bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Phosphate Removal in Relation to Structural Development of Humic Acid-Iron Coprecipitates
Authors: Chen Kai-Yue , Hsu Liang-Ching , Chan Ya-Ting , Cho Yen-Lin , Tsao Fang-Yu , Tzou Yu-Min , Hsieh Yi-Cheng , Liu Yu-Ting 
Published: July 2018

AbstractPrecipitation of Fe-hydroxide (FH) critically influences the sequestration of PO4 and organic matter (OM). While coatings of pre-sorbed OM block FH surfaces and decrease the PO4 adsorption capacity, little is known about how OM/Fe coprecipitation influences the PO4 adsorption. We aimed to determine the PO4 adsorption behaviors on humic acid (HA)-Fe coprecipitates in relation to surface and structural characteristics as affected by HA types and C/(C + Fe) ratios using the Fe and P X-ray absorption spectroscopy. With increasing C/(C + Fe) ratios, the indiscernible changes in the proportion of near-surface C for coprecipitates containing HA enriched in polar functional groups implied a relatively homogeneous distribution between C and Fe domains. Wherein PO4 adsorbed on FH dominated the P inventory on coprecipitates, yielding PO4 sorption properties nearly equivalent to that of pure FH. Structural disruptions of FH caused by highly associations with polar functional groups of HA enhanced the C solubilisation. While polar functional groups were limited, coprecipitates consisted of core FH with surface outgrowth of HA. Although surface-attached HA that was vulnerable to solubilisation provided alternatively sites for PO4 via ternary complex formation with Fe bridges, it also blocked FH surfaces, leading to a decrease in PO4 adsorption.
MifM-instructed translation arrest involves nascent chain interactions with the exterior as well as the interior of the ribosome
Authors: Fujiwara Keigo , Ito Koreaki , Chiba Shinobu 
Published: July 2018

AbstractBacillus subtilis MifM is a monitoring substrate of the YidC pathways of protein integration into the membrane and controls the expression of the YidC2 (YqjG) homolog by undergoing regulated translational elongation arrest. The elongation arrest requires interactions between the MifM nascent polypeptide and the ribosomal components near the peptidyl transferase center (PTC) as well as at the constriction site of the ribosomal exit tunnel. Here, we addressed the roles played by more N-terminal regions of MifM and found that, in addition to the previously-identified arrest-provoking elements, the MifM residues 41–60 likely located at the tunnel exit and outside the ribosome contribute to the full induction of elongation arrest. Mutational effects of the cytosolically exposed part of the ribosomal protein uL23 suggested its involvement in the elongation arrest, presumably by interacting with the extra-ribosomal portion of MifM. In vitro translation with reconstituted translation components recapitulated the effects of the mutations at the 41–60 segment, reinforcing the importance of direct molecular interactions between the nascent chain and the ribosome. These results indicate that the nascent MifM polypeptide interacts extensively with the ribosome both from within and without to direct the elongation halt and consequent up-regulation of YidC2.
β-barrel Oligomers as Common Intermediates of Peptides Self-Assembling into Cross-β Aggregates
Authors: Sun Yunxiang , Ge Xinwei , Xing Yanting , Wang Bo , Ding Feng 
Published: July 2018

AbstractOligomers populated during the early amyloid aggregation process are more toxic than mature fibrils, but pinpointing the exact toxic species among highly dynamic and heterogeneous aggregation intermediates remains a major challenge. β-barrel oligomers, structurally-determined recently for a slow-aggregating peptide derived from αB crystallin, are attractive candidates for exerting amyloid toxicity due to their well-defined structures as therapeutic targets and compatibility to the “amyloid-pore” hypothesis of toxicity. To assess whether β-barrel oligomers are common intermediates to amyloid peptides - a necessary step toward associating β-barrel oligomers with general amyloid cytotoxicity, we computationally studied the oligomerization and fibrillization dynamics of seven well-studied fragments of amyloidogenic proteins with different experimentally-determined aggregation morphologies and cytotoxicity. In our molecular dynamics simulations, β-barrel oligomers were only observed in five peptides self-assembling into the characteristic cross-β aggregates, but not the other two that formed polymorphic β-rich aggregates as reported experimentally. Interestingly, the latter two peptides were previously found nontoxic. Hence, the observed correlation between β-barrel oligomers formation and cytotoxicity supports the hypothesis of β-barrel oligomers as the common toxic intermediates of amyloid aggregation.
Neuroimaging results suggest the role of prediction in cross-domain priming
Authors: Amado Catarina , Kovács Petra , Mayer Rebecca , Ambrus Géza Gergely , Trapp Sabrina , Kovács Gyula 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThe repetition of a stimulus leads to shorter reaction times as well as to the reduction of neural activity. Previous encounters with closely related stimuli (primes) also lead to faster and often to more accurate processing of subsequent stimuli (targets). For instance, if the prime is a name, and the target is a face, the recognition of a persons’ face is facilitated by prior presentation of his/her name. A possible explanation for this phenomenon is that the prime allows predicting the occurrence of the target. To the best of our knowledge, so far, no study tested the neural correlates of such cross-domain priming with fMRI. To fill this gap, here we used names of famous persons as primes, and congruent or incongruent faces as targets. We found that congruent primes not only reduced RT, but also lowered the BOLD signal in bilateral fusiform (FFA) and occipital (OFA) face areas. This suggests that semantic information affects not only behavioral performance, but also neural responses in relatively early processing stages of the occipito-temporal cortex. We interpret our results in the framework of predictive coding theories.
Cellular Uptake and Bioavailability of Tocotrienol-Rich Fraction in SIRT1-Inhibited Human Diploid Fibroblasts
Authors: Jaafar Faizul , Abdullah Asmaa , Makpol Suzana 
Published: July 2018

AbstractTocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) is palm vitamin E that consists of tocopherol and tocotrienol. TRF is involved in important cellular regulation including delaying cellular senescence. A key regulator of cellular senescence, Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is involved in lipid metabolism. Thus, SIRT1 may regulate vitamin E transportation and bioavailability at cellular level. This study aimed to determine the role of SIRT1 on cellular uptake and bioavailability of TRF in human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs). SIRT1 gene in young HDFs was silenced by small interference RNA (siRNA) while SIRT1 activity was inhibited by sirtinol. TRF treatment was given for 24 h before or after SIRT1 inhibition. Cellular concentration of TRF isomers was determined according to the time points of before and after TRF treatment at 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. Our results showed that all tocotrienol isomers were significantly taken up by HDFs after 24 h of TRF treatment and decreased 24 h after TRF treatment was terminated but remained in the cell up to 72 h. The uptake of α-tocopherol, α-tocotrienol and β-tocotrienol was significantly higher in senescent cells as compared to young HDFs indicating higher requirement for vitamin E in senescent cells. Inhibition of SIRT1 gene increased the uptake of all tocotrienol isomers but not α-tocopherol. However, SIRT1 inhibition at protein level decreased tocotrienol concentration. In conclusion, SIRT1 may regulate the cellular uptake and bioavailability of tocotrienol isomers in human diploid fibroblast cells while a similar regulation was not shown for α-tocopherol.
Visual discrimination of polymorphic nestlings in a cuckoo-host system
Authors: Attisano Alfredo , Sato Nozomu J. , Tanaka Keita D. , Okahisa Yuji , Kuehn Ralph , Gula Roman , Ueda Keisuke , Theuerkauf Jörn 
Published: July 2018

AbstractMimicry by avian brood parasites favours uniformity over variation within a breeding attempt as host defence against parasitism. In a cuckoo-host system from New Caledonia, the arms race resulted in both host (Gerygone flavolateralis) and parasite (Chalcites lucidus) having nestlings of two discrete skin colour phenotypes, bright and dark. In our study sites, host nestlings occurred in monomorphic and polymorphic broods, whereas cuckoo nestlings only occurred in the bright morph. Irrespective of their brood colour, host parents recognised and ejected parasite nestlings but never ejected their own. We investigated whether host parents visually recognised their own nestlings by using colour, luminance and pattern of multiple body regions. We found that the parasite mimicked multiple visual features of both host morphs and that the visual difference between host morphs was larger than the difference between the parasite and the mimicked host morph. Visual discrimination alone may result in higher chances of recognition errors in polymorphic than in monomorphic host broods. Host parents may rely on additional sensorial cues, not only visual, to assess nestling identity. Nestling polymorphism may be a trace of evolutionary past and may only have a marginal role in true-recognition of nestlings in the arms race in New Caledonia.
Honey bees overwintering in a southern climate: longitudinal effects of nutrition and queen age on colony-level molecular physiology and performance
Authors: Ricigliano Vincent A. , Mott Brendon M. , Floyd Amy S. , Copeland Duan C. , Carroll Mark J. , Anderson Kirk E. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractHoney bee colony nutritional ecology relies on the acquisition and assimilation of floral resources across a landscape with changing forage conditions. Here, we examined the impact of nutrition and queen age on colony health across extended periods of reduced forage in a southern climate. We measured conventional hive metrics as well as colony-level gene expression of eight immune-related genes and three recently identified homologs of vitellogenin (vg), a storage glycolipoprotein central to colony nutritional state, immunity, oxidative stress resistance and life span regulation. Across three apiary sites, concurrent longitudinal changes in colony-level gene expression and nutritional state reflected the production of diutinus (winter) bees physiologically altered for long-term nutrient storage. Brood production by young queens was significantly greater than that of old queens, and was augmented by feeding colonies supplemental pollen. Expression analyses of recently identified vg homologs (vg-like-A, -B, and -C) revealed distinct patterns that correlated with colony performance, phenology, and immune-related gene transcript levels. Our findings provide new insights into dynamics underlying managed colony performance on a large scale. Colony-level, molecular physiological profiling is a promising approach to effectively identify factors influencing honey bee health in future landscape and nutrition studies.
Inhibition and Eradication of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms by Host Defence Peptides
Authors: Chen Hongwei , Wubbolts Richard W. , Haagsman Henk P. , Veldhuizen Edwin J. A. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractP. aeruginosa is a notorious biofilm producer that causes a wide variety of acute and chronic infections. In this study the in vitro anti-biofilm activity of 13 Host Defence Peptides from different species was tested against P. aeruginosa biofilms. Most HDPs were able to prevent biofilm attachment, due to their antimicrobial effect on planktonic bacteria in the starting inoculum. Activity of HDPs against pre-formed biofilms was also observed, although mainly at short incubation times. Several HDPs were able to kill bacteria in the biofilm (colony counting of biofilm associated bacteria) but only CRAMP eradicated the whole biofilm (crystal violet staining). These results were quantitatively confirmed by confocal microscopy studies using a live/dead stain of the biofilms. Furthermore, for chicken CATH-2 (one of the more potent HDPs) it was shown that the peptide could indeed penetrate the biofilm structures and kill bacteria within the biofilm. These studies highlight the potency but also the limitations of HDPs as new potential anti-biofilm agents.
Information Certainty Determines Social and Private Information Use in Ants
Authors: Stroeymeyt Nathalie , Giurfa Martin , Franks Nigel R. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractDecision-making in uncertain environments requires animals to evaluate, contrast and integrate various information sources to choose appropriate actions. In consensus-making groups, quorum responses are commonly used to combine private and social information, leading to both robust and flexible decisions. Here we show that in house-hunting ant colonies, individuals fine-tune the parameters of their quorum responses depending on their private knowledge: informed ants evaluating a familiar new nest rely relatively more on social than private information when the certainty of their private information is low, and vice versa. This indicates that the ants follow a highly sophisticated ‘copy-when-uncertain’ social learning strategy similar to that observed in a few vertebrate species. Using simulations, we further show that this strategy improves colony performance during emigrations and confers well-informed individuals more weight in the decision process, thus representing a novel mechanism for the emergence of leadership in collective decision-making.
Generalized Mechanism of Field Emission from Nanostructured Semiconductor Film Cathodes
Authors: Wang Ru-Zhi , Zhao Wei , Yan Hui 
Published: July 2018

AbstractConsidering the effect of both the buffer layer and substrate, a series of ultrathin multilayered structure cathodes (UTMC) is constructed to simulate the field emission (FE) process of nanostructured semiconductor film cathodes (NSFCs). We find a generalized FE mechanism of the NSFCs, in which there are three distinct FE modes with the change of the applied field. Our results clearly show significant differences of FE between conventional emitters and nanofilm emitters, which the non-Fowler-Nordheim characteristics and the resonant FE will be inevitable for NSFCs. Moreover, the controllable FE can be realized by fine-tuning the quantum structure of NSFCs. The generalized mechanism of NSFCs presented here may be particularly useful for design high-speed and high-frequency vacuum nano-electronic devices.
Heteroatom-doped nanoporous carbon from recyclable Pueraria lobata and its dual activities for oxygen reduction and hydrogen evolution reactions
Authors: Lu Wen-Chao , Zhu Zi-Chun , Hou Bei-Hua , Zhang Hai-Xia , Liao Min-Ji , Wu Zhen-Yu , Chen Ping 
Published: July 2018

The bulk preparation of an N, P and Fe Tri-doped nano-porous carbon sample using recyclable Pueraria powder, which exhibits dual activities.
A new method for unveiling open clusters inGaia
Authors: Castro-Ginard A. , Jordi C. , Luri X. , Julbe F. , Morvan M. , Balaguer-Núñez L. , Cantat-Gaudin T. 
Published: July 2018

Context. The publication of theGaiaData Release 2 (GaiaDR2) opens a new era in astronomy. It includes precise astrometric data (positions, proper motions, and parallaxes) for more than 1.3 billion sources, mostly stars. To analyse such a vast amount of new data, the use of data-mining techniques and machine-learning algorithms is mandatory.Aims. A great example of the application of such techniques and algorithms is the search for open clusters (OCs), groups of stars that were born and move together, located in the disc. Our aim is to develop a method to automatically explore the data space, requiring minimal manual intervention.Methods. We explore the performance of a density-based clustering algorithm, DBSCAN, to find clusters in the data together with a supervised learning method such as an artificial neural network (ANN) to automatically distinguish between real OCs and statistical clusters.Results. The development and implementation of this method in a five-dimensional space (l,b,ϖ,μα*,μδ) with the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS) data, and a posterior validation usingGaiaDR2 data, lead to the proposal of a set of new nearby OCs.Conclusions. We have developed a method to find OCs in astrometric data, designed to be applied to the fullGaiaDR2 archive.
Calcifications in Thyroid Tumors on Ultrasonography: Calcification Types and Relationship with Histopathological Type
Authors: Kobayashi Kaoru , Fujimoto Tomoko , Ota Hisashi , Hirokawa Mitsuyoshi , Yabuta Tomonori , Masuoka Hiroo , Fukushima Mitsuhiro , Higashiyama Takuya , Kihara Minoru , Ito Yasuhiro , Miya Akihiro , Miyauchi Akira 
Published: July 2018

Abstract The purpose of the study is to clarify the prevalence of calcifications within thyroid tumors on ultrasonography as well as the relationship between the calcification and histopathological types.
Calcifications were classified into 6 (or 8) types according to their shape, size, and region. The prevalence of calcifications and types were investigated in new outpatients and patients who underwent thyroid surgery.Among 2,902 nodules in 2,678 new outpatients, 747 nodules (26%) had calcifications. The types showed a wide distribution. Among 941 patients with papillary carcinoma (PC), 725 patients (77%) had calcifications, and the types showed a wide distribution. 18 patients with the diffuse sclerosing variant of PC only showed punctate microcalcifications in the parenchyma (100%), 32 patients with the cyst-forming type of PC mostly fragmentary and massive types (100%), and 161 metastatic lymph nodes from PC mostly punctate microcalcifications and fragmentary types (48%). Among 337 patients with follicular carcinoma, 79 patients (23%) had calcifications, and the types were mostly fragmentary, massive, and egg-shell types. Among 41 patients with undifferentiated carcinoma, 33 patients (80%) presented with calcifications, which were mostly the massive and egg-shell types. Among 137 patients with medullary carcinoma, 99 patients (72%) had calcification, and the types showed a wide distribution. None of 173 patients with primary thyroid lymphoma had calcifications (0%).Calcifications on ultrasonography can be one of the characteristic findings and a full understanding of the prevalence of calcifications and types will markedly contribute to the ultrasonic diagnosis of thyroid tumors.
Perception of the Quality of Life of Tobacco Growers Exposed to Pesticides: Emphasis on Health, Hearing, and Working Conditions
Authors: Cazé Ana , Lacerda Adriana , Lüders Débora , Conto Juliana , Marques Jair , Leroux Tony 
Published: July 2018

Introduction Tobacco farming exposes workers to various health risks due to the high application of pesticides needed to control pests, weeds and fungal diseases that prevent the tobacco plant growth.
Objective To analyze the perception of the quality of life of tobacco growers exposed to pesticides, with emphasis on general health, hearing, and working conditions.
Method This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study using a quantitative approach with farmers from southern Brazil. Data were collected from November of 2012 to November of 2014. For data collection, we opted for the 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) questionnaire, and a questionnaire with closed questions about health, hearing and working conditions. We evaluated a total of 78 subjects; the study group, made up of 40 tobacco farmers exposed to pesticides, and a control group of 38 participants without occupational exposure to pesticides. Both groups are residents of the same municipality, and users of the federal public health system.
Results The results showed that tobacco growers had lower quality of life scores compared with the control group. Significant differences were observed in the areas of pain and general health. There were correlations between physical elements and chronic diseases; hearing complaints and a lack of personal protective equipment use, occupation and hearing complaints, as well as general health and hearing complaints.
Conclusion Tobacco farming is a risky activity for general and hearing health, and it can impact the quality of life of those working in this field.
Failure of Immunosuppression in a Severe Haemophilia B Patient with Specific Antibody
Authors: Allain Jean-Pierre , Frommel Dominique 
Published: July 2018

SummaryPrevention of a secondary response to factor IX by cyclophosphamide was attempted in an 11 year old patient with severe Christmas disease. An antibody to factor IX had been present for 4 years before immunosuppressive therapy was tried. Despite profound lymphopenia, synthesis of factor IX antibody was not depressed. The difficulties of modifying the anamnestic response to factor IX by chemical immunosuppression may be as real as has been reported for factor VIII in classical haemophilia.
Prothrombin Determination by Means of a Chromogenic Peptide Substrate
Authors: Axelsson G , Korsan-Bengtsen K , Waldenström J 
Published: July 2018

SummaryA two stage method to determine prothrombin with the chromogenic peptide substrate benzoyl-phe-val-arg-p-nitroanilide has been worked out. Citrated plasma (10 μl) was diluted in 600 μl tris buffer, pH 8.2, ionic strength 0.18 and activated with 250 μl of a commercial rabbit brain-lung thromboplastin. After 325 s incubation at 37° C 200 μl of a 1 mM solution of the chromogenic substrate was added and the increase in absorbance was recorded in a LKB-Beckman 8600 enzyme analyzer. A reading time of 1 minute (including a delay of 20 s) was used which permitted 55 analyses per hour to be carried out. An approximate linear relationship was found between ΔA/min and dilutions of normal plasma in prothrombin deficient plasma. The method is insensitive to variations of factors V, VII and X. Less than 10 % of normal plasma was needed to “normalize” plasmas deficient in factor V or VII or X.A group of 99 dicoumarol treated patients and 23 normal subjects has been investigated using the present method and compared with a factor II-VII-X determination method. A correlation coefficient of 0.95 was found.
Inhibitory Effect of Acetylsalicylic Acid on Human Platelet Function in Normal Volunteers and in Women Using a Combined Oral Contraceptive Regime
Authors: Baele G , Thiery M , Vermeulen A , Barbier F 
Published: July 2018

SummarySix parameters related to the release reaction were measured simultaneously in 10 human volunteers prior to the intake of one single dose of 1 g acetylsalicylic acid and 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7 days later: ΔE5 with diluted collagen, ΔE10 with Thrombofax® and the serotonin-14C release by undiluted and diluted collagen, by Thrombofax and by bovine plasma. The duration of the inhibitory effect varied according to the test used. It was the most prolonged (through the 7th day) if serotonin-14C release by diluted collagen was measured.A systematic investigation of the platelet release reaction in women taking a combined oral contraceptive was also performed. There were no statistically significant differences from a control group. No difference in acetylsalicylic acid sensitivity, measured 24 hours after intake of 1 g of aspirin, could be demonstrated.
Effect of Aspirin on Platelet Phospholipids
Authors: Valles J , Aznar J , Santos M. T 
Published: July 2018

SummaryIt was observed that the acetylsalicylic acid “in vitro” (final concentration 10−4 M) as well as “in vivo” (1 g of aspirin) caused a platelet phospholipids variation which basically consisted of:1. A diminution of the phospholipids/proteins rate of 22%.2. A reduction of sphingomyelin “in vivo” of 27.66% and “in vitro” of 16.82%.3. An increase in phosphatidyl choline “in vivo” of 12.24% and “in vitro” 10.28%.The possible effects that these changes might have on the platelet function are evaluated.