer can be efficiently improved by exploiting the proposed jamming waveform design criteria.
Empirical Phase Calibration for Multistatic Specular Meteor Radars Using a Beamforming Approach
Authors: Chau J. L. , Clahsen M. 
Published: January 2019

AbstractSpecular meteor radars have proven useful for observing mesosphere and lower thermosphere altitudes. More recently, their capabilities have been enhanced by including multistatic configurations. In both cases, monostatic and multistatic, the multiantenna interferometer used to determine the location of the measurements needs to be carefully calibrated in phase. In this work we proposed a technique to calibrate the receiving phases of such interferometers, including the standard five‐antenna Jones configuration located on a plane and arbitrary configurations not necessarily located on a plane and not limited to five antennas. Our technique uses beamforming and nonlinear least squares fitting to determine the angle of arrivals that are consistent with the complex spatial coherences of the detected meteors. The optimization process uses a priori information based on the expected angular and altitude distribution of the echoes. The technique is demonstrated using real bistatic data. The obtained distribution of inverse decay time as a function of altitude is shown to be a sensitive and independent quality control feature of the applied calibration.
Nanophotonics of higher-plant photosynthetic membranes
Authors: Capretti A. , Ringsmuth A. K. , van Velzen J. F. , Rosnik A. , Croce R. , Gregorkiewicz T. 
Published: January 2019

AbstractThe thylakoid membrane inside chloroplasts hosts the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis. Its embedded protein complexes are responsible for light harvesting, excitation energy transfer, charge separation, and transport. In higher plants, when the illumination conditions vary, the membrane adapts its composition and nanoscale morphology, which is characterized by appressed and non-appressed regions known as grana and stroma lamellae, respectively. Here we investigate the nanophotonic regime of light propagation in chloroplasts of higher plants and identify novel mechanisms in the optical response of the thylakoid membrane. Our results indicate that the relative contributions of light scattering and absorption to the overall optical response of grana strongly depend on the concentration of the light-harvesting complexes. For the pigment concentrations typically found in chloroplasts, the two mechanisms have comparable strengths, and their relative value can be tuned by variations in the protein composition or in the granal diameter. Furthermore, we find that collective modes in ensembles of grana significantly increase light absorption at selected wavelengths, even in the presence of moderate biological disorder. Small variations in the granal separation or a large disorder can dismantle this collective response. We propose that chloroplasts use this mechanism as a strategy against dangerously high illumination conditions, triggering a transition to low-absorbing states. We conclude that the morphological separation of the thylakoid membrane in higher plants supports strong nanophotonic effects, which may be used by chloroplasts to regulate light absorption. This adaptive self-organization capability is of interest as a model for novel bioinspired optical materials for artificial photosynthesis, imaging, and sensing.
A programmed wave of uridylation-primed mRNA degradation is essential for meiotic progression and mammalian spermatogenesis
Authors: Morgan Marcos , Kabayama Yuka , Much Christian , Ivanova Ivayla , Di Giacomo Monica , Auchynnikava Tatsiana , Monahan Jack Michael , Vitsios Dimitrios Michael , Vasiliauskaitė Lina , Comazzetto Stefano , Rappsilber Juri , Allshire Robin Campbell , Porse Bo Torben , Enright Anton James , O’Carroll Dónal 
Published: January 2019

AbstractSeveral developmental stages of spermatogenesis are transcriptionally quiescent which presents major challenges associated with the regulation of gene expression. Here we identify that the zygotene to pachytene transition is not only associated with the resumption of transcription but also a wave of programmed mRNA degradation that is essential for meiotic progression. We explored whether terminal uridydyl transferase 4- (TUT4-) or TUT7-mediated 3′ mRNA uridylation contributes to this wave of mRNA degradation during pachynema. Indeed, both TUT4 and TUT7 are expressed throughout most of spermatogenesis, however, loss of either TUT4 or TUT7 does not have any major impact upon spermatogenesis. Combined TUT4 and TUT7 (TUT4/7) deficiency results in embryonic growth defects, while conditional gene targeting revealed an essential role for TUT4/7 in pachytene progression. Loss of TUT4/7 results in the reduction of miRNA, piRNA and mRNA 3′ uridylation. Although this reduction does not greatly alter miRNA or piRNA expression, TUT4/7-mediated uridylation is required for the clearance of many zygotene-expressed transcripts in pachytene cells. We find that TUT4/7-regulated transcripts in pachytene spermatocytes are characterized by having long 3′ UTRs with length-adjusted enrichment for AU-rich elements. We also observed these features in TUT4/7-regulated maternal transcripts whose dosage was recently shown to be essential for sculpting a functional maternal transcriptome and meiosis. Therefore, mRNA 3′ uridylation is a critical determinant of both male and female germline transcriptomes. In conclusion, we have identified a novel requirement for 3′ uridylation-programmed zygotene mRNA clearance in pachytene spermatocytes that is essential for male meiotic progression.
Phonon-enhanced photothermoelectric effect in SrTiO3 ultra-broadband photodetector
Authors: Lu Xiaowei , Jiang Peng , Bao Xinhe 
Published: January 2019

AbstractThe self-powered and ultra-broadband photodetectors based on photothermoelectric (PTE) effect are promising for diverse applications such as sensing, environmental monitoring, night vision and astronomy. The sensitivity of PTE photodetectors is determined by the Seebeck coefficient and the rising temperature under illumination. Previous PTE photodetectors mostly rely on traditional thermoelectric materials with Seebeck coefficients in the range of 100 μV K−1, and array structures with multiple units are usually employed to enhance the photodetection performance. Herein, we demonstrate a reduced SrTiO3 (r-STO) based PTE photodetector with sensitivity up to 1.2 V W−1 and broadband spectral response from 325 nm to 10.67 μm. The high performance of r-STO PTE photodetector is attributed to its intrinsic high Seebeck coefficient and phonon-enhanced photoresponse in the long wavelength infrared region. Our results open up a new avenue towards searching for novel PTE materials beyond traditional thermoelectric materials for low-cost and high-performance photodetector at room temperature.
Long-lasting field-free alignment of large molecules inside helium nanodroplets
Authors: Chatterley Adam S. , Schouder Constant , Christiansen Lars , Shepperson Benjamin , Rasmussen Mette Heidemann , Stapelfeldt Henrik 
Published: January 2019

AbstractMolecules with their axes sharply confined in space, available through laser-induced alignment methods, are essential for many current experiments, including ultrafast molecular imaging. For these applications the aligning laser field should ideally be turned-off, to avoid undesired perturbations, and the strong alignment should last long enough that reactions and dynamics can be mapped out. Presently, this is only possible for small, linear molecules and for times less than 1 picosecond. Here, we demonstrate strong, field-free alignment of large molecules inside helium nanodroplets, lasting >10 picoseconds. One-dimensional or three-dimensional alignment is created by a slowly switched-on laser pulse, made field-free through rapid pulse truncation, and retained thanks to the impeding effect of the helium environment on molecular rotation. The opportunities field-free aligned molecules open are illustrated by measuring the alignment-dependent strong-field ionization yield of dibromothiophene oligomers. Our technique will enable molecular frame experiments, including ultrafast excited state dynamics, on a variety of large molecules and complexes.
Dissecting the circuit for blindsight to reveal the critical role of pulvinar and superior colliculus
Authors: Kinoshita Masaharu , Kato Rikako , Isa Kaoru , Kobayashi Kenta , Kobayashi Kazuto , Onoe Hirotaka , Isa Tadashi 
Published: January 2019

AbstractIn patients with damage to the primary visual cortex (V1), residual vision can guide goal-directed movements to targets in the blind field without awareness. This phenomenon has been termed blindsight, and its neural mechanisms are controversial. There should be visual pathways to the higher visual cortices bypassing V1, however some literature propose that the signal is mediated by the superior colliculus (SC) and pulvinar, while others claim the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) transmits the signal. Here, we directly test the role of SC to ventrolateral pulvinar (vlPul) pathway in blindsight monkeys. Pharmacological inactivation of vlPul impairs visually guided saccades (VGS) in the blind field. Selective and reversible blockade of the SC-vlPul pathway by combining two viral vectors also impairs VGS. With these results we claim the SC-vlPul pathway contributes to blindsight. The discrepancy would be due to the extent of retrograde degeneration of dLGN and task used for assessment.
Metformin prevents cell tumorigenesis through autophagy-related cell death
Authors: De Santi Mauro , Baldelli Giulia , Diotallevi Aurora , Galluzzi Luca , Schiavano Giuditta Fiorella , Brandi Giorgio 
Published: January 2019

AbstractAutophagy is a cellular mechanism by which cells degrade intracellular components in lysosomes, maintaining cellular homeostasis. It has been hypothesized that autophagy could have a role in cancer prevention through the elimination of damaged proteins and organelles; this could explain epidemiological evidence showing the chemopreventive properties of the autophagy-inducer metformin. In this study, we analyzed the autophagy-related effect of metformin in both cancer initiation and progression in non-tumorigenic cells. We also analyzed the induction of tumorigenesis in autophagy-deficient cells, and its correlation with the ER stress. Our results showed that metformin induced massive cell death in preneoplastic JB6 Cl 41-5a cells treated with tumor promoter (phorbol) and in NIH/3T3 treated with H2O2. Inhibiting autophagy with wortmannin or ATG7 silencing, the effect of metformin decreased, indicating an autophagy-related cytotoxic activity under stress conditions. We also found an induction of tumorigenesis in ATG7-silenced NIH/3T3 cell clone (3T3-619C3 cells), but not in wild-type and in scrambled transfected cells, and an upregulation of unfolded protein response (UPR) markers in 3T3-619C3 cells treated with H2O2. These findings suggest that autophagic cell death could be considered as a new mechanism by which eliminate damaged cells, representing an attractive strategy to eliminate potential tumorigenic cells.
Computational insights into the role of α-strand/sheet in aggregation of α-synuclein
Authors: Balupuri Anand , Choi Kwang-Eun , Kang Nam Sook 
Published: January 2019

AbstractThe α-synuclein is a major component of amyloid fibrils found in Lewy bodies, the characteristic intracellular proteinaceous deposits which are pathological hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dementia. It is an intrinsically disordered protein that may undergo dramatic structural changes to form amyloid fibrils. Aggregation process from α-synuclein monomers to amyloid fibrils through oligomeric intermediates is considered as the disease-causative toxic mechanism. However, mechanism underlying aggregation is not well-known despite several attempts. To characterize the mechanism, we have explored the effects of pH and temperature on the structural properties of wild-type and mutant α-synuclein using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation technique. MD studies suggested that amyloid fibrils can grow by monomer. Conformational transformation of the natively unfolded protein into partially folded intermediate could be accountable for aggregation and fibrillation. An intermediate α-strand was observed in the hydrophobic non-amyloid-β component (NAC) region of α-synuclein that could proceed to α-sheet and initiate early assembly events. Water network around the intermediate was analyzed to determine its influence on the α-strand structure. Findings of this study provide novel insights into possible mechanism of α-synuclein aggregation and promising neuroprotective strategy that could aid alleviate PD and its symptoms.
Dissociable cognitive impairments in two strains of transgenic Alzheimer’s disease mice revealed by a battery of object-based tests
Authors: Creighton Samantha D. , Mendell Ari L. , Palmer Daniel , Kalisch Bettina E. , MacLusky Neil J. , Prado Vania F. , Prado Marco A. M. , Winters Boyer D. 
Published: January 2019

AbstractObject recognition tasks detect cognitive deficits in transgenic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mouse models. Object recognition, however, is not a unitary process, and there are many uncharacterized facets of object processing with relevance to AD. We therefore systematically evaluated object processing in 5xFAD and 3xTG AD mice to clarify the nature of object recognition-related deficits. Twelve-month-old male and female 5xFAD and 3xTG mice were assessed on tasks for object identity recognition, spatial recognition, and multisensory object perception. Memory and multisensory perceptual impairments were observed, with interesting dissociations between transgenic AD strains and sex that paralleled neuropathological changes. Overreliance on the widespread “object recognition” task threatens to slow discovery of potentially significant and clinically relevant behavioural effects related to this multifaceted cognitive function. The current results support the use of carefully designed object-based test batteries to clarify the relationship between “object recognition” impairments and specific aspects of AD pathology in rodent models.
Factors associated with non-initiation of latent tuberculosis treatment among healthcare workers with a positive interferon-gamma releasing assay
Authors: Lee Hyun , Koo Gun Woo , Min Ji-Hee , Park Tai Sun , Park Dong Won , Moon Ji-Yong , Kim Sang-Heon , Kim Tae Hyung , Yoon Ho Joo , Sohn Jang Won 
Published: January 2019

AbstractDespite widespread use of the interferon-gamma release assay for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), the initiation rate of and factors associated with LTBI treatment among healthcare workers (HCWs) have not been studied in depth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the initiation rate of LTBI treatment and also to identify any factors associated with non-initiation of LTBI treatment among HCWs. A retrospective cohort study of 293 HCWs with LTBI was performed at a teaching hospital in Korea. LTBI was diagnosed using QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube tests (Cellestis Ltd., Carnegie, VIC, Australia). Of the 293 HCWs with LTBI, 189 HCWs (64.5%) visited an outpatient clinic for a medical consultation regarding LTBI treatment. Of these, 128 (67.7%) consented to LTBI treatment for a 43.7% LTBI treatment initiation rate. Upon multivariable analysis, having a liver disease or currently taking hepatotoxic drugs (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 12.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.12–46.35), being a physician (adjusted OR = 14.01, 95% CI = 2.82–69.74) and other patient-related HCWs (adjusted OR = 3.58, 95% CI = 1.46–8.78), and years of employment ≥20 years (adjusted OR = 4.77, 95% CI = 1.74–13.12) were independent factors associated with the non-initiation of LTBI treatment. Upon bivariate multivariable analysis, while having a liver disease or currently taking hepatotoxic drugs (adjusted OR = 12.85, 95% CI = 3.06–55.92), being a physician (adjusted OR = 28.43, 95% CI = 4.78–169.28) and other patient-related HCWs (adjusted OR = 4.80, 95% CI = 1.56–14.74), and years of employment ≥20 years (adjusted OR = 4.55, 95% CI = 1.37–15.15) were factors associated with no outpatient clinic visit for a consultation of LTBI treatment, having a liver disease or currently taking hepatotoxic drugs (adjusted OR = 11.76, 95% CI = 2.68–51.73) and years of employment ≥20 years (adjusted OR = 5.29, 95% CI = 1.38–20.19) were factors associated with refusal of LTBI treatment after a consultation. The overall initiation rate of LTBI treatment was suboptimal in HCWs with LTBI diagnosed using an interferon-gamma releasing assay. Having a liver disease or currently taking hepatotoxic drugs, being a physician and other patient-related HCWs, and years of employment ≥20 years were associated with non-initiation of LTBI treatment.
LncRNA DCST1-AS1 functions as a competing endogenous RNA to regulate FAIM2 expression by sponging miR-1254 in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Chen Jing , Wu Di , Zhang Yue , Yang Yong , Duan Yunfei , An Yong 
Published: January 2019

Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in a variety of tumours; however, their biological function and clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still unclear. In the present study, the clinical significance, biological function and regulatory mechanisms of lncRNA DCST1-AS1 in HCC were investigated. Differential lncRNAs in HCC were identified based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The biological function and mechanism of DCST1-AS1 were studied in vitro and in vivo. LncRNA DCST1-AS1 was highly expressed in HCC tissues, and the high expression of DCST1-AS1 was significantly correlated with larger tumours and shorter survival time. Moreover, DCST1-AS1 knockout significantly inhibited proliferation, promoted apoptosis and cycle arrest of HCC cells, and inhibited tumour growth in vivo. According to functional analysis, DCST1-AS1 competitively bound miR-1254, thus blocking the silencing effect of miR-1254 on the target gene Fas apoptosis inhibitor 2 (FAIM2). A novel lncRNA DCST1-AS1 that functions as an oncogene in HCC was discovered. DCST1-AS1 up-regulates the expression of FAIM2 by up-regulating the expression of miR-1254, ultimately promoting the proliferation of HCC cells. This research provides new therapeutic targets for HCC.
Tinnitus: How Partners Can Help?
Authors: Mancini Patricia C. , Tyler Richard S. , Smith Sydra , Ji Helena , Perreau Ann , Mohr Anne-Mette 
Published: January 2019

Purpose
Tinnitus can be distressing for sufferers, but for those who do not have tinnitus, it is difficult to understand what it is like. We attempted to gain an understanding of the knowledge and misconceptions of sufferers and their partners about tinnitus.

Method

Two different websites were created with surveys, 1 for tinnitus sufferers and the other for their partners. A mass e-mail was sent to employees and students at The University of Iowa inviting people with tinnitus and their significant others to fill out the online surveys. Those with tinnitus were asked to rate how their tinnitus affected their thoughts and emotions, sleep, concentration, and hearing. They were also invited to fill out the Iowa Tinnitus Primary Function Questionnaire (12-item version;
Tyler et al., 2014
). Partners completed a similar survey that asked how tinnitus affected the sufferer in these domains. Open-ended questions were also included to obtain more specific feedback from the participants regarding their experiences and how tinnitus affects their lifestyle and relationships.

Results
Two hundred twenty-two replies were obtained from 197 tinnitus sufferers and 25 partners of those with tinnitus. Partners and sufferers were not completely in agreement regarding their knowledge about tinnitus or familiar with the impact that this symptom may have on the sufferers. Sufferers showed more confidence in their hearing ability, regardless of tinnitus, than their partners. Furthermore, sufferers and partners do not generally talk about tinnitus to each other.

Conclusion
We conclude that both sufferers and partners would benefit from receiving counseling to address many misunderstandings regarding tinnitus and its consequences in their everyday life activities.