bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Co-evolutionary Landscape at the Interface and Non-Interface Regions of Protein-Protein Interaction Complexes
Authors: Mukherjee Ishita , Chakrabarti Saikat 
Published: January 2021

AbstractProteins involved in interactions throughout the course of evolution tend to co-evolve and compensatory or coordinated changes may occur in interacting proteins to maintain or refine interactions between them. However, certain residue pair alterations may prove to be detrimental for functional interactions. Hence, determining co-evolutionary pairings that could be structurally or functionally relevant for maintaining the conservation of an inter-protein interaction is important. Inter-protein co-evolution analysis in a number of complexes with the help of multiple existing methodologies suggested that co-evolutionary pairings can occur in spatially proximal as well as distant regions of inter-protein interaction complexes. Subsequently, the Co-Var (CorrelatedVariation) method based on mutual information and Bhattacharyya coefficient was developed, validated and found to perform relatively better than CAPS and EV-complex. Interestingly, while applying the Co-Var measure on a set of protein-protein interaction complexes, co-evolutionary pairings were obtained in spatially proximal and distant regions in inter-protein complexes. Our approach involves determining high degree co-evolutionary pairings which include multiple co-evolutionary connections between particular co-evolved residue positions in one protein and particular residue positions in the binding partner. Detailed analyses of high degree co-evolutionary pairings in protein-protein complexes involved in inter-cellular communication during cancer metastasis were performed. These analyses suggested that most of the residue positions involved in such co-evolutionary pairings mainly occurred within functional domains of constituent proteins and substitution mutations were also common among these co-evolved positions. The physiological relevance of these predictions suggests that Co-Var can predict residues that could be crucial for preserving functional protein-protein interactions. Finally,Co-Varweb server that implements this methodology was developed. This web server available athttp://www.hpppi.iicb.res.in/ishi/covar/index.htmlidentifies co-evolutionary pairings in intra-protein and inter-protein complexes.
Staphylococcal enterotoxin B‐ and lipopolysaccharide‐induced toxic shock syndrome in a burn patient
Authors: Yamasaki Osamu , Sugihara Satoru , Kajita Ai , Yokoyama Emi , Miyake Tomoko , Hirai Yoji , Morizane Shin 
Published: January 2021

AbstractToxic shock syndrome (TSS) is caused by toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 or enterotoxins secreted by Staphylococcus aureus. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has also been shown to play a major role in the development of sepsis. Staphylococcal superantigens and LPS operate synergistically in conditioning cytokine release and lethal shock in mice. An 80‐year‐old woman was admitted because of a 20% mixed‐depth flame burn. Despite two excisions and grafts, necrotic ulcers with methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization remained. On the 7th day after the operation, she developed shock with an erythematous rash. Blood examination revealed evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation, and liver and renal dysfunction. A blood culture revealed a staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB)‐producing strain of MRSA and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The septic symptoms were prolonged, but the condition gradually improved with extensive treatment. T‐cell receptor analysis demonstrated a marked accumulation of SEB‐mediated Vβ T cells. Stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the recovery phase with SEB and LPS induced additive effects on tumor necrosis factor‐α, interferon‐γ, and interleukin‐6 production. Although the present case did not fulfill the clinical criteria for TSS, the additive effects of SEB and LPS might have caused the severe septic shock.
Elevation is a stronger predictor of morphological trait divergence than competition in a radiation of tropical lizards
Authors: Slavenko Alex , Allison Allen , Meiri Shai 
Published: January 2021

Abstract

Adaptations for efficient performance are expected to shape animal morphology based on selection for microhabitat use and ecological forces. The presence of competitor species is predicted to cause niches to contract and enhance trait divergence. Therefore, increased species richness is expected to lead to greater trait divergence, and to result in reduced overlap and similarity between morphologies of sympatric species.

We examined patterns of morphospace occupancy and partitioning in the skink fauna of New Guinea, the world's largest tropical island. Because skink species richness is largely decoupled from elevation in New Guinea, we could examine the effects of both factors (as proxies for competition and abiotic conditions), on morphospace occupancy and partitioning.

We measured 1,860 specimens from 79 species of skinks throughout Papua New Guinea, and examined their morphospace occupancy in a spatial context. We calculated, for each assemblage within equal‐area cells, the volume of morphospace occupied by all skinks, the mean volume occupied per species, and the mean distance and overlap between all species pairs. We then examined whether these metrics are related to species richness and elevation.

Elevation is a stronger predictor of morphospace occupancy than species richness. As elevation increases, intraspecific variation decreases and morphologies become more similar to each other such that overall morphospace occupancy decreases. Highland skinks are, on average, smaller, thinner and shorter limbed than lowland species.

We hypothesise that harsh climates in the New Guinea highland habitats impose strong selection on skinks to occupy specific areas of morphospace that facilitate efficient thermoregulation in suboptimal thermal conditions. We conclude that the effect of competition on trait divergence on a community and assemblage scale is eclipsed by abiotic selection pressures in these harsh environments.
Common‐garden experiment reveals clinal trends of bud phenology in black spruce populations from a latitudinal gradient in the boreal forest
Authors: Guo Xiali , Klisz Marcin , Puchałka Radosław , Silvestro Roberto , Faubert Patrick , Belien Evelyn , Huang Jianguo , Rossi Sergio 
Published: January 2021

Abstract

Climate warming is modifying the movement of air masses over Northern latitudes, producing warming and cooling events across the boreal regions. These new conditions changes may mismatch plant phenology from weather conditions, and affect the growing period of trees. Understanding the processes of local adaptation in bud phenology can help to predict the response of plants to these rapid and unexpected environmental changes.

Our study monitored bud burst and bud set weekly during four growing seasons in black spruce [Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.] saplings planted in a common garden and originating from five provenances representing the whole latitudinal distribution of the closed boreal forest in Quebec, Canada. We compared the variance in bud phenology among populations and years, and analysed the relationships with temperatures at the origin sites.

Bud burst and bud set occurred in mid‐May and mid‐July, respectively, with a large variability among provenances and between the study years. A delayed bud phenology was observed in the provenances from warmer sites, with bud burst and bud set being 1.1 and 1.4 days later for every additional degree in mean annual temperature at the origin site respectively. Populations with earlier bud bursts also showed earlier bud sets, thus the growing season was similar among provenances. The heritability of bud set was higher than that of bud burst, with estimates of 0.26 and 0.21 respectively. On average, variance in bud phenology among provenances reached 5.3%, which was higher than that within provenances (2.6%). The factor year explained 37.7%–69.7% of the variance in bud phenology.

Synthesis. The findings demonstrate the evolutionary response to climate variations in the boreal biome. Endogenous and environmental components have different effects on the phases of bud burst and bud set. This complex interaction among drivers of bud phenology may prevent reliable predictions of changes in the growing season under changing climate. An earlier growth reactivation due to higher spring temperatures could result in higher frost risks to the developing buds. Despite a longer period for photosynthesis expected for the evergreen black spruce under warmer conditions, the period spent for bud development could remain unchanged.
Ouverture commerciale, institutions du marché du travail et emploi des jeunes en Afrique
Authors: Kpognon Koffi , Atangana Ondoa Henri , Bah Mamadou , Messe Marie Fanny 
Published: January 2021

RésuméL'objectif de ce travail est de mesurer l'effet de l'ouverture commerciale et des institutions du marché du travail sur l'emploi des jeunes en Afrique. Pour ce faire, nous avons considéré un ensemble de 38 pays sur la période 2000–2018. Les méthodes d'estimation utilisées portent sur les moindres carrés ordinaires (MCO), la méthode instrumentale (doubles moindres carrés‐2SLS) et la méthode des moments généralisés en système (MMG‐système). Les résultats révèlent que l'ouverture commerciale et la rigidité des institutions du marché du travail ont un effet positif et significatif sur l'emploi des jeunes en Afrique. Par contre, l'ouverture commerciale affecte négativement et significativement l'emploi des jeunes sur les marchés du travail rigides. Ces résultats sont valides face à plusieurs tests de robustesse.
‘A Rather Undefined Social Position and Public Recognition’: Professionalisation, Status and Masculinity in Provincial Museums, c.1870–1930
Authors: Hill Kate 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThis article examines the background, careers and self‐presentation of the first generation of British museum curators in local government‐funded provincial museums, c.1900, to explore the issue of masculinity among the lower‐middle classes. It argues that while such men were sometimes mocked for the lack of masculinity they showed in their domestic lives, a focus on their professional lives reveals a different set of problems facing them as they attempted to be manly men; curatorial roles, like others available to the lower‐middle classes, involved a dependence on local elites, and required many of the skills and attributes which were being colonised by new women professionals. The study then examines the tactics used, with some success, by such men to assert a professional masculinity, focusing on their identification with their museum, their development of a professional body and their investment in manly physical activities.
Artisanal Fresco cheese from Sonora: Physicochemical composition, microbial quality, and bacterial characterization by high‐throughput sequencing
Authors: Méndez‐Romero José I , Reyes‐Díaz Ricardo , Santiago‐López Lourdes , Hernández‐Mendoza Adrian , Vallejo‐Cordoba Belinda , Sayago‐Ayerdi Sonia G , Gómez‐Gil Bruno , González‐Córdova Aarón F 
Published: January 2021

The aim of the present study was to characterise the physicochemical and the microbiota composition of the artisanal Fresco cheese from Sonora. For this, cheeses of 18 small‐scale artisanal dairies were analysed. The chemical composition and the microbiological quality were determined by standard methods, and bacterial diversity by high‐throughput sequencing. The physicochemical composition showed differences (P < 0.05) among dairies, and the principal component analysis aggrupation of 66% dairies. The analysis by region did not show difference (P < 0.05).The microbiota most abundant were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and lactic acid bacteria in phyla and genera, respectively. These results provide insights on the characterisation of the Fresco cheese from Sonora.
Recent progress in mycotoxins detection based on surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Zhai Wenlei , You Tianyan , Ouyang Xihui , Wang Meng 
Published: January 2021

AbstractMycotoxins are toxic compounds naturally produced by certain types of fungi. The contamination of mycotoxins can occur on numerous foodstuffs, including cereals, nuts, fruits, and spices, and pose a major threat to humans and animals by causing acute and chronic toxic effects. In this regard, reliable techniques for accurate and sensitive detection of mycotoxins in agricultural products and food samples are urgently needed. As an advanced analytical tool, surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), presents several major advantages, such as ultrahigh sensitivity, rapid detection, fingerprint‐type information, and miniaturized equipment. Benefiting from these merits, rapid growth has been observed under the topic of SERS‐based mycotoxin detection. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent achievements in this area. The progress of SERS‐based label‐free detection, aptasensor, and immunosensor, as well as SERS combined with other techniques, has been summarized, and in‐depth discussion of the remaining challenges has been provided, in order to inspire future development of translating the techniques invented in scientific laboratories into easy‐to‐operate analytic platforms for rapid detection of mycotoxins.
Pulse seeds as promising and sustainable source of ingredients with naturally bioencapsulated nutrients: Literature review and outlook
Authors: Pallares Pallares Andrea , Gwala Shannon , Pälchen Katharina , Duijsens Dorine , Hendrickx Marc , Grauwet Tara 
Published: January 2021

AbstractPulse seeds are nutritious and sustainable matrices with a high level of intrinsic microstructural complexity. They contain high‐quality plant‐based protein and substantial amounts of slowly digestible starch and dietary fiber. Starch and protein in pulses are located inside cotyledon cells that survive cooking and subsequent mechanical disintegration, hence preserving natural nutrient bioencapsulation. In this context, several authors have explored a number of techniques to isolate individual cotyledon cells from these seeds, aiming to unveil their digestive and physicochemical properties. In recent years, isolated pulse cotyledon cells are also being highlighted as promising novel ingredients that could improve the nutritional properties of traditionally consumed food products. Even more, they could enable to implement a strategy for increasing pulse intake in populations where these seeds have not been traditionally consumed. This review mainly focuses on the reported digestive, physicochemical, and technofunctional properties of pulse cotyledon cells isolated through different techniques, preceded by a descriptive summary of the nutritional properties, structural organization, and traditional process chain of pulse seeds. It also offers an outlook of research directions to take, based on the identified research gaps. All in all, it is clear that isolation of pulse cotyledon cells using diverse techniques constitutes a promising strategy for the development of pulse‐based ingredients where natural bioencapsulation of macronutrients is preserved. However, much more research is needed at the level of ingredient characterization to better understand the effect of starting pulse seed material, isolation technique, and isolation conditions on the nutritional and functional properties of the finished product(s) where the isolated cells are (to be) used.
Clinical fracture incidence of rotary and reciprocating NiTi files: A systematic review and meta‐regression
Authors: Gomes Maximiliano Schünke , Vieira Rosângela Mello , Böttcher Daiana Elisabeth , Plotino Gianluca , Celeste Roger Keller , Rossi‐Fedele Giampiero 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThis systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42017075917) and aimed to investigate whether the available clinical evidence supports the hypothesis that reciprocating motion results in a lower incidence of nickel‐titanium files fracture compared to continuous rotation. Clinical studies that reported the incidence of fracture of engine‐driven nickel‐titanium files were included. The main exposure was the kinematics, and the primary outcome was the incidence of files fracture. The overall incidence of files fracture was 2.27%, with a trend for higher incidence with rotary motion (2.43%) than with reciprocating (1.0%), though without significant differences. Multiple meta‐regression models revealed that the use of nickel‐titanium files in more than four teeth and less proficient operators were associated with a higher incidence of file fracture. There was no difference in the clinical incidence of fracture of nickel‐titanium instruments between reciprocating and rotary motions; however, other factors were identified.
Influence of morphometric parameters on the size of collateral ligaments of the distal interphalangeal joint of equines
Authors: Góss Geórgia Camargo , Mozzaquatro Fabricio Desconsi , Vanhove Raphaela , Camargo Lilian Pinto , Döwich Pradella Gabriela , Leite Carla Teixeira , Gomes Etiele Maldonado , Carneiro Ana Luisa Moreira , Heckler Gabriel Feix , Duarte Claudia Acosta 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe physiological measurements of collateral ligaments of distal interphalangeal joint (CL‐DIPJ) differ in the literature. The factors that influence these differences are not well described. The aims of this study are to compare CL‐DIPJ sizes in equines with different withers height, as well as to correlate body weight and hoof size to the size of these ligaments. In total, 52 horses were used in the study. They were divided into two groups according to wither height: Group 1 (G1) ‐ 21 animals with up to 147 cm ‐ and group 2 (G2) ‐ 21 animals with greater than 148 cm. CL‐DIPJ was ultrasonographically measured in order to find the mean of dorso‐palmar (DPD) and latero‐medial (LMD) diameters and the cross‐sectional area (CSA). Hoof width and length were measured, and the results were used to calculate the hoof surface area. Withers height and body weight were also measured. Groups were statistically compared by Student's t test and Pearson's correlation application to each group. Groups were different in body size, HS and CL‐DIPJ size when p < .05, except for the LMD of the medial collateral ligament of left thoracic limb. Withers height and body weight did not show significant correlations to CL‐DIPJ size in G1, but they had little influence on the size of CL‐DIPJ on G2. No correlation between the hoof size and the CL‐DIPJ was noted in any of the two groups. In conclusion, the CL‐DIPJ were larger in taller horses and their sizes were correlated to their height and weight, but they were not correlated to hoof size.
The low cytotoxic activity of peripheral blood NK cells may relate to unexplained recurrent miscarriage
Authors: Zhang Yongnu , Huang Chunyu , Lian Ruochun , Xu Jian , Fu Yunfeng , Zeng Yong , Tu Wenwei 
Published: January 2021

AbstractProblemUnexplained recurrent miscarriage (uRM) is defined as two or more spontaneous abortions prior to 20 weeks of gestation with unknown etiology. Peripheral blood natural killer (pNK) cells contact with the villus and exert important role in normal pregnancy. However, it is still controversial about the association between pNK cytotoxicity and uRM, and the underlying mechanism remains unknown so far.Method of StudyIn this study, we aim to compare the percentage, immunophenotype, and function of pNK cells between patients with uRM and fertile controls. The peripheral blood was collected from 49 patients with uRM and 11 fertile women in their middle luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. pNK cells were co‐cultured with K562 cells at different cell ratios to measure the cytotoxicity. The percentage of CD3−CD56+, CD3−CD56bright, and CD3−CD56dim pNK was analyzed by flow cytometry and quantified to evaluate the expression of cytotoxic granules (granzyme B, granulysin, and perforin), and the cell surface receptors related to pNK cell cytotoxicity (NKG2D, NKp30, NKp46, CD158a, and CD158b) were also detected.ResultsThe general linear model analysis showed that pNK cell cytotoxicity in patients with uRM was significantly lower than that in fertile controls. In addition, the ratios of NKG2D/CD158a, NKp30/CD158a, and NKp46/CD158a in CD3−CD56bright pNK subsets were significantly lower in uRM group than that in fertile control. The logistical regression analysis showed that the reduced NKp30/CD158a, NKp46/CD158a ratios in CD3−CD56bright pNK subsets were significantly associated with uRM.ConclusionOur results suggested that a low pNK cytotoxicity, which is mediated by inhibitory signals, might be associated with uRM.
Reconciliation 2.0: Resolving Contradictions in the Production of Settler Colonial and Capitalist Space in Canada
Authors: Van Lier Nicole 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThis paper reviews a pair of Canadian legal decisions on the duty to consult to explore the court’s role in reconciling tensions between settler colonial and capitalist space. Following a period of political and economic instability that made energy development vulnerable to Indigenous legal challenge, the court legalised the delegation of Indigenous consultations to corporate and regulatory actors, defined consultation in practical terms, and intensified the remedy for inadequate consultation. The court not only substituted nation‐to‐nation negotiations with corporate engagements, but submitted energy corporations to the work of legitimising and effectuating Canadian sovereignty. The decisions call for an expanded view of “reconciliation” as a judicial practice of Indigenous dispossession, accomplished not only by reconciling Indigenous authority with Canadian sovereignty, but by reconciling capitalist energy development with the legalities of Canada’s modern settler colonial order. The decisions bring into greater focus the state’s increasing reliance on corporations to reproduce Canadian sovereignty.
Blogging the Virtual: New Geographies of Domination and Resistance In and Beyond Russia
Authors: Wolfe Sven Daniel 
Published: January 2021

AbstractRussia’s accelerating authoritarian turn has not ignored the internet, and in recent years, the Russian state has clamped down on internet activities that diverge from the statist line, employing a variety of strategies to dominate online spaces. Nevertheless, oppositional voices flourish on the Russian internet, taking shape in independent blogs and videos. This paper explores three political bloggers through surveillant and resistance assemblages, making sense of this contestation through an interpretation of the Deleuzian virtual that underscores the emancipatory potential of online activities for producing more egalitarian configurations, but also taking stock of the ways that these technologies have increased domination. Encompassing the blurriness between digital and corporeal spaces, the paper contributes by revealing new geographies of contestation against state strategies to dominate the Russian internet. Overlapping with but not corresponding to Russian territorial boundaries, these dynamics highlight shifting spaces of power and resistance in the increasingly illiberal world.