bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid) and ethyl monoester as building polymers for drug-loadable electrospun nanofibers
Authors: Mira Amalia , Mateo C. Reyes , Mallavia Ricardo , Falco Alberto 
Published: December 2017

AbstractNew biomaterials are sought for the development of bioengineered nanostructures. In the present study, electrospun nanofibers have been synthesized by using poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid) and poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic ethyl monoester) (PMVEMA-Ac and PMVEMA-ES, respectively) as building polymers for the first time. To further functionalize these materials, nanofibers of PMVEMA-Ac and PMVEMA-ES containing a conjugated polyelectrolyte (HTMA-PFP, blue emitter, and HTMA-PFNT, red emitter) were achieved with both forms maintaining a high solid state fluorescence yield without altered morphology. Also, 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) was incorporated within these nanofibers, where it remained chemically stable. In all cases, nanofiber diameters were less than 150 nm as determined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and encapsulation efficiency of 5-ALA was 97 ± 1% as measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Both polymeric matrices showed rapid release kinetics in vertical cells (Franz cells) and followed Higuchi kinetics. In addition, no toxicity of nanofibers, in the absence of light, was found in HaCaT and SW480 cell lines. Finally, it was shown that loaded 5-ALA was functional, as it was internalized by cells in nanofiber-treated cultures and served as a substrate for the generation of protoporphyrin IX, suggesting these pharmaceutical vehicles are suitable for photodynamic therapy applications.
Effect of high pressure treatment and short term storage on changes in main volatile compounds of Chinese liquor
Authors: Xu Menglong , Zhu Songming , Ramaswamy Hosahalli S. , Yu Yong 
Published: December 2017

AbstractChanges in main volatile compounds of Chinese liquor after high pressure (HP) treatment and following short term storage were investigated. 400 MPa-15 min & 400 MPa-30 min were applied to young liquor. Results from gas chromatography (GC) analysis revealed decreasing trends in alcohols, aldehydes and ethyl acetate immediately after HP treatments, which was in consistent with those in natural aging process; but no significant change was found in acids. However, differences in main volatile compounds between young liquor and pressurized liquors disappeared after two to six months of storage. Principal component analysis (PCA) performed well in presenting overall differences among all liquor groups, which verified our previous findings in GC analysis. This research broadened the knowledge of HP processing on distilled alcoholic beverages and provided an alternative technique for liquor quality modification.
Alternate partial root-zone drip irrigation improves water– and nitrogen– use efficiencies of sweet-waxy maize with nitrogen fertigation
Authors: Fu Fengbei , Li Fusheng , Kang Shaozhong 
Published: December 2017

AbstractAlternate partial root–zone drip irrigation (ADI) or fertigation has favorable effect on crop water- and nitrogen- use efficiencies (WUE and NUE). However, the advantage of combined application of ADI and nitrogen fertigation on crop WUE and NUE remains unclear. A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of three irrigation methods (CDI conventional drip irrigation (both halves of pot irrigated), ADI (both halves of pot alternatively irrigated) and FDI fixed partial root–zone drip irrigation (fixed half of pot irrigated)) and five nitrogen treatments (F0 no N supplied, F1-F4 0.2, 0.18, 0.16 and 0.14 g N per kg soil via fertigation) on sweet-waxy maize. Compared with CDI, ADI reduced water consumption by 19.9%, but increased water use efficiency based on dry seed yield (WUEs) by 32.3%, and also enhanced nitrogen apparent recovery fraction (Nrf) and nitrogen agronomic efficiency (NAE). F1-F4 augmented dry mass accumulation, dry seed yield and total nitrogen uptake if compared to F0. Moreover, F2-ADI had higher shoot and total dry masses, WUEs, total nitrogen uptake, Nrf and NAE. Thus ADI increased nitrogen uptake, WUE and NUE of sweet-waxy maize with nitrogen fertigation of 0.18 g N per kg soil in this study.
Polymorphisms in JMJD1C are associated with pubertal onset in boys and reproductive function in men
Authors: Mørup Nina , Busch Alexander Siegfried , Bang Anne Kirstine , Nordkap Loa , Nielsen John E. , Rajpert-De Meyts Ewa , Juul Anders , Jørgensen Niels , Almstrup Kristian 
Published: December 2017

AbstractJMJD1C, a member of the Jumonji-domain containing histone demethylases protein family, has been associated with levels of sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and testosterone in men, and knock-out rodent models show age-dependent infertility. The objective of this study was to investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) nearby JMJD1C are associated with pubertal onset in boys and with male reproduction. 671 peri-pubertal boys, 1,027 young men, 315 fertile men, and 252 infertile men were genotyped for two JMJD1C SNPs (rs7910927 and rs10822184). rs7910927 and rs10822184 showed high linkage. Boys with the rs7910927 TT genotype entered puberty 3.6 months earlier than their peers (p = 2.5 × 10−2). In young men, the number of T alleles was associated with decreased levels of SHBG, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, and testosterone x luteinizing hormone, as well as increased levels of Inhibin B, Inhibin B/FSH ratio, and testis size. No significant associations with semen parameters were observed and the genotype distribution was comparable among fertile and infertile men. In conclusion, genetic variation in the vicinity of JMJD1C had a surprisingly large impact on the age at pubertal onset in boys as well as levels of reproductive hormones and testis size in men, emphasizing the relationship between JMJD1C and reproductive functions.
Interplay between geo-population factors and hierarchy of cities in multilayer urban networks
Authors: Makarov Vladimir V. , Hramov Alexander E. , Kirsanov Daniil V. , Maksimenko Vladimir A. , Goremyko Mikhail V. , Ivanov Alexey V. , Yashkov Ivan A. , Boccaletti Stefano 
Published: December 2017

AbstractOnly taking into consideration the interplay between processes occurring at different levels of a country can provide the complete social and geopolitical plot of its urban system. We study the interaction of the administrative structure and the geographical connectivity between cities with the help of a multiplex network approach. We found that a spatially-distributed geo-network imposes its own ranking to the hierarchical administrative network, while the latter redistributes the shortest paths between nodes in the geographical layer. Using both real demographic data of population censuses of the Republic of Kazakhstan and theoretical models, we show that in a country-scale urban network and for each specific city, the geographical neighbouring with highly populated areas is more important than its political setting. Furthermore, the structure of political subordination is instead crucial for the wealth of transportation network and communication between populated regions of the country.
Specific binding of a polymer chain to a sequence of surface receptors
Authors: Bell Samuel , Terentjev Eugene M. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis paper considers a biologically relevant question of a Gaussian chain (such as an unfolded protein) binding to a sequence of receptors with matching multiple ligands distributed along the chain. Using the characteristic time for a tethered ligand to bind to a surface receptor, we study the case of multiple binding to a linear sequence of receptors on the surface. The tethered binding time is determined by the entropic barrier for the chain to be stretched sufficiently to reach the distant receptor target, and a restriction on chain conformations near the substrate. Adsorption (multiple-site binding) is shown to be dominated by a simple zipper sequence, only occasionally accelerated by loop formation. However, when the number of receptors increases, a competing rate-limiting process takes over: the center of mass of the remaining free chain has to drift down the line of receptors, which takes longer when the receptors are close and the entropic pulling force is low. As a result, the time for the complete chain adsorption is minimised by a certain optimal number of receptors, depending on the distance to be traversed by the free end, and the chain length.
Detection and measure of genuine tripartite entanglement with partial transposition and realignment of density matrices
Authors: Li Ming , Wang Jing , Shen Shuqian , Chen Zhihua , Fei Shao-Ming 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIt is challenging task to detect and measure genuine multipartite entanglement. We investigate the problem by considering the average based positive partial transposition(PPT) criterion and the realignment criterion. Sufficient conditions for detecting genuine tripartite entanglement are presented. We also derive lower bounds for the genuine tripartite entanglement concurrence with respect to the conditions. While the PPT criterion and the realignment criterion are powerful for detecting bipartite entanglement and for providing lower bounds of bipartite concurrences, our results give an effective operational way to detect and measure the genuine tripartite entanglement.
Binding Modes of Teixobactin to Lipid II: Molecular Dynamics Study
Authors: Liu Yang , Liu Yaxin , Chan-Park Mary B. , Mu Yuguang 
Published: December 2017

AbstractTeixobactin (TXB) is a newly discovered antibiotic targeting the bacterial cell wall precursor Lipid II (LII). In the present work, four binding modes of TXB on LII were identified by a contact-map based clustering method. The highly flexible binary complex ensemble was generated by parallel tempering metadynamics simulation in a well-tempered ensemble (PTMetaD-WTE). In agreement with experimental findings, the pyrophosphate group and the attached first sugar subunit of LII are found to be the minimal motif for stable TXB binding. Three of the four binding modes involve the ring structure of TXB and have relatively higher binding affinities, indicating the importance of the ring motif of TXB in LII recognition. TXB-LII complexes with a ratio of 2:1 are also predicted with configurations such that the ring motif of two TXB molecules bound to the pyrophosphate-MurNAc moiety and the glutamic acid residue of one LII, respectively. Our findings disclose that the ring motif of TXB is critical to LII binding and novel antibiotics can be designed based on its mimetics.
Smoking and alcohol drinking in relation to the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A population-based case-control study in China
Authors: Yang Xiaorong , Chen Xingdong , Zhuang Maoqiang , Yuan Ziyu , Nie Shuping , Lu Ming , Jin Li , Ye Weimin 
Published: December 2017

AbstractPrevious results regarding the associations between esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (ESCC) risk and smoking/alcohol drinking in high-risk areas are inconsistent. We performed a large population-based case-control study from 2010 to 2013 in a high-incidence area of China, and enrolled 1353 ESCC cases and 1961 controls. Data regarding smoking and alcohol drinking were collected via face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Odd ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using unconditional logistic regression models. After adjusting for alcohol drinking and other potential confounders, male heavy smokers (i.e., those who started smoked more than 20 cigarettes per day or 40 pack-years, or started smoking early), showed a moderately increased risk for ESCC; however, current smoking was not associated with an increased risk. Alcohol drinking among males significantly increased the risk for ESCC (OR = 2.20, 95%CI:1.79~2.70). We observed increasing excess ESCC risks with decreasing age at behavior initiation as well as with increasing duration and intensity of alcohol intake, which were particularly evident among current smokers. In contrast, neither smoking nor alcohol drinking was not associated with ESCC risk among females. In conclusion, alcohol drinking shows a monotonic dose-response relationship with ESCC risk among men, and this relationship is particularly evident among smokers.
Prediction of cassava protein interactome based on interolog method
Authors: Thanasomboon Ratana , Kalapanulak Saowalak , Netrphan Supatcharee , Saithong Treenut 
Published: December 2017

AbstractCassava is a starchy root crop whose role in food security becomes more significant nowadays. Together with the industrial uses for versatile purposes, demand for cassava starch is continuously growing. However, in-depth study to uncover the mystery of cellular regulation, especially the interaction between proteins, is lacking. To reduce the knowledge gap in protein-protein interaction (PPI), genome-scale PPI network of cassava was constructed using interolog-based method (MePPI-In, available at http://bml.sbi.kmutt.ac.th/ppi). The network was constructed from the information of seven template plants. The MePPI-In included 90,173 interactions from 7,209 proteins. At least, 39 percent of the total predictions were found with supports from gene/protein expression data, while further co-expression analysis yielded 16 highly promising PPIs. In addition, domain-domain interaction information was employed to increase reliability of the network and guide the search for more groups of promising PPIs. Moreover, the topology and functional content of MePPI-In was similar to the networks of Arabidopsis and rice. The potential contribution of MePPI-In for various applications, such as protein-complex formation and prediction of protein function, was discussed and exemplified. The insights provided by our MePPI-In would hopefully enable us to pursue precise trait improvement in cassava.
Inversion evolutionary rates might limit the experimental identification of inversion breakpoints in non-model species
Authors: Puerma Eva , Orengo Dorcas J. , Aguadé Montserrat 
Published: December 2017

AbstractChromosomal inversions are structural changes that alter gene order but generally not gene content in the affected region. In Drosophila, extensive cytological studies revealed the widespread character of inversion polymorphism, with evidence for its adaptive character. InDrosophila subobscura, polymorphism affects both its four large autosomal elements and its X (A) chromosome. The characterization of eight of these autosomal inversions breakpoints revealed that most of them originated through the staggered-breaks mechanism. Here, we have performed chromosomal walks to identify the breakpoints of two X-chromosome widely distributed inversions —A2and A1— ofD.subobscura. Inversion A2is considered a warm-adapted arrangement that exhibits parallel latitudinal clines in the species ancestral distribution area and in both American subcontinents, whereas inversion A1is only present in the Palearctic region where it presents an east-west cline. The duplication detected at the A2inversion breakpoints is consistent with its origin by the staggered-breaks mechanism. Inversion A1breakpoints could not be molecularly identified even though they could be narrowly delimited. This result points to chromosome walking limitations when using as a guide the genome of other species. Limitations stem from the rate of evolution by paracentric inversions, which in Drosophila is highest for the X chromosome.
A comparison of methods to measure central and peripheral oxytocin concentrations in human and non-human primates
Authors: Lefevre Arthur , Mottolese Raphaëlle , Dirheimer Manon , Mottolese Carmine , Duhamel Jean-René , Sirigu Angela 
Published: December 2017

AbstractOxytocin (OT) concentration in the blood is considered to be a marker of its action in the brain. However, two problems have emerged when measuring OT level in the blood. First, it is unclear whether different methods of assessment lead to similar OT values. Second, it is unclear if plasma OT concentrations is informative on what OT does in the brain. To clarify these issues, we collected cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the brain ventricle of 25 patients during surgery to compare with plasma OT after simultaneous blood withdrawal. Additionally, we collected 12 CSF and blood samples from non-human primates while awake or under anaesthesia. We used four methods to assay OT concentrations: Commercial EIA with/without extraction, laboratory developed EIA with filtration and RIA with extraction. Three of these methods showed a positive correlation between plasma and CSF OT, suggesting a link between plasma and central OT, at least under specific testing conditions. However, none of the methods correlated to each other. Our results show major disagreements among methods used here to measure peripheral and brain OT and therefore they call for more caution when plasma OT is taken as a marker of central OT.
Receptive Vocabulary, Cognitive Flexibility, and Inhibitory Control Differentially Predict Older and Younger Adults' Success Perceiving Speech by Talkers With Dysarthria
Authors: Ingvalson Erin M. , Lansford Kaitlin L. , Fedorova Valeriya , Fernandez Gabriel 
Published: December 2017

Purpose
Previous research has demonstrated equivocal findings related to the effect of listener age on intelligibility ratings of dysarthric speech. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanisms that support younger and older adults' perception of speech by talkers with dysarthria.

Method
Younger and older adults identified words in phrases produced by talkers with dysarthria. Listeners also completed assessments on peripheral hearing, receptive vocabulary, and executive control functions.

Results
Older and younger adults did not differ in their ability to perceive speech by talkers with dysarthria. Younger adults' success in identifying words produced by talkers with dysarthria was associated only with their hearing acuity. In contrast, older adults showed effects of working memory and cognitive flexibility and interactions between hearing acuity and receptive vocabulary and between hearing acuity and inhibitory control.

Conclusions
Although older and younger adults had equivalent performance identifying words produced by talkers with dysarthria, older adults appear to utilize more cognitive support to identify those words.
Modeling Speech Level as a Function of Background Noise Level and Talker-to-Listener Distance for Talkers Wearing Hearing Protection Devices
Authors: Bouserhal Rachel E. , Bockstael Annelies , MacDonald Ewen , Falk Tiago H. , Voix Jérémie 
Published: December 2017

PurposeStudying the variations in speech levels with changing background noise level and talker-to-listener distance for talkers wearing hearing protection devices (HPDs) can aid in understanding communication in background noise.MethodSpeech was recorded using an intra-aural HPD from 12 different talkers at 5 different distances in 3 different noise conditions and 2 quiet conditions.ResultsThis article proposes models that can predict the difference in speech level as a function of background noise level and talker-to-listener distance for occluded talkers. The proposed model complements the existing model presented by Pelegrín-García, Smits, Brunskog, and Jeong (2011) and expands on it by taking into account the effects of occlusion and background noise level on changes in speech sound level.ConclusionsThree models of the relationship between vocal effort, background noise level, and talker-to-listener distance for talkers wearing HPDs are presented. The model with the best prediction intervals is a talker-dependent model that requires the users' unoccluded speech level at 10 m as a reference. A model describing the relationship between speech level, talker-to-listener distance, and background noise level for occluded talkers could eventually be incorporated with radio protocols to transmit verbal communication only to an intended set of listeners within a given spatial range—this range being dependent on the changes in speech level and background noise level.
The XXL Survey
Authors: Melnyk O. , Elyiv A. , Smolčić V. , Plionis M. , Koulouridis E. , Fotopoulou S. , Chiappetti L. , Adami C. , Baran N. , Butler A. , Delhaize J. , Delvecchio I. , Finet F. , Huynh M. , Lidman C. , Pierre M. , Pompei E. , Vignali C. , Surdej J. 
Published: December 2017

Context.This work is part of a series of studies focusing on the environment and the properties of the X-ray selected active galactic nuclei (AGN) population from the XXL survey. The present survey, given its large area, continuity, extensive multiwavelength coverage, and large-scale structure information, is ideal for this kind of study. Here, we focus on the XXL-South (XXL-S) field.Aims.Our main aim is to study the environment of the various types of X-ray selected AGN and investigate its possible role in AGN triggering and evolution.Methods.We studied the large-scale (>1 Mpc) environment up to redshiftz= 1 using the nearest neighbour distance method to compare various pairs of AGN types. We also investigated the small-scale environment (<0.4 Mpc) by calculating the local overdensities of optical galaxies. In addition, we built a catalogue of AGN concentrations with two or more members using the hierarchical clustering method and we correlated them with the X-ray galaxy clusters detected in the XXL survey.Results.It is found that radio detected X-ray sources are more obscured than non-radio ones, though not all radio sources are obscured AGN. We did not find any significant differences in the large-scale clustering between luminous and faint X-ray AGN, or between obscured and unobscured ones, or between radio and non-radio sources. At local scales (<0.4 Mpc), AGN typically reside in overdense regions, compared to non-AGN; however, no differences were found between the various types of AGN. A majority of AGN concentrations with two or more members are found in the neighbourhood of X-ray galaxy clusters within <25–45 Mpc. Our results suggest that X-ray AGN are typically located in supercluster filaments, but they are also found in over- and underdense regions.
Submillimeter wave spectroscopy of ethyl isocyanide and its searches in Orion
Authors: Margulès L. , Tercero B. , Guillemin J. C. , Motiyenko R. A. , Cernicharo J. 
Published: December 2017

Context. About 40 cyanide compounds have been detected in the interstellar medium, but only 3 examples of organic isocyanide compounds were observed in this medium. Ethyl isocyanide is one of the best candidates for possible detection.
Aim. To date, measurements of rotational spectra are limited to 40 GHz. The extrapolation of the prediction in the millimeter wave domain is inaccurate and does not permit an unambiguous detection.
Methods. The rotational spectra were reinvestigated from 0.15 to 1 THz. Using the new prediction, we searched for the compound ethyl isocyanide in Orion KL and Sgr B2.
Results. We newly assigned 2906 transitions and fitted these new data with those from previous studies, reaching quantum numbers up to J = 103 and Ka = 30. The asymmetric top Hamiltonian proposed by Watson in the Ir representation was used for the analysis, and both reductions A and S were tested. The search for CH3CH2NC in Sgr B2 (IRAM 30m) and Orion KL (IRAM 30m, ALMA Science Verification) result in a non-detection; upper limits to the column density were derived.