bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Functional trade-offs in cribellate silk mediated by spinning behavior
Authors: Michalik Peter , Piorkowski Dakota , Blackledge Todd A. , Ramírez Martín J. 
Published: June 2019

AbstractWeb-building spiders are an extremely diverse predatory group due to their use of physiologically differentiated silk types in webs. Major shifts in silk functional properties are classically attributed to innovations in silk genes and protein expression. Here, we disentangle the effects of spinning behavior on silk performance of the earliest types of capture threads in spider webs for the first time. Progradungula otwayensis produces two variations of cribellate silk in webs: ladder lines are stereotypically combed with the calamistrum while supporting rail lines contain silk that is naturally uncombed, spun without the intervention of the legs. Combed cribellate silk is highly extensible and adhesive suggesting that the reserve warp and cribellate fibrils brings them into tension only near or after the underlying axial fibers are broken. In contrast, these three fiber components are largely aligned in the uncombed threads and deform as a single composite unit that is 5–10x stronger, but significantly less adhesive, allowing them to act as structural elements in the web. Our study reveals that cribellate silk can occupy a surprisingly diverse performance space, accessible through simple changes in spider behavior, which may have facilitated the impressive diversification of web architectures utilizing this ancient silk.
miRNA-302s may act as oncogenes in human testicular germ cell tumours
Authors: Das Mrinal K. , Evensen Herman S. F. , Furu Kari , Haugen Trine B. 
Published: June 2019

AbstractTesticular germ cell tumour (TGCT) represents the most common malignancy in young men in large parts of the world, but the aetiology is yet unclear. Multiple TGCT susceptibility loci have been identified, and we have shown that one of these, SPRY4, may act as a TGCT oncogene. Furthermore, many of the loci are in non-coding regions of the genome. miRNAs, a class of non-coding RNAs may play a crucial role in cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, and alteration in their expression may lead to oncogenesis. Differential expression of miRNAs in TGCT and normal testis has been reported in previous studies. In this study, we used qPCR to analyse, in normal and malignant testis tissue, the expression of the ten miRNAs that we had previously identified by sequencing to be the most upregulated in TGCT. We found high expression of these miRNAs also by qPCR analysis. The levels of miR-302a-3p, miR-302b-3p, and miR-302c-3p were downregulated after treatment of the TGCT cell lines NT2-D1 and 833 K with the chemotherapy drug cisplatin. By using miRNA inhibitor-mediated transient transfection, we inhibited the expression of the three members of miR-302 family (miR-302s). Inhibition of miR-302s resulted in a decreased cell proliferation in NT2-D1 cells, but not in 833 K cells. In both cell lines, inhibition of miR-302s resulted in decreased expression of SPRY4, which we have previously shown to regulate MAPK/ERK and PI3K/Akt signalling pathways in these cells. Inhibition of miR-302b-3p and miR-302c-3p decreased phosphorylation of ERK1/2, whereas inhibition of miR-302a-3p and miR-302b-3p led to decreased expression of the apoptosis inhibitor, survivin. Our findings suggest that miR-302s act as TGCT oncogenes by inducing the expression of SPRY4 and activating MAPK/ERK pathway while inhibiting apoptosis via increased survivin expression.
Hepatocyte PRMT1 protects from alcohol induced liver injury by modulating oxidative stress responses
Authors: Zhao Jie , Adams Abby , Weinman Steven A. , Tikhanovich Irina 
Published: June 2019

AbstractProtein Arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) is the main enzyme of cellular arginine methylation. Previously we found that PRMT1 activity in the liver is altered after alcohol exposure resulting in epigenetic changes. To determine the impact of these PRMT1 changes on the liver’s response to alcohol, we induced a hepatocyte specific PRMT1 knockout using AAV mediated Cre delivery in mice fed either alcohol or control Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet. We found that in alcohol fed mice, PRMT1 prevents oxidative stress and promotes hepatocyte survival. PRMT1 knockout in alcohol fed mice resulted in a dramatic increase in hepatocyte death, inflammation and fibrosis. Additionally, we found that alcohol promotes PRMT1 dephosphorylation at S297. Phosphorylation at this site is necessary for PRMT1-dependent protein arginine methylation. PRMT1 S297A, a dephosphorylation mimic of PRMT1 had reduced ability to promote gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, pro-apoptotic genes BIM and TRAIL and expression of a suppressor of hepatocyte proliferation, Hnf4α. On the other hand, several functions of PRMT1 were phosphorylation-independent, including expression of oxidative stress response genes, Sod1, Sod2 and others. In vitro, both wild type and S297A PRMT1 protected hepatocytes from oxidative stress induced apoptosis, however S297D phosphorylation mimic PRMT1 promoted cell death. Taken together these data suggest that PRMT1 is an essential factor of liver adaptation to alcohol; alcohol-induced dephosphorylation shifts PRMT1 toward a less pro-inflammatory, more pro-proliferative and pro-survival form.
The acetotrophic pathway dominates methane production in Zoige alpine wetland coexisting with hydrogenotrophic pathway
Authors: Zhang Yanfen , Ma Anzhou , Zhuang Guoqiang , Zhuang Xuliang 
Published: June 2019

AbstractAs a typical alpine wetland on the Tibetan Plateau, the Zoige wetland processes a large carbon stock and is a hotspot of methane emission. To date, many studies have investigated the methane flux in this wetland; however, the research on the source of methane in the soils of Zoige wetland is not clear enough. In this study, we determined the dynamic characteristics of the stable carbon isotopes during the methanogenesis of Zoige wetland soil and the corresponding microbial changes. The results showed that the δ13CH4 varied between −19.86‰ and −28.32‰ and the αC ranged from 1.0029 to 1.0104 in the methanogenesis process, which suggests the dominance of acetotrophic methanogenesis. And among the increased methanogens, acetotrophic methanogens multiplied more obviously than hydrogenotrophic menthanogens. In addition, the results of structural equation models showed that the variations in stable carbon isotopes during the process were mainly affected by acetotrophic methanogens. Although the acetotrophic pathway was dominate, the varied isotope characteristics, increased methanogens and ratio of carbon dioxide to methane all showed that hydrogenotrophic and acetotrophic methanogenesis coexisted in the Zoige wetland. Overall, our study provided a detailed and definitive information to the source of methane in the soil of the Zoige wetland and laid a foundation of mechanism to the research of greenhouse gas in this alpine wetland.
Weight control behaviors according to body weight status and accuracy of weight perceptions among Korean women: a nationwide population-based survey
Authors: Park Boyoung , Cho Ha Na , Choi Eunji , Seo Da Hea , Kim Nam-Soon , Park Eunja , Kim Sue , Park Yeong-Ran , Choi Kui Son , Rhee Yumie 
Published: June 2019

AbstractThis study aimed to identify associations among self-perceived weight status, accuracy of weight perceptions, and weight control behaviors, including both healthy and unhealthy behaviors, in a large, nationally representative sample from an East Asian country. Data were collected from the 2016 Korean Study of Women’s Health Related Issues, a population-based, nationwide survey. Accurate weight perceptions were investigated by comparing body mass index (BMI) categories, based on self-reported height and weight, and weight perceptions. Weight control behaviors over the previous 12 months were additionally surveyed. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) are presented as an index of associations. Among normal weight, overweight, and obese women, 12.8%, 44.3%, and 17.4% under-assessed their weight; 17.9% of normal weight women over-assessed their weight. Both weight status according to BMI category and weight perceptions were strongly associated with having tried to lose weight. Exercise and diet (ate less) were the most commonly applied weight control behaviors. Misperception of weight was related to more unhealthy weight control behaviors and less healthy behaviors: Women who under-assessed their weight showed a lower tendency to engage in dieting (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.43–0.75) and a greater tendency to fast/skip meals (OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.07–1.99). Meanwhile, normal weight or overweight women who over-assessed their weight were more likely to have engaged in fasting/skipping meals or using diet pills (OR = 5.72, 95% CI = 2.45–13.56 for fasting/skipping meal in overweight women; OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.15–2.29 and OR = 3.16, 95% CI = 1.15–8.23 for using diet pills in normal and overweight women). Inaccuracy of weight perceptions in any direction (over/under) were related to more unhealthy weight control behaviors and less healthy weight control behaviors, especially in normal and overweight women.
The radiation environment of anaesthesiologists in the endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography room
Authors: Lee Bora , Kim Min-Soo , Eum Darhae , Min Kyeong Tae 
Published: June 2019

AbstractAnaesthesiologists are increasingly involved in nonoperating room anaesthesia (NORA) for fluoroscopic procedures. However, the radiation exposure of medical staff differs among NORA settings. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the radiation environment generated by fluoroscopic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and the radiation exposure of anaesthesiologists. The dose area product (DAP), radiation entrance dose (RED), and fluoroscopy time (FT) according to the procedures and monthly cumulative radiation exposure were analysed at two sites (neck and wrist) from 363 procedures in 316 patients performed within 3 months. The total RED and DAP were 43643.1 mGy and 13681.1 Gy cm2, respectively. DAP and RED (r = 0.924) were strongly correlated and DAP and FT (r = 0.701) and RED and FT (r = 0.749) were moderately correlated. The radiation environment per procedure varied widely, DAP and RED per FT were the highest during stent insertion with esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Monthly cumulative deep dose equivalents at the wrist and neck ranged between 0.31–1.27 mSv and 0.33–0.59 mSv, respectively, but they were related to jaw thrust manipulation (r = 0.997, P = 0.047) and not to the radiation environment. The anaesthesiologists may be exposed to high dose of radiation in the ERCP room, which depends on the volume of procedures performed and perhaps the anaesthesiologists’ practice patterns.
Anxious behaviour in a demonstrator affects observational learning
Authors: Selbing Ida , Olsson Andreas 
Published: June 2019

AbstractHumans can acquire fear through the observation of others’ (learning models’) threat responses. These responses can be direct responses to aversive stimuli, or anticipatory responses to threats. Most research focuses on learning from observation of direct responses only. Here, we investigated how observational fear conditioning is influenced by a learning model’s typically anxious anticipatory responses. High anxiety individuals often display typically anxious anticipatory behaviour, such as worsened discrimination between safe and unsafe stimuli, characterized by increased threat responses to safe stimuli. We hypothesized that observation of an anxiously behaving model would worsen discriminatory learning. To this end, we developed an observational conditioning paradigm where a learning model was exposed to one safe and one unsafe stimuli. The learning model displayed anticipatory aversion to either to the unsafe stimulus only (Non-Anxious Model group) or to both the safe and unsafe stimuli (Anxious Model group) in addition to reacting directly to an aversive stimulus paired with the unsafe stimulus. Contrary to expectations, discriminatory learning was not worsened in the Anxious Model group compared to the Non-Anxious Model group. Rather, we saw more robust discriminatory learning in the Anxious Model group. The study provides a first step towards understanding the effect of other’s anticipatory responses in general and typically anxious anticipatory responses in particular, on observational fear learning.
Binary Silanization and Silver Nanoparticle Encapsulation to Create Superhydrophobic Cotton Fabrics with Antimicrobial Capability
Authors: Shen William , Zhang Lishen , Li Xiaochun , Yu Hua-Zhong 
Published: June 2019

AbstractCotton fabrics are functionalized with a binary solution of fluorine-free organosilanes and “encapsulated” with silver nanoparticles to achieve both superhydrophobic and antimicrobial properties. Derived from cellulose, cotton is one of the most abundant biologically generated materials and has been used in a wide variety of consumer goods. Nonetheless, cotton fabrics are not waterproof and prone to microbial contamination. Herein we report the rapid functionalization of cotton fabrics with a binary hexane solution of methyltrichlorosilane (MTS) and octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) at low concentration (0.17% v/v) followed by coating with colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNP). The combined effects of binary silanization and AgNP encapsulation produced a surface that has remarkable water contact angle of 153 ± 2° and antimicrobial properties (against gram-negative Escherichia coli). The superior performance of the modified cotton fabrics produced with fluorine-free organosilanes and silver nanoparticles augments the potential of improving the functionality of abundant biopolymers to be waterproof and contamination-resistant.
Small Molecule IL-36γ Antagonist as a Novel Therapeutic Approach for Plaque Psoriasis
Authors: Todorović Viktor , Su Zhi , Putman C. Brent , Kakavas Stevan J. , Salte Katherine M. , McDonald Heath A. , Wetter Joseph B. , Paulsboe Stephanie E. , Sun Qi , Gerstein Clare E. , Medina Limary , Sielaff Bernhard , Sadhukhan Ramkrishna , Stockmann Henning , Richardson Paul L. , Qiu Wei , Argiriadi Maria A. , Henry Rodger F. , Herold J. Martin , Shotwell J. Brad , McGaraughty Steve P. , Honore Prisca , Gopalakrishnan Sujatha M. , Sun Chaohong C. , Scott Victoria E. 
Published: June 2019

AbstractIL-36 cytokines are pro-inflammatory members of the IL-1 family that are upregulated in inflammatory disorders. Specifically, IL-36γ is highly expressed in active psoriatic lesions and can drive pro-inflammatory processes in 3D human skin equivalents supporting a role for this target in skin inflammation. Small molecule antagonists of interleukins have been historically challenging to generate. Nevertheless, we performed a small molecule high-throughput screen to identify IL-36 antagonists using a novel TR-FRET binding assay. Several compounds, including 2-oxypyrimidine containing structural analogs of the marketed endothelin receptor A antagonist Ambrisentan, were identified as hits from the screen. A-552 was identified as a the most potent antagonist of human IL-36γ, but not the closely related family member IL-36α, was capable of attenuating IL-36γ induced responses in mouse and human disease models. Additionally, x-ray crystallography studies identified key amino acid residues in the binding pocket present in human IL-36γ that are absent in human IL-36α. A-552 represents a first-in-class small molecule antagonist of IL-36 signaling that could be used as a chemical tool to further investigate the role of this pathway in inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.
Determination of melatonin by a whole cell bioassay in fermented beverages
Authors: Morcillo-Parra María Ángeles , Beltran Gemma , Mas Albert , Torija María-Jesús 
Published: June 2019

AbstractMelatonin is a bioactive compound that is present in fermented beverages, such as wine and beer, at concentrations ranging from picograms to nanograms per mL of product. The purpose of this study was to optimize a novel fluorescent bioassay for detecting melatonin based on a cell line that contains the human melatonin receptor 1B gene and to compare these results with LC-MS/MS as a reference method. Conditions that could affect cell growth and detection (cell number per well, stimulation time, presence or absence of fetal bovine serum and adhesion of cells) were tested in the TANGO®cell line. Food matrices (wine and grape must) could not be directly used for the cell line due to low response. Therefore, for the determination of melatonin in food samples, an extraction procedure was required before conducting the assay. We demonstrated an improvement in melatonin determination by the cell-based bioassay due to increased sensitivity and specificity and improved quantification in complex matrices. Therefore, this method is a good alternative to determine melatonin content in some food samples, especially for those containing very low melatonin levels.
Remote physiological monitoring provides unique insights on the cardiovascular performance and stress responses of freely swimming rainbow trout in aquaculture
Authors: Brijs Jeroen , Sandblom Erik , Axelsson Michael , Sundell Kristina , Sundh Henrik , Kiessling Anders , Berg Charlotte , Gräns Albin 
Published: June 2019

AbstractInvestigating the mechanisms that fish employ to maintain homeostasis in their everyday life requires measurements of physiological and behavioural responses in the field. With multivariate bio-loggers, we continuously measured gastrointestinal blood flow (GBF), heart rate, activity and body temperature in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) swimming freely amongst ~5000 conspecifics in a sea cage. Our findings clearly demonstrate that while both acute aquaculture-related stress and spontaneous activity resulted in transient reductions in GBF (i.e. reductions of up to 65%), recovery from stressful handling practices subsequently involved a substantial and prolonged gastrointestinal hyperemia far beyond the level observed prior to the stressor. The gastrointestinal hyperemia may be necessary to repair the damage to the gastrointestinal tract caused by acute stress. Furthermore, heart rate responses to acute stress or voluntary activity differed depending on the individual’s physiological state. Stressed fish (i.e. mean heart rates >70 beats min−1) exhibited a bradycardic response to acute stress or activity, whereas fish with mean heart rates <60 beats min−1 instead demonstrated strong tachycardic responses. Remote monitoring of physiological and behavioural variables using bio-loggers can provide unique insights into ‘real-life’ responses of animals, which can largely differ from the responses observed in confined laboratory settings.
Enhanced Thermal Conductivity of Epoxy Composites Filled with 2D Transition Metal Carbides (MXenes) with Ultralow Loading
Authors: Kang Ruiyang , Zhang Zhenyu , Guo Liangchao , Cui Junfeng , Chen Yapeng , Hou Xiao , Wang Bo , Lin Cheng-Te , Jiang Nan , Yu Jinhong 
Published: June 2019

AbstractWith the development of electronic devices such as integrated circuits toward the continual increase in power density and consumption, the efficient heat dissipation and low thermal expansion of materials become one of the most important issue. However, conventional polymers have the problem of poor thermal dissipation performance, which hinder application for electronic devices. In this work, the two-dimensional material, MXene (Ti3C2), is used as the reinforcement additive to optimize the thermal properties of polymers. We reported the preparation of multilayer Ti3C2 MXene by HF etching method and obtained few-layer Ti3C2 MXene by simple ultrasonication. Meanwhile, Ti3C2/epoxy composites were prepared by a solution blending method. The results show that the thermal properties of the composites are improved in comparison with the neat epoxy. Thermal conductivity value (0.587 W/mK) of epoxy composite with only 1.0 wt% Ti3C2 MXene fillers, is increased by 141.3% compared with that of neat epoxy. In addition, the composite presents an increased glass transition temperature, high thermal stability and lower coefficient of thermal expansion. This work is of great significance for the research of high-performance composite materials.
Ag/Au Alloyed Nanoislands for Wafer-Level Plasmonic Color Filter Arrays
Authors: Hwang Charles Soon Hong , Ahn Myeong-Su , Lee Youngseop , Chung Taerin , Jeong Ki-Hun 
Published: June 2019

AbstractAlloyed metals in nanoscale exhibit some intriguing features that are absent in mono-metallic nanostructures. Here we report silver and gold alloyed nanoislands with high tunability of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) wavelength in the visible range for wafer-level plasmonic color filter arrays. The nanofabrication includes two simple steps of concurrent thermal evaporation of Ag and Au grains and solid-state dewetting of the as-deposited nanocomposite thin film. The alloy ratio during the evaporation precisely tunes the LSPR wavelengths within 415–609 nm spectrum range. The elemental composition map reveals that alloyed nanoislands are completely miscible while preserving uniform size, regardless of the alloy ratio. Besides, the multiple lift-off processes and thermal dewetting of Ag/Au nanocomposite thin films successfully demonstrate the wafer-level nanofabrication of plasmonic color filter mosaic. Each plasmonic color pixel comprises different alloy ratio and efficiently transmits colors ranging from cyan, yellow, and magenta. The transmission spectra transposed onto a CIE 1931 color map show comparable color diversity to the plasmonic color filters fabricated by conventional e-beam lithographic techniques. This novel method provides a new direction for large-scale and visible plasmonic color filter arrays in advanced display or imaging applications.
Response of phytoplankton to banana cultivation: A case study of Lancang-Mekong River, southwestern China
Authors: Dai Juan , Zhou Yinjun , Wu Haipeng , Zhang Yunchao , Zhu Kongxian 
Published: June 2019

AbstractThis study examined the possible effects of banana cultivation on phytoplankton biomass and community structure in southwest China along the Lancang-Mekong River. Water and phytoplankton samples were collected on March (dry season) and August (rainy season), and physical-chemical properties of water, phytoplankton biomass and community structure were determined. The results indicated that the banana cultivation resulted in increases in sediment, total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations at estuaries of Lancang-Mekong River branches. Cultivation decreased phytoplankton diversity, abundance and biomass, as well as changed the phytoplankton community structure at estuaries of branches. Sediment concentration (increased by cultivation) was considered as the dominant influence factor of phytoplankton biomass and community structure. However, at downstream sites (primary channel), banana cultivation did not cause (result from its huge flow) the significant changes in physical-chemical properties of water, phytoplankton biomass or community structure.