bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Enzyme Immunoassays May Be Inaccurate: Familiar Correlates of Male Testosterone (T) Replicate in Britons when T is Measured by Mass Spectrometry but Do Not Replicate in Americans When T is Measured by Enzyme Immunoassay
Authors: Mazur Allan , Clifton Soazig 
Published: June 2018

ABSTRACTSeveral correlations have been reported between men’s testosterone (T) and other characteristics, e.g., T declines during the day, declines with obesity, and declines with advancing age. We asked if these relationships hold in older men when T is assayed from saliva. Here seven familiar correlations are tested among older American men, their salivary T measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Some correlations can also be tested among older British men, their salivary T assayed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS), a technique noted for its specificity. Most of our attempts at replication failed in the American data but succeeded in the British data. We conclude that failure to replicate in Americans is likely due to inaccuracy of EIA values for T, and that most T correlations hold true in older men when salivary T is accurately measured by LC-MS/MS.
fMRI repetition suppression reveals no sensitivity to trait judgments from faces along the ventral visual stream or in the theory-of-mind network
Authors: Butler Emily E. , Ward Rob , Downing Paul E. , Ramsey Richard 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe human face cues a wealth of social information, but the neural mechanisms that underpin social attributions from faces are not well known. In the current fMRI experiment, we used repetition suppression to test the hypothesis that populations of neurons in face perception and theory-of-mind neural networks would show sensitivity to faces that cue distinct trait judgments. Although faces were accurately discriminated based on associated traits, our results showed no evidence that face or theory-of-mind networks showed repetition suppression for face traits. Thus, we do not provide evidence for population coding models of face perception that include sensitivity to high and low trait features. Due to aspects of the experimental design, which bolstered statistical power and sensitivity, we have reasonable confidence that we could detect effects of a moderate size, should they exist. The null findings reported here, therefore, add value to models of neural organisation in social perception by showing instances where effects are absent or small. To test the generalisability of our findings, future work should test different types of trait judgment and different types of facial stimuli, in order to further probe the neurobiological bases of impression formation based on facial appearance.
Effects of vitamin D on inflammatory and oxidative stress responses of human bronchial epithelial cells exposed to particulate matter
Authors: Pfeffer Paul E , Lu Haw , Mann Elizabeth H , Chen Yin-Huai , Ho Tzer-Ren , Cousins David J , Corrigan Chris , Kelly Frank J , Mudway Ian S , Hawrylowicz Catherine M 
Published: June 2018

AbstractBackgroundParticulate matter (PM) pollutant exposure, which induces oxidative stress and inflammation, and vitamin D insufficiency, which compromises immune regulation, are detrimental in asthma.ObjectivesMechanistic cell culture experiments were undertaken to ascertain whether vitamin D abrogates PM-induced inflammatory responses of human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) through enhancement of antioxidant pathways.MethodsTranscriptome analysis, PCR and ELISA were undertaken to delineate markers of inflammation and oxidative stress; with comparison of expression in primary HBECs from healthy and asthmatic donors cultured with reference urban PM in the presence/absence of vitamin D.ResultsTranscriptome analysis identified over 500 genes significantly perturbed by PM-stimulation, including multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines. Vitamin D altered expression of a subset of these PM-induced genes, including suppressing IL6. Addition of vitamin D suppressed PM-stimulated IL-6 production, although to significantly greater extent in healthy versus asthmatic donor cultures. Vitamin D also differentially affected PM-stimulated GM-CSF, with suppression in healthy HBECs and enhancement in asthmatic cultures. Vitamin D increased HBEC expression of the antioxidant pathway gene G6PD, increased the ratio of reduced to oxidised glutathione, and in PM-stimulated cultures decreased the formation of 8-isoprostane. Pre-treatment with vitamin D decreased CXCL8 and further decreased IL-6 production in PM-stimulated cultures, an effect abrogated by inhibition of G6PD with DHEA, supporting a role for this pathway in the anti-inflammatory actions of vitamin D.ConclusionsIn a study using HBECs from 18 donors, vitamin D enhanced HBEC antioxidant responses and modulated the immune response to PM, suggesting that vitamin D may protect the airways from pathological pollution-induced inflammation.
Beyond Climatic Variation: Human Disturbances Alter the Effectiveness of a Protected Area to Reduce Fires in Tropical Peatlands of Sumatra, Indonesia
Authors: Imron Muhammad Ali , Widyastuti Kirana , Satria Ryan Adi , Prayoga Wiwid , Pradopo Subyantoro Tri , Suryatmojo Hatma , Sopha Bertha Maya , Berger Uta 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe occurrence of fires has frequently been used to highlight environmental hazards at regional and global scale, and as a proxy for the effectiveness of protected areas. In contrast, the mechanism behind wildfire dynamics in tropical peat land protected areas had been poorly addressed thus far. Our study provides a novel application of assessing fire patterns from a tropical peatland protected area and surrounding landscape. We investigated the importance of both climatic factors (top-down mechanism) and human interventions (bottom-up mechanism) on fire occurrences through analyzing 15-year (2001 - 2015) LANDSAT and MODIS images of the Padang Sugihan Wildlife Reserve (PSWR). Fire density along side road and canal construction were analyzed jointly together with the monthly and annual precipitation, and evidences of climatic anomalies. The reserve was effective in limiting fire occurrences from surrounding landscapes only in wet years. We revealed that peat fire patterns in the protected area and the landscape matrix emerged beyond climatic factors, and the distance from canal system could explain the fire occurrences. Our results show that it is essential to address processes at a landscape level, particularly at the surroundings of the reserve, in order to increase the effectiveness of fire protection, including the development of fire-prone classes maps.
Exploring trend and barriers of antenatal care utilization using data mining:evidence from EDHS of 2000 to 2016
Authors: Abegaz Kedir Hussein 
Published: June 2018

AbstractBackgroundThe healthcare industry is paying attention to pregnancy and Antenatal care (ANC) for mothers. Thus, the presented study aimed at exploring the trend and identifying the barrier for ANC utilization of mothers in Ethiopia. Data mining is a field of big data science used to discover patterns and knowledge from big data.MethodsAll EDHS datasets from 2000 to 2016 were used for this study. The pooled cross-sectional study was conducted using the knowledge discovery process having steps; selection, cleaning, integration, transformation, and data mining algorithms. These algorithms are; Classification, clustering, association rules, and attribute ranking with pattern prediction.ResultsThe proportion of ANC utilization was 27.6%, 28.2%, 34.5%, and 62.9% in 2000, 2005, 2011, and 2016 respectively. The pooled data; contained 28,631 mothers which were included in the study. Of these, more than half (56.09%) of them were not utilizing ANC during a pregnancy. Pregnancy complication, educational status of mothers and husbands, mothers’ residence, economic status, and media exposure had an association with ANC utilization having a confidence level of 95% and above.ConclusionANC utilization in Ethiopia was increased significantly from 27.6%in 2000 to 62.9% in 2016. Despite this increment, the pooled proportion of ANC utilization is still low. The barriers to this low utilization were; Pregnancy complication, poor education of mothers and their husbands, living in rural, poor economic status, and media exposure. This study will recommend; firstly, pregnant mothers have to attend ANC service even though she had no pregnancy complication. Secondly, Education and poverty reduction are key strategic area to be addressed in improving women’s awareness towards ANC during a pregnancy. Thirdly, Expansion of infrastructure among the rural communities having good media coverage needs to be prioritized to improve ANC service utilization.
Phylogenetic relationships in the genus Avena based on the nuclear pgk1 gene
Authors: Peng Yuanying , Zhou Pingping , Zhao Jun , Li Junzhuo , Lai Shikui , Tinker Nicholas A. , Liao Shu , Yan Honghai 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe phylogenetic relationships among 76 Avena taxa, representing 14 diploids, eight tetraploids, and four hexaploids were investigated by using the nuclear plastid 3-phosphoglycerate kinase gene(pgk1). A significant deletion (131 bp) was detected in all the C genome homoeologues which reconfirmed a major structural divergence between the A and C genomes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated the Cp genome is more closely related to the polyploid species than is the Cv genome. Two haplotypes of pgk1 gene were obtained from most of the AB genome tetraploids. Both types of the barbata group showed a close relationship with the As genome diploid species, supporting the hypothesis that both the A and B genomes are derived from an As genome. Two haplotypes were also detected in A. agadiriana, which showed close relationships with the As genome diploid and the Ac genome diploid, respectively, emphasizing the important role of the Ac genome in the evolution of A. agadiriana. Three homoeologues of thepgK1 gene were detected in five hexaploid accessions. The homoeologues that might represent the D genome were tightly clustered with the tetraploids A. marrocana and A. murphyi, but did not show a close relationship with any extant diploid species.
Variation and diversification of the microbiome ofSchlechtendalia chinensison two alternate host plants
Authors: Wu Haixia , Chen Xiaoming , Chen Hang , Lu Qin , Yang Zixiang , Ren Weibin , Liu Juan , Shao Shuxia , Wang Chao , King-Jones Kirst , Chen Ming-Shun 
Published: June 2018

AbstractSchlechtendalia chinensis, a gall-inducing aphid, has two host plants in its life cycle. Its wintering host is a moss (typicallyPlagiomnium maximoviczii) and its main host isRhus chinensis(Sumac), on which it forms galls during the summer․. This study investigated bacteria associated withS. chinensisliving on the two different host plants by sequencing 16S rRNAs. A total of 183 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) from 50 genera were identified from aphids living on moss, whereas 182 OTUs from 49 genera were found from aphids living in Sumac galls. The most abundant bacterial genus among identified OTUs from aphids feeding on both hosts wasBuchnera. Despite similar numbers of OTUs, the composition of bacterial taxa showed significant differences between aphids living on moss and those living onR. chinensis. Specifically, there were 12 OTUs from 5 genera (family) unique to aphids living on moss, and 11 OTUs from 4 genera (family) unique to aphids feeding in galls onR. Chinensis. Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) also revealed that bacteria from moss-residing aphids clustered differently from aphids collected from galls. Our results provid a foundation for future analyses on the roles of symbiotic bacteria in plant - aphid interactions in general, and how gall-specific symbionts differ in this respect.
Dissecting PCNA function with a systematically designed mutation library in yeast
Authors: Jiang Qingwen , Zhang Weimin , Liu Chenghao , Lin Yicong , Wu Qingyu , Dai Junbiao 
Published: June 2018

AbstractProliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), encoded byPOL30inSaccharomyces cerevisiae, is a key component of DNA metabolism. Here a library consisting of 308 PCNA mutants was designed and synthesized to probe the contribution of each residue to its biological function. Five regions were identified with elevated sensitivity to DNA damaging reagents using high-throughput phenotype screening. Using a series of genetic and biochemical analyses, we demonstrated that one particular mutant, K168A, which displayed severe DNA damage sensitivity, abolished the DNA damage tolerance (DDT) pathway by disrupting interactions between PCNA and Rad5p. Subsequent domain analysis showed that the PCNA/Rad5p interaction is prerequisite for the function of Rad5p in DDT. Our study not only provides a resource in the form of a library of versatile mutants to study PCNA functions, but also reveals a key regulatory function of Rad5p, which highlights the importance of the PCNA-Rad5p interaction.Author summaryPCNA is regarded as the maestro of DNA replication fork because of the astonishing ability to interact with lots of partner proteins that participate in various DNA metabolism processes. However, it has remained elusive as to how does PCNA orchestrate these functions in harmony. Here, we constructed a systematic mutation library of PCNA, which covers every amino acid to map the functional sites of it. This carefully designed synthetic mutant pool could be generally useful and serve as a flexible resource, such as dissecting the functional mechanism of PCNA by genetic relationship analysis with key proteins through Synthetic genetic array. We further dissected the intrinsic mechanism for damage sensitivity of PCNAK168A, the most severe DNA damage sensitive mutant in our alanine scanning mutation library, this helps us to get better understanding of how PCNA participates in DNA damage tolerance (DDT) pathways. Our findings indicate that K168 site is vital for the interaction between DDT related partner proteins and PCNA, and also highlight the importance of the PCNA-Rad5p interaction.
Structural basis for cholesterol transport-like activity of the Hedgehog receptor Patched
Authors: Zhang Yunxiao , Bulkley David P. , Roberts Kelsey J. , Xin Yao , Asarnow Daniel E. , Sharma Ashutosh , Myers Benjamin R. , Cho Wonhwa , Cheng Yifan , Beachy Philip A. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractHedgehog protein signals mediate tissue patterning and maintenance via binding to and inactivation of their common receptor Patched, a twelve-transmembrane protein that otherwise would suppress activity of the seven-transmembrane protein, Smoothened. Loss of Patched function, the most common cause of basal cell carcinoma, permits unregulated activation of Smoothened and of the Hedgehog pathway. A cryo-EM structure of the Patched protein reveals striking transmembrane domain similarities to prokaryotic RND transporters. The extracellular domain mediates association of Patched monomers in an unusual dimeric architecture that implies curvature in the associated membrane. A central conduit with cholesterol-like contents courses through the extracellular domain and resembles that used by other RND proteins to transport substrates, suggesting Patched activity in cholesterol transport. Patched expression indeed reduces cholesterol activity in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane, in a manner antagonized by Hedgehog stimulation and with implications for regulation of Smoothened.
Separable, Ctf4-mediated recruitment of DNA Polymerase α for initiation of DNA synthesis at replication origins and lagging-strand priming during replication elongation
Authors: Porcella Sarina Y. , Koussa Natasha C. , Tang Colin P. , Kramer Daphne N. , Srivastava Priyanka , Smith Duncan J. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractDuring eukaryotic DNA replication, DNA polymerase alpha/primase (Pol α) initiates synthesis on both the leading and lagging strands. It is unknown whether leading- and lagging-strand priming are mechanistically identical, and whether Pol α associates processively or distributively with the replisome. Here, we titrate cellular levels of Pol α inS. cerevisiaeand analyze Okazaki fragments to study both replication initiation and ongoing lagging-strand synthesisin vivo. We observe that both Okazaki fragment initiation and the productive firing of replication origins are sensitive to Pol α abundance, and that both processes are disrupted at similar Pol α concentrations. When the replisome adaptor protein Ctf4 is absent or cannot interact with Pol α, lagging-strand initiation is impaired at Pol α concentrations that still support normal origin firing. Additionally, we observe that activation of the checkpoint becomes essential for viability upon severe depletion of Pol α. Using strains in which the Pol α-Ctf4 interaction is disrupted, we demonstrate that this checkpoint requirement is not solely caused by reduced lagging-strand priming. Our results suggest that Pol α recruitment for replication initiation and ongoing lagging-strand priming are distinctly sensitive to the presence of Ctf4. We propose that the global changes we observe in Okazaki fragment length and origin firing efficiency are consistent with distributive association of Pol α at the replication fork, at least when Pol α is limiting.Author summaryHalf of each eukaryotic genome is replicated continuously as the leading strand, while the other half is synthesized discontinuously as Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand. The bulk of DNA replication is completed by DNA polymerases ε and δ on the leading and lagging strand respectively, while synthesis on each strand is initiated by DNA polymerase α-primase (Pol α). Using the model eukaryoteS. cerevisiae, we modulate cellular levels of Pol α and interrogate the impact of this perturbation on both replication initiation on DNA synthesis and cellular viability. We observe that Pol α can associate dynamically at the replication fork for initiation on both strands. Although the initiation of both strands is widely thought to be mechanistically similar, we determine that Ctf4, a hub that connects proteins to the replication fork, stimulates lagging-strand priming to a greater extent than leading-strand initiation. We also find that decreased leading-strand initiation results in a checkpoint response that is necessary for viability when Pol α is limiting. Because the DNA replication machinery is highly conserved from budding yeast to humans, this research provides insights into how DNA replication is accomplished throughout eukaryotes.
Elucidating the active interaction mechanism of phytochemicals withanolide and withanoside derivatives with human serum albumin
Authors: Dubey Shreya , Kallubai Monika , Sarkar Arijit , Subramanyam Rajagopal 
Published: June 2018

AbstractWithania somnifera (Ashwagandha) is an efficient plant known in Ayurveda and Chinese medicine since ancient times, whose extracts are consumed orally as food supplement or as a health tonic owing to its several restorative properties for various CNS disorders, inflammation, tumour, stress and rheumatism. In this study, we have analyzed the binding interaction of four derivatives of Withania somnifera (Withanolide A, Withanolide B, Withanoside IV and Withanoside V) with HSA because of their important pharmacological properties. To unravel the binding between derivatives of Withania somnifera and HSA, fluorescence spectroscopy was used. Binding studies were further studied by molecular docking and dynamics studies and results confirmed greater stability upon binding of derivatives with HSA. Circular dichroism data illustrated change in the secondary structure of protein upon interaction with these derivatives, particularly the helical structure was increased and β-sheets and random coils were decreased. Furthermore, morphological and topological changes were observed using AFM and TEM upon binding of ligands with HSA indicating that HSA-withnoside/withanolide complexes were formed. All the results cumulatively demonstrate strong binding of withanosides and withanolides derivatives with serum albumin, which should further be explored to study the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of these derivatives.
Integrated rural development from a historical and global perspective
Authors: Jacob W. James 
Published: June 2018

Purpose
With roots dating back to the early twentieth century, integrated rural development (IRD) is a term that became commonplace in international development circles in the 1960s and afterwards. Based largely on a dual concept of helping to meet basic needs and improve the overall quality of life of poor people from rural and remote regions within national contexts, IRD initiatives have undergone a series of shifts in emphases, approaches and funding schemes. The purpose of this paper is to document the historical background and development of IRD initiatives over time.

Design/methodology/approach
The research design for this study included a series of mixed data collection methods, including case study examples of best practices, interviews and a thorough review of the formal literature, as well as an in-depth examination of alternative and multi-media literature (e.g. project reports, policy reports, government reports, working papers, newspaper articles, internet publications, etc.).

Findings
The findings of this paper are divided into the following sections. First, key terms of IRD are defined. Next, the background and overview of IRD is introduced including addressing how IRD is viewed as an approach to development, its historical evolution over time, some major IRD initiatives and the major development organizations engaged in promoting IRD. Third, an examination of several IRD models is introduced based on recommended methodologies, noting the sequencing of interventions important to successful IRD initiatives, select examples of IRD initiatives built on public-private partnerships, and the positive and negative outcomes and impacts from select IRD approaches.

Originality/value
The final section focuses on conclusions and seven key recommendations (or ingredients) outlined by the author as essential for implementing successful IRD initiatives: first, create an enabling environment that is conducive and supportive of IRD; second, establish a National Policy Framework for Integrated Development, which includes IRD; third, establish supportive policies and a legal framework that is based on the National Policy Framework; fourth, include two or more sectoral approaches in the initiative (e.g. agriculture, education, health, employment, infrastructure and industry, environment, etc.); fifth, garner participation and commitment from all stakeholders during each of the planning, implementation and evaluation stages; sixth, secure initial seed capital and funding and afterwards sustained funding streams; and seventh, conduct continual monitoring and evaluation throughout the lifespan of the entire initiative with specific adherence to the four key principles of good governance: coordination, information flow, transparency and accountability.