bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparative molecular studies of halophilic bacteria from saline water and soil in the Saudi environment
Authors: Ahmed Mohamed Morsi M. , Khan Md. Mohibul Alam , Al-Garni Saleh M. S. , Bora Roop Singh , Kabli Saleh A. 
Published: April 2020

Halophilic bacteria are a microorganism that grows optimally in the presence of the very high concentration of sodium chloride. Halophiles are vital sources of various enzymes including hydrolases, which are very stable and catalytically highly efficient at high salt concentration and other extreme conditions such as high temperature, pH and presence of organic solvents. Several hydrolases such as amylases, proteases, and lipases have been obtained from halophilic bacteria and are commonly used for various industrial applications. We initiated a screening project to isolate and characterize the halophilic bacteria from the Red Sea, which is one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world. Water and soil samples, collected from the Red Sea coast, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, were screened for isolation of halophilic bacteria. Ten bacterial isolates were obtained, which were characterized by biochemical tests and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Hydrolase producing bacteria among the isolates were screened by plate assay on starch and gelatin agar plates for amylase and protease, respectively. Two bacterial isolates i.e Bacillus haynesii and Enterobacter cloacae subsp. were found to possess significant amylase and protease activity. Further characterization of both the strains is in progress.
Sevoflurane inhibits proliferation, invasion, but enhances apoptosis of lung cancer cells by Wnt/β-catenin signaling via regulating lncRNA PCAT6/ miR-326 axis
Authors: Su Guoning , Yan Zhibing , Deng Min 
Published: April 2020

AbstractSevoflurane was frequently used as a volatile anesthetic in cancer surgery. However, the potential mechanism of sevoflurane on lung cancer remains largely unclear. In this study, lung cancer cell lines (H446 and H1975) were treated by various concentrations of sevoflurane. 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assessment and colony formation assay were performed to detect the cell viability and proliferation, separately. Also, transwell assay or flow cytometry assay was applied as well to evaluate the invasive ability or apoptosis in lung cancer cells, respectively. Western blot assay was employed to detect the protein levels of β-catenin and Wnt5a. Moreover, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to examine the expression level of prostate cancer-associated transcript 6 (PCAT6) and miR-326 in lung cancer tissues and cells. The target interaction between miR-326 and PCAT6 or Wnt5a was predicted by bioinformatics analysis and verified by the dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Sevoflurane inhibited the abilities on viability, proliferation, invasion, and activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, but promoted apoptosis of H446 and H1975 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of PCAT6 was increased in lung cancer tissues and cells, except for that of miR-326. Besides, sevoflurane could lead to expressed limitation of PCAT6 or improvement of miR-326. This process presented a stepwise manner. Up-regulation of PCAT6 restored the suppression of sevoflurane on abilities of proliferation, invasion, rather than apoptosis, and re-activated the Wnt5a/β-catenin signaling in cells. Moreover, the putative binding sites between miR-326 and PCTA6 or Wnt5a were predicted by starBase v2.0 software online. PCAT6 suppressing effects on cells could be reversed by pre-treatment with miR-326 vector. The promotion of Wnt5a inverted effects led from miR-326 or sevoflurane. Our study indicated that sevoflurane inhibited the proliferation, and invasion, but enhanced the apoptosis in lung cancer cells by regulating the lncRNA PCAT6/miR-326/Wnt5a/β-catenin axis.
Role of strigolactones: Signalling and crosstalk with other phytohormones
Authors: Faizan Mohammad , Faraz Ahmad , Sami Fareen , Siddiqui Husna , Yusuf Mohammad , Gruszka Damian , Hayat Shamsul 
Published: April 2020

AbstractPlant hormones play important roles in controlling how plants grow and develop. While metabolism provides the energy needed for plant survival, hormones regulate the pace of plant growth. Strigolactones (SLs) were recently defined as new phytohormones that regulate plant metabolism and, in turn, plant growth and development. This group of phytohormones is derived from carotenoids and has been implicated in a wide range of physiological functions including regulation of plant architecture (inhibition of bud outgrowth and shoot branching), photomorphogenesis, seed germination, nodulation, and physiological reactions to abiotic factors. SLs also induce hyphal branching in germinating spores of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), a process that is important for initiating the connection between host plant roots and AMF. This review outlines the physiological roles of SLs and discusses the significance of interactions between SLs and other phytohormones to plant metabolic responses.
Obesity: epigenetic aspects
Authors: Kaushik Prashant , Anderson James T. 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Epigenetics, defined as inheritable and reversible phenomena that affect gene expression without altering the underlying base pair sequence has been shown to play an important role in the etiopathogenesis of obesity. Obesity is associated with extensive gene expression changes in tissues throughout the body. Epigenetics is emerging as perhaps the most important mechanism through which the lifestyle-choices we make can directly influence the genome. Considerable epidemiological, experimental and clinical data have been amassed showing that the risk of developing disease in later life is dependent on early life conditions, mainly operating within the normative range of developmental exposures. In addition to the ‘maternal’ interactions, there has been increasing interest in the epigenetic mechanisms through which ‘paternal’ influences on offspring development can be achieved. Nutrition, among many other environmental factors, is a key player that can induce epigenetic changes not only in the directly exposed organisms but also in subsequent generations through the transgenerational inheritance of epigenetic traits. Overall, significant progress has been made in the field of epigenetics and obesity and the first potential epigenetic markers for obesity that could be detected at birth have been identified. Fortunately, epigenetic phenomena are dynamic and rather quickly reversible with intensive lifestyle changes. This is a very promising and sustainable resolution to the obesity pandemic.
On the tail dependence in bivariate
hydrological frequency analysis
Authors: Lekina Alexandre , Chebana Fateh , Ouarda Taha B. M. J. 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
In Bivariate Frequency Analysis (BFA) of hydrological events, the study and quantification of the
dependence between several variables of interest is commonly carried out through Pearson’s correlation (r),
Kendall’s tau (τ) or Spearman’s rho (ρ). These measures provide an overall evaluation of the dependence.
However, in BFA, the focus is on the extreme events which occur on the tail of the distribution. Therefore,
these measures are not appropriate to quantify the dependence in the tail distribution. To quantify such a risk,
in Extreme Value Analysis (EVA), a number of concepts and methods are available but are not appropriately
employed in hydrological BFA. In the present paper, we study the tail dependence measures with their nonparametric
estimations. In order to cover a wide range of possible cases, an application dealing with bivariate
flood characteristics (peak flow, flood volume and event duration) is carried out on three gauging sites in
Canada. Results show that r, τ and ρ are inadequate to quantify the extreme risk and to reflect the dependence
characteristics in the tail. In addition, the upper tail dependence measure, commonly employed in hydrology,
is shown not to be always appropriate especially when considered alone: it can lead to an overestimation or
underestimation of the risk. Therefore, for an effective risk assessment, it is recommended to consider more
than one tail dependence measure.
Acrylate copolymer: a rate-controlling membrane in the transdermal drug delivery system
Authors: Zhan Xiaoping , Mao Zhenmin , Chen Jian , Zhang Yuankui 
Published: April 2020

AbstractA film-like copolymer composed of 2-hydroxy-3-phenoxypropylacrylate, 4-hydroxybutyl acrylate and cyclohexyl methacrylate was synthesized and exploited as a rate-controlling membrane in the transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDs). A series of acrylate copolymers with different formulations were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and tensile strength, and then evaluated by clonidine hydrochloride transporting through the films. It was found that the formulation M2 composed of three monomers at a ratio of 4:4:2 (w/w/w) showed excellent mechanical and permeation properties. The optimal formulation M2 was further characterized by scanning electron microscopy, contact angles and swelling ratio, and then the permeation behaviors of five different physicochemical drugs transporting through the M2 were evaluated. The results showed that the permeation behaviors were influenced by many factors including the thickness of the membrane, the physicochemical properties of the drugs, the dose of the drugs and the interactions between the drugs and the membrane. This type of copolymer membrane might open new applications in the field of TDDs.
Synthesis of polyether imidazole ionic liquid and its modification on polypropylene crystal structure and mechanical properties
Authors: Guo Liying , Ma Xiuyun , Zhang Bin , Wang Zhiming , Huang Pengcheng 
Published: April 2020

AbstractPolyether imidazole ionic liquid (PIIL) was synthesized from N-ethyl iminazole and hydroxyl-terminated polyepichlorhydrin, produced through cationic ring-opening polymerization of epichlorohydrin using Et2O·BF3 as catalyst, and utilized for the modification of polypropylene (PP) by the method of melt blending. The prepared PIIL was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The resulting composite of PP and PIIL was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction analyses. With PIIL acting as a nucleating agent, the crystal structure of PP transformed from α to β crystalline form after modification, while crystallization peak temperature was kept unchanged. Comparison test of the mechanical properties of pure PP and PP/PIIL proved that the long flexible chain of PIIL achieved good compatibility with PP and had reinforcing and toughening effects on PP. With the increase of ionic liquid in PP, both the impact strength and the breaking elongation of the PP/PIIL composite were significantly improved.
Layer-by-layer self-assembly for controlled magnetic multilayer thin film fabrication
Authors: Luo Jin , Wang Yanhua , Ren Rong , Sun Weilin , Shen Zhiquan 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe copolymer poly[4′-(4-methacryloyphenyl)-2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine-co-N-(vinylbenzylimino)-diacetic acid] [P(mPhtpy-co-vbda)] was synthesized by the RAFT (reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer) polymerization method and confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The bimetallic complexes of the copolymer were prepared by chelating with Nd3+ and Co2+. The magnetic multilayer film was fabricated via layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly with the copolymer and metal ions (Nd3+ and Co2+). Attenuated total reflectance-infrared spectroscopy and UV-Vis spectroscopy were used to characterize the film, indicating that the driving force for fabricating the multilayer film was the coordination interaction. The magnetic behavior of the complexes and the film was measured as a function of the magnetic field strength (0–50 kOe) at 5 K and also of the temperature (5–300 K) at the magnetic field strength (30 kOe). The magnetic hysteresis loops of the complexes and the film showed the typical “S” shape at 5 K, exhibiting the properties of soft ferromagnetic materials.
EFFECT OF SUNFLOWER CHLOROTIC MOTTLE VIRUS INFECTION ON SUNFLOWER YIELD PARAMETERS / EFECTOS DE LA INFECCIÓN CON EL VIRUS DEL MOTEADO CLORÓTICO DEL GIRASOL SOBRE PARÁMETROS DE LA PRODUCCIÓN DEL GIRASOL / EFFET DE L´INFECTION AVEC LE VIRUS "SUNFLOWER CHLOROTIC MOTTLE VIRUS" (SuCMoV) SUR LES PARAMETRES DE LA PRODUCTION EN TOURNESOL
Authors: Lenardon S. L. , Giolitti F. , León A. , Bazzalo M. E. , Grondona M. 
Published: April 2020

SUMMARYSunflower chlorotic mottle virus (SuCMoV) was detected in several sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) growing areas, causing a disease characterized by systemic chlorotic mottling. Symptom severity depended on several factors, including the ontogenetic stage at which infections occur. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of artificial infections with SuCMoV at different ontogenetic stages on agronomic yield characters (plant height, stem and capitulum diameters, achene yield, seed width and length, weight of 1000 seeds and oil content). Sunflower seeds of commercial hybrids Dekalb 4030, Contiflor 3N, and ACA 884 were sown in a split plot design with four replications, which were mechanically inoculated with SuCMoV at four growth stages. A negative (non-inoculated) control was included in the experiment. Virus infection was detected by symptoms and by double antibody sandwich enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA). Virus infections at all stages significantly reduced plant height (16-39%), stem diameter (21-51%), capitulum diameter (27-57%), achene yield (58-87%), seed width (13 -15%), seed length (10-16%) and weight of 1000 seeds (26-28%) compared with healthy controls, independent of hybrid tested. Oil content determined by magnetic nuclear resonance showed no significant differences among treatments.
DISTRIBUTION AND BIODIVERSITY OF BROOMRAPE (Orobanche L.) WORLDWIDE AND IN SERBIA / EXTENSION Y BIODIVERSIDAD DE OROBANCA (Orobanche L.) EN EL MUNDO Y EN SERBIA / DISTRIBUTION ET BIODIVERSITÉ DE L’OROBANCHE (Orobanche L.) DANS LE MONDE ET EN SEBIE
Authors: Kojić Momčilo , Maširević Stevan , Jovanović Dušan 
Published: April 2020

SUMMARYThe broomrape genus (Orobanche L.) is characterized by pronounced biodiversity. Of its 99 species identified so far throughout the world, 26 have been found in Serbia. The species of the Orobanche genus are highly variable and include 56 varieties, 226 forms (a total of 308 taxons), and a number of physiological races adjusted to specific crops. Despite such high biodiversity, 8 species alone are important parasite species in cultivated crops (Orobanchecumana Wallr., O. ramosa L., O. nana Noë, O. muteli Sch., O. minor Sutt., O. lutea Baumg., O. aegyptiaca Pers. and O. crenata Forsk.). Orobanchecumana Wallr. (O. cernua Loefl.) is especially important as a parasite species in sunflower but it is also frequently found growing on the root of tomato, tobacco and some weed plants.
Prediction of cement strength: analysis and implementation in process quality control
Authors: Tsamatsoulis Dimitris 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe main purpose of the present article is to develop mathematical models predicting cement strength at 28 days based on early strength as well as on physical and chemical characteristics of cement types investigated. In parallel, a relatively extended analysis of a series of existing models is performed. Static and movable time horizon models have been built and implemented to real industrial conditions for the long-term. These tools are applied in conjunction with a proportional-integral controller regulating 28 days strength around a target. Performance of the models is investigated using typical statistical analysis. The implementation of these techniques in daily quality control has been demonstrated as an important factor of quality improvement by maintaining a low variance of 28 days strength.
Microstructure correlation in high-strength steels with continuous stiffness mode nanoindentation results. High-resolution vs. low-resolution nanoindentation
Authors: Hackney Stephen A. , Bradley John R. , Wood Thomas D. , Miskioglu Ibrahim 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThis study utilizes instrumented nanoindentation to compare the mechanical response of a transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) steel to that of a quench and partition steel (QP). The nanoindenter was operated using continuous stiffness mode, and the microstructure under the indent revealed by chemical etching was examined. Examination of the microstructure in the indents by scanning electron microscopy allows a direct correlation with nanoindentation properties. It is found that the hardness measured at an indentation depth of 1.1 μm is, on average, significantly greater in the QP steel than in the TRIP steel. The continuous hardness measurement also allows the microstructure observed at the center of the indent to be correlated with the hardness values when indentation depths are <0.1 μm. This high-resolution hardness measurement allows for a direct comparison of mechanical response for the individual retained austenite phase particles in the TRIP steel with the strengthening microconstituent in the QP steel. With this methodology, the surprising result is that the TRIP retained austenite particles have a higher hardness than the QP hardening microconstituent. It is proposed that the resolution of the apparent disagreement between the hardness measurements obtained at 1.1 μm depth (QP has the higher hardness) and the 0.1-μm depth hardness measurements of the microconstituents containing retained austenite (TRIP has the higher hardness) lies in the volume fraction of the microconstituent as the QP has a two- to threefold higher volume fraction of hardening phase as compared to TRIP.
Reinventing <em>Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong</em>
Authors: Ridge Michael 
Published: April 2020

I offer new arguments for an unorthodox reading of J. L. Mackie’s Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong, one on which Mackie does not think all substantive moral claims are false, but allows that a proper subset of them are true. Further, those that are true should be understood in terms of a “hybrid theory”. The proposed reading is one on which Mackie is a conceptual pruner, arguing that we should prune away error-ridden moral claims but hold onto those already free of error. This reading is very different from the standard ones found in the literature. I build on recent work by Moberger and argue that this reading is better corroborated by close attention to the way in which Mackie argues at length that terms like “good” and “ought” are systematically context-sensitive, as well as by considerable additional textual evidence. This reading, however, faces an important challenge—to explain in what sense, if any, morality retains its “normativity” on the proposed reading. I argue that this challenge can be met, at least given some of Mackie’s further assumptions about the nature of rationality.
Divergent Synaptic Scaling of Miniature EPSCs following Activity Blockade in Dissociated Neuronal Cultures
Authors: Hanes Amanda L. , Koesters Andrew G. , Fong Ming-fai , Altimimi Haider F. , Stellwagen David , Wenner Peter , Engisch Kathrin L. 
Published: April 2020

Neurons can respond to decreased network activity with a homeostatic increase in the amplitudes of miniature EPSCs (mEPSCs). The prevailing view is that mEPSC amplitudes are uniformly multiplied by a single factor, termed “synaptic scaling.” Deviations from purely multiplicative scaling have been attributed to biological differences, or to a distortion imposed by a detection threshold limit. Here, we demonstrate in neurons dissociated from cortices of male and female mice that the shift in mEPSC amplitudes observed in the experimental data cannot be reproduced by simulation of uniform multiplicative scaling, with or without the distortion caused by applying a detection threshold. Furthermore, we demonstrate explicitly that the scaling factor is not uniform but is close to 1 for small mEPSCs, and increases with increasing mEPSC amplitude across a substantial portion of the data. This pattern was also observed for previously published data from dissociated mouse hippocampal neurons and dissociated rat cortical neurons. The finding of “divergent scaling” shifts the current view of homeostatic plasticity as a process that alters all synapses on a neuron equally to one that must accommodate the differential effect observed for small versus large mEPSCs. Divergent scaling still accomplishes the essential homeostatic task of modifying synaptic strengths in the opposite direction of the activity change, but the consequences are greatest for those synapses which individually are more likely to bring a neuron to threshold.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTIn homeostatic plasticity, the responses to chronic increases or decreases in network activity act in the opposite direction to restore normal activity levels. Homeostatic plasticity is likely to play a role in diseases associated with long-term changes in brain function, such as epilepsy and neuropsychiatric illnesses. One homeostatic response is the increase in synaptic strength following a chronic block of activity. Research is focused on finding a globally expressed signaling pathway, because it has been proposed that the plasticity is uniformly expressed across all synapses. Here, we show that the plasticity is not uniform. Our work suggests that homeostatic signaling molecules are likely to be differentially expressed across synapses.