bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Elongating maize root: zone-specific combinations of polysaccharides from type I and type II primary cell walls
Authors: Kozlova Liudmila V. , Nazipova Alsu R. , Gorshkov Oleg V. , Petrova Anna A. , Gorshkova Tatyana A. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe dynamics of cell wall polysaccharides may modulate the cell wall mechanics and thus control the expansion growth of plant cells. The unique composition of type II primary cell wall characteristic of grasses suggests that they employ specific mechanisms for cell enlargement. We characterized the transcriptomes in five zones along maize root, clustered the expression of genes for numerous glycosyltransferases and performed extensive immunohistochemical analysis to relate the changes in cell wall polysaccharides to critical stages of cell development in Poaceae. Specific patterns of cell wall formation differentiate the initiation, realization and cessation of elongation growth. Cell walls of meristem and early elongation zone represent a mixture of type I and type II specific polysaccharides. Xyloglucans and homogalacturonans are synthesized there actively together with mixed-linkage glucans and glucuronoarabinoxylans. Rhamnogalacturonans-I with the side-chains of branched 1,4-galactan and arabinan persisted in cell walls throughout the development. Thus, the machinery to generate the type I primary cell wall constituents is completely established and operates. The expression of glycosyltransferases responsible for mixed-linkage glucan and glucuronoarabinoxylan synthesis peaks at active or late elongation. These findings widen the number of jigsaw pieces which should be put together to solve the puzzle of grass cell growth.
Incremental substitution of Ni with Mn in NiFe2O4 to largely enhance its supercapacitance properties
Authors: Sharifi Samira , Yazdani Ahmad , Rahimi Kourosh 
Published: July 2020

AbstractBy using a facile hydrothermal method, we synthesized Ni1−xMnxFe2O4nanoparticles as supercapacitor electrode materials and studied how the incremental substitution of Ni with Mn would affect their structural, electronic, and electrochemical properties. X-ray diffractometry confirmed the single-phase spinel structure of the nanoparticles. Raman spectroscopy showed the conversion of the inverse structure of NiFe2O4to the almost normal structure of MnFe2O4. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy showed the spherical shape of the obtained nanoparticles with a size in the range of 20–30 nm. Optical bandgaps were found to decrease as the content of Mn increased. Electrochemical characterizations of the samples indicated the excellent performance and the desirable cycling stability of the prepared nanoparticles for supercapacitors. In particular, the specific capacitance of the prepared Ni1−xMnxFe2O4nanoparticles was found to increase as the content of Mn increased, reaching the highest specific capacitance of 1,221 F/g for MnFe2O4nanoparticles at the current density of 0.5 A/g with the corresponding power density of 473.96 W/kg and the energy density of 88.16 Wh/kg. We also demonstrated the real-world application of the prepared MnFe2O4nanoparticles. We performed also a DFT study to verify the changes in the geometrical and electronic properties that could affect the electrochemical performance.
Efficient NH3-based process to remove chlorine from electron beam deposited ruthenium produced from (η3-C3H5)Ru(CO)3Cl
Authors: Rohdenburg Markus , Boeckers Hannah , Brewer Christopher R. , McElwee-White Lisa , Swiderek Petra 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe fabrication of Ru nanostructures by focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) requires suitable precursor molecules and processes to obtain the pure metal. So far this is problematic because established organometallic Ru precursors contain large organic ligands, such as cyclopentadienyl anions, that tend to become embedded in the deposit during the FEBID process. Recently, (η3-C3H5)Ru(CO)3X (X = Cl, Br) has been proposed as an alternative precursor because CO can easily desorb under electron exposure. However, allyl and Cl ligands remain behind after electron irradiation and the removal of the halide requires extensive electron exposures. Auger electron spectroscopy is applied to demonstrate a postdeposition purification process in which NH3 is used as a reactant that enhances the removal of Cl from deposits formed by electron irradiation of thin condensed layers of (η3-C3H5)Ru(CO)3Cl. The loss of CO from the precursor during electron-induced decomposition enables a reaction between NH3 and the Cl ligands that produces HCl. The combined use of electron-stimulated desorption experiments and thermal desorption spectrometry further reveals that thermal reactions contribute to the loss of CO in the FEBID process but remove only minor amounts of the allyl and Cl ligands.
Dual frequency sound absorption with an array of shunt loudspeakers
Authors: Zhang Pengju , Cong Chaonan , Tao Jiancheng , Qiu Xiaojun 
Published: July 2020

AbstractTransformer noise is dominated by low frequency components, which are hard to be controlled with traditional noise control approaches. The shunt loudspeaker consisting of a closed-box loudspeaker and a shunt circuit has been proposed as an effective sound absorber by storing and dissipating the electrical energy converted from the incident sound. In this paper, an array of shunt loudspeakers is proposed to control the 100 Hz and 200 Hz components of transformer noise. The prototype under tests has a thickness of 11.8 cm, which is only 1/28 of the wavelength of 100 Hz. The sound absorption performance of the array under random incidence is analyzed with the parallel impedance method, and the arrangement of array elements is optimized. The test results in a reverberation room show that the proposed array has sound absorption coefficients of 1.04 and 0.93 at 100 Hz and 200 Hz, respectively, which provides potential of applying this type of thin absorbers for low-frequency sound control.
Radiobiological shot noise explains Three Mile Island biodosimetry indicating nearly 1,000 mSv exposures
Authors: Datesman Aaron M. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe 1979 accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power station in Pennsylvania released about 22 million Curies of xenon-133 into the environment. Because physical dosimetry indicated exposures to the nearby population of less than about 2 mSv, discernible impacts to the health of the exposed population are not generally believed to have resulted. However, there is contrary evidence, including especially the results of biodosimetry via cytogenetic analysis using the FISH method. This report examines the discrepancy between the results of physical dosimetry and biodosimetry, which among the small number of persons examined indicated exposures between 600 and 900 mSv. The paradox reveals a fundamental error in the health physics body of knowledge: the definition of the energy imparted to tissue, ε, fails to properly account for the temporal distribution of ionization products resulting from dilute contamination with an internally incorporated beta-emitting radionuclide. Application of a century-old result describing “shot noise” in an electronic system repairs the deficiency. The Xe-133 concentration in the tissue of those individuals exposed to the most intense portion of the radioactive plume released from the TMI facility is shown to have been on the order of 0.1 μCi/l, persisting for multiple hours. Shot noise reference doses in the range from 820 to 1,700 mSv follow, a result which is consistent with biodosimetric analysis. The finding should motivate a comprehensive re-evaluation of the conventional understanding of the 1979 accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power station, especially regarding its impact upon the population of the surrounding area.
The apical root canal system microbial communities determined by next-generation sequencing
Authors: de Brito Luciana Carla Neves , Doolittle-Hall Janet , Lee Chun-Teh , Moss Kevin , Bambirra Júnior Wilson , Tavares Warley Luciano Fonseca , Ribeiro Sobrinho Antônio Paulino , Teles Flávia Rocha Fonseca 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe aim of this study was to explore the microbial communities of endodontic infections at their apical portion by 16S rRNA Illumina sequencing and delineate the core microbiome of root canal infections and that of their associated clinical symptomatology. Samples were collected from fifteen subjects presenting one tooth with a root canal infection, and their associated symptoms were recorded. Samples were collected from the apical third of roots using a #10 K file and then amplified using multiple displacement amplification and PCR-amplified with universal primers. Amplicons were sequenced (V3–V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene) using MiSeq (Illumina, CA). The microbial composition of the samples was determined using QIIME and HOMINGS. Data were analyzed using t tests and ANOVA. A total of 1,038,656 good quality sequences were obtained, and OTUs were assigned to 10 bacterial phyla, led by Bacteroidetes (51.2%) and Firmicutes (27.1%), and 94 genera were represented primarily by Prevotella (17.9%) and Bacteroidaceae G-1 (14.3%). Symptomatic teeth were associated with higher levels of Porphyromonas (p < 0.05) and Prevotella. P. endodontalis and P. oris were present in both cores. The present study demonstrated the complexity of the root canal microbiome and the “common denominators” of root canal infections and identified taxa whose virulence properties should be further explored. The polymicrobial etiology of endodontic infections has long been established. However, few studies have focused on expanding the breadth and depth of coverage of microbiome-infected root canals at their apical portion.
Epigenetic profiling demarcates molecular subtypes of muscle-invasive bladder cancer
Authors: van der Vos K. E. , Vis D. J. , Nevedomskaya E. , Kim Y. , Choi W. , McConkey D. , Wessels L. F. A. , van Rhijn B. W. G. , Zwart W. , van der Heijden M. S. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractMuscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is a heterogeneous disease that often recurs despite aggressive treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and (radical) cystectomy. Basal and luminal molecular subtypes have been identified that are linked to clinical characteristics and have differential sensitivities to chemotherapy. While it has been suggested that epigenetic mechanisms play a role in defining these subtypes, a thorough understanding of the biological mechanisms is lacking. This report details the first genome-wide analysis of histone methylation patterns of human primary bladder tumours by chromatin immunoprecipitations and next-generation sequencing (ChIP-seq). We profiled multiple histone marks: H3K27me3, a marker for repressed genes, and H3K4me1 and H3K4me3, which are indicators of active enhancers and active promoters. Integrated analysis of ChIP-seq data and RNA sequencing revealed that H3K4 mono-methylation demarcates MIBC subtypes, while no association was found for the other two histone modifications in relation to basal and luminal subtypes. Additionally, we identified differentially methylated H3K4me1 peaks in basal and luminal tumour samples, suggesting that active enhancers play a role in defining subtypes. Our study is the first analysis of histone modifications in primary bladder cancer tissue and provides an important resource for the bladder cancer community.
A comparative study of sleep and diurnal patterns in house mouse (Mus musculus) and Spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus)
Authors: Wang Chanung , Guerriero Lauren E. , Huffman Dillon M. , Ajwad Asmaa A. , Brooks Trae C. , Sunderam Sridhar , Seifert Ashley W. , O’Hara Bruce F. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractMost published sleep studies use three species: human, house mouse, or Norway rat. The degree to which data from these species captures variability in mammalian sleep remains unclear. To gain insight into mammalian sleep diversity, we examined sleep architecture in the spiny basal murid rodentAcomys cahirinus. First, we used a piezoelectric system validated forMus musculusto monitor sleep in both species. We also included wildM. musculusto control for alterations generated by laboratory-reared conditions forM. musculus. Using this comparative framework, we found thatA. cahirinus, labM. musculus,and wildM. musculuswere primarily nocturnal, but exhibited distinct behavioral patterns. Although the activity ofA. cahirinusincreased sharply at dark onset, it decreased sharply just two hours later under group and individual housing conditions. To further characterize sleep patterns and sleep-related variables, we set up EEG/EMG and video recordings and found thatA. cahirinussleep significantly more thanM. musculus, exhibit nearly three times more REM, and sleep almost exclusively with their eyes open. The observed differences inA. cahirinussleep architecture raise questions about the evolutionary drivers of sleep behavior.
Plasma BDNF is a more reliable biomarker than erythrocyte omega-3 index for the omega-3 fatty acid enrichment of brain
Authors: Sugasini Dhavamani , Yalagala Poorna C. R. , Subbaiah Papasani V. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractEnriching brain DHA is believed to be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of several neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. An impediment in assessing the effectiveness of the treatments is the lack of a reliable biomarker for brain DHA. The commonly used erythrocyte omega-3 index is not suitable for brain because of the involvement of unique transporter at the blood brain barrier (BBB). We recently showed that dietary lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC)-DHA significantly increases brain DHA, which results in increase of brain BDNF. Since there is bidirectional transport of BDNF through the BBB, we tested the hypothesis that plasma BDNF may be used as biomarker for brain DHA enrichment. We altered the brain DHA in rats and mice over a wide range using different dietary carriers of DHA, and the correlations between the increase in brain omega-3 index with the increases in plasma BDNF and the erythrocyte index were determined. Whereas the increase in brain omega-3 index positively correlated with the increase in plasma BDNF, it negatively correlated with the erythrocyte index. These results show that the plasma BDNF is more reliable than the erythrocyte index as biomarker for assessing the effectiveness of omega-3 supplements in improving brain function.
Induced pluripotent stem cells of patients with Tetralogy of Fallot reveal transcriptional alterations in cardiomyocyte differentiation
Authors: Grunert Marcel , Appelt Sandra , Schönhals Sophia , Mika Kerstin , Cui Huanhuan , Cooper Ashley , Cyganek Lukas , Guan Kaomei , Sperling Silke R. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractPatient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (ps-iPSCs) and their differentiated cell types are a powerful model system to gain insight into mechanisms driving early developmental and disease-associated regulatory networks. In this study, we use ps-iPSCs to gain insights into Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), which represents the most common cyanotic heart defect in humans. iPSCs were generated and further differentiated to cardiomyocytes (CMs) using standard methods from two well-characterized TOF patients and their healthy relatives serving as controls. Patient-specific expression patterns and genetic variability were investigated using whole genome and transcriptome sequencing data. We first studied the clonal mutational burden of the derived iPSCs. In two out of three iPSC lines of patient TOF-01, we found a somatic mutation in the DNA-binding domain of tumor suppressor P53, which was not observed in the genomic DNA from blood. Further characterization of this mutation showed its functional impact. For patient TOF-02, potential disease-relevant differential gene expression between and across cardiac differentiation was shown. Here, clear differences at the later stages of differentiation could be observed between CMs of the patient and its controls. Overall, this study provides first insights into the complex molecular mechanisms underlying iPSC-derived cardiomyocyte differentiation and its transcriptional alterations in TOF.
Methane, arsenic, selenium and the origins of the DMSO reductase family
Authors: Wells Michael , Kanmanii Narthana Jeganathar , Al Zadjali Al Muatasim , Janecka Jan E. , Basu Partha , Oremland Ronald S. , Stolz John F. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractMononuclear molybdoenzymes of the dimethyl sulfoxide reductase (DMSOR) family catalyze a number of reactions essential to the carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, arsenic, and selenium biogeochemical cycles. These enzymes are also ancient, with many lineages likely predating the divergence of the last universal common ancestor into theBacteriaandArchaeadomains. We have constructed rooted phylogenies for over 1,550 representatives of the DMSOR family using maximum likelihood methods to investigate the evolution of the arsenic biogeochemical cycle. The phylogenetic analysis provides compelling evidence that formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase B subunits, which catalyze the reduction of CO2to formate during hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, constitutes the most ancient lineage. Our analysis also provides robust support for selenocysteine as the ancestral ligand for the Mo/W atom. Finally, we demonstrate that anaerobic arsenite oxidase and respiratory arsenate reductase catalytic subunits represent a more ancient lineage of DMSORs compared to aerobic arsenite oxidase catalytic subunits, which evolved from the assimilatory nitrate reductase lineage. This provides substantial support for an active arsenic biogeochemical cycle on the anoxic Archean Earth. Our work emphasizes that the use of chalcophilic elements as substrates as well as the Mo/W ligand in DMSORs has indelibly shaped the diversification of these enzymes through deep time.
Phosphorylated peptide of G protein-coupled receptor induces dimerization in activated arrestin
Authors: Stadler Andreas M. , Granzin Joachim , Cousin Anneliese , Batra-Safferling Renu 
Published: July 2020

AbstractTermination of the G-protein-coupled receptor signaling involves phosphorylation of its C-terminus and subsequent binding of the regulatory protein arrestin. In the visual system, arrestin-1 preferentially binds to photoactivated and phosphorylated rhodopsin and inactivates phototransduction.

Here, we have investigated binding of a synthetic phosphopeptide of bovine rhodopsin (residues 323–348) to the active variants of visual arrestin-1: splice variant p44, and the mutant R175E. Unlike the wild type arrestin-1, both these arrestins are monomeric in solution. Solution structure analysis using small angle X-ray scattering supported by size exclusion chromatography results reveal dimerization in both the arrestins in the presence of phosphopeptide. Our results are the first report, to our knowledge, on receptor-induced oligomerization in arrestin, suggesting possible roles for the cellular function of arrestin oligomers. Given high structural homology and the similarities in their activation mechanism, these results are expected to have implications for all arrestin isoforms.
Do pit-building predators prefer or avoid barriers? Wormlions' preference for walls depends on light conditions
Authors: Scharf Inon , Silberklang Akiva , Avidov Bar , Subach Aziz 
Published: July 2020

AbstractAmbush site selection by sit-and-wait predators is a complex process, involving biotic and abiotic considerations, which greatly affect hunting success and costs. Wormlions are fly larvae that dig pit-traps in loose soil and hunt the arthropod prey falling into their pits. They are abundant in urban environments, found below buildings that provide cover, and many of their pits are dug adjacent to walls. We examined here under what conditions wormlions prefer to dig their pits next to walls. We analysed our dataset in two ways: frequency comparisons among the different treatment combinations and a simulation null model assuming random movement. While the frequency comparisons suggested that wormlions avoided the walls under some cases, the simulation null model suggested that a combination of shallow sand and strong light in the centre led to an attraction towards the walls, independent of the wormlions’ initial location. We suggest that wall attraction results from the certain amount of shade the walls provide. We also demonstrate that shallow sand and strong illumination are unfavourable microhabitats, either leading to more frequent movement or the digging of smaller pits. We locate our results within the broader context of sit-and-wait predators and of animals’ attraction to barriers.
Niche models at inter- and intraspecific levels reveal hierarchical niche differentiation in midwife toads
Authors: Rodríguez-Rodríguez Eduardo José , Beltrán Juan F. , Tejedo Miguel , Nicieza Alfredo G. , Llusia Diego , Márquez Rafael , Aragón Pedro 
Published: July 2020

AbstractVariation and population structure play key roles in the speciation process, but adaptive intraspecific genetic variation is commonly ignored when forecasting species niches. Amphibians serve as excellent models for testing how climate and local adaptations shape species distributions due to physiological and dispersal constraints and long generational times. In this study, we analysed the climatic factors driving the evolution of the genus Alytes at inter- and intraspecific levels that may limit realized niches. We tested for both differences among the five recognized species and among intraspecific clades for three of the species (Alytes obstetricans, A. cisternasii, and A. dickhilleni). We employed ecological niche models with an ordination approach to perform niche overlap analyses and test hypotheses of niche conservatism or divergence. Our results showed strong differences in the environmental variables affecting species climatic requirements. At the interspecific level, tests of equivalence and similarity revealed that sister species were non-identical in their environmental niches, although they neither were entirely dissimilar. This pattern was also consistent at the intraspecific level, with the exception of A. cisternasii, whose clades appeared to have experienced a lower degree of niche divergence than clades of the other species. In conclusion, our results support that Alytes toads, examined at both the intra- and interspecific levels, tend to occupy similar, if not identical, climatic environments.
Josephson current mediated by ballistic topological states in Bi2Te2.3Se0.7 single nanocrystals
Authors: Stolyarov Vasily S. , Yakovlev Dmitry S. , Kozlov Sergei N. , Skryabina Olga V. , Lvov Dmitry S. , Gumarov Amir I. , Emelyanova Olga V. , Dzhumaev Pavel S. , Shchetinin Igor V. , Hovhannisyan Razmik A. , Egorov Sergey V. , Kokotin Andrey M. , Pogosov Walter V. , Ryazanov Valery V. , Kupriyanov Mikhail Yu. , Golubov Alexander. A. , Roditchev Dimitri 
Published: July 2020

AbstractSuperconducting proximity devices using low-dimensional semiconducting elements enable a ballistic regime in the proximity transport. The use of topological insulators in such devices is considered promising owing to the peculiar transport properties these materials offer, as well the hope of inducing topological superconductivity and Majorana phenomena via proximity effects. Here we demonstrate the fabrication and superconducting properties of proximity Josephson devices integrating nanocrystals single of Bi2Te2.3Se0.7 with a thickness of a few unit cells. Single junctions display typical characteristics of planar Josephson devices; junctions integrating two nanocrystals behave as nanodimensional superconducting quantum interference devices. A peculiar temperature and magnetic field evolution of the Josephson current along with the observed excess current effect point towards the ballistic proximity regime of topological channels. This suggests the proposed devices are promising for testing topological superconducting phenomena in two-dimensions.