bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Integration of Platinum Group Metal‐Free Catalysts and Bilirubin Oxidase into a Hybrid Material for Oxygen Reduction: Interplay of Chemistry and Morphology
Authors: Rojas‐Carbonell Santiago , Babanova Sofia , Serov Alexey , Artyushkova Kateryna , Workman Michael J. , Santoro Carlo , Mirabal Alex , Calabrese Barton Scott , Atanassov Plamen 
Published: February 2017

AbstractCatalytic activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of platinum group metal‐free (PGM‐free) electrocatalysts integrated with an enzyme (bilirubin oxidase, BOx) in neutral media was studied. The effects of chemical and morphological characteristics of PGM‐free materials on the enzyme enhancement of the overall ORR kinetics was investigated. The surface chemistry of the PGM‐free catalyst was studied using X‐ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. Catalyst surface morphology was characterized using two independent methods: length‐scale specific image analysis and nitrogen adsorption. Good agreement of macroscopic and microscopic morphological properties was found. Enhancement of ORR activity by the enzyme is influenced by chemistry and surface morphology of the catalyst itself. Catalysts with a higher nitrogen content, specifically pyridinic moieties, showed the greatest enhancement. Furthermore, catalysts with a higher fraction of surface roughness in the range of 3–5 nm exhibited greater performance enhancement than catalysts lacking features of this size.
In situ monitoring of H and O stable isotopes in soil water reveals ecohydrologic dynamics in managed soil systems
Authors: Oerter Erik J. , Bowen Gabriel 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe water cycle in urban and hydrologically managed settings is subject to perturbations that are dynamic on small spatial and temporal scales; the effects of which may be especially profound in soils. We deploy a membrane inlet‐based laser spectroscopy system in conjunction with soil moisture and temperature sensors to monitor soil water dynamics and H and O stable isotope ratios (δ2H and δ18O values) in a seasonally irrigated urban‐landscaped garden soil over the course of 9 months between the cessation of irrigation in the autumn and the onset of irrigation through the summer. We find that soil water δ2H and δ18O values predominately reflect seasonal precipitation and irrigation inputs. A comparison of total soil water by cryogenic extraction and mobile soil water measured by in situ water vapor probes reveals that initial infiltration events after long periods of soil drying (the autumn season in this case) emplace water into the soil matrix that is not easily replaced by, or mixed with, successive pulses of infiltrating soil water. Tree stem xylem water H and O stable isotope composition did not match that of available water sources. These findings suggest that partitioning of soil water into mobile and immobile “pools” and resulting ecohydrologic separation may occur in engineered and hydrologically managed soils and not be limited to natural settings. The laser spectroscopy method detailed here has potential to yield insights in a variety of critical zone and vadose zone studies, potential that is heightened by the simplicity and portability of the system.
Diffusion‐weighted MRI treatment monitoring of primary hypofractionated proton and carbon ion prostate cancer irradiation using raster scan technique
Authors: Wolf Maya B. , Edler Christopher , Tichy Diana , Röthke Matthias C. , Schlemmer Heinz‐Peter , Herfarth Klaus , Bonekamp David 
Published: February 2017

PurposeTo investigate parametric changes in the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) at multiple timepoints during and after completion of primary proton and carbon ion irradiation of prostate cancer (PCa) as compared with normal‐appearing prostate parenchyma.Materials and MethodsIn all, 92 patients with histologically confirmed PCa received either proton or carbon ion hypofractionated radiotherapy (RT). All were prospectively evaluated with diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI‐MRI) at five timepoints: baseline, day 10 during therapy and 6 weeks, 6 months, and 18 months after treatment. Linear mixed models (LMM) were used to evaluate the effects of radiation, antihormonal therapy, time, and type of particle irradiation on manual ADC measurements. ADC differences related to prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) relapse according to PSA thresholds and to Vancouver rules and Phoenix criteria were examined using LMM and unpaired Student's t‐test.ResultsA measurable and continuous increase of tumor ADC measurements from baseline (1.194 × 10−3 mm2/s) during (1.350 × 10−3 mm2/s, day 10, P = 0.006) and after treatment (1.355/1.430/1.490 × 10−3 mm2/s, week 6 / month 6 / month 18, P = 0.001/<0.001/<0.001) was found. ADC values of normal‐appearing control tissue remained unchanged. Androgen deprivation (P ≥ 0.320), different PSA thresholds (P = 0.634), and PSA relapse criteria according to Vancouver rules (P ≥ 0.776) had no effect. A weak association between 18‐month measurements and Phoenix criteria (P = 0.046) was found.ConclusionADC parametric changes were distinct in tumor tissue, highlighting the ability of diffusion MRI to evaluate different aspects of the microscopic pathophysiology. Although promising, their use as noninvasive imaging biomarkers requires further validation.Level of Evidence: 1Technical Efficacy: Stage 1J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;46:850–860
Morphological switching of unimolecular micelles of ternary graft copolymers in different solvents
Authors: Mo Yangmiao , Liu Guojun , Tu Yuanyuan , Lin Shudong , Song Jun , Hu Jiwen , Liu Feng 
Published: January 2017

ABSTRACTA series of ternary graft copolymers with poly(3‐azido‐2‐hydroxypropyl methacrylate) (P(GMA‐N3)) as the main chain, end‐functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether (MPEG), poly(t‐butyl acrylate) (PtBA), and poly(2‐cinnamoyloxyethyl methacrylate) (PCEMA) as the side‐chains, was synthesized via the combination of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and click chemistry. The formation of well‐defined ternary graft copolymers was confirmed by both size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and 1H NMR spectroscopy The loose and worm‐like morphology of the ternary graft copolymer in a common solvent (N,N‐dimethylformamide) for both the backbone and the grafts was directly visualized via atomic force microscopy (AFM). The average height, width, and length of these solvated macromolecules were about 1.5, 17, and 45 nm, respectively. The ternary graft copolymers underwent self‐assembly in different selective solvents (dichloromethane, methanol, and water) and thus yielded unimolecular micelles (UMs) with different morphologies. The morphological transitions in response to variations in the selective solvents was investigated by AFM as well as/or transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Experimental results showed that the micellar morphology of the ternary graft copolymer changed from a pearl‐necklace to a worm‐like structure and then to a spherical structure when the selective solvent was respectively changed from CH2Cl2 to CH3OH and then to H2O. SEC characterization revealed that the compact globules formed in H2O with PCEMA/PtBA as the hydrophobic core arose due to intramolecular folding. Thus, multicompartment UMs were generated. The volume ratio of the multicompartment UMs formed in H2O was in close agreement with their molecular weight ratio. The hydrodynamic diameters (Dh) of the acquired multicompartment UMs and their polydispersity indices were characterized by dynamic light scattering. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017, 55, 1021–1030
Remote sensing training in African conservation
Authors: de Klerk Helen Margaret , Buchanan Graeme 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThe potential of remote sensing (RS) to assist with conservation planning, implementation and monitoring is well described, and particularly relevant in African areas that are inaccessible due to terrain, finances or politics. We provide an African perspective on remote sensing (RS) training for conservation and ecology over the last decade through investigating (1) recent use of RS in African conservation literature, (2) use of RS in African conservation agencies, (3) RS training by African institutions and (4) RS capacity development by ad hoc events. Africa does not produce most of the research using RS in conservation and ecological studies conducted on Africa, with authors with correspondence addresses in the USA predominating (33% of a bibliometric analysis), although South Africa‐based authors constituted 20% (with an increase between 2000 and 2015), Kenya 6% and Tanzania and Ethiopia 4% each. Ideally research should be conducted close to the point of use to ensure relevance and data residence in the country concerned. This is a point for attention, possibly through international funding to increase the capacity of African academic institutions to conduct research using RS to answer conservation questions. Part of this will need to include attention on data and software costs, internet speeds and human capacity. Data costs have been alleviated by free Landsat and MODIS data, and the Copernicus programs, but there is need for higher resolution imagery to be freely available for certain conservation projects. Open Source software may well offer a long‐term solution to software costs. This would require that teaching is realigned to employer requirements, which are shifting in many countries and agencies from proprietary software to Open Source due to licensing costs. Low internet connectivity in many areas of Africa might limit the uptake of new data processing options that require connectivity, although over time these tools may become available to more users. However, human capacity is developing. Of the 72 academic institutions surveyed, a number of conservation programs supplied either tailored RS teaching or used ‘service modules’ to provide RS skills to young graduating conservation professionals, showing a recognition of the importance of RS in conservation in Africa. This study highlights the success of capacity development in Africa, and the increasing use of remote sensing for conservation in Africa.
Biological and ecological evidences suggestStipa krylovii(Pooideae), contributes to optimal growth performance and population distribution of the grasshopperOedaleus asiaticus
Authors: Huang X.B. , McNeill M.R. , Ma J.C. , Qin X.H. , Tu X.B. , Cao G.C. , Wang G.J. , Nong X.Q. , Zhang Z.H. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractOedaleus asiaticusBey. Bienko is a significant grasshopper pest species occurring in north Asian grasslands. Outbreaks often result in significant loss in grasses and economic losses. Interestingly, we found this grasshopper was mainly restricted toStipa-dominated grassland. We suspected this may be related to the dominant grasses species,Stipa kryloviiRoshev, and hypothesized thatS. kryloviicontributes to optimal growth performance and population distribution ofO. asiaticus. A 4 year investigation showed thatO. asiaticusdensity was positively correlated to the above-ground biomass ofS. kryloviiandO. asiaticusgrowth performance variables (survival rate, size, growth rate) were significantly higher inStipa-dominated grassland. A feeding trial also showed thatO. asiaticushad a higher growth performance when feeding exclusively onS. krylovii. In addition, the choice, consumption and the efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) byO. asiaticuswas highest forS. kryloviicompared with other plant species found in the Asian grasslands. These ecological and biological traits revealed whyO. asiaticusis strongly associated withStipa-dominated grasslands. We concluded that the existence ofS. kryloviibenefited the growth performance and explained the distribution ofO. asiaticus.These results are useful for improved pest management strategies and developing guidelines for the monitoring of grasshopper population dynamics against the background of vegetation succession and changing plant communities in response to activities such as grazing, fire and climate change.
For better or worse, or for a change?
Authors: Bouret Sebastien 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThe noradrenergic system is intimately related to the autonomic system and is thought to play a key role at the interface between arousal and cognition. The GANE (glutamate amplifies noradrenergic effects) theory proposes a complete account of that role, with an emphasis on the quantitative effect of noradrenaline on stimulus processing. This is in marked contrast to network reset theory, which emphasizes the qualitative effect of noradrenaline of updating the representation of the environment.
Bidirectional synaptic plasticity can explain bidirectional retrograde effects of emotion on memory
Authors: Strange Bryan A. , Galarza-Vallejo Ana 
Published: January 2017

AbstractEmotional events can either impair or enhance memory for immediately preceding items. The GANE model explains this bidirectional effect as a glutamate “priority” signal that modulates noradrenaline release depending on arousal state. We argue for an alternative explanation: that priority itself evokes phasic noradrenaline release. Thus, contrasting E-1 memory effects are explained by a mechanism based on the Bienenstock–Cooper–Munro theory.
Emotionally arousing context modulates the ERP correlates of neutral picture processing: An ERP test of the GANE model
Authors: Talmi Deborah , Barnacle Gemma E. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThe time scale of the effects of emotional arousal on neutral information processing is crucial for the predictions of the glutamate amplifies noradrenergic effects (GANE) model. GANE suggests that when emotional and neutral stimuli are presented in a sequence, neutral information processing will change. We review the literature on event-related potentials, including our own data set, to test this prediction.
Task demand not so damning: Improved techniques that mitigate demand in studies that support top-down effects
Authors: Balcetis Emily , Cole Shana 
Published: January 2017

AbstractFirestone & Scholl's (F&S's) techniques to combat task demand by manipulating expectations and offering alternative cover stories are fundamentally flawed because they introduce new forms of demand. We review five superior techniques to mitigate demand used in confirmatory studies of top-down effects. We encourage researchers to apply the same standards when evaluating evidence on both sides of the debate.
Perception, as you make it
Authors: Vinson David W. , Abney Drew H. , Amso Dima , Chemero Anthony , Cutting James E. , Dale Rick , Freeman Jonathan B. , Feldman Laurie B. , Friston Karl J. , Gallagher Shaun , Jordan J. Scott , Mudrik Liad , Ondobaka Sasha , Richardson Daniel C. , Shams Ladan , Shiffrar Maggie , Spivey Michael J. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThe main question that Firestone & Scholl (F&S) pose is whether “what and how we see is functionally independent from what and how we think, know, desire, act, and so forth” (sect. 2, para. 1). We synthesize a collection of concerns from an interdisciplinary set of coauthors regarding F&S's assumptions and appeals to intuition, resulting in their treatment of visual perception as context-free.
God’s Awful Majesty Before Our Eyes: Kant’s Moral Justification for Divine Hiddenness
Authors: Paytas Tyler 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThe problem of ‘divine hiddenness’ arises from the lack of an explanation for why an all-loving God would choose not to make his existence evident. I argue that Kant provides a compelling solution to this problem in an often overlooked passage located near the end of the secondCritique.Kant’s suggestion is that God’s revealing himself would preclude the development of virtue because we would lose the experience of conflict between self-interest and the moral law. I provide a reconstruction and defence of Kant’s argument, and I explain why it is consistent with his overall position in the secondCritique.
NF-κB suppresses apoptosis and promotes bladder cancer cell proliferation by upregulating survivin expression in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Cui Xiaolu , Shen Dezhi , Kong Chuize , Zhang Zhe , Zeng Yu , Lin Xuyong , Liu Xiankui 
Published: January 2017

AbstractNuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) activation is a common phenomenon in cancers, which results in the aberrant expression of NF-κB target genes and leads to malignant transformation, metastatic dissemination, abnormal cell proliferation or resistance to cell death. Survivin is a unique member of the IAP family, a well-known cancer-specific molecule and a molecular marker of poor clinical outcome in several cancer types, including bladder cancer. YM-155, a potent survivin suppressor, has been shown to have anti-tumor activity in preclinical cell lines, xenograft models and phase I/II studies. In the present study, we investigated the function of the NF-κB/survivin pathway in bladder cancer. We found that NF-κB can promote cell cycle progression and reduce apoptosis by upregulating survivin expression, thereby increasing cellular proliferation. We further confirmed the tumorigenic function of the NF-κB/survivin pathway in vivo using a xenograft tumor model of stable NF-κB-overexpressing 5637 cells. Moreover, we found that YM-155 significantly induced apoptosis and decreased cellular proliferation as well as tumor growth in mice. Our results demonstrate the carcinogenic function of the NF-κB/survivin pathway in bladder cancer and the role of YM-155 as a promising agent for the strategic treatment of bladder cancer.
The PRC2-binding long non-coding RNAs in human and mouse genomes are associated with predictive sequence features
Authors: Tu Shiqi , Yuan Guo-Cheng , Shao Zhen 
Published: January 2017

AbstractRecently, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as an important class of molecules involved in many cellular processes. One of their primary functions is to shape epigenetic landscape through interactions with chromatin modifying proteins. However, mechanisms contributing to the specificity of such interactions remain poorly understood. Here we took the human and mouse lncRNAs that were experimentally determined to have physical interactions with Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), and systematically investigated the sequence features of these lncRNAs by developing a new computational pipeline for sequences composition analysis, in which each sequence is considered as a series of transitions between adjacent nucleotides. Through that, PRC2-binding lncRNAs were found to be associated with a set of distinctive and evolutionarily conserved sequence features, which can be utilized to distinguish them from the others with considerable accuracy. We further identified fragments of PRC2-binding lncRNAs that are enriched with these sequence features, and found they show strong PRC2-binding signals and are more highly conserved across species than the other parts, implying their functional importance.
Nutritional background changes the hypolipidemic effects of fenofibrate in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
Authors: Ning Li-Jun , He An-Yuan , Lu Dong-Liang , Li Jia-Min , Qiao Fang , Li Dong-Liang , Zhang Mei-Ling , Chen Li-Qiao , Du Zhen-Yu 
Published: January 2017

AbstractPeroxisome proliferation activated receptor α (PPARα) is an important transcriptional regulator of lipid metabolism and is activated by high-fat diet (HFD) and fibrates in mammals. However, whether nutritional background affects PPARα activation and the hypolipidemic effects of PPARα ligands have not been investigated in fish. In the present two-phase study of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), fish were first fed a HFD (13% fat) or low-fat diet (LFD; 1% fat) diet for 10 weeks, and then fish from the first phase were fed the HFD or LFD supplemented with 200 mg/kg body weight fenofibrate for 4 weeks. The results indicated that the HFD did not activate PPARα or other lipid catabolism-related genes. Hepatic fatty acid β-oxidation increased significantly in the HFD and LFD groups after the fenofibrate treatment, when exogenous substrates were sufficiently provided. Only in the HFD group, fenofibrate significantly increased hepatic PPARα mRNA and protein expression, and decreased liver and plasma triglyceride concentrations. This is the first study to show that body fat deposition and dietary lipid content affects PPARα activation and the hypolipidemic effects of fenofibrate in fish, and this could be due to differences in substrate availability for lipid catabolism in fish fed with different diets.
Deliberate Switching of Single Photochromic Triads
Authors: Maier Johannes , Pärs Martti , Weller Tina , Thelakkat Mukundan , Köhler Jürgen 
Published: January 2017

AbstractPhotochromic molecules can be reversibly converted between two bistable conformations by light, and are considered as promising building blocks in novel macromolecular structures for sensing and imaging techniques. We have studied individual molecular triads consisting of two strong fluorophores (perylene bisimide) that are covalently linked via a photochromic unit (dithienylcyclopentene) and distinguished between deliberate switching and spontaneous blinking. It was verified that the probability for observing deliberate light-induced switching of a single triad (rather than stochastic blinking) amounts to 0.8 ± 0.1. In a few exceptional cases this probability can exceed 0.95. These numbers are sufficiently large for application in sensitive biosensing, and super-resolution imaging. This opens the possibility to develop devices that can be controlled by an external optical stimulus on a truly molecular length scale.
Ice-core evidence of earliest extensive copper metallurgy in the Andes 2700 years ago
Authors: Eichler A. , Gramlich G. , Kellerhals T. , Tobler L. , Rehren Th. , Schwikowski M. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThe importance of metallurgy for social and economic development is indisputable. Although copper (Cu) was essential for the wealth of pre- and post-colonial societies in the Andes, the onset of extensive Cu metallurgy in South America is still debated. Comprehensive archaeological findings point to first sophisticated Cu metallurgy during the Moche culture ~200–800 AD, whereas peat-bog records from southern South America suggest earliest pollution potentially from Cu smelting as far back as ~2000 BC. Here we present a 6500-years Cu emission history for the Andean Altiplano, based on ice-core records from Illimani glacier in Bolivia, providing the first complete history of large-scale Cu smelting activities in South America. We find earliest anthropogenic Cu pollution during the Early Horizon period ~700–50 BC, and attribute the onset of intensified Cu smelting in South America to the activities of the central Andean Chiripa and Chavin cultures ~2700 years ago. This study provides for the first time substantial evidence for extensive Cu metallurgy already during these early cultures.