bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
20% of US electricity from wind will have limited impacts on system efficiency and regional climate
Authors: Pryor S. C. , Barthelmie R. J. , Shepherd T. J. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractImpacts from current and future wind turbine (WT) deployments necessary to achieve 20% electricity from wind are analyzed using high resolution numerical simulations over the eastern USA. Theoretical scenarios for future deployments are based on repowering (i.e. replacing with higher capacity WTs) thus avoiding competition for land. Simulations for the contemporary climate and current WT deployments exhibit good agreement with observed electricity generation efficiency (gross capacity factors (CF) from simulations = 45–48%, while net CF for WT installed in 2016 = 42.5%). Under the scenario of quadrupled installed capacity there is a small decrease in system-wide efficiency as indicated by annual mean CF. This difference is approximately equal to that from the two simulation years and may reflect saturation of the wind resource in some areas. WT modify the local near-surface climate in the grid cells where they are deployed. The simulated impact on near-surface climate properties at both the regional and local scales does not increase with increasing WT installed capacity. Climate impacts from WT are modest compared to regional changes induced by historical changes in land cover and to the global temperature perturbation induced by use of coal to generate an equivalent amount of electricity.
Female Reproductive Performance and Maternal Birth Month: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Exploring Multiple Seasonal Mechanisms
Authors: Boland Mary Regina , Fieder Martin , John Luis H. , Rijnbeek Peter R. , Huber Susanne 
Published: January 2020

AbstractGlobally, maternal birth season affects fertility later in life. The purpose of this systematic literature review is to comprehensively investigate the birth season and female fertility relationship. Using PubMed, we identified a set of 282 relevant fertility/birth season papers published between 1972 and 2018. We screened all 282 studies and removed 131 non-mammalian species studies on fertility and 122 studies that were on non-human mammals. Our meta-analysis focused on the remaining 29 human studies, including twelve human datasets from around the world (USA, Europe, Asia). The main outcome was change in female fertility as observed by maternal birth month and whether this change was correlated with either temperature or rainfall. We found that temperature was either strongly correlated or anti-correlated in studies, indicating that another factor closely tied to temperature may be the culprit exposure. We found that rainfall only increases fertility in higher altitude locations (New Zealand, Romania, and Northern Vietnam). This suggests the possibility of a combined or multi-factorial mechanism underlying the female fertility – birth season relationship. We discuss other environmental and sociological factors on the birth season – female fertility relationship. Future research should focus on the role of birth season and female fertility adjusting for additional factors that modulate female fertility as discussed in this comprehensive review.
Arginyltransferase knockdown attenuates cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis through TAK1-JNK1/2 pathway
Authors: Singh Kanika , Gupta Ankit , Sarkar Ashish , Gupta Ishita , Rana Santanu , Sarkar Sagartirtha , Khan Sameena 
Published: January 2020

AbstractMyocardial hypertrophy, an inflammatory condition of cardiac muscles is a maladaptive response of the heart to biomechanical stress, hemodynamic or neurohormonal stimuli. Previous studies indicated that knockout of Arginyltransferase (ATE1) gene in mice and embryos leads to contractile dysfunction, defective cardiovascular development, and impaired angiogenesis. Here we found that in adult rat model, downregulation of ATE1 mitigates cardiac hypertrophic, cardiac fibrosis as well as apoptosis responses in the presence of cardiac stress i.e. renal artery ligation. On contrary, in wild type cells responding to renal artery ligation, there is an increase of cellular ATE1 protein level. Further, we have shown the cardioprotective role of ATE1 silencing is mediated by the interruption of TAK1 activity-dependent JNK1/2 signaling pathway. We propose that ATE1 knockdown in presence of cardiac stress performs a cardioprotective action and the inhibition of its activity may provide a novel approach for the treatment of cardiac hypertrophy.
Efficacy and safety of nanoparticle-albumin-bound paclitaxel compared with solvent-based taxanes for metastatic breast cancer: A meta-analysis
Authors: Lee Hwaryeon , Park Sohyun , Kang Ji Eun , Lee Hee Min , Kim Sun Ah , Rhie Sandy Jeong 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe curative effects of nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab)-paclitaxel in the first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) are still controversial, with even more after the removal of marketing approval of indication of bevacizumab. Five electronic databases and the related resources were searched for eligible randomized clinical trials (RCTs) without year and language restrictions to perform a meta-analysis. The studies were comparing the efficacy and safety between nab-paclitaxel chemotherapy versus solvent-based (sb)-taxanes chemotherapy such as sb-paclitaxel and docetaxel. The primary end points were overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR). Secondary end points were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), adverse events (AEs), and dose discontinuation rate (DDR). Five RCTs (1,554 patients) were finally identified from 1,902 studies. When compared to sb-paclitaxel, nab-paclitaxel showed significant beneficial effects in terms of ORR (OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.69–3.37, p < 0.001), DCR (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.07–3.35, p = 0.03), and PFS (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.62–0.90, p = 0.002). Nab-paclitaxel also showed significantly longer OS (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.54–0.99, p = 0.04) than docetaxel. AEs and DDR were comparable between the two arms. Using nab-paclitaxel could significantly improve efficacy with comparable toxicities in the treatment of MBC.
Ultrasensitive nano-aptasensor for monitoring retinol binding protein 4 as a biomarker for diabetes prognosis at early stages
Authors: Torabi Raheleh , Ghourchian Hedayatollah 
Published: January 2020

AbstractPrognosis of diabetes risk at early stages has become an important challenge due to the prevalence of this disease. Retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4), a recently identified adipokine, has been introduced as a predictor for the onset of diabetes type 2 in coming future. In the present report a sensitive aptasensor for detection of RBP4 is introduced. The immune sandwich was prepared by immobilizing biotinylated RBP4 aptamers on streptavidin coated polystyrene micro-wells and then incubation of RBP4 as target and finally addition of luminol-antibody bearing intercross-linked gold nanoparticles as reporter. The chemiluminescence intensity was recorded in the presence of hydrogen peroxide as oxidant agent and Au3+ as an efficient catalyst for luminol oxidation. The aptasensor responded to RBP4 in the linear concentration range from 0.001 to 2 ng/mL and detection limit was slightly less than 1 pg/mL. The proposed method has successfully applied to determine the RBP4 in patient real serums. By using the intercross-linked gold nanoparticles, it is possible to provide more accessible surface for immobilizing luminol and enhance the chemiluminescence signal. Therefore, the analytical parameters such as sensitivity, specificity, detection limit and linear range were improved in compare to the biosensors reported in the literature.
Hard plant tissues do not contribute meaningfully to dental microwear: evolutionary implications
Authors: van Casteren Adam , Strait David S. , Swain Michael V. , Michael Shaji , Thai Lidia A. , Philip Swapna M. , Saji Sreeja , Al-Fadhalah Khaled , Almusallam Abdulwahab S. , Shekeban Ali , McGraw W. Scott , Kane Erin E. , Wright Barth W. , Lucas Peter W. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractReconstructing diet is critical to understanding hominin adaptations. Isotopic and functional morphological analyses of early hominins are compatible with consumption of hard foods, such as mechanically-protected seeds, but dental microwear analyses are not. The protective shells surrounding seeds are thought to induce complex enamel surface textures characterized by heavy pitting, but these are absent on the teeth of most early hominins. Here we report nanowear experiments showing that the hardest woody shells – the hardest tissues made by dicotyledonous plants – cause very minor damage to enamel but are themselves heavily abraded (worn) in the process. Thus, hard plant tissues do not regularly create pits on enamel surfaces despite high forces clearly being associated with their oral processing. We conclude that hard plant tissues barely influence microwear textures and the exploitation of seeds from graminoid plants such as grasses and sedges could have formed a critical element in the dietary ecology of hominins.
Design and Molecular dynamic Investigations of 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone Derivatives as Potential Neuroprotective Agents Against Alpha-synuclein
Authors: Mohankumar Thangavel , Chandramohan Vivek , Lalithamba Haralur Shankaraiah , Jayaraj Richard L. , Kumaradhas Poomani , Sivanandam Magudeeswaran , Hunday Govindasamy , Vijayakumar Rajendran , Balakrishnan Rangasamy , Manimaran Dharmar , Elangovan Namasivayam 
Published: January 2020

AbstractParkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder caused due to loss of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta, which occurs the presence of Lewy bodies made up of Alpha-synuclein (ASN) aggregation resulting in neuronal death. This study aims to identify potent 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone (DHF) derivatives to inhibit the ASN aggregation from in silico analysis. Molecular docking study reveals that carbamic ester derivatives of DHF [DHF-BAHPC (8q), DHF-BAHPEC (8s), DHF-BAHEC (8p), DHF-BDOPC (8c), DHF-BAPEC (8n) and DHF-BAMC (8h)] have good binding affinity towards ASN, when compared with DHF and L-DOPA; their docking score values are −16.3120, −16.1875, −15.2223, −14.3118, −14.2893, –14.2810, −14.0383, and −9.1560 kcal/mol respectively. The in silico pharmacological evaluation shows that these molecules exhibit the drug-likeness and ADMET properties. Molecular dynamics simulation confirms the stability of the molecules with ASN. The intermolecular interaction analyzed under the dynamic condition, allows to identify the candidate which potentially inhibits ASN aggregation. Hence, we propose that DHF derivatives are the potential lead drug molecules and preclinical studies are needed to confirm the promising therapeutic ability against PD.
Colossal heating efficiency via eddy currents in amorphous microwires with nearly zero magnetostriction
Authors: Morales Irene , Archilla Diego , de la Presa Patricia , Hernando Antonio , Marin Pilar 
Published: January 2020

AbstractIt is well stablished that heating efficiency of magnetic nanoparticles under radiofrequency fields is due to the hysteresis power losses. In the case of microwires (MWs), it is not clear at all since they undergo non-coherent reversal mechanisms that decrease the coercive field and, consequently, the heating efficiency should be much smaller than the nanoparticles. However, colossal heating efficiency has been observed in MWs with values ranging from 1000 to 2800 W/g, depending on length and number of microwires, at field as low as H = 36 Oe at f = 625 kHz. It is inferred that this colossal heating is due to the Joule effect originated by the eddy currents induced by the induction field B = M + χH parallel to longitudinal axis. This effect is observed in MWs with nearly zero magnetostrictive constant as Fe2.25Co72.75Si10B15 of 30 μm magnetic diameter and 5 mm length, a length for which the inner core domain of the MWs becomes axial. This colossal heating is reached with only 24 W of power supplied making these MWs very promising for inductive heating applications at a very low energy cost.
A twin study of body mass index and dental caries in childhood
Authors: Silva M. J. , Kilpatrick N. M. , Craig J. M. , Manton D. J. , Leong P. , Ho H. , Saffery R. , Burgner D. P. , Scurrah K. J. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractSub-optimal nutrition and dental caries are both common with significant short and long-term implications for child health and development. We applied twin statistical methods to explore the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and dental caries. We measured BMI at 18 months and six years of age and cumulative dental caries experience at six years in 344 twin children. Dental caries in primary teeth was categorised into ‘any’ or ‘advanced’ and BMI was analysed as both a continuous and categorical variable. Statistical analyses included multiple logistic regression using generalized estimating equations and within/between-pair analyses. There was no association between BMI and ‘any’ dental caries experience at either time-point, neither overall nor in within/between pair analyses. However, ‘advanced’ dental caries at six years was associated with a within-pair difference in BMI of −0.55 kg/m2 (95% CI −1.00, −0.11, p = 0.015). A within-pair increase of 1 kg/m2 in BMI was associated with a lower within-pair risk of advanced dental caries (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.52, 0.90, p = 0.007). These findings reveal a possible causal relationship between lower BMI and dental caries. As dental outcomes were only measured at one time point, the direction of this potentially causal relationship is unclear.
The relationship between consumption of nitrite or nitrate and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Yu Mengxia , Li Chenying , Hu Chao , Jin Jingrui , Qian Shenxian , Jin Jie 
Published: January 2020

AbstractEpidemiologic studies of the relationship between nitrite or nitrate consumption and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) remain controversial. The current meta-analysis aimed to reexamine the evidence and quantitatively evaluate that relationship. Manuscripts were retrieved from the Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure and PubMed databases up to May 2019. From the studies included in the review, results were combined and presented as odds ratios (OR). To conduct a dose-response (DR) analysis, studies presenting risk estimates over a series of categories of exposure were selected. Our data indicate that the consumption of nitrite was linked to a significantly increased hazard of NHL (OR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.14–1.65), rather than nitrate (OR: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.94–1.10). According to Egger’s and Begg’s tests (P > 0.05), there was no evidence of significant publication bias. Moreover, our DR analysis indicated that the risk of NHL grew by 26% for each additional microgram of nitrite consumed in the diet per day (OR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.09–1.42). Through subset analysis of the nitrite studies, data from the high-quality studies indicated that consumption was positively associated with carcinogenicity, leading to NHL (OR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.17–1.77) and positively correlated with the development of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (OR: 1.55; 95% CI: 1.07–2.26), but not other NHL subtypes. In addition, the data suggested that females (OR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.15–1.95) and high levels of nitrite intake (OR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.28–2.09) had a higher risk of NHL. Our meta-analysis supports the hypothesis that nitrite intake, but not that of nitrate, raises the risk of developing NHL. In the future, better designed prospective research studies should be conducted to confirm our findings, clarify potential biological mechanisms and instruct clinicians about NHL prophylaxis.
Rejection of the genetic implications of the “Abundant Centre Hypothesis” in marine mussels
Authors: Ntuli Noxolo N. , Nicastro Katy R. , Zardi Gerardo I. , Assis Jorge , McQuaid Christopher D. , Teske Peter R. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe ‘Abundant-Centre Hypothesis’ is a well-established but controversial hypothesis stating that the abundance of a species is highest at the centre of its range and decreases towards the edges, where conditions are unfavourable. As genetic diversity depends on population size, edge populations are expected to show lower intra-population genetic diversity than core populations, while showing high inter-population genetic divergence. Here, the genetic implications of the Abundant-Centre Hypothesis were tested on two coastal mussels from South Africa that disperse by means of planktonic larvae, the native Perna perna and the invasive Mytilus galloprovincialis. Genetic structure was found within P. perna, which, together with evidence from Lagrangian particle simulations, points to significant reductions in gene flow between sites. Despite this, the expected diversity pattern between centre and edge populations was not found for either species. We conclude that the genetic predictions of the Abundant-Centre Hypothesis are unlikely to be met by high-dispersal species with large population sizes, and may only become evident in species with much lower levels of connectivity.
Variation among S-locus haplotypes and among stylar RNases in almond
Authors: Goonetilleke Shashi N. , Croxford Adam E. , March Timothy J. , Wirthensohn Michelle G. , Hrmova Maria , Mather Diane E. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractIn many plant species, self-incompatibility systems limit self-pollination and mating among relatives. This helps maintain genetic diversity in natural populations but imposes constraints in agriculture and plant breeding. In almond [Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb], the specificity of self-incompatibility is mainly determined by stylar ribonuclease (S-RNase) and S-haplotype-specific F-box (SFB) proteins, both encoded within a complex locus, S. Prior to this research, a nearly complete sequence was available for one S-locus haplotype. Here, we report complete sequences for four haplotypes and partial sequences for 11 haplotypes. Haplotypes vary in sequences of genes (particularly S-RNase and SFB), distances between genes and numbers and positions of long terminal repeat transposons. Haplotype variation outside of the S-RNase and SFB genes may help maintain functionally important associations between S-RNase and SFB alleles. Fluorescence-based assays were developed to distinguish among some S-RNase alleles. With three-dimensional modelling of five S-RNase proteins, conserved active sites were identified and variation was observed in electrostatic potential and in the numbers, characteristics and positions of secondary structural elements, loop anchoring points and glycosylation sites. A hypervariable region on the protein surface and differences in the number, location and types of glycosylation sites may contribute to determining S-RNase specificity.
Zebrafish C-reactive protein isoforms inhibit SVCV replication by blocking autophagy through interactions with cell membrane cholesterol
Authors: Bello-Perez Melissa , Pereiro Patricia , Coll Julio , Novoa Beatriz , Perez Luis , Falco Alberto 
Published: January 2020

AbstractIn the present work, the mechanisms involved in the recently reported antiviral activity of zebrafish C-reactive protein-like protein (CRP1-7) against the spring viraemia of carp rhabdovirus (SVCV) in fish are explored. The results neither indicate blocking of the attachment or the binding step of the viral replication cycle nor suggest the direct inhibition of G protein fusion activity or the stimulation of the host’s interferon system. However, an antiviral state in the host is induced. Further results showed that the antiviral protection conferred by CRP1-7 was mainly due to the inhibition of autophagic processes. Thus, given the high affinity of CRPs for cholesterol and the recently described influence of the cholesterol balance in lipid rafts on autophagy, both methyl-β-cyclodextrin (a cholesterol-complexing agent) and 25-hydroxycholesterol (a cholesterol molecule with antiviral properties) were used to further describe CRP activity. All the tested compounds exerted antiviral activity by affecting autophagy in a similar manner. Further assays indicate that CRP reduces autophagy activity by initially disturbing the cholesterol ratios in the host cellular membranes, which in turn negatively affects the intracellular regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increases lysosomal pH as a consequence. Ultimately, here we propose that such pH changes exert an inhibitory direct effect on SVCV replication by disrupting the pH-dependent membrane-fusogenic ability of the viral glycoprotein G, which allows the release of the virus from endosomes into cytoplasm during its entry phase.
Impact of anticancer chemotherapy on the extension of beta-lactamase spectrum: an example with KPC-type carbapenemase activity towards ceftazidime-avibactam
Authors: Hobson Claire Amaris , Bonacorsi Stéphane , Hocquet Didier , Baruchel André , Fahd Mony , Storme Thomas , Tang Raksamy , Doit Catherine , Tenaillon Olivier , Birgy André 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThrough their action on DNA replication, anticancer chemotherapies could increase the basal mutation rate in bacteria and increase the risk of selecting antibiotic resistant mutants. We investigated the impact of several drugs on a beta-lactamase model using KPC-type carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. We studied the impact of anticancer chemotherapies used in pediatric hematologic malignancies on 7 clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae producing KPC-type carbapenemases. We compared the mutation rates from cultures with/without chemotherapy on ceftazidime-avibactam, rifampicin and ceftazidime-avibactam combined with meropenem media. Mechanisms of ceftazidime-avibactam resistance were explored on a subset of mutants. After exposure to some cytotoxic molecules, the bacterial mutation rates leading to ceftazidime-avibactam and to rifampicin resistance increased up to 104-fold while we observed no emergence of resistant mutants (frequency of <10−10) on a meropenem combined with ceftazidime-avibactam media. Compared to the parental strains, an increased susceptibility to meropenem was observed in the ceftazidime-avibactam resistant mutants. The blaKPC genes of ceftazidime-avibactam mutants harbored either mutations, deletions or insertions, especially in the region encoding the Ω-loop of the KPC-type carbapenemase. Anticancer chemotherapy can increase the mutation rates of bacteria accelerating the extension of KPC-type carbapenemases towards ceftazidime-avibactam, one of the last resort antimicrobial chemotherapy.