bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Coalitions of Socio-Technical Infrastructure: Platforms as Essential Services
Authors: Surie Aditi 
Published: June 2021

Abstract
This commentary explores the experimental ways in which delivery platforms and local governments in India collaborated during the COVID19 lockdown in India in 2020. The case of one district government, which partnered with a large, corporate food delivery platform is explored here to investigate the platform functionalities that were the most useful to the local government. My exploration highlights how the developmental state mobilized commercial platforms for their constituent socio-technical infrastructural elements. What happens when corporate platforms are unexpectedly ushered into the realm of public values? Addressing this question, I argue that the government’s instrumental re-tooling of the private sector’s platforms to manage a public emergency contests absolute formulations of corporate platform power.
Effects of micropore structure of activated carbons on the CH4/N2 adsorption separation and the enrichment of coal-bed methane
Authors: Zhang Jinhua , Li Lanting , Qin Qiang 
Published: June 2021

Abstract
In the process of enriching CH4 from coal-bed methane, the separation of CH4/N2 is very difficult to accomplish by an adsorption process due to the similar physico-chemical properties of the two molecules. A series of coconut-shell-based granular activated carbons (GACs) with different pore structures were prepared, which were characterized by different methods. The influence of the pore structure on the separation properties was investigated in detail. The results show that one of the carbons prepared (GAC-3) has high CH4 equilibrium adsorption capacity (3.28 mol·kg–1) at 298 K and equilibrium separation coefficient (3.95). The CH4/N2 separation on the GACs is controlled by adsorption equilibrium as compared with the dynamic effect. Taking the specific surface area, for example, the common characterization index of the pore structure is not enough to judge the separation performance of the GACs. However, the microstructure of carbon materials plays a decisive role for CH4/N2 separation. According to the pore-structure analysis, the effective pore size for the CH4/N2 separation is from 0.4 to 0.9 nm, with the optimum effect occurring in the range of 0.6–0.7 nm, followed by the range of 0.7~0.9 nm. Also, a four-bed vacuum pressure swing adsorption process was adopted to evaluate the performance of GACs for the separation of CH4 from nitrogen.
Efficient HPLC Separation on a Core-C30 Column with MS2 Characterization of Isomers, Derivatives and Unusual Carotenoids from Tomato Products
Authors: Daood Hussein G , Ráth Szilvia , Palotás Gábor , Halász Gábor , Hamow Kamiran , Helyes Lajos 
Published: June 2021

AbstractAn efficient and rapid liquid chromatographic method was developed for the separation of carotenoids and their geometrical isomers in tomato products using a core C30 column of 2.6 μm particles with gradient elution of tert-butyl-methyl-ether in 2% water in methanol. Excellent separation of the major carotenoids such as lycopene, β-carotene and lutein as well as their geometrical isomers and oxygen-containing derivatives with resolution factors ranging between 0.78 and 4.0 and selectivity of 1.01–1.63 was achieved. Validation of the developed method met the acceptance criteria concerning linearity, recovery, precision and limit of detection and quantification. Calibrations were linear with correlation coefficient (R2) values between 0.9966 and 0.9999. The limit of detection and quantification values were found to be 0.008 and 0.017 and 0.029 and 0.056 μg/mL, respectively. Recovery of 94.3–99.9%, intraday precision of 1.81–4.45% and interday precision of 3.13–6.86% were obtained. The hyphenation of liquid chromatography with diode-array and mass spectrometry was helpful in the identification of the separated carotenoids particularly the unusual di-hydroxy cyclolycopene adduct and di-methoxy lycopene determined for the first time in tomato products. Commercially available kinds of tomato juice and ketchup were evaluated based on their carotenoid content.
Phage satellites and their emerging applications in biotechnology
Authors: Ibarra-Chávez Rodrigo , Hansen Mads Frederik , Pinilla-Redondo Rafael , Seed Kimberley D , Trivedi Urvish 
Published: June 2021

ABSTRACT
The arms race between (bacterio)phages and their hosts is a recognised hot spot for genome evolution. Indeed, phages and their components have historically paved the way for many molecular biology techniques and biotech applications. Further exploration into their complex lifestyles has revealed that phages are often parasitised by distinct types of hyperparasitic mobile genetic elements. These so-called phage satellites exploit phages to ensure their own propagation and horizontal transfer into new bacterial hosts, and their prevalence and peculiar lifestyle has caught the attention of many researchers. Here, we review the parasite–host dynamics of the known phage satellites, their genomic organisation and their hijacking mechanisms. Finally, we discuss how these elements can be repurposed for diverse biotech applications, kindling a new catalogue of exciting tools for microbiology and synthetic biology.
The Rise and Fall of Dagong Global Credit Rating Agency: A Geopolitical Challenge for the Rating Industry
Authors: Bush Chunping 
Published: June 2021

ABSTRACT
Dagong Global Credit Rating Agency (Dagong) was originally branded as a Chinese national representative credit rating agency. Its international expansion in the US and the EU, in order to challenge the biggest international credit rating agencies, was unsuccessful and achieved little of significance. Dagong’s business suffered a complete halt because of a one-year suspension by the Chinese financial regulators. Its ratings heeded China’s geopolitical interest and China’s strategic plans of economic development rather than signalling the credit risks of debt instruments. Dagong’s ratings had a significant political bias towards countries which were China’s economic and political allies or supplied raw materials to China. Dagong officially became a state-owned credit rating agency following a reconstruction by the Chinese state in 2019. This article concludes that this new ownership may exacerbate the geopolitical characteristics of Dagong and poses a challenge to the international financial market.
Outcome of Thoracic Column Antedisplacement and Fusion in Treatment of Thoracic Myelopathy Caused by Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament: A Case Series Study
Authors: Ma Xiangyang , Wang Binbin , Chen Yuyue , Ge Su , Zou Xiaobao , Zhang Shuang , Xia Hong 
Published: June 2021

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Up to date, surgical outcome of multilevel thoracic ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (T-OPLL) with high canal occupation ratio is less satisfactory.

OBJECTIVE
To explore the result of thoracic column antedisplacement and fusion (TCAF) in treatment of multilevel T-OPLL with high canal occupation ratio.

METHODS
A total of 5 patients who underwent TCAF procedure for T-OPLL were retrospectively reviewed. Parameters including extent of OPLL, thickness of the maximal OPLL (max-OPLL), maximal canal occupying ratio (max-COR) of OPLL, effective canal diameter (ECD) at the max-OPLL level, antedisplacement distance of thoracic columns, ASIA grades, Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores, and complications were collected and analyzed at preoperation and the last follow-up.

RESULTS
All patients (5 F, mean age 61.0 yr, mean follow-up 18.0 months) underwent TCAF successfully and no spinal cord injury or cerebrospinal fluid leakage occurred. The mean extent of OPLL was 2.8 vertebral bodies. The mean preoperative thickness of the max-OPLL was 5.9 mm. The average antedisplacement distance of thoracic columns was 5.6 mm. The mean ECD was improved from 6.5 mm to 10.9 mm, and the max-COR was improved from 50.7% to 7.1% at last follow-up. Two patients showed improvement in ASIA grades and JOA scores were significantly improved from 5.6 points to 10.4 points at final follow-up. The overall therapeutic results of 1 patient were classified into good and 4 into fair at last follow-up.

CONCLUSION
TCAF may be a safe and effective procedure in treatment of multilevel T-OPLL with high canal occupation ratio.
Understanding the Size of the Government Spending Multiplier: It’s in the Sign
Authors: Barnichon Regis , Debortoli Davide , Matthes Christian 
Published: June 2021

Abstract
This article argues that an important, yet overlooked, determinant of the government spending multiplier is the direction of the fiscal intervention. Regardless of whether we identify government spending shocks from (1) a narrative approach or (2) a timing restriction, we find that the contractionary multiplier—the multiplier associated with a negative shock to government spending—is above 1 and largest in times of economic slack. In contrast, the expansionary multiplier—the multiplier associated with a positive shock—is substantially below 1 regardless of the state of the cycle. These results help understand seemingly conflicting results in the literature. A simple theoretical model with incomplete financial markets and downward nominal wage rigidities can rationalize our findings.
The Belgian private foundation
Authors: Ex Mathieu , Verbeke Alain Laurent , Verdickt Bart 
Published: June 2021

Abstract
The Belgian Private Foundation is celebrating its 19th anniversary this year. The broad contractual freedom, combined with the favourable tax regime, makes this legal entity an interesting vehicle in terms of estate planning and for private charitable purposes. There have been some important changes to its legal framework given the new Company and Associations Code (CAC). In this article we provide an overview of the main characteristics of the Belgian private foundation.
Roles of Inn1, Cyk3, and PaxB Proteins in Cytokinesis in the Filamentous Fungus Aspergillus nidulans
Authors: Williamson McLean , Rowland Lauren , Beckman Spencer , Jackson‐Hayes Loretta , Hill Terry William 
Published: June 2021

Cytokinesis is an essential component of cellular development in filamentous fungi. The process parallels that of cell division in animal cells in requiring assembly and constriction of a contractile actomyosin ring (CAR) in the cell periphery. However, the process differs from that in animals by involving the simultaneous construction of a chitin‐rich cross wall termed a septum, which separates semi‐independent compartments of the fungal hypha. We have recently identified three genes, designated inn1, cyk3, and paxB, that we hypothesized would play roles in septum formation, based on sequence homologies to proteins performing similar functions in yeasts. GFP tagging demonstrates that the protein products encoded by these genes (Inn1, Cyk3, and PaxB, respectively) all localize to sites of septum formation and in fact colocalize with actin during at least part of CAR assembly and constriction. We have also deleted all three genes or repressed their expression using regulatable promoters, demonstrating in each case significant effects upon septation. In further work, we have generated double‐mutant strains in which a GFP‐tagged septation‐related protein is expressed in a cell that also bears a loss‐of‐function mutation in a second septation protein, demonstrating a network of interactions between inn1, cyk3, and paxB (on the one hand) and a number of previously characterized septation proteins. We will present an integrated interaction model placing the Inn1, Cyk3, and PaxB proteins within a system of interacting proteins necessary for septum formation in filamentous fungi.Support or Funding InformationNational Science Foundation Grant 1615192 (Loretta Jackson‐Hayes, PI)This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Characterization of Coq11, a novel protein involved in the biosynthesis of coenzyme Q in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Bradley Michelle Celine , Ibarra Hope , Awad Agape , Tsui Hui , Yang Krista , Allan Christopher , Clarke Catherine 
Published: June 2021

Coenzyme Q, also known as ubiquinone or Q, is a redox‐active lipid component of the electron transport chain that functions in cellular energy metabolism. Due to its redox capabilities, reduced Q (or QH2) also serves as an important lipid‐soluble antioxidant effective in alleviating lipid peroxidative damage. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, thirteen known mitochondrial proteins (Coq1–Coq11, Yah1, and Arh1) drive Q biosynthesis. Many of these Coq polypeptides required for Q production are localized to the matrix side of the mitochondrial inner membrane where they form a high molecular weight, multi‐subunit complex known as the ‘CoQ‐synthome’. Absence of individual Coq proteins causes severe defects in Q biosynthesis, and such coq null mutants lose the ability to respire. However, the functional roles of some Coq polypeptides as well as several steps in the Q biosynthetic pathway remain unknown. Here, we present the identification of a novel mitochondrial protein that associates with the CoQ‐synthome encoded by the open reading frame YLR290C, which we renamed Coq11. Co‐immunoprecipitation and lipid analyses demonstrate that Coq11 interacts with other Coq polypeptides as well as Q and Q‐intermediates, and is required for efficient de novo Q biosynthesis in the BY4742 genetic background. We have begun work towards understanding the function of Coq11 in CoQ‐synthome formation, as well as the role of Coq11 as a putative redundant decarboxylase in Q biosynthesis. Taken together, this project will provide powerful insights into Q biosynthesis and regulation towards the objective of designing effective therapeutics for diseases caused by Q deficiencies.Support or Funding InformationThis research was supported by NSF MCB‐1330803 and the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award GM007185.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Effects of 5‐Hydroxymethyl‐2‐Furfural (5‐HMF) on Skeletal Muscle Performance in Rats Exposed to an Acute Bout of Hypobaric Hypoxia
Authors: Ciarlone Geoffrey E. , Roney Nicholas G. , Gasier Heath G. , Mahon Richard T. , Swift Joshua M. 
Published: June 2021

Exposure to high altitude is associated with a reduction in the partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) that subsequently affects all components of the oxygen transport cascade, from lung to mitochondria. Impaired oxygen transport contributes to decrements in exercise capacity at high altitude. Strategies aimed at improving blood oxygenation are therefore an important focus of study. 5‐hydroxymethyl‐2‐furfural (5‐HMF) may offer prophylaxis at high altitude due to induction of a leftward‐shift in the oxygen‐hemoglobin dissociation curve that results in increased arterial blood oxygen saturation. The objective of this research is to determine whether the benefits afforded by 5‐HMF to blood oxygenation create a measureable attenuation in the decline in physical performance known to occur in hypoxia. Fisher 344male rats (n=40) were implanted with osmotic pumps to continuously deliver either inactive saline or 5‐HMF (40 mg/kg/d), and exposed to either sea level(SL, n=20/group) or a simulated altitude of 18,000 feet (HH, n=20/group) in ahypobaric hypoxic chamber for 24 hours. Muscle function testing was conducted both pre‐ and post‐HH and SL exposures, including peak torque output, force‐frequency analysis, and time to fatigue. Following SL/HH exposure, animals had repeat muscle function testing, then were weighed, had blood collected for determination of blood gases and complete blood counts (CBC), and were humanely euthanized. Muscles were then harvested with wet weights recorded. Rats exposed to HH for 24 hours displayed a 9% decrease in body mass. In 5‐HMF treated animals, increases in erythrocytes (14%), hemoglobin (14%) and hematocrit (16%) were documented. HH led to a 38% reduction in PO2; however 5‐HMF did not attenuate this decline. Posterior crural muscle strength was unaltered in HH‐exposed rats, and although non‐significant, a 9% increase in peak torque output was documented in 5‐HMF treated animals. In spite of 5‐HMFimproving blood oxygen carrying capacity, only modest improvements were observed in muscle function following a 24 hour exposure to a simulated altitude of 18,000 ft. Current studies are underway to assess the benefits of5‐HMF on blood oxygenation with extended HH exposure. In addition, these experiments will determine whether overt alterations in anabolic pathways occur and precede outward functional changes in muscle.Support or Funding InformationThese studies were supported by an Office of Naval Research Grant to NGR.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Exploring Enzyme Catalysis: A 3D Model of the Myocobacterium tuberculosis MazF‐mt6 toxin
Authors: Billings Ryan , Avila Giovanni , Craft Alexis , Gilmore Keviyanah , Patterson Dajah , Jones Candace , Van Stry Melanie 
Published: June 2021

Toxin‐antitoxin systems are present in bacterial and archaeal genomes and regulate cellular survival in response to stressors including antibiotics and host immune responses. The toxin‐antitoxin systems all consist of a toxin protein that blocks essential cellular functions such as translation, and either an antitoxin RNA or protein that inhibits toxin function through a variety of mechanisms. Escherichia coli has at least 36 assumed toxin‐antitoxin gene pairs, whereas the pathogenic Myocobacterium tuberculosis has over 90 toxin‐antitoxin pairs. The E. coli MazF toxin proteins are ribonucleases that cleave cellular mRNA once stress has been encountered, while the nine M. tuberculosis MazF family proteins cleave mRNA, tRNA, or rRNA. MazF‐mt6 cleaves helix 70 of the 23S rRNA. Here, we have designed a 3D of model of the MazF‐mt6 protein using Jmol that highlights the overall architecture and the active site based on the crystal structure solved by Dr. Dunham and colleagues (PDB 5UCT; Hoffer et al. 2017 JBC 292 (19):7718–26). MazF‐mt6 protein has Pemk‐like fold with three alpha‐helices, shown in grey, and 2 beta‐sheets shown in purple, one of which folds into a five‐stranded beta‐barrel fold similar to the SH3 domain. The active site is solvent accessible and contains several charged or polar residues that may be involved in catalysis. Our 3D model highlights the critical residues in the active site. Site‐directed mutagenesis studies reveal that Asp10, Arg13, Lys11, and Thr36 are necessary for MazF‐mt6 induced growth arrest, whereas Thr37 and Thr38 are not. In addition, Asp10, Arg13, and Thr36 are necessary for enzymatic activity, suggesting that they are part of a catalytic triad. Designing 3D protein models enables students to explore complex molecular structure‐function relationships.Support or Funding InformationNSF DUE1725940 and NSF HRD1623340This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Compartmentalized glycogenolysis regulates lung cancer transcription
Authors: Young Lyndsay E.A. , Sun Ramon , Emanuelle Shane , Zhou Zhengqiu , Fillmore‐Brainson Christine , Gentry Matthew 
Published: June 2021

The role of cellular metabolites in the direct control of epigenetic modifications is an emerging and rapidly evolving field. Herein, we identify a key function for nuclear glycogen in epigenetic regulation through compartmentalized acetyl‐CoA production and histone acetylation. In this study, we report glycogen accumulation in the nucleus of human non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) specimens. To study this striking phenotype, we developed an innovative assay combining high‐purity sub‐cellular organelle isolation and stable isotope tracer technology to define the origin and metabolic fate of nuclear glycogen. We demonstrate that the nucleus is capable of carrying out glycogen synthesis, glycogenolysis and glycolysis, and both glycogen synthesis and glycolysis pathways require glucose‐6‐phosphate as the substrate. Nuclear glycogenolysis is dependent on ubiquitination and translocation of glycogen phosphorylase (GP) into the nucleus by malin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase. GP translocation is required for nuclear glycogen degradation and subsequent glycolysis to generate substrates for histone acetylation. Inhibition of nuclear glycogenolysis as a result of malin suppression is the cause of NSCLC nuclear glycogen accumulation. Re‐introduction of malin in model NSCLC cell lines restores nuclear glycogenolysis, results in increased histone acetylation, and delays cancer cell growth in vivo. This study uncovers a previously unknown foundational role for glycogen metabolism in the nucleus and elucidates another mechanism by which cellular metabolites control epigenetic regulation.Support or Funding InformationThe study was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (grant ID: R01 NS070899‐06, P01 NS097197‐01), National Science Foundation (Grant ID: MCB‐1817414) and by the University of Kentucky Center for Cancer and Metabolism, National Institute of general medical sciences COBRE program (grant ID: P20 GM121327).This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Effects of aedeskinins and analogs on the basolateral membrane voltage (Vbl) of principal cells of Malpighian (renal) tubules of the adult yellow fever mosquito
Authors: Blum Austin William , Nachman Ronald J , Beyenbach Klaus W 
Published: June 2021

Diuresis is stimulated in the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti by the kinin peptides. All three aedeskinins depolarize the transepithelial voltage (Vt) in Aedes Malpighian tubules (Veenstra et al., 1997), like leucokinin (Pannabecker et al., 1993). The effects of aedeskinin II and III, a synthetic analog 1460II, as well as leucokinin‐VIII (kinin of cockroach) on the basolateral membrane voltage (Vbl) of principal cells of Malpighian tubules of Aedes aegypti were studied. Both aedeskinins and synthetic analog 1460II hyperpolarized Vbl, similar to the effect of leucokinin‐VIII (expected from depolarization of Vt). Table 1 lists the peptides used in the present study.The kinin receptor agonist 1460 II was synthesized through the replacement of á amino acids with β amino to resist digestion by proteases. The substitution does not abolish voltage activity of the peptide, even though the substitution is within the conserved pentapeptide sequence F‐X‐X‐W‐Xa needed for diuretic action. The reversibility of the effects of 1460II indicates that the substitution does not bind the peptide irreversibly to the receptor. Supported by NSF Grant IOB‐0542797 to KWB.