bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The alteration of protein prenylation induces cardiomyocyte hypertrophy through Rheb–mTORC1 signalling and leads to chronic heart failure
Authors: Xu Na , Guan Shan , Chen Zhong , Yu Yang , Xie Jun , Pan Fei‐Yan , Zhao Ning‐Wei , Liu Li , Yang Zhong‐Zhou , Gao Xiang , Xu Biao , Li Chao‐Jun 
Published: November 2014

AbstractG protein‐regulated cell function is crucial for cardiomyocytes, and any deregulation of its gene expression or protein modification can lead to pathological cardiac hypertrophy. Herein, we report that protein prenylation, a lipidic modification of G proteins that facilitates their association with the cell membrane, might control the process of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. We found that geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (GGPPS), a key enzyme involved in protein prenylation, played a critical role in postnatal heart growth by regulating cardiomyocyte size. Cardiac‐specific knockout of GGPPS in mice led to spontaneous cardiac hypertrophy, beginning from week 4, accompanied by the persistent enlargement of cardiomyocytes. This hypertrophic effect occurred by altered prenylation of G proteins. Evaluation of the prenylation, membrane association and hydrophobicity showed that Rheb was hyperactivated and increased mTORC1 signalling pathway after GGPPS deletion. Protein farnesylation or mTORC1 inhibition blocked GGPPS knockdown‐induced mTORC1 activation and suppressed the larger neonatal rat ventricle myocyte size and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in vivo, demonstrating a central role of the FPP–Rheb–mTORC1 axis for GGPPS deficiency‐induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. The sustained cardiomyocyte hypertrophy progressively provoked cardiac decompensation and dysfunction, ultimately causing heart failure and adult death. Importantly, GGPPS was down‐regulated in the hypertrophic hearts of mice subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) and in failing human hearts. Moreover, HPLC–MS/MS detection revealed that the myocardial farnesyl diphosphate (FPP):geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) ratio was enhanced after pressure overload. Our observations conclude that the alteration of protein prenylation promotes cardiomyocyte hypertrophic growth, which acts as a potential cause for pathogenesis of heart failure and may provide a new molecular target for hypertrophic heart disease clinical therapy. Copyright © 2014 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sustained β‐catenin activity in dermal fibroblasts promotes fibrosis by up‐regulating expression of extracellular matrix protein‐coding genes
Authors: Hamburg‐Shields Emily , DiNuoscio Gregg J , Mullin Nathaniel K , Lafyatis Robert , Atit Radhika P 
Published: November 2014

AbstractFibrosis is an end‐stage response to tissue injury that is associated with loss of organ function as a result of excess extracellular matrix (ECM) production by fibroblasts. In skin, pathological fibrosis is evident during keloid scar formation, systemic sclerosis (SSc) and morphea. Dermal fibroblasts in these fibrotic diseases exhibit increased Wnt/β‐catenin signalling, a pathway that is sufficient to cause fibrosis in mice. However, in the context of this complex pathology, the precise pro‐fibrotic consequences of Wnt/β‐catenin signalling are not known. We found that expression of stabilized β‐catenin in mouse dermal fibroblasts resulted in spontaneous, progressive skin fibrosis with thickened collagen fibres and altered collagen fibril morphology. The fibrotic phenotype was predominated by resident dermal fibroblasts. Genome‐wide profiling of the fibrotic mouse dermis revealed elevated expression of matrix‐encoding genes, and the promoter regions of these genes were enriched for Tcf/Lef family transcription factor binding sites. Additionally, we identified 32 β‐catenin‐responsive genes in our mouse model that are also over‐expressed in human fibrotic tissues and poised for regulation by Tcf/Lef family transcription factors. Therefore, we have uncovered a matrix‐regulatory role for stabilized β‐catenin in fibroblasts in vivo and have defined a set of β‐catenin‐responsive genes with relevance to fibrotic disease. Copyright © 2014 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design, polymerization, and properties of polyurethane elastomers from miscible, immiscible, and hybridized seed‐oil derived soft segment blends
Authors: Sonnenschein Mark F. , Ginzburg Valeriy V. , Grzesiak Adam L. , Schiller Klaus , Wendt Benjamin L. 
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACTPolyester seed‐oil derived polyols have been prepared and blended with conventional polyols for making polyurethane elastomers. Miscibility was complete for polypropylene oxide/polyethylene oxide and polytetramethylene oxide (PTMEG). Blends of polyester seed‐oil derived polyols with conventional polyester polyols (polybutylene adipate and ɛ‐polycaprolactone) were immiscible or nearly so. Furthermore, the phase behavior (miscible vs. immiscible) did not change appreciably for each blend composition explored as a function of temperature at relevant ranges (up to the polyether ceiling temperature). This counter‐intuitive result is found to be actually consistent with calculated solubility parameters for each polyol type and the phase diagrams computed on their basis. The phase behavior of the polyols is shown to have significant effects on the properties of polyurethane elastomers where immiscible polyols cause broadening of the glass transition distribution and significant reduction of ultimate tensile properties. However, here it is shown that immiscible systems containing polyester seed‐oil derived polyols can be transesterified with the appropriate polyol partner of interest to create a new single phase polyol or that the polyester polyol monomers can also be copolymerized to make new single phase polyols, both of which result in improved polyurethane elastomer properties. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 93–102
Monte Carlo morphological modelling of a P3HT:PCBM bulk heterojunction organic solar cell
Authors: Yap Jing Han , To Tran Thinh , Adams Stefan 
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACTTo deepen the understanding of morphology evolution in bulk heterojunction P3HT:PCBM organic photovoltaics system by thermal treatment, domain‐size‐dependent interfacial energies were first determined by coarse‐grained molecular dynamics modelling and then used in Monte Carlo simulations of the morphology evolution. Thereby initial conditions associated with optimal interfacial surface area, continuous volume, as well as domain sizes, and spatial distributions of the phase separated domains were identified. In line with earlier studies, a 1:1 P3HT:PCBM blend ratio is found to exhibit the most efficient morphology for exciton dissociation and charge transport. Our simulations reveal that preseeding of P3HT crystal at the anode side prior to the annealing process will be instrumental to pin the formation of P3HT at the favorable electrode especially when seeding exceeds a threshold of 10% surface coverage, whereas denser seeding patterns beyond the threshold did not improve the active layer morphology further. The observed trilayer depth profile (in the absence of preseeded P3HT crystals) implies that the commonly used thickness 100 nm of the active layer is not ideal for ensuring that donor and acceptor phases dominate at opposite ends of the active layer. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015, 53, 270–279
Ultraleichtbau
Authors: Sobek Werner 
Published: November 2014

AbstractDas Entwerfen im Leichtbau ist die Suche nach dem Leichtestmöglichen. Es ist das Herantasten an das physikalisch und das technisch Machbare und damit auch das Arbeiten an den wissenschaftlichen Grenzen. Mit dem vom Autor entwickelten Ultraleichtbau kann man die Grenzen des Leichtestmöglichen weit hinausschieben. Neben der Reduktion des Materialverbrauchs auf ein bisher nicht für vorstellbar gehaltenes Minimum wird es im Ultraleichtbau auch möglich, Verformungen zu reduzieren und Schwingungen unter dynamischer Beanspruchung zu dämpfen – ein enormer Fortschritt, der sehr interessante Perspektiven für das Bauwesen eröffnet. Der vorliegende Artikel beschreibt zugrundeliegende theoretische Überlegungen und präsentiert diverse Experimentalbauten, die das Potential des Ultraleichtbaus eindrücklich vor Augen führen.Ultralightweight Structures. The search for lightweight constructions is the search for boundaries. Designing the lightest possible constructions can be equated with feeling one’s way towards the limits of what is physically and technically possible. It is about the aesthetics and physics of the minimal, and it is about stepping across the dividing lines between scientific disciplines. Using the concept of Ultralightweight Structures developed by the author, it becomes possible to reduce the use of material to a minimum hihterto considered unachievable. Moreover, it leads to the reduction of distortions and helps to dampen vibrations – an enormous progress opening up interesting new perspectives for architecture. The present article describes the theoretical considerations underlying the concept of Ultralightweight structures and presents a selection of experimental structures demonstrating the potential of this new concept.
Zum Entwerfen von Tragwerken
Authors: Kloft Harald , Hoyer Sebastian 
Published: November 2014

AbstractDas Entwerfen von Bauwerken wird in der öffentlichen Wahrnehmung fast ausnahmslos den Architekten zugeordnet und die Tragwerksplanung wird im allgemeinen Verständnis mit Statik und Berechnung gleichgesetzt. Dabei ist der Entwurf eines Tragwerks ein wesentlicher Teil der Tragwerksplanung. Das Entwerfen von Tragwerken ist zwar nicht dem architektonischen Entwerfen gleichzusetzen, aber es handelt sich um einen eigenständigen, kreativen Prozess, der von den Ingenieuren eine Haltung und Positionierung zu Ästhetik und Gestaltung erfordert. Jörg Schlaich hat diese Positionierung von uns Bauingenieuren immer wieder eingefordert und darauf hingewiesen, dass selbst die Gestaltung von Ingenieurbauwerken mehr Dimensionen erfordert als ihre bloße Herleitung aus Funktion und Technologie. Die weit verbreitete Kategorisierung in entwerfende Architekten und rechnende Ingenieure hat ihre Wurzeln sicher auch in dem gegenseitigen sprachlichen Unverständnis. Die gegenseitige Verständigung ist Grundvoraussetzung, um sich in die Debatte um den kulturellen Beitrag unserer Bauwerke in der Gesellschaft einbringen zu können.On designing structures. The term design is in building almost invariably associated with the profession of the architects in the public perception and structural design in the general understanding is equated with structural analysis and calculation. While designing a structure is an essential part of the structural engineering. Structural design is although not architectural design, but it is a stand‐alone, creative process that requires an attitude and positioning to aesthetics and design by the engineers. Jörg Schlaich has repeatedly claimed this positioning of us engineers and often pointed out that even the design of civil engineering works requires more dimensions than their mere inference of function and technology. The wide‐spread categorization in designing architects and calculating engineers has its roots in the mutual linguistic understanding. The mutual understanding is prerequisite to the debate on the cultural contribution of our structures in society to engage with.
Bmi1 Promotes Erythroid Development Through Regulating Ribosome Biogenesis
Authors: Gao Rui , Chen Sisi , Kobayashi Michihiro , Yu Hao , Zhang Yingchi , Wan Yang , Young Sara K. , Soltis Anthony , Yu Ming , Vemula Sasidhar , Fraenkel Ernest , Cantor Alan , Antipin Yevgeniy , Xu Yang , Yoder Mervin C. , Wek Ronald C. , Ellis Steven R. , Kapur Reuben , Zhu Xiaofan , Liu Yan 
Published: November 2014

Abstract
While Polycomb group protein Bmi1 is important for stem cell maintenance, its role in lineage commitment is largely unknown. We have identified Bmi1 as a novel regulator of erythroid development. Bmi1 is highly expressed in mouse erythroid progenitor cells and its deficiency impairs erythroid differentiation. BMI1 is also important for human erythroid development. Furthermore, we discovered that loss of Bmi1 in erythroid progenitor cells results in decreased transcription of multiple ribosomal protein genes and impaired ribosome biogenesis. Bmi1 deficiency stabilizes p53 protein, leading to upregulation of p21 expression and subsequent G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. Genetic inhibition of p53 activity rescues the erythroid defects seen in the Bmi1 null mice, demonstrating that a p53-dependent mechanism underlies the pathophysiology of the anemia. Mechanistically, Bmi1 is associated with multiple ribosomal protein genes and may positively regulate their expression in erythroid progenitor cells. Thus, Bmi1 promotes erythroid development, at least in part through regulating ribosome biogenesis. Ribosomopathies are human disorders of ribosome dysfunction, including Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) and 5q− syndrome, in which genetic abnormalities cause impaired ribosome biogenesis, resulting in specific clinical phenotypes. We observed that BMI1 expression in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from patients with DBA is correlated with the expression of some ribosomal protein genes, suggesting that BMI1 deficiency may play a pathological role in DBA and other ribosomopathies. Stem Cells 2015;33:925–938
An Open‐Shell Spin Singlet Copper‐Nitrene Intermediate Binding Redox‐innocent Metal Ions: Influence of the Lewis Acidity of the Metal Ions on Spectroscopic and Reactivity Properties
Authors: Monte‐Pérez Inés , Kundu Subrata , Ray Kallol 
Published: November 2014

AbstractThe yield of the Lewis acid adducts of a copper‐tosylnitrene intermediate and their decay are dependent on the Lewis acidity of the redox innocent metal ions. Surprisingly, however, their spectroscopic properties and reactivity in nitrene transfer reaction with PPh3 are independent of the nature of the Lewis acid used. The result provides some new insights into the structure and reactivity of the Lewis‐acid bound copper nitrene complexes.
Direct numerical simulations of turbulent Ekman layers with increasing static stability: modifications to the bulk structure and second-order statistics
Authors: Shah Stimit K. , Bou-Zeid Elie 
Published: November 2014

AbstractDirect numerical simulations of stably stratified Ekman layers are conducted to study the effect of increasing static stability on turbulence dynamics and modelling in wall-bounded flows at three moderate Reynolds numbers. The flow field is analysed by examining the mean profiles of wind speed, potential temperature and momentum flux, as well as streamwise velocity and temperature spectra. The maximum stabilizing buoyancy flux that a flow can sustain while remaining fully turbulent is found to depend on the Reynolds number. The flows with the highest Reynolds number display a relatively well-developed inertial range and logarithmic layer, and are found to bear similarities to much higher-Reynolds-number flows like the ones encountered in the atmospheric boundary layer. In particular, the near-wall mean profiles follow the Monin–Obukhov similarity theory. However, several flow features, such as the critical Richardson number and the stress–strain alignment, are found to maintain significant dependence on the Reynolds number. The budgets of turbulence kinetic energy (TKE), vertical velocity variance, momentum and buoyancy fluxes, and temperature variance are analysed. The results indicate that the effect of stability on turbulence is first directly manifested in the vertical velocity variance budget, and results in damping of vertical motions. This then leads to a reduction in the downward transport of horizontal momentum components towards the surface, and consequently to a decrease in the shear production term in the TKE budget: changes in the vertical profile of TKE shear production with increasing Richardson number are significant and have a larger impact on TKE than direct buoyancy destruction. The reduction in vertical velocity variance also results in significant drops in the production terms in the momentum flux, buoyancy flux and temperature variance budgets. Various assumptions and parameters related to low-order turbulence closures are investigated. The results suggest that the vertical velocity variance is a more appropriate parameter than the full TKE on which to base eddy-diffusivity and viscosity models.
Enrolling Smokers from Health Systems into Quitline Services: ‘Results of two enrollment strategies’
Authors: Sewali Barrett , Thomas Janet L. , Guo Hongfei , Peterson Kevin , Ahluwalia Jasjit S. , Carpenter Matthew J. , Patten Christi , Ellerbeck Edward F. , Okuyemi Kolawole S. 
Published: November 2014

Objective: To determine the effects of motivational interviewing (MI) counselling versus a minimal intervention control on the enrollment of smokers in the Minnesota QUITPLAN Helpline.Study design: Two-group randomized controlled trial of 235 community-dwelling adult smokers. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a three-session phone based motivational interviewing intervention (n = 118) or the control (n = 117) consisting of mailed printed materials about the Minnesota QUITPLAN helpline services.Data collection: Participants completed demographic and smoking-related survey questionnaire at baseline (by mail) and at weeks 4 and 26 (by phone) follow-up. Quitline enrollment status data was provided by the Minnesota QUITPLAN Helpline.Principal findings: At week 4 follow-up, a higher proportion of participants in the MI group (22.3%) had enroled in the Minnesota QUITPLAN Helpline compared to those in the control arm (13.6%; p = 0.098). At week 26 follow-up, enrollment rates were similar for MI (28.0%) and control (26.5%) arms. Of those who enroled in the Helpline, participants in the MI group reported completing more Helpline sessions than those in control group (4.9 vs. 3.2; p = 0.087).There was no significant interaction between readiness to quit and intervention for the outcome of enrollment in the Helpline.Conclusions: A minimal intensity control such as mailing printed materials resulted in quitline enrollment rates similar to a more resource intensive intervention like motivational interviewing and several folds higher than the current state or national averages. We recommend that health plans should consider mailing smoking cessation promotional messages to encourage smokers to enrol in quitlines.
Terra incognita: The Palaeolithic record of northwest Europe and the information potential of the southern North Sea
Authors: Roebroeks W. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractFor major parts of the Palaeolithic substantial areas of the current southern North Sea and what later became the English Channel were dry land. Those areas, now covered by tens of metres of sea, were occasionally core areas for large herds of herbivores and the animals that preyed upon them, including Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers. This is demonstrated by the large amounts of Pleistocene mammal fossils, artefacts and a Neanderthal fossil recovered during the last one and a half centuries. Any consideration of the Pleistocene occupation history of northwest Europe needs to deal with the fact that a major part of the landscape available to Pleistocene hunter-gatherers is currently submerged under the waters of the North Sea, one of the most prolific Pleistocene fossil-bearing localities world-wide. One also needs to take into account the complex landscape evolution of the southern North Sea basin, with geographically varying successions of marine, lacustrine, fluvial and glacial sedimentation and erosion. This paper gives a short overview of the occupation history of northwest Europe, from its earliest traces at the very end of the Lower and the beginning of the Middle Pleistocene up to the middle part of the Upper Palaeolithic, when this part of Europe became deserted for a period of about 10,000 years. Tentative interpretations and questions raised by the overview will be situated in the context of the information potential of the deposits in the southern North Sea and the Channel area.
Practical approaches to management of the marine prehistoric environment
Authors: Ward I. , Larcombe P. , Firth A. , Manders M. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractSince so little is still known of the marine prehistoric environment, present management actions tend to be guided by the gathering of disparate sets of data obtained as part of regulatory practice and/or from opportunistic finds that are not necessarily specifically targeted towards archaeology. Our view is that we need to develop a clearly defined set of questions about the marine prehistoric cultural resource to enable the design of targeted scientific research, as part of both the regulatory process and marine management generally. In this paper we argue that it is crucial to understand both natural and anthropogenic context, and this necessarily includes work on the Quaternary geology. Furthermore, we argue for a greater regulatory emphasis on identifying and initiating what weshoulddo (for the long term) rather than what wecanand are doing (for the short term) to identify the best means to manage the prehistoric marine environment.
GRAIN YIELD PERFORMANCE OF UPLAND AND LOWLAND RICE VARIETIES UNDER WATER SAVING IRRIGATION THROUGH ALTERNATE WETTING AND DRYING IN SANDY CLAY LOAMS OF SOUTHERN MALAWI
Authors: SHAIBU Y. A. , MLOZA BANDA H. R. , MAKWIZA C. N. , MALUNGA J. CHIDANTI 
Published: November 2014

SUMMARYA study was conducted to evaluate performance of two rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties under water saving irrigation through alternate wetting and drying in sandy clay loams of Southern Malawi. The varieties, Nunkile and NERICA 4, are adapted to upland and lowland irrigated conditions, individually, and commonly grown by farmers. Four irrigation regimes were used in the study: (1) continuous flooding with surface water level kept at approximately 5 cm throughout crop duration (CFI), (2) alternate wetting and drying up to start of flowering after which continuous flooding was applied (AWD1), (3) alternate wetting and drying up to start of grain filling after which continuous flooding was applied (AWD2) and (4) alternate wetting and drying throughout the crop duration (AWD3). While seasonal crop water requirement was 690 mm, total irrigation depths were 1923.61, 1307.81, 1160.61 and 807.87 mm for the four regimes respectively. The CFI treatment used 32%, 40% and 58% more water than AWD1, AWD2, and AWD3 regimes respectively. In the same treatment order, the average yields per treatment for Nunkile were 4.92, 4.75, 4.74, and 4.47 t ha−1 with significant yield differences among CFI, AWD2 and AWD3 treatments. The average yields per treatment for NERICA 4 were 3.93, 3.75, 3.75, and 3.71 t ha−1 with significant yield differences only between CFI and all AWD treatments. Crop water productivity (CWP) was higher for Nunkile compared with NERICA 4 across all irrigation treatments, while CWP for CFI treatment was superior to all three AWD treatments grown under either variety. Thus, CWP was not increased with AWD irrigations. AWD till flowering and grain filling did not significantly differ with respect to yield and CWP. It is suggested that for similar conditions and where water is scarce, rice can be grown by AWD till grain filling as it saved more water. An important part of the research is to extend the initial results beyond the climate and soils of study.