bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cholinergic interneurons in the Q140 knockin mouse model of Huntington's disease: Reductions in dendritic branching and thalamostriatal input
Authors: Deng Yun‐Ping , Reiner Anton 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTWe have previously found that thalamostriatal axodendritic terminals are reduced as early as 1 month of age in heterozygous Q140 HD mice (Deng et al. [] Neurobiol Dis 60:89–107). Because cholinergic interneurons are a major target of thalamic axodendritic terminals, we examined the VGLUT2‐immunolabeled thalamic input to striatal cholinergic interneurons in heterozygous Q140 males at 1 and 4 months of age, using choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunolabeling to identify cholinergic interneurons. Although blinded neuron counts showed that ChAT+ perikarya were in normal abundance in Q140 mice, size measurements indicated that they were significantly smaller. Sholl analysis further revealed the dendrites of Q140 ChAT+ interneurons were significantly fewer and shorter. Consistent with the light microscopic data, ultrastructural analysis showed that the number of ChAT+ dendritic profiles per unit area of striatum was significantly decreased in Q140 striata, as was the abundance of VGLUT2+ axodendritic terminals making synaptic contact with ChAT+ dendrites per unit area of striatum. The density of thalamic terminals along individual cholinergic dendrites was, however, largely unaltered, indicating that the reduction in the areal striatal density of axodendritic thalamic terminals on cholinergic neurons was due to their dendritic territory loss. These results show that the abundance of thalamic input to individual striatal cholinergic interneurons is reduced early in the life span of Q140 mice, raising the possibility that this may occur in human HD as well. Because cholinergic interneurons differentially affect striatal direct vs. indirect pathway spiny projection neurons, their reduced thalamic excitatory drive may contribute to early abnormalities in movement in HD. J. Comp. Neurol. 524:3518–3529, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Aminocyclodextrin Oligomers as Protective Agents of Protein Aggregation
Authors: Giglio Valentina , Bellia Francesco , Oliveri Valentina , Vecchio Graziella 
Published: May 2016

AbstractOver 30 different amyloid proteins and a number of corresponding protein‐misfolding diseases have been identified. Among these is Alzheimer's disease, the most common neurodegenerative disorder. The treatment of these diseases is still a goal to reach and many molecules have been studied in this context. Among these, the cyclodextrins have shown interesting potential as agents against protein aggregation (antiaggregants). On the basis of this interest, we investigated the effect on protein aggregation of some oligomers of β‐cyclodextrins. In particular, it was found that amino oligomers show good inhibition of β‐amyloid aggregation in the micromolar concentration range. The presence of both a multicavity system and amino groups seems to be essential for preventing protein aggregation.
Reductive Etherification of Fatty Acids or Esters with Alcohols using Molecular Hydrogen
Authors: Erb Benjamin , Risto Eugen , Wendling Timo , Gooßen Lukas J. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractIn the presence of a catalyst system consisting of a ruthenium/triphos complex and the Brønsted acid trifluoromethanesulfonimide, mixtures of fatty acids and aliphatic alcohols are converted into the corresponding ethers at 70 bar H2. The protocol allows the sustainable one‐step synthesis of valuable long‐chain ether fragrances, lubricants, and surfactants from renewable sources. The reaction protocol is extended to various fatty acids and esters both in pure form and as mixtures, for example, tall oil acids or rapeseed methyl ester (RME). Even the mixed triglyceride rapeseed oil was converted in one step.
Easy Access to NO2‐Containing Donor–Acceptor–Acceptor Electron Donors for High Efficiency Small‐Molecule Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Ting Hao‐Chun , Yang Ya‐Ting , Chen Chia‐Hsun , Lee Jiun‐Haw , Chang Jung‐Hung , Wu Chih‐I , Chiu Tien‐Lung , Lin Chi‐Feng , Chung Chin‐Lung , Wong Ken‐Tsung 
Published: May 2016

AbstractTwo donor–acceptor–acceptor (D–A–A)‐type molecules incorporating nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBO) as the A–A block and ditolylamine as the D block bridged through a phenylene (PNBO) and a thiophene (TNBO) spacer were synthesized in a one‐step coupling reaction. Their electronic, photophysical, and thermal properties; crystallographic analysis; and theoretical calculations were studied to establish a clear structure–property relationship. The results indicate that the quinoidal character of the thiophene bridge strongly governs the structural features and crystal packings (herringbone vs. brickwork) and thus the physical properties of the compounds. PNBO and TNBO were utilized as electron donors combined with C70 as the electron acceptor in the active layer of vacuum‐processed bulk heterojunction small‐molecule organic solar cells (SMOSCs). The power conversion efficiency of both PNBO‐ and TNBO‐based OSCs exceeded 5 %. The ease of accessibility of PNBO and TNBO demonstrates the potential for simple and economical synthesis of electron donors in vacuum‐processed SMOSCs.
Label‐free biomarkers of human embryonic stem cell differentiation to hepatocytes
Authors: Tsikritsis Dimitrios , Shi Hu , Wang Yuan , Velugotla Srinivas , Sršeň Vlastimil , Elfick Alistair , Downes Andrew 
Published: May 2016

AbstractFour different label‐free, minimally invasive, live single cell analysis techniques were applied in a quantitative comparison, to characterize embryonic stem cells and the hepatocytes into which they were differentiated. Atomic force microscopy measures the cell's mechanical properties, Raman spectroscopy measures its chemical properties, and dielectrophoresis measures the membrane's capacitance. They were able to assign cell type of individual cells with accuracies of 91% (atomic force microscopy), 95.5% (Raman spectroscopy), and 72% (dielectrophoresis). In addition, stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy was able to easily identify hepatocytes in images by the presence of lipid droplets. These techniques, used either independently or in combination, offer label‐free methods to study individual living cells. Although these minimally invasive biomarkers can be applied to sense phenotypical or environmental changes to cells, these techniques have most potential in human stem cell therapies where the use of traditional biomarkers is best avoided. Destructive assays consume valuable stem cells and do not characterize the cells which go on to be used in therapies; whereas immunolabeling risks altering cell behavior. It was suggested how these four minimally invasive methods could be applied to cell culture, and how they could in future be combined into one microfluidic chip for cell sorting. © 2016 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Weight misperception among young adults with overweight/obesity associated with disordered eating behaviors
Authors: Sonneville Kendrin R. , Thurston Idia B. , Milliren Carly E. , Gooding Holly C. , Richmond Tracy K. 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to examine the cross‐sectional association between weight misperception among young adults with overweight/obesity and disordered eating behaviors.MethodIn a subsample of young adults with overweight or obesity participating in Wave III (2001–2002) of The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 5,184), we examined the cross‐sectional association between weight under‐perception (i.e., perceiving oneself to be at a healthy body weight or underweight) and disordered eating (fasting/meal skipping for weight control, purging/pills for weight control, overeating/loss of control eating, and use of performance‐enhancing products/substances).ResultsAbout 20% of young adult females under‐perceived their weight compared to 48% of males. Individuals who misperceived their weight as healthy were significantly less likely to report fasting/meal skipping (Females: OR: 0.25, 95% CI: 0.14–0.43; Males: OR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.20–0.48) and vomiting or taking diet pills/laxatives/diuretics (Females: OR: 0.10, 95% CI: 0.04–0.25; Males: OR: 0.10, 95% CI: 0.04–0.25) for weight control. Among females, those who misperceived their weight status as healthy were also less likely to report overeating or loss of control eating (OR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.24–0.71). Greater use of performance‐enhancing products/substances was seen among males who under‐perceived their weight as healthy (OR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.57–2.72) and among both females (OR: 2.29, 95% CI: 1.40–20.0) and males (OR: 2.27, 95% CI: 1.13–4.55) who perceived themselves to be underweight.DiscussionWeight under‐perception among young adults with overweight/obesity may convey some benefit related to disordered eating behaviors, but could be a risk factor for the use of performance‐enhancing products/substances. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord ; 49:937–946)
Do Sentiments Matter in Fraud Detection? Estimating Semantic Orientation of Annual Reports
Authors: Goel Sunita , Uzuner Ozlem 
Published: May 2016

SummaryWe present a novel approach for analysing the qualitative content of annual reports. Using natural language processing techniques we determine if sentiment expressed in the text matters in fraud detection. We focus on the Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) section of annual reports because of the nonfactual content present in this section, unlike other components of the annual reports. We measure the sentiment expressed in the text on the dimensions of polarity, subjectivity, and intensity and investigate in depth whether truthful and fraudulent MD&As differ in terms of sentiment polarity, sentiment subjectivity and sentiment intensity. Our results show that fraudulent MD&As on average contain three times more positive sentiment and four times more negative sentiment compared with truthful MD&As. This suggests that use of both positive and negative sentiment is more pronounced in fraudulent MD&As. We further find that, compared with truthful MD&As, fraudulent MD&As contain a greater proportion of subjective content than objective content. This suggests that the use of subjectivity clues such as presence of too many adjectives and adverbs could be an indicator of fraud. Clear cases of fraud show a higher intensity of sentiment exhibited by more use of adverbs in the “adverb modifying adjective” pattern. Based on the results of this study, frequent use of intensifiers, particularly in this pattern, could be another indicator of fraud. Moreover, the dimensions of subjectivity and intensity help in accurately classifying borderline examples of MD&As (that are equal in sentiment polarity) into fraudulent and truthful categories. When taken together, these findings suggest that fraudulent MD&As in contrast to truthful MD&As contain higher sentiment content. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Long-Term Low Intake of Dietary Calcium and Fracture Risk in Older Adults With Plant-Based Diet: A Longitudinal Study From the China Health and Nutrition Survey
Authors: Fang Aiping , Li Keji , Guo Meihan , He Jingjing , Li He , Shen Xin , Song Jie 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACT

The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate long-term associations between low dietary calcium intake and fracture risk in older adults with plant-based diet. Data of self-reported first fracture events of any type from 6210 Chinese men and women, aged 50 years or older and free from fracture at baseline, in a subcohort based on the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), were analyzed. Diet was repeatedly assessed by a combination of three consecutive 24-hour individual dietary recalls and a weighing and measuring of household food inventory in each round. The older men and women habitually ingested mean (SD) of 415 (147) mg/d and 373 (140) mg/d of calcium from plant-based diet, respectively. During a median follow-up of 7.0 years, 127 men (4.34%) and 232 women (7.06%) experienced first fracture events. The crude rates were 4.88, 2.55, and 6.83 per 1000 person-years at risk for men, and 6.72, 7.10, and 11.0 per 1000 person-years at risk for women in the lowest, third, and highest quintile of dietary calcium intake. In nonlinear regressions, an increased risk of fracture was associated with dietary calcium intake more than 778 mg/d (multivariable adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00–4.41) or lower than 275 mg/d (1.74, 95% CI 1.00–3.01) for men and more than 651 mg/d for women (1.54, 95% CI 1.00–2.38). A nonsignificant trend of increase in fracture risk was found below 248 mg/d (1.00, 95% CI 0.67–1.50) in women using restricted cubic spline Cox regression. A relatively low fracture risk is observed in men with dietary calcium intakes of 275 to 780 mg/d and in women with intakes of 250 to 650 mg/d, and higher intakes may have no further benefit for fracture prevention. The patterns of dietary calcium with fracture risk are U-shaped in men and possibly in women. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Vineyard Compost Supplemented with Trichoderma Harzianum T78 Improve Saline Soil Quality
Authors: Mbarki Sonia , Cerdà Artemi , Brestic Marian , Mahendra Rai , Abdelly Chedly , Pascual Jose Antonio 
Published: May 2016

AbstractUnderstanding soil degradation is especially important in the Mediterranean Region where desertification is a serious problem, and soil salinization is one of the causes. Salinity reduces soil quality, limits crop productivity and brings on long term soil degradation. Therefore the restoration of degraded soils is necessary to reduce land degradation, improve soil fertility and achieve a sustainable food production. The addition of compost supplemented with the beneficial microorganism Trichoderma harzianum isolate T78 to saline soils (NaCl) was studied to determine the impact on soil microbiology, which is the key to restore and rehabilitate degraded soils. The selected Trichoderma harzianum isolate T78 showed high salt tolerance despite the low osmotolerance of the genus Trichoderma. Increasing salt concentration reduced Trichoderma sp colony‐forming units (CFU) from natural soil and adversely affected soil microbial biomass C as well as dehydrogenase, β‐glucosidase, phosphatase and urease activities. Simultaneous amendment of the saline soil with compost and inoculation with T. harzianum T78 improved the soil microbiological quality; the number of T. harzianum T78 CFU did not decrease as NaCl increased. As T. harzianum strain T78 is salt tolerant, increasing the relative abundance of this specific strain would contribute to the rehabilitation of saline soils. Vineyard composts supplemented with T. harzianum T78 represent a promising approach for the treatment and improvement of saline soil properties. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The association between benzodiazepines and influenza‐like illness‐related pneumonia and mortality: a survival analysis using UK Primary Care data
Authors: Nakafero Georgina , Sanders Robert D. , Nguyen‐Van‐Tam Jonathan S. , Myles Puja R. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractPurposeBacterial superinfections, including pneumonia, are frequent complications of influenza‐like illness (ILI). Clinical and laboratory evidence suggests that benzodiazepines and Z‐drugs may influence susceptibility to infections and mortality. We investigated whether benzodiazepines and zopiclone modify the occurrence of ILI‐related pneumonia and mortality.MethodsWe obtained data on 804 051 ILI patients from a comprehensive primary care database, the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. The follow‐up period started from the diagnosis of ILI for 30 days. Pneumonia and deaths occurring within the 30‐day follow‐up period were considered as potentially ‘ILI related’. Exposure to benzodiazepines and zopiclone was determined in the period preceding a diagnosis of ILI with current use defined as a prescription for benzodiazepines in the month prior to ILI diagnosis. Cox regression was used for the analyses. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) are presented.ResultsInfluenza‐like illness‐related pneumonia and mortality were noted in 1117 and 707 ILI patients, respectively. Current exposure to benzodiazepines was associated with increased occurrence of both ILI‐related pneumonia and mortality (ILI‐related pneumonia adjusted HR 4.24, 95%CI [2.27, 7.95]; ILI‐related mortality adjusted HR 20.69, 95%CI [15.54, 27.54]). A similar increase in ILI‐related mortality but not pneumonia was observed with current zopiclone use (ILI‐related mortality adjusted HR 10.86, 95%CI [6.93, 17.02]; ILI‐related pneumonia adjusted HR 1.97, 95%CI [0.63, 6.12]).ConclusionBenzodiazepines may increase the likelihood of pneumonia and mortality related to ILI. A cautionary approach to prescribing benzodiazepine is suggested in people known to be at increased risk of pneumonia or mortality. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Conjugated polymers with carbazole, fluorene, and ethylene dioxythiophene in the main chain and a pendant cyano group: Synthesis, photophysical, and electrochemical studies
Authors: Anand Vivek , Ramachandran Elumalai , Dhamodharan Raghavachari 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTSix new conjugated polymers comprising of carbazole, fluorene, and ethylene dioxythiophene (EDOT) moieties along the backbone with a pendant cyano group attached to the ethylene moiety have been designed and synthesized via Sonogashira coupling polymerization reaction. Optical and electrochemical characterizations have shown that the energy band gaps lie within the range of 2.35–2.44 eV. Additionally, the presence of carbazole and EDOT makes these polymers better hole transporting materials, which is reflected from their low oxidation potential peaks (0.55–1.11 V) in cyclic voltammograms. Furthermore, the aggregation enhanced emission (AEE) phenomenon resulted in a 2.6‐fold increase in fluorescence intensity in a 90:10 THF/water mixture in comparison to pristine THF. The AEE properties were further verified by DLS (dynamic light scattering) experiment and SEM (scanning electron microscopy) studies. Polymers in solution as well as in polystyrene matrix emit in the green region (quantum yield in solution state Φf =41–43%) with CIE values (0.25–0.36, 0.52–0.57). Excellent thermal stability is observed for the new polymers. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 2774–2784
Solvent‐assisted prototyping of microfluidic and optofluidic microsystems in polymers
Authors: Liyu Denis , Nemati Shahla H. , Vasdekis Andreas E. 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTDue to their low‐cost and processing simplicity, polymers have made a substantial impact on everyday life and scientific discoveries. Such discoveries include the use of microanalysis and optical microsystems, which—albeit simpler to prototype than their inorganic counterparts—still require dedicated procedures at high temperatures and pressures. Here, recent developments in microsystem prototyping are highlighted, based on solvent‐assisted polymer stimulation. These developments—largely inspired by the earlier demonstration of solvent‐assisted micromolding (SAMIM) for nanoimprinting—enable micronscale imprinting, but also bonding to substrates and three‐dimensional chemical functionalization via strict benchtop procedures. These solvent‐assisted strategies are categorized into two groups: those based on solvent immersion and those based on complete polymer dissolution. Recent embodiments within each group are discussed and compared in performance. Solvent‐assisted prototyping further narrows the gap of processing complexity and costs between the PDMS elastomer and thermoplastic polymer microfluidics, and also enables novel architectures and thus new opportunities in microscale Life Sciences and Chemistry investigations. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016, 54, 1681–1686
Anti‐inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and antioxidant activity of fluoxetine
Authors: Caiaffo Vitor , Oliveira Belisa D. R. , de Sá Fabrício B. , Evêncio Neto Joaquim 
Published: May 2016

AbstractFluoxetine is a selective serotonin uptake inhibitor that has been widely used to determine the neurotransmission of serotonin in the central nervous system. This substance has emerged as the drug of choice for the treatment of depression due to is safer profile, fewer side effects, and greater tolerability. Studies have found the following important functions of fluoxetine related to the central nervous system: neuroprotection; anti‐inflammatory properties similar to standard drugs for the treatment of inflammatory conditions; antioxidant properties, contributing to its therapeutic action and an important intracellular mechanism underlying the protective pharmacological effects seen in clinical practice in the treatment of different stress‐related adverse health conditions; and antiapoptotic properties, with greater neuron survival and a reduction in apoptosis mediators as well as oxidative substances, such as superoxide dismutase and hydrogen peroxide. The aim of this study was to perform a review of the literature on the important role of fluoxetine in anti‐inflammatory, cell survival, and neuron trophicity mechanisms (antiapoptotic properties) as well as its role regarding enzymes of the antioxidant defense system.
Auxeticity from nonlinear vibrational modes
Authors: Dmitriev S. V. , Korznikova E. A. , Bokij D. I. , Zhou K. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractAbstractauthoren It is demonstrated that the large‐amplitude, short‐wavelength vibrational modes excited in the lattice can change its elastic properties due to physical and/or geometric nonlinearity of the lattice bonds. Depending on the symmetry of the vibrational mode the symmetry of the elastic properties of the lattice can also change. Using as an example the two‐dimensional honeycomb structure with‐FPU pairwise interparticle interactions, we demonstrate that the excitation of a large‐amplitude vibrational mode in combination with equiaxial tensile strain can change the sign of the Poisson's ratio from positive to negative, thus leading to the auxetic property of the lattice. It is shown that the considered lattice supports discrete breathers, i.e., spatially localized nonlinear vibrational modes. The excitation of the discrete breathers as a result of the modulational instability of the extended short‐wavelength modes is analyzed. Our results contribute to the understanding of the relation between the elastic properties and nonlinear dynamics of the lattices of interacting particles.Extended vibrational modes in the 2D honeycomb lattice presented by the stroboscopic pictures of the particle motion. Excitation of such modes with sufficiently large amplitude in combination with equiaxial tension changes the sign of the Poisson's ratio of the lattice from positive to negative.