bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
AldB controls persister formation in Escherichia coli depending on environmental stress
Authors: Kawai Yuto , Matsumoto Shinya , Ling Yiwei , Okuda Shujiro , Tsuneda Satoshi 
Published: March 2018

ABSTRACTPersisters are multidrug‐tolerant cells that are present within antibiotic‐sensitive populations. Persister formation is not induced by genetic mutations, but rather by changes in the degree of expression of some genes. High redundancy has been observed among the pathways that have been hypothesized to respond to specific stresses. In this study, we conducted RNA sequencing of Escherichia coli persisters under various stress conditions to identify common mechanisms. We induced stresses such as glucose or amino acid exhaustion, acid stress and anaerobic conditions, all of which are encountered during bacterial pathogenesis. We found that most genes are differentially expressed depending on the specific stress condition; however, some genes were commonly expressed in persisters in most stress conditions. Commonly expressed genes are expected to be promising therapeutic targets for combating persistent infections. We found that knockdown of aldehyde dehydrogenase (aldB), which was expressed in every condition except for acid stress, decreased persisters in the non‐stressed condition. However, the same strain unexpectedly showed an increased number of persisters in the amino acid‐limited condition. Because the increase in persister number is glycolytic metabolite‐dependent, metabolic flow may play a crucial role in aldB‐mediated persister formation. These data suggest that environmental stresses alter persister mechanisms. Identification of environmental influences on persister formation during pathogenesis is therefore necessary to enabling persister eradication.
Sulfated vizantin induces formation of macrophage extracellular traps
Authors: Oda Masataka , Kurosawa Mie , Yamamoto Hirofumi , Domon Hisanori , Kimura Tatsuya , Isono Toshihito , Maekawa Tomoki , Hayashi Naoki , Yamada Noriteru , Furue Yui , Kai Daichi , Terao Yutaka 
Published: March 2018

ABSTRACTVizantin is an insoluble adjuvant that activates macrophages and lymphocytes. Recently, 2,2′,3,3′,4,4′‐hexasulfated‐vizantin (sulfated vizantin), which enables solubilization of vizantin, was developed by the present team. Sulfated vizantin was found to enhance bactericidal activity against multi‐drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in RAW264.7 cells. In addition, spread of P. aeruginosa was inhibited in RAW264.7 cells treated with sulfated vizantin. When only sulfated vizantin and P. aeruginosa were incubated, sulfated vizantin did not affect growth of P. aeruginosa. Formation of DNA‐based extracellular traps (ETs), a novel defense mechanism in several types of innate immune cells, helps to eliminate pathogens. In the present study, ET‐forming macrophages constituted the majority of immune cells. Sulfated vizantin induced ET formation in RAW264.7 cells, whereas a Ca‐chelating reagent, EDTA, and T‐type calcium channel blocker, tetrandrine, inhibited ET formation and attenuated inhibition of spread of P. aeruginosa in sulfated vizantin‐treated cells. Thus, sulfated vizantin induces ET formation in phagocytic cells in a Ca‐dependent manner, thus preventing spread of P. aeruginosa. Hence, sulfated vizantin may be useful in the management of infectious diseases.
Disentangling the effects of multiple environmental drivers on population changes within communities
Authors: Bowler Diana E. , Heldbjerg Henning , Fox Anthony D. , O'Hara Robert B. , Böhning‐Gaese Katrin 
Published: March 2018

Abstract

The effects of different environmental drivers on the changes in species’ population abundances can be difficult to disentangle as they often act simultaneously. Researchers have built statistical models that include environmental variables (such as annual temperature) or species attributes (such as a species’ temperature preference), which are assumed to detect the impacts of specific drivers (such as climate change). However, these approaches are often applied separately or, if combined, not explicitly compared.

We show the complementary insights gained by applying both these approaches to a community dataset on Danish terrestrial birds. We use our analysis to compare the relative importance of climate change and agricultural land‐use change for the abundance changes within the community between 1983 and 2013.

Population models were fitted to the community data of species’ annual abundances with predictors comprising: species attributes (species’ temperature and habitat preferences), environmental variables (climatic and agricultural land‐use change variables) or both. Relationships between species’ abundances and environmental variables were used to identify the drivers associated with average abundance changes of species in the community. Relationships between species’ abundances and their attributes were used to understand the drivers causing interspecific variation in abundance changes.

Warmer winters were positively associated with community‐level abundances, and warm‐adapted species had more positive abundance changes than cold‐adapted ones. Agricultural land‐use area was negatively associated with community‐level abundances, and birds using a high proportion of meadow and habitat specialists had more negative abundance changes than birds using other habitats and habitat generalists. Effect sizes of environmental variables were larger for agricultural land‐use change while those of species attributes were larger for climate change.

The environmental data approach suggested that agricultural land‐use change has decreased the average abundances of species in the community, affecting total community size while the species attribute‐based approach suggested that climate change has caused variation in abundance among species, affecting community composition. Environmental variables and species attributes that are hypothesized to link to specific drivers can be used together to provide complementary information on the impacts of different drivers on communities.
Multi‐Level Policy Implementation: A Case Study on China's Administrative Approval Intermediaries’ Reforms
Authors: Zhang Nandiyang , Rosenbloom David H. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractPolicy output and outcome shortfalls are often attributable to deficits in implementation. Drawing on data collected from multi‐level governmental documents and in‐depth interviews regarding the ongoing reforms of the use of ‘administrative approval intermediaries’ in China, we identified a genre of policy implementation in which the policy implementers themselves are targets of reform. These implementers swing between fulfilling tasks and deviation from formal requirements. By illustrating how the implementation gap in the reform widened as the implementation moved downstream and the exercise of centralized authority deteriorated, we found that the implementation deficits worsen as the targets’ interests were increasingly undermined by the policy. This was largely due to an administrative design in which the objective was established at the top, implementation depended on change by the bottom and coordination was horizontal across the middle.
Rationale behind IPO Underpricing: Evidence from Asian REIT IPOs
Authors: Ooi Joseph T.L. , Mori Masaki , Wong Woei‐Chyuan 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThis article examines the rationale behind IPO underpricing using a sample of REIT IPOs in Asia. Although the IPOs registered an average initial return of 3.08%, the issuers were able to sell the IPO shares above their fundamental values by timing the listings in periods when existing REIT stocks are traded at a premium to their net asset values (NAV). An IPO could therefore be underpriced and yet produce a net gain for the issuer. The issuers’ net gain from IPO is, however, negatively related to long‐run performance of REIT IPOs.
Fruit and Vegetable Waste: Bioactive Compounds, Their Extraction, and Possible Utilization
Authors: Sagar Narashans Alok , Pareek Sunil , Sharma Sunil , Yahia Elhadi M. , Lobo Maria Gloria 
Published: March 2018

AbstractFruits and vegetables are the most utilized commodities among all horticultural crops. They are consumed raw, minimally processed, as well as processed, due to their nutrients and health‐promoting compounds. With the growing population and changing diet habits, the production and processing of horticultural crops, especially fruits and vegetables, have increased very significantly to fulfill the increasing demands. Significant losses and waste in the fresh and processing industries are becoming a serious nutritional, economical, and environmental problem. For example, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has estimated that losses and waste in fruits and vegetables are the highest among all types of foods, and may reach up to 60%. The processing operations of fruits and vegetables produce significant wastes of by‐products, which constitute about 25% to 30% of a whole commodity group. The waste is composed mainly of seed, skin, rind, and pomace, containing good sources of potentially valuable bioactive compounds, such as carotenoids, polyphenols, dietary fibers, vitamins, enzymes, and oils, among others. These phytochemicals can be utilized in different industries including the food industry, for the development of functional or enriched foods, the health industry for medicines and pharmaceuticals, and the textile industry, among others. The use of waste for the production of various crucial bioactive components is an important step toward sustainable development. This review describes the types and nature of the waste that originates from fruits and vegetables, the bioactive components in the waste, their extraction techniques, and the potential utilization of the obtained bioactive compounds.
Bioavailability of Quercetin in Humans with a Focus on Interindividual Variation
Authors: Almeida A. Filipa , Borge Grethe Iren A. , Piskula Mariusz , Tudose Adriana , Tudoreanu Liliana , Valentová Kateřina , Williamson Gary , Santos Cláudia N. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractAfter consumption of plant‐derived foods or beverages, dietary polyphenols such as quercetin are absorbed in the small intestine and metabolized by the body, or they are subject to catabolism by the gut microbiota followed by absorption of the resulting products by the colon. The resulting compounds are bioavailable, circulate in the blood as conjugates with glucuronide, methyl, or sulfate groups attached, and they are eventually excreted in the urine. In this review, the various conjugates from different intervention studies are summarized and discussed. In addition, the substantial variation between different individuals in the measured quercetin bioavailability parameters is assessed in detail by examining published human intervention studies where sources of quercetin have been consumed in the form of food, beverages, or supplements. It is apparent that most reported studies have examined quercetin and/or metabolites in urine and plasma from a relatively small number of volunteers. Despite this limitation, it is evident that there is less interindividual variation in metabolites which are derived from absorption in the small intestine compared to catabolites derived from the action of microbiota in the colon. There is also some evidence that a high absorber of intact quercetin conjugates could be a low absorber of microbiota‐catalyzed phenolics, and vice versa. From the studies reported so far, the reasons or causes of the interindividual differences are not clear, but, based on the known metabolic pathways, it is predicted that dietary history, genetic polymorphisms, and variations in gut microbiota metabolism would play significant roles. In conclusion, quercetin bioavailability is subject to substantial variation between individuals, and further work is required to establish if this contributes to interindividual differences in biological responses.
Review article: Investigations and the pregnant woman in the emergency department – part 2: Point‐of‐care ultrasound, electrocardiography, respiratory function tests and radiology
Authors: Morton Adam , Teasdale Stephanie 
Published: March 2018

AbstractAccurate assessment of the pregnant patient in the ED depends on knowledge of physiological changes in pregnancy, and how these changes may impact on pathology tests, appearance on point‐of‐care ultrasound, electrocardiography and respiratory function tests. In addition, the emergency physician needs to be cognisant of disorders that are unique to or more common during pregnancy. Part 2 of this review addresses the role of point‐of‐care ultrasound in pregnancy, physiological changes that may affect interpretation of point‐of‐care ultrasound, changes in electrocardiography and respiratory function tests, and the safety of radiological procedures in the pregnant patient. Part 1 addressed potential deviations in laboratory investigation reference intervals resulting from physiological alterations in pregnancy and the important causes of abnormal laboratory results in pregnancy.
Comparative susceptibility and immune responses of Asian and European honey bees to the American foulbrood pathogen, Paenibacillus larvae
Authors: Krongdang Sasiprapa , Evans Jay D. , Chen Yanping , Mookhploy Wannapha , Chantawannakul Panuwan 
Published: March 2018

AbstractAmerican foulbrood (AFB) disease is caused by Paenibacillus larvae. Currently, this pathogen is widespread in the European honey bee—Apis mellifera. However, little is known about infectivity and pathogenicity of P. larvae in the Asiatic cavity‐nesting honey bees, Apis cerana. Moreover, comparative knowledge of P. larvae infectivity and pathogenicity between both honey bee species is scarce. In this study, we examined susceptibility, larval mortality, survival rate and expression of genes encoding antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) including defensin, apidaecin, abaecin, and hymenoptaecin in A. mellifera and A. cerana when infected with P. larvae. Our results showed similar effects of P. larvae on the survival rate and patterns of AMP gene expression in both honey bee species when bee larvae are infected with spores at the median lethal concentration (LC50) for A. mellifera. All AMPs of infected bee larvae showed significant upregulation compared with noninfected bee larvae in both honey bee species. However, larvae of A. cerana were more susceptible than A. mellifera when the same larval ages and spore concentration of P. larvae were used. It also appears that A. cerana showed higher levels of AMP expression than A. mellifera. This research provides the first evidence of survival rate, LC50 and immune response profiles of Asian honey bees, A. cerana, when infected by P. larvae in comparison with the European honey bee, A. mellifera.
Antimicrobial Carvacrol in Solution Blow‐Spun Fish‐Skin Gelatin Nanofibers
Authors: Liu Fei , Saricaoglu Furkan Türker , Avena‐Bustillos Roberto J. , Bridges David F. , Takeoka Gary R. , Wu Vivian C.H. , Chiou Bor‐Sen , Wood Delilah F. , McHugh Tara H. , Zhong Fang 
Published: March 2018

AbstractCarvacrol is a volatile monoterpenic phenol and main component of oregano essential oil that shows nonspecific antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogenic bacteria. Fish‐skin gelatin (FSG) nanofibers encapsulating carvacrol (15%, 20%, 25%, and 30%, w/w FSG) were successfully prepared via solution blow‐spinning (SBS) technique using lecithin (2.475% wb) as the surfactant. FSG emulsions with lower carvacrol ratios (5% and 10%) showed higher values in particle size and surface tension as well as lower values in viscosity and modulus, which led to failure of maintaining nanofibers shape. The formed carvacrol‐FSG nanofibers showed round and smooth morphologies with average fiber diameters ranging from 103.2 to 138.1 nm as the carvacrol ratio increased from 15% to 30%. Carvacrol was evenly dispersed within the interior of nanofiber matrix. All carvacrol‐FSG nanofibers showed inhibitive effects against the growth of Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes. Moreover, nanofibers with lower carvacrol ratios showed bigger inhibition zones for E. coli and L. monocytogenes (20 mm compared with 12.5 mm for lowest to highest carvacrol ratios, respectively). Nanofibers stored at 20 °C (51% RH) showed better retention (40% to 60%) for carvacrol during the first 4 weeks of storage, while nanofibers stored at 2 °C (70% RH) showed better retention (10% to 30%) at the end of storage.Practical ApplicationResults obtained in the study may help with antimicrobial carvacrol addition levels for gelatin fiber preparation using solution blow spinning (SBS) method. SBS gelatin fibers with added antimicrobials have potential applications for food packaging and medical wound dressing.
Prediction of Liquid Specific Heat Capacity of Food Lipids
Authors: Zhu Xiaoyi , Phinney David M. , Paluri Sravanti , Heldman Dennis R. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractSpecific heat capacity (cp) is a temperature dependent physical property of foods. Lipid—being a macromolecular component of food—provides some fraction of the food's overall heat capacity. Fats/oils are complex chemicals that are generally defined by carbon length and degree of unsaturation. The objective of this investigation was to use advanced specific heat capacity measurement to determine the effect of fatty acid chemical structure on specific heat capacity of food lipids. In this investigation, the specific heat capacity of a series of triacylglycerols were measured to quantify the influence of fatty acid composition on specific heat capacity based on two parameters; the ‐average carbon number (C) and the average number of double bonds (U). A prediction model for specific heat capacity of food lipids as a function of C, U and temperature (T) has been developed. A multiple linear regression to the three‐parameter model (R2 = 0.87) provided a good fit to the experimental data. The prediction model was evaluated by comparison with previously published specific heat capacity values of vegetable oils. It was found that the model provided a 0.53% error, while three other models from the literature predicted cp values with 0.85% to 1.83% average relative deviation from experimental data. The outcomes from this research confirm that the thermophysical properties of fat present in foods are directly related to the physical chemical properties.Practical ApplicationThe specific heat capacity of food products is widely used in process design. Improvements of current models to predict specific heat capacity of food products will assist in the development of efficient processes and in the control of food quality and safety. Furthermore, the understanding of how changes in chemical structure of macromolecular components of foods effect thermophysical properties may begin to allude to models that are not just empirical, but represent portions of the differences in chemistry.
The Impact of the Roast Levels of Coffee Extracts on their Potential Anticancer Activities
Authors: Mojica Benigno E. , Fong Lisa E. , Biju Denny , Muharram Alfeah , Davis Isabel M. , Vela Klarisse O. , Rios Diana , Osorio‐Camacena Elena , Kaur Baljit , Rojas Sebastian M. , Forester Sarah C. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractCoffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world and contains numerous phytochemicals that are beneficial to consumer health. The phytochemical profile of coffee, however, can be affected by the roast level. In this study, we compared the effect of roasting level on the growth inhibitory activity of HT‐29 (colon) and SCC‐25 (oral) cancer cell lines. The different roasting stages selected for this study were green, cinnamon/blonde, city/medium, full city/medium‐dark, and full city plus/dark. Cancer cells were treated with various concentrations of coffee extracts for 72 hr. Cell viability was quantified using the thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide assay. It was found that the lighter roast extracts, Cinnamon in particular, reduced cell growth more than darker roast extracts. The Cinnamon extract had the greatest amount of total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Relative levels of gallic, caffeic, and chlorogenic acid in the extracts were also compared. The Cinnamon coffee extract had the highest levels of gallic and caffeic acids, which have both been widely‐regarded as bioactive phytochemicals. In conclusion, the consumption of lighter roasted coffee, may contribute to the prevention of certain types of cancer such as oral and colon.Practical ApplicationChemical compounds in coffee may reduce the risk for certain types of cancers. These compounds may be particularly abundant in lighter roasted coffee. Therefore, lighter roasted coffee could contribute to the prevention of cancer through a healthy diet.
Development of Anti‐Insect Microencapsulated Polypropylene Films Using a Large Scale Film Coating System
Authors: Song Ah Young , Choi Ha Young , Lee Eun Song , Han Jaejoon , Min Sea C. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractFilms containing microencapsulated cinnamon oil (CO) were developed using a large‐scale production system to protect against the Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella). CO at concentrations of 0%, 0.8%, or 1.7% (w/w ink mixture) was microencapsulated with polyvinyl alcohol. The microencapsulated CO emulsion was mixed with ink (47% or 59%, w/w) and thinner (20% or 25%, w/w) and coated on polypropylene (PP) films. The PP film was then laminated with a low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) film on the coated side. The film with microencapsulated CO at 1.7% repelled P. interpunctella most effectively. Microencapsulation did not negatively affect insect repelling activity. The release rate of cinnamaldehyde, an active repellent, was lower when CO was microencapsulated than that in the absence of microencapsulation. Thermogravimetric analysis exhibited that microencapsulation prevented the volatilization of CO. The tensile strength, percentage elongation at break, elastic modulus, and water vapor permeability of the films indicated that microencapsulation did not affect the tensile and moisture barrier properties (P > 0.05). The results of this study suggest that effective films for the prevention of Indian meal moth invasion can be produced by the microencapsulation of CO using a large‐scale film production system.Practical ApplicationLow‐density polyethylene‐laminated polypropylene films printed with ink incorporating microencapsulated cinnamon oil using a large‐scale film production system effectively repelled Indian meal moth larvae. Without altering the tensile and moisture barrier properties of the film, microencapsulation resulted in the release of an active repellent for extended periods with a high thermal stability of cinnamon oil, enabling commercial film production at high temperatures. This anti‐insect film system may have applications to other food‐packaging films that use the same ink‐printing platform.