bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Riss-Würm interglacial from West to East in the Alps: an overview of the vegetational succession and climatic development
Authors: Drescher-Schneider Ruth 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThe vegetational and climatic developments during the Riss-Würm interglacial in the area on the northern flank of the Alps are reviewed. Reforestation seems to have begun over the whole region with a dwarf-shrub and ensuing shrub phase, leading to birch and/or pine woodland. The rise in summer temperatures, which δ180 values suggest to have been a two-stage event, permitted the immigration and expansion of more demanding trees (elm, oak, lime, ash, ivy, hazel, yew, etc.). Following the thermal maximum, which took place during the hazel and yew biozones, hornbeam dominated the forests in the alpine foreland, whilst fir/spruce forests formed the dominant vegetation at sites closer to the Alps or at a higher altitude. A marked climatic deterioration can only be recognised towards the end of the interglacial, which led to extensive spruce/pine and, finally, almost pure pine forests.
Marine late Saalian to Eemian environments and climatic variability in the Danish shelf area
Authors: Seidenkrantz Marit-Solveig , Knudsen Karen Luise , Kristensen Peter 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThe marine Eemian (marine oxygen-isotope substage 5e: MIS 5e) is represented by shallow-water deposits in southern and western Denmark, while relatively deep-water environments occurred to the north and north-east, where complete interglacial successions seem to be present. We present an overview of the marine Eemian deposits in Denmark, and discuss in more detail indications of climate variability, both for the late Saalian and within the Eemian.
Vegetation variability in Greece during the last interglacial
Authors: Tzedakis P.C. 
Published: April 2016

Abstract
The extent of regional variability in vegetation development in mainland
Greece during the last interglacial is considered. Three pollen sequences –
Ioannina (northwest Greece),Tenaghi Philippon (northeast Greece) and Kopais
(central Greece) – all located in different environmental settings, extend into
the last interglacial. Examination of the vegetation histories of the three sites
during the last interglacial reveals the influence of local climatic conditions
with closed mixed forests in the northwest, becoming progressively more open and
less diverse farther to the east and south. All three sequences contain a number
of similar trends, however, in the expansion of certain taxa. In addition, they
also show the presence of a two-step late glacial interval, a short episode of
forest reduction in the second part of the interglacial and a final small
expansion of tree populations at the very end of the interglacial. Comparison with
other European records shows a number of common features, but also suggests
differences consistent with the particular environmental setting of the Greek
sites.
Rock and palaeomagnetic evidence for the Plio-Pleistocene palaeoclimatic change recorded in Upper Rhine Graben sediments (Core Ludwigshafen-Parkinsel)
Authors: Rolf C. , Hambach U. , Weidenfeller M. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThis paper summarizes results of magnetostratigraphic and rock magnetic investigations performed on fluvial sediments from the Ludwigshafen-Parkinsel drilling project (Upper Rhine Graben (URG) Germany). The drilling penetrated into Pleistocene gravel, sand, silt and clay, and unconsolidated Pliocene deposits. Its primary objective was the exploration of groundwater resources in the area of Ludwigshafen. Our rock magnetic investigations together with results of heavy mineral analyses (see Hagedorn & Boenigk, 2008) show a clearly structured sediment profile. It was possible to identify the change from mainly locally controlled sedimentation from the Graben margins to a more distinct Alpine controlled sedimentation at a depth of 177 m by magnetic data. Based on lithostratigraphic correlation with other sedimentary records from the URG and also based on palynological evidence, this event happened at the end of Late Pliocene during a time of normal polarity of the Earth's magnetic field (Gauss Chron?). The well-documented characteristic change in magneto-mineralogy from goethite to greigite almost at the same stratigraphic level, we interpret solely as a climatic signal which can be correlated with the global climate change at ∼2.5 Ma that is well documented in a wide range of sedimentary environments (e.g. deep-sea sediments, loess).
The confluence area of Rhine, Meuse, and Belgian rivers: Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene fluvial history of the northern Lower Rhine Embayment
Authors: Westerhoff W.E. , Kemna H.A. , Boenigk W. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThe fluvial history of the northern Lower Rhine Embayment shows interplay of three main river systems: Rhine, Meuse and smaller rivers draining the central and northern part of Belgium.The Pliocene and Early Pleistocene (pre-)Rhine and Meuse river systems had their conjunction in the southern part of the Roer Valley Graben between Aachen and Jülich. Despite slight differences in the heavy-mineral assemblages the lithological composition of the Pliocene deposits of the three river systems shows close resemblance and therefore they cannot be mapped separately. However, due to a marked change of the petrographical composition the Upper Pliocene and Lower Pleistocene deposits of the Rhine are easily recognised and as a result Rhine and Meuse deposits can be mapped separately upstream of their confluence.The Lower Pleistocene deposits of Rhine, Meuse and the Belgian rivers show a clear interrelationship. They are bounded by two regional well-mapable unconformities and are preserved in from west to east changing lithostratigraphical sequences. Revision of the lithostratigraphical schemes in Germany and the Netherlands and the better defined lithostratigraphical position of Meuse deposits in Germany now strongly constrain the correlation of the various fluvial deposits. As a result existing reconstructions of the fluvial deposition and tectonic history of the southern Roer Valley Graben can be evaluated and re-adjusted.It is concluded that the main course of the Meuse was aligned through the so-called East Meuse valley during the larger part of the Early Pleistocene. Available pollen data do not conflict with this conclusion. At the same time the Rhine ceased to enter the southern part of the Roer Valley Graben. Instead, the Meuse accumulated here a series of deposits derived from the East-Meuse valley. Simultaneously, the Belgian rivers filled available accommodation space in the Roer Valley Graben of the southern Netherlands. The conclusions are based primarily on the revised lithostratigraphical framework. In general they simplify the picture of fluvial and tectonic behaviour of the area.
Oil and Democracy: Endogenous Natural Resources and the Political “Resource Curse”
Authors: Brooks Sarah M. , Kurtz Marcus J. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractBy the end of the twentieth century, a scholarly consensus emerged around the idea that oil fuels authoritarianism and slow growth. The natural abundance once thought to be a blessing was unconditionally, and then later only conditionally, a curse for political and economic development. We re-examine the relationship between oil wealth and political regimes, challenging the conventional wisdom that such natural resource rents lead to authoritarian outcomes. We contend that most efforts to examine the causal linkages between natural resource abundance and political regime have been complicated by the likelihood that both democracy and oil revenue are endogenous to the industrialization processes itself, particularly in its developmentalist form. Our quantitative results, based on an analysis of global data from 1970 to 2006, show that both resource endogeneity and several mechanisms of intraregional regime diffusion are powerful determinants of democratic outcomes. Qualitative evidence from the history of industrialization in Latin America yields support for our proposed causal claim. Oil wealth is not necessarily a curse and may even be a blessing with respect to democratic development.
Mapping the Scope of Dispute Settlement in Regional Trade Agreements: Implications for the Multilateral Governance of Trade
Authors: FROESE MARC D. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThis article argues that the inclusion of provisions for the settlement of disputes in regional trade agreements enhances, rather than disrupts, the centrality of the World Trade Organization's dispute settlement system. Using a dataset that organizes exclusion clauses and special provisions for dispute settlement in regional trade agreements, the study develops a thematic typology that is used to examine the ways that disputes may be channelled between regional and multilateral dispute settlement institutions. This comparative empirical dimension offers a more accurate picture of the global contours of regionalization as they relate to the juridical aspects of trade governance, suggesting that the decentralization of dispute settlement inferred by the rapid development of regional bodies has been overstated.
In Pursuit of a Single Flame? On Schubert’s Settings of Goethe’s Poems
Authors: Bodley Lorraine Byrne 
Published: April 2016

Much musicological and historicist criticism has tended to ‘flatten’ Goethe by confining him to the thought-clichés of his time, and this in turn has led to an implicitly patronizing view of him as musically conservative. This article will show how Goethe proves again and again to be more musically intelligent and perceptive than scholars have given him credit for. Certain musicological questions engross the poet throughout his life: the nature of major and minor tonalities; musical identity throughout the ages; music and text; the rhetoric of attentive listening; musical language and its capacity to occlude and exclude. Yet Goethe’s thought, this article demonstrates, is anything but static; his writings keep returning to, modifying and complicating his musical preoccupations.This article challenges the salient misconception that Goethe’s lack of musical judgement divorced him from the development of the nineteenth-century Lied and that Schubert’s settings ran counter to the poet’s intent. Two new readings of ‘Wandrers Nachtlied’ and ‘Erster Verlust’ show how Schubert is listening to the poetry and the upshot is not a song that reflects the poem but one that reflects on it.
Conformational heterogeneity of the calmodulin binding interface
Authors: Shukla Diwakar , Peck Ariana , Pande Vijay S. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractCalmodulin (CaM) is a ubiquitous Ca2+ sensor and a crucial signalling hub in many pathways aberrantly activated in disease. However, the mechanistic basis of its ability to bind diverse signalling molecules including G-protein-coupled receptors, ion channels and kinases remains poorly understood. Here we harness the high resolution of molecular dynamics simulations and the analytical power of Markov state models to dissect the molecular underpinnings of CaM binding diversity. Our computational model indicates that in the absence of Ca2+, sub-states in the folded ensemble of CaM’s C-terminal domain present chemically and sterically distinct topologies that may facilitate conformational selection. Furthermore, we find that local unfolding is off-pathway for the exchange process relevant for peptide binding, in contrast to prior hypotheses that unfolding might account for binding diversity. Finally, our model predicts a novel binding interface that is well-populated in the Ca2+-bound regime and, thus, a candidate for pharmacological intervention.
A facile route to old and new cyclophanes via self-assembly and capture
Authors: Collins Mary S. , Carnes Matthew E. , Nell Bryan P. , Zakharov Lev N. , Johnson Darren W. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractCyclophanes are a venerable class of macrocyclic and/or cage compounds that often feature high strain, unusual conformations and quite surprising properties, many of which are legendary in physical organic chemistry. However, the discovery of new, diverse cyclophanes and derivatives has been hindered by syntheses that are traditionally low-yielding, requiring long reaction times, laborious purification steps and often extreme conditions. Herein, we demonstrate a new self-assembly route to a variety of discrete cyclic and caged disulfide structures, which can then be kinetically captured upon sulfur extrusion at room temperature to give a diversity of new thioether (hetera)cyclophanes in high yield. In addition to the synthesis of novel macrocycles (dimers through hexamers), this process provides an improved route to a known macrobicyclic trithiacyclophane. This technique also enables the facile isolation of a tetrahedral macrotricyclic tetrathiacyclophane in two steps at an ambient temperature.
Light-driven oxidation of polysaccharides by photosynthetic pigments and a metalloenzyme
Authors: Cannella D. , Möllers K. B. , Frigaard N.-U. , Jensen P. E. , Bjerrum M. J. , Johansen K. S. , Felby C. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractOxidative processes are essential for the degradation of plant biomass. A class of powerful and widely distributed oxidative enzymes, the lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), oxidize the most recalcitrant polysaccharides and require extracellular electron donors. Here we investigated the effect of using excited photosynthetic pigments as electron donors. LPMOs combined with pigments and reducing agents were exposed to light, which resulted in a never before seen 100-fold increase in catalytic activity. In addition, LPMO substrate specificity was broadened to include both cellulose and hemicellulose. LPMO enzymes and pigment derivatives common in the environment of plant-degrading organisms thus form a highly reactive and stable light-driven system increasing the turnover rate and versatility of LPMOs. This light-driven system may find applications in biotechnology and chemical processing.
mTORC1 regulates PTHrP to coordinate chondrocyte growth, proliferation and differentiation
Authors: Yan Bo , Zhang Zhongmin , Jin Dadi , Cai Chen , Jia Chunhong , Liu Wen , Wang Ting , Li Shengfa , Zhang Haiyan , Huang Bin , Lai Pinglin , Wang Hua , Liu Anling , Zeng Chun , Cai Daozhang , Jiang Yu , Bai Xiaochun 
Published: April 2016

AbstractPrecise coordination of cell growth, proliferation and differentiation is essential for the development of multicellular organisms. Here, we report that although the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activity is required for chondrocyte growth and proliferation, its inactivation is essential for chondrocyte differentiation. Hyperactivation of mTORC1 via TSC1 gene deletion in chondrocytes causes uncoupling of the normal proliferation and differentiation programme within the growth plate, resulting in uncontrolled cell proliferation, and blockage of differentiation and chondrodysplasia in mice. Rapamycin promotes chondrocyte differentiation and restores these defects in mutant mice. Mechanistically, mTORC1 downstream kinase S6K1 interacts with and phosphorylates Gli2, and releases Gli2 from SuFu binding, resulting in nuclear translocation of Gli2 and transcription of parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP), a key regulator of bone development. Our findings demonstrate that dynamically controlled mTORC1 activity is crucial to coordinate chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation partially through regulating Gli2/PTHrP during endochondral bone development.
CD8+ T-cell pathogenicity in Rasmussen encephalitis elucidated by large-scale T-cell receptor sequencing
Authors: Schneider-Hohendorf Tilman , Mohan Hema , Bien Christian G. , Breuer Johanna , Becker Albert , Görlich Dennis , Kuhlmann Tanja , Widman Guido , Herich Sebastian , Elpers Christiane , Melzer Nico , Dornmair Klaus , Kurlemann Gerhard , Wiendl Heinz , Schwab Nicholas 
Published: April 2016

AbstractRasmussen encephalitis (RE) is a rare paediatric epilepsy with uni-hemispheric inflammation and progressive neurological deficits. To elucidate RE immunopathology, we applied T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing to blood (n=23), cerebrospinal fluid (n=2) and brain biopsies (n=5) of RE patients, and paediatric controls. RE patients present with peripheral CD8+ T-cell expansion and its strength correlates with disease severity. In addition, RE is the only paediatric epilepsy with prominent T-cell expansions in the CNS. Consistently, common clones are shared between RE patients, who also share MHC-I alleles. Public RE clones share Vβ genes and length of the CDR3. Rituximab/natalizumab/basiliximab treatment does not change TCR diversity, stem cell transplantation replaces the TCR repertoire with minimal overlap between donor and recipient, as observed in individual cases. Our study supports the hypothesis of an antigen-specific attack of peripherally expanded CD8+ lymphocytes against CNS structures in RE, which might be ameliorated by restricting access to the CNS.
Suppressing molecular vibrations in organic semiconductors by inducing strain
Authors: Kubo Takayoshi , Häusermann Roger , Tsurumi Junto , Soeda Junshi , Okada Yugo , Yamashita Yu , Akamatsu Norihisa , Shishido Atsushi , Mitsui Chikahiko , Okamoto Toshihiro , Yanagisawa Susumu , Matsui Hiroyuki , Takeya Jun 
Published: April 2016

AbstractOrganic molecular semiconductors are solution processable, enabling the growth of large-area single-crystal semiconductors. Improving the performance of organic semiconductor devices by increasing the charge mobility is an ongoing quest, which calls for novel molecular and material design, and improved processing conditions. Here we show a method to increase the charge mobility in organic single-crystal field-effect transistors, by taking advantage of the inherent softness of organic semiconductors. We compress the crystal lattice uniaxially by bending the flexible devices, leading to an improved charge transport. The mobility increases from 9.7 to 16.5 cm2 V−1 s−1 by 70% under 3% strain. In-depth analysis indicates that compressing the crystal structure directly restricts the vibration of the molecules, thus suppresses dynamic disorder, a unique mechanism in organic semiconductors. Since strain can be easily induced during the fabrication process, we expect our method to be exploited to build high-performance organic devices.
Applying medicinal chemistry strategies to understand odorant discrimination
Authors: Poivet Erwan , Peterlin Zita , Tahirova Narmin , Xu Lu , Altomare Clara , Paria Anne , Zou Dong-Jing , Firestein Stuart 
Published: April 2016

AbstractAssociating an odorant’s chemical structure with its percept is a long-standing challenge. One hindrance may come from the adoption of the organic chemistry scheme of molecular description and classification. Chemists classify molecules according to characteristics that are useful in synthesis or isolation, but which may be of little importance to a biological sensory system. Accordingly, we look to medicinal chemistry, which emphasizes biological function over chemical form, in an attempt to discern which among the many molecular features are most important for odour discrimination. Here we use medicinal chemistry concepts to assemble a panel of molecules to test how heteroaromatic ring substitution of the benzene ring will change the odour percept of acetophenone. This work allows us to describe an extensive rule in odorant detection by mammalian olfactory receptors. Whereas organic chemistry would have predicted the ring size and composition to be key features, our work reveals that the topological polar surface area is the key feature for the discrimination of these odorants.
Rab35 GTPase couples cell division with initiation of epithelial apico-basal polarity and lumen opening
Authors: Klinkert Kerstin , Rocancourt Murielle , Houdusse Anne , Echard Arnaud 
Published: April 2016

AbstractEstablishment and maintenance of apico-basal polarity in epithelial organs must be tightly coupled with cell division, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Using 3D cultures of renal MDCK cells (cysts), we found that the Rab35 GTPase plays a crucial role in polarity initiation and apical lumen positioning during the first cell division of cyst development. At the molecular level, Rab35 physically couples cytokinesis with the initiation of apico-basal polarity by tethering intracellular vesicles containing key apical determinants at the cleavage site. These vesicles transport aPKC, Cdc42, Crumbs3 and the lumen-promoting factor Podocalyxin, and are tethered through a direct interaction between Rab35 and the cytoplasmic tail of Podocalyxin. Consequently, Rab35 inactivation leads to complete inversion of apico-basal polarity in 3D cysts. This novel and unconventional mode of Rab-dependent vesicle targeting provides a simple mechanism for triggering both initiation of apico-basal polarity and lumen opening at the centre of cysts.
Therapeutic activity of modified U1 core spliceosomal particles
Authors: Rogalska Malgorzata Ewa , Tajnik Mojca , Licastro Danilo , Bussani Erica , Camparini Luca , Mattioli Chiara , Pagani Franco 
Published: April 2016

AbstractModified U1 snRNAs bound to intronic sequences downstream of the 5′ splice site correct exon skipping caused by different types of mutations. Here we evaluate the therapeutic activity and structural requirements of these exon-specific U1 snRNA (ExSpeU1) particles. In a severe spinal muscular atrophy, mouse model, ExSpeU1, introduced by germline transgenesis, increases SMN2 exon 7 inclusion, SMN protein production and extends life span. In vitro, RNA mutant analysis and silencing experiments show that while U1A protein is dispensable, the 70K and stem loop IV elements mediate most of the splicing rescue activity through improvement of exon and intron definition. Our findings indicate that precise engineering of the U1 core spliceosomal RNA particle has therapeutic potential in pathologies associated with exon-skipping mutations.
Immediate ecotoxicological effects of short-lived oil spills on marine biota
Authors: Brussaard Corina P. D. , Peperzak Louis , Beggah Siham , Wick Lukas Y. , Wuerz Birgit , Weber Jan , Samuel Arey J. , van der Burg Bart , Jonas Arjen , Huisman Johannes , van der Meer Jan Roelof 
Published: April 2016

AbstractMarine environments are frequently exposed to oil spills as a result of transportation, oil drilling or fuel usage. Whereas large oil spills and their effects have been widely documented, more common and recurrent small spills typically escape attention. To fill this important gap in the assessment of oil-spill effects, we performed two independent supervised full sea releases of 5 m3 of crude oil, complemented by on-board mesocosm studies and sampling of accidentally encountered slicks. Using rapid on-board biological assays, we detect high bioavailability and toxicity of dissolved and dispersed oil within 24 h after the spills, occurring fairly deep (8 m) below the slicks. Selective decline of marine plankton is observed, equally relevant for early stages of larger spills. Our results demonstrate that, contrary to common thinking, even small spills have immediate adverse biological effects and their recurrent nature is likely to affect marine ecosystem functioning.