bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An immune receptor complex evolved in soybean to perceive a polymorphic bacterial flagellin
Authors: Wei Yali , Balaceanu Alexandra , Rufian Jose S. , Segonzac Cécile , Zhao Achen , Morcillo Rafael J. L. , Macho Alberto P. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractIn both animals and plants, the perception of bacterial flagella by immune receptors elicits the activation of defence responses. Most plants are able to perceive the highly conserved epitope flg22 from flagellin, the main flagellar protein, from most bacterial species. However, flagellin from Ralstonia solanacearum, the causal agent of the bacterial wilt disease, presents a polymorphic flg22 sequence (flg22Rso) that avoids perception by all plants studied to date. In this work, we show that soybean has developed polymorphic versions of the flg22 receptors that are able to perceive flg22Rso. Furthermore, we identify key residues responsible for both the evasion of perception by flg22Rso in Arabidopsis and the gain of perception by the soybean receptors. Heterologous expression of the soybean flg22 receptors in susceptible plant species, such as tomato, enhances resistance to bacterial wilt disease, demonstrating the potential of these receptors to enhance disease resistance in crop plants.
Cryptic evolved melts beneath monotonous basaltic shield volcanoes in the Galápagos Archipelago
Authors: Stock Michael J. , Geist Dennis , Neave David A. , Gleeson Matthew L. M. , Bernard Benjamin , Howard Keith A. , Buisman Iris , Maclennan John 
Published: July 2020

AbstractMany volcanoes erupt compositionally homogeneous magmas over timescales ranging from decades to millennia. This monotonous activity is thought to reflect a high degree of chemical homogeneity in their magmatic systems, leading to predictable eruptive behaviour. We combine petrological analyses of erupted crystals with new thermodynamic models to characterise the diversity of melts in magmatic systems beneath monotonous shield volcanoes in the Galápagos Archipelago (Wolf and Fernandina). In contrast with the uniform basaltic magmas erupted at the surface over long timescales, we find that the sub-volcanic systems contain extreme heterogeneity, with melts extending to rhyolitic compositions. Evolved melts are in low abundance and large volumes of basalt flushing through the crust from depth overprint their chemical signatures. This process will only maintain monotonous activity while the volume of melt entering the crust is high, raising the possibility of transitions to more silicic activity given a decrease in the crustal melt flux.
Chemoprotective effects of inositol hexaphosphate against cyclophosphamide-induced testicular damage in rats
Authors: Alkhalaf Maha I. , Alansari Wafa S. , Alshubaily Fawzia A. , Alnajeebi Afnan M. , Eskandrani Areej A. , Tashkandi Manal A. , Babteen Nouf A. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractCyclophosphamide (CP) is commonly used as an anticancer agent but has been associated with high toxicity in several animal organs, including the testes. Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) is a polyphosphorylated carbohydrate that is present in foods with high fibre contents and has a wide range of essential physiological and pathological activities. Thus, we estimated the defensive effects of IP6 against CP-related testicular toxicity in rats. Sperm counts, motilities, viabilities and abnormalities and levels of testosterone, luteinising hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone were evaluated. Testicle specimens were also processed for histological and biochemical analyses, including determinations of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, total antioxidant capacity, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transferase, ß-glucuronidase, c-reactive protein, monocyte chemoattractant protein and leukotriene-4 and in comet assays. CP treatments were associated with deleterious histopathological, biochemical and genetic changes in rat testicles, and these were ameliorated by IP6 supplements in drinking water.
Objective quantification and spatial mapping of cataract with a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor
Authors: Holló Csaba Tamás , Miháltz Kata , Kurucz Máté , Csorba Anita , Kránitz Kinga , Kovács Illés , Nagy Zoltán Zsolt , Erdei Gábor 
Published: July 2020

AbstractBased on wavefront sensor images an objective and quantitative method is presented for characterising cataract. By separating direct and scattered light in the focal plane of the microlenses, the new procedure is able to make two-dimensional maps of the spatial variation of scattering properties in the crystalline lens, and also provides a single figure descriptive for the whole eye. The developed evaluation algorithm successfully quantifies cataract, especially that of nuclear type. To demonstrate its operation, a custom-built measurement setup was constructed using a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor with $$40 \times 32$$40×32 microlenses to capture 12-bit images of the pupil plane, and a superluminescent diode of 830 nm wavelength as a light source. Slit-lamp clinical measurements served as reference for calibration and to estimate the accuracy of the new method. The tests were carried out on 78 eyes with cataract in different progression state ranging from healthy to above 5 on the LOCS III scale. The residual error of the calibration (i.e. the standard deviation of difference between clinical reference and our algorithmic characterisation) turned out to be $$\pm 0.29$$±0.29 category on the LOCS III N scale, which approximates the $$\pm 0.33$$±0.33 precision of classic cataract measurements carried out with the greatest care.
Adipocytes protect fibroblasts from radiation-induced damage by adiponectin secretion
Authors: Kosmacek Elizabeth A. , Oberley-Deegan Rebecca E. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractProstate and colon cancers are among the most common cancers diagnosed annually, and both often require treatment with radiation therapy. Advancement in radiation delivery techniques has led to highly accurate targeting of tumor and sparing of normal tissue; however, in the pelvic region it is anatomically difficult to avoid off-target radiation exposure to other organs. Chronically the effects of normal urogenital tissue exposure can lead to urinary frequency, urinary incontinence, proctitis, and erectile dysfunction. Most of these symptoms are caused by radiation-induced fibrosis and reduce the quality of life for cancer survivors. We have observed in animal models that the severity of radiation-induced fibrosis in normal tissue correlates to damaged fat reservoirs in the pelvic region. We hypothesize that adipocytes may secrete a factor that prevents the induction of radiation-associated fibrosis in normal tissues. In these studies we show that the adipokine, adiponectin, is secreted by primary mouse adipocytes and protects fibroblasts from radiation-induced cell death, myofibroblast formation, and senescence. Further, we demonstrated that adiponectin does not protect colorectal or prostate cancer cells from radiation-induced death. Thus, we propose that adiponectin, or its downstream pathway, would provide a novel target for adjuvant therapy when treating pelvic cancers with radiation therapy.
Focal dynamic thermal imaging for label-free high-resolution characterization of materials and tissue heterogeneity
Authors: O’Brien Christine M. , Meng Hongyu , Shmuylovich Leonid , Carpenter Julia , Gogineni Praneeth , Zhang Haini , Bishop Kevin , Mondal Suman B. , Sudlow Gail P. , Bethea Cheryl , Bethea Clyde , Achilefu Samuel 
Published: July 2020

AbstractEvolution from static to dynamic label-free thermal imaging has improved bulk tissue characterization, but fails to capture subtle thermal properties in heterogeneous systems. Here, we report a label-free, high speed, and high-resolution platform technology, focal dynamic thermal imaging (FDTI), for delineating material patterns and tissue heterogeneity. Stimulation of focal regions of thermally responsive systems with a narrow beam, low power, and low cost 405 nm laser perturbs the thermal equilibrium. Capturing the dynamic response of 3D printed phantoms, ex vivo biological tissue, and in vivo mouse and rat models of cancer with a thermal camera reveals material heterogeneity and delineates diseased from healthy tissue. The intuitive and non-contact FDTI method allows for rapid interrogation of suspicious lesions and longitudinal changes in tissue heterogeneity with high-resolution and large field of view. Portable FDTI holds promise as a clinical tool for capturing subtle differences in heterogeneity between malignant, benign, and inflamed tissue.
Probing magnon–magnon coupling in exchange coupled Y$$_3$$Fe$$_5$$O$$_{12}$$/Permalloy bilayers with magneto-optical effects
Authors: Xiong Yuzan , Li Yi , Hammami Mouhamad , Bidthanapally Rao , Sklenar Joseph , Zhang Xufeng , Qu Hongwei , Srinivasan Gopalan , Pearson John , Hoffmann Axel , Novosad Valentine , Zhang Wei 
Published: July 2020

AbstractWe demonstrate the magnetically-induced transparency (MIT) effect in Y$$_3$$

3

Fe$$_5$$

5

O$$_{12}$$

12

(YIG)/Permalloy (Py) coupled bilayers. The measurement is achieved via a heterodyne detection of the coupled magnetization dynamics using a single wavelength that probes the magneto-optical Kerr and Faraday effects of Py and YIG, respectively. Clear features of the MIT effect are evident from the deeply modulated ferromagnetic resonance of Py due to the perpendicular-standing-spin-wave of YIG. We develop a phenomenological model that nicely reproduces the experimental results including the induced amplitude and phase evolution caused by the magnon–magnon coupling. Our work offers a new route towards studying phase-resolved spin dynamics and hybrid magnonic systems.
Screening of Parkinsonian subtle fine-motor impairment from touchscreen typing via deep learning
Authors: Iakovakis Dimitrios , Chaudhuri K. Ray , Klingelhoefer Lisa , Bostantjopoulou Sevasti , Katsarou Zoe , Trivedi Dhaval , Reichmann Heinz , Hadjidimitriou Stelios , Charisis Vasileios , Hadjileontiadis Leontios J. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractFine-motor impairment (FMI) is progressively expressed in early Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients and is now known to be evident in the immediate prodromal stage of the condition. The clinical techniques for detecting FMI may not be robust enough and here, we show that the subtle FMI of early PD patients can be effectively estimated from the analysis of natural smartphone touchscreen typing via deep learning networks, trained in stages of initialization and fine-tuning. In a validation dataset of 36,000 typing sessions from 39 subjects (17 healthy/22 PD patients with medically validated UPDRS Part III single-item scores), the proposed approach achieved values of area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.89 (95% confidence interval: 0.80–0.96) with sensitivity/specificity: 0.90/0.83. The derived estimations result in statistically significant ($$p<0.05$$

p
<
0.05

) correlation of 0.66/0.73/0.58 with the clinical standard UPDRS Part III items 22/23/31, respectively. Further validation analysis on 9 de novo PD patients vs. 17 healthy controls classification resulted in AUC of 0.97 (0.93–1.00) with 0.93/0.90. For 253 remote study participants, with self-reported health status providing 252.000 typing sessions via a touchscreen typing data acquisition mobile app (iPrognosis), the proposed approach predicted 0.79 AUC (0.66–0.91) with 0.76/0.71. Remote and unobtrusive screening of subtle FMI via natural smartphone usage, may assist in consolidating early and accurate diagnosis of PD.
Distributed 2D temperature sensing during nanoparticles assisted laser ablation by means of high-scattering fiber sensors
Authors: Ashikbayeva Zhannat , Aitkulov Arman , Jelbuldina Madina , Issatayeva Aizhan , Beisenova Aidana , Molardi Carlo , Saccomandi Paola , Blanc Wilfried , Inglezakis Vassilis J. , Tosi Daniele 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe high demand in effective and minimally invasive cancer treatments, namely thermal ablation, leads to the demand for real-time multi-dimensional thermometry to evaluate the treatment effectiveness, which can be also assisted by the use of nanoparticles. We report the results of 20-nm gold and magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles-assisted laser ablation on a porcine liver phantom. The experimental set-up consisting of high-scattering nanoparticle-doped fibers was operated by means of a scattering–level multiplexing arrangement and interrogated via optical backscattered reflectometry, together with a solid-state laser diode operating at 980 nm. The multiplexed 2-dimensional fiber arrangement based on nanoparticle-doped fibers allowed an accurate superficial thermal map detected in real-time.
Pathological application of carbocyanine dye-based multicolour imaging of vasculature and associated structures
Authors: Konno Alu , Matsumoto Naoya , Tomono Yasuko , Okazaki Shigetoshi 
Published: July 2020

AbstractSimultaneous visualisation of vasculature and surrounding tissue structures is essential for a better understanding of vascular pathologies. In this work, we describe a histochemical strategy for three-dimensional, multicolour imaging of vasculature and associated structures, using a carbocyanine dye-based technique, vessel painting. We developed a series of applications to allow the combination of vessel painting with other histochemical methods, including immunostaining and tissue clearing for confocal and two-photon microscopies. We also introduced a two-photon microscopy setup that incorporates an aberration correction system to correct aberrations caused by the mismatch of refractive indices between samples and immersion mediums, for higher-quality images of intact tissue structures. Finally, we demonstrate the practical utility of our approach by visualising fine pathological alterations to the renal glomeruli of IgA nephropathy model mice in unprecedented detail. The technical advancements should enhance the versatility of vessel painting, offering rapid and cost-effective methods for vascular pathologies.
Penicillin-binding proteins regulate multiple steps in the polarized cell division process of Chlamydia
Authors: Cox John V. , Abdelrahman Yasser Mohamed , Ouellette Scot P. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractChlamydia trachomatis serovar L2 and Chlamydia muridarum, which do not express FtsZ, undergo polarized cell division. During division, peptidoglycan assembles at the pole of dividing Chlamydia trachomatis cells where daughter cell formation occurs, and peptidoglycan regulates at least two distinct steps in the polarized division of Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia muridarum. Cells treated with inhibitors that prevent peptidoglycan synthesis or peptidoglycan crosslinking by penicillin-binding protein 2 (PBP2) are unable to initiate polarized division, while cells treated with inhibitors that prevent peptidoglycan crosslinking by penicillin-binding protein 3 (PBP3/FtsI) initiate polarized division, but the process arrests at an early stage of daughter cell growth. Consistent with their distinct roles in polarized division, peptidoglycan organization is different in cells treated with PBP2 and PBP3-specific inhibitors. Our analyses indicate that the sequential action of PBP2 and PBP3 drives changes in peptidoglycan organization that are essential for the polarized division of these obligate intracellular bacteria. Furthermore, the roles we have characterized for PBP2 and PBP3 in regulating specific steps in chlamydial cell division have not been described in other bacteria.
Low-cost calcium fluorometry for long-term nanoparticle studies in living cells
Authors: Beck Connor L. , Hickman Clark J. , Kunze Anja 
Published: July 2020

AbstractCalcium fluorometry is critical to determine cell homeostasis or to reveal communication patterns in neuronal networks. Recently, characterizing calcium signalling in neurons related to interactions with nanomaterials has become of interest due to its therapeutic potential. However, imaging of neuronal cell activity under stable physiological conditions can be either very expensive or limited in its long-term capability. Here, we present a low-cost, portable imaging system for long-term, fast-scale calcium fluorometry in neurons. Using the imaging system, we revealed temperature-dependent changes in long-term calcium signalling in kidney cells and primary cortical neurons. Furthermore, we introduce fast-scale monitoring of synchronous calcium activity in neuronal cultures in response to nanomaterials. Through graph network analysis, we found that calcium dynamics in neurons are temperature-dependent when exposed to chitosan-coated nanoparticles. These results give new insights into nanomaterial-interaction in living cultures and tissues based on calcium fluorometry and graph network analysis.
Comparative transcriptome analysis of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum revealed its response mechanisms to the biological control agent, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens
Authors: Yang Xiaoxiang , Zhang Lei , Xiang Yunjia , Du Lei , Huang Xiaoqin , Liu Yong 
Published: July 2020

AbstractBiological control mechanisms of plant diseases have been intensively studied. However, how plant pathogens respond to and resist or alleviate biocontrol agents remains largely unknown. In this study, a comparative transcriptome analysis was performed to elucidate how the pathogen of sclerotinia stem rot, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, responds and resists to the biocontrol agent, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. Results revealed that a total of 2,373 genes were differentially expressed in S. sclerotiorum samples treated with B. amyloliquefaciens fermentation broth (TS) when compared to control samples (CS). Among these genes, 2,017 were upregulated and 356 were downregulated. Further analyses indicated that various genes related to fungal cell wall and cell membrane synthesis, antioxidants, and the autophagy pathway were significantly upregulated, including glucan synthesis, ergosterol biosynthesis pathway, fatty acid synthase, heme-binding peroxidase related to oxidative stress, glutathione S-transferase, ABC transporter, and autophagy-related genes. These results suggest that S. sclerotiorum recruits numerous genes to respond to or resist the biocontrol of B. amyloliquefaciens. Thus, this study serves as a valuable resource regarding the mechanisms of fungal pathogen resistance to biocontrol agents.
Chemical structure and genetic organization of the E. coli O6:K15 capsular polysaccharide
Authors: Azurmendi Hugo F. , Veeramachineni Vamsee , Freese Stephen , Lichaa Flora , Freedberg Darón I. , Vann Willie F. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractCapsular polysaccharides are important virulence factors in pathogenic bacteria. Characterizing the structural components and biosynthetic pathways for these polysaccharides is key to our ability to design vaccines and other preventative therapies that target encapsulated pathogens. Many gram-negative pathogens such as Neisseria meningitidis and Escherichia coli express acidic capsules. The E. coli K15 serotype has been identified as both an enterotoxigenic and uropathogenic pathogen. Despite its relevance as a disease-causing serotype, the associated capsular polysaccharide remains poorly characterized. We describe in this report the chemical structure of the K15 polysaccharide, based on chemical analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data. The repeating structure of the K15 polysaccharide consists of 4)-α-GlcpNAc-(1 → 5)-α-KDOp-(2 → partially O-acetylated at 3-hydroxyl of GlcNAc. We also report, the organization of the gene cluster responsible for capsule biosynthesis. We identify genes in this cluster that potentially encode an O-acetyltransferase, an N-acetylglucosamine transferase, and a KDO transferase consistent with the structure we report.
Evaluation and modeling of direct membrane-feeding assay with Plasmodium vivax to support development of transmission blocking vaccines
Authors: Miura Kazutoyo , Swihart Bruce J. , Fay Michael P. , Kumpitak Chalermpon , Kiattibutr Kirakorn , Sattabongkot Jetsumon , Long Carole A. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractStandard and direct membrane-feeding assays (SMFA and DMFA) are fundamental assays to evaluate efficacy of transmission-blocking intervention (TBI) candidates against Plasmodium falciparum and vivax. To compare different candidates precisely, it is crucial to understand the error range of measured activity, usually expressed as percent inhibition in either oocyst intensity (% transmission reducing activity, %TRA), or in prevalence of infected mosquitoes (% transmission blocking activity, %TBA). To this end, mathematical models have been proposed for P. falciparum SMFA (PfSMFA), but such study for DMFA is limited. In this study, we analyzed P. vivax DMFA (PvDMFA) data from 22,236 mosquitoes tested from 96 independent assays. While the two assays are quite different, a zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) model could reasonably explain the PvDMFA results, as it has for PfSMFA. Our simulation studies based on the ZINB model revealed it is better to report %TRA values with a proper error range, rather than observed %TBA both in SMFA and DMFA. Furthermore, the simulations help in designing a better assay and aid in estimating an error range of a %TRA value when the uncertainty is not reported. This study strongly supports future TBI development by providing a rational method to compare different candidates.
Oral interactions between a green tea flavanol extract and red wine anthocyanin extract using a new cell-based model: insights on the effect of different oral epithelia
Authors: Soares Susana , Soares Sónia , Brandão Elsa , Guerreiro Carlos , Mateus Nuno , de Freitas Victor 
Published: July 2020

AbstractPhenolic compounds (PC) are linked to astringency sensation. Astringency studies typically use simple models, with pure PC and/or proteins, far from what is likely to occur in the oral cavity. Different oral models have been developed here, comprising different oral epithelia (buccal mucosa (TR146) and tongue (HSC-3)) and other main oral constituents (human saliva and mucosal pellicle). These models, were used to study the interaction with two PC extracts, one rich in flavanols (a green tea extract) and one rich in anthocyanins (a red wine extract). It was observed that within a family of PC, the PC seem to have a similar binding to both TR146 and HSC-3 cell lines. When the oral constituents occur altogether, flavanols showed a higher interaction, driven by the salivary proteins. Conversely, anthocyanins showed a lower interaction when the oral constituents occur altogether, having a higher interaction only with oral cells. Epigallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin-3-O(3-O-methyl) gallate were the flavanols with the highest interaction. For the studied anthocyanins (delphinidin-3-glucoside, peonidin-3-glucoside, petunidin-3-glucoside and malvidin-3-glucoside), there was not a marked difference on their interaction ability. Overall, the results support that the different oral constituents can have a different function at different phases of food (PC) intake. These differences can be related to the perception of different astringency sub-qualities.