bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chromium geochemistry of the ca. 1.85 Ga Flin Flon paleosol
Authors: Babechuk M. G. , Kleinhanns I. C. , Schoenberg R. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractFractionation of stable Cr isotopes has been measured in Archaean paleosols and marine sedimentary rocks and interpreted to record the terrestrial oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(VI), providing possible indirect evidence for the emergence of oxygenic photosynthesis. However, these fractionations occur amidst evidence from other geochemical proxies for a pervasively anoxic atmosphere. This study examined the Cr geochemistry of the ca. 1.85 Ga Flin Flon paleosol, which developed under an atmosphere unambiguously oxidising enough to quantitatively convert Fe(II) to Fe(III) during pedogenesis. The paleosol shows an extreme range in Cr isotope composition of 2.76 ‰ δ53/52Cr. The protolith greenstone (δ53/52Cr: −0.23 ‰), the deepest weathering horizon (δ53/52Cr: −0.15 to −0.23 ‰) and a residual corestone in the upper paleosol (δ53/52Cr: −0.01 ‰) all exhibit Cr isotopic compositions comparable to unaltered igneous rocks. The most significant isotopic fractionation is preserved in the areas influenced by oxidative subaerial weathering (i.e. increase in Fe(III)/Fe(II)) and the greatest loss of mobile elements. The uppermost paleosol horizon is both Cr and Mn depleted and offset to significantly 53Cr‐enriched compositions (δ53/52Cr values between +1.50 and +2.38 ‰), which is not easily modelled with the oxidation of Cr(III) and loss of isotopically heavy Cr(VI). Instead, the currently preferred model for these data invokes the open‐system removal of isotopically light aqueous Cr(III) during either pedogenesis or subsequent hydrothermal/metamorphic alteration. The 53Cr enrichment would then represent the preferential dissolution or complexation of isotopically light aqueous Cr(III) species (enhanced by lower pH conditions and possibly the presence of complexing ligands) and/or the residual signature from preferential adsorption of isotopically heavy Cr(III). Both scenarios would contradict the widely held assumption that only redox reactions of Cr can generate large magnitude isotopic fractionations and, if substantiated, non‐redox isotope effects would complicate the conclusive fingerprinting of ancient atmospheric O2 from Cr isotope data alone.
Preparation and optimisation of liposome‐in‐alginate beads containing oyster hydrolysate for sustained release
Authors: Xie Cheng‐liang , Lee Su‐Seon , Choung Se‐young , Kang Sang Soo , Choi Yeung Joon 
Published: July 2016

SummaryOyster (Crassostrea gigas) hydrolysate shows antihypertensive effect in our previous study. Oral administration of oyster hydrolysate can loss bioactive peptides due to enzymatic degradation in vivo. To maximise its bioavailability, liposome‐in‐alginate (LA) beads were used to encapsulate the oyster hydrolysates to protect from degradation and obtain sustained release. The preparation conditions of the LA beads were optimised by response surface method using a model peptide of tyrosylalanine (YA). Their characterisation, swelling and release properties were investigated. The optimised conditions for the concentration of calcium chloride, sodium alginate and the amount of ethanol‐dissolved lecithin (EDL) were 0.5 m, 3% and 95.4 mg, respectively. The encapsulation efficiencies of YA and the oyster hydrolysate in the optimised condition were 74.9% and 84.3%, respectively. The release time of the oyster hydrolysate in the simulated gastrointestinal fluid was up to 16 h. The LA beads can be recommended to encapsulate oyster hydrolysate for bioavailability improvement.
Characteristics of aggression among psychiatric inpatients by ward type in Japan: Using the Staff Observation Aggression Scale – Revised (SOAS‐R)
Authors: Sato Makiko , Noda Toshie , Sugiyama Naoya , Yoshihama Fumihiro , Miyake Michi , Ito Hiroto 
Published: July 2016

AbstractAggressive behaviour by psychiatric patients is a serious issue in clinical practice, and adequate management of such behaviour is required, with careful evaluation of the factors causing the aggression. To examine the characteristics of aggressive incidents by ward type, a cross‐sectional descriptive study was conducted for 6 months between April 2012 and June 2013 using the Staff Observation Aggression Scale – Revised, Japanese version (SOAS‐R) in 30 wards across 20 Japanese psychiatric hospitals. Participating wards were categorized into three types based on the Japanese medical reimbursement system: emergency psychiatric, acute psychiatric, and standard wards (common in Japan, mostly treating non‐acute patients). On analyzing the 443 incidents reported, results showed significant differences in SOAS‐R responses by ward type. In acute and emergency psychiatric wards, staff members were the most common target of aggression. In acute psychiatric wards, staff requiring patients to take medication was the most common provocation, and verbal aggression was the most commonly used means. In emergency psychiatric wards, victims felt threatened. In contrast, in standard wards, both the target and provocation of aggression were most commonly other patients, hands were used, victims reported experiencing physical pain, and seclusion was applied to stop their behaviour. These findings suggest that ward environment was an important factor influencing aggressive behaviour. Ensuring the quality and safety of psychiatric care requires understanding the characteristics of incidents that staff are likely to encounter in each ward type, as well as implementing efforts to deal with the incidents adequately and improve the treatment environment.
Lentinan protects pancreatic β cells from STZ‐induced damage
Authors: Zhang Yaqin , Mei Hongliang , Shan Wei , Shi Li , Chang Xiaoai , Zhu Yunxia , Chen Fang , Han Xiao 
Published: July 2016

AbstractPancreatic β‐cell death or dysfunction mediated by oxidative stress underlies the development and progression of diabetes mellitus (DM). In this study, we evaluated the effect of lentinan (LNT), an active ingredient purified from the bodies of Lentinus edodes, on pancreatic β‐cell apoptosis and dysfunction caused by streptozotocin (STZ) and the possible mechanisms implicated. The rat insulinoma cell line INS‐1 were pre‐treated with the indicated concentration of LNT for 30 min. and then incubated for 24 hrs with or without 0.5 mM STZ. We found that STZ treatment causes apoptosis of INS‐1 cells by enhancement of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and nitric oxide release and activation of the c‐jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathways. However, LNT significantly increased cell viability and effectively attenuated STZ‐induced ROS production, iNOS expression and nitric oxide release and the activation of JNK and p38 MAPK in a dose‐dependent manner in vitro. Moreover, LNT dose‐dependently prevented STZ‐induced inhibition of insulin synthesis by blocking the activation of nuclear factor kappa beta and increasing the level of Pdx‐1 in INS‐1 cells. Together these findings suggest that LNT could protect against pancreatic β‐cell apoptosis and dysfunction caused by STZ and therefore may be a potential pharmacological agent for preventing pancreatic β‐cell damage caused by oxidative stress associated with diabetes.
The role of BRD7 in embryo development and glucose metabolism
Authors: Kim Yoo , Andrés Salazar Hernández Mario , Herrema Hilde , Delibasi Tuncay , Park Sang Won 
Published: July 2016

AbstractBromodomain‐containing protein 7 (BRD7) is a member of bromodomain‐containing protein family and its function has been implicated in several diseases. We have previously shown that BRD7 plays a role in metabolic processes. However, the effect of BRD7 deficiency in glucose metabolism and its role in in vivo have not been fully revealed. Here, we report the essential role of BRD7 during embryo development. Mice homozygous for BRD7 led to embryonic lethality at mid‐gestation. Homozygous BRD7 knockout (KO) mice showed retardation in development, and eventually all BRD7 KO embryos died in utero prior to E16.5. Partial knockdown of Brd7 gene displayed mild changes in glucose metabolism.
The mitochondrial ubiquitin ligase plays an anti‐apoptotic role in cardiomyocytes by regulating mitochondrial fission
Authors: Wang Jing , Aung Lynn H. H. , Prabhakar Bellur S. , Li Peifeng 
Published: July 2016

AbstractApoptosis plays a critical role in the development of myocardial infarction. Cardiomyocytes are enriched with mitochondria and excessive mitochondrial fission can trigger cellular apoptosis. Recently, the mitochondrial ubiquitin ligase (MITOL), localized in the mitochondrial outer membrane, was reported to play an important role in the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics and apoptosis. However, the underlying mechanism of its action remains uncertain. The present study was aimed at uncovering the role of MITOL in the regulation of cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Our results showed that MITOL expression was up‐regulated in cardiomyocytes in response to apoptotic stimulation. Mitochondrial ubiquitin ligase overexpression blocked dynamin‐related protein 1 accumulation in the mitochondria, and attenuated the mitochondrial fission induced by hydrogen peroxide. Conversely, MITOL knockdown sensitized cardiomyocytes to undergo mitochondrial fission, resulting in subsequent apoptosis. These findings suggest that MITOL plays a protective role against apoptosis in cardiomyocytes, and may serve as a potential therapeutic target for apoptosis‐related cardiac diseases.
Treatment for Multiple Acute Cardiopulmonary Conditions in Older Adults Hospitalized with Pneumonia, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or Heart Failure
Authors: Dharmarajan Kumar , Strait Kelly M. , Tinetti Mary E. , Lagu Tara , Lindenauer Peter K. , Lynn Joanne , Krukas Michelle R. , Ernst Frank R. , Li Shu‐Xia , Krumholz Harlan M. 
Published: July 2016

ObjectivesTo determine how often hospitalized older adults principally diagnosed with pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or heart failure (HF) are concurrently treated for two or more of these acute cardiopulmonary conditions.DesignRetrospective cohort study.Setting368 U.S. hospitals in the Premier research database.ParticipantsIndividuals aged 65 and older principally hospitalized with pneumonia, COPD, or HF in 2009 or 2010.MeasurementsProportion of diagnosed episodes of pneumonia, COPD, or HF concurrently treated for two or more of these acute cardiopulmonary conditions during the first 2 hospital days.ResultsOf 91,709 diagnosed pneumonia hospitalizations, 32% received treatment for two or more acute cardiopulmonary conditions (18% for HF, 18% for COPD, 4% for both). Of 41,052 diagnosed COPD hospitalizations, 19% received treatment for two or more acute cardiopulmonary conditions (all of which involved additional HF treatment). Of 118,061 diagnosed HF hospitalizations, 38% received treatment for two or more acute cardiopulmonary conditions (34% for pneumonia, 9% for COPD, 5% for both).ConclusionHospitalized older adults diagnosed with pneumonia, COPD, or HF are frequently treated for two or more acute cardiopulmonary conditions, suggesting that clinical syndromes often fall between traditional diagnostic categories. Research is needed to evaluate the risks and benefits of real‐world treatment for the many older adults whose presentations elicit diagnostic uncertainty or concern about coexisting acute conditions.
Acceptability of Phoenurse female condom and second‐generation Femidom female condom in Chinese women
Authors: Wang Xianmi , Liu Meng , Cheng Yimin 
Published: July 2016

AbstractAimTo compare the acceptability of Phoenurse female condom (PFC) and second‐generation Femidom female condom (FC2) among Chinese women.MethodsA randomized, cross‐over clinical trial was carried out in women aged 20–49 years seeking family service in Qingdao, China, between April and October 2013. Women were classified into two groups using a computer‐generated randomized sequence. Participants completed questionnaires at baseline and after using 10 of each type of female condom (FC).ResultsOf 290 women, 247 (85.2%) believed that FC could protect against sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. A total of 152 (52.5%) thought that the female condom (FC) contraceptive failure rate was higher, and 107 (36.9%) thought that FC could be reused before they participated in this study. After the study, 135 (46.6%) and 39 women (13.4%) would have been happy to use FC2 and PFC, respectively. Significant difference was noted between PFC and FC2 for the features color, lubrication and overall fit, rather than length, appearance, smell and application method. A total of 68 (23.5%) and 140 women (49.5%) liked FC2's color and lubrication better than PFC (44, 15.2%; 99, 34.6%). Also, 158 women (54.5%) preferred the overall fit of FC2 compared with PFC (143, 49.5%; P < 0.05).ConclusionParticipants did not have sufficient knowledge about the contraceptive effect and use of FC. Lubrication means the smooth degree of using FC. Length means the size of FC. Appearance means the users' overall impression of the FC.
Autoimmune diabetes in adults and risk of myocardial infarction: the HUNT study in Norway
Authors: Laugsand L. E. , Janszky I. , Vatten L. J. , Dalen H. , Midthjell K. , Grill V. , Carlsson S. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractBackgroundThe long‐term consequences of autoimmune diabetes in adults (AIDA) are largely unexplored.ObjectiveTo investigate the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) in AIDA compared to type 2 diabetes, taking into consideration the effects of socio‐economic and lifestyle factors, the metabolic syndrome and glycaemic control.MethodsA total of 62 995 participants including 207 individuals with AIDA (onset ≥35 years and anti‐GAD positive) and 2322 individuals with type 2 diabetes (onset ≥35 years and anti‐GAD negative), from the population‐based Norwegian HUNT study, were followed for a first MI during the period 1995–2008. We identified 2614 MIs by hospital records or the National Cause of Death Registry. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the risk of MI by diabetes subgroups after adjustment for age and socio‐economic and lifestyle factors.ResultsAIDA amongst women was associated with a nearly fourfold increased risk of MI [hazard ratio (HR) 3.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.21–5.96) compared to nondiabetic participants, whereas no excess risk was found in men with AIDA (HR 1.30, 95% CI 0.70–2.52). By contrast, type 2 diabetes was associated with an increased MI risk in both men (HR 1.92, 95% CI 1.62–2.26) and women (HR 2.39, 95% CI 1.98–2.89). The metabolic profile was more favourable in patients with AIDA than in those with type 2 diabetes, but glycaemic control was worse. Multivariable models and sensitivity analyses suggest that these results were robust.ConclusionsWomen with AIDA were more likely to develop MI, compared to men with AIDA and both men and women with type 2 diabetes. Further investigations are warranted to confirm this gender difference.
Detoxification Pathways in Response to Environmental Ammonia Exposure of the Cuttlefish, Sepia pharaonis: Glutamine and Urea Formation
Authors: Peng Rui‐Bing , Le Ke‐Xin , Wang Peng‐Shuai , Wang Yuan , Han Qing‐Xi , Jiang Xia‐Min 
Published: July 2016

AbstractTo investigate the ammonia detoxification pathways of the cuttlefish, Sepia pharaonis, the effects of environmental ammonia nitrogen exposure (control, 1, 3, and 6 mg/L) on nitrogen metabolism were quantified in the hemolymph, liver, and gills. The levels of glutamine synthetase, glutamate dehydrogenase, and arginase activities and ammonia, glutamine, and urea concentrations in the hemolymph, liver, and gills significantly increased upon exposure to 3 and 6 mg/L ammonia nitrogen and exhibited a dose‐dependent relationship with the ammonia exposure concentration. These results suggest two main pathways of metabolic ammonia detoxification in S. pharaonis exposed to ammonia in this study: (1) conversion of ammonia to urea, which is stored temporarily or excreted, via the ornithine‐urea cycle and (2) conversion of ammonia to glutamine, which can be stored in the body or used for other anabolic processes.
From Soviet to Europe: Returns to Education Puzzle in Bulgaria
Authors: Staneva Anita V. , Abdel‐Latif Hany 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThis article makes a systematic presentation of returns to education in Bulgaria, a country that has witnessed a number of dramatic structural changes over the last two decades. It examines the headway of returns to education for Bulgaria in two observed economic regimes — from communism to EU membership. The findings show a steady increase in returns to education for both men and women until 2003. The average returns to one additional year of education rose from 1.1 per cent in 1986 to 5.1 per cent in 2003 for men and from 2.1 to 5.9 per cent for women. Quantile regression estimations between 1986 and 2003 evince that the most prominent increase in the wage premium occurred at the top end of the distribution, where the rate of returns to education increased in particular for women — from a negative and insignificant sign in 1986 to 7 per cent in 2003. However, this increasing trend in returns to education seems to take an inverted U‐shape in 2007, the year when the country joined the EU, which poses a new puzzle to be resolved. To this end, the current article introduces possible explanations for such a puzzle and sheds lights on a number of insightful policy implications.
Divergence maintained by climatic selection despite recurrent gene flow: a case study of Castanopsis carlesii (Fagaceae)
Authors: Sun Ye , Surget‐Groba Yann , Gao Shaoxiong 
Published: July 2016

AbstractLocal adaptation to different environments has the potential to maintain divergence between populations despite recurrent gene flow and is an important driver for generating biological diversity. In this study, we investigate the role of adaptation in the maintenance of two parapatric varieties of a forest tree. We used sequence variation of chloroplastic DNA and restriction site‐associated DNA to investigate the genetic structure of two varieties of Castanopsis carlesii in subtropical China and relate it to climatic variation. We used niche reconstruction methods to investigate niche differentiation between the two varieties and to estimate the past distribution of this species. A deep divergence was observed between the two varieties, but evidence of introgression and genetic admixture was detected in two phenotypically and geographically intermediate populations. Niche reconstruction suggests that the distribution of the two varieties was disjunct during periods of global cooling and that the two varieties occupy significantly different niches. The genetic structure was mainly driven by environmental factors, and 13 outlier loci under divergent selection were correlated with climatic variation. These results suggest that the two varieties evolved in allopatry and came back into secondary contact after the last glacial maximum and that they are an evolutionary example of divergence maintained by climatic selection despite recurrent gene flow.
Genetic variation for pseudo‐self‐compatibility in self‐incompatible populations of Leavenworthia alabamica (Brassicaceae)
Authors: Baldwin Sarah J. , Schoen Daniel J. 
Published: July 2016

Summary

Self‐incompatibility (SI) promotes outcrossing, but transitions to self‐compatibility (SC) are frequent. Population genetic theory describing the breakdown of SI to SC suggests that, under most conditions, populations should be composed of either SI or SC individuals. Under a narrow range of conditions, theory suggests that SI may persist alongside reduced expression of SI (pseudo‐SI, PSI) in mixed‐mating populations.

We studied genetic variation for PSI segregating in four SI populations of Leavenworthia alabamica by measurement of the heritability of pollen tube number after self‐pollination. We tested for the role of the S‐locus in this variation by sequencing seven S‐alleles from plants with high pseudo‐SC (PSC) and testing for the co‐segregation of these alleles with PSC.

We found a continuous distribution of PSC in all populations and 90% of plants exhibited PSC. The heritability ranged from 0.39 to 0.57. All seven S‐alleles from plants with high PSC exhibited trans‐specific polymorphism, and no stop codons were observed within the c. 600‐bp region sequenced. One of these S‐alleles was directly associated with the inheritance of PSC.

We conclude that heritable variation in PSC is largely a result of genetic variation in the signaling cascade downstream of the S‐locus reaction, together with the presence of one leaky S‐allele.
Therapeutic potential of green tea on risk factors for type 2 diabetes in obese adults – a review
Authors: Ferreira M.A. , Silva D.M. , de Morais A.C. , Mota J.F. , Botelho P.B. 
Published: July 2016

SummaryGreen tea has been associated with positive effects in the treatment of obesity and other associated comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes. These benefits are thought to be related to the anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant effects of green tea and to the reduction in body fat percentage exhibited by its bioactive compounds. The predominant active compounds in green tea are flavonoid monomers known as catechins, in particular epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate, which is the most abundant and most effective catechin in metabolic care, particularly among obese patients. The objective of this review was to investigate the effects of green tea on body composition, oxidative stress, inflammation and insulin resistance, risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes in obese individuals and the mechanisms that underlie the modulatory actions of green tea compounds on these risk factors. Although green tea has therapeutic potential in the treatment of obese individuals, the findings of this review demonstrate the need for a greater number of studies to confirm the positive effects of green tea, especially regarding the modulation of obesity.
The Roman Ship 'punta Scifo d' and its Marble Cargo (Crotone, Italy)
Authors: Beltrame Carlo , Lazzarini Lorenzo , Parizzi Simone 
Published: July 2016

SummaryIn the first three centuries AD, large‐scale building projects, both in Rome and in the western colonies, stimulated the demand for marble from the eastern quarries. The Punta Scifo D shipwreck – discovered in 1986 in the Bay of Scifo, south of Crotone, Italy, and investigated in 2011 and 2013 by a team from the Università Ca' Foscari of Venice – is an important source for the reconstruction of this kind of trade in the Roman Empire. Studies of the cargo, dated to the third century AD, were the basis for the virtual reconstruction of a barge about 40 m long carrying a cargo of almost 340 tons. Petrographic and isotopic analyses demonstrated that it carried three different types of marble: mainly Proconnesian, some Pentelic, and one slab of Dokimean marble. The ship probably departed from the island of Marmara, and stopped at Ephesos, and perhaps also at Piraeus.