bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
European propolis is highly active against trypanosomatids including Crithidia fasciculata
Authors: Alotaibi Abdullah , Ebiloma Godwin U. , Williams Roderick , Alenezi Samya , Donachie Anne-Marie , Guillaume Selome , Igoli John O. , Fearnley James , de Koning Harry P. , Watson David G. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractExtracts of 35 samples of European propolis were tested against wild type and resistant strains of the protozoal pathogens Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma congolense and Leishmania mexicana. The extracts were also tested against Crithidia fasciculata a close relative of Crithidia mellificae, a parasite of bees. Crithidia, Trypanosoma and Leishmania are all members of the order Kinetoplastida. High levels of activity were obtained for all the samples with the levels of activity varying across the sample set. The highest levels of activity were found against L. mexicana. The propolis samples were profiled by using liquid chromatography with high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and principal components analysis (PCA) of the data obtained indicated there was a wide variation in the composition of the propolis samples. Orthogonal partial least squares (OPLS) associated a butyrate ester of pinobanksin with high activity against T. brucei whereas in the case of T. congolense high activity was associated with methyl ethers of chrysin and pinobanksin. In the case of C. fasciculata highest activity was associated with methyl ethers of galangin and pinobanksin. OPLS modelling of the activities against L. mexicana using the mass spectrometry produced a less successful model suggesting a wider range of active components.
Multiplexed Adaptive RT-PCR Based on L-DNA Hybridization Monitoring for the Detection of Zika, Dengue, and Chikungunya RNA
Authors: Euliano Erin M. , Hardcastle Austin N. , Victoriano Christia M. , Gabella William E. , Haselton Frederick R. , Adams Nicholas M. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractReverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the gold standard for the molecular diagnosis of many infectious diseases, including RNA viruses, but is generally limited to settings with access to trained personnel and laboratory resources. We have previously reported a fundamentally simpler thermal cycling platform called Adaptive PCR, which dynamically controls thermal cycling conditions during each cycle by optically monitoring the annealing and melting of mirror-image L-DNA surrogates of the PCR primers and targets. In this report, we integrate optically-controlled reverse transcription and single-channel monitoring of L-DNAs to develop a multiplexed Adaptive RT-PCR instrument and assay for the detection of Zika, dengue, and chikungunya virus RNA with high target specific and low limits of detection. The assay is demonstrated to detect as low as 5 copies/reaction of Zika or chikungunya RNA and 50 copies/reaction of dengue RNA. The multiplexed Adaptive RT-PCR instrument is robust and has many of the features required to implement diagnostic assays for RNA viruses in settings that lack traditional laboratory resources.
Identification of alkaline pH optimum of human glucokinase because of ATP-mediated bias correction in outcomes of enzyme assays
Authors: Šimčíková Daniela , Heneberg Petr 
Published: August 2019

AbstractAdenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a crucial substrate and energy source commonly used in enzyme reactions. However, we demonstrated that the addition of this acidic compound to enzyme assay buffers can serve as a source of unnoticed pH changes. Even relatively low concentrations of ATP (up to 5 mM) shifted pH of reaction mixtures to acidic values. For example, Tris buffer lost buffering capacity at pH 7.46 by adding ATP at a concentration higher than 2 mM. In addition to the buffering capacity, the pH shifts differed with respect to the buffer concentration. High ATP concentrations are commonly used in hexokinase assays. We demonstrated how the presence of ATP affects pH of widely used enzyme assay buffers and inversely affected KM of human hexokinase 2 and S0.5 of human glucokinase. The pH optimum of human glucokinase was never reported before. We found that previously reported optimum of mammalian glucokinase was incorrect, affected by the ATP-induced pH shifts. The pH optimum of human glucokinase is at pH 8.5–8.7. Suggested is the full disclosure of reaction conditions, including the measurement of pH of the whole reaction mixtures instead of measuring pH prior to the addition of all the components.
ABCG1 contributes to suberin formation in Arabidopsis thaliana roots
Authors: Shanmugarajah Kalpana , Linka Nicole , Gräfe Katharina , Smits Sander H. J. , Weber Andreas P. M. , Zeier Jürgen , Schmitt Lutz 
Published: August 2019

AbstractDiffusion barriers enable plant survival under fluctuating environmental conditions. They control internal water potential and protect against biotic or abiotic stress factors. How these protective molecules are deposited to the extracellular environment is poorly understood. We here examined the role of the Arabidopsis ABC half-size transporter AtABCG1 in the formation of the extracellular root suberin layer. Quantitative analysis of extracellular long-chain fatty acids and aliphatic alcohols in the atabcg1 mutants demonstrated altered root suberin composition, specifically a reduction in longer chain dicarboxylic acids, fatty alcohols and acids. Accordingly, the ATP-hydrolyzing activity of heterologous expressed and purified AtABCG1 was strongly stimulated by fatty alcohols (C26–C30) and fatty acids (C24–C30) in a chain length dependent manner. These results are a first indication for the function of AtABCG1 in the transport of longer chain aliphatic monomers from the cytoplasm to the apoplastic space during root suberin formation.
Inhibition of Francisella tularensis phagocytosis using a novel anti-LPS scFv antibody fragment
Authors: Mechaly Adva , Elia Uri , Alcalay Ron , Cohen Hila , Epstein Eyal , Cohen Ofer , Mazor Ohad 
Published: August 2019

AbstractFrancisella tularensis (Ft), the causative agent of lethal tularemia, is classified as a category A biological warfare threat agent. While Ft infection is treatable by antibiotics, many failed antibiotic treatments were reported, highlighting the need for effective new treatments. It has been demonstrated that binding of antibody-coated bacteria to the Fc receptor located on phagocytic cells is a key process needed for efficient protection against Ft. Yet, Ft utilizes the same receptor to enter the phagocytic cells in order to escape the immune system. To address the question whether an anti-Ft LPS antibody lacking the ability to bind the Fc receptor may inhibit the entry of Ft into host cells, a soluble scFv (TL1-scFv) was constructed from an anti Ft-LPS antibody (TL1) that was isolated from an immune single-chain (scFv) phage-display library. Bacterial uptake was assessed upon infection of macrophages with Ft live attenuated strain (LVS) in the presence of either TL1 or TL1-scFv. While incubation of LVS in the presence of TL1 greatly enhanced bacterial uptake, LVS uptake was significantly inhibited in the presence of TL1-scFv. These results prompt further experiments probing the therapeutic efficacy of TL1-scFv, alone or in combination with antibiotic treatment.
Nonlinear optical characterization of copper oxide nanoellipsoids
Authors: Boltaev Ganjaboy S. , Ganeev Rashid A. , Krishnendu P. S. , Zhang Ke , Guo Chunlei 
Published: August 2019

AbstractRecently, nonspherical nanoparticles took attention due to advanced properties of these structures. We report the study of the nonlinear optical properties of copper oxide nanoellipsoids using 800 nm and 400 nm, 60 fs pulses. The optical limiting effect of copper oxide nanoellipsoids is analyzed. The influence of band gap of copper nanoparticles and copper oxide nanoellipsoids on their nonlinear optical response was studied. For the first time, the low- and high-order nonlinear optical responses of copper nanoellipsoids were studied. The magnitudes of nonlinear optical parameters of the suspension of copper oxide nanoellipsoids were measured to be γ = 1.23 × 10−15 cm2 W−1, and β = 1.0 × 10−11 cm W−1 respectively. We observed the four-fold enhancement of the nonlinear optical refraction of copper oxide nanoellipsoids at the wavelength of 400 nm, 60 fs probe pulses compared to 800 nm radiation. We also analyzed the high-order nonlinear response of CuO nanoellipsoids through generation of high-order harmonics of 800 nm, 60 fs pulses in the plasmas produced during laser ablation of the nanoellipsoid-contained targets. We demonstrated the harmonics up to the 35th order (E = 50 eV) in case of single-color pump and 24th (30 eV) in case of two-color pump.
Basement membrane collagens and disease mechanisms
Authors: Gatseva Anna , Sin Yuan Yan , Brezzo Gaia , Van Agtmael Tom 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
Basement membranes (BMs) are specialised extracellular matrix (ECM) structures and collagens are a key component required for BM function. While collagen IV is the major BM collagen, collagens VI, VII, XV, XVII and XVIII are also present. Mutations in these collagens cause rare multi-systemic diseases but these collagens have also been associated with major common diseases including stroke. Developing treatments for these conditions will require a collective effort to increase our fundamental understanding of the biology of these collagens and the mechanisms by which mutations therein cause disease. Novel insights into pathomolecular disease mechanisms and cellular responses to these mutations has been exploited to develop proof-of-concept treatment strategies in animal models. Combined, these studies have also highlighted the complexity of the disease mechanisms and the need to obtain a more complete understanding of these mechanisms. The identification of pathomolecular mechanisms of collagen mutations shared between different disorders represent an attractive prospect for treatments that may be effective across phenotypically distinct disorders.
Heavy metals in intermediate He-rich hot subdwarfs: the chemical composition of HZ 44 and HD 127493
Authors: Dorsch M. , Latour M. , Heber U. 
Published: August 2019

Context. Hot subluminous stars can be spectroscopically classified as subdwarf B (sdB) and O (sdO) stars. While the latter are predominantly hydrogen deficient, the former are mostly helium deficient. The atmospheres of most sdOs are almost devoid of hydrogen, whereas a small group of hot subdwarf stars of mixed H/He composition exists, showing extreme metal abundance anomalies. Whether such intermediate helium-rich (iHe) subdwarf stars provide an evolutionary link between the dominant classes is an open question.
Aims. The presence of strong Ge, Sn, and Pb lines in the UV spectrum of HZ 44 suggests a strong enrichment of heavy elements in this iHe-sdO star and calls for a detailed quantitative spectral analysis focusing on trans-iron elements.
Methods. Non-local thermodynamical equilibrium model atmospheres and synthetic spectra calculated with TLUSTY/SYNSPEC were combined with high-quality optical, ultraviolet (UV), and far-UV (FUV) spectra of HZ 44 and its hotter sibling HD 127493 to determine their atmospheric parameters and metal abundance patterns.
Results. By collecting atomic data from the literature we succeeded in determining the abundances of 29 metals in HZ 44, including the trans-iron elements Ga, Ge, As, Se, Zr, Sn, and Pb and providing upper limits for ten other metals. This makes it the best-described hot subdwarf in terms of chemical composition. For HD 127493 the abundance of 15 metals, including Ga, Ge, and Pb and upper limits for another 16 metals were derived. Heavy elements turn out to be overabundant by one to four orders of magnitude with respect to the Sun. Zr and Pb are among the most enriched elements.
Conclusions. The C, N, and O abundance for both stars can be explained by the nucleosynthesis of hydrogen burning in the CNO cycle along with the stars’ helium enrichment. On the other hand, the heavy-element anomalies are unlikely to be caused by nucleosynthesis. Instead diffusion processes are evoked, with radiative levitation overcoming gravitational settlement of the heavy elements.
Locked-In Syndrome after Trauma—A Rare Case in the Literature
Authors: Chaves Jennyfer Paulla Galdino , Mezadri Pedro Henrique , Suzuki Thiago , Twardowsky Carlos Alexandre , Oliveira Tatiana Von Hertwig Fernandes 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThe present report is about a 25-year-old woman who had a motorcycle accident with brain trauma injury. Although she was admitted at another institution disoriented but alert, she progressively evolved to an altered level of consciousness and required orotracheal intubation. She was then transferred to our hospital sedated, and the admission head computed tomography showed signs of posterior fossa ischemia. The angiography demonstrated a vertebral artery dissection with subsequent embolization to the basilar artery, which provoked its complete occlusion. After drug withdrawal, the patient recovered level of consciousness but was aphasic and did not exhibit purpose movements apart from eye blinking, as expected in patients with locked-in syndrome.
Restructuring in heritage grammars
Authors: Meir Natalia , Polinsky Maria 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThis study investigates restructuring in heritage language (HL) grammars with a special focus on the driving forces behind changes in the underlying grammar. We evaluate the effect of Age of Onset of bilingualism (AoO) on possible grammatical restructuring. Relatedly, we assess whether HL grammar divergence from the baseline can be attributed to the Age of Acquisition of a particular linguistic phenomenon and/or to the structural properties of the dominant language, under transfer.With these general questions in mind, we conducted an auditory acceptability judgement task evaluating sensitivity to form (mis)matches in adjective-noun and numeral-noun expressions in adult Russian-Hebrew speakers: HL-speakers with AoO before age 5, HL-speakers with AoO between 5–13, and the Russian-dominant bilinguals.The results demonstrate a robust effect of AoO: HL speakers with earlier AoO are less accurate in detecting ungrammaticalities across the board. We argue that similarities in the structures in the heritage and dominant language allow HL speakers to maintain properties of monolingual grammars; dissimilarities, on the other hand, may lead to reanalysis in the HL grammar. However, the newly-built representations in the HL do not match those of the dominant language, suggesting that changed representations do not result from direct transfer.
Inflammation potentiates miR‐939 expression and packaging into small extracellular vesicles
Authors: Ramanathan Sujay , Shenoda Botros B. , Lin Zhucheng , Alexander Guillermo M. , Huppert Arthur , Sacan Ahmet , Ajit Seena K. 
Published: August 2019

ABSTRACTExtracellular RNA in circulation mediates intercellular communication in normal and pathological processes. One mode of circulating miRNA transport in bodily fluids is within 30–150 nm small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) or exosomes. Uptake of sEVs can regulate gene expression in recipient cells enabling circulating miRNAs to exert paracrine and systemic effects. Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a debilitating pain disorder characterized by chronic inflammation. Our previous investigations identified a significant decrease of hsa‐miR‐939 in whole blood from CRPS patients compared to control; we also observed that overexpression of miR‐939 can negatively regulate several proinflammatory genes in vitro. Though downregulated in whole blood, miR‐939 was significantly upregulated in sEVs isolated from patient serum. Here we investigated miR‐939 packaging into sEVs in vitro under inflammation induced by monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1), a chemokine that is upregulated in CRPS patients. Stimulation of THP‐1 monocytes by MCP‐1 led to elevated levels of miR‐939 in sEVs, which was abrogated using inhibitors of exosome secretion. miRNAs loaded into exosomes largely contain short miRNA sequence motifs called EXOmotifs. Mutation analysis of miR‐939 showed that EXOmotif is one of the possible cellular mechanisms responsible for packaging miR‐939 into sEVs. We confirmed gene expression changes in recipient cells following the uptake of sEVs enriched in miR‐939 using RNA sequencing. Additionally, our data from primary immune cell‐derived sEVs of CRPS patients and controls demonstrate that while the relative expression of miR‐939 is higher in sEVs derived from B cells, T cells and NK cells relative to monocyte‐derived sEVs in controls, only the B cell‐derived sEVs showed a significantly higher level of miR‐939 in CRPS patients. Differential miRNA sorting into exosomes and its functional impact on recipient cells may contribute to the underlying pathophysiology of CRPS.
National security of the Russian Federation in the Arctic region: geopolitical challenges and strategic decisions
Authors: Kulik S V , Travkina E V , Fedorov A S , Rubtsova A V 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
This article aims to highlight the international situation in the Arctic region. The national strategies of the Arctic states studied by the authors lead to the fact that all these program documents have five general directions of state policy in the Arctic: state sovereignty, socio-economic development, infrastructure and communication support, environmental safety, research activities. The authors consider international relations as a separate direction that develops around the Arctic region. In official rhetoric discourse of peaceful interstate political and economic cooperation, openness to dialogue with all international players, both state and commercial dominate. However, in all documents of strategic planning of the Arctic countries, without exception, the prevalence of national interests, its decisive importance in public policy, determination to defend and protect them both by diplomatic and military means are emphasized. Disputes of a territorial nature and regulatory aspects of its joint development have been around the Arctic region for more than a decade. As we see, in practice, these debates are rarely resolved quickly and does not satisfy all parties. It indicates the passive conflict in the region. The participating countries are trying to strengthen their presence in the Arctic territories, but today other players, including the eastern countries, see the Arctic region as very attractive for government projects and public policy. The multiplicity of players in the Arctic complicates the process of negotiation, finding points of contact and building a constructive dialogue. The buildup of military presence in the Arctic threatens not only the participants of the new arms race, but also the entire international community.
Development of fish soups technology with using food supplements from fish remaining feedstock
Authors: Brazhnaia I E , Tifanyuk A V , Kulik O M , Sudak C N 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
This article describes the technology for the whiting cream puree production using food supplement from fish remaining feedstock. The sociological survey results and analysis of consumer preferences of Murmansk population regarding enriched food are presented, the degree of public awareness of the food effect quality to the general health state, interest in a balanced diet to maintain health is studied, and the population attitude to the enrichment of traditional products with natural nutrients such as like calcium and phosphorus. A basic recipe for puree soup has been developed and has been optimized by computer simulation. To search for a near-optimal mineral composition and consistency of soup, has been used the planning and experiment method with processing non-linear regression of the results by the Datafit 9.0 computer program. The chemical composition experimental results of the puree soup and its caloric content are presented, and the content of calcium and phosphorus in one portion is determined with analysis of the results. It is ascertained that the course belongs to high-protein, medium-calorie and is a source of calcium and phosphorus. Optimal for the absorption and assimilation of the ratio of phosphorus to calcium in the diet according to various sources ranges from 1: 1 to 1: 1.5. The ratio of phosphorus to calcium in haddock bones flour is 1: 1.3, in the prepared soup-puree 1: 1, and, therefore, can be considered optimal. The prepared course has excellent organoleptic characteristics, high nutritional value and can be used as an additional source of calcium and phosphorus.
Extraction of extracellular polymeric substances of activated sludge and their application for wastewater treatment
Authors: Vasilieva Zh , Gaponenkov I , Vasekha M , Ivanova T 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are efficient and environmentally friendly bioflocculants in wastewater pollution that are free from the shortcomings typical of traditional coagulants and flocculants which can pose direct threat to human health and life as well as to the environment. In this paper, the authors have investigated the possibilities of extracting EPS from excess activated sludge and subsequent use of the obtained fractions as reagents for wastewater treatment. The study analyzes the existing methods for extracting EPS, with further selection and implementation of four biopolymer extraction methods. As part of the work, soluble, loosely bound and tightly bound activated sludge EPS fractions were generated using each method. The study of EPS chemical composition demonstrated a significant difference in the obtained fractions from each other; moreover, all the fractions showed the prevailing content of EPS protein components over polysaccharides and humic acids. The most efficient method for extracting proteins from the excess activated sludge biomass is the NH4OH/EDTA method; the one for extracting polysaccharides – the HCHO/NaOH method, and the one for extraction of humic acids – the CH3NO/EDTA method. The study of efficiency of wastewater treatment with the use of obtained fractions has shown that EPS extraction method has an impact not only on the extraction performance, but also on the feasibility of using extracted biopolymers for wastewater treatment. The efficiency of wastewater treatment ranged from 0.2 to 62.6%, depending on the EPS fraction used as a reagent.