bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The MSP-RON axis stimulates cancer cell growth in models of triple negative breast cancer
Authors: Millar Rhona , Kilbey Anna , Remak Sarah-Jane , Severson Tesa M. , Dhayade Sandeep , Sandilands Emma , Foster Kyla , Bryant David M. , Blyth Karen , Coffelt Seth B. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractTriple negative breast cancer is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer with poor prognosis and high rates of relapse. The lack of actionable targets for TNBC has contributed to the high mortality rates of this disease, and new candidate molecules for potential manipulation are urgently required. Here, we show that macrophage-stimulating protein (MSP) and its tyrosine kinase receptor, RON, are potent drivers of cancer cell growth and tumor progression in a mouse model of TNBC driven by the loss ofTrp53andBrca1. After comparison of two genetically engineered mouse models of TNBC, we found that mammary tumors fromK14-Cre;Brca1F/F;Trp53F/F(KB1P) mice exhibit high endogenous levels of MSP and RON expression. We show that MSP stimulates AKT and ERK1/2 activation as well as cancer cell growth in KB1P cell lines, while genetic and pharmacological inhibition of RON prevents these effects. Similarly, KB1P tumor progression in mice was robustly attenuated by treatment with a RON inhibitor with accompanied reduction in the proliferation marker, Ki-67. Our findings in a mouse model where MSP and RON expression are naturally increased provide evidence that this receptor and its ligand are viable candidate molecules for targeted treatment of TNBC.
Cold priming memory reduces plant pathogen susceptibility based on a functional plastid peroxidase system
Authors: Griebel Thomas , Ebert Alina , Nguyen Hoang Hung , Baier Margarete 
Published: February 2020

ABSTRACTChloroplasts, as recently shown, serve as cold priming hubs in modulating the transcriptional response ofArabidopsis thalianato a second cold stimulus after a stress-free interphase of several days. Here, we studied if such a single 24 h cold stress at 4 °C also alters the susceptibility of Arabidopsis to virulentPseudomonas syringaepv.tomatoDC3000. Our data show that cold priming did not only increase resistance of Arabidopsis to a subsequent infection immediately, but also after a memory phase of 5 days, during which thylakoid ascorbate peroxidases accumulate. Contrasting to susceptibility, the prior cold exposure did not alter resistance against avirulent and effector-triggered immunity-inducingPseudomonas syringaestrains. The effect of cold priming on the plant pathogen susceptibility was independent of the central nucleo-cytoplasmic immune regulator EDS1 (Enhanced Disease Susceptibility 1) and uncoupled from classical immune gene activation. The priming benefits against pathogens required thylakoid and stromal ascorbate peroxidase activity. Combinatorial priming of Arabidopsis pathogen susceptibility by metastable regulation of stromal ascorbate peroxidase activity and post-cold expression of thylakoid ascorbate peroxidase guarantees immediate protection without latency time and prolonged protection by the memory element that regulates future cold responses.One-sentence summary24 hour cold exposure reduces plant susceptibility against virulent pathogens dependent on chloroplast ascorbate peroxidases.
Structure, function and antigenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein
Authors: Walls Alexandra C. , Park Young-Jun , Tortorici M. Alexandra , Wall Abigail , McGuire Andrew T. , Veesler David 
Published: February 2020

SUMMARYThe recent emergence of a novel coronavirus associated with an ongoing outbreak of pneumonia (Covid-2019) resulted in infections of more than 72,000 people and claimed over 1,800 lives. Coronavirus spike (S) glycoprotein trimers promote entry into cells and are the main target of the humoral immune response. We show here that SARS-CoV-2 S mediates entry in VeroE6 cells and in BHK cells transiently transfected with human ACE2, establishing ACE2 as a functional receptor for this novel coronavirus. We further demonstrate that the receptor-binding domains of SARS-CoV-2 S and SARS-CoV S bind with similar affinities to human ACE2, which correlates with the efficient spread of SARS-CoV-2 among humans. We found that the SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein harbors a furin cleavage site at the boundary between the S1/S2 subunits, which is processed during biogenesis and sets this virus apart from SARS-CoV and other SARS-related CoVs. We determined a cryo-electron microscopy structure of the SARS-CoV-2 S ectodomain trimer, demonstrating spontaneous opening of the receptor-binding domain, and providing a blueprint for the design of vaccines and inhibitors of viral entry. Finally, we demonstrate that SARS-CoV S murine polyclonal sera potently inhibited SARS-CoV-2 S-mediated entry into target cells, thereby indicating that cross-neutralizing antibodies targeting conserved S epitopes can be elicited upon vaccination.
Chronic stress exacerbates acute stress-induced neuronal activation in the anterior cingulate cortex and ventral hippocampus that correlates with behavioral deficits in mice
Authors: Fee Corey , Prevot Thomas , Misquitta Keith , Banasr Mounira , Sibille Etienne 
Published: February 2020

AbstractAltered activity of corticolimbic brain regions is a hallmark of stress-related illnesses, including mood disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and substance abuse disorders. Acute stress adaptively recruits brain region-specific functions for coping, while sustained activation under chronic stress may overwhelm feedback mechanisms and lead to pathological cellular and behavioral responses. The neural mechanisms underlying dysregulated stress response and how they contribute to behavioral deficits are poorly characterized. Here, we tested whether prior exposure to chronic restraint stress (CRS) or unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) in mice could alter neuronal response to acute stress and whether these changes are associated with chronic stress-induced behavioral deficits. More specifically, we assessed neuronal activation indexed by c-Fos+ cell counts in 24 stress- and mood-related brain regions, and determined if changes in acute stress-induced neuronal activation were linked to chronic stress-induced behavioral impairments. Results indicated that CRS and UCMS led to convergent physiological and anxiety-like deficits, whereas cognition was impaired only in UCMS mice. CRS and UCMS exposure exacerbated neuronal activation in response to an acute stressor in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) area 24b and ventral hippocampal (vHPC) CA1, CA3, and subiculum. In dysregulated brain regions, levels of neuronal activation were positively correlated with principal components capturing variance across widespread behavioral alterations relevant to stress-related disorders. Our data supports an association between a dysregulated stress response, altered corticolimbic excitation/inhibition balance, and the expression of maladaptive behaviors.HighlightsChronic stress models produce variable profiles of physiological deficits, anxiety-like behavior, and impaired cognitionAcute stress-induced activation of ACC A24b & vHPC is exacerbated by prior chronic stress exposureIn regions dysregulated by chronic stress, altered neuronal activation is positively correlated with behavioral deficits
A method for predicting evolved fold switchers exclusively from their sequences
Authors: Kim Allen K. , Looger Loren L. , Porter Lauren L. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractAlthough most proteins with known structures conform to the longstanding rule-of-thumb that high levels of aligned sequence identity tend to indicate similar folds and functions, an increasing number of exceptions is emerging. In spite of having highly similar sequences, these “evolved fold switchers” (1) can adopt radically different folds with disparate biological functions. Predictive methods for identifying evolved fold switchers are desirable because some of them are associated with disease and/or can perform different functions in cells. Previously, we showed that inconsistencies between predicted and experimentally determined secondary structures can be used to predict fold switching proteins (2). The usefulness of this approach is limited, however, because it requires experimentally determined protein structures, whose magnitude is dwarfed by the number of genomic proteins. Here, we use secondary structure predictions to identify evolved fold switchers from their amino acid sequences alone. To do this, we looked for inconsistencies between the secondary structure predictions of the alternative conformations of evolved fold switchers. We used three different predictors in this study: JPred4, PSIPRED, and SPIDER3. We find that overall inconsistencies are not a significant predictor of evolved fold switchers for any of the three predictors. Inconsistencies between α-helix and β-strand predictions made by JPred4, however, can discriminate between the different conformations of evolved fold switchers with statistical significance (p < 1.7*10−13). In light of this observation, we used these inconsistencies as a classifier and found that it could robustly discriminate between evolved fold switchers and evolved non-fold-switchers, as evidenced by a Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.90. These results indicate that inconsistencies between secondary structure predictions can indeed be used to identify evolved fold switchers from their genomic sequences alone. Our findings have implications for genomics, structural biology, and human health.
Social isolation modulates appetite and defensive behavior via a common oxytocinergic circuit in larval zebrafish
Authors: Wee Caroline L. , Song Erin , Nikitchenko Maxim , Herrera Kristian J. , Wong Sandy , Engert Florian , Kunes Sam 
Published: February 2020

ABSTRACTAnimal brains have evolved to encode social stimuli and transform these representations into advantageous behavioral responses. The commonalities and differences of these representations across species are not well-understood. Here, we show that social isolation activates an oxytocinergic (OXT), nociceptive circuit in the larval zebrafish hypothalamus and that chemical cues released from conspecific animals are potent modulators of this circuit’s activity. We delineate an olfactory to subpallial pathway that transmits chemical social cues to OXT circuitry, where they are transformed into diverse outputs simultaneously regulating defensive and feeding behaviors. Our data allow us to propose a model through which social stimuli are integrated within a fundamental neural circuit to mediate diverse adaptive behaviours.
Respiratory and Gut Microbiota in Commercial Turkey Flocks with Disparate Weight Gain Trajectories Display Differential Compositional Dynamics
Authors: Taylor Kara J.M. , Ngunjiri John M. , Abundo Michael C. , Jang Hyesun , Elaish Mohamed , Ghorbani Amir , KC Mahesh , Weber Bonnie P. , Johnson Timothy J. , Lee Chang-Won 
Published: February 2020

ABSTRACTHost-associated communities of bacteria (microbiota) substantially contribute to the overall poultry health and performance. Gut microbiota are known to play roles in resistance to pathogen infection and optimal weight gain in turkey flocks. However, knowledge of turkey respiratory microbiota and its link to gut microbiota is lacking. This study presents a 16S rRNA gene-based census of the turkey respiratory microbiota (nasal cavity and trachea) alongside gut microbiota (cecum and ileum) in two identical commercial Hybrid Converter turkey flocks raised in parallel under typical field commercial conditions. The flocks were housed in adjacent barns during the brood stage and in geographically separated farms during the grow-out stage. Several bacterial taxa that were acquired in the respiratory tract (RT) at the beginning of the brood stage persisted throughout the flock cycle, primarilyStaphylococcus. Late-emerging predominant taxa in RT includedDeinococcusandCorynebacterium. Tracheal and nasal microbiota of turkeys were identifiably distinct from one another and from gut microbiota. Nevertheless, gut and RT microbiota changed in parallel over time and appeared to share many taxa. During the brood stage, the two flocks generally acquired similar gut and RT microbiota, and their average body weights were comparable. Separating the flocks during the grow-out stage resulted in divergent microbial profiles and body weight gain trajectories. Lower weight gain corresponded with emergence ofDeinococcusandOrnithobacteriumin RT, andFusobacteriumandParasutterellain gut. This study provides an overview of turkey microbiota under field conditions and suggests several hypotheses concerning the respiratory microbiome.IMPORTANCETurkey meat is an important source of animal protein, and the industry around its production contributes significantly to the agricultural economy. The nonpathogenic symbionts present in the gut of turkeys are known to impact bird health and flock performance. However, the respiratory microbiota in turkeys are entirely unexplored. This study has elucidated the microbiota of respiratory tracts of turkeys from two commercial flocks raised in parallel throughout a normal flock cycle. Further, the study suggests that bacteria originating in the gut or in poultry house environments may influence respiratory communities and consequently induce poor performance, either directly or indirectly. Future attempts to develop microbiome-based interventions for turkey health should delimit the contributions of respiratory microbiota and aim to limit disturbances to those communities.
Heimdallarchaeota harness light energy through photosynthesis
Authors: Liu Rui , Cai Ruining , Zhang Jing , Sun Chaomin 
Published: February 2020

AbstractPhotosynthesis is an ancient process that originated after the origin of life, and has only been found in the Bacterial and Eukaryotic kingdoms, but has never been reported in any member of the domain Archaea. Heimdallarchaeota, a member of Asgard archaea, are supposed as the most probable candidates (to date) for the archaeal protoeukaryote ancestor and might exist in light-exposed habitats during their evolutionary history. Here we describe the discovery that Heimdallarchaeota genomes are enriched for proteins formerly considered specific to photosynthetic apparatus and are suggestive performing oxygenic photosynthesis. Our results provide strong support for hypotheses in which Heimdallarchaeota harvest light by bacteriochlorophyll and/or carotenoid, then transport electron from photosystems to Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle along with CO2fixation and ATP biosynthesis, and release oxygen as a waste product. Given the possessing of phototrophic lifestyle together with other anaerobic and aerobic metabolic pathways, Heimdallarchaeota are firmly believed to be photomixotrophic and have a facultative aerobic metabolism. Our results expand our knowledge that archaea have played an important role in the molecular evolution of eukaryotic photosynthesis and raise the significant possibility that Heimdallarchaeota might be ancestor of eukaryotic photosynthetic organisms.
PyXAS – an open-source package for 2D X-ray near-edge spectroscopy analysis
Authors: Ge Mingyuan , Lee Wah-Keat 
Published: February 2020

In the synchrotron X-ray community, X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) is a widely used technique to probe the local coordination environment and the oxidation states of specific elements within a sample. Although this technique is usually applied to bulk samples, the advent of new synchrotron sources has enabled spatially resolved versions of this technique (2D XANES). This development has been extremely powerful for the study of heterogeneous systems, which is the case for nearly all real applications. However, associated with the development of 2D XANES comes the challenge of analyzing very large volumes of data. As an example, a single 2D XANES measurement at a synchrotron can easily produce ∼106 spatially resolved XANES spectra. Conventional manual analysis of an individual XANES spectrum is no longer feasible. Here, a software package is described that has been developed for high-throughput 2D XANES analysis. A detailed description of the software as well as example applications are provided.
Developing a building information modeling–based performance management system for public–private partnerships
Authors: Yuan Jingfeng , Li Xuewei , Ke Yongjian , Xu Wei , Xu Zhao , Skibnewski M. 
Published: February 2020

PurposeEffective performance management (PM) in public–private partnership (PPP) projects is critical to realizing value for money (VFM). This study aims to provide an in-depth understanding of problems existing in PPP PM and possible avenues for improvement, presenting an experimental system to verify that building information modeling (BIM) and other information communication technologies can improve PPP PM.Design/methodology/approachThe mixed research method adopted in this study combined empirical research with experimental research. Semistructured interviews were used to ascertain the current situation of PPP PM with the help of Nvivo software. A BIM-based performance management system (BPMS), which combines BIM with Web and Cloud technology, was then constructed to achieve performance monitoring, performance measurement, and performance-based payment. Finally, a case study was introduced to explain the function application of the proposed system.FindingsThe case demonstration verified is found to verify that the developed BIM-based execution framework for PPP PM can effectively guide stakeholders toward achieving mixed PM, promote effective PM, and improve work efficiency with the support of BIM and other information and communication technologies.Originality/valueThrough the development of a BPMS for PPP projects, the effectiveness and efficiency of PM are improved. Practical PM applications are also provided to different stakeholders, through which the key performance indicators and the behaviors of the government and private-sector partners can be monitored to form a more comprehensive and reasonable PM mechanism and promote the realization of VFM in PPP projects.
A general numerical algorithm for nonlinear differential equations by the variational iteration method
Authors: He Ji-Huan , Latifizadeh Habibolla 
Published: February 2020

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to suggest a general numerical algorithm for nonlinear problems by the variational iteration method (VIM).

Design/methodology/approach
Firstly, the Laplace transform technique is used to reconstruct the variational iteration algorithm-II. Secondly, its convergence is strictly proved. Thirdly, the numerical steps for the algorithm is given. Finally, some examples are given to show the solution process and the effectiveness of the method.

Findings
No variational theory is needed to construct the numerical algorithm, and the incorporation of the Laplace method into the VIM makes the solution process much simpler.

Originality/value
A universal iteration formulation is suggested for nonlinear problems. The VIM cleans up the numerical road to differential equations.
Evaluation of lean practices in warehouses: an analysis of Brazilian reality
Authors: Pereira Caroline Morito , Anholon Rosley , Rampasso Izabela Simon , Quelhas Osvaldo L.G. , Leal Filho Walter , Santa-Eulalia Luis Antonio 
Published: February 2020

PurposeThis article aims to investigate the most applied lean warehouse practices in Brazilian warehouses.Design/methodology/approachTo perform this research, three phases were conducted: a literature review, a multiple case study, and an analysis of lean warehouses practices implementation by an engineering committee. Thus, both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. Additionally, the study has an applied nature, with an exploratory and descriptive character.FindingsResults showed that regardless of the type of criterion used, the most implanted practices are those that do not involve investments in technology. On the other hand, practices like RFID and Cross Docking systems were not found in any of the operations, which shows numerous possibilities for improvement.Originality/valueThe main contribution of this article is to initiate a debate about the management and productivity of Brazilian warehouses, a theme still little explored by the academic community despite the importance that the logistic scenario represents for Brazil as an emerging country and leader in Latin America, participating actively in several global supply chains.
A combined AHP and TOPSIS approach for prioritizing the attributes for successful implementation of agile manufacturing
Authors: Kumar Rahul , Singh Kanwarpreet , Jain Sanjiv Kumar 
Published: February 2020

PurposeThe concept of agile manufacturing is becoming critically important to manufacturing industry due to rapid industrialization, fluctuating customer demand, and turbulent business environment. The aim of this study is to prioritize the attributes for successful implementation of agile manufacturing using a combined analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) approach in Indian manufacturing industry.Design/methodology/approachThe current study identifies eight agile manufacturing attributes through literature review and discussion with subject experts. The experts from different manufacturing industry have been asked to provide data for pairwise comparison of attributes. Afterward, an integrated AHP and TOPSIS approach is employed. The AHP is used to drive the priority weights of the attributes, and TOPSIS is used for prioritizing the attributes for successful implementation of agile manufacturing.Findings“Information technology,” “human resource management-related issues,” “customer-related issues,” “leadership support,” and “organizationalc related-issues” have been ranked as the top five significant and contributing attributes, which can pave the path for top management to concentrate on the critical areas and allocate significant resources to ensure successful implementation of agile manufacturing.Originality/valueThis research integrates AHP and TOPSIS to prioritize the attributes for successful implementation of agile manufacturing, which are further validated by comparing the ranks obtained through respective approach and sensitivity analysis.
The day of the week effects in stock markets of countries with predominantly Muslim populations
Authors: Yardımcı Bengü , Erdem Sabri 
Published: February 2020

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the day of the week (DoW) effect in stock markets of 19 countries with a predominantly Muslim population over the world.

Design/methodology/approach
The empirical research was conducted by using the descriptive statistical analysis and Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) method in 19 stock markets for the past decade.

Findings
The findings in this paper present the evidence of the DoW effect in the majority of the stock markets analyzed. The findings were also consistent with the results of some previous studies regarding the DoW effect in various countries but some were found to be surprisingly different.

Research limitations/implications
This study puts forward the view that investors may consider DoW diversities for their investment decisions regarding the countries with predominantly Muslim population. The authors conclude that additional factors affecting Islamic countries’ stock markets such as geographic proximity, trading days, market capitalization and ethnicity should be considered as well.

Originality/value
Researchers have shown an increased interest in calendar anomalies in stock exchanges of some individual Arab countries. This study contributes to the literature by examining Muslim country stock markets collectively.