bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of δ‐aminolevulinic acid dehydratase silencing on the primary and secondary metabolisms of citrus
Authors: Killiny Nabil , Hijaz Faraj , Nehela Yasser , Hajeri Subhas , Gowda Siddarame 
Published: July 2018

Abstractδ‐aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) is an important enzyme in tetrapyrrole synthesis. ALAD combines two δ‐aminolevulinic acid (δ‐ALA) molecules to form the pyrrole molecule, porphobilinogen, an important precursor for plant pigments involved in photosynthesis, respiration, and nutrient uptake. In this study, we investigated the effects of silencing of ALAD gene on citrus leaf pigments and metabolites. The ALAD enzyme was inhibited using virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS) technology using citrus tristeza virus (CTV). δ‐ALA accumulated in citrus plants inoculated with the recombinant virus (CTV‐tALAD) to silence ALAD and resulted in discrete yellow spots (yellow islands) and necrosis in leaves and stems. The levels of chlorophylls, starch, sucrose, trans‐ and cis‐violaxanthin, and α‐ and β‐cryptoxanthin were reduced in CTV‐tALAD plants, whereas zeaxanthin was increased. The increase in zeaxanthin and the decrease in its precursors indicated that the reduction in chlorophylls resulted in light damage. Salicylic acid and jasmonic acid levels, as well as emission of (E)‐α‐bergamotene and (E)‐β‐farnesene, increased in CTV‐tALAD plants indicating these plants were under stress. Our results showed that silencing of ALAD induces stress in plants and that VIGS using mild CTV strains is a promising technique to study biological function of citrus genes.
Parameters of Aluminum Nanopowders Activity after Long‐Term Storage in an Airtight Container
Authors: Ilyin Alexander , Tikhonov Dmitriy , Mostovshchikov Andrei 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThe work has established the change in the activity parameters of aluminum nanopowders produced by electric explosion of a wire during their storage in an airtight container. The change in the characteristics of the nanopowders using four activity parameters was measured by benchmarking their activity after the production, passivation and keeping for 10–20 days and after their storage for 16 years. It was also established that after long‐term storage, the temperature of oxidation initiation for the nanopowders in air has increased; the increment of mass during oxidation at up to 800 °C for all specimens has increased, while the content of metallic aluminum has decreased. The electrical double layer on the surface of aluminum nanoparticles during storing even in an airtight container changes with time and does not provide the protective function. In this connection, the future application of aluminum nanopowders in high‐energy materials is not feasible without solving the problem of their stability. According to the results, electric‐explosion aluminum nanopowder is an unstable aluminum‐air system even in an airtight container.
Inhibition of androgen receptor transactivation function by adenovirus type 12 E1A undermines prostate cancer cell survival
Authors: Li Dawei , Tian Guimei , Wang Jia , Zhao Lisa Y. , Co Olivia , Underill Zoe C. , Mymryk Joe S. , Claessens Frank , Dehm Scott M. , Daaka Yehia , Liao Daiqing 
Published: July 2018

BackgroundMutations or truncation of the ligand‐binding domain (LBD) of androgen receptor (AR) underlie treatment resistance for prostate cancer (PCa). Thus, targeting the AR N‐terminal domain (NTD) could overcome such resistance.MethodsLuciferase reporter assays after transient transfection of various DNA constructs were used to assess effects of E1A proteins on AR‐mediated transcription. Immunofluorescence microscopy and subcellular fractionation were applied to assess intracellular protein localization. Immunoprecipitation and mammalian two‐hybrid assays were used to detect protein‐protein interactions. qRT‐PCR was employed to determine RNA levels. Western blotting was used to detect protein expression in cells. Effects of adenoviruses on prostate cancer cell survival were evaluated with CellTiter‐Glo assays.ResultsAdenovirus 12 E1A (E1A12) binds specifically to the AR. Interestingly, the full‐length E1A12 (266 aa) preferentially binds to full‐length AR, while the small E1A12 variant (235 aa) interacts more strongly with AR‐V7. E1A12 promotes AR nuclear translocation, likely through mediating intramolecular AR NTD‐LBD interactions. In the nucleus, AR and E1A12 co‐expression in AR‐null PCa cells results in E1A12 redistribution from nuclear foci containing CBX4 (also known as Pc2), suggesting a preferential AR‐E1A12 interaction over other E1A12 interactors. E1A12 represses AR‐mediated transcription in reporter gene assays and endogenous AR target genes such as ATAD2 and MYC in AR‐expressing PCa cells. AR‐expressing PCa cells are more sensitive to death induced by a recombinant adenovirus expressing E1A12 (Ad‐E1A12) than AR‐deficient PCa cells, which could be attributed to the increased viral replication promoted by androgen stimulation. Targeting the AR by E1A12 promotes apoptosis in PCa cells that express the full‐length AR or C‐terminally truncated AR variants. Importantly, inhibition of mTOR signaling that blocks the expression of anti‐apoptotic proteins markedly augments Ad‐E1A12‐induced apoptosis of AR‐expressing cells. Mechanistically, Ad‐E1A12 infection triggers apoptotic response while activating the PI3K‐AKT‐mTOR signaling axis; thus, mTOR inhibition enhances apoptosis in AR‐expressing PCa cells infected by Ad‐E1A12.ConclusionAd12 E1A inhibits AR‐mediated transcription and suppresses PCa cell survival, suggesting that targeting the AR by E1A12 might have therapeutic potential for treating advanced PCa with heightened AR signaling.
Regulation of ELL2 stability and polyubiquitination by EAF2 in prostate cancer cells
Authors: Yang Tiejun , Jing Yifeng , Dong Jun , Yu Xinpei , Zhong Mingming , Pascal Laura E. , Wang Dan , Zhang Zhongxian , Qiao Baoping , Wang Zhou 
Published: July 2018

BackgroundElongation factor for RNA polymerase 2 (ELL2) and ELL associated factor 2 (EAF2) have been reported to have tumor suppressive properties in prostate epithelial cells.AimsWe investigated ELL2 expression in human prostate cancer specimens, and ELL2 protein stability and ubiquitination in prostate cancer cells.Materials and MethodsImmunostaining analysis of human prostate cancer specimens was used to determine ELL2 expression in tumor and normal tissues. ELL2 knockdown in prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP and C4‐2 was used to compare proliferation and motility. Deletion and site‐directed mutagenesis was used to identify amino acid residues in ELL2 that were important for degradation.ResultsELL2 protein was downregulated in prostate cancer specimens and was up‐regulated by androgens in prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP and C4‐2. ELL2 knockdown enhanced prostate cancer cell proliferation and motility. ELL2 protein has a short half‐life and was stabilized by proteasome inhibitor MG132. Amino acid residues K584 and K599 in ELL2 were important for ELL2 degradation. EAF2 could stabilize ELL2 and inhibited its polyubiquitination.ConclusionOur findings provide further evidence that ELL2 is a potential tumor suppressor frequently down‐regulated in clinical prostate cancer specimens and provides new insights into regulation of ELL2 protein level by polyubiquitination and EAF2 binding.
A Bishydrated, Eight–Coordinate Gd(III) Complex with Very Fast Water Exchange: Synthesis, Characterization, and Phantom MR Imaging
Authors: Phukan Bedika , Malikidogo Kyangwi P. , Bonnet Célia S. , Tóth Éva , Mondal Samsuzzoha , Mukherjee Chandan 
Published: July 2018

AbstractWe report here the physical‐chemical characterization of a highly water‐soluble Gd(III) complex (complex 1) formed with the asymmetric hexadentate ligand H4bedik (2,2′‐((2‐(bis (carboxymethyl)amino)benzyl)azanediyl)diacetic acid). The number of water molecules directly coordinated to the metal, q=2.2, was assessed by measuring luminescence lifetimes of the Tb(III) analogue (complex 2) in H2O and D2O and it further was confirmed by 17O chemical shift measurements on the Gd(III) complex. The complex has moderate thermodynamic stability and remains insensitive to physiological anions [biphosphate (HPO42−), bicarbonate (HCO3−)] and pH variation (in the range 5–10) of the medium as evidenced by negligible changes in longitudinal relaxivity (r1) at 1.41 T, 25 °C. The Gd(III) complex exhibits very fast water exchange, among the fastest reported for Gd(III) chelates, and high relaxivity at high magnetic fields (r1=7.47 mM–1s–1 at 9.4 T, pH ∼ 7 and 25 °C). Interestingly, the very high positive value of the activation entropy indicates a dissociatively activated water exchange for this eight‐coordinate complex.
Graphene‐Based Nanomaterials for Flexible and Wearable Supercapacitors
Authors: Huang Liang , Santiago Diana , Loyselle Patricia , Dai Liming 
Published: July 2018

AbstractAlong with the quick development of flexible and wearable electronic devices, there is an ever‐growing demand for light‐weight, flexible, and wearable power sources. Because of the high power density, excellent cycling stability and easy fabrication, flexible supercapacitors are widely studied for this purpose. Graphene‐based nanomaterials are attractive electrode materials for flexible and wearable supercapacitors owing to their high surface area, good mechanical and electrical properties, and excellent electrochemical stability. The 2D structure and high aspect ratio of graphene nanosheets make them easy to assemble into films or fibers with good mechanical properties. In recent years, enormous progress has been made in developing flexible and wearable graphene‐based supercapacitors. Here, the material and structure design strategies for developing film‐shaped and emerging fiber‐shaped flexible supercapacitors based on graphene nanomaterials are summarized.
In Situ Diagnostics of Damage Accumulation in Ni-Based Superalloys Using High-Temperature Computed Tomography
Authors: Kageyama K. , Adziman F. , Alabort E. , Sui T. , Korsunsky A. M. , Reed R. C. 
Published: July 2018

Abstract
The design, operation, and performance of a laboratory-scale X-ray computed tomography arrangement that is capable of elevated-temperature deformation studies of superalloys to 800 °C and possibly beyond are reported. The system is optimized for acquisition of three-dimensional (3D) backprojection images recorded sequentially during tensile deformation at strain rates between 10−4 and 10−2 s−1, captured in situ. It is used to characterize the evolution of damage—for example, void formation and microcracking—in Nimonic 80A and Inconel 718 superalloys, which are studied as exemplar polycrystalline alloys with lesser and greater ductility, respectively. the results indicate that such damage can be resolved to within 30 to 50 μm. Collection of temporally and spatially resolved data for the damage evolution during deformation is proven. Hence, the processes leading to creep fracture initiation and final rupture can be quantified in a novel way.
The role of crypto-currency in cybercrime
Authors: Higbee Aaron 
Published: July 2018

The first crypto-currency appeared in 2009 when Bitcoin was born. Since then, numerous others have entered the market. The market for crypto-currencies has been incredibly volatile and, at its peak in 2017, one bitcoin was worth over $11,200, although it is now suffering from sustained losses in 2018. 1, 2 These peaks and troughs have made crypto-currency value a popular media topic and hackers too have taken notice. The market for crypto-currencies has been incredibly volatile and these peaks and troughs have made crypto-currency value a popular media topic. Hackers, too, have taken notice. We have seen a recent sharp rise in crypto-jacking attacks, exploiting the power of victims' computers to mine crypto-currency. And alternative currencies also play a major role in ransomware attacks, being the payment method of choice. The chief defence, says Aaron Higbee of Cofense, is education. Phishing is a key element in these attacks and businesses need to help their employees to spot phishing attacks.
Critical infrastructure: understanding the threat
Authors: Mansfield-Devine Steve 
Published: July 2018

With nation state cyber-meddling now an acknowledged problem, there's growing concern about the threats to critical national infrastructure (CNI) – everything from water treatment plants through electricity generation and distribution to air traffic control. The vulnerability of systems that underpin the functioning of society isn't exactly news to security specialists. But now politicians and the general public are waking up to the potential carnage that hackers could wreak. As Scott King, a senior director at Rapid7, explains in this interview, the threats are real, but not necessarily in the way people imagine. With nation state cyber-meddling now an acknowledged problem, there's growing concern about the threats to critical national infrastructure (CNI). The vulnerability of the systems that underpin the functioning of society isn't exactly news to security specialists. But now politicians and the general public are waking up to the potential havoc that hackers could wreak. As Scott King of Rapid7 explains in this interview, the threats are real, but not necessarily in the way people imagine.
HIGGS BUNDLES OVER ELLIPTIC CURVES FOR COMPLEX REDUCTIVE GROUPS
Authors: FRANCO EMILIO , GARCIA-PRADA OSCAR , NEWSTEAD P. E. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractWe study Higgs bundles over an elliptic curve with complex reductive structure group, describing the (normalisation of) its moduli spaces and the associated Hitchin fibration. The case of trivial degree is covered by the work of Thaddeus in 2001. Our arguments are different from those of Thaddeus and cover arbitrary degree.
Evaluation of enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot for diagnosis of cysticercosis in swine from North India
Authors: Gupta K.K. , Singh A. , Singh A.K. , Singh S.K. , Tripathi M. , Gupta R.K. , Prasad K.N. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractTaenia solium cysticercosis is a major public health problem in developing countries. Swine cysticercosis results in economic losses for pig farmers in disease endemic areas. Consumption of cysticercotic pork leads to taeniasis in humans. Eggs excreted in the faeces of T. solium carriers disseminate to humans and pigs through the faecal–oral route, thus maintaining the life cycle in endemic areas. An enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) assay was developed using whole crude T. solium cysticercus antigens (WCA) for the diagnosis of swine cysticercosis. Sera from 30 swine with cysticercosis confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging were subjected to EITB assay. Sera from 50 swine that were raised in a government farm and not allowed to roam freely were included as negative controls. Two or more bands of 8, 11, 14, 24, 26 and 29 kDa were immunoreactive on blot with sera from all infected swine except two, and none from swine raised on the government farm. The overall sensitivity and specificity of EITB assay for diagnosis of swine cysticercosis were 93.3% and 100%, respectively. Hence, EITB assay based on WCA may be a suitable diagnostic tool for swine cysticercosis in endemic areas.
Does candidate nomination in districts increase party votes of small parties? Evidence from the 2016 Taiwan legislative elections
Authors: Wang Ching-Hsing , Weng Dennis Lu-Chung , Wang Vincent Wei-Cheng 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThis study addresses why small parties nominate candidates to run in the district elections and how nomination of district candidates could influence small parties’ share of party votes in Taiwan. Previous studies on party's strategic entry in the mixed electoral system demonstrate the existence of ‘contamination effect’ in various Western democracies. While ‘contamination effect’ suggests that party would gain more proportional representation (PR) seats by increasing its number of candidate nomination in the single-member-district (SMD) races, we contend that small parties should also take the strength of nominated candidates into consideration. Nominating strong candidates in SMD competitions could generate positive ‘spillover effect’ to party's PR tier. By focusing on the 2016 Taiwan legislative election, our findings suggest that first, small parties need to fulfill the institutional requirements in order to qualify for running in the party-list election; second, the ‘contamination effect’ exists in Taiwan, but it is conditional; and finally, candidates’ strength creates positive ‘spillover effect’ on party's proportional seats.
Quenching of expanding outflow in massive star-forming region W75N(B)-VLA 2
Authors: Kim Soon-Wook , Kim Jeong-Sook 
Published: July 2018

AbstractVLBI observation of masers is a powerful mean to understand the early evolutionary phase of massive star formation. A few different scenarios of outflow evolution in the massive protostars have been proposed, and cannot be readily examined because the precise timing of appropriate maser phenomena is difficult. In particular, it has been a matter of debate whether a well-collimated or a less-collimated outflow comes first in the very early phase of the massive protostellar evolution. Long-term, multi-epoch VLBI monitoring is probably the most important method to trace the outflow evolution. Such a monitoring of a massive star-forming region W75N(B) has been very successful. Since the first detection of the expanding water maser shell associated with the star-forming region VLA 2 of W75N(B) in 1999, the observations in 2005 and 2007 displayed that the expanding water maser shell has been evolved to well-collimated from a less collimated morphology. Observations in 2012 also confirmed such a transition. It would be a major breakthrough in our knowledge of the formation and evolution of the first stages of massive protostars. We performed multi-epoch VLBI observations in mid-2014. On the contrary to its expansion for 13 years, the maser shell at VLA 2 observed in 2014 is comparable to the size observed in 2012. The quenching of the maser shell size indicates that the previously expanding outflow has been decelerated plausibly due to the interaction with surrounding interstellar medium.
Excited OH Masers in Late-Type Stellar Objects
Authors: Strack A. , Araya E. D. , Lebrón M. E. , Minchin R. F. , Arce H. G. , Ghosh T. , Hofner P. , Kurtz S. , Olmi L. , Pihlström Y. , Salter C. J. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThe final stages of low-mass stellar evolution are characterized by significant mass loss due to stellar pulsations during the AGB phase, which lead to the development of planetary nebulae. Molecular masers of H2O, SiO, and ground state OH transitions are commonly detected in oxygen-rich late-type stars (OH/IR objects). In contrast, excited OH maser transitions are rare. We discuss our study of the carbon-rich pre-planetary nebula CRL618 (a prototypical post-AGB star). Observations conducted in May 2008 with the 305m Arecibo Telescope resulted in the first detection of a 4765MHz OH maser line in a late-type stellar object; the detection was confirmed a few months later also with Arecibo. Subsequent observations in 2015 and 2017 resulted in non-detection of the 4765MHz OH line. Our observations indicate that the 4765MHz OH maser in CRL 618 is highly variable, possibly tracing a short-lived phenomenon during the development of a pre-planetary nebula.
Time-dependent numerical modelling of hydroxyl masers
Authors: Maswanganye J. P. , van der Walt D. J. , Goedhart S. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThe statistical rate equations are used to model the OH masers to see if they will always have a one-to-one correspondence with the variation of dust temperature. It is concluded that one has to be careful to argue that the masers will always follow the dust temperature variation profile, and it is possible that different maser transitions from the same molecule respond differently to the same dust temperature variations.
A new jet/outflow maser in the nucleus of the Compton-thick AGN IRAS 15480-0344
Authors: Castangia Paola , Tarchi Andrea , Caccianiga Alessandro , Severgnini Paola , Surcis Gabriele , Ceca Roberto Della 
Published: July 2018

AbstractInvestigations of H2O maser galaxies at X-ray energies reveal that most harbor highly absorbed AGN. Possible correlations between the intrinsic X-ray luminosity and the properties of water maser emission have been suggested. With the aim of looking into these correlations on a more solid statistical basis, we have search for maser emission in a well-defined sample of Compton-thick AGN. Here we report the results of the survey, which yielded a surprisingly high maser detection rate, with a particular focus on the newly discovered luminous water maser in the lenticular (field) S0 galaxy IRAS 15480-0344. Recently, VLBI observations have been obtained to image the line and continuum emission in the nucleus of this galaxy. The radio continuum emission at VLBI scales is resolved into two compact components that are interpreted as jet knots. Based on the single-dish profile, the variability of the maser emission, and the position of the maser spots with respect to these continuum sources, we favor of a jet/outflow origin for the maser emission, consistent with similar cases found in other radio-quiet AGN. This scenario is consistent with the hypothesis of the presence of strong nuclear winds recently invoked to explain the main characteristics of field S0 galaxies.
Water maser emission in hard X-ray selected AGN
Authors: Panessa Francesca , Castangia Paola , Tarchi Andrea , Bassani Loredana , Malizia Angela , Bazzano Angela , Ubertini Pietro 
Published: July 2018

AbstractWater megamaser emission is powerful in tracing the inner region of active nuclei, mapping accretion disks and providing important clues on their absorption properties. From the X-ray spectra of AGN it is possible to estimate the intrinsic power of the central engine and the obscuring column density. The synergy between X-ray and water maser studies allows us to tackle the AGN inner physics from different perspectives. For a complete sample of AGN selected in the 20-40 keV energy range, we have investigated the presence of water maser emission and its connection to the X-ray emission, absorption and accretion rate. The hard X-ray selection of the sample results in a water maser detection rate much higher than those obtained from optically-selected samples.
Perspectives on star formation: the formation of high-mass stars
Authors: Beltrán Maria T. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThe formation process of high-mass stars has puzzled the astrophysical community for decades from both a theoretical and an observational point of view. Here, we present an overview of the current theories and status of the observational research on this field, outlining the progress achieved in recent years on our knowledge of the initial phases of massive star formation, the fragmentation of cold, infrared-dark clouds, and the evidence for circumstellar accretion disks around OB stars. The role of masers in helping us to understand the mechanism leading to the formation of a high-mass star are also discussed.