bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Warning signals of biodiversity collapse across gradients of tropical forest loss
Authors: de Oliveira Roque Fabio , Menezes Jorge F. S. , Northfield Tobin , Ochoa-Quintero Jose Manuel , Campbell Mason J. , Laurance William F. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractWe evaluate potential warning signals that may aid in identifying the proximity of ecological communities to biodiversity thresholds from habitat loss—often termed “tipping points”—in tropical forests. We used datasets from studies of Neotropical mammal, frog, bird, and insect communities. Our findings provide only limited evidence that an increase in the variance (heteroskedasticity) of biodiversity-related parameters can provide a general warning signal of impending threshold changes in communities, as forest loss increases. However, such an apparent effect was evident for amphibians in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Amazonian mammal and bird communities, suggesting that impending changes in some species assemblages might be predictable. We consider the potential of such warning signs to help forecast drastic changes in biodiversity.
Silica Gel Coated Spherical Micro resonator for Ultra-High Sensitivity Detection of Ammonia Gas Concentration in Air
Authors: Mallik Arun Kumar , Farrell Gerald , Liu Dejun , Kavungal Vishnu , Wu Qiang , Semenova Yuliya 
Published: January 2018

AbstractA silica gel coated microsphere resonator is proposed and experimentally demonstrated for measurements of ammonia (NH3) concentration in air with ultra-high sensitivity. The optical properties of the porous silica gel layer change when it is exposed to low (parts per million (ppm)) and even ultra-low (parts per billion (ppb)) concentrations of ammonia vapor, leading to a spectral shift of the WGM resonances in the transmission spectrum of the fiber taper. The experimentally demonstrated sensitivity of the proposed sensor to ammonia is estimated as 34.46 pm/ppm in the low ammonia concentrations range from 4 ppm to 30 ppm using an optical spectrum analyser (OSA), and as 800 pm/ppm in the ultra-low range of ammonia concentrations from 2.5 ppb to 12 ppb using the frequency detuning method, resulting in the lowest detection limit (by two orders of magnitude) reported to date equal to 0.16 ppb of ammonia in air. In addition, the sensor exhibits excellent selectivity to ammonia and very fast response and recovery times measured at 1.5 and 3.6 seconds, respectively. Other attractive features of the proposed sensor are its compact nature, simplicity of fabrication.
Integrated Optical Modulator Based on Transition between Photonic Bands
Authors: Govdeli Alperen , Sarihan Murat Can , Karaca Utku , Kocaman Serdar 
Published: January 2018

AbstractAn area efficient novel optical modulator with low operation voltage is designed based on integrated Mach-Zehnder Interferometer with a photonic crystal slab structure as the phase shifter. Plasma dispersion effect is utilized so that photonic band-to-band transition occurs at the operating frequency leading to a high index change (Δn = ~4) for π-phase shift on the modulator. This approach reduces the phase shifter length to a few micrometers (~5 µm) in a silicon on insulator platform and operating voltage required is around 1 V. Low voltage together with short optical interaction length decrease optical losses and power consumption during modulation process providing a great opportunity for size and system cost optimization.
Ceramide Synthase 6 Deficiency Enhances Inflammation in the DSS model of Colitis
Authors: Helke Kristi , Angel Peggi , Lu Ping , Garrett-Mayer Elizabeth , Ogretmen Besim , Drake Richard , Voelkel-Johnson Christina 
Published: January 2018

AbstractColitis, an inflammatory disease of the digestive tract, is increasing in incidence and prevalence. Intestinal inflammation can occur as a consequence of dysfunctions in sphingolipid metabolism. In this study we used ceramide synthase 6 (CerS6) deficient mice, which have a reduced ability to generate long chain C16-ceramide, to investigate the role of this enzyme in dextran sodium salt (DSS)-induced colitis. While CerS6-deficient mice are protected from T cell mediated colitis, in the T cell independent DSS model lack of CerS6 resulted in a more rapid onset of disease symptoms. CerS6-deficient mice maintained low levels of C16-ceramide after DSS treatment, but the inflammatory lipid sphingosine-1-phosphate was significantly increased in colon tissue. In the absence of CerS6, DSS induced more severe pathology in the colon including enhanced neutrophil infiltration. In vivo analysis of myeloperoxidase activity, an enzyme released from neutrophils, was approximately 2.5-fold higher in CerS6-deficient mice compared to wild type. Differences in intestinal permeability did not account for the increase in neutrophils. Our study suggests that lack of CerS6 expression differentially impacts the development of colitis, depending on the model used.
Pulsatile stretch as a novel modulator of amyloid precursor protein processing and associated inflammatory markers in human cerebral endothelial cells
Authors: Gangoda Sumudu V. S. , Avadhanam Bhargava , Jufri Nurul F. , Sohn Eun Hwa , Butlin Mark , Gupta Vivek , Chung Roger , Avolio Alberto P. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractAmyloid β (Aβ) deposition is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Vascular modifications, including altered brain endothelial cell function and structural viability of the blood-brain barrier due to vascular pulsatility, are implicated in AD pathology. Pulsatility of phenomena in the cerebral vasculature are often not considered in in vitro models of the blood-brain barrier. We demonstrate, for the first time, that pulsatile stretch of brain vascular endothelial cells modulates amyloid precursor protein (APP) expression and the APP processing enzyme, β-secretase 1, eventuating increased-Aβ generation and secretion. Concurrent modulation of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) signaling (expression and phosphorylation of eNOS) in response to pulsatile stretch indicates parallel activation of endothelial inflammatory pathways. These findings mechanistically support vascular pulsatility contributing towards cerebral Aβ levels.
Experimentally evoked same-sex sexual behaviour in pigeons: better to be in a female-female pair than alone
Authors: Jankowiak Łukasz , Tryjanowski Piotr , Hetmański Tomasz , Skórka Piotr 
Published: January 2018

AbstractSame-sex sexual behaviour has been noted among social animals. However, because of the large number of observations necessary, data from controlled experiments are lacking. In this study, we performed experiments to evaluate the effects of male and female removal in colonies of the feral pigeon (Columba liviaf.urbana). After the experimental removal of males, five long-lasting female-female pairs occurred. We found that those pairs could successfully raise offspring in a manner comparable to female-male pairs. Same-sex sexual behaviour and pairing in females is thus a better alternative to postponed breeding or breeding alone without the help of a partner. In contrast, in the case of female-removal experiments, same-sex pairing behaviour occurred in males as a temporary phenomenon with characteristic mutual aggression. Additionally, under a male-biased sex ratio, we observed father-son and father-daughter copulations. To the best of our knowledge, these results are the first obtained under controlled experimental conditions which demonstrate that the sex ratio of a population can shift the social structure and cause cooperative same-sex breeding behaviour to arise in a monogamous species.
Dual regulation of activity and intracellular localization of the PASTA kinase PrkC during Bacillus subtilis growth
Authors: Pompeo Frédérique , Byrne Deborah , Mengin-Lecreulx Dominique , Galinier Anne 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe activity of the PrkC protein kinase is regulated in a sophisticated manner in Bacillus subtilis cells. In spores, in the presence of muropeptides, PrkC stimulates dormancy exit. The extracellular region containing PASTA domains binds peptidoglycan fragments to probably enhance the intracellular kinase activity. During exponential growth, the cell division protein GpsB interacts with the intracellular domain of PrkC to stimulate its activity. In this paper, we have reinvestigated the regulation of PrkC during exponential and stationary phases. We observed that, during exponential growth, neither its septal localization nor its activity are influenced by the addition of peptidoglycan fragments or by the deletion of one or all PASTA domains. However, Dynamic Light Scattering experiments suggest that peptidoglycan fragments bind specifically to PrkC and induce its oligomerization. In addition, during stationary phase, PrkC appeared evenly distributed in the cell wall and the deletion of one or all PASTA domains led to a non-activated kinase. We conclude that PrkC activation is not as straightforward as previously suggested and that regulation of its kinase activity via the PASTA domains and peptidoglycan fragments binding occurs when PrkC is not concentrated to the bacterial septum, but all over the cell wall in non-dividing bacillus cells.
Screening a small molecule library to identify inhibitors of NF-κB inducing kinase and pro-labor genes in human placenta
Authors: Wang Bingbing , Parobchak Nataliya , Martin Adriana , Rosen Max , Yu Lumeng Jenny , Nguyen Mary , Gololobova Kseniya , Rosen Todd 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe non-canonical NF-κB signaling (RelB/p52) pathway drives pro-labor genes in the human placenta, including corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), making this a potential therapeutic target to delay onset of labor. Here we sought to identify small molecule compounds from a pre-existing chemical library of orally active drugs that can inhibit this NF-κB signaling, and in turn, human placental CRH and COX-2 production. We used a cell-based assay coupled with a dual-luciferase reporter system to perform an in vitro screening of a small molecule library of 1,120 compounds for inhibition of the non-canonical NF-κB pathway. Cell toxicity studies and drug efflux transport MRP1 assays were used to further characterize the lead compounds. We have found that 14 drugs have selective inhibitory activity against lymphotoxin beta complex-induced activation of RelB/p52 in HEK293T cells, several of which also inhibited expression of CRH and COX-2 in human term trophoblast. We identified sulfapyridine and propranolol with activity against CRH and COX-2 that deserve further study. These drugs could serve as the basis for development of orally active drugs to affect length of gestation, first in an animal model, and then in clinical trials to prevent preterm birth during human pregnancy.
Differential physiological responses and tolerance to potentially toxic elements in biodiesel tree Jatropha curcas
Authors: Yamada Minami , Malambane Goitseone , Yamada Satoshi , Suharsono Sony , Tsujimoto Hisashi , Moseki Baleseng , Akashi Kinya 
Published: January 2018

AbstractEnvironmental pollution by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) has become a serious problem with increasing industrialization and the disturbance of natural biogeochemical cycles. Jatropha is an oilseed-bearing shrub with high potential for biodiesel production in arid regions. In this study, we examined the physiological responses of this plant to five representative PTEs (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn) in a hydroponic culture. Application of higher concentrations of Cd and Zn led to severe leaf chlorosis, and Cd, Cu, and Ni treatments resulted in significant growth retardation. Higher enrichment of the applied PTEs in the shoots was observed for Zn- and Cd-treated plants, with the latter reaching 24-fold enrichment in plants exposed to 10 μM Cd, suggesting that Jatropha can cope with relatively higher internal concentrations of toxic Cd. Although Cd stress led to the disturbance of essential mineral homeostasis and photosynthesis, this induced an increase in thiol compounds in the roots, suggesting defensive responses of Jatropha to PTEs. This study showed that Jatropha exhibits distinct sensitivities and physiological responses to different PTEs. This study also provides basic knowledge for diagnosing the physiological status of Jatropha trees for potential dual use in afforestation and as a sustainable energy supply.
What has economics got to do with it? The impact of socioeconomic factors on mental health and the case for collective action
Authors: Macintyre Anna , Ferris Daniel , Gonçalves Briana , Quinn Neil 
Published: January 2018

AbstractA clear link exists between social and economic inequality and poor mental health. There is a social gradient in mental health, and higher levels of income inequality are linked to higher prevalence of mental illness. Despite this, in the late 20th and early 21st century, psychiatric and psychological perspectives have dominated mental health research and policy, obscuring root socioeconomic contributors. Drawing on contemporary research on the social determinants of mental health, with particular reference to Europe and the U.S., this paper argues that a sharper focus on socioeconomic factors is required in research and policy to address inequalities in mental health. Current attempts to move this direction include: evaluation of the impact of economic policies on mental health, community-based partnerships, increased professional awareness and advocacy on socioeconomic factors. This necessitates greater understanding of the barriers to such actions. This paper argues that advancing ‘upstream’ approaches to population mental health requires an interdisciplinary research vision that supports greater understanding of the role of socioeconomic factors. It also demands collective cross-sectoral action through changes in social and economic policy, as well as economic frameworks that move beyond an exclusive focus on economic growth to embrace collective and societal wellbeing.
Antibody detection by agglutination–PCR (ADAP) enables early diagnosis of HIV infection by oral fluid analysis
Authors: Tsai Cheng-ting , Robinson Peter V. , Cortez Felipe de Jesus , Elma Maria L. B. , Seftel David , Pourmandi Narges , Pandori Mark W. , Bertozzi Carolyn R. 
Published: January 2018

Significance
There is a substantial public health interest in identifying HIV-infected individuals through population-based screening. Oral fluid (OF) is easier to collect than blood and therefore ideal for such screening efforts. Unfortunately, OF has a very low concentration of anti-HIV antibodies (markers of HIV infection), which current assays cannot detect during the early stage of this disease. Here we report an assay for anti-HIV antibodies in OF that is up to 10,000 times more sensitive than current alternatives. This assay, called Antibody Detection by Agglutination–PCR (ADAP), could be broadly deployed to screen at-risk populations using OF in many settings, including those where cold chain shipping is not available (low-resource settings) and where needles are inconvenient (pediatrics) or unsafe (prisons).
Frequency modulation of neural oscillations according to visual task demands
Authors: Wutz Andreas , Melcher David , Samaha Jason 
Published: January 2018

Significance
Neural oscillations are hypothesized to play an important role in modulating perceptual processing in accordance with top-down goals. For instance, the amplitude, phase, and spatial distribution of alpha-band oscillations change with attention. Given recent links between the peak frequency of alpha oscillations and the temporal resolution of perception, we investigated whether frequency modulation occurs when task demands emphasize integration or segregation of visual input over time. We found that alpha frequency in occipital–temporal cortex decreased during, and in anticipation of, stimulus processing when task demands required temporal integration compared with segregation. These results demonstrate a unique top-down mechanism by which the brain controls the temporal resolution of visual processing in accordance with current task demands.
Evolutionary history of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase/acetyl-CoA synthase, one of the oldest enzymatic complexes
Authors: Adam Panagiotis S. , Borrel Guillaume , Gribaldo Simonetta 
Published: January 2018

Significance
Before the emergence of oxygenic photosynthesis and the accumulation of oxygen on Earth, life was essentially composed of anaerobic microorganisms. However, very little is known about which metabolisms were present at the time. Anaerobic carbon fixation through the Wood–Ljungdahl pathway is believed to be among the most ancient, and still plays a pivotal role in modern ecosystems. However, its origin and evolutionary history has been disputed. We analysed the distribution and phylogeny of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase/acetyl-CoA synthase, the main enzymatic complex of the pathway in thousands of bacterial and archaeal genomes. We show that this complex was already at work in the last universal common ancestor and has been remarkably conserved in microorganisms over more than 3.5 billion years.
Humidity determines snowpack ablation under a warming climate
Authors: Harpold Adrian A. , Brooks Paul D. 
Published: January 2018

Significance
Changes in the amount and timing of snowmelt have large effects on water for society and ecosystems. Using long-term records from across the western United States, we demonstrate that atmospheric humidity is a major control on how seasonal snow responds to warming temperatures. Specifically, we observe an increase in the frequency and magnitude of episodic winter melt events under higher humidity that may alter the timing of water availability. In lower-humidity regions, however, warming is associated with increased sublimation and/or evaporation from the snowpack further reducing the amount of available water in these dry regions. Management approaches to address these changes in snowmelt water resources from continued warming will require improved estimation of variable and changing atmospheric humidity.
Motile cilia of human airway epithelia contain hedgehog signaling components that mediate noncanonical hedgehog signaling
Authors: Mao Suifang , Shah Alok S. , Moninger Thomas O. , Ostedgaard Lynda S. , Lu Lin , Tang Xiao Xiao , Thornell Ian M. , Reznikov Leah R. , Ernst Sarah E. , Karp Philip H. , Tan Ping , Keshavjee Shaf , Abou Alaiwa Mahmoud H. , Welsh Michael J. 
Published: January 2018

SignificancePrevious studies localized the hedgehog (HH) signaling system to primary cilia. We discovered that motile cilia on airway epithelia also contain HH signaling proteins, indicating that like primary cilia, these motile cilia have an important sensory function. However, in contrast to the function of HH signaling in most primary cilia, sonic hedgehog (SHH) elicits noncanonical signaling, reducing cellular levels of cAMP. These findings suggest that airway SHH may quiet airway defenses. Involvement of SHH in lung disease and positioning of motile cilia where they sample SHH and other ligands in the airway lumen suggest that noncanonical HH signaling might modulate airway responses to the environment in health and disease.
Efficient ultrafiltration‐based protocol to deplete extracellular vesicles from fetal bovine serum
Authors: Kornilov Roman , Puhka Maija , Mannerström Bettina , Hiidenmaa Hanna , Peltoniemi Hilkka , Siljander Pia , Seppänen‐Kaijansinkko Riitta , Kaur Sippy 
Published: January 2018

ABSTRACTFetal bovine serum (FBS) is the most commonly used supplement in studies involving cell‐culture experiments. However, FBS contains large numbers of bovine extracellular vesicles (EVs), which hamper the analyses of secreted EVs from the cell type of preference and, thus, also the downstream analyses. Therefore, a prior elimination of EVs from FBS is crucial. However, the current methods of EV depletion by ultracentrifugation are cumbersome and the commercial alternatives expensive. In this study, our aim was to develop a protocol to completely deplete EVs from FBS, which may have wide applicability in cell‐culture applications. We investigated different EV‐depleted FBS prepared by our novel ultrafiltration‐based protocol, by conventionally used overnight ultracentrifugation, or commercially available depleted FBS, and compared them with regular FBS. All sera were characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis, electron microscopy, Western blotting and RNA quantification. Next, adipose‐tissue mesenchymal stem cells (AT‐MSCs) and cancer cells were grown in the media supplemented with the three different EV‐depleted FBS and compared with cells grown in regular FBS media to assess the effects on cell proliferation, stress, differentiation and EV production. The novel ultrafiltration‐based protocol depleted EVs from FBS clearly more efficiently than ultracentrifugation and commercial methods. Cell proliferation, stress, differentiation and EV production of AT‐MSCs and cancer cell lines were similarly maintained in all three EV‐depleted FBS media up to 96 h. In summary, our ultrafiltration protocol efficiently depletes EVs, is easy to use and maintains cell growth and metabolism. Since the method is also cost‐effective and easy to standardize, it could be used in a wide range of cell‐culture applications helping to increase comparability of EV research results between laboratories.
Finsler Geometry Modeling of an Orientation-Asymmetric Surface Model for Membranes
Authors: Proutorov Evgenii , Koibuchi Hiroshi 
Published: January 2018

Abstract
In this paper, a triangulated surface model is studied in the context of Finsler geometry (FG) modeling. This FG model is an extended version of a recently reported model for two-component membranes, and it is asymmetric under surface inversion. We show that the definition of the model is independent of how the Finsler length of a bond is defined. This leads us to understand that the canonical (or Euclidean) surface model is obtained from the FG model such that it is uniquely determined as a trivial model from the viewpoint of well definedness.
The Surgical Approach to the Anterior Nucleus of Thalamus in Patients With Refractory Epilepsy: Experience from the International Multicenter Registry (MORE)
Authors: Lehtimäki Kai , Coenen Volker A , Gonçalves Ferreira Antonio , Boon Paul , Elger Christian , Taylor Rod S , Ryvlin Philippe , Gil-Nagel Antonio , Gielen Frans , Brionne Thomas C , Abouihia Abdallah , Beth Grégory ,   MORE investigators
Published: January 2018

Abstract

BACKGROUND
The Medtronic Registry for Epilepsy (MORE; Medtronic Inc, Dublin, Ireland) is an open label observational study evaluating the long-term effectiveness, safety, and performance of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the anterior nucleus of thalamus (ANT) for the treatment of refractory epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE
To compare the difference in success rate of placing contacts at ANT-target region (ANT-TR) between transventricular (TV) and extraventricular (EV) lead trajectories in 73 ANT-DBS implants in 17 European centers participating in the MORE registry.

METHODS
The success rate of placing contacts at ANT-TR was evaluated using a screening method combining both individual patient imaging information and stereotactic atlas information to identify contacts at ANT-TR.

RESULTS
EV lead trajectory was used in 53% of the trajectories. Approximately, 90% of the TV lead trajectories had at least 1 contact at ANT-TR, vs only 71% of the EV lead trajectories. The success rate for placing at least 1 contact at ANT-TR bilaterally was 84% for TV implants and 58% for EV implants (P < .05; Fisher's exact). No intracranial bleedings were observed, but 1 cortical infarct was reported following EV lead trajectory.

CONCLUSION
The results of this registry support the use of TV lead trajectories for ANT-DBS as they have a higher probability in placing contacts at ANT-TR, without appearing to compromise procedural safety. Follow-up data collection is continuing in the MORE registry. These data will provide outcomes associated with TV and EV trajectories.