bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antigenicity, immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a conserved Leishmania hypothetical protein against visceral leishmaniasis
Authors: Dias Daniel S. , Martins Vívian T. , Ribeiro Patrícia A. F. , Ramos Fernanda F. , Lage Daniela P. , Tavares Grasiele S. V. , Mendonça Débora V. C. , Chávez-Fumagalli Miguel A. , Oliveira Jamil S. , Silva Eduardo S. , Gomes Dawidson A. , Rodrigues Michele A. , Duarte Mariana C. , Galdino Alexsandro S. , Menezes-Souza Daniel , Coelho Eduardo A. F.
Published: November 2017

In this study, a Leishmania hypothetical protein, LiHyS, was evaluated regarding its antigenicity, immunogenicity and protective efficacy against visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Regarding antigenicity, immunoblottings and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using human and canine sera showed high sensitivity and specificity values for the recombinant protein (rLiHyS) in the diagnosis of VL. When evaluating the immunogenicity of LiHyS, which is possibly located in the parasite's flagellar pocket, proliferative assays using peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy subjects or VL patients showed a high proliferative index in both individuals, when compared to the results obtained using rA2 or unstimulated cultures. Later, rLiHyS/saponin was inoculated in BALB/c mice, which were then challenged with Leishmania infantum promastigotes. The vaccine induced an interferon-γ, interleukin (IL)-12 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor production, which was maintained after infection and which was associated with high nitrite and IgG2a antibody levels, as well as low IL-4 and IL-10 production. Significant reductions in the parasite load in liver, spleen, bone marrow and draining lymph nodes were found in these animals. In this context, the present study shows that the rLiHyS has the capacity to be evaluated as a diagnostic marker or vaccine candidate against VL.
Identification of a novel PYP-1 gene inSarcoptes scabieiand its potential as a serodiagnostic candidate by indirect-ELISA
Authors: Xu Jing , Huang Xing , He Manli , Ren Yongjun , Shen Nengxing , Li Chunyan , He Ran , Xie Yue , Gu Xiaobin , Jing Bo , Peng Xuerong , Yang Guangyou
Published: November 2017

Scabies is a parasitic disease caused by the ectoparasiteSarcoptes scabiei, affecting different mammalian species, including rabbits, worldwide. In the present study, we cloned and expressed a novel inorganic pyrophosphatase, Ssc-PYP-1, fromS. scabieivar.cuniculi. Immunofluorescence staining showed that native Ssc-PYP-1 was localized in the tegument around the mouthparts and the entire legs, as well as in the cuticle of the mites. Interestingly, obvious staining was also observed on the fecal pellets of mites and in the integument of the mites. Based on its good immunoreactivity, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using recombinant Ssc-PYP-1 (rSsc-PYP-1) as the capture antigen was developed to diagnose sarcoptic mange in naturally infected rabbits; the assay had a sensitivity of 92·0% and specificity of 93·6%. Finally, using the rSsc-PYP-1-ELISA, the Ssc-PYP-1 antibody from 10 experimentally infected rabbits could be detected from 1 week post-infection. This is the first report ofS. scabieiinorganic pyrophosphatase and the protein could serve as a potential serodiagnostic candidate for sarcoptic mange in rabbits.
Differences between populations in host manipulation by the tapewormSchistocephalus solidus– is there local adaptation?
Authors: Hafer Nina
Published: November 2017

Host manipulation whereby a parasite increases its transmission to a subsequent host by altering the behaviour of its current host is very far spread. It also occurs in host–parasite systems that are widely distributed. This offers the potential for local adaptation. The tapewormSchistocephalus solidusmodifies its first intermediate copepod host's predation susceptibility to suit its own needs by reducing its activity before it becomes infective and increasing it thereafter. To investigate potential differences in host manipulation between different populations and test for potential local adaptation with regard to host manipulation, I experimentally infected hosts from two distinct populations with parasites from either population in a fully crossed design. Host manipulation differed between populations mostly once the parasite had reached infectivity. These differences in infective parasites were mostly due to differences between different parasite populations. In not yet infective parasites, however, host population also had a significant effect on host manipulation. There was no evidence of local adaptation; parasites were able to manipulate foreign and local hosts equally well. Likewise, hosts were equally poor at resisting host manipulation by local and foreign parasites.
Directional associations between memory impairment and depressive symptoms: data from a longitudinal sample and meta-analysis
Authors: Yu Junhong , Lim Hui-Ying , Abdullah Fadzillah Nur d/o Mohd , Chan Hui-Minn , Mahendran Rathi , Ho Roger , Kua Ee-Heok , Power Michael John , Feng Lei
Published: November 2017

Background

Previous cross-lagged studies on depression and memory impairment among the elderly have revealed conflicting findings relating to the direction of influence between depression and memory impairment. The current study aims to clarify this direction of influence by examining the cross-lagged relationships between memory impairment and depression in an Asian sample of elderly community dwellers, as well as synthesizing previous relevant cross-lagged findings via a meta-analysis.

Methods

A total of 160 participants (Mage = 68.14, s.d. = 5.34) were assessed across two time points (average of 1.9 years apart) on measures of memory and depressive symptoms. The data were then fitted to a structural equation model to examine two cross-lagged effects (i.e. depressive symptoms→memory; memory→depressive symptoms). A total of 14 effect-sizes for each of the two cross-lagged directions were extracted from six studies (including the present; total N = 8324). These effects were then meta-analyzed using a three-level mixed effects model.

Results

In the current sample, lower memory ability at baseline was associated with worse depressive symptoms levels at follow-up, after controlling for baseline depressive symptoms. However, the reverse effect was not significant; baseline depressive symptoms did not predict subsequent memory ability after controlling for baseline memory. The results of the meta-analysis revealed the same pattern of relationship between memory and depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

These results provide robust evidence that the relationship between memory impairment and depressive symptoms is unidirectional; memory impairment predicts subsequent depressive symptoms but not vice-versa. The implications of these findings are discussed
Quantification of four different post-dispersal seed deposition patterns after dung beetle activity
Authors: Braga R. F. , Carvalho R. , Andresen E. , Anjos D. V. , Alves-Silva E. , Louzada J.
Published: November 2017

Primary seed dispersal of many rain-forest seeds occurs through defecation by mammals. Dung beetles are attracted to the defecations and through their dung-processing behaviour these insects change the initial pattern of seed deposition. Final seed deposition patterns, i.e. where and how seeds are deposited after dung beetle activity has taken place, may strongly depend on seed size. In this study we addressed the following question: Do different sizes of seeds have different deposition patterns following dung beetle processing? We conducted a field experiment in lowland Amazonian rain forest in Brazil using 200-g dung-piles containing seed mimics of three sizes: 3.5, 8.6 and 15.5 mm long. Seed deposition condition after dung beetle activity was dependent on seed size. Small seeds were more often buried in beetle tunnels, while medium and large seeds more often remained on the soil surface, either clean or still covered by dung. A low proportion of seeds of all sizes remained on the soil surface covered by loose soil excavated by dung beetles. We speculate that the latter deposition pattern, though not very frequent, might be highly favourable for both seed survival and seedling establishment.
KIPLING'S BESTIARY
Authors: Roy Parama
Published: November 2017

The animal turn in studies of nineteenth-century imperialism has been a long time in coming. Scholars seeking to yoke together questions of nonhuman life and the domain of the colony have come to acknowledge, at long last, that the imperial landscape was not a purely human one. Only now, suggests John Miller, has the considerable scholarship on empire and the natural world made an impress upon Victorian literary studies (479). The animal turn, however, is not new in the scholarship on Rudyard Kipling. For Kipling, empire never was simply an affair of human beings; more perhaps than any other writer of the colonial experience, he saw imperialism as encompassing plural and multiply scaled orders of animate life. Henry James, an early admirer of Kipling's work, took disgusted note in 1897 of what seemed to him the simultaneous multitudinousness and diminution of the younger writer's fictional world: “My view of his prose future has much shrunken in light of one's increasingly observing how little life he can make use of. . . . In his earliest time I thought he perhaps contained the seeds of an English Balzac; but I have given that up in proportion as he has come down steadily from the simple in subject to the more simple–from the Anglo-Indians to the natives, from the natives to the Tommies, from the Tommies to the quadrupeds, from the quadrupeds to the fish, and from the fish to the engines and screws” (Page 49).
IN DEFENSE OF CONTENT-INDEPENDENCE
Authors: Adams N.P.
Published: November 2017

Discussions of political obligation and authority have focused on the idea that the commands of genuine authorities constitute content-independent reasons. Despite its centrality in these debates, the notion of “content-independence” is unclear and controversial, with some claiming that it is incoherent, useless, or irrelevant. I clarify content-independence by focusing on how reasons can depend on features of their container. I then show how the fact that laws can constitute content-independent reasons is consistent with the fact that some laws must fail to bind due to their egregiously unjust content. Finally, I defend my understanding against challenges and show why it retains a place of special importance for questions about the law and political obligation. Content-independence highlights that it is some feature of the law or law-making process in general that is supposed to generate moral obligations for citizens, not the merits of particular laws.
The evolution of architectural computing: from Building Modelling to Design Computation
Authors: Aish Robert , Bredella Nathalie
Published: November 2017

In recent decades, the interrelations between architecture and computation have fostered new design concepts and design methods, which challenge existing design and building processes. Specifically, the increased use of parametric methods and scripting allow for the development of modelling and fabrication techniques, which in turn challenge the role of drawing as one of the main tools for conceptualising and realising architecture. In 1975 Chuck Eastman proposed the conceptual basis for a more complete and effective role for the use of the computer in architecture with his ‘Building Description System’. During the 1980s, software developer Robert Aish contributed to the development of RUCAPS – one of the earliest applications based on the concept of ‘building modelling’. Later developments of building modelling envisaged further modes of collaboration between architecture, engineering, and construction in the (AEC) industry.
Material models, photography, and the threshold of calculation
Authors: Fabricius Daniela
Published: November 2017

Histories of the advent of architectural computation typically describe a moment of transition from physical models and drawings to codes, information and data, leading almost inevitably to the digital technologies of the present. However, the trajectory from material form and its calculated representation was not always so direct. The work of Frei Otto, and the Institute for Lightweight Structures (IL) that he founded in 1964 at the University of Stuttgart, is an example of how material experimentation, media techniques, and calculation came together in novel ways. This history is distinguished by the fact that calculating machines played a minor role. In the 1960s and 1970s, researchers at the Institute for Lightweight Structures arrived at ways of making and calculating architectural form that was arguably proto-digital. But this began with entirely material processes that were not easily turned into numerical data, nor were they limited to the immaterial ‘space’ of the screen where every coordinate position – and thus every form – had to be numerically accounted for. Experiments, devices, tools, and modes of representation were developed to serve as means of translation between incalculable materiality and calculable information. Unlike early experiments with computation that happened largely within the black box of the computer, here the interaction between material objects and data took place in physical laboratories and workshop spaces.
The consequences of unemployment on diet composition and purchase behaviour: a longitudinal study from Denmark
Authors: Smed Sinne , Tetens Inge , Bøker Lund Thomas , Holm Lotte , Ljungdalh Nielsen Annemette
Published: November 2017

Objective

To explore and describe quantitatively the effect over time of unemployment on food purchase behaviour and diet composition.

Design

Longitudinal data from 2008–2012, with monthly food purchase data aligned with register data on unemployment measured as a dichotomous indicator as well as a trend accounting for the duration.

Setting

A household panel which registers daily food purchases combined with detailed nutritional information and registration of the duration of unemployment at individual level. The structure of the data set facilitates the detection of effects or associations between duration of unemployment and diet composition, purchase behaviour in terms of food expenditure, and share of food purchased on offer and in discounters while controlling for important confounding factors.

Subjects

Danish households of working age (n3440) adjusted to household equivalents. We use fixed-effects econometric methods to control for unobserved heterogeneity.

Results

In the short run, unemployment led to substitution in favour of discount stores and increases in food expenditure and in consumption of saturated fat, total fat and protein due to increased consumption of animal-based foods. In the medium run food expenditure declined together with consumption of fresh animal-based foods and saturated fat, total fat and protein. In the even longer run these nutrients were substituted by carbohydrates and added sugar.

Conclusions

Unemployment has a substantial influence on diet composition, but effects vary with duration of the unemployment period, which may have potential health implications. This ought to be taken into consideration in evaluations of existing reforms and in future reforms of welfare systems.
Zusätzliche individuelle Förderung in Kindertagesstätten
Authors: Höltge Lea , Hartmann Ulrike , Ehm Jan-Henning , Hasselhorn Marcus
Published: November 2017

Zusammenfassung. In den letzten eineinhalb Jahrzehnten entstanden Bildungspläne für Kindertagesstätten (Kitas), die unter anderem eine spezifische Förderung von Kindern in verschiedenen Entwicklungsbereichen zum Inhalt haben. Über die Umsetzung entsprechender Angebote ist bislang wenig bekannt. In diesem Beitrag gehen wir daher der Frage nach, ob und welche Förderangebote im sozial-emotionalen, (schrift-) sprachlichen und mathematischen Bereich umgesetzt werden und identifizieren Merkmale anhand derer sich an der Förderung beteiligte pädagogische Fachkräfte von nicht beteiligten Fachkräften unterscheiden. Aus den Antworten von 237 schriftlich befragten pädagogischen Fachkräften geht hervor, dass fast zwei Drittel selbst an der Durchführung individueller Zusatzförderung beteiligt sind. Die Angaben weisen eine große Vielfalt an in den Alltag integrierbarer Methoden in allen Bereichen auf. In jedem Bereich wurden pädagogische Fachkräfte, die selbst zusätzliche Fördermaßnahmen durchführen, mit Fachkräften verglichen, die dies nicht tun. Dabei zeigte sich, dass Fachkräfte, die mit der Durchführung individueller Zusatzförderung betraut sind, vergleichsweise positivere Einstellungen zu schulvorbereitender Zusatzförderung und eine höhere Teilnahmequote an Fortbildungen aufweisen. Die Beteiligung an der Durchführung individueller Fördermaßnahmen ist außerdem verbreiteter in Gruppen mit einem höheren Anteil an Kindern mit Deutsch als Zweitsprache und bei längerer Berufserfahrung. Die Ergebnisse werden im Hinblick auf ihre Implikationen diskutiert und weiterführende Forschungsfragen abgeleitet.
Mixed Weyl semimetals and low-dissipation magnetization control in insulators by spin–orbit torques
Authors: Hanke Jan-Philipp , Freimuth Frank , Niu Chengwang , Blügel Stefan , Mokrousov Yuriy
Published: November 2017

Reliable and energy-efficient magnetization switching by electrically induced spin–orbit torques is of crucial technological relevance for spintronic devices implementing memory and logic functionality. Here we predict that the strength of spin–orbit torques and the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in topologically nontrivial magnetic insulators can exceed by far that of conventional metals. In analogy to the quantum anomalous Hall effect, we explain this extraordinary response in the absence of longitudinal currents as hallmark of monopoles in the electronic structure of systems that are interpreted most naturally within the framework of mixed Weyl semimetals. We thereby launch the effect of spin–orbit torque into the field of topology and reveal its crucial role in mediating the topological phase transitions arising from the complex interplay between magnetization direction and momentum-space topology. The presented concepts may be exploited to understand and utilize magnetoelectric coupling phenomena in insulating ferromagnets and antiferromagnets.
A conformational switch in initiation factor 2 controls the fidelity of translation initiation in bacteria
Authors: Caban Kelvin , Pavlov Michael , Ehrenberg Måns , Gonzalez Ruben L.
Published: November 2017

Initiation factor (IF) 2 controls the fidelity of translation initiation by selectively increasing the rate of 50S ribosomal subunit joining to 30S initiation complexes (ICs) that carry an N-formyl-methionyl-tRNA (fMet-tRNAfMet). Previous studies suggest that rapid 50S subunit joining involves a GTP- and fMet-tRNAfMet-dependent “activation” of IF2, but a lack of data on the structure and conformational dynamics of 30S IC-bound IF2 has precluded a mechanistic understanding of this process. Here, using an IF2-tRNA single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer signal, we directly observe the conformational switch that is associated with IF2 activation within 30S ICs that lack IF3. Based on these results, we propose a model of IF2 activation that reveals how GTP, fMet-tRNAfMet, and specific structural elements of IF2 drive and regulate this conformational switch. Notably, we find that domain III of IF2 plays a pivotal, allosteric, role in IF2 activation, suggesting that this domain can be targeted for the development of novel antibiotics.
Iced photochemical reduction to synthesize atomically dispersed metals by suppressing nanocrystal growth
Authors: Wei Hehe , Huang Kai , Wang Da , Zhang Ruoyu , Ge Binghui , Ma Jingyuan , Wen Bo , Zhang Shuai , Li Qunyang , Lei Ming , Zhang Cheng , Irawan Joshua , Liu Li-Min , Wu Hui
Published: November 2017

Photochemical solution-phase reactions have been widely applied for the syntheses of nanocrystals. In particular, tuning of the nucleation and growth of solids has been a major area of focus. Here we demonstrate a facile approach to generate atomically dispersed platinum via photochemical reduction of frozen chloroplatinic acid solution using ultraviolet light. Using this iced-photochemical reduction, the aggregation of atoms is prevented, and single atoms are successfully stabilized. The platinum atoms are deposited on various substrates, including mesoporous carbon, graphene, carbon nanotubes, titanium dioxide nanoparticles, and zinc oxide nanowires. The atomically dispersed platinum on mesoporous carbon exhibits efficient catalytic activity for the electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction, with an overpotential of only 65 mV at a current density of 100 mA cm−2 and long-time durability (>10 h), superior to state-of-the-art platinum/carbon. This iced-photochemical reduction may be extended to other single atoms, for example gold and silver, as demonstrated in this study.
The core-promoter factor TRF2 mediates a Fruitless action to masculinize neurobehavioral traits in Drosophila
Authors: Chowdhury Zahid Sadek , Sato Kosei , Yamamoto Daisuke
Published: November 2017

In fruit flies, the male-specific fruitless (fru) gene product FruBM plays a central role in establishing the neural circuitry for male courtship behavior by orchestrating the transcription of genes required for the male-type specification of individual neurons. We herein identify the core promoter recognition factor gene Trf2 as a dominant modifier of fru actions. Trf2 knockdown in the sexually dimorphic mAL neurons leads to the loss of a male-specific neurite and a reduction in male courtship vigor. TRF2 forms a repressor complex with FruBM, strongly enhancing the repressor activity of FruBM at the promoter region of the robo1 gene, whose function is required for inhibiting the male-specific neurite formation. In females that lack FruBM, TRF2 stimulates robo1 transcription. Our results suggest that TRF2 switches its own role from an activator to a repressor of transcription upon binding to FruBM, thereby enabling the ipsilateral neurite formation only in males.
Interfaces between hexagonal and cubic oxides and their structure alternatives
Authors: Zhou Hua , Wu Lijun , Wang Hui-Qiong , Zheng Jin-Cheng , Zhang Lihua , Kisslinger Kim , Li Yaping , Wang Zhiqiang , Cheng Hao , Ke Shanming , Li Yu , Kang Junyong , Zhu Yimei
Published: November 2017

Multi-layer structure of functional materials often involves the integration of different crystalline phases. The film growth orientation thus frequently exhibits a transformation, owing to multiple possibilities caused by incompatible in-plane structural symmetry. Nevertheless, the detailed mechanism of the transformation has not yet been fully explored. Here we thoroughly probe the heteroepitaxially grown hexagonal zinc oxide (ZnO) films on cubic (001)-magnesium oxide (MgO) substrates using advanced scanning transition electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and first principles calculations, revealing two distinct interface models of (001) ZnO/(001) MgO and (100) ZnO/(001) MgO. We have found that the structure alternatives are controlled thermodynamically by the nucleation, while kinetically by the enhanced Zn adsorption and O diffusion upon the phase transformation. This work not only provides a guideline for the interface fabrication with distinct crystalline phases but also shows how polar and non-polar hexagonal ZnO films might be manipulated on the same cubic substrate.
Transgenic Cavendish bananas with resistance to Fusarium wilt tropical race 4
Authors: Dale James , James Anthony , Paul Jean-Yves , Khanna Harjeet , Smith Mark , Peraza-Echeverria Santy , Garcia-Bastidas Fernando , Kema Gert , Waterhouse Peter , Mengersen Kerrie , Harding Robert
Published: November 2017

Banana (Musa spp.) is a staple food for more than 400 million people. Over 40% of world production and virtually all the export trade is based on Cavendish banana. However, Cavendish banana is under threat from a virulent fungus, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (TR4) for which no acceptable resistant replacement has been identified. Here we report the identification of transgenic Cavendish with resistance to TR4. In our 3-year field trial, two lines of transgenic Cavendish, one transformed with RGA2, a gene isolated from a TR4-resistant diploid banana, and the other with a nematode-derived gene, Ced9, remain disease free. Transgene expression in the RGA2 lines is strongly correlated with resistance. Endogenous RGA2 homologs are also present in Cavendish but are expressed tenfold lower than that in our most resistant transgenic line. The expression of these homologs can potentially be elevated through gene editing, to provide non-transgenic resistance.
Time-resolved diffraction of shock-released SiO2 and diaplectic glass formation
Authors: Gleason A. E. , Bolme C. A. , Lee H. J. , Nagler B. , Galtier E. , Kraus R. G. , Sandberg R. , Yang W. , Langenhorst F. , Mao W. L.
Published: November 2017

Understanding how rock-forming minerals transform under shock loading is critical for modeling collisions between planetary bodies, interpreting the significance of shock features in minerals and for using them as diagnostic indicators of impact conditions, such as shock pressure. To date, our understanding of the formation processes experienced by shocked materials is based exclusively on ex situ analyses of recovered samples. Formation mechanisms and origins of commonly observed mesoscale material features, such as diaplectic (i.e., shocked) glass, remain therefore controversial and unresolvable. Here we show in situ pump-probe X-ray diffraction measurements on fused silica crystallizing to stishovite on shock compression and then converting to an amorphous phase on shock release in only 2.4 ns from 33.6 GPa. Recovered glass fragments suggest permanent densification. These observations of real-time diaplectic glass formation attest that it is a back-transformation product of stishovite with implications for revising traditional shock metamorphism stages.
Modelling the effect of beliefs about asthma medication and treatment intrusiveness on adherence and preference for once-daily vs. twice-daily medication
Authors: Chapman Sarah , Dale Peter , Svedsater Henrik , Stynes Gillian , Vyas Nicola , Price David , Horne Rob
Published: November 2017

People with asthma who do not adhere to their maintenance medication may experience poorer asthma control and need more healthcare support than those who adhere. People (N = 1010) aged 18–55 years with self-reported asthma, taking one or more asthma maintenance medication(s), from five European countries, participated in a survey using validated scales (Medication Adherence Report Scale [MARS], Asthma Control Test™ [ACT], Beliefs about Medicine Questionnaire [BMQ] and the Asthma Treatment Intrusiveness Questionnaire [ATIQ]). We performed a post hoc evaluation of adherence to maintenance medication, asthma control, beliefs about medication, preferences for once-daily vs. twice-daily asthma maintenance medication and treatment intrusiveness, using structural equation modelling to investigate the relationships between these factors. Most participants reported potential problems with asthma control (ACT < 19: 76.8% [n = 776]), low adherence (median MARS = 3.40) and preferred once-daily medication (73.5% [n = 742/1010]). Non-adherence was associated with worse asthma control (r = 0.262 [P < 0.001]) and a expressed preference for once-daily medication over a "twice daily medication that works slightly better" (test statistic [T] = 2.970 [P = 0.003]). Participants reporting non-adherence/preferring once-daily medication had negative beliefs about their treatment (BMQ necessity-concerns differential: r = 0.437 [P < 0.001]/T = 6.886 [P < 0.001]) and found medication intrusive (ATIQ: r = −0.422 [P < 0.001]/T = 2.689[P = 0.007]). Structural equation modelling showed complex relationships between variables, including: (1) high concerns about treatment associated with increased perceived treatment intrusiveness and reduced adherence, which influenced asthma control; (2) high concerns about treatment and healthcare seeking behaviour, which were predictive of preferring twice-daily asthma medication. Concerns about medication and perceived treatment intrusiveness were predictive of poor adherence, and were associated with preference for once-daily asthma medication. Confirm the utility of the PAPA model and NCF in explaining nonadherence linked to poor asthma control.
Spirometry is not enough to diagnose COPD in epidemiological studies: a follow-up study
Authors: Andreeva Elena , Pokhaznikova Marina , Lebedev Anatoly , Moiseeva Irina , Kuznetsova Olga , Degryse Jean-Marie
Published: November 2017

A hallmark of the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the measurement of post-bronchodilator (post-BD) airflow obstruction (AO) by spirometry, but spirometry is not enough for the provision of a clinical diagnosis. In the majority of previous epidemiological studies, COPD diagnosis has been based on spirometry and a few clinical characteristics. The aim of our study was to identify outcomes in patients newly diagnosed with airflow obstruction (AO) based on a diagnostic work-up conducted as part of a population-based cross-sectional study in North-Western Russia. Spirometry was performed before (pre-BD) and after BD administration, and AO was defined using the FEV1/FVC <0.70 and FEV1/FVC <lower limit of normal cut-off values. Relevant symptoms were recorded. Participants with AO identified at baseline were then examined by a pulmonologist, including a clinical examination and second spirometry with BD test. Of the 102 participants with post-BD AO in the initial assessment, only 60.8% still had AO identified at the second examination; among these patients, the following final diagnoses were reported: COPD (n = 41), asthma (n = 5), asthma–COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) (n = 4) and likely ACOS (n = 5). Of the 65 participants with pre-BD AO, 23.1% had post-BD AO at the second assessment, and these patients had been diagnosed with COPD (n = 12), asthma (n = 1), ACOS (n = 1), likely ACOS (n = 1). Serial spirometric assessments complemented by a comprehensive clinical evaluation are recommended in new epidemiological studies.
Critical Mutation Rate has an Exponential Dependence on Population Size for Eukaryotic-length Genomes with Crossover
Authors: Aston Elizabeth , Channon Alastair , Belavkin Roman V. , Gifford Danna R. , Krašovec Rok , Knight Christopher G.
Published: November 2017

The critical mutation rate (CMR) determines the shift between survival-of-the-fittest and survival of individuals with greater mutational robustness (“flattest”). We identify an inverse relationship between CMR and sequence length in an in silico system with a two-peak fitness landscape; CMR decreases to no more than five orders of magnitude above estimates of eukaryotic per base mutation rate. We confirm the CMR reduces exponentially at low population sizes, irrespective of peak radius and distance, and increases with the number of genetic crossovers. We also identify an inverse relationship between CMR and the number of genes, confirming that, for a similar number of genes to that for the plant Arabidopsis thaliana (25,000), the CMR is close to its known wild-type mutation rate; mutation rates for additional organisms were also found to be within one order of magnitude of the CMR. This is the first time such a simulation model has been assigned input and produced output within range for a given biological organism. The decrease in CMR with population size previously observed is maintained; there is potential for the model to influence understanding of populations undergoing bottleneck, stress, and conservation strategy for populations near extinction.
Neonicotinoid pesticide limits improvement in buzz pollination by bumblebees
Authors: Whitehorn P. R. , Wallace C. , Vallejo-Marin M.
Published: November 2017

Neonicotinoid pesticides have been linked to global declines of beneficial insects such as bumblebees. Exposure to trace levels of these chemicals causes sub-lethal effects, such as reduced learning and foraging efficiency. Complex behaviours may be particularly vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of neonicotinoids. Such behaviours may include buzz pollination (sonication), in which pollinators, usually bees, use innate and learned behaviours to generate high-frequency vibrations to release pollen from flowers with specialised anther morphologies. This study assesses the effect of field-realistic, chronic exposure to the widely-used neonicotinoid thiamethoxam on the development of sonication buzz characteristics over time, as well as the collection of pollen from buzz-pollinated flowers. We found that the pollen collection of exposed bees improved less with increasing experience than that of unexposed bees, with exposed bees collecting between 47% and 56% less pollen by the end of 10 trials. We also found evidence of two distinct strategies for maximising pollen collection: (1) extensions to the duration of individual buzzes and (2) extensions of the overall time spent buzzing. We find new complexities in buzz pollination, and conclude that the impacts of field-realistic exposure to a neonicotinoid pesticide may seriously compromise this important ecosystem service.
Broadband mixing of $${\mathscr{P}}{\mathscr{T}}$$-symmetric and $${\mathscr{P}}{\mathscr{T}}$$-broken phases in photonic heterostructures with a one-dimensional loss/gain bilayer
Authors: Özgün Ege , Serebryannikov Andriy E. , Ozbay Ekmel , Soukoulis Costas M.
Published: November 2017

Combining loss and gain components in one photonic heterostructure opens a new route to efficient manipulation by radiation, transmission, absorption, and scattering of electromagnetic waves. Therefore, loss/gain structures enabling $${\mathscr{P}}{\mathscr{T}}$$
P
T
-symmetric and $${\mathscr{P}}{\mathscr{T}}$$
P
T
-broken phases for eigenvalues have extensively been studied in the last decade. In particular, translation from one phase to another, which occurs at the critical point in the two-channel structures with one-dimensional loss/gain components, is often associated with one-way transmission. In this report, broadband mixing of the $${\mathscr{P}}{\mathscr{T}}$$
P
T
-symmetric and $${\mathscr{P}}{\mathscr{T}}$$
P
T
-broken phases for eigenvalues is theoretically demonstrated in heterostructures with four channels obtained by combining a one-dimensional loss/gain bilayer and one or two thin polarization-converting components (PCCs). The broadband phase mixing in the four-channel case is expected to yield advanced transmission and absorption regimes. Various configurations are analyzed, which are distinguished in symmetry properties and polarization conversion regime of PCCs. The conditions necessary for phase mixing are discussed. The simplest two-component configurations with broadband mixing are found, as well as the more complex three-component configurations wherein symmetric and broken sets are not yet mixed and appear in the neighbouring frequency ranges. Peculiarities of eigenvalue behaviour are considered for different permittivity ranges of loss/gain medium, i.e., from epsilon-near-zero to high-epsilon regime.
Bay-Region Functionalisation of Ar-BIAN Ligands and Their Use Within Highly Absorptive Cationic Iridium(III) Dyes
Authors: Hasan Kamrul , Wang Jingyi , Pal Amlan K. , Hierlinger Claus , Guerchais Véronique , Sen Soo Han , García Felipe , Zysman-Colman Eli
Published: November 2017

We report the synthesis, UV-vis absorption, electrochemical characterisation, and DFT studies of five panchromatic, heteroleptic iridium complexes (four of which are new) supported by Ar-BIAN ligands. In particular, the synthesis of an ester-functionalised Ar-BIAN ligand was carried out by a mechanochemical milling approach, which was advantageous over conventional metal templating solution methods in terms of reaction time and product purity. The introduction of ester and carboxylate functionalities at the bay region of the acenaphthene motif increases each ligand’s π-accepting capacity and imparts grafting capabilities to the iridium complexes. These complexes have absorption profiles that surpass the renowned N3 dye [Ru(dcbpy)2(NCS)2] (dcbpy = 4,4′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine), making them of interest for solar-energy-harvesting applications.
Author Correction: Visuotactile integration modulates motor performance in a perceptual decision-making task
Authors: Grechuta Klaudia , Guga Jelena , Maffei Giovanni , Rubio Ballester Belén , Verschure Paul F. M. J.
Published: November 2017

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML version of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.a
Structural disorder and induced folding within two cereal, ABA stress and ripening (ASR) proteins
Authors: Hamdi Karama , Salladini Edoardo , O’Brien Darragh P. , Brier Sébastien , Chenal Alexandre , Yacoubi Ines , Longhi Sonia
Published: November 2017

Abscisic acid (ABA), stress and ripening (ASR) proteins are plant-specific proteins involved in plant response to multiple abiotic stresses. We previously isolated the ASR genes and cDNAs from durum wheat (TtASR1) and barley (HvASR1). Here, we show that HvASR1 and TtASR1 are consistently predicted to be disordered and further confirm this experimentally. Addition of glycerol, which mimics dehydration, triggers a gain of structure in both proteins. Limited proteolysis showed that they are highly sensitive to protease degradation. Addition of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) however, results in a decreased susceptibility to proteolysis that is paralleled by a gain of structure. Mass spectrometry analyses (MS) led to the identification of a protein fragment resistant to proteolysis. Addition of zinc also induces a gain of structure and Hydrogen/Deuterium eXchange-Mass Spectrometry (HDX-MS) allowed identification of the region involved in the disorder-to-order transition. This study is the first reported experimental characterization of HvASR1 and TtASR1 proteins, and paves the way for future studies aimed at unveiling the functional impact of the structural transitions that these proteins undergo in the presence of zinc and at achieving atomic-resolution conformational ensemble description of these two plant intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs).
Extracellular vesicles derived from MSCs activates dermal papilla cell in vitro and promotes hair follicle conversion from telogen to anagen in mice
Authors: Rajendran Ramya Lakshmi , Gangadaran Prakash , Bak Soon Sun , Oh Ji Min , Kalimuthu Senthilkumar , Lee Ho Won , Baek Se Hwan , Zhu Liya , Sung Young Kwan , Jeong Shin Young , Lee Sang-Woo , Lee Jaetae , Ahn Byeong-Cheol
Published: November 2017

Hair loss is a common medical problem. In this study, we investigated the proliferation, migration, and growth factor expression of human dermal papilla (DP) cells in the presence or absence of treatment with mesenchymal stem cell extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs). In addition, we tested the efficacy of MSC-EV treatment on hair growth in an animal model. MSC-EV treatment increased DP cell proliferation and migration, and elevated the levels of Bcl-2, phosphorylated Akt and ERK. In addition; DP cells treated with MSC-EVs displayed increased expression and secretion of VEGF and IGF-1. Intradermal injection of MSC-EVs into C57BL/6 mice promoted the conversion from telogen to anagen and increased expression of wnt3a, wnt5a and versican was demonstrated. The first time our results suggest that MSC-EVs have a potential to activate DP cells, prolonged survival, induce growth factor activation in vitro, and promotes hair growth in vivo.
Designing Ecofriendly Bionanocomposite Assembly with Improved Antimicrobial and Potent on-site Zika Virus Vector Larvicidal Activities with its Mode of Action
Authors: Mane Pramod C. , Chaudhari Ravindra D. , Shinde Manish D. , Kadam Deepali D. , Song Chung Kil , Amalnerkar Dinesh P. , Lee Haiwon
Published: November 2017

Dialyzed natural polymer, fibroin, from Bombyx mori was used to synthesize biocompatible silver and gold nanoparticles in-situ in dispersion form. The films of pure fibroin (PF), fibroin-silver nanocomposite (FSNC) and fibroin-gold nanocomposite (FGNC) were fabricated by drop casting method. The characterization of the resultant dispersion and films was performed by visual color change, UV-Vis spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The dispersions of PF, FSNC and FGNC were tested for antibacterial activity against E. coli NCIM 2065, S. aureus NCIM 5021, K. pneumoniae NCIM 2957, P. aeruginosa ATCC 9027 and antifungal activity against A. fumigatus NCIM 902. FSNC dispersion exhibited an effective antimicrobial action against all the tested microbes as compared to FGNC dispersion. The mechanism of action for FSNC and FGNC against these microorganisms is proposed. Additionally, the larvicidal activity of the films was investigated against the larvae of Aedes aegypti. The films of FSNC exhibited 100% mortality while the films of FGNC revealed 86–98% mortality against all the larval instars and pupae of A. aegypti. The phytotoxicity study of the nanocomposite films was also carried out to confirm the reusability of water. This is first noble metal nanocomposite based report on larvicidal activity of zika virus vector.
Brain Network Correlates of Emotional Aging
Authors: Lyoo Youngwook , Yoon Sujung
Published: November 2017

Physical and cognitive functions typically decline with aging while emotional stability is relatively conserved. The current proof-of-concept study is the first to report of the brain mechanisms underlying emotional aging from a brain network perspective. Two hundred eighty-six healthy subjects aged 20–65 were classified into three groups of the emotionally young, intermediate-aged, and old (E-young, E-intermediate, and E-old, respectively) based on the cluster analysis of the emotion recognition task data. As subjects get emotionally older, performance on happiness recognition improved, while that on recognition of negative emotions declined. On the brain network side, there was a significant linear decreasing trend in intra-network functional connectivity of the visual and sensorimotor networks with emotional aging (E-young > E-intermediate > E-old) as well as chronological aging (C-young > C-intermediate > C-old). Intra-network functional connectivity of the executive control network (ECN), however, steadily increased with emotional aging (E-young < E-intermediate < E-old) but not with chronological aging. Furthermore, the inter-network functional connections between the ECN and default mode network were also greater in the E-old group relative to the E-young group. This suggests that the top-down integration of self-referential information during emotional processing becomes stronger as people get emotionally older.
Association of predicted pathogenic mutations in mitochondrial ND genes with distant metastasis in NSCLC and colon cancer
Authors: Koshikawa Nobuko , Akimoto Miho , Hayashi Jun-Ichi , Nagase Hiroki , Takenaga Keizo
Published: November 2017

Cancer cells have more mutations in their mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) than do normal cells, and pathogenic mutations in the genes encoding mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase (ND) subunits have been found to enhance the invasive and metastatic ability of various tumour cells in animal experiments. However, it is unknown whether single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) of the ND genes that decrease complex I activity are involved in distant metastasis in human clinical samples. Here, we demonstrated the enhancement of the distant metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma cells by the ND6 13885insC mutation, which is accompanied by the overexpression of metastasis-related genes, metabolic reprogramming, the enhancement of tumour angiogenesis and the acquisition of resistance to stress-induced cell death. We then sequenced ND genes in primary tumour lesions with or without distant metastases as well as metastatic tumour lesions from 115 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and colon cancer, and we subsequently selected 14 SNVs with the potential to decrease complex I activity. Intriguingly, a significant correlation was observed (P < 0.05 by Chi-square test) between the incidence of the selected mutations and distant metastasis. Thus, these results strongly suggest that pathogenic ND gene mutations participate in enhancing distant metastasis in human cancers.
Antimicrobial resistance and genetic diversity in ceftazidime non-susceptible bacterial pathogens from ready-to-eat street foods in three Taiwanese cities
Authors: Lin Lin , Wang Sheng-Fan , Yang Tsung-Ying , Hung Wei-Chun , Chan Min-Yu , Tseng Sung-Pin
Published: November 2017

Bacterial contamination of ready-to-eat (RTE) street foods is a major concern worldwide. Dissemination of antibiotic resistant pathogens from food is an emerging public-health threat. To investigate the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes and ceftazidime resistance-associated efflux pumps in foodborne pathogens, 270 RTE street foods samples were collected in three densely populated Taiwanese cities. Among 70 ceftazidime non-susceptible isolates, 21 Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, 12 Pseudomonas spp., 22 Acinetobacter spp., and 15 Enterobacteriaceae isolates were identified. Phylogenetic analyses revealed high levels of genetic diversity between all of the different strains. Multi-drug resistance was observed in 86.4% (19/22) of Acinetobacter spp., 100% (12/12) of Pseudomonas spp., 71.4% (15/21) of S. maltophilia, and 93.3% (14/15) of Enterobacteriaceae. Of 70 ceftazidime non-susceptible isolates, 13 contained ESBLs or plasmid-mediated ampC genes and 23 contained ceftazidime resistance-associated efflux pumps, with Acinetobacter spp. identified as predominant isolate (69.6%; 16/23). AdeIJK pump RNA expression in Acinetobacter isolates was 1.9- to 2-fold higher in active efflux strains. Nine clinically resistant genes were detected: catIII and cmlA (chloramphenicol); aacC1, aacC2, aacC3, and aacC4 (gentamicin); tet(A), tet(C), and tet(D) (tetracycline). The scope and abundance of multidrug-resistant bacteria described in this report underscores the need for ongoing and/or expanded RTE monitoring and control measures.
Glutaredoxin 1 mediates the protective effect of steady laminar flow on endothelial cells against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis via inhibiting Bim
Authors: Li Yao , Ren Meng , Wang Xiaoqun , Cui Xingxing , Zhao Hongmei , Zhao Chuanrong , Zhou Jing , Guo Yanan , Hu Yi , Yan Chen , Berk Bradford , Wang Jing
Published: November 2017

Endothelial cell apoptosis induced by oxidative stress is an early event in the development of atherosclerosis. Several antioxidant enzymes which can cope with oxidative stress are up-regulated by the anti-atherogenic laminar blood flow often seen in straight or unbranched regions of blood vessels. However, the molecular mechanism responsible for flow-induced beneficial effects is incompletely understood. Here we report the role of glutaredoxin 1 (Grx1), an antioxidant enzyme, in flow-mediated protective effect in endothelial cells. Specifically, we found that Grx1 is markedly up-regulated by the steady laminar flow. Increasing Grx1 reduces the pro-apoptotic protein Bim expression through regulating Akt-FoxO1 signaling and also attenuates H2O2-induced Bim activation via inhibiting JNK phosphorylation, subsequently preventing the apoptosis of endothelial cells. Grx1 knockdown abolishes the inhibitory effect of steady laminar flow on Bim. The inhibitory effect of Grx1 on Bim is dependent on Grx1′s thioltransferase activity. These findings indicate that Grx1 induction plays a key role in mediating the protective effect of laminar blood flow and suggest that Grx1 may be a potential therapeutic target for atherosclerosis.