bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity of chemical reaction networks: a structural approach. 2. Regular monomolecular systems
Authors: Fiedler Bernold , Mochizuki Atsushi 
Published: June 2015

M. Otani Dedicated to Messoud Efendiev on the occasion of his 60th birthdayFor the deceptively innocent case of monomolecular reactions, only, we embark on a systematic mathematical analysis of the steady‐state response to perturbations of reaction rates. Our structural sensitivity analysis is based on the directed graph structure of the monomolecular reaction network, only. In fact our function‐free approach does not require numerical input. We work with general, not necessarily monotone reaction rate functions. Based on the graph structure alone, we derive which steady‐state concentrations and reaction fluxes are sensitive to, and thus affected by, a rate change—and which are not. Moreover we establish a transitivity property for the influence of a rate perturbation, at any reaction, on all reaction fluxes. The results and concepts developed here, from a mathematical view point, are of applied relevance including metabolic networks in biology; see our companion paper quoted below. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spiro Mounds, Oklahoma: Dental Evidence for Subsistence Strategies
Authors: Mayes A. T. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractSpiro Mounds was a ceremonial complex located on the Arkansas River, situated in a natural corridor between the Southeast, the Plains, and the Southwestern United States. Considered a quintessential Mississippian site (ad 1000–ad 1450), Spiro was strategically placed as a cultural gateway. Here, dental evidence is presented to aid in the determination of dietary regime and overall population health. The hypothesis regarding the delayed transition to maize agriculture in the Arkansas River Valley will be tested through population comparisons of dental remains. This study will expand the bioarchaeological investigation of a region that has had limited systematic examination.Statistical analysis showed a significant difference between Alluvial, Upland, and Plains environmental zones, and the pattern of dental pathology. Assaults on the dentition at Spiro are moderate. Caries and hypoplasia rates fall just under but approaching those expected for agricultural populations (57% and 49%, respectively). The high number of occlusal caries indicates slower cariogenic destruction and a slower attrition rate. Ante mortem tooth loss was low (18%), with moderate dental attrition (61%). The dental analysis of Spiro Mounds reveals a population with little generalised stress resulting from environmental or sociocultural influences.Comparisons of Spiro to other larger sites in the Mississippian sphere is revealing regarding widespread cultural traditions and their affect on population health; Spiro's unique circumstances give evidence of a population in transition to maize agriculture, but not fully committed to it. Higher status individuals were slower to change from the subsistence strategies that had made them biologically successful. Recent isotope data support this conclusion. The delayed role of maize agriculture at Spiro Mounds, as well as its ideal location within the Mississippian sphere, indicates a different social evolution than other influential Mississippian centres. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Grasping the ‘teachable moment’: time since diagnosis, symptom burden and health behaviors in breast, colorectal and prostate cancer survivors
Authors: Bluethmann Shirley M. , Basen‐Engquist Karen , Vernon Sally W. , Cox Matthew , Gabriel Kelley Pettee , Stansberry Sandra A. , Carmack Cindy L. , Blalock Janice A. , Demark‐Wahnefried Wendy 
Published: June 2015

AbstractBackgroundA cancer diagnosis may provide a ‘teachable moment’ in cancer recovery. To better understand factors influencing lifestyle choices following diagnosis, we examined associations between time since diagnosis and symptom burden with recommended dietary (e.g., five or more fruit/vegetable servings/day), physical activity (e.g., >150 active min, 3–5 times/week), and smoking behaviors (i.e., eliminate tobacco use) in cancer survivors.MethodsWe analyzed cross‐sectional survey data collected from breast (n = 528), colorectal (n = 106), and prostate (n = 419) cancer survivors following active treatment at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Four regression models were tested for behaviors of interest. Additionally, we assessed symptom burden as a potential moderator and/or mediator between time since diagnosis and behaviors.ResultsRespondents were mostly female (55%) and non‐Hispanic White (68%) with a mean age of 62.8 ± 11.4 years and mean time since diagnosis of 4.6 ± 3.1 years. In regression models, greater time since diagnosis predicted lower fruit and vegetable consumption (B = −0.05, p = 0.02) and more cigarette smoking (B = 0.06, p = 0.105). Greater symptom burden was a significant negative predictor for physical activity (B = −0.08, p < .001). We did not find evidence that symptom burden moderated or mediated the association between time since diagnosis and health behaviors.ConclusionWe assessed the prevalence of recommended behaviors in the context of other challenges that survivors face, including time since diagnosis and symptom burden. Our results provide indirect evidence that proximity to a cancer diagnosis may provide a teachable moment to improve dietary and smoking behaviors and that symptom burden may impede physical activity following diagnosis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Genesis, Morphology, Age and Distribution of Cryogenic Mounds on Kaffiøyra and Hermansenøya, Northwest Svalbard
Authors: Jaworski Tomasz , Chutkowski Karol 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThree main types of cryogenic mounds on the coastal plains (strandflats) of Kaffiøyra and Hermansenøya on northwest Svalbard are distinguished according to their distribution, morphology, internal structure, genesis and age. The mounds include aggradational forms: a previously unrecognised hydraulic pingo, frost peat mounds with either a minerogenic core (mineral palsas) or an ice/ice‐peat core, and earth hummocks. Previously unrecognised degradational features represent thermokarst mounds. Individual types of mounds have developed in different geomorphological locations: (i) in the forefield of a retreating subpolar glacier over fault zones (hydraulic pingo 7.8 m high); (ii) on peat bogs (two types of frost peat mounds 0.7–1.3 m high and thermokarst mounds 0.5–0.8 m high); (iii) on raised beaches (high earth hummocks 0.5–1.0 m high); and (iv) on flat and wet tundra surfaces (miniature earth hummocks 0.2–0.3 m high). Although large, pingo‐type mounds are typical on Svalbard, only one pingo occurs in the study area because of lithological, hydrological and geomorphological conditions of the area. These conditions, together with thick permafrost, do not allow the outflow of sub‐ and intra‐permafrost water to the surface. Some cryogenic mounds are the result of climate fluctuations in the recent part of the Holocene (Little Ice Age). The oldest frost peat mounds from Hermansenøya developed 3.0–2.5 kyr BP, while the pingo is still growing. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Volatile Emissions of Ammonium Nitrate under Flowing Conditions
Authors: Steinkamp Frank Lucus , Giordano Braden , Collins Greg , Rose‐Pehrsson Susan 
Published: June 2015

AbstractAmmonium nitrate (AN) is an ionic solid commonly used as a fertilizer and in commercial blasting applications. Frequently, AN is mixed with a fuel and used in improvised explosives devices (IEDs). To characterize the low‐volatility components emanating from AN, a sample of AN was sealed inside a stainless steel chamber while a laminar flow of air swept the headspace vapor components into a water impinger or cold‐trap for pre‐concentration and subsequent analysis by ion chromatography (IC). Both collection methods were found to be 100 % efficient for collecting nitric acid vapor, whereas the collection efficiency for ammonia was dependent upon the collection method and, for the water impinging method, additionally upon the vapor concentration, humidity and flow rate. Cold‐trapping efficiency for ammonia was 4 %±2 % across all parameters studied. Water impinging was more efficient (20–70 %), but the efficiency varied according to each of the aforementioned variables. The characteristics of an AN vapor generated from a solid sample were found to vary as the sample approached equilibrium inside the chamber. Initially, large quantities of ammonia were observed, but as a steady state was achieved within the laminar flow and a dynamic equilibrium established, the ratio of ammonia to nitric acid in the effluent vapor dropped, although never becoming equimolar. The ratio was strongly dependent upon humidity.
4‐Phenylphenalenones as a template for new photodynamic compounds against Mycosphaerella fijiensis
Authors: Hidalgo William , Cano Marisol , Arbelaez Manuela , Zarrazola Edwin , Gil Jesús , Schneider Bernd , Otálvaro Felipe 
Published: June 2015

AbstractBACKGROUNDEvaluation of 4‐phenylphenalenones and structural analogues against the fungal pathogen Mycosphaerella fijiensis (causal agent of black sigatoka disease in bananas) under light‐controlled conditions uncovered some key structural features for the design of photodynamic compounds.RESULTSStructure–activity relationship analysis revealed the importance of a chromophoric aryl‐ketone and a steroidomimetic structural motif in the activity of the assayed compounds. The results pointed to 1,2‐dihydro‐3H‐naphtho[2′,1′:3,4]cyclohepta[1,2‐b]furan‐3‐one, which displayed an activity in the range of propiconazole but with photodynamic behaviour.CONCLUSIONThe present work demonstrates that 1,2‐dihydro‐3H‐naphtho[2′,1′:3,4]cyclohepta[1,2‐b]heterocyclic‐3‐one derivatives can be used as potential lead compounds for the development of fungicides, relying on a dual mode of action. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Recombinant messenger RNA technology and its application in cancer immunotherapy, transcript replacement therapies, pluripotent stem cell induction, and beyond
Authors: Vallazza Britta , Petri Sebastian , Poleganov Marco A. , Eberle Florian , Kuhn Andreas N. , Sahin Ugur 
Published: June 2015

In recent years, the interest in using messenger RNA (mRNA) as a therapeutic means to tackle different diseases has enormously increased. This holds true not only for numerous preclinical studies, but mRNA has also entered the clinic to fight cancer. The advantages of using mRNA compared to DNA were recognized very early on, e.g., the lack of risk for genomic integration, or the expression of the encoded protein in the cytoplasm without the need to cross the nuclear membrane. However, it was generally assumed that mRNA is just not stable enough to give rise to sufficient expression of the encoded protein. Yet, an initially small group of mRNA aficionados could demonstrate that the stability of mRNA and the efficiency, by which the encoded protein is translated, can be significantly increased by selecting the right set of cis‐acting structural elements (including the 5′‐cap, 5′‐ and 3′‐untranslated regions, poly(A)‐tail, and modified building blocks). In parallel, significant advances in RNA packaging and delivery have been made, extending the potential for this molecule. This paved the way for further work to prove mRNA as a promising therapeutic for multiple diseases. Here, we review the developments to optimize mRNA regarding stability, translational efficiency, and immune‐modulating properties to enhance its functionality and efficacy as a therapeutic. Furthermore, we summarize the current status of preclinical and clinical studies that use mRNA for cancer immunotherapy, for the expression of functional proteins as so‐called transcript (or protein) replacement therapy, as well as for induction of pluripotent stem cells. WIREs RNA 2015, 6:471–499. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1288This article is categorized under:

Translation > Translation Regulation
RNA Turnover and Surveillance > Turnover/Surveillance Mechanisms
RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease
Iodised salt contribution to iodine nutrition status of pregnant and lactating women
Authors: Zhang Haihong , Lv Shengmin , Mu Zhenguo , Li Weihong , Zhang Xia , Wang Yuchun , Rutherford Shannon 
Published: June 2015

Sufficient iodine intake by pregnant and lactating women is crucial to their offspring's cognitive development. The aim of the present study was to explore the impact of iodised salt intake on the iodine status of pregnant and lactating women. Thirty towns were selected from 211 towns in the rural areas of Shijiazhuang city using probability proportionate to size sampling in this cross-sectional survey. In each selected town, forty pregnant women and forty lactating women were randomly selected to contribute urine samples to determine iodine content. The median urinary iodine content (UIC) of 1200 pregnant women in all was 146 (interquartile range (IQR) 88–239) μg/l. The median UIC in the first, second and third trimesters were 166 (IQR 92–276) μg/l, 145 (IQR 83–248) μg/l and 134 (IQR 79–221) μg/l, respectively. The median UIC in the first trimester was significantly higher than that in the third trimester (P= 0·04). The median UIC of 1200 lactating women in all was 120 (IQR 66–195) μg/l. Their median UIC in every 4-week block was higher than the WHO criteria except in weeks 25–28 and weeks 33–36 of lactation. Pregnant women's median UIC did not correlate with median salt iodine (MSI) (P= 0·402); however, there was a linear correlation between MSI and the lactating women's median UIC (P= 0·007). Iodised salt failed to provide adequate iodine to pregnant women possibly due to limited intake of iodised salt during pregnancy, though it was found to provide adequate iodine to lactating women in the rural areas of Shijiazhuang city.
Postnatal nutritional restriction affects growth and immune function of piglets with intra-uterine growth restriction
Authors: Hu Liang , Liu Yan , Yan Chuan , Peng Xie , Xu Qin , Xuan Yue , Han Fei , Tian Gang , Fang Zhengfeng , Lin Yan , Xu Shengyu , Zhang Keying , Chen Daiwen , Wu De , Che Lianqiang 
Published: June 2015

Postnatal rapid growth by excess intake of nutrients has been associated with an increased susceptibility to diseases in neonates with intra-uterine growth restricted (IUGR). The aim of the present study was to determine whether postnatal nutritional restriction could improve intestinal development and immune function of neonates with IUGR using piglets as model. A total of twelve pairs of normal-birth weight (NBW) and IUGR piglets (7 d old) were randomly assigned to receive adequate nutrient intake or restricted nutrient intake (RNI) by artificially liquid feeding for a period of 21 d. Blood samples and intestinal tissues were collected at necropsy and were analysed for morphology, digestive enzyme activities, immune cells and expression of innate immunity-related genes. The results indicated that both IUGR and postnatal nutritional restriction delayed the growth rate during the sucking period. Irrespective of nutrient intake, piglets with IUGR had a significantly lower villous height and crypt depth in the ileum than the NBW piglets. Moreover, IUGR decreased alkaline phosphatase activity while enhanced lactase activity in the jejunum and mRNA expressions of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR-9) and DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) in the ileum of piglets. Irrespective of body weight, RNI significantly decreased the number and/or percentage of peripheral leucocytes, lymphocytes and monocytes of piglets, whereas the percentage of neutrophils and the ratio of CD4+ to CD8+ were increased. Furthermore, RNI markedly enhanced the mRNA expression of TLR-9 and DNMT1, but decreased the expression of NOD2 and TRAF-6 in the ileum of piglets. In summary, postnatal nutritional restriction led to abnormal cellular and innate immune response, as well as delayed the growth and intestinal development of IUGR piglets.
On Higher Rank Globally Generated Vector Bundles over a Smooth Quadric Threefold
Authors: Ballico E. , Huh S. , Malaspina F. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractWe give a complete classification of globally generated vector bundles of rank 3 on a smooth quadric threefold withc1≤ 2 and extend the result to arbitrary higher rank case. We also investigate the existence of globally generated indecomposable vector bundles, and give the sufficient and necessary conditions on numeric data of vector bundles for indecomposability.
Saharan cheetah Acinonyx jubatus hecki, a ghostly dweller on Niger's Termit massif
Authors: Sillero-Zubiri Claudio , Rostro-García Susana , Burruss Dylan , Matchano Alkabouss , Harouna Abdoulaye , Rabeil Thomas 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThe Saharan cheetah Acinonyx jubatus hecki, once broadly distributed across north-western Africa, now occurs in only 9% of its former range and is categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The Saharan cheetah is rare and threatened but there is a lack of reliable data on its population status and distribution. We report sightings of cheetahs in the Termit & Tin Toumma National Nature and Cultural Reserve of Niger, recorded using three methods: camera-trap surveys, sign surveys and interviews with local people. We recorded three individuals in camera-traps, three direct sightings of lone individuals, 43 distinct cheetah tracks, and one cheetah scat, which suggest a resident population. Most respondents had negative attitudes towards carnivores, including the cheetah. Paradoxically, local nomads reported no conflict with the cheetah and perceived that the number of cheetahs was declining. Attitudes towards carnivores were correlated with respondents’ age and level of education. Efforts to reduce killing of carnivores and their prey are needed but it is equally important for conservation initiatives to focus on increasing local knowledge about wildlife through education, particularly targeted at the younger generation. Our findings highlight the benefits of using various techniques for recording the presence of a rare carnivore.
Generation of terahertz radiation in collisional plasma by beating of two dark hollow laser beams
Authors: Bakhtiari Farhad , Golmohammady Shole , Yousefi Masoud , Kashani Fatemeh D. , Ghafary Bijan 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThis paper presents a scheme of terahertz radiation generation based on beating of two dark hollow laser beams with different frequencies, the same electric field amplitudes, in actual plasma with spatially periodic density that electron–neutral collisions have taken into account. The main feature of considered hollow laser beams is, having the same power at different beam orders. Because of special distribution in beam intensity gradient in dark hollow laser beam, the produced terahertz radiation has special field profile. The effects of laser and plasma parameters on terahertz radiation generation are investigated analytically. It can be deduced that by increasing beating frequency, efficiency of terahertz generation decreases which can be compensated by manipulating density ripple magnitudes and dark-size adjusting parameter. The intensity of the emitted radiations is found to be highly sensitive to the beam order. Based on the results of this paper, optimization of laser and plasma parameters can increase the efficiency of terahertz radiation generation strongly.
Tryptophan derivatives regulate the transcription of Oct4 in stem-like cancer cells
Authors: Cheng Jie , Li Wenxin , Kang Bo , Zhou Yanwen , Song Jiasheng , Dan Songsong , Yang Ying , Zhang Xiaoqian , Li Jingchao , Yin Shengyong , Cao Hongcui , Yao Hangping , Zhu Chenggang , Yi Wen , Zhao Qingwei , Xu Xiaowei , Zheng Min , Zheng Shusen , Li Lanjuan , Shen Binghui , Wang Ying-Jie 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThe aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand-activated transcription factor that responds to environmental toxicants, is increasingly recognized as a key player in embryogenesis and tumorigenesis. Here we show that a variety of tryptophan derivatives that act as endogenous AhR ligands can affect the transcription level of the master pluripotency factor Oct4. Among them, ITE enhances the binding of the AhR to the promoter of Oct4 and suppresses its transcription. Reduction of endogenous ITE levels in cancer cells by tryptophan deprivation or hypoxia leads to Oct4 elevation, which can be reverted by administration with synthetic ITE. Consequently, synthetic ITE induces the differentiation of stem-like cancer cells and reduces their tumorigenic potential in both subcutaneous and orthotopic xenograft tumour models. Thus, our results reveal a role of tryptophan derivatives and the AhR signalling pathway in regulating cancer cell stemness and open a new therapeutic avenue to target stem-like cancer cells.
Tamarind Seed (Tamarindus indica) Extract Ameliorates Adjuvant-Induced Arthritis via Regulating the Mediators of Cartilage/Bone Degeneration, Inflammation and Oxidative Stress
Authors: Sundaram Mahalingam S. , Hemshekhar Mahadevappa , Santhosh Martin S. , Paul Manoj , Sunitha Kabburahalli , Thushara Ram M. , NaveenKumar Somanathapura K. , Naveen Shivanna , Devaraja Sannaningaiah , Rangappa Kanchugarakoppal S. , Kemparaju Kempaiah , Girish Kesturu S. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractMedicinal plants are employed in the treatment of human ailments from time immemorial. Several studies have validated the use of medicinal plant products in arthritis treatment. Arthritis is a joint disorder affecting subchondral bone and cartilage. Degradation of cartilage is principally mediated by enzymes like matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), hyaluronidases (HAase), aggrecanases and exoglycosidases. These enzymes act upon collagen, hyaluronan and aggrecan of cartilage respectively, which would in turn activate bone deteriorating enzymes like cathepsins and tartrate resistant acid phosphatases (TRAP). Besides, the incessant action of reactive oxygen species and the inflammatory mediators is reported to cause further damage by immunological activation. The present study demonstrated the anti-arthritic efficacy of tamarind seed extract (TSE). TSE exhibited cartilage and bone protecting nature by inhibiting the elevated activities of MMPs, HAase, exoglycosidases, cathepsins and TRAP. It also mitigated the augmented levels of inflammatory mediators like interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, IL-23 and cyclooxygenase-2. Further, TSE administration alleviated increased levels of ROS and hydroperoxides and sustained the endogenous antioxidant homeostasis by balancing altered levels of endogenous antioxidant markers. Overall, TSE was observed as a potent agent abrogating arthritis-mediated cartilage/bone degradation, inflammation and associated stress in vivo demanding further attention.