bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chromium uptake by Fenugreek
Authors: D S Xanthate , Ch V R Murthy , S C S Rajan , D M R Sekhar 
Published: July 2019

AbstractFenugreek (Trigonella foenum- graecum) is both herb (leaves) and a spice (seed) belonging to the family Fabaceae. Fenugreek leaves and seeds are used in the cuisine of India. Fenugreek also has medicinal value. Fenugreek seeds are known to reduce serum glucose and improve glucose tolerance and hence are prescribed to diabetic patients. In the recent past supplemental Chromium is being prescribed to diabetic patients to activate (increased- insulin binding, insulin receptor number, insulin receptor phosphorylation) insulin. Plants can uptake substantial quantities of toxic metals from contaminated soils if these soils are well ameliorated.It is then probable that the medicinal efficacy of Fenugreek in the case of diabetes could be enhanced if it takes up chromium from the soil. Preliminary studies are being conducted to note the chromium uptake by Fenugreek from soils which are applied with potassium dichromate.
&quot;Dark Mediators&quot; of Proteins as Revealed by NMR in Water: Residue-selective Anion Bindings that are Masked by Pre-existing Buffer
Authors: Song Jianxing , Miao Linlin , Qin Haina 
Published: July 2019

AbstractIons are commonly believed to impose their effects on proteins by unspecific electrostatic screening. Here, by NMR we reveal that in water sulfate, chloride and thiocyanate are able to bind a well-folded WW domain at distinctive residues and affinities, which is surprisingly masked by the pre-existing buffer. Our study reveals that the specific anion binding is so ubiquitous and consequently no longer negligible in establishing &quot;postreductionist framework&quot; for protein biochemistry.
Genetic incorporation of D-Lysine into diketoreductase in Escherichia coli cells
Authors: Liu Zhi Zhi , Yang Xin , Yi Denghuan , Wang Shuzhen , Chen Yijun 
Published: July 2019

AbstractD-Lysine has been genetically introduced into diketoreductase in E. coli cells by utilization of an orthogonal Ph tRNA /Lysyl-tRNA synthetase pair. This is the first report on the genetic incoporation of D-amino acids into proteins, which may be generally applicable to a wide variety of applications.
Neural Coding of Green Flash in Retinal Bipolar Pathways
Authors: Hu Caiping 
Published: July 2019

AbstractWhat visual information do the graded potentials among retinal bipolar pathways actually transmit from photoreceptors to ganglion cells? The answer does not exist. Even the graded electric signals have not been understood completely. Here, this paper tries to analyze the encoding mechanisms of graded signals among the parallel bipolar pathways in response to brief green flash. The typical ON, OFF and ON-OFF bipolar cells simultaneously abstracted vectors from green flash stimulus with sine-like functions on their dendritic plane. Atypical bipolar cell had the synchronously monopolar response in contrast to the bipolar responses of typical bipolar cells, they also annotated green flash with facilitated stochastic (asynchronous and rate-coded) responses. Some complex ON-OFF bipolar cells with large voltage-gated Na+ current could generate high-frequent asynchronous responses, others had synchronous ON-OFF responses to green flash. The green flash was synchronously and asynchronously represented by the multiple-dimension signaling space among the parallel bipolar pathways. These results unraveled the multiple-dimension neural codes for brief green flash, demonstrated the superior encoding capability of parallel bipolar pathways, and suggested the electrophysiological mechanisms of vision such as color space.
USP4 is regulated by Akt phosphorylation and deubiquitylates TGF-beta type I receptor
Authors: Sheppard Kelly-Ann , Lu Chris , ten Dijke Peter , Zhang Long , Zhou Fangfang , Drabsch Yvette , Snaar-Jagalska Ewa , Mickanin Craig , Huang Huizhe 
Published: July 2019

AbstractStability and membrane localization of Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) type I receptor (TβRI) is essential for controlling TGF-β signaling. TβRI is targeted for ubiquitination-mediated degradation by Smad7/Smurf2 complex. However, it is unclear whether polyubiquitin modified TβRI can be reversed. Here we performed a genome-wide gain of function screen and identified ubiquitin-specific protease (USP) 4 as a strong inducer of TGF-β signaling. Putative oncogenic USP4 was found to interact with TβRI as deubiquitinating enzyme thus maintains TβR1 levels at the plasma membrane. Depletion of USP4 mitigates TGF-β-induced breast cancer cell migration, epithelial to mesenchymal transition and metastasis. Importantly, Akt/Protein kinase B (PKB), which has been associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer, associates with and phosphorylates USP4. Akt mediated phosphorylation relocates USP4 to cytoplasm and membrane and is required for maintaining its protein stability. Moreover, Akt-induced breast cancer cell migration was inhibited by USP4 depletion and TβRI kinase inhibition. Our results identified USP4 as an important determinant for crosstalk between TGF-β and Akt, which provides new opportunities for cancer treatment.
A New Method for Characterization of Natural Zeolites and Organic Nanostructure using Atomic Force Microscopy
Authors: Fuoco Domenico 
Published: July 2019

AbstractIn order to study and develop an economic solution to environmental pollution in water, a wide variety of materials were investigated. Natural zeolites emerge from that research as the best in class of this category. Zeolites are natural materials relatively abundant and non biodegradable, economic and good to perform processes of environmental remediation. This paper contains a full description of a new method to characterize superficial properties of natural zeolites of exotic provenience (Caribbean Islets) with atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM works with the optical microscope simplicity and the high resolution typical of a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Structural information of mesoporous material is obtained using scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), only if the sample is conductive, otherwise the sample has to be processed through the grafitation technique, but this procedure induces errors of topography. Therefore, the existing AFM method, to observe zeolite powders, is made in a liquid cell-head scanner, but this work puts in evidence and confirms that it is possible to use an ambient air-head scanner to obtain a new kind of microtopography. Once optimized, this new method allows investigating of organic micelles, very soft nanostructure, of cetyltriammonium bromide (CTAB) upon an inorganic surface such as natural zeolites. It is shown some correlation between SEM microphotographies and AFM 3D images.
Phylogenetic Codivergence Supports Coevolution of Mimetic Heliconius Butterflies
Authors: Hoyal Cuthill Jennifer , Charleston Michael 
Published: July 2019

AbstractThe unpalatable and warning-patterned butterflies Heliconius erato and Heliconius melpomene provide the best studied example of mutualistic Müllerian mimicry, thought – but rarely demonstrated – to promote coevolution. Some of the strongest available evidence for coevolution comes from phylogenetic codivergence, the parallel divergence of ecologically associated lineages. Early evolutionary reconstructions suggested codivergence between mimetic populations of H. erato and H. melpomene, and this was initially hailed as the most striking known case of coevolution. However, subsequent molecular phylogenetic analyses found discrepancies in phylogenetic branching patterns and timing (topological and temporal incongruence) that argued against codivergence. We present the first explicit cophylogenetic test of codivergence between mimetic populations of H. erato and H. melpomene, and re-examine the timing of these radiations. We find statistically significant topological congruence between multilocus coalescent population phylogenies of H. erato and H. melpomene, supporting repeated codivergence of mimetic populations. Divergence time estimates, based on a Bayesian coalescent model, suggest that the evolutionary radiations of H. erato and H. melpomene occurred over the same time period, and are compatible with a series of temporally congruent codivergence events. This evidence supports a history of reciprocal coevolution between Müllerian co-mimics characterised by phylogenetic codivergence and parallel phenotypic change.
Donor mesenchymal stem cells trigger chronic graft-versus-host disease following minor antigen-mismatched bone marrow transplantation
Authors: Yaguchi Saori , Shimmura Shigeto , Inaba Takaaki , Matsuzaki Yumi , Okamoto Shinichiro , Kawakami Yutaka , Ogawa Yoko , Morikawa Satoru , Okano Hideyuki , Mabuchi Yo , Suzuki Sadafumi , Tsubota Kazuo , Yaguchi Tomonori 
Published: July 2019

AbstractChronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a complication after minor antigen mismatched bone marrow transplantation (BMT) characterized by an autoimmune-type reaction in various organs. Aberration in T cell regulation is involved, with donor mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) playing a possible role in immunomodulation. In a minor-antigen mismatched mouse BMT model, transplantation of mismatched, but not syngeneic MSCs triggered the onset of cGVHD, and was associated with fibrosis, increased IL-6 secretion, decreased Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and increased Th17 in the peripheral blood. Mismatched MSCs alone were sufficient to induce cGVHD, while removal of donor MSCs rescued mice from cGVHD. RAG2 knockout recipient mice did not suffer cGVHD, indicating that host T cells were involved. Residual host-derived T cells were significantly higher in cGVHD patients compared to non-cGVHD patients. In conclusion, donor MSCs react with residual host T cells to trigger the progression of cGVHD.
Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Injury in Chronic Multisymptom Conditions: From Gulf War Illness to Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Golomb Beatrice 
Published: July 2019

Abstract
Background:
Overlapping chronic multisymptom illnesses (CMI) include Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity, and Gulf War illness (GWI), and subsets of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). GWI entails a more circumscribed set of experiences that may provide insights of relevance to overlapping conditions.

Objectives:
To consolidate evidence regarding a role for oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction (OSMD), as primary mediators in CMI, using GWI as a departure point.

Methods:
Exposure relations, character, timecourse and multiplicity of symptoms, and objective correlates of GWI are compared to expectation for OSMD. Objective correlates of OSMD in GWI and overlapping conditions are examined.

Discussion:
OSMD is an expected consequence of known GWI exposures; is compatible with symptom characteristics observed; and accords with objective markers and health conditions linked to GWI, extending to autoimmune disease and infection. Emergent triangulating evidence directly supports OSMD in multisymptom “overlap” CMI conditions, with similarities to, and diagnosed at elevated rates in, GWI, suggesting a common role in each.

Conclusions:
GWI is compatible with a paradigm by which uncompensated exposure to oxidative/nitrative stressors accompanies and triggers mitochondrial dysfunction, cell energy compromise, and multiple downstream effects such as vulnerability to autoantibodies. This promotes a profile of protean symptoms with variable latency emphasizing but not confined to energy-demanding post-mitotic tissues, according with (and accounting for) known properties of multisystem overlap conditions. This advances understanding of GWI; health conditions attending GWI at elevated rates; and overlap conditions like CFS and ASD, providing prospects for vulnerability assessment, mitigation of progression, treatment, and future prevention – with implications germane to additive and excessive environmental oxidative stressor exposures in the civilian setting.
In-group/out-group bias in contagious yawning
Authors: Porter J. Ryan , Platek Steven 
Published: July 2019

AbstractBias for an in-group is a social phenomenon characterized by an affinity for one’s in-group over a perceived out-group. Activation in the amygdala, which is implicated in social and emotional processes, is increased when humans view other-race faces. This increase in activation is associated with implicit racial bias as indicated by scores on an implicit attitude test. Contagious yawning is a social process that appears to subserve empathic processes enabling the inferential modeling of the mental states of others and is exhibited in few species other than humans, including chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides), dogs (Canis familiaris), and budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus). Despite these comparative data, little research has investigated intra-species variation in contagious yawning.
New insight into DNA damage by cisplatin at the atomic scale
Authors: Heyrovska Raji 
Published: July 2019

AbstractCisplatin is cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) of chemical formula, Pt(NH3)Cl2, abbreviated as cis-DDP and known commercially as platinol. It is used widely as an anticancer drug for various types of cancer, ever since its discovery two centuries ago and has become a target of extensive researches. Transplatin, trans-DDP on the other hand, is found to be less or ineffective to treat cancers. Cisplatin is known to interact mainly with the N(7) nitrogen of guanine in nucleic acids, after a water molecule takes away one of the chlorines by hydrolysis. This initiates the damage of nucleic acids and eventually leads to apoptosis. However the way how this happens and why transplatin is less effective is not completely clear. Here the author brings some new insights, using the precise structures of these molecules at the atomic level, how cisplatin can interact with the nitrogen of guanine and adenine and rupture the hydrogen bonding in the Watson Crick base pairs and damage the structure of DNA. It is hoped that the results presented here will contribute to a better atomistic insight into the structure, bonding and feasibility of the biochemical reactions involving these compounds and their derivates for the alleviation of cancer.
An albumin-derived peptide scaffold capable of binding and catalysis
Authors: Maurizio Elisa , Sgarra Riccardo , Sblattero Daniele , Berti Federico , Luisi Immacolata , Pavan Silvia , Fontanive Giampaolo , Tossi Alessandro , Benedetti Fabio , Savoini Adriano 
Published: July 2019

AbstractWe have identified a 101-amino-acid polypeptide derived from the sequence surrounding the IIA binding site of human albumin. The polypeptide contains residues that make contact with ligands as warfarin in the parent protein, and eight cysteine residues to form disulfide bridges, which stabilize the polypeptide structure. Seventy-four amino acids are located in six [alpha]-helical regions, with the remaining amino acids forming six connecting coil/loop regions. Codon usage optimization was used to express a GST fusion protein in E. coli in yields as high as 4 mg/l. This fusion protein retains its structural integrity and aldolase activity, the ability to direct the stereochemical outcome of a diketone reduction, and its binding capacity to warfarin and efavirenz. Notably, this newly cloned polypeptide represents a valuable starting point for the construction of libraries of binders and catalysts with improved proficiency.
Socio-economic determinants of anthropometric measures of abdominal adiposity among older people in England
Authors: Iparraguirre Jose , SzeLam Sam 
Published: July 2019

Abstract
Objective:
to look into the socio-economic determinants of levels of three anthropometric measures of abdominal adiposity among older people in England -body mass index, waist circumference (WC), and waist-hip ratio (WHR)- and of changes along two health risk classifications: the World Health Organisation classification based on BMI levels and the WHO combined classification based on BMI and waist circumference measurements.

Design:
quantile regression and multinomial analysis using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), wave 2 (2004-05) and wave 4 (2008-09)

Results:
The quantile analysis on levels led to disparate results depending on the wave, which would question results previously published based on only one wave. However, we found that age tends to present an inverse U-shaped relationship with BMI and WC, smoking is negatively associated with BMI and positively with WC and WHR, alcohol consumption is negatively associated with BMI and WC levels, net total wealth is negatively related with the three anthropometric measures, educational attainment is negatively associated with each measure, and depression is positively associated with each measure. The multinomial analysis found that living in a larger household size increases the likelihood of becoming or remaining unhealthy irrespective of which classification we used. Furthermore, using the BMI-based categorisation, the initial category is highly relevant as a predictor of the category four years later and alcohol consumption would be positively associated with being or becoming obese. From the combined BMI-WC categorisation, we found that net total wealth would be negatively associated with becoming or remaining unhealthy whereas depression is a significant predictor of becoming or remaining unhealthy.
Segmenting DNA sequence into words based on statistical language model
Authors: Liang Wang 
Published: July 2019

AbstractThis paper presents a novel method to segment/decode DNA sequences based on n-gram statistical language model. Firstly, we find the length of most DNA “words” is 12 to 15 bps by analyzing the genomes of 12 model species. The bound of language entropy of DNA sequence is about 1.5674 bits. After building an n-gram biology languages model, we design an unsupervised ‘probability approach to word segmentation’ method to segment the DNA sequences. The benchmark of segmenting method is also proposed. In cross segmenting test, we find different genomes may use the similar language, but belong to different branches, just like the English and French/Latin. We present some possible applications of this method at last.
The persistent impact of incidental experience
Authors: Wilder Matthew , Jones Matt , Ahmed Alaa , Curran Tim , Mozer Michael 
Published: July 2019

AbstractAs we perform daily activities-- driving to work, unlocking the office door, grabbing a coffee cup-- our actions seem automatic and preprogrammed. Nonetheless, routine, well-practiced behavior is continually modulated by incidental experience: in repetitive experimental tasks, recent (~4) trials reliably influence performance and action choice. Psychological theories downplay the significance of sequential effects, explaining them as rapidly decaying perturbations of behavior with no long-term consequences. We challenge this traditional perspective in two studies designed to probe the impact of more distant experience, finding evidence for effects spanning up to a thousand intermediate events. We present a normative theory in which these persistent effects reflect optimal adaptation to a dynamic environment exhibiting varying rates of change. The theory predicts a heavy-tailed decaying influence of past experience, consistent with our data, and suggests that individual incidental experiences are catalogued in a temporally extended memory utilized to optimize subsequent behavior.
Diet transition to a high-fat diet for 3 weeks reduces brain omega-3-fatty acid levels, alters BDNF signaling and induces anxiety & depression-like behavior in adult rats
Authors: Sharma Sandeep , Zhuang Yumei , Gomez-Pinilla Fernando 
Published: July 2019

Abstract
Background:
The consumption of diets high in calories and low in nutrient value is becoming increasingly common in modern society, which can lead to metabolic disorders like diabetes and obesity, and potentially to psychiatric disorders. We have performed studies to assess how the shift from a healthy diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids to a diet rich in saturated fatty acid affects the substrates for brain plasticity and function, and anxiety and depression-like behavior. Methods: Pregnant rats were fed with omega-3 supplemented diet from their 2nd day of gestation period as well as their male pups for 12 weeks. Afterwards, the animals were randomly assigned to either a group fed on the same diet or a group fed on a high-fat diet (HFD) rich in saturated fats for 3 weeks. Anxiety and depression-like behaviors were assessed by using open field (OF) and elevated plus maze (EPM). Molecular assessments were performed in the frontal cortex and hippocampus as dysfunctions in these brain regions are main contributors towards depression, anxiety-like behavior and stress.

Results:
We found that the HFD increased vulnerability for anxiety and depression-like behavior, and that these modifications harmonized with changes in the anxiety-related neuropeptide Y (NPY)-1 receptor. The HFD reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and the BDNF signaling receptor pTrkB, as well as the cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB), in these brain regions. Brain DHA contents were significantly associated with the levels of anxiety and depression-like behavior in these rats.

Conclusions:
These results suggest that the change in dietary lifestyle leading to alteration of dietary n3/n-6 fatty acids levels imposes a risk factor for anxiety-like behaviors. Dietary DHA might help for building cognitive reserve that can resist psychiatric disorders.
A Quantitative Model for Human Olfactory Receptors
Authors: Hassan Sk. Sarif , Pal Choudhury Pabitra , Bose Aritra 
Published: July 2019

AbstractA wide variety of chemicals having distinct odors are smelled by humans. Odor perception initiates in the nose, where it is detected by a large family of olfactory receptors (ORs). Based on divergence of evolutionary model a sequence of human ORs database has been proposed by D. Lancet et al (2000, 2006). It is quite impossible to infer whether a given sequence of nucleotides is a human OR or not, without any biological experimental validation. In our perspective, a proper quantitative understanding of these ORs is required to justify or nullify whether a given sequence is a human OR or not. In this paper, all human OR sequences have been quantified, and a set of clusters have been made using the quantitative results based on two different metrics. Using this proposed quantitative model, one can easily make probable justification or deterministic nullification whether a given sequence of nucleotides is a probable human OR homologue or not, without seeking any biological experiment. Of course a further biological experiment is essential to validate the probable human OR homologue.
Lost in translation: Toward a formal model of multilevel, multiscale medicine
Authors: Wallace Rodrick 
Published: July 2019

AbstractFor a broad spectrum of low level cognitive regulatory and other biological phenomena, isolation from signal crosstalk between them requires more metabolic free energy than permitting correlation. This allows an evolutionary exaptation leading to dynamic global broadcasts of interacting physiological processes at multiple scales. The argument is similar to the well-studied exaptation of noise to trigger stochastic resonance amplification in physiological subsystems. Not only is the living state characterized by cognition at every scale and level of organization, but by multiple, shifting, tunable, cooperative larger scale broadcasts that link selected subsets of functional modules to address problems. This multilevel dynamical viewpoint has implications for initiatives in translational medicine that have followed the implosive collapse of pharmaceutical industry 'magic bullet' research. In short, failure to respond to the inherently multilevel, multiscale nature of human pathophysiology will doom translational medicine to a similar implosion.