bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nepenthes pitchers are CO2-enriched cavities, emit CO2 to attract preys
Authors: Baby Sabulal , Johnson Anil John , Zachariah Elavinamannil Jacob , Hussain Abdul Azeez 
Published: September 2017

AbstractCarnivorous plants of the genus Nepenthes supplement their nutrient deficiency by capturing arthropods or by mutualistic interactions, through their leaf-evolved biological traps (pitchers). Though there are numerous studies on these traps, mostly on their prey capture mechanisms, the gas composition inside them remains unknown. Here we show that, Nepenthes unopened pitchers are CO2-enriched ‘cavities’, when open they emit CO2, and the CO2 gradient around open pitchers acts as a cue attracting preys towards them. CO2 contents in near mature, unopened Nepenthes pitchers were in the range 2500–5000 ppm. Gas collected from inside open N. khasiana pitchers showed CO2 at 476.75 ± 59.83 ppm. CO2-enriched air-streaming through N. khasiana pitchers (at 619.83 ± 4.53 ppm) attracted (captured) substantially higher number of aerial preys compared to air-streamed pitchers (CO2 at 412.76 ± 4.51 ppm). High levels of CO2 dissolved in acidic Nepenthes pitcher fluids were also detected. We demonstrate respiration as the source of elevated CO2 within Nepenthes pitchers. Most unique features of Nepenthes pitchers, viz., high growth rate, enhanced carbohydrate levels, declined protein levels, low photosynthetic capacity, high respiration rate and evolved stomata, are influenced by the CO2-enriched environment within them.
Earth system feedback statistically extracted from the Indian Ocean deep-sea sediments recording Eocene hyperthermals
Authors: Yasukawa Kazutaka , Nakamura Kentaro , Fujinaga Koichiro , Ikehara Minoru , Kato Yasuhiro 
Published: September 2017

AbstractMultiple transient global warming events occurred during the early Palaeogene. Although these events, called hyperthermals, have been reported from around the globe, geologic records for the Indian Ocean are limited. In addition, the recovery processes from relatively modest hyperthermals are less constrained than those from the severest and well-studied hothouse called the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum. In this study, we constructed a new and high-resolution geochemical dataset of deep-sea sediments clearly recording multiple Eocene hyperthermals in the Indian Ocean. We then statistically analysed the high-dimensional data matrix and extracted independent components corresponding to the biogeochemical responses to the hyperthermals. The productivity feedback commonly controls and efficiently sequesters the excess carbon in the recovery phases of the hyperthermals via an enhanced biological pump, regardless of the magnitude of the events. Meanwhile, this negative feedback is independent of nannoplankton assemblage changes generally recognised in relatively large environmental perturbations.
Iron oxide nanoparticles can cross plasma membranes
Authors: Zanella Daniele , Bossi Elena , Gornati Rosalba , Bastos Carlos , Faria Nuno , Bernardini Giovanni 
Published: September 2017

AbstractIron deficiency is a major global public health problem despite decades of efforts with iron supplementation and fortification. The issue lies on the poor tolerability of the standard of care soluble iron salts, leading to non-compliance and ineffective correction of iron-deficiency anaemia. Iron nanoformulations have been proposed to fortify food and feed to address these issues. Since it was just postulated that some nanoparticles (NPs) might cross the plasma membrane also by a non-endocytotic pathway gaining direct access to the cytoplasm, we have studied iron NP uptake under this perspective. To this aim, we have used a recently tested protocol that has proven to be capable of following the cytoplasmic changes of iron concentration dynamics and we have demonstrated that iron oxide NPs, but not zerovalent iron NPs nor iron oxide NPs that were surrounded by a protein corona, can cross plasma membranes. By electrophysiology, we have also shown that a small and transient increase of membrane conductance parallels NP crossing of plasma membrane.
Monovision by Implantation of Posterior Chamber Phakic Intraocular Lens with a Central Hole (Hole ICL) for Early Presbyopia
Authors: Kamiya Kazutaka , Takahashi Masahide , Takahashi Natsumi , Shoji Nobuyuki , Shimizu Kimiya 
Published: September 2017

AbstractThis study was aimed to evaluate visual performance at near to far distances in early presbyopic patients undergoing monovision by implantation of an ICL with a central hole (hole ICL). This pilot study comprised thirty-four eyes of 17 early presbyopic patients (age, 40 to 53 years) who underwent hole ICL implantation, and whose targeted refraction was set at emmetropia for the dominant eye, and at slight myopia (−0.5 to −1.0 diopters (D)) for the non-dominant eye. Corrected distance visual acuity was significantly improved, from −0.11 ± 0.07 preoperatively to −0.19 ± 0.09 logMAR postoperatively (p < 0.001, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). Uncorrected distance visual acuity was also significantly improved from 1.43 ± 0.35 preoperatively to −0.04 ± 0.18 logMAR postoperatively (p < 0.001). The mean binocular visual acuity was 0.01 logMAR or better at all distances (5.0, 3.0, 2.0, 1.0, 0.7, 0.5, and 0.3 m). All eyes were within ± 0.5 D of the targeted correction. All patients had within the normal range of near stereopsis. Neither cataract formation, significant intraocular pressure rise, nor vision-threatening complications occurred. Monovision by hole ICL implantation provided good binocular vision at near to far distances, without developing cataract, suggesting its feasibility as a new surgical presbyopic approach for early presbyopia.
A unique case of human Zika virus infection in association with severe liver injury and coagulation disorders
Authors: Wu Yanhua , Cui Xiaoyun , Wu Na , Song Rui , Yang Wei , Zhang Wei , Fan Dongying , Chen Zhihai , An Jing 
Published: September 2017

AbsatrctZika virus (ZIKV) has caused major concern globally due to its rapid dissemination and close association with microcephaly in children and Gullian-Barr syndrome in adults. In this study, we identified a patient returned from Cambodia who experienced high fever, chill and myalgia. Lab tests discovered sign of severe liver injury including significantly elevated serum transaminases’ level, decreased serum albumin level, and markedly increased levels of lactic dehydrogenase, alpha-hydroxybutyric dehydrogenase and creatine kinase in serum. Moreover, severe thrombocytopenia and altered blood levels of fibrinogen and fibrinogen degradation product were also observed, indicating the existence of clotting disorders. A ZIKV strain clustered into the Asian lineage was isolated from the patient’s serum. When inoculated into suckling mice, this virus significantly retarded mouse body-weight gain and caused 70% mortality. Our results demonstrate a close association between ZIKV and severe liver injury and coagulation disorders and suggest that clinicians should be aware of compatible symptoms in patients and manage them accordingly.
Cultural and Developmental Influences on Overt Visual Attention to Videos
Authors: Kardan Omid , Shneidman Laura , Krogh-Jespersen Sheila , Gaskins Suzanne , Berman Marc G. , Woodward Amanda 
Published: September 2017

AbstractTop-down influences on observers’ overt attention and how they interact with the features of the visual environment have been extensively investigated, but the cultural and developmental aspects of these modulations have been understudied. In this study we investigated these effects for US and Yucatec Mayan infants, children, and adults. Mayan and US participants viewed videos of two actors performing daily Mayan and US tasks in the foreground and the background while their eyes were tracked. Our region of interest analysis showed that viewers from the US looked significantly less at the foreground activity and spent more time attending to the ‘contextual’ information (static background) compared to Mayans. To investigate how and what visual features of videos were attended to in a comprehensive manner, we used multivariate methods which showed that visual features are attended to differentially by each culture. Additionally, we found that Mayan and US infants utilize the same eye-movement patterns in which fixation duration and saccade amplitude are altered in response to the visual stimuli independently. However, a bifurcation happens by age 6, at which US participants diverge and engage in eye-movement patterns where fixation durations and saccade amplitudes are altered simultaneously.
Comparative transcriptome analysis of axillary buds in response to the shoot branching regulators gibberellin A3 and 6-benzyladenine in Jatropha curcas
Authors: Ni Jun , Zhao Mei-Li , Chen Mao-Sheng , Pan Bang-Zhen , Tao Yan-Bin , Xu Zeng-Fu 
Published: September 2017

AbstractCytokinin (CK) is the primary hormone that positively regulates axillary bud outgrowth. However, in many woody plants, such asJatropha curcas, gibberellin (GA) also promotes shoot branching. The molecular mechanisms underlying GA and CK interaction in the regulation of bud outgrowth inJatropharemain unclear. To determine how young axillary buds respond to GA3and 6-benzyladenine (BA), we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis of the young axillary buds ofJatrophaseedlings treated with GA3or BA. Two hundred and fifty genes were identified to be co-regulated in response to GA3or BA. SevenNACfamily members were down-regulated after treatment with both GA3and BA, whereas these genes were up-regulated after treatment with the shoot branching inhibitor strigolactone. The expressions of the cell cycle genesCDC6,CDC45andGRF5were up-regulated after treatment with both GA3and BA, suggesting they may promote bud outgrowth via regulation of the cell cycle machinery. In the axillary buds, BA significantly increased the expression of GA biosynthesis genesJcGA20oxsandJcGA3ox1, and down-regulated the expression of GA degradation genesJcGA2oxs. Overall, the comprehensive transcriptome data set provides novel insight into the responses of young axillary buds to GA and CK.
Network attributes underlying intellectual giftedness in the developing brain
Authors: Ma Jiyoung , Kang Hee Jin , Kim Jung Yoon , Jeong Hyeonseok S. , Im Jooyeon Jamie , Namgung Eun , Kim Myeong Ju , Lee Suji , Kim Tammy D. , Oh Jin Kyoung , Chung Yong-An , Lyoo In Kyoon , Lim Soo Mee , Yoon Sujung 
Published: September 2017

AbstractBrain network is organized to maximize the efficiency of both segregated and integrated information processing that may be related to human intelligence. However, there have been surprisingly few studies that focus on the topological characteristics of brain network underlying extremely high intelligence that is intellectual giftedness, particularly in adolescents. Here, we examined the network topology in 25 adolescents with superior intelligence (SI-Adol), 25 adolescents with average intelligence (AI-Adol), and 27 young adults with AI (AI-Adult). We found that SI-Adol had network topological properties of high global efficiency as well as high clustering with a low wiring cost, relative to AI-Adol. However, contrary to the suggested role that brain hub regions play in general intelligence, the network efficiency of rich club connection matrix, which represents connections among brain hubs, was low in SI-Adol in comparison to AI-Adol. Rather, a higher level of local connection density was observed in SI-Adol than in AI-Adol. The highly intelligent brain may not follow this efficient yet somewhat stereotypical process of information integration entirely. Taken together, our results suggest that a highly intelligent brain may communicate more extensively, while being less dependent on rich club communications during adolescence.
Dianxianning improved amyloid β-induced pathological characteristics partially through DAF-2/DAF-16 insulin like pathway in transgenic C. elegans
Authors: Zhi Dejuan , Wang Dong , Yang Wenqi , Duan Ziyun , Zhu Shuqian , Dong Juan , Wang Na , Wang Ningbo , Fei Dongqing , Zhang Zhanxin , Wang Xin , Wang Meizhu , Li Hongyu 
Published: September 2017

AbstractDianxianning (DXN) is a traditional Chinese formula, and has been approved in China for treating epilepsy since 1996. Here anti-Alzheimer’s disease activity of DXN has been reported. DXN improved AD-like symptoms of paralysis and 5-HT sensitivity of transgenic Aβ1-42C. elegans. In worms, DXN significantly increased Aβ monomers and decreased the toxic Aβ oligomers, thus reducing Aβ toxicity. DXN significantly suppressed the expression of hsp-16.2 induced by juglone, and up-regulated sod-3 expression. These results indicated that DXN increased stress resistance and protected C. elegans against oxidative stress. Furthermore, DXN could significantly promote DAF-16 nuclear translocation, but it did not activate SKN-1. The inhibitory effect of DXN on the Aβ toxicity was significantly reverted by daf-16 RNAi, rather than skn-1 RNAi or hsf-1 RNAi. These results indicated that DAF-16 is at least partially required for the anti-AD effect of DXN. In conclusion, DXN improved Aβ-induced pathological characteristics partially through DAF-2/DAF-16 insulin like pathway in transgenic worms. Together with our data obtained by Morris water maze test, the results showed that DXN markedly ameliorated cognitive performance impairment induced by scopolamine in mice. All the results support that DXN is a potential drug candidate to treat Alzheimer’s diseases.
Spatiotemporal brain dynamics of auditory temporal assimilation
Authors: Hironaga Naruhito , Mitsudo Takako , Hayamizu Mariko , Nakajima Yoshitaka , Takeichi Hiroshige , Tobimatsu Shozo 
Published: September 2017

AbstractTime is a fundamental dimension, but millisecond-level judgments sometimes lead to perceptual illusions. We previously introduced a “time-shrinking illusion” using a psychological paradigm that induces auditory temporal assimilation (ATA). In ATA, the duration of two successive intervals (T1and T2), marked by three auditory stimuli, can be perceived as equal when they are not. Here, we investigate the spatiotemporal profile of human temporal judgments using magnetoencephalography (MEG). Behavioural results showed typical ATA: participants judged T1and T2as equal when T2− T1 ≤ +80 ms. MEG source-localisation analysis demonstrated that regional activity differences between judgment and no-judgment conditions emerged in the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) during T2. This observation in the TPJ may indicate its involvement in the encoding process when T1 ≠ T2. Activation in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) was enhanced irrespective of the stimulus patterns when participants engaged in temporal judgment. Furthermore, just after the final marker, activity in the IFG was enhanced specifically for the time-shrinking pattern. This indicates that activity in the IFG is also related to the illusory perception of time-interval equality. Based on these observations, we propose neural signatures for judgments of temporal equality in the human brain.
Copine-7 binds to the cell surface receptor, nucleolin, and regulates ciliogenesis and Dspp expression during odontoblast differentiation
Authors: Seo You-Mi , Park Su-Jin , Lee Hye-Kyung , Park Joo-Cheol 
Published: September 2017

AbstractTooth development is a progressive process regulated by interactions between epithelial and mesenchymal tissues. Our previous studies showed that copine-7 (Cpne7), a dental epithelium-derived protein, is a signalling molecule that is secreted by preameloblasts and regulates the differentiation of preodontoblasts into odontoblasts. However, the mechanisms involved in the translocation of Cpne7 from preameloblasts to preodontoblasts and the functions of Cpne7 during odontogenesis are poorly understood. Here, we showed that the internalization of Cpne7 was mediated primarily by caveolae. This process was initiated by Cpne7 binding to the cell surface protein, nucleolin. Treatment with recombinant Cpne7 protein (rCpne7) in human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) caused an increase in the number of ciliated cells. The expression level of cilium components, Ift88 and Kif3a, and Dspp were increased by rCpne7. Treatment with Ift88 siRNA in hDPCs and MDPC-23 cells significantly down-regulated the expression of Dspp, an odontoblastic differentiation marker gene. Furthermore, the treatment with nucleolin siRNA in MDPC-23 cells decreased the expression of Dmp1, Dspp, and cilium components. Our findings suggested that the binding of Cpne7 with its receptor, nucleolin, has an important function involving Cpne7 internalization into preodontoblasts and regulation of Dspp expression through ciliogenesis during odontoblast differentiation.
Negative Differential Conductance & Hot-Carrier Avalanching in Monolayer WS2 FETs
Authors: He G. , Nathawat J. , Kwan C.-P. , Ramamoorthy H. , Somphonsane R. , Zhao M. , Ghosh K. , Singisetti U. , Perea-López N. , Zhou C. , Elías A. L. , Terrones M. , Gong Y. , Zhang X. , Vajtai R. , Ajayan P. M. , Ferry D. K. , Bird J. P. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractThe high field phenomena of inter-valley transfer and avalanching breakdown have long been exploited in devices based on conventional semiconductors. In this Article, we demonstrate the manifestation of these effects in atomically-thin WS2 field-effect transistors. The negative differential conductance exhibits all of the features familiar from discussions of this phenomenon in bulk semiconductors, including hysteresis in the transistor characteristics and increased noise that is indicative of travelling high-field domains. It is also found to be sensitive to thermal annealing, a result that we attribute to the influence of strain on the energy separation of the different valleys involved in hot-electron transfer. This idea is supported by the results of ensemble Monte Carlo simulations, which highlight the sensitivity of the negative differential conductance to the equilibrium populations of the different valleys. At high drain currents (>10 μA/μm) avalanching breakdown is also observed, and is attributed to trap-assisted inverse Auger scattering. This mechanism is not normally relevant in conventional semiconductors, but is possible in WS2 due to the narrow width of its energy bands. The various results presented here suggest that WS2 exhibits strong potential for use in hot-electron devices, including compact high-frequency sources and photonic detectors.
Comparison of soil analytical methods for estimating wheat potassium fertilizer requirements in response to contrasting plant K demand in the glasshouse
Authors: Zhang Yulin , Nachimuthu Gunasekhar , Mason Sean , McLaughlin Michael J. , McNeill Ann , Bell Michael J. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractThe traditional soil potassium (K) testing methods fail to accurately predict K requirement by plants. The Diffusive Gradients in Thin-films (DGT) method is promising, but the relationship between the DGT-measured K pool and plant available K is not clear. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. Frame) was grown in 9 Australian broad acre agricultural soils in a glasshouse trial until the end of tillering growth stage (GS30) with different plant K demands generated by varying plant numbers and pot sizes. Different K concentrations in soils were varied by 4 rates of K fertilizer application. The relative dry matter and K uptake were plotted against the soil K test value (CaCl2, Colwell and NH4OAc and DGT K measurements). To obtain 90% of maximum relative dry matter at low root density (closest to field conditions), the critical value of the NH4OAc K method was 91 (R2 = 0.56) mg kg−1. The DGT K method was not able to accurately predict relative dry matter or K uptake due to a weak extraction force for K from soils with high CEC values. Further endeavor on increasing K extraction force of the DGT method is warranted to obtain accurate plant available K results.
India plate angular velocity and contemporary deformation rates from continuous GPS measurements from 1996 to 2015
Authors: Jade Sridevi , Shrungeshwara T. S. , Kumar Kireet , Choudhury Pallabee , Dumka Rakesh K. , Bhu Harsh 
Published: September 2017

AbstractWe estimate a new angular velocity for the India plate and contemporary deformation rates in the plate interior and along its seismically active margins from Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements from 1996 to 2015 at 70 continuous and 3 episodic stations. A new India-ITRF2008 angular velocity is estimated from 30 GPS sites, which include stations from western and eastern regions of the plate interior that were unrepresented or only sparsely sampled in previous studies. Our newly estimated India-ITRF2008 Euler pole is located significantly closer to the plate with ~3% higher angular velocity than all previous estimates and thus predicts more rapid variations in rates and directions along the plate boundaries. The 30 India plate GPS site velocities are well fit by the new angular velocity, with north and east RMS misfits of only 0.8 and 0.9 mm/yr, respectively. India fixed velocities suggest an approximate of 1–2 mm/yr intra-plate deformation that might be concentrated along regional dislocations, faults in Peninsular India, Kachchh and Indo-Gangetic plain. Relative to our newly-defined India plate frame of reference, the newly estimated velocities for 43 other GPS sites along the plate margins give insights into active deformation along India’s seismically active northern and eastern boundaries.
Highly variable lifespan in an annual reptile, Labord’s chameleon (Furcifer labordi)
Authors: Eckhardt Falk , Kappeler Peter M. , Kraus Cornelia 
Published: September 2017

AbstractAmong tetrapods, the current record holder for shortest lifespan is Labord’s chameleon, Furcifer labordi. These reptiles from the arid southwest of Madagascar have a reported lifespan of 4–5 months during the annual rainy season and spend the majority of their life (8–9 months) as a developing embryo. This semelparous, annual life history is unique among tetrapods, but only one population (Ranobe) in the southernmost distribution range has been studied. We therefore investigated the potential for environmentally-dependent variability in lifespan in a population in Kirindy Forest, which has a much longer warm rainy season. While no adults were found after March in Ranobe, the disappearance of adults was delayed by several months in Kirindy. Our data also revealed sex-biased mortality, suggesting that females have a longevity advantage. Furthermore, we found that, after an unusually long previous rainy season, one female was capable of surviving until a second breeding season. Keeping F. labordi in cages under ambient conditions demonstrated that also males can also survive until the next season of activity under these conditions. Our study therefore revealed considerable variability in the extreme life history of this tetrapod that is linked to variation in ecological factors.
Accurate Design of Low Backscattering Metasurface Using Iterative Fourier Transform Algorithm
Authors: Wang Dan , Liu Zhen Guo , Zhao Jie , Cheng Qiang , Cui Tie Jun 
Published: September 2017

AbstractAn accurate method is proposed to design low-backscattering metasurfaces efficiently using an iterative Fourier transform algorithm, which avoids the large amount of time-consuming numerical simulations of complicated electromagnetic problems and provides satisfactory performance to reduce the backward scattering. As an example of the application, a broadband low-backscattering metasurface is designed, fabricated, and characterized. Both full-wave simulation and measured results reveal that the proposed method offers a rapid and efficient tool to manipulate the scattering behaviors of the metasurface, and thus realizes significant scattering reductions.