bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The invasive stoloniferous clonal plant Alternanthera philoxeroides outperforms its co-occurring non-invasive functional counterparts in heterogeneous soil environments – invasion implications
Authors: Wang Tong , Hu Jiangtao , Miao Linlin , Yu Dan , Liu Chunhua 
Published: November 2016

AbstractEnvironmental heterogeneity is considered to play a defining role in promoting invasion success, and it favours clonal plants. Although clonality has been demonstrated to be correlated with the invasion success of several species of clonal invasive plants in heterogeneous environments, little is known about how the spatial scale of heterogeneity affects their performance. In addition, the factors that distinguish invasive from non-invasive clonal species and that enhance the invasive potential of clonal exotic invaders in heterogeneous environments remain unclear. In this study, we compared several traits of a noxious clonal invasive species, Alternanthera philoxeroides, with its co-occurring non-invasive functional counterparts, the native congener Alternanthera sessilis, the exotic Myriophyllum aquaticum and the native Jussiaea repens, in three manipulative substrates with different soil distribution patterns. We found that the invasive performance of A. philoxeroides was not enhanced by heterogeneity and that it was generally scale independent. However, A. philoxeroides showed some advantages over the three non-invasives with respect to trait values and phenotypic variation. These advantages may enhance the competitive capacity of A. philoxeroides and thus promote its invasion success in heterogeneous environments.
The Association between Smoking and Epiretinal Membrane
Authors: Wang Sheng-Zhan , Tong Qi-Hu , Wang Hui-Yun , Lu Qin-Kang , Xu Yu-feng 
Published: November 2016

AbstractWe conducted a meta-analysis of analytic and observational studies to evaluate the association between smoking and epiretinal membrane (ERM). The pertinent studies were identified via a literature search using three databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase) and the reference lists of retrieved studies. Cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies meeting the predefined criteria were included. We extracted the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) from each study. Overall risk estimates were pooled using random-effects models. Subgroup analyses based on several stratified factors were also performed. Two cohort studies and six cross-sectional studies involving 46,837 subjects were included. The pooled effect of all eight studies showed an unexpected significant decreased association between smoking and the occurrence of ERM (OR, 0.72; 95% CI 0.61–0.84; p = 0.29, I2 = 17.9%). Subgroup analyses supported this finding, except for the age-unadjusted group (OR, 0.87; 95% CI 0.63–1.22), the ERM classification group (cellophane macular reflex (CMR) OR, 0.93; 95% CI 0.68–1.28; preretinal macular fibrosis (PMF) OR, 0.74; 95% CI 0.41–1.32), the Asian group (OR, 0.75; 95% CI 0.52–1.09) and the past smoker group (OR, 1.02; 95% CI 0.85–1.22). The pooled effects from the current literature suggested a declining association between smoking and ERM, which requires further studies to confirm.
Expression level and clinical significance of HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA in cervical cancer: a meta-analysis
Authors: Liu Shasha , Zhang Min , Qu Pengpeng 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThe long noncoding RNA HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) is associated with the development and progression of several types of cancer; however, its role in cervical cancer is unclear. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the expression levels and clinical significance of HOTAIR in cervical cancer tissue. Relevant literature published by January 2016 was identified in PubMed, EMBase, National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. We performed statistical analysis, calculated standard mean differences (SMDs), and determined combined odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals. A forest map was constructed. From the literature search, six papers (reporting 535 cases) were included from 578 papers selected according to the inclusion criteria established for the meta-analysis. The analysis showed that HOTAIR expression was significantly increased in cervical cancer compared with that in the normal control group. The ORs for tumour size and lymph node metastasis in patients with cervical cancer having high HOTAIR expression were 2.20 and 7.52, respectively. The combined hazard ratio, reflecting the influence of high HOTAIR expression in patients with cervical cancer on overall survival, was 2.56. High expression of HOTAIR affected the occurrence and development of cervical cancer.
Evaluation of association of common variants in HTR1A and HTR5A with schizophrenia and executive function
Authors: Guan Fanglin , Lin Huali , Chen Gang , Li Lu , Chen Teng , Liu Xinshe , Han Jiuqiang , Li Tao 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThe 5-HT1A receptor (HTR1A) and the 5-HT5A receptor (HTR5A) are key 5-HT receptors with distinct inhibitory functions. Studies have been conducted to investigate the association of a few HTR1A polymorphisms with schizophrenia, producing conflicting results, and the relationship between HTR5A and schizophrenia has not yet been well investigated. We aimed to examine the association of HTR1A and HTR5A with schizophrenia and executive function. The study included a discovery stage with 1,115 patients and 2,289 controls and a replication stage with 2,128 patients and 3,865 controls. A total of 30 common SNPs in HTR1A and HTR5A were genotyped in the discovery stage, and significantly associated SNPs were genotyped in the replication stage. We identified that two SNPs (rs878567 in HTR1A and rs1800883 in HTR5A) were significantly associated with schizophrenia in both datasets, and similar results were observed in imputation and haplotype association analyses. Moreover, we found that SNP rs1800883 significantly interacted with executive function when processing the perseverative error of Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in patients. Our results provide further supportive evidence of the effect of HTR1A and HTR5A on the etiology of schizophrenia and suggest that the selected genetic variations in HTR5A may be involved in impaired executive function.
A Novel Therapeutic Peptide as a Partial Agonist of RANKL in Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Kurinami Hitomi , Shimamura Munehisa , Nakagami Hironori , Shimizu Hideo , Koriyama Hiroshi , Kawano Tomohiro , Wakayama Kouji , Mochizuki Hideki , Rakugi Hiromi , Morishita Ryuichi 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThe enhanced receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) ligand (RANKL) and its receptor (RANK) signal have been reported to attenuate ischemic brain injury through inhibition of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4-mediated inflammation. However, augmentation of the RANKL/RANK signal also accelerates osteoporosis, which is a potential problem in clinical use of RANKL. Therefore, we developed novel peptides, microglial healing peptides (MHPs), which were based on the DE and/or EF loop of RANKL. Among them, MHP1 was the most effective inhibitor of TLR4-induced inflammations in microglia/macrophages. The effects depended on RANK, as confirmed by knockdown experiments. In contrast to RANKL, MHP1 did not stimulate osteoclast differentiation. Unexpectedly, MHP1 inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation. These findings suggested that MHP1 was a partial agonist of RANKL, and administration of MHP1 attenuated ischemic injury by decreasing inflammation. MHP1 could be a novel therapeutic agent for treating ischemic stroke.
Visualization and Pathological Characteristics of Hepatic Alveolar Echinococcosis with Synchrotron-based X-ray Phase Sensitive Micro-tomography
Authors: Liu Huiqiang , Ji Xuewen , Sun Li , Xiao Tiqiao , Xie Honglan , Fu Yanan , Zhao Yuan , Liu Wenya , Zhang Xueliang , Lin Renyong 
Published: November 2016

AbstractPropagation-based phase-contrast computed tomography (PPCT) utilizes highly sensitive phase-contrast technology applied to X-ray micro-tomography, especially with the extensive use of synchrotron radiation (SR). Performing phase retrieval (PR) on the acquired angular projections can enhance image contrast and enable quantitative imaging. We employed the combination of SR-PPCT and PR for the histopathological evaluation of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE) disease and demonstrated the validity and superiority of PR-based SR-PPCT. A high-resolution angular projection data set of a human postoperative specimen of HAE disease was acquired, which was processed by graded ethanol concentration fixation (GECF). The reconstructed images from both approaches, with the projection data directly used and preprocessed by PR for tomographic reconstruction, were compared in terms of the tissue contrast-to-noise ratio and density spatial resolution. The PR-based SR-PPCT was selected for microscale measurement and the 3D visualization of HAE disease. Our experimental results demonstrated that the PR-based SR-PPCT technique is greatly suitable for the discrimination of pathological tissues and the characterization of HAE. In addition, this new technique is superior to conventional hospital CT and microscopy for the three-dimensional, non-destructive microscale measurement of HAE. This PR-based SR-PPCT technique has great potential for in situmicroscale histopathological analysis and diagnosis, especially for applications involving soft tissues and organs.
Fluorinated benzalkylsilane molecular rectifiers
Authors: Lamport Zachary A. , Broadnax Angela D. , Harrison David , Barth Katrina J. , Mendenhall Lee , Hamilton Clayton T. , Guthold Martin , Thonhauser Timo , Welker Mark E. , Jurchescu Oana D. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractWe report on the synthesis and electrical properties of nine new alkylated silane self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) – (EtO)3Si(CH2)nN = CHPhX where n = 3 or 11 and X = 4-CF3, 3,5-CF3, 3-F-4-CF3, 4-F, or 2,3,4,5,6-F, and explore their rectification behavior in relation to their molecular structure. The electrical properties of the films were examined in a metal/insulator/metal configuration, with a highly-doped silicon bottom contact and a eutectic gallium-indium liquid metal (EGaIn) top contact. The junctions exhibit high yields (>90%), a remarkable resistance to bias stress, and current rectification ratios (R) between 20 and 200 depending on the structure, degree of order, and internal dipole of each molecule. We found that the rectification ratio correlates positively with the strength of the molecular dipole moment and it is reduced with increasing molecular length.
Dysbiosis by neutralizing commensal mediated inhibition of pathobionts
Authors: Herrero Esteban Rodriguez , Slomka Vera , Boon Nico , Bernaerts Kristel , Hernandez-Sanabria Emma , Quirynen Marc , Teughels Wim 
Published: November 2016

AbstractDysbiosis in the periodontal microbiota is associated with the development of periodontal diseases. Little is known about the initiation of dysbiosis. It was hypothesized that some commensal bacteria suppress the outgrowth of pathobionts by H2O2 production. However, serum and blood components released due to inflammation can neutralize this suppressive effect, leading to the initiation of dysbiosis. Agar plate, dual-species and multi-species ecology experiments showed that H2O2 production by commensal bacteria decreases pathobiont growth and colonization. Peroxidase and blood components neutralize this inhibitory effect primarily by an exogenous peroxidase activity without stimulating growth and biofilm formation of pathobionts directly. In multi-species environments, neutralization of H2O2 resulted in 2 to 3 log increases in pathobionts, a hallmark for dysbiosis. Our data show that in oral biofilms, commensal species suppress the amounts of pathobionts by H2O2 production. Inflammation can neutralize this effect and thereby initiates dysbiosis by allowing the outgrowth of pathobionts.
Growth hormone biases amygdala network activation after fear learning
Authors: Gisabella B , Farah S , Peng X , Burgos-Robles A , Lim S H , Goosens K A 
Published: November 2016

AbstractProlonged stress exposure is a risk factor for developing posttraumatic stress disorder, a disorder characterized by the ‘over-encoding’ of a traumatic experience. A potential mechanism by which this occurs is through upregulation of growth hormone (GH) in the amygdala. Here we test the hypotheses that GH promotes the over-encoding of fearful memories by increasing the number of neurons activated during memory encoding and biasing the allocation of neuronal activation, one aspect of the process by which neurons compete to encode memories, to favor neurons that have stronger inputs. Viral overexpression of GH in the amygdala increased the number of amygdala cells activated by fear memory formation. GH-overexpressing cells were especially biased to express the immediate early gene c-Fos after fear conditioning, revealing strong autocrine actions of GH in the amygdala. In addition, we observed dramatically enhanced dendritic spine density in GH-overexpressing neurons. These data elucidate a previously unrecognized autocrine role for GH in the regulation of amygdala neuron function and identify specific mechanisms by which chronic stress, by enhancing GH in the amygdala, may predispose an individual to excessive fear memory formation.
Are adolescents more vulnerable to the harmful effects of cannabis than adults? A placebo-controlled study in human males
Authors: Mokrysz C , Freeman T P , Korkki S , Griffiths K , Curran H V 
Published: November 2016

AbstractPreclinical research demonstrates that cannabinoids have differing effects in adolescent and adult animals. Whether these findings translate to humans has not yet been investigated. Here we believe we conducted the first study to compare the acute effects of cannabis in human adolescent (n=20; 16–17 years old) and adult (n=20; 24–28 years old) male cannabis users, in a placebo-controlled, double-blind cross-over design. After inhaling vaporized active or placebo cannabis, participants completed tasks assessing spatial working memory, episodic memory and response inhibition, alongside measures of blood pressure and heart rate, psychotomimetic symptoms and subjective drug effects (for example, ‘stoned’, ‘want to have cannabis’). Results showed that on active cannabis, adolescents felt less stoned and reported fewer psychotomimetic symptoms than adults. Further, adults but not adolescents were more anxious and less alert during the active cannabis session (both pre- and post-drug administration). Following cannabis, cognitive impairment (reaction time on spatial working memory and prose recall following a delay) was greater in adults than adolescents. By contrast, cannabis impaired response inhibition accuracy in adolescents but not in adults. Moreover, following drug administration, the adolescents did not show satiety; instead they wanted more cannabis regardless of whether they had taken active or placebo cannabis, while the opposite was seen for adults. These contrasting profiles of adolescent resilience (blunted subjective, memory, physiological and psychotomimetic effects) and vulnerability (lack of satiety, impaired inhibitory processes) show some degree of translation from preclinical findings, and may contribute to escalated cannabis use by human adolescents.
Audiology India (Non-Governmental Organization): Background, Mission, and Accomplishments
Authors: Manchaiah Vinaya , Easwar Vijayalakshmi , Boothalingam Sriram , Thammaiah Spoorthi 
Published: November 2016

Hearing loss is a global health concern, particularly in the low- and middle-income countries. Some of the reasons for this include, higher prevalence of hearing loss in these countries, lack of adequate awareness on hearing loss and its consequences, limited access to hearing care services to in suburban/rural areas, and high cost of such services. To make matters worse, health care services provided by the government in developing countries such as India are limited, and services provided by for-profit institutions are expensive. Therefore, there is a need for other stakeholders (e.g., non-governmental organizations) to bridge this service gap. In this paper, we introduce Audiology India (AI) to readers, an organization that is striving to improve ear and hearing health care services in India.
We begin this paper by providing an overview of the current status of hearing care services in India. Next, we describe the background of AI, its mission, and accomplishments. Briefly, the goals of AI are: (a) to provide community-based hearing care services to individuals with no access to mainstream ear-care; (b) to conduct campaigns to raise public awareness about hearing loss and avenues for its prevention; (c) to carry out need-based research to continuously fine-tune our services and advance audiology in India; and (d) to offer consultancy services related to ear and hearing care.
Piecewise variable parameter model for precise analysis of iron losses in induction motors
Authors: Haisen Zhao , Yilong Wang , Dongdong Zhang , Yang Zhan , Guorui Xu , Yingli Luo 
Published: November 2016

This study proposes a two‐term piecewise variable parameter model for precise prediction of iron losses in induction motors. In this model, two additional flux density terms reflect the non‐linear magnetisation and the harmonic fields in the motors, and the main loss parameters are piecewisely variable with the magnitude and frequency of flux density, so that higher accuracy of iron loss prediction can be achieved for a large range of flux density frequencies and magnitudes. Meanwhile, the fine analysis of the fundamental and harmonic iron losses can also be carried out with the proposed model, and the influence of the harmonic fields on the hysteresis and eddy current losses can be revealed. Experimental validations are carried out on the laminated steels, DR510 and DW470, as well as, the Y132S‐4, 5.5 kW and YX3‐250M‐4, 55 kW induction motors whose cores are made of the above steels. The experiments on the motors are performed with the voltage supply of different magnitudes, and both the proposed model and Bertotti model are used to predict the iron losses. It is shown that the iron losses predicted by the proposed model agree well with the test results over a wide range of supply voltages. This study contributes the technical support for the development of new premium efficiency motors.
Photo‐induced characteristics of azobenzene based gold nanoparticles
Authors: Aralapura Yuvaraj Rajkumar , Rahman Md Lutfor , Yusoff Mashitah Mohd , Kular Sandeep 
Published: November 2016

The azobenzene based gold nanomaterials was synthesised through Au‐S bonding between thiol substituted azobenzene derivatives with gold nanomaterials core. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance, IR, transmission electron microscopy and UV‐Vis spectroscopic techniques. The photoisomerisation effect was investigated for the synthesised compounds using the absorption studies. The photosaturation was occurred at ∼24 s and back relaxation was found at ∼315 min. The sterical hindrance developed by the multiple attachments of azobenzene molecules to the central gold nanoparticle core is the reason for the lengthening of photo‐switching time duration. This study gives good information about the light induced characters of azobenzene based gold nanoparticles.
Synthesis, characterisation and in vitro release of paclitaxel‐loaded polymeric micelles
Authors: Li Zi Ling , Huang You Sheng , Xiong Xiang Yuan , Qin Xiang , Luo Yue Yuan 
Published: November 2016

A novel folic acid (FA) poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO)/poly (lactic acid) (PLA) block copolymer conjugate (FA‐PEO‐PLA) was successfully synthesised by a two‐step reaction. FA‐PEO‐PLA can form mixed micelles with low critical micelle concentration (3.2 × 10−3 wt%). The physical properties and the structure of micelles were characterised by size distribution and transmission electron microscopy. The micelles exhibited uniform spherical structure and the average diameter was 107.9 nm with narrow size distribution (polydispersity index 0.214). Paclitaxel was loaded in micelles and the encapsulation efficiency of paclitaxel was 43%. The in vitro release of paclitaxel from micelles was initially fast in the first 8 h followed by sustained release. The Weibull model was the most appropriate mechanism for describing the release procedure. These results indicated that the FA‐PEO‐PLA can be used as a carrier for hydrophobic anticancer drugs.
“Watching and waiting” and “much ado about nothing”? Making sense of the Israeli response to the Arab uprisings
Authors: Beck Martin 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThis article covers Israel’s response to the Arab uprisings. The analysis deals with the issue of both material and immaterial political actions of the Israeli political leadership. A theoretical approach based on “thin rationalism”—actors pursue strategies based on their preferences—encompassing orthodox and heterodox schools of thought of International Relations (Neo-Realism, Institutionalism, Liberalism and a Copenhagen School-inspired concept of international securitization) is developed and applied to the case. The article contributes to the solution of a research puzzle. On the one hand, Israel’s material political action followed a watching-and-waiting approach, as Israel refrained from actively interfering in the domestic affairs of Arab countries highly affected by the Arab uprisings. On the other hand, in terms of political communication, major executive branches of the Israeli state pursued a harsh policy: the “Arab Spring” was presented to the global public as a dangerous threat to Israel’s security. Major results at the empirical level are that Israel—seen through the spectacles of the three orthodox schools of thought—was never seriously threatened by the Arab uprisings, which contributes to explaining why Israel’s material policy was rather equanimous. At the same time, the harsh Israeli policy at the level of political communication is made sense of as a policy that added to Israel’s attempts to legitimize its occupation of Palestine toward the (Western-dominated) international community. At the theoretical level, further application of the securitization approach aimed at the international level is encouraged. This article is published as part of a collection on analyzing security complexes in a changing Middle East.
The EU and the international sanctions against Iran: European and Iranian foreign and security policy interests, and a changing Middle East
Authors: Seeberg Peter 
Published: November 2016

AbstractIn July 2015 an agreement on the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action regarding Iran’s nuclear program was announced between Iran and the permanent members of the UNSC, Germany and the EU. The Iranian decision to comply with the results of the negotiations attracted much focus, both at the policy level and in scholarly debates. However, the foreign and security policy interests and possibilities of Iran in the MENA region have not been discussed very intensively, nor has there been much attention paid to how the international actors and in particular the EU were able to influence the Iranian policies and decisions. This article seeks to take up this challenge: firstly by analyzing to what degree the sanctions influenced the Iranian decisions on the nuclear issue; and secondly, by discussing how the sanctions regime affected the relations between Iran and the international actors, with a specific focus on the EU and the ability of Iran to pursue its foreign policy interests in the Levant and the Gulf. This article is published as part of a collection on analysing security complexes in a changing Middle East.