bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Endogenous ABA alleviates rice ammonium toxicity by reducing ROS and free ammonium via regulation of the SAPK9–bZIP20 pathway
Authors: Sun Li , Di Dong-Wei , Li Guangjie , Kronzucker Herbert J , Wu Xiangyu , Shi Weiming 
Published: February 2020

AbstractAmmonium (NH4+) is one of the principal nitrogen (N) sources in soils, but is typically toxic already at intermediate concentrations. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a pivotal role in responses to environmental stresses. However, the role of ABA under high-NH4+ stress in rice (Oryza sativa L.) is only marginally understood. Here, we report that elevated NH4+ can significantly accelerate tissue ABA accumulation. Mutants with high (Osaba8ox) and low levels of ABA (Osphs3-1) exhibit elevated tolerance or sensitivity to high-NH4+ stress, respectively. Furthermore, ABA can decrease NH4+-induced oxidative damage and tissue NH4+ accumulation by enhancing antioxidant and glutamine synthetase (GS)/glutamate synthetasae (GOGAT) enzyme activities. Using RNA sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR approaches, we ascertain that two genes, OsSAPK9 and OsbZIP20, are induced both by high NH4+ and by ABA. Our data indicate that OsSAPK9 interacts with OsbZIP20, and can phosphorylate OsbZIP20 and activate its function. When OsSAPK9 or OsbZIP20 are knocked out in rice, ABA-mediated antioxidant and GS/GOGAT activity enhancement under high-NH4+ stress disappear, and the two mutants are more sensitive to high-NH4+ stress compared with their wild types. Taken together, our results suggest that ABA plays a positive role in regulating the OsSAPK9–OsbZIP20 pathway in rice to increase tolerance to high-NH4+ stress.
Comparison of galaxy spiral arm pitch angle measurements using manual and automated techniques
Authors: Hewitt Ian B , Treuthardt Patrick 
Published: February 2020

ABSTRACT
The pitch angle (PA) of arms in spiral galaxies has been found to correlate with a number of important parameters that are normally time intensive and difficult to measure. Accurate PA measurements are therefore important in understanding the underlying physics of disc galaxies. We introduce a semi-automated method that improves upon a parallelized two-dimensional fast Fourier transform algorithm (p2dfft) to estimate PA. Rather than directly inputting deprojected, star subtracted, and galaxy centred images into p2dfft, our method (p2dfft:traced) takes visually traced spiral arms from deprojected galaxy images as input. The tracings do not require extensive expertise to complete. This procedure ignores foreground stars, bulge and/or bar structures, and allows for better discrimination between arm and interarm regions, all of which reduce noise in the results. We compare p2dfft:traced to other manual and automated methods of measuring PA using both simple barred and non-barred spiral galaxy models and a small sample of observed spiral galaxies with different representative morphologies. We find that p2dfft:traced produces results that, in general, are more accurate and precise than the other tested methods and it strikes a balance between total automation and time-consuming manual input to give reliable PA measurements.
Lifetime of short-period binaries measured from their Galactic kinematics
Authors: Hwang Hsiang-Chih , Zakamska Nadia L 
Published: February 2020

ABSTRACT
As a significant fraction of stars are in multiple systems, binaries play a crucial role in stellar evolution. Among short-period (&lt;1 d) binary characteristics, age remains one of the most difficult to measure. In this paper, we constrain the lifetime of short-period binaries through their kinematics. With the kinematic information from Gaia Data Release 2 and light curves from Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), we investigate the eclipsing binary fraction as a function of kinematics for a volume-limited main-sequence sample. We find that the eclipsing binary fraction peaks at a tangential velocity of 101.3−1.6 km s−1, and decreases towards both low- and high-velocity end. This implies that thick disc and halo stars have eclipsing binary fraction ≳10 times smaller than the thin-disc stars. This is further supported by the dependence of eclipsing binary fraction on the Galactic latitude. Using Galactic models, we show that our results are inconsistent with any known dependence of binary fraction on metallicity. Instead, our best-fitting models suggest that the formation of these short-period binaries is delayed by 0.6–3 Gyr, and the disappearing time is less than the age of the thick disc. The delayed formation time of ≳0.6 Gyr implies that these short-period main-sequence binaries cannot be formed by pre-main sequence interaction and the Kozai–Lidov mechanism alone, and suggests that magnetic braking plays a key role in their formation. Because the main-sequence lifetime of our sample is longer than 14 Gyr, if the disappearance of short-period binaries in the old population is due to their finite lifetime, our results imply that most (≳90 per cent) short-period binaries in our sample merge during their main-sequence stage.
AGB winds in interacting binary stars
Authors: Bermúdez-Bustamante Luis C , García-Segura G , Steffen W , Sabin L 
Published: February 2020

ABSTRACT
We perform numerical simulations to investigate the stellar wind from interacting binary stars. Our aim is to find analytical formulae describing the outflow structure. In each binary system the more massive star is in the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) and its wind is driven by a combination of pulsations in the stellar surface layers and radiation pressure on dust, while the less massive star is in the main sequence. Time averages of density and outflow velocity of the stellar wind are calculated and plotted as profiles against distance from the centre of mass and colatitude angle. We find that mass is lost mainly through the outer Lagrangian point L2. The resultant outflow develops into a spiral at low distances from the binary. The outflowing spiral is quickly smoothed out by shocks and becomes an excretion disc at larger distances. This leads to the formation of an outflow structure with an equatorial density excess, which is greater in binaries with smaller orbital separation. The pole-to-equator density ratio reaches a maximum value of ∼105 at Roche lobe overflow state. We also find that the gas stream leaving L2 does not form a circumbinary ring for stellar mass ratios above 0.78, when radiation pressure on dust is taken into account. Analytical formulae are obtained by curve fitting the two-dimensional, azimuthally averaged density and outflow velocity profiles. The formulae can be used in future studies to set-up the initial outflow structure in hydrodynamic simulations of common-envelope evolution and formation of planetary nebulae.
The reliability of the Titius–Bode relation and its implications for the search for exoplanets
Authors: Lara Patricia , Cordero-Tercero Guadalupe , Allen Christine 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
The major semiaxes of the planets in our solar system obey a simple geometric progression known as the Titius–Bode (TB) relation, whose physical origin remains disputed. It has been shown that the exoplanetary systems follow a similar (but not identical) progression of the form $a_n= a_0$ e$^{bn}$, where $a_0$ and b are constants to be determined for each system. Since its formulation, the TB relation has proved to be highly predictive in our solar system. Using data from 27 exoplanetary systems with five or more planets and applying a proposed method, we conclude that reliable TB-like fits can be obtained for systems with at least four planets and that the precision of the TB relation is $78\%$. By means of a statistical test we show that the periods of planets in real exoplanetary systems are not consistent with a random distribution. Rather, they show signs that their configuration is shaped by their mutual interactions.
Cognitive Improvement After Kidney Transplantation Is Associated With Structural and Functional Changes on MRI
Authors: van Sandwijk Marit S. , ten Berge Ineke J. M. , Caan Matthan W. A. , Düring Marco , van Gool Willem A. , Majoie Charles B. L. M. , Mutsaerts Henk-Jan M. M. , Schmand Ben A. , Schrantee Anouk , de Sonneville Leo M. J. , Bemelman Frederike J. 
Published: February 2020

Background.
Several studies have reported improved cognitive outcomes after kidney transplantation, but most studies either did not include controls or lacked extensive neuroimaging. In addition, there is uncertainty whether kidney donation is a safe procedure in terms of cognitive outcomes.

Methods.
We prospectively studied neurocognitive function in kidney transplant recipients. The primary outcome was change in neurocognitive function after 1 year compared with baseline, which was evaluated using the Amsterdam Neuropsychological Task battery and verbal fluency tests. Secondary outcomes included changes in depression and anxiety (measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale) and changes in fatigue (measured by the Checklist for Individual Strength). We included kidney donors to control for learning effects, socioeconomic status, and surgery. In addition, kidney transplant recipients were evaluated with MRI scans at baseline and at year 1. The MRI protocol included conventional MRI, automated volumetric measurement, diffusion tensor imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, arterial spin labeling, and a resting state functional MRI.

Results.
Twenty-seven recipients and 24 donors were included. For both recipients and donors, neuropsychologic testing scores improved 1 year after transplantation (donation). Recipient improvement significantly exceeded donor improvement on tasks measuring attention and working memory. These improvements were associated with increases in white matter volume and N-acetylaspartate/creatine (a marker for neuronal integrity).

Conclusions.
Attention and working memory improve significantly 1 year after kidney transplantation. Learning effects do not account for these improvements because recipient improvement in these areas exceeds donor improvement and correlates with an improvement in white matter integrity after transplantation. Kidney donation appears to be a safe procedure in terms of cognitive outcomes.
Effect of Respiratory Muscle Training on Dysphagia in Stroke Patients - A Retrospective Pilot Study
Authors: Arnold Robert J. , Bausek Nina 
Published: February 2020

AbstractBackgroundDysphagia is prevalent with cerebrovascular accidents and contributes to the burden of disease and mortality. Strengthening of the dysfunctional swallow muscles through respiratory muscle training (RMT) has proven effective in improving swallow effectiveness and safety. However, approaches to strengthen only the expiratory muscle groups (EMST) dominate the clinical study literature, with variable outcomes. This study investigated the effect of a simultaneous inspiratory and expiratory muscle strengthening strategy to improve swallowing function in stroke patients.MethodsTwenty post-stroke patients were randomly assigned to either intervention group (IG) or control group (CG). The intervention group was treated with three 5-minute sessions of resistive respiratory muscle training every day for 28 days, while the control group received no RMT. Respiratory and swallow outcomes were assessed pre- and post-intervention and included Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MASA), Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) with Penetration/Aspiration Scale (PAS), Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS), patient visual analogue scale (VAS), and peak expiratory flow (PEF).ResultsAfter 28 days, the intervention group demonstrated greater improvements (pVal < 0.05) in PEF (IG: 168.03% vs CG: 17.47%), VAS (IG: 103.85% vs CG: 27.54%), MASA (IG: 37.28% vs CG: 6.92%), PAS (IG: 69.84% vs CG: 12.12%), and FOIS (IG: 93.75% vs CG: 21.21%).ConclusionCombined resistive inspiratory and expiratory muscle training is a feasible and effective method to improve signs and symptoms of dysphagia in stroke patients.
Modelling thalamocortical circuitry shows visually induced LTP changes laminar connectivity in human visual cortex
Authors: Sumner Rachael L. , Spriggs Meg J. , Shaw Alexander D. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractNeuroplasticity is essential to learning and memory in the brain; it has therefore also been implicated in numerous neurological and psychiatric disorders, making measuring the state of neuroplasticity of foremost importance to clinical neuroscience. Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a key mechanism of neuroplasticity and has been studied extensively, and invasively in non-human animals. Translation to human application largely relies on the validation of non-invasive measures of LTP. The current study provides validation for the use of a thalamocortical computational model of visual cortex for investigating and replicating interlaminar connectivity changes using non-invasive EEG recording of humans, and a commonly used visual sensory LTP paradigm. The model demonstrated remarkable accuracy recapitulating post-tetanus changes including increased excitatory connectivity from thalamus to layer IV and from layer IV to II/III. The findings also further validate visual sensory induced LTP and evoked potential modulation for measuring of the state of LTP in cortex.
Spatially Explicit Modeling of 2019-nCoV Epidemic Trend Based on Mobile Phone Data in Mainland China
Authors: Zhu Xiaolin , Zhang Aiyin , Xu Shuai , Jia Pengfei , Tan Xiaoyue , Tian Jiaqi , Wei Tao , Quan Zhenxian , Yu Jiali 
Published: February 2020

AbstractAs of February 11, 2020, all prefecture-level cities in mainland China have reported confirmed cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), but the city-level epidemical dynamics is unknown. The aim of this study is to model the current dynamics of 2019-nCoV at city level and predict the trend in the next 30 days under three possible scenarios in mainland China. We developed a spatially explicit epidemic model to consider the unique characteristics of the virus transmission in individual cities. Our model considered that the rate of virus transmission among local residents is different from those with Wuhan travel history due to the self-isolation policy. We introduced a decay rate to quantify the effort of each city to gradually control the disease spreading. We used mobile phone data to obtain the number of individuals in each city who have travel history to Wuhan. This city-level model was trained using confirmed cases up to February 10, 2020 and validated by new confirmed cases on February 11, 2020. We used the trained model to predict the future dynamics up to March 12, 2020 under different scenarios: the current trend maintained, control efforts expanded, and person-to-person contact increased due to work resuming. We estimated that the total infections in mainland China would be 72172, 54348, and 149774 by March 12, 2020 under each scenario respectively. Under the current trend, all cities will show the peak point of daily new infections by February 21. This date can be advanced to February 14 with control efforts expanded or postponed to February 26 under pressure of work resuming. Except Wuhan that cannot eliminate the disease by March 12, our model predicts that 95.4%, 100%, and 75.7% cities will have no new infections by the end of February under three scenarios. The spatial pattern of our prediction could help the government allocate resources to cities that have a more serious epidemic in the next 30 days.
The eukaryotic ribosomal protein S15/uS19 is involved in fungal development and its C-terminal tail contributes to stop codon recognition
Authors: Nguyen Tan-Trung , Stahl Guillaume , Déquard-Chablat Michelle , Contamine Véronique , Denmat Sylvie Hermann-Le 
Published: February 2020

SummaryS15/uS19 is one of the fifteen universally conserved ribosomal proteins of the small ribosomal subunit. While prokaryotic uS19 is located away from the mRNA decoding site, cross-linking studies identified eukaryotic uS19 C-terminal tail as contacting the A site on the 80S ribosome. Here, we study the effects of uS19 mutations isolated as translation accuracy mutations in the filamentous fungusPodospora anserina. All mutations alter residues of uS19 C-terminal tail, and cluster to the eukaryote-specific decapeptide 138-PGIGATHSSR-147. All mutations modify fungal development and cytosolic translation, albeit differently. Two mutations (P138S and S145F) increase fungus longevity and display mild effects on translation, while others (G139D and G139C) decrease longevity, have stronger effects on translation and confer hypersensitivity to paromomycin. By mimickingP. anserinamutations in the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae RPS15gene, we further show that P138S and S145F induce hyperaccurate recognition of the three stop codons, whereas G139D and G139C impair UAG and UAA codon recognition. Noteworthy, inP. anserina, uS19 genetically interacts with the eRF1 and eRF3 release factors. All together, our data indicate that uS19 C-terminal tail contributesin vivoto eukaryotic translation termination, and identify key amino acids of uS19 that potentially modulate eRF1-eRF3 interaction in the pre-termination complex.Graphical abstractAbbreviated SummaryS15/uS19 is a conserved small ribosomal protein that in eukaryotes harbors a flexible C-terminal extension proposed to interact with the A site mRNA codon during translation. Here, we describe how C-terminal variants variously affectPodospora anserinadevelopment and longevity and impact fungal ribosome and polysome formation. We reveal that stop codon recognition is significantly altered by the presence of those C-terminal variants, which either expand or on the contrary restrict termination ambiguity.
Validity of Two-Dimensional Static Footprint in Medial Longitudinal Arch Evaluation and the Characteristics of Athletes’ Footprints
Authors: Zhang Lingli , Yu Dali , Lei Le , Gao Yuanwu , Dong Junjie , Yu Zhusheng , Yuan Yu 
Published: February 2020

AbstractBackgroundWe aimed to explore the validity of two-dimensional static footprint analysis in medial longitudinal arch evaluation as well as the characteristics of athletes’ footprints to provide a basis for the evaluation and selection of athletes.MethodsExperiment One: Twenty-nine high level athletes (runners and jumpers) and forty normal college students were selected. Based on the X-ray photos taken of the medial foot, we measured the calcaneal inclination angle, the calcaneal–first metatarsal angle and the ratio of height to length of the medial longitudinal arch. We collected indicators of two-dimensional static footprints. Experiment Two: 106 high level athletes (runners and jumpers) and 104 normal college students were selected. We also collected indicators of two-dimensional static footprints.ResultsThe average measuring the Interclass Correlation Efficient (ICC) of calcaneal inclination angle, calcaneal–first metatarsal angle, the ratio of height to length of the medial longitudinal arch, the width of ball, arch and heel, the length of footprint and each toe, Chippaux-Smirak Index (CSI) and Staheli Index (SAI) were higher than 0.800. Regardless of athletes or college students, male or female, the correlation between CSI, SAI and calcaneal inclination angle, calcaneal–first metatarsal angle, the ratio of height to length of the medial longitudinal arch was statistically significant(P<0.05). College students’ CSI of the right foot is significantly higher than that of the left foot regardless of gender(P<0.05).ConclusionsWe prove the qualification of CSI and SAI in medial longitudinal arch evaluation and explain that the relative height of medial longitudinal arch is an important indicator in track and field.
Putative TetR family transcriptional regulator Rv1019 ofMycobacterium tuberculosisis an auto-repressor and a negative regulator ofmfd-mazGoperon
Authors: Pushparajan Akhil Raj , Ramachandran Ranjit , Reji Jijimole Gopi , Kumar Ramakrishnan Ajay 
Published: February 2020

AbstractRegulation of gene expression at the level of transcription is one of the ways living organisms differentially make proteins in their cells. Intracellular pathogenMycobacterium tuberculosispersists in the host for years in a latent state in structures called granuloma. Rv1019, a member of an uncharacterized TetR family of transcriptional regulators ofMtbH37Rv, was found to be differentially expressed during dormancy and reactivationin vitro. By GFP reporter assays, electrophoretic mobility shift assays and chromatin immuno-precipitation assays we showed that this protein binds to its own promoter and acts as a negative regulator of its own expression. It forms dimersin vitrowhich is essential for the DNA binding activity, which is abrogated in the presence of tetracycline. We show thatRv1019and downstream genesRv1020(mfd),Rv1021(mazG) are co-transcribed. Constitutive expression ofRv1019inM. smegmatisdownregulatedMSMEG_5423(mfd) andMSMEG_5422(mazG)suggesting that Rv1019 negatively regulates these downstream genes.M. smegmatisexpressingRv1019was found to be sensitive to UV and H2O2compared to the control suggesting its role in regulating DNA damage response in mycobacterium.ImportanceOne of the reasons for our inability to eradicate tuberculosis, in spite of the availability of effective drugs and BCG vaccine, is the ingenuity ofMycobacterium tuberculosisto survive, persist and multiply inside the lungs where it employs clever strategies to counter the host defence systems. The number of anti-TB drugs in the current therapeutic regimen is limited, and the long duration of treatment increases the chances for emergence of drug resistant bacteria. Rv1019, a transcriptional regulator differentially expressed inin vitrodormancy-reactivation studies, was found to be an auto-repressor and negatively regulatingmfd-mazGoperon involved in DNA repair. As Rv1019 is a regulator of critical pathways in bacterial persistence, it could be a prospective target for prophylactic intervention.
A Guide for Population-based Analysis of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study Baseline Data
Authors: Heeringa Steven G. , Berglund Patricia A. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractABCD is a longitudinal, observational study of U.S. children, ages 9-10 at baseline, recruited at random from the household populations in defined catchment areas for each of 21 study sites. The 21 geographic locations that comprise the ABCD research sites are nationally distributed and generally represent the range of demographic and socio-economic diversity of the U.S. birth cohorts that comprise the ABCD study population. The clustering of participants and the potential for selection bias in study site selection and enrollment are features of the ABCD observational study design that are informative for statistical estimation and inference. Both multi-level modeling and robust survey design-based methods can be used to account for clustering of sampled ABCD children in the 21 study sites. Covariate controls in analytical models and propensity weighting methods that calibrate ABCD weighted distributions to nationally-representative controls from the American Community Survey (ACS) can be employed in analysis to account for known informative sample design features or to attenuate potential demographic and socio-economic selection bias in the national sampling and recruitment of eligible children. This guide will present results of an empirical investigation of the ABCD baseline data that compares the statistical efficiency of multi-level modeling and distribution-free design-based approaches—both weighted and unweighted--to analyses of the ABCD baseline data. Specific recommendations will be provided for researchers on robust, efficient approaches to both descriptive and multivariate analyses of the ABCD baseline data.