bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exogenous abscisic acid induces the lipid and flavonoid metabolism of tea plants under drought stress
Authors: Gai Zhongshuai , Wang Yu , Ding Yiqian , Qian Wenjun , Qiu Chen , Xie Hui , Sun Litao , Jiang Zhongwu , Ma Qingping , Wang Linjun , Ding Zhaotang 
Published: July 2020

AbstractAbscisic acid (ABA) is an important phytohormone responsible for activating drought resistance, but the regulation mechanism of exogenous ABA on tea plants under drought stress was rarely reported. Here, we analyzed the effects of exogenous ABA on genes and metabolites of tea leaves under drought stress using transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis. The results showed that the exogenous ABA significantly induced the metabolic pathways of tea leaves under drought stress, including energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism and flavonoids biosynthesis. In which, the exogenous ABA could clearly affect the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism and flavonoid biosynthesis. Meanwhile, it also increased the contents of flavone, anthocyanins, flavonol, isoflavone of tea leaves under drought stress, including, kaempferitrin, sakuranetin, kaempferol, and decreased the contents of glycerophospholipids, glycerolipids and fatty acids of tea leaves under drought stress. The results suggested that the exogenous ABA could alleviate the damages of tea leaves under drought stress through inducing the expression of the genes and altering the contents of metabolites in response to drought stress. This study will be helpful to understand the mechanism of resilience to abiotic stress in tea plant and provide novel insights into enhancing drought tolerance in the future.
Transcriptomic comparison of human and mouse brain microvessels
Authors: Song Hannah W. , Foreman Koji L. , Gastfriend Benjamin D. , Kuo John S. , Palecek Sean P. , Shusta Eric V. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe brain vasculature maintains brain homeostasis by tightly regulating ionic, molecular, and cellular transport between the blood and the brain parenchyma. These blood–brain barrier (BBB) properties are impediments to brain drug delivery, and brain vascular dysfunction accompanies many neurological disorders. The molecular constituents of brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) and pericytes, which share a basement membrane and comprise the microvessel structure, remain incompletely characterized, particularly in humans. To improve the molecular database of these cell types, we performed RNA sequencing on brain microvessel preparations isolated from snap-frozen human and mouse tissues by laser capture microdissection (LCM). The resulting transcriptome datasets from LCM microvessels were enriched in known brain endothelial and pericyte markers, and global comparison identified previously unknown microvessel-enriched genes. We used these datasets to identify mouse-human species differences in microvessel-associated gene expression that may have relevance to BBB regulation and drug delivery. Further, by comparison of human LCM microvessel data with existing human BMEC transcriptomic datasets, we identified novel putative markers of human brain pericytes. Together, these data improve the molecular definition of BMECs and brain pericytes, and are a resource for rational development of new brain-penetrant therapeutics and for advancing understanding of brain vascular function and dysfunction.
17β-Estradiol supplementation changes gut microbiota diversity in intact and colorectal cancer-induced ICR male mice
Authors: Song Chin-Hee , Kim Nayoung , Nam Ryoung Hee , Choi Soo In , Lee Ha-Na , Surh Young-Joon 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe composition of the gut microbiota is influenced by sex hormones and colorectal cancer (CRC). Previously, we reported that 17β-estradiol (E2) inhibits azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium (AOM/DSS)-induced tumorigenesis in male mice. Here, we investigated whether the composition of the gut microbiota is different between male and female, and is regulated by estrogen as a secondary outcome of previous studies. We established four groups of mice based on the sex and estrogen status [ovariectomized (OVX) female and E2-treated male]. Additionally, three groups of males were established by treating them with AOM/DSS, and E2, after subjecting them to AOM/DSS treatment. The mice were sacrificed at 21 weeks old. The composition of the gut microbiota was analyzed using 16S rRNA metagenomics sequencing. We observed a significant increase in the microbial diversity (Chao1 index) in females, males supplemented with E2, and males treated with AOM/DSS/E2 compared with normal males. In normal physiological condition, sex difference and E2 treatment did not affect the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B). However, in AOM/DSS-treated male mice, E2 supplementation showed significantly lower level of the F/B ratio. The ratio of commensal bacteria to opportunistic pathogens was higher in females and E2-treated males compared to normal males and females subjected to OVX. Unexpectedly, this ratio was higher in the AOM/DSS group than that determined in other males and the AOM/DSS/E2 group. Our findings suggest that estrogen alters the gut microbiota in ICR (CrljOri:CD1) mice, particularly AOM/DSS-treated males, by decreasing the F/B ratio and changing Shannon and Simpson index by supply of estrogen. This highlights another possibility that estrogen could cause changes in the gut microbiota, thereby reducing the risk of developing CRC.
Drug-responsive autism phenotypes in the 16p11.2 deletion mouse model: a central role for gene-environment interactions
Authors: Mitchell Emma J. , Thomson David M. , Openshaw Rebecca L. , Bristow Greg C. , Dawson Neil , Pratt Judith A. , Morris Brian J. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThere are no current treatments for autism, despite its high prevalence. Deletions of chromosome 16p11.2 dramatically increase risk for autism, suggesting that mice with an equivalent genetic rearrangement may offer a valuable model for the testing of novel classes of therapeutic drug. 16p11.2 deletion (16p11.2 DEL) mice and wild-type controls were assessed using an ethological approach, with 24 h monitoring of activity and social interaction of groups of mice in a home-cage environment. The ability of the excitation/inhibition modulator N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and the 5-HT1B/1D/1F receptor agonist eletriptan to normalise the behavioural deficits observed was tested. 16p11.2 DEL mice exhibited largely normal behaviours, but, following the stress of an injection, showed hyperlocomotion, reduced sociability, and a strong anxiolytic phenotype. The hyperactivity and reduced sociability, but not the suppressed anxiety, were effectively attenuated by both NAC and eletriptan. The data suggest that 16p11.2 DEL mice show an autism-relevant phenotype that becomes overt after an acute stressor, emphasising the importance of gene-environmental interactions in phenotypic analysis. Further, they add to an emerging view that NAC, or 5-HT1B/1D/1F receptor agonist treatment, may be a promising strategy for further investigation as a future treatment.
Phosphate-dependent aggregation of [KL]n peptides affects their membranolytic activity
Authors: Strandberg Erik , Schweigardt Fabian , Wadhwani Parvesh , Bürck Jochen , Reichert Johannes , Cravo Haroldo L. P. , Burger Luisa , Ulrich Anne S. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractIn this study, we investigate how the length of amphiphilic β-sheet forming peptides affects their interaction with membranes. Four polycationic model peptides with lengths from 6 to 18 amino acids were constructed from simple Lys-Leu repeats, giving [KL]n=3,5,7,9. We found that (1) they exhibit a pronounced antimicrobial activity with an intriguing length dependent maximum for [KL]5 with 10 amino acids; (2) their hemolytic effect, on the other hand, increases steadily with peptide length. CD analysis (3) and TEM (4) show that all peptides-except for the short [KL]3-aggregate into amyloid-like fibrils in the presence of phosphate ions, which in turn has a critical effect on the results in (1) and (2). In fact, (5) vesicle leakage reveals an intrinsic membrane-perturbing activity (at constant peptide mass) of [KL]5 > [KL]9 > [KL]7 in phosphate buffer, which changes to [KL]5 ≈ [KL]7 ≈ [KL]9 in PIPES. A specific interaction with phosphate ions thus explains the subtle balance between two counteracting effects: phosphate-induced unproductive pre-aggregation in solution versus monomeric membrane binding and vigorous lipid perturbation due to self-assembly of the bound peptides within the bilayer. This knowledge can now be used to control and optimize the peptides in further applications.
Microencapsulation of tris(dimethylaminomethyl)phenol using polystyrene shell for self-healing materials
Authors: Hu Honglin , Zhang Lu , Zhang Ying , Yang Yunhua , Yu Ruilian , Wang Jinming 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe self-healing function of the polymer material has been realized by the microencapsulation technology of the healing agent. A novel microcapsule contained tris(dimethylaminomethyl)phenol (DMP-30) with polystyrene as shell material was prepared via solvent evaporation technique in a W/O/W emulsion. Two key strategies were implemented to prepare the microcapsules successfully. First, a small amount of deionized water was added into DMP-30 to form a complex, and a stable W/O emulsion was successfully prepared. The second one is to form a stable W/O/W emulsion system with the high viscosity aqueous solution added with Arabia gum and surfactants as the third phase. In addition, the influencing factors of microcapsules preparation were investigated systematically. The chemical structure of DMP-30 microcapsule was investigated by Fourier transform infrared. The morphology and shell thickness of the microcapsules were observed by optical microscope and scanning electron microscope. The reactivity of the core material was studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The thermal properties of microcapsules were studied by thermogravimetric analysis. The environmental resistance of microcapsules was verified by the isothermal aging test. Results showed that DMP-30 was successfully coated by polystyrene and the microcapsule size was in the range of 2–40 μm. The synthesized microcapsules were thermally stable below 50 °C.
Probing driving forces for binding between nanoparticles and amino acids by saturation-transfer difference NMR
Authors: Xu Hui , Casabianca Leah B. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractAs nanotechnology becomes increasingly used in biomedicine, it is important to have techniques by which to examine the structure and dynamics of biologically-relevant molecules on the surface of engineered nanoparticles. Previous work has shown that Saturation-Transfer Difference (STD)-NMR can be used to explore the interaction between small molecules, including amino acids, and the surface of polystyrene nanoparticles. Here we use STD-NMR to further explore the different driving forces that are responsible for these interactions. Electrostatic effects are probed by using zwitterionic polystyrene beads and performing STD-NMR experiments at high, low, and neutral pH, as well as by varying the salt concentration and observing the effect on the STD buildup curve. The influence of dispersion interactions on ligand-nanoparticle binding is also explored, by establishing a structure–activity relationship for binding using a series of unnatural amino acids with different lengths of hydrophobic side chains. These results will be useful for predicting which residues in a peptide are responsible for binding and for understanding the driving forces for binding between peptides and nanoparticles in future studies.
Ultrafast synthesis of carbon quantum dots from fenugreek seeds using microwave plasma enhanced decomposition: application of C-QDs to grow fluorescent protein crystals
Authors: Dager Akansha , Baliyan Ankur , Kurosu Shunji , Maekawa Toru , Tachibana Masaru 
Published: July 2020

AbstractHerein, we present the rapid synthesis of mono-dispersed carbon quantum dots (C-QDs) via a single-step microwave plasma-enhanced decomposition (MPED) process. Highly-crystalline C-QDs were synthesized in a matter of 5 min using the fenugreek seeds as a sustainable carbon source. It is the first report, to the best of our knowledge, where C-QDs were synthesized using MPED via natural carbon precursor. Synthesis of C-QDs requires no external temperature other than hydrogen (H2) plasma. Plasma containing the high-energy electrons and activated hydrogen ions predominantly provide the required energy directly into the reaction volume, thus maximizing the atom economy. C-QDs shows excellent Photoluminescence (PL) activity along with the dual-mode of excitation-dependent PL emission (blue and redshift). We investigate the reason behind the dual-mode of excitation-dependent PL. To prove the efficacy of the MPED process, C-QDs were also derived from fenugreek seeds using the traditional synthesis process, highlighting their respective size-distribution, crystallinity, quantum yield, and PL. Notably, C-QDs synthesis via MPED was 97.2% faster than the traditional thermal decomposition process. To the best of our knowledge, the present methodology to synthesize C-QDs via natural source employing MPED is three times faster and far more energy-efficient than reported so far. Additionally, the application of C-QDs to produce the florescent lysozyme protein crystals “hybrid bio-nano crystals” is also discussed. Such a guest–host strategy can be exploited to develop diverse and complex "bio-nano systems". The florescent lysozyme protein crystals could provide a platform for the development of novel next-generation polychrome luminescent crystals.
Cranial irradiation at early postnatal age impairs stroke-induced neural stem/progenitor cell response in the adult brain
Authors: Neumann Susanne , Porritt Michelle J. , Osman Ahmed M. , Kuhn H. Georg 
Published: July 2020

AbstractCranial irradiation (IR) is commonly used to treat primary brain tumors and metastatic diseases. However, cranial IR-treated patients often develop vascular abnormalities later in life that increase their risk for cerebral ischemia. Studies in rodents have demonstrated that IR impairs maintenance of the neural stem/precursor cell (NSPC) pool and depletes neurogenesis. We and others have previously shown that stroke triggers NSPC proliferation in the subventricular zone and migration towards the stroke-injured neocortex. Whether this response is sustained in the irradiated brain remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that cranial IR in mice at an early postnatal age significantly reduced the number to neuronal progenitors responding to cortical stroke in adults. This was accompanied by a reduced number of microglia/macrophages in the peri-infarct cortex; however, the astrocytic response was not altered. Our findings indicate that IR impairs the endogenous repair capacity in the brain in response to stroke, hence pointing to another side effect of cranial radiotherapy which requires further attention.
Growth front smoothing effects in extremely high pressure vapor deposition
Authors: Pittman Nicholas , Lu Toh-Ming 
Published: July 2020

AbstractRecent experimental chemical vapor depositions of silicon at extreme pressures of ~ 50 MPa (~ 500 atm) have been observed to generate remarkably smooth surfaces not predicted by low-pressure deposition models. In this paper, we propose an anti-shadowing mechanism where the collision of particles within the valleys of the surface growth front leads to smoothening. We conduct Monte Carlo simulations to simulate the evolution of film roughness at pressures between 1 and 50 MPa. We observe that surface roughness approaches an asymptotic invariant value that follows power law behavior as a function of pressure. The film thickness at which invariance begins is shown to have a similar power law behavior with respect to pressure. Our simulated results compare favorably with recent experimental observations and provide insight into the fundamental mechanisms underlying film evolution at pressures between one and hundreds of atmospheres.
Succeeding in deactivating: associations of hair zinc levels with functional and structural neural mechanisms
Authors: Takeuchi Hikaru , Taki Yasuyuki , Nouchi Rui , Yokoyama Ryoichi , Kotozaki Yuka , Nakagawa Seishu , Sekiguchi Atsushi , Iizuka Kunio , Hanawa Sugiko , Araki Tsuyoshi , Miyauchi Carlos Makoto , Sakaki Kohei , Nozawa Takayuki , Ikeda Shigeyuki , Yokota Susum , Magistro Daniele , Sassa Yuko , Kawashima Ryuta 
Published: July 2020

AbstractZinc is a biologically essential element and involved in a wide range of cellular processes. Here, we investigated the associations of zinc levels in hair with brain activity during the n-back working memory task using functional magnetic resonance imaging, fractional anisotropy (FA) of diffusion tensor imaging, and cognitive differences in a study cohort of 924 healthy young adults. Our findings showed that greater hair zinc levels were associated with lower brain activity during working memory in extensive areas in the default mode network (i.e., greater task-induced deactivation) as well as greater FA in white matter areas near the hippocampus and posterior limbs of the internal capsule. These findings advance previous non-neuroimaging findings of zinc’s associations with excitability, excitability-associated disorders, and myelination.
Plasma extracellular vesicle proteins are associated with stress-induced myocardial ischemia in women presenting with chest pain
Authors: Dekker Mirthe , Waissi Farahnaz , van Bennekom Joelle , Silvis Max J. M. , Timmerman Nathalie , Bank Ingrid E. M. , Walter Joan E. , Mueller Christian , Schoneveld A. H. , Schiffelers Raymond M. , Pasterkamp Gerard , Grobbee Diederick E. , de Winter Robbert J. , Mosterd A. , de Kleijn Dominique P. V. , Timmers Leo 
Published: July 2020

AbstractDiagnosing stable ischemic heart disease (IHD) is challenging, especially in females. Currently, no blood test is available. Plasma extracellular vesicles (EV) are emerging as potential biomarker source. We therefore aimed to identify stress induced ischemia due to stable IHD with plasma extracellular vesicle protein levels in chest pain patients. We analyzed 450 patients suspected for stable IHD who were referred for 82Rb PET/CT in the outpatient clinic. Blood samples were collected before PET/CT and plasma EVs were isolated in 3 plasma subfractions named: TEX, HDL, LDL. In total 6 proteins were quantified in each of these subfractions using immuno-bead assays. CD14 and CystatinC protein levels were independent significant predictors of stress-induced ischemia in the LDL and the HDL subfraction and SerpinC1 and SerpinG1 protein levels in the HDL fraction. Subgroup-analysis on sex revealed that these associations were completely attributed to the associations in women. None of the significant EV proteins remained significant in men. Plasma EV proteins levels are associated with the presence of stable IHD in females presenting with chest pain. This finding, if confirmed in larger cohort studies could be a crucial step in improving diagnostic assessment of women with suspected IHD.
Direct fluorogenic detection of palladium and platinum organometallic complexes with proteins and nucleic acids in polyacrylamide gels
Authors: Pekarik Vladimir , Peskova Marie , Duben Jakub , Remes Marek , Heger Zbynek 
Published: July 2020

AbstractAllyl- and propargyl ethers of umbelliferone are sensitive probes for palladium and platinum, including anticancer compounds cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin, and effective for direct visualization of protein and DNA complexes with organometallic compounds in polyacrylamide gels allowing easy detection of interactions with analyzed protein or nucleic acid. Both probes can be used for fast evaluation of Pd/Pt binding to nanocarriers relevant in drug targeted therapy or specific clinically relevant target macromolecules.
Human SARS-CoV-2 has evolved to reduce CG dinucleotide in its open reading frames
Authors: Wang Yong , Mao Jun-Ming , Wang Guang-Dong , Luo Zhi-Peng , Yang Liu , Yao Qin , Chen Ke-Ping 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe outbreak of COVID-19 has brought great threat to human health. Its causative agent is a severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus which has been officially named SARS-CoV-2. Here we report the discovery of extremely low CG abundance in its open reading frames. We found that CG reduction in SARS-CoV-2 is achieved mainly through mutating C/G into A/T, and CG is the best target for mutation. Meanwhile, 5′-untranslated region of SARS-CoV-2 has high CG content and is capable of forming an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) to recruit host ribosome for translating its RNA. These features allow SARS-CoV-2 to reproduce efficiently in host cells, because less energy is consumed in disrupting the stem-loops formed by its genomic RNA. Notably, genomes of cellular organisms also have very low CG abundance, suggesting that mutating C/G into A/T occurs universally in all life forms. Moreover, CG is the dinucleotide related to CpG island, mutational hotspot and single nucleotide polymorphism in cellular organisms. The relationship between these features is worthy of further investigations.
Novel application of an automated-machine learning development tool for predicting burn sepsis: proof of concept
Authors: Tran Nam K. , Albahra Samer , Pham Tam N. , Holmes James H. , Greenhalgh David , Palmieri Tina L. , Wajda Jeffery , Rashidi Hooman H. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractSepsis is the primary cause of burn-related mortality and morbidity. Traditional indicators of sepsis exhibit poor performance when used in this unique population due to their underlying hypermetabolic and inflammatory response following burn injury. To address this challenge, we developed the Machine Intelligence Learning Optimizer (MILO), an automated machine learning (ML) platform, to automatically produce ML models for predicting burn sepsis. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 211 adult patients (age ≥ 18 years) with severe burn injury (≥ 20% total body surface area) to generate training and test datasets for ML applications. The MILO approach was compared against an exhaustive “non-automated” ML approach as well as standard statistical methods. For this study, traditional multivariate logistic regression (LR) identified seven predictors of burn sepsis when controlled for age and burn size (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.99–4.04, P = 0.032). The area under the ROC (ROC-AUC) when using these seven predictors was 0.88. Next, the non-automated ML approach produced an optimal model based on LR using 16 out of the 23 features from the study dataset. Model accuracy was 86% with ROC-AUC of 0.96. In contrast, MILO identified a k-nearest neighbor-based model using only five features to be the best performer with an accuracy of 90% and a ROC-AUC of 0.96. Machine learning augments burn sepsis prediction. MILO identified models more quickly, with less required features, and found to be analytically superior to traditional ML approaches. Future studies are needed to clinically validate the performance of MILO-derived ML models for sepsis prediction.