bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Iws1 and Spt6 Regulate Trimethylation of Histone H3 on Lysine 36 through Akt Signaling and are Essential for Mouse Embryonic Genome Activation
Authors: Oqani Reza K. , Lin Tao , Lee Jae Eun , Kang Jeong Won , Shin Hyun Young , Il Jin Dong 
Published: March 2019

AbstractThe mRNA processing and export factor, Iws1, interacts with the histone H3/H4 chaperone, Spt6 (Supt6 in mouse gene ontology) and recruits the lysine methyltransferase, Setd2, to chromatin to regulate H3K36me3. This recruitment is known to be crucial for pre-mRNA splicing and Iws1 has been shown to interact with REF1/Aly to mediate mRNA export. However, the role of this complex has not yet been examined in embryonic development. Here, we show that knockdown of either Iws1 or Supt6 blocked embryo development, primarily at the 8/16-cell stage, indicating that Iws1 and Supt6 are crucial for mouse preimplantation development. In the knockdown embryos, we observed decreases in pre-mRNA splicing, mRNA export and the expression of the lineage-specific transcription factor, Nanog. We found that either Iws1 or Supt6 are required for H3K36 trimethylation and that concurrent knockdown of both Iws1 and Supt6 blocks embryonic development at the 2-cell stage. We show that H3K36me3 is modulated by the Pi3k/Akt pathway, as inhibition of this pathway reduced the global level of H3K36me3 while activation of the pathway increased the level of this modification in 2-cell embryos. We observed that Iws1 interacts with nuclear Akt in early embryos, and herein propose that Akt modulates H3K36me3 through interaction with Iws1. Together, our results indicate that the Iws1 and Supt6 play crucial roles in embryonic genome activation, lineage specification, and histone modification during mouse early development.
Interactive effects of drought and heat stresses on morpho-physiological attributes, yield, nutrient uptake and oxidative status in maize hybrids
Authors: Hussain Hafiz Athar , Men Shengnan , Hussain Saddam , Chen Yinglong , Ali Shafaqat , Zhang Sai , Zhang Kangping , Li Yan , Xu Qiwen , Liao Changqing , Wang Longchang 
Published: March 2019

AbstractMaize is a sensitive crop to drought and heat stresses, particularly at the reproductive stages of development. The present study investigated the individual and interactive effects of drought (50% field capacity) and heat (38 °C/30 °C) stresses on morpho-physiological growth, yield, nutrient uptake and oxidative metabolism in two maize hybrids i.e., ‘Xida 889’ and ‘Xida 319’. The stress treatments were applied at tasseling stage for 15 days. Drought, heat and drought + heat stress caused oxidative stress by the over-production of ROS (O2−, H2O2, OH−) and enhanced malondialdehyde contents, which led to reduced photosynthetic components, nutrients uptake and yield attributes. The concurrent occurrence of drought and heat was more severe for maize growth than the single stress. However, both stresses induced the metabolites accumulation and enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants to prevent the oxidative damage. The performance of Xida 899 was more prominent than the Xida 319. The greater tolerance of Xida 889 to heat and drought stresses was attributed to strong antioxidant defense system, higher osmolyte accumulation, and maintenance of photosynthetic pigments and nutrient balance compared with Xida 319.
Accumulation of magnetite by flotation on bubbles during decompression of silicate magma
Authors: Knipping Jaayke L. , Webster James D. , Simon Adam C. , Holtz François 
Published: March 2019

AbstractMagnetite (Fe3O4) is an iron ore mineral that is globally mined especially for steel production. It is denser (5.15 g/cm3) than Earth’s crust (~2.7 g/cm3) and is expected to accumulate at the bottom of melt-rich magma reservoirs. However, recent studies revealed heterogeneous fluid bubble nucleation on oxide minerals such as magnetite during fluid degassing in volcanic systems. To test if the attachment on fluid bubbles is strong enough to efficiently float magnetite in silicate magma, decompression experiments were conducted at geologically relevant magmatic conditions with subsequent annealing to simulate re-equilibration after decompression. The results demonstrate that magnetite-bubble pairs do ascend in silicate melt, accumulating in an upper layer that grows during re-equilibration. This outcome contradicts the paradigm that magnetite must settle gravitationally in silicate melt.
Emergence of new antigenic epitopes in the glycoproteins of human respiratory syncytial virus collected from a US surveillance study, 2015–17
Authors: Bin Lu  , Liu Hui , Tabor David E. , Tovchigrechko Andrey , Qi Yanping , Ruzin Alexey , Esser Mark T. , Jin Hong 
Published: March 2019

AbstractRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a significant cause of lower respiratory tract infection in infants and elderly. To understand the evolution of neutralizing epitopes on the RSV glycoprotein (G) and fusion (F) proteins, we conducted a multi-year surveillance program (OUTSMART-RSV) in the US. Analysis of 1,146 RSV samples from 2015–2017 revealed a slight shift in prevalence from RSV A (58.7%) to B (53.7%) between the two seasons. RSV B was more prevalent in elderly (52.9% and 73.4%). Approximately 1% of the samples contained both RSV A and B viruses. All RSV A isolates were ON1 and almost all the B isolates were BA9 genotypes. Compared with the 2013 reference sequences, changes at the F antigenic sites of RSV B were greater than RSV A, which mainly occurred at antigenic sites V (L172Q/S173L at 99.6%), Ø (I206M/Q209K at 18.6%) and IV (E463D at 7%) of RSV B F. Sequence diversities in the G protein second hypervariable region were observed in the duplicated regions for RSV A and B, and at the G stop codon resulting in extension of 7 amino acids (22.1%) for RSV B in 2016–17. Thus, RSV surface glycoproteins are continuously evolving, and continued surveillance is important for the clinical evaluation of immunoprophylactic products.
Record-low coastal sea levels in the Northeast Pacific during the winter of 2013–2014
Authors: Wang Yaqi , Liu Hailong , Lin Pengfei , Yin Jianjun 
Published: March 2019

AbstractDuring the winter of 2013–2014, the averaged tide gauge (TG) coastal sea level (CSL) anomaly north of 40°N was a record low of −107 mm for the period of 1948–2016. Statistical analysis indicates that this large drop was a once-in-a-century event and closely related to an unusual ocean warming event known as “The Blob”. The Blob developed in the NE Pacific during the winter of 2013–2014. Both the Blob and record-low CSL can be attributed to wind changes associated with an unusually high sea level pressure (SLP) pattern over the NE Pacific. The anomalous local longshore winds induced by the positive SLP anomalies caused strong offshore Ekman transport along the coast of NE Pacific, thereby leading to the record-low CSL. In addition, the steric sea level changes also contributed a significant part (17%) to the record-low CSL. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), as the primary variability mode in the NE Pacific on decadal time scales, did not contribute to the emergence of this extreme CSL event.
The genetic legacy of continental scale admixture in Indian Austroasiatic speakers
Authors: Tätte Kai , Pagani Luca , Pathak Ajai K. , Kõks Sulev , Ho Duy Binh , Ho Xuan Dung , Sultana Gazi Nurun Nahar , Sharif Mohd Istiaq , Asaduzzaman Md , Behar Doron M. , Hadid Yarin , Villems Richard , Chaubey Gyaneshwer , Kivisild Toomas , Metspalu Mait 
Published: March 2019

AbstractSurrounded by speakers of Indo-European, Dravidian and Tibeto-Burman languages, around 11 million Munda (a branch of Austroasiatic language family) speakers live in the densely populated and genetically diverse South Asia. Their genetic makeup holds components characteristic of South Asians as well as Southeast Asians. The admixture time between these components has been previously estimated on the basis of archaeology, linguistics and uniparental markers. Using genome-wide genotype data of 102 Munda speakers and contextual data from South and Southeast Asia, we retrieved admixture dates between 2000–3800 years ago for different populations of Munda. The best modern proxies for the source populations for the admixture with proportions 0.29/0.71 are Lao people from Laos and Dravidian speakers from Kerala in India. The South Asian population(s), with whom the incoming Southeast Asians intermixed, had a smaller proportion of West Eurasian genetic component than contemporary proxies. Somewhat surprisingly Malaysian Peninsular tribes rather than the geographically closer Austroasiatic languages speakers like Vietnamese and Cambodians show highest sharing of IBD segments with the Munda. In addition, we affirmed that the grouping of the Munda speakers into North and South Munda based on linguistics is in concordance with genome-wide data.
Epidemiologic features of enterovirus associated with hand, foot and mouth disease in 2013 and 2014 in Shenzhen, China
Authors: Xiao Kelin , Duan Lian , Peng Yun , Wu Maocai , Mai Guangxing , Yan Zehao , Chen Shuiwen , Lu Yihan 
Published: March 2019

AbstractHand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is responsible for a heavy economic and social burden in the Asia-Pacific region. Previous studies have shown that coxsackievirus A6 (CVA6) and coxsackievirus A10 (CVA10) have become the predominant agents of HFMD in mainland China in recent years, replacing enterovirus 71 (EV71) and coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16), although it is unclear if this is consistent throughout China. In this study, samples from 253 HFMD cases were collected in Shenzhen, China, from May 2013 through April 2014 to identify the etiological agent of HFMD. In total, 64.8% (164/253) of HFMD cases were enterovirus positive, in which 81.1% (133/164) were determined to be CVA6. The phylogenetic tree of the partial viral protein 1 sequence showed that the CVA6 isolates were divided into four clusters (Clusters A to D), and cluster D was further divided into four sub-clusters (Clusters D1 to D4). The 133 CVA6 samples isolated in our study were classified into cluster D4, in which the first identified sequence was isolated in Shenzhen in 2008. This study demonstrated that the CVA6 cluster D4, which is predominantly circulating in HFMD in mainland China, may have originated from a local strain identified in 2008 in Shenzhen.
Reactive centre loop dynamics and serpin specificity
Authors: Marijanovic Emilia M. , Fodor James , Riley Blake T. , Porebski Benjamin T. , Costa Mauricio G. S. , Kass Itamar , Hoke David E. , McGowan Sheena , Buckle Ashley M. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractSerine proteinase inhibitors (serpins), typically fold to a metastable native state and undergo a major conformational change in order to inhibit target proteases. However, conformational lability of the native serpin fold renders them susceptible to misfolding and aggregation, and underlies misfolding diseases such as α1-antitrypsin deficiency. Serpin specificity towards its protease target is dictated by its flexible and solvent exposed reactive centre loop (RCL), which forms the initial interaction with the target protease during inhibition. Previous studies have attempted to alter the specificity by mutating the RCL to that of a target serpin, but the rules governing specificity are not understood well enough yet to enable specificity to be engineered at will. In this paper, we use conserpin, a synthetic, thermostable serpin, as a model protein with which to investigate the determinants of serpin specificity by engineering its RCL. Replacing the RCL sequence with that from α1-antitrypsin fails to restore specificity against trypsin or human neutrophil elastase. Structural determination of the RCL-engineered conserpin and molecular dynamics simulations indicate that, although the RCL sequence may partially dictate specificity, local electrostatics and RCL dynamics may dictate the rate of insertion during protease inhibition, and thus whether it behaves as an inhibitor or a substrate. Engineering serpin specificity is therefore substantially more complex than solely manipulating the RCL sequence, and will require a more thorough understanding of how conformational dynamics achieves the delicate balance between stability, folding and function required by the exquisite serpin mechanism of action.
IP-10 dried blood spots assay monitoring treatment efficacy in extrapulmonary tuberculosis in a low-resource setting
Authors: Hoel Ida Marie , Jørstad Melissa Davidsen , Marijani Msafiri , Ruhwald Morten , Mustafa Tehmina , Dyrhol-Riise Anne Ma 
Published: March 2019

AbstractTreatment efficacy is difficult to evaluate in extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) patients. Interferon-γ inducible protein (IP-)10 has been suggested as a biomarker for response to treatment. We have investigated if IP-10 from dried plasma spots (DPS) or dried blood spots (DBS) can be used in treatment monitoring of EPTB patients in a low-resource setting of Zanzibar. IP-10 levels in plasma, DPS and DBS samples collected before, during (2 months) and after TB treatment of 36 EPTB patients (6 culture and/or Xpert MTB/RIF positive and 30 clinically diagnosed) and 8 pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients, were quantified by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. There was a high positive correlation between IP-10 measured in plasma and DPS and DBS, respectively. We found a significant decline in IP-10 levels from baseline to end of treatment in plasma, DPS and DBS, both in EPTB and PTB patients. The declines were observed already after 2 months in HIV negative patients. In conclusion, the DPS/DBS IP-10 assay allows for easy and manageable monitoring in low-resource settings and our findings suggest that IP-10 may serve as a biomarker for treatment efficacy in EPTB patients, albeit further studies in cohorts of patients with treatment failure and relapse are needed.
Egg-laying decisions based on olfactory cues enhance offspring fitness in Stomoxys calcitrans L. (Diptera: Muscidae)
Authors: Baleba Steve B. S. , Torto Baldwyn , Masiga Daniel , Weldon Christopher W. , Getahun Merid N. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractSelection of oviposition substrate is critical in holometabolous insects. Female stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans, locate and select vertebrate herbivore dung in which they lay their eggs. However, the preference for vertebrate herbivore dung by S. calcitrans females, its fitness consequences for offspring, and the semiochemicals used to locate and select oviposition substrates remain unclear. Using oviposition choice tests and life table bioassays we found that gravid female S. calcitrans prefer to oviposit on donkey and sheep dung, which also improves the performance of their offspring. GC-MS analysis followed by random forest classification identified β-citronellene and carvone as the most important predictive volatile organic compounds of donkey and sheep dung, respectively. In multiple choice oviposition bioassays, S. calcitrans laid more eggs in wet sand containing β-citronellene and carvone than in other treatments. The attractiveness of these compounds was confirmed in a field trial, with traps baited with β-citronellene and carvone catching more S. calcitrans. We conclude that gravid female S. calcitrans use semiochemical cues to choose oviposition substrates that maximise offspring fitness.
Acute effects of active breaks during prolonged sitting on subcutaneous adipose tissue gene expression: an ancillary analysis of a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Grace Megan S. , Formosa Melissa F. , Bozaoglu Kiymet , Bergouignan Audrey , Brozynska Marta , Carey Andrew L. , Veiga Camilla Bertuzzo , Sethi Parneet , Dillon Francis , Bertovic David A. , Inouye Michael , Owen Neville , Dunstan David W. , Kingwell Bronwyn A. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractActive breaks in prolonged sitting has beneficial impacts on cardiometabolic risk biomarkers. The molecular mechanisms include regulation of skeletal muscle gene and protein expression controlling metabolic, inflammatory and cell development pathways. An active communication network exists between adipose and muscle tissue, but the effect of active breaks in prolonged sitting on adipose tissue have not been investigated. This study characterized the acute transcriptional events induced in adipose tissue by regular active breaks during prolonged sitting. We studied 8 overweight/obese adults participating in an acute randomized three-intervention crossover trial. Interventions were performed in the postprandial state and included: (i) prolonged uninterrupted sitting; or prolonged sitting interrupted with 2-minute bouts of (ii) light- or (iii) moderate-intensity treadmill walking every 20 minutes. Subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies were obtained after each condition. Microarrays identified 36 differentially expressed genes between the three conditions (fold change ≥0.5 in either direction; p < 0.05). Pathway analysis indicated that breaking up of prolonged sitting led to differential regulation of adipose tissue metabolic networks and inflammatory pathways, increased insulin signaling, modulation of adipocyte cell cycle, and facilitated cross-talk between adipose tissue and other organs. This study provides preliminary insight into the adipose tissue regulatory systems that may contribute to the physiological effects of interrupting prolonged sitting.
The mechanics of abalone crawling on sharp objects without injury
Authors: Zhang Yun , Li Shanpeng , Zuo Pingcheng , Ji Jiaxin , Liu Jianlin 
Published: March 2019

AbstractDespite the soft appearance of their feet, abalones can crawl quickly on sharp objects. Tests using rough substrates aligned with blades or posts found that the animal has two adaptations to guarantee its safety on these surfaces. Mechanical compression tests showed that the abalone foot muscle is inherently robust and can resist penetration by sharp objects. A finite element simulation indicated that to avoid being pierced, abalone controls the shape of its foot to wrap it around sharp objects, thereby greatly reducing the stress concentration. These analyses may aid the engineering of new materials and devices for fields including soft robotics and aircraft.
Phagosomal and mitochondrial alterations in RPE may contribute to KCNJ13 retinopathy
Authors: Toms Maria , Burgoyne Thomas , Tracey-White Dhani , Richardson Rose , Dubis Adam M. , Webster Andrew R. , Futter Clare , Moosajee Mariya 
Published: March 2019

AbstractMutations in KCNJ13 are associated with two retinal disorders; Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) and snowflake vitreoretinal degeneration (SVD). We examined the retina of kcnj13 mutant zebrafish (obelixtd15, c.502T > C p.[Phe168Leu]) to provide new insights into the pathophysiology underlying these conditions. Detailed phenotyping of obelixtd15 fish revealed a late onset retinal degeneration at 12 months. Electron microscopy of the obelixtd15 retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) uncovered reduced phagosome clearance and increased mitochondrial number and size prior any signs of retinal degeneration. Melanosome distribution was also affected in dark-adapted 12-month obelixtd15 fish. At 6 and 12 months, ATP levels were found to be reduced along with increased expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein and heat shock protein 60. Quantitative RT-PCR of polg2, fis1, opa1, sod1/2 and bcl2a from isolated retina showed expression changes consistent with altered mitochondrial activity and retinal stress. We propose that the retinal disease in this model is primarily a failure of phagosome physiology with a secondary mitochondrial dysfunction. Our findings suggest that alterations in the RPE and photoreceptor cellular organelles may contribute to KCNJ13-related retinal degeneration and provide a therapeutic target.
Loading of AgNPs onto the surface of boron nitride nanosheets for determination of scopoletin in Atractylodes macrocephala
Authors: Yue Yinzi , Zeng Li , Wang Xiaopeng , Su Lianlin , Sun Mingming , Wu Bensheng , Yan Shuai 
Published: March 2019

AbstractIn this work, silver nanoparticles prepared by a molten salt method were deposited onto the surface of hexagonal boron nitride nanosheet (NS/AgNP) to from a composite. The synthesized nanocomposite was applied for surface modification of screen-printed electrode (SPE). The modified electrode showed a superior performance for electrochemical detection of scopoletin. The electrochemical behaviour of NS/AgNP/SPE was studied in detail. An electrocatalytic oxidation was observed and used for analytical determination of scopoletin concentration. The response of the proposed electrochemical sensing platform was linear over a wide detection range of 2 μM to 0.45 mM with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.89 μM. The NS/AgNP/SPE also showed excellent reproducibility and anti-interference property. In addition, the proposed scopoletin sensor was successfully used for the determination of scopoletin in Atractylodes macrocephala herb samples.
Intrauterine administration of peripheral mononuclear cells in recurrent implantation failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Yakin Kayhan , Oktem Ozgur , Urman Bulent 
Published: March 2019

AbstractIt has been proposed that intrauterine administration of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) modulates maternal immune response through a cascade of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors to favor implantation. We conducted a meta-analysis to verify the effect of intrauterine PBMC administration on the outcome of embryo transfer in women with recurrent implantation failure (RIF). All relevant trials published in PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane library databases were searched. Two randomized controlled trials and three cohort studies (1173 patients in total) matched the inclusion criteria. No differences in live birth rates were seen between the PBMC-treated patients and controls (OR: 1.65, 95% CI: 0.84–3.25; p = 0.14; I2: 66.3%). The clinical pregnancy rate was significantly higher in women who received intrauterine PBMCs before embryo transfer compared with those who did not (OR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.30–2.10; p = 0.001, heterogeneity; I2: 60.6%). Subgroup analyses revealed a significant increase in clinical pregnancy rates with the administration of PBMCs in women with ≥3 previous failures compared with controls (OR: 2.69, 95% CI: 1.53–4.72; p = 0.001, I2: 38.3%). In summary, the data did not demonstrate an association between the administration of PBMCs into the uterine cavity before fresh or frozen-thawed embryo transfer and live birth rates in women with RIF. Whether intrauterine PBMC administration significantly changes live birth and miscarriage rates requires further investigation.