bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Palaeoenvironmental dynamics and Palaeolithic occupation at Katoati, Thar Desert, India
Authors: Blinkhorn James , Achyuthan Hema , Ditchfield Peter , Petraglia Michael 
Published: March 2017

AbstractLate Pleistocene palaeoenvironments in the Thar Desert (India), located at the eastern extent of the Saharo-Arabian desert belt, have fluctuated considerably as a result of the varying range and intensity of the Indian summer monsoon. Phases of widespread Pleistocene aridity are well documented in the Thar Desert, but research focusing on humid proxies is critical to examine how the region may have facilitated population expansions across southern Asia. At Katoati, located on the northeast margin of the Thar Desert, the combination of field recording of sediment sections with detailed analyses (micromorphology, stable isotope, loss on ignition, magnetic susceptibility, and X-ray fluorescence) from an archaeological site identify a series of hominin occupations during phases of enhanced humidity between ~96 and 60 ka. A gradient of humidity on the eastern margin of the Thar Desert during the late Pleistocene is identified, with the periodic humidity evident at Katoati occurring more frequently and with longer duration towards the southern margin. This uneven distribution of humidity in the Thar Desert is likely to have strongly influenced when and where hominin populations could expand into and across the region.
The Transnationalization of Law: Rethinking Law through Transnational Environmental Regulation
Authors: Heyvaert Veerle 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThis article argues that the rise of transnational regulation has a transformative impact on law. It examines the field of transnational environmental regulation to show that its proliferation challenges the continued appropriateness of representations of law as (i) territorial, (ii) emanating from the state, (iii) composed of a public and private sphere, (iv) constitutive and regulatory in function, and (v) cohesive and regimented. Instead, law is increasingly perceived as (i) delocalized, (ii) flowing from a plurality of sources, (iii) organizationally inchoate, (iv) reflexive and coordinating in function, and (v) polycentric. Together, these shifts in perception amount to a transformation that the article identifies as the transnationalization of law. The article then explores three responses to the transnationalization of law. It distinguishes responses motivated by a desire to reclaim the traditional conception of law from those that seek to reconstruct law at the transnational level and responses that advocate a context-responsive reconceptualization of law. Each response, it will be shown, creates a different set of opportunities for, and challenges to, the relevance of law for transnational regulation.
Posttransplant maintenance therapy in multiple myeloma: the changing landscape
Authors: Sengsayadeth S , Malard F , Savani B N , Garderet L , Mohty M 
Published: March 2017

AbstractTransplant-eligible patients with multiple myeloma (MM) now have extended survival after diagnosis owing to effective modern treatment strategies that include new agents in induction therapy, autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT), consolidation therapy and posttransplant maintenance therapy. Standard of care for newly diagnosed, fit patients includes ASCT and, often nowadays, posttransplant maintenance. Several large studies have shown the efficacy of maintenance with thalidomide, lenalidomide and bortezomib in the treatment scheme of MM with regards to prolonging progression-free survival and, to a lesser degree, overall survival. Herein we discuss the data currently available to support the use of maintenance therapy in patients after ASCT as well as the newer available agents that may be a part of its changing landscape in the years to come.
Hamiltonian simulation with optimal sample complexity
Authors: Kimmel Shelby , Lin Cedric Yen-Yu , Low Guang Hao , Ozols Maris , Yoder Theodore J. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractWe investigate the sample complexity of Hamiltonian simulation: how many copies of an unknown quantum state are required to simulate a Hamiltonian encoded by the density matrix of that state? We show that the procedure proposed by Lloyd, Mohseni, and Rebentrost [Nat. Phys., 10(9):631–633, 2014] is optimal for this task. We further extend their method to the case of multiple input states, showing how to simulate any Hermitian polynomial of the states provided. As applications, we derive optimal algorithms for commutator simulation and orthogonality testing, and we give a protocol for creating a coherent superposition of pure states, when given sample access to those states. We also show that this sample-based Hamiltonian simulation can be used as the basis of a universal model of quantum computation that requires only partial swap operations and simple single-qubit states.
Evaluation of 5 Novel protein biomarkers for the rapid diagnosis of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis: preliminary results
Authors: Singh Amit , Kumar Gupta Anil , Gopinath Krishnamoorthy , Sharma Pawan , Singh Sarman 
Published: March 2017

AbstractImproved methods are required for the early and accurate diagnosis of tuberculosis, especially in the patients with smear-negative disease. Several biomarkers have been tried but most have shown poor sensitivity or specificity. In present study we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utility of five novel antigens identified earlier by us. This is an initial study conducted on 250 subjects. The five recombinant antigens, named as rSS1 (Rv2145c), rSS2 (Rv0164), rSS3 (Rv1437), rSS4 (Rv1827) and rSS5 (Rv2970c), were expressed in pQE-30 expression vector, purified and their sero-diagnostic efficacy was evaluated in an unblinded manner using dot-blot and ELISA methods. The sensitivity and specificity of these novel antigens were compared with commercially available standard esat6 and 38 kDa antigens. Bacteriologically confirmed TB patients, non-TB disease controls and healthy individuals were included. which are based on novel antigen or novel technology, Area under curve (AUC) of the selected antigens were 0.98 (0.98–0.99) for rSS1, 0.88 (0.84–0.92) for rSS2, 0.88 (0.84–0.92) for rSS3, 0.95 (0.93–0.98) for rSS4 and 0.99 (0.98–1.0) for rSS5. Receiver operative characteristic (ROC) curve showed highly significant difference between TB and healthy subjects (p = <0.001). These initial findings, show that the recombinant antigens rSS1, rSS4 and rSS5 could be used as highly potential biomarkers for the serological diagnosis of active TB.
Resveratrol attenuates ICAM-1 expression and monocyte adhesiveness to TNF-α-treated endothelial cells: evidence for an anti-inflammatory cascade mediated by the miR-221/222/AMPK/p38/NF-κB pathway
Authors: Liu Chen-Wei , Sung Hsin-Ching , Lin Shu-Rung , Wu Chun-Wei , Lee Chiang-Wen , Lee I.-Ta , Yang Yi-Fan , Yu I-Shing , Lin Shu-Wha , Chiang Ming-Hsien , Liang Chan-Jung , Chen Yuh-Lien 
Published: March 2017

AbstractResveratrol, an edible polyphenolic phytoalexin, improves endothelial dysfunction and attenuates inflammation. However, the mechanisms have not been thoroughly elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the molecular basis of the effects of resveratrol on TNF-α-induced ICAM-1 expression in HUVECs. The resveratrol treatment significantly attenuated the TNF-α-induced ICAM-1 expression. The inhibition of p38 phosphorylation mediated the reduction in ICAM-1 expression caused by resveratrol. Resveratrol also decreased TNF-α-induced IκB phosphorylation and the phosphorylation, acetylation, and translocation of NF-κB p65. Moreover, resveratrol induced the AMPK phosphorylation and the SIRT1 expression in TNF-α-treated HUVECs. Furthermore, TNF-α significantly suppressed miR-221/-222 expression, which was reversed by resveratrol. miR-221/-222 overexpression decreased p38/NF-κB and ICAM-1 expression, which resulted in reduced monocyte adhesion to TNF-α-treated ECs. In a mouse model of acute TNF-α-induced inflammation, resveratrol effectively attenuated ICAM-1 expression in the aortic ECs of TNF-α-treated wild-type mice. These beneficial effects of resveratrol were lost in miR-221/222 knockout mice. Our data showed that resveratrol counteracted the TNF-α-mediated reduction in miR-221/222 expression and decreased the TNF-α-induced activation of p38 MAPK and NF-κB, thereby suppressing ICAM-1 expression and monocyte adhesion. Collectively, our results show that resveratrol attenuates endothelial inflammation by reducing ICAM-1 expression and that the protective effect was mediated partly through the miR-221/222/AMPK/p38/NF-κB pathway.
The Association between Diffuse Myocardial Fibrosis on Cardiac Magnetic Resonance T1 Mapping and Myocardial Dysfunction in Diabetic Rabbits
Authors: Zeng Mu , Qiao Yingyan , Wen Zhaoying , Liu Jun , Xiao Enhua , Tan Changlian , Xie Yibin , An Jing , Zhang Zishu , Fan Zhanming , Li Debiao 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe objective of this study was to assess the relationship between imaging surrogates for diffuse fibrosis and myocardial dysfunction. Thirty-six New Zealand white rabbits were classified into two groups: a control group (n = 18) and an alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) group (n = 18). For all rabbits, conventional ultrasonography, two-dimensional speckle tracking, and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) T1 mapping were performed; all of the rabbits were then sacrificed for Masson’s staining. The extracellular volume (ECV) was calculated from pre- and post-contrast T1 values and compared with myocardial function measured by echocardiography using Pearson’s correlation. In the DM group, ECV increased as the duration of diabetes increased, consistent with the changes in myocardial fibrosis verified by pathology. Moreover, ECV was strongly correlated with the early diastolic strain rate (r = −0.782, p < 0.001) and moderately correlated with the radial systolic peak strain (r = 0.478, p = 0.045). Thus, ECV is an effective surrogate for myocardial diffuse fibrosis on CMR imaging, and higher ECV values are associated with an increased impairment of myocardial diastolic function.
Functional solid additive modified PEDOT:PSS as an anode buffer layer for enhanced photovoltaic performance and stability in polymer solar cells
Authors: Xu Binrui , Gopalan Sai-Anand , Gopalan Anantha-Iyengar , Muthuchamy Nallal , Lee Kwang-Pill , Lee Jae-Sung , Jiang Yu , Lee Sang-Won , Kim Sae-Wan , Kim Ju-Seong , Jeong Hyun-Min , Kwon Jin-Beom , Bae Jin-Hyuk , Kang Shin-Won 
Published: March 2017

AbstractPoly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is most commonly used as an anode buffer layer in bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cells (PSCs). However, its hygroscopic and acidic nature contributes to the insufficient electrical conductivity, air stability and restricted photovoltaic (PV) performance for the fabricated PSCs. In this study, a new multifunctional additive, 2,3-dihydroxypyridine (DOH), has been used in the PEDOT: PSS buffer layer to obtain modified properties for PEDOT: PSS@DOH and achieve high PV performances. The electrical conductivity of PEDOT:PSS@DOH films was markedly improved compared with that of PEDOT:PSS. The PEDOT:PSS@DOH film exhibited excellent optical characteristics, appropriate work function alignment, and good surface properties in BHJ-PSCs. When a poly(3-hexylthiohpene):[6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester blend system was applied as the photoactive layer, the power conversion efficiency of the resulting PSCs with PEDOT:PSS@DOH(1.0%) reached 3.49%, outperforming pristine PEDOT:PSS, exhibiting a power conversion enhancement of 20%. The device fabricated using PEDOT:PSS@DOH (1.0 wt%) also exhibited improved thermal and air stability. Our results also confirm that DOH, a basic pyridine derivative, facilitates adequate hydrogen bonding interactions with the sulfonic acid groups of PSS, induces the conformational transformation of PEDOT chains and contributes to the phase separation between PEDOT and PSS chains.
Breeding system and spatial isolation from congeners strongly constrain seed set in an insect-pollinated apomictic tree: Sorbus subcuneata (Rosaceae)
Authors: Hamston Tracey J. , Wilson Robert J. , de Vere Natasha , Rich Tim C. G. , Stevens Jamie R. , Cresswell James E. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractIn plants, apomixis results in the production of clonal offspring via seed and can provide reproductive assurance for isolated individuals. However, many apomicts require pollination to develop functional endosperm for successful seed set (pseudogamy) and therefore risk pollination-limitation, particularly in self-incompatible species that require heterospecific pollen. We used microsatellite paternity analysis and hand pollinations to investigate pollen-limitation in Sorbus subcuneata, a threatened endemic tree that co-occurs with its congener, S. admonitor. We confirmed that S. subcuneata is an obligate pseudogamous apomict, but open-pollinated flowers rarely produced seed (flower-to-seed conversion < 1%) even though they rapidly accumulated pollen on their stigmas. Manual heterospecific pollination by S. admonitor resulted in a high flower-to-seed conversion rate (65%), however, we estimate that the ratio of self: heterospecific pollination in open-pollinated flowers was at least 22:1. Despite the efficacy of heterospecific pollination, the contribution of S. admonitor trees to paternity in seed from open-pollinated flowers of S. subcuneata decreased rapidly with the spatial separation between paternal and maternal trees. Conservation efforts aimed at maintaining species with this breeding system must therefore manage the congeners in tandem which will also maintain the potential for rare heterospecific fertilisation that typically cause rapid diversification in these lineages.
Optimal array of sand fences
Authors: Lima Izael A. , Araújo Ascânio D. , Parteli Eric J. R. , Andrade José S. , Herrmann Hans J. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractSand fences are widely applied to prevent soil erosion by wind in areas affected by desertification. Sand fences also provide a way to reduce the emission rate of dust particles, which is triggered mainly by the impacts of wind-blown sand grains onto the soil and affects the Earth’s climate. Many different types of fence have been designed and their effects on the sediment transport dynamics studied since many years. However, the search for the optimal array of fences has remained largely an empirical task. In order to achieve maximal soil protection using the minimal amount of fence material, a quantitative understanding of the flow profile over the relief encompassing the area to be protected including all employed fences is required. Here we use Computational Fluid Dynamics to calculate the average turbulent airflow through an array of fences as a function of the porosity, spacing and height of the fences. Specifically, we investigate the factors controlling the fraction of soil area over which the basal average wind shear velocity drops below the threshold for sand transport when the fences are applied. We introduce a cost function, given by the amount of material necessary to construct the fences. We find that, for typical sand-moving wind velocities, the optimal fence height (which minimizes this cost function) is around 50 cm, while using fences of height around 1.25 m leads to maximal cost.
The identification of d-tryptophan as a bioactive substance for postembryonic ovarian development in the planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis
Authors: Kobayashi Kazuya , Maezawa Takanobu , Tanaka Hiroyuki , Onuki Hiroyuki , Horiguchi Yurie , Hirota Hiroshi , Ishida Tetsuo , Horiike Kihachiro , Agata Yasutoshi , Aoki Manabu , Hoshi Motonori , Matsumoto Midori 
Published: March 2017

AbstractMany metazoans start germ cell development during embryogenesis, while some metazoans possessing pluripotent stem cells undergo postembryonic germ cell development. The latter reproduce asexually but develop germ cells from pluripotent stem cells or dormant primordial germ cells when they reproduce sexually. Sexual induction of the planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis is an important model for postembryonic germ cell development. In this experimental system, hermaphroditic reproductive organs are differentiated in presumptive gonadal regions by the administration of a crude extract from sexual planarians to asexual ones. However, the substances involved in the first event during postembryonic germ cell development, i.e., ovarian development, remain unknown. Here, we aimed to identify a bioactive compound associated with postembryonic ovarian development. Bioassay-guided fractionation identified ʟ-tryptophan (Trp) on the basis of electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry, circular dichroism, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Originally masked by a large amount of ʟ-Trp, d-Trp was detected by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The ovary-inducing activity of d-Trp was 500 times more potent than that of ʟ-Trp. This is the first report describing a role for an intrinsic d-amino acid in postembryonic germ cell development. Our findings provide a novel insight into the mechanisms of germ cell development regulated by low-molecular weight bioactive compounds.
Coexistence of superconductivity and charge-density wave in the quasi-one-dimensional material HfTe3
Authors: Denholme Saleem J. , Yukawa Akinori , Tsumura Kohei , Nagao Masanori , Tamura Ryuji , Watauchi Satoshi , Tanaka Isao , Takayanagi Hideaki , Miyakawa Nobuaki 
Published: March 2017

AbstractWe present the first experimental evidence for metallicity, superconductivity (SC) and the co-existence of charge density waves (CDW) in the quasi-one-dimensional material HfTe3. The existence of such phenomena is a typical characteristic of the transition metal chalcogenides however, without the application of hydrostatic pressure/chemical doping, it is rare for a material to exhibit the co-existence of both states. Materials such as HfTe3 can therefore provide us with a unique insight into the relationship between these multiple ordered states. By improving on the original synthesis conditions, we have successfully synthesised single phase HfTe3 and confirmed the resultant structure by performing Rietveld refinement. Using low temperature resistivity measurements, we provide the first experimental evidence of SC at ~1.4 K as well as a resistive anomaly indicative of a CDW formation at ~82 K. By the application of hydrostatic-pressure, the resistivity anomaly shifts to higher temperature. The results show that HfTe3 is a promising new material to help study the relationship between SC and CDW.
A Portable Immunosensor with Differential Pressure Gauges Readout for Alpha Fetoprotein Detection
Authors: Wang Qingping , Li Rongjie , Shao Kang , Lin Yue , Yang Weiqiang , Guo Longhua , Qiu Bin , Lin Zhenyu , Chen Guonan 
Published: March 2017

AbstractA portable, affordable and simple detector is requested in a “Point-of-Care-Testing” (POCT) system. In this study, we exploited the potentialities of Differential Pressure Gauge (DPG) to the orientation of POCT technology. Alpha fetoprotein (AFP) was chosen as a model analyte that could specifically recognized by its antigen, and a tiny outfits equipped with a DPG was employed as the signal readout. Pt/SiO2nanospheres were synthesized and modified with the detection antibody. In the presence of target, a sandwich of immunocomplex specifically formed and the Pt/SiO2had been modified on the capture antibody. Which then can be dissolved to release plenty of Pt and the suspensions were transferred into a closed vial filled with appropriated amount of hydrogen peroxide. Subsequently, hydrogen peroxide was decomposed to produce oxygen, resulting in the enhancement of pressure in the closed vial and which can be detected by DPG easily. Under the optimized conditions, the read out signal from DPG had a direct relationship with AFP concentrations in the range of 10~200 ng/mL, and the detection limit was as low as 3.4 ng/mL. The proposed portable sensor had been successfully applied to detect AFP in serum samples with satisfactory results. This strategy holds a great promising in biological analysis as its convenient operations, reliable results and flexible apparatus.
Directional Asymmetries in Vowel Perception of Adult Nonnative Listeners Do Not Change Over Time With Language Experience
Authors: Kriengwatana Buddhamas Pralle , Escudero Paola 
Published: March 2017

Purpose
This study tested an assumption of the Natural Referent Vowel (Polka & Bohn, 2011) framework, namely, that directional asymmetries in adult vowel perception can be influenced by language experience.

Method
Data from participants reported in Escudero and Williams (2014) were analyzed. Spanish participants categorized the Dutch vowels /aː/ and /ɑ/ in 2 separate sessions: before and after vowel distributional training. Sessions were 12 months apart. Categorization was assessed using the XAB task, where on each trial participants heard 3 sounds sequentially (first X, then A, then B) and had to decide whether X was more similar to A or B.

Results
Before training, participants exhibited a directional asymmetry in line with the prediction of Natural Referent Vowel. Specifically, Spanish listeners performed worse when the vowel change from X to A was a change from peripheral to central vowel (/ɑ/ to /aː/). However, this asymmetry was maintained 12 months later, even though distributional training improved vowel categorization performance.

Conclusions
Improvements in adult nonnative vowel categorization accuracy are not explained by attenuation of directional asymmetries. Directional asymmetries in vowel perception are altered during native language acquisition, but may possibly be impervious to nonnative language experiences in adulthood.
The Cerebellum and Its Wrapping Meninge: Developmental Interplay between Two Major Structures
Authors: Catala Martin 
Published: March 2017

AbstractMeninges have long been considered as a protective and supportive tissue for the central nervous system. Nevertheless, new developmental roles are now attributed to them. The meninges that surround the cerebellum come from the cephalic mesoderm. They are essential for the cerebellum to develop normally. They induce and maintain the basal lamina and glia limitans. In the absence of these structures, the external granular cells of the cerebellum migrate aberrantly and penetrate the subarachnoid space. The molecules involved in the recognition between the cerebellar primordium and the basal lamina belong to two groups in humans: dystroglycan and laminin on the one hand, and GPR56 and collagen III on the other. Finally, molecules secreted by the meninges and acting on the cerebellum begin to be demonstrated; such is the case of SDF1 secreted under the action of FOXC1.
Labordiagnostik bei metabolischen Knochenerkrankungen – Möglichkeiten und Grenzen
Authors: Lange Uwe , Reuss-Borst Monika 
Published: March 2017

ZusammenfassungEin wichtiges Tool in der Diagnostik und Differenzialdiagnostik osteologischer Erkrankungen stellt die Labormedizin dar. So dient das in der S3-Leitlinie Osteoporose empfohlene Basislabor zur Differenzierung zwischen primärer und sekundärer Osteoporose, was aufgrund der therapeutischen Konsequenzen von elementarer Bedeutung ist. Knochenumbaumarker geben zusätzliche Informationen zur Abschätzung der Dynamik des Knochenstoffwechsels. Die Knochenstoffwechselmarker finden vorwiegend als Orientierungshilfe bei der Therapieentscheidung, der Verlaufsbeobachtung unter einer osteospezifischen Medikation und im Compliance-Monitoring Anwendung. Ziel des vorliegenden Beitrages ist die Darlegung der Bedeutung der etablierten osteologischen Labordiagnostik bei metabolischen Knochenerkrankungen im Praxisalltag.