bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Systems biology reveals reprogramming of the S-nitroso-proteome in the cortical and striatal regions of mice during aging process
Authors: Kartawy Maryam , Khaliulin Igor , Amal Haitham 
Published: August 2020

AbstractCell aging depends on the rate of cumulative oxidative and nitrosative damage to DNA and proteins. Accumulated data indicate the involvement of protein S-nitrosylation (SNO), the nitric oxide (NO)-mediated posttranslational modification (PTM) of cysteine thiols, in different brain disorders. However, the changes and involvement of SNO in aging including the development of the organism from juvenile to adult state is still unknown. In this study, using the state-of-the-art mass spectrometry technology to identify S-nitrosylated proteins combined with large-scale computational biology, we tested the S-nitroso-proteome in juvenile and adult mice in both cortical and striatal regions. We found reprogramming of the S-nitroso-proteome in adult mice of both cortex and striatum regions. Significant biological processes and protein–protein clusters associated with synaptic and neuronal terms were enriched in adult mice. Extensive quantitative analysis revealed a large set of potentially pathological proteins that were significantly upregulated in adult mice. Our approach, combined with large scale computational biology allowed us to perform a system-level characterization and identification of the key proteins and biological processes that can serve as drug targets for aging and brain disorders in future studies.
Transforming single-band static FSS to dual-band dynamic FSS using origami
Authors: Biswas Akash , Zekios Constantinos L. , Georgakopoulos Stavros V. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractFrequency selective surfaces (FSSs) have been used to control and shape electromagnetic waves. Previous design approaches use complex geometries that are challenging to implement. With the purpose to transform electromagnetic waves, we morph the shapes of FSS designs based on origami patterns to attain new degrees of freedom and achieve enhanced electromagnetic performance. Specifically, using origami patterns with strongly coupled electromagnetic resonators, we transform a single-band FSS to a dual-band FSS. We explain this transformation by showing that both symmetric and anti-symmetric modes are excited due to the strong coupling and suitable orientation of the elements. Also, our origami FSS can fold/unfold thereby tuning (i.e., reconfiguring) its dual-band performance. Therefore, the proposed FSS is a dynamic reconfigurable electromagnetic structure whereas traditional FSSs are static and cannot change their performance.
Multi-AI competing and winning against humans in iterated Rock-Paper-Scissors game
Authors: Wang Lei , Huang Wenbin , Li Yuanpeng , Evans Julian , He Sailing 
Published: August 2020

AbstractPredicting and modeling human behavior and finding trends within human decision-making processes is a major problem of social science. Rock Paper Scissors (RPS) is the fundamental strategic question in many game theory problems and real-world competitions. Finding the right approach to beat a particular human opponent is challenging. Here we use an AI (artificial intelligence) algorithm based on Markov Models of one fixed memory length (abbreviated as “single AI”) to compete against humans in an iterated RPS game. We model and predict human competition behavior by combining many Markov Models with different fixed memory lengths (abbreviated as “multi-AI”), and develop an architecture of multi-AI with changeable parameters to adapt to different competition strategies. We introduce a parameter called “focus length” (a positive number such as 5 or 10) to control the speed and sensitivity for our multi-AI to adapt to the opponent’s strategy change. The focus length is the number of previous rounds that the multi-AI should look at when determining which Single-AI has the best performance and should choose to play for the next game. We experimented with 52 different people, each playing 300 rounds continuously against one specific multi-AI model, and demonstrated that our strategy could win against more than 95% of human opponents.
Anisotropic morphology, formation mechanisms, and fluorescence properties of zirconia nanocrystals
Authors: Qin Weiwei , Zhu Luyi 
Published: August 2020

AbstractZrO2 nanocrystals with spheres and elongated platelets were systemically prepared through a simple hydrothermal method by the use of ZrOCl2·8H2O and CH3COOK as raw materials. The anisotropic morphology and formation mechanism of the monoclinic and/or tetragonal ZrO2 were investigated by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, and high-resolution transmission electron microscope techniques. The uniform elongated platelets and star-like structures were composed of short nanorods with a diameter of approximately 5 nm and a length of approximately 10 nm. The different morphologies were formed due to the different contents of CH3COO− and Cl− and their synergy. The fluorescence band position and the band shape remained about the same for excitation wavelengths below 290 nm and the different morphologies of the nanocrystals.
The impact of social structure on breeding strategies in an island bird
Authors: McDonald Grant C. , Engel Noémie , Ratão Sara S. , Székely Tamás , Kosztolányi András 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThe social environment is a key factor determining fitness by influencing multiple stages of reproduction, including pair formation, mating behavior and parenting. However, the influence of social structure across different aspects of breeding is rarely examined simultaneously in wild populations. We therefore lack a consolidation of the mechanisms by which sociality impacts reproduction. Here we investigate the implications of the social environment before and during breeding on multiple stages of reproduction in an island population of the ground nesting shorebird, the Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus). We utilise information on mating decisions, nest locations and nesting success across multiple years in combination with social network analysis. Sociality before breeding was connected with patterns of pair formation. In addition, site fidelity and personal breeding experience was associated with the spatial organisation of breeding pairs. Our results provide evidence that, while differential social interactions at localised scales influence patterns of reproductive pairing, site fidelity and personal breeding experience influence the structure of populations at the landscape scale. Our results underline the tight link between the social structure of populations and patterns of mating, while revealing that the relative influence of sociality, breeding experience and local ecology are dynamic across different facets of reproduction.
Comparative analysis, distribution, and characterization of microsatellites in Orf virus genome
Authors: Sahu Basanta Pravas , Majee Prativa , Singh Ravi Raj , Sahoo Anjan , Nayak Debasis 
Published: August 2020

AbstractGenome-wide in-silico identification of microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSRs) in the Orf virus (ORFV), the causative agent of contagious ecthyma has been carried out to investigate the type, distribution and its potential role in the genome evolution. We have investigated eleven ORFV strains, which resulted in the presence of 1,036–1,181 microsatellites per strain. The further screening revealed the presence of 83–107 compound SSRs (cSSRs) per genome. Our analysis indicates the dinucleotide (76.9%) repeats to be the most abundant, followed by trinucleotide (17.7%), mononucleotide (4.9%), tetranucleotide (0.4%) and hexanucleotide (0.2%) repeats. The Relative Abundance (RA) and Relative Density (RD) of these SSRs varied between 7.6–8.4 and 53.0–59.5 bp/kb, respectively. While in the case of cSSRs, the RA and RD ranged from 0.6–0.8 and 12.1–17.0 bp/kb, respectively. Regression analysis of all parameters like the incident of SSRs, RA, and RD significantly correlated with the GC content. But in a case of genome size, except incident SSRs, all other parameters were non-significantly correlated. Nearly all cSSRs were composed of two microsatellites, which showed no biasedness to a particular motif. Motif duplication pattern, such as, (C)-x-(C), (TG)-x-(TG), (AT)-x-(AT), (TC)- x-(TC) and self-complementary motifs, such as (GC)-x-(CG), (TC)-x-(AG), (GT)-x-(CA) and (TC)-x-(AG) were observed in the cSSRs. Finally, in-silico polymorphism was assessed, followed by in-vitro validation using PCR analysis and sequencing. The thirteen polymorphic SSR markers developed in this study were further characterized by mapping with the sequence present in the database. The results of the present study indicate that these SSRs could be a useful tool for identification, analysis of genetic diversity, and understanding the evolutionary status of the virus.
Micro-CT scan with virtual dissection of left ventricle is a non-destructive, reproducible alternative to dissection and weighing for left ventricular size
Authors: Doost Ata , Rangel Alejandra , Nguyen Quang , Morahan Grant , Arnolda Leonard 
Published: August 2020

AbstractMicro-CT scan images enhanced by iodine staining provide high-resolution visualisation of soft tissues in laboratory mice. We have compared Micro-CT scan-derived left ventricular (LV) mass with dissection and weighing. Ex-vivo micro-CT scan images of the mouse hearts were obtained following staining by iodine. The LV was segmented and its volume was assessed using a semi-automated method by Drishti software. The left ventricle was then dissected in the laboratory and its actual weight was measured and compared against the estimated results. LV mass was calculated multiplying its estimated volume and myocardial specific gravity. Thirty-five iodine-stained post-natal mouse hearts were studied. Mice were of either sex and 68 to 352 days old (median age 202 days with interquartile range 103 to 245 days) at the time of sacrifice. Samples were from 20 genetically diverse strains. Median mouse body weight was 29 g with interquartile range 24 to 34 g. Left Ventricular weights ranged from 40.0 to 116.7 mg. The segmented LV mass estimated from micro-CT scan and directly measured dissected LV mass were strongly correlated (R2 = 0. 97). Segmented LV mass derived from Micro-CT images was very similar to the physically dissected LV mass (mean difference = 0.09 mg; 95% confidence interval − 3.29 mg to 3.1 mg). Micro-CT scanning provides a non-destructive, efficient and accurate visualisation tool for anatomical analysis of animal heart models of human cardiovascular conditions. Iodine-stained soft tissue imaging empowers researchers to perform qualitative and quantitative assessment of the cardiac structures with preservation of the samples for future histological analysis.
Methylglyoxal inhibits nuclear division through alterations in vacuolar morphology and accumulation of Atg18 on the vacuolar membrane in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Nomura Wataru , Aoki Miho , Inoue Yoshiharu 
Published: August 2020

AbstractMethylglyoxal (MG) is a natural metabolite derived from glycolysis, and it inhibits the growth of cells in all kinds of organisms. We recently reported that MG inhibits nuclear division in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, the mechanism by which MG blocks nuclear division remains unclear. Here, we show that increase in the levels of phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(3,5)P2) is crucial for the inhibitory effects of MG on nuclear division, and the deletion of PtdIns(3,5)P2-effector Atg18 alleviated the MG-mediated inhibitory effects. Previously, we reported that MG altered morphology of the vacuole to a single swelling form, where PtdIns(3,5)P2 accumulates. The changes in the vacuolar morphology were also needed by MG to exert its inhibitory effects on nuclear division. The known checkpoint machinery, including the spindle assembly checkpoint and morphological checkpoint, are not involved in the blockade of nuclear division by MG. Our results suggest that both the accumulation of Atg18 on the vacuolar membrane and alterations in vacuolar morphology are necessary for the MG-induced inhibition of nuclear division.
Timing-dependent effects of salicylic acid treatment on phytohormonal changes, ROS regulation, and antioxidant defense in salinized barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)
Authors: Torun Hülya , Novák Ondřej , Mikulík Jaromír , Pěnčík Aleš , Strnad Miroslav , Ayaz Faik Ahmet 
Published: August 2020

AbstractCross-talk between exogenous salicylic acid (SA) and endogenous phytohormone pathways affects the antioxidant defense system and its response to salt stress. The study presented here investigated the effects of SA treatment before and during salt stress on the levels of endogenous plant growth regulators in three barley cultivars with different salinity tolerances: Hordeum vulgare L. cvs. Akhisar (sensitive), Erginel (moderate), and Kalaycı (tolerant). The cultivars’ relative leaf water contents, growth parameters, proline contents, chlorophyll a/b ratios, and lipid peroxidation levels were measured, along with the activities of enzymes involved in detoxifying reactive oxygen species (ROS) including superoxide-dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, ascorbate-peroxidase, and glutathione-reductase. In addition, levels of several endogenous phytohormones (indole-3-acetic-acid, cytokinins, abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, and ethylene) were measured. Barley is known to be more salt tolerant than related plant species. Accordingly, none of the studied cultivars exhibited changes in membrane lipid peroxidation under salt stress. However, they responded differently to salt-stress with respect to their accumulation of phytohormones and antioxidant enzyme activity. The strongest and weakest increases in ABA and proline accumulation were observed in Kalaycı and Akhisar, respectively, suggesting that salt-stress was more effectively managed in Kalaycı. The effects of exogenous SA treatment depended on both the timing of the treatment and the cultivar to which it was applied. In general, however, where SA helped mitigate salt stress, it appeared to do so by increasing ROS scavenging capacity and antioxidant enzyme activity. SA treatment also induced changes in phytohormone levels, presumably as a consequence of SA-phytohormone salt-stress cross-talk.
Socio-economic, built environment, and mobility conditions associated with crime: a study of multiple cities
Authors: De Nadai Marco , Xu Yanyan , Letouzé Emmanuel , González Marta C. , Lepri Bruno 
Published: August 2020

AbstractNowadays, 23% of the world population lives in multi-million cities. In these metropolises, criminal activity is much higher and violent than in either small cities or rural areas. Thus, understanding what factors influence urban crime in big cities is a pressing need. Seminal studies analyse crime records through historical panel data or analysis of historical patterns combined with ecological factor and exploratory mapping. More recently, machine learning methods have provided informed crime prediction over time. However, previous studies have focused on a single city at a time, considering only a limited number of factors (such as socio-economical characteristics) and often at large in a single city. Hence, our understanding of the factors influencing crime across cultures and cities is very limited. Here we propose a Bayesian model to explore how violent and property crimes are related not only to socio-economic factors but also to the built environmental (e.g. land use) and mobility characteristics of neighbourhoods. To that end, we analyse crime at small areas and integrate multiple open data sources with mobile phone traces to compare how the different factors correlate with crime in diverse cities, namely Boston, Bogotá, Los Angeles and Chicago. We find that the combined use of socio-economic conditions, mobility information and physical characteristics of the neighbourhood effectively explain the emergence of crime, and improve the performance of the traditional approaches. However, we show that the socio-ecological factors of neighbourhoods relate to crime very differently from one city to another. Thus there is clearly no “one fits all” model.
Allergic diseases do not impair the cognitive development of children but do damage the mental health of their caregivers
Authors: Kuo Ho-Chang , Chang Ling-Sai , Tsai Zi-Yu , Wang Liang-Jen 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThis study aimed to investigate whether children with atopic diseases exhibited different neurodevelopment function from healthy controls and whether their caregivers had differential parental stress. In total, we recruited 109 patients with atopic diseases (mean age 6.8 years, 54.1% male) and 82 healthy children (mean age 6.3 years, 54.9% male). Based on the children’s age, they underwent developmental, cognitive evaluations and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. The parenting stress of children’s caregivers was evaluated using the Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ-12) and Family APGAR. Of the children with atopic diseases, 87.2%, 74.3%, 29.4%, and 8.3% of them had allergic rhinitis, asthma, atopic dermatitis, and urticaria, respectively. None of these conditions were associated with children’s cognitive profiles or ADHD symptoms. However, the caregivers of patients who had asthma suffered from higher CHQ-12 scores than those of patients without asthma. Furthermore, the number of atopic diseases had a dose–response effect on caregivers’ CHQ-12 scores. In conclusion, allergic diseases did not impair the cognitive development of children. However, caregivers of patients with asthma or multiple atopic diseases may suffer a greater mental health burden with regard to caring for their children. Such caregivers may require support to effectively fulfill their parenting roles.
The burden of kidney cancer and its attributable risk factors in 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017
Authors: Safiri Saeid , Kolahi Ali-Asghar , Mansournia Mohammad Ali , Almasi-Hashiani Amir , Ashrafi-Asgarabad Ahad , Sullman Mark J. M. , Bettampadi Deepti , Qorbani Mostafa , Moradi-Lakeh Maziar , Ardalan Mohammadreza , Mokdad Ali , Fitzmaurice Christina 
Published: August 2020

AbstractKidney cancer globally accounts for more than 131,000 deaths each year and has been found to place a large economic burden on society. However, there are no recent articles on the burden of kidney cancer across the world. The aim of this study was to present a status report on the incidence, mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) associated with kidney cancer in 195 countries, from 1990 to 2017. Vital registration and cancer registry data (total of 23,660 site-years) were used to generate the estimates. Mortality was estimated first and the incidence and DALYs were calculated based on the estimated mortality values. All estimates were presented as counts and age-standardised rates per 100,000 population. The estimated rates were calculated by age, sex and according to the Socio-Demographic Index (SDI). In 2017, kidney cancer accounted for 393.0 thousand (95% UI: 371.0–404.6) incident cases, 138.5 thousand (95% UI: 128.7–142.5) deaths and 3.3 million (95% UI: 3.1–3.4) DALYs globally. The global age-standardised rates for the incidence, deaths and DALY were 4.9 (95% UI: 4.7–5.1), 1.7 (95% UI: 1.6–1.8) and 41.1 (95% UI: 38.7–42.5), respectively. Uruguay [15.8 (95% UI: 13.6–19.0)] and Bangladesh [1.5 (95% UI: 1.0–1.8)] had highest and lowest age-standardised incidence rates, respectively. The age-standardised death rates varied substantially from 0.47 (95% UI: 0.34–0.58) in Bangladesh to 5.6 (95% UI: 4.6–6.1) in the Czech Republic. Incidence and mortality rates were higher among males, than females, across all age groups, with the highest rates for both sexes being observed in the 95+ age group. Generally, positive associations were found between each country’s age-standardised DALY rate and their corresponding SDI. The considerable burden of kidney cancer was attributable to high body mass index (18.5%) and smoking (16.6%) in both sexes. There are large inter-country differences in the burden of kidney cancer and it is generally higher in countries with a high SDI. The findings from this study provide much needed information for those in each country that are making health-related decisions about priority areas, resource allocation, and the effectiveness of prevention programmes. The results of our study also highlight the need for renewed efforts to reduce exposure to the kidney cancer risk factors and to improve the prevention and the early detection of this disease.
Zinc tolerant plant growth promoting bacteria alleviates phytotoxic effects of zinc on maize through zinc immobilization
Authors: Jain Devendra , Kour Ramandeep , Bhojiya Ali Asger , Meena Ram Hari , Singh Abhijeet , Mohanty Santosh Ranjan , Rajpurohit Deepak , Ameta Kapil Dev 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThe increasing heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils has become a serious concern across the globe. The present study envisages developing microbial inoculant approach for agriculture in Zn contaminated soils. Potential zinc tolerant bacteria (ZTB) were isolated from zinc (Zn) contaminated soils of southern Rajasthan, India. Isolates were further screened based on their efficiency towards Zn tolerance and plant growth promoting activities. Four strains viz. ZTB15, ZTB24, ZTB28 and ZTB29 exhibited high degree of tolerance to Zn up to 62.5 mM. The Zn accumulation by these bacterial strains was also evidenced by AAS and SEM–EDS studies. Assessment of various plant growth promotion traits viz., IAA, GA3, NH3, HCN, siderophores, ACC deaminase, phytase production and P, K, Si solubilization studies revealed that these ZTB strains may serve as an efficient plant growth promoter under in vitro conditions. Gluconic acid secreted by ZTB strains owing to mineral solubilization was therefore confirmed using high performance liquid chromatography. A pot experiment under Zn stress conditions was performed using maize (Zea mays) variety (FEM-2) as a test crop. Zn toxicity reduced various plant growth parameters; however, inoculation of ZTB strains alleviated the Zn toxicity and enhanced the plant growth parameters. The effects of Zn stress on antioxidant enzyme activities in maize under in vitro conditions were also investigated. An increase in superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, catalase and polyphenol oxidase activity was observed on inoculation of ZTB strains. Further, ZIP gene expression studies revealed high expression in the ZIP metal transporter genes which were declined in the ZTB treated maize plantlets. The findings from the present study revealed that ZTB could play an important role in bioremediation in Zn contaminated soils.
Single shot multispectral multidimensional imaging using chaotic waves
Authors: Anand Vijayakumar , Ng Soon Hock , Maksimovic Jovan , Linklater Denver , Katkus Tomas , Ivanova Elena P. , Juodkazis Saulius 
Published: August 2020

AbstractMultispectral imaging technology is a valuable scientific tool for various applications in astronomy, remote sensing, molecular fingerprinting, and fluorescence imaging. In this study, we demonstrate a single camera shot, lensless, interferenceless, motionless, non-scanning, space, spectrum, and time resolved five-dimensional incoherent imaging technique using tailored chaotic waves with quasi-random intensity and phase distributions. Chaotic waves can distinctly encode spatial and spectral information of an object in single self-interference intensity distribution. In this study, a tailored chaotic wave with a nearly pure phase function and lowest correlation noise is generated using a quasi-random array of pinholes. A unique sequence of signal processing techniques is applied to extract all possible spatial and spectral channels with the least entropy. The depth-wavelength reciprocity is exploited to see colour from depth and depth from colour and the physics of beam propagation is exploited to see at one depth by calibrating at another.