bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Physiological, epigenetic and genetic regulation in some olive cultivars under salt stress
Authors: Mousavi Soraya , Regni Luca , Bocchini Marika , Mariotti Roberto , Cultrera Nicolò G. M. , Mancuso Stefano , Googlani Jalaladdin , Chakerolhosseini Mohammad Reza , Guerrero Consolación , Albertini Emidio , Baldoni Luciana , Proietti Primo 
Published: January 2019

AbstractCultivated olive, a typical fruit crop species of the semi-arid regions, could successfully face the new scenarios driven by the climate change through the selection of tolerant varieties to salt and drought stresses. In the present work, multidisciplinary approaches, including physiological, epigenetic and genetic studies, have been applied to clarify the salt tolerance mechanisms in olive. Four varieties (Koroneiki, Royal de Cazorla, Arbequina and Picual) and a related form (O. europaea subsp. cuspidata) were grown in a hydroponic system under different salt concentrations from zero to 200 mM. In order to verify the plant response under salt stress, photosynthesis, gas exchange and relative water content were measured at different time points, whereas chlorophyll and leaf concentration of Na+, K+ and Ca2+ ions, were quantified at 43 and 60 days after treatment, when stress symptoms became prominent. Methylation sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) technique was used to assess the effects of salt stress on plant DNA methylation. Several fragments resulted differentially methylated among genotypes, treatments and time points. Real time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis revealed significant expression changes related to plant response to salinity. Four genes (OePIP1.1, OePetD, OePI4Kg4 and OeXyla) were identified, as well as multiple retrotransposon elements usually targeted by methylation under stress conditions.
MITF has a central role in regulating starvation-induced autophagy in melanoma
Authors: Möller Katrin , Sigurbjornsdottir Sara , Arnthorsson Asgeir O. , Pogenberg Vivian , Dilshat Ramile , Fock Valerie , Brynjolfsdottir Solveig H. , Bindesboll Christian , Bessadottir Margret , Ogmundsdottir Helga M. , Simonsen Anne , Larue Lionel , Wilmanns Matthias , Thorsson Vesteinn , Steingrimsson Eirikur , Ogmundsdottir Margret H. 
Published: January 2019

AbstractThe MITF transcription factor is a master regulator of melanocyte development and a critical factor in melanomagenesis. The related transcription factors TFEB and TFE3 regulate lysosomal activity and autophagy processes known to be important in melanoma. Here we show that MITF binds the CLEAR-box element in the promoters of lysosomal and autophagosomal genes in melanocytes and melanoma cells. The crystal structure of MITF bound to the CLEAR-box reveals how the palindromic nature of this motif induces symmetric MITF homodimer binding. In metastatic melanoma tumors and cell lines, MITF positively correlates with the expression of lysosomal and autophagosomal genes, which, interestingly, are different from the lysosomal and autophagosomal genes correlated with TFEB and TFE3. Depletion of MITF in melanoma cells and melanocytes attenuates the response to starvation-induced autophagy, whereas the overexpression of MITF in melanoma cells increases the number of autophagosomes but is not sufficient to induce autophagic flux. Our results suggest that MITF and the related factors TFEB and TFE3 have separate roles in regulating a starvation-induced autophagy response in melanoma. Understanding the normal and pathophysiological roles of MITF and related transcription factors may provide important clinical insights into melanoma therapy.
Hydrocephalus in a rat model of Meckel Gruber syndrome with a TMEM67 mutation
Authors: Shim Joon W. , Territo Paul R. , Simpson Stefanie , Watson John C. , Jiang Lei , Riley Amanda A. , McCarthy Brian , Persohn Scott , Fulkerson Daniel , Blazer-Yost Bonnie L. 
Published: January 2019

AbstractTransmembrane protein 67 (TMEM67) is mutated in Meckel Gruber Syndrome type 3 (MKS3) resulting in a pleiotropic phenotype with hydrocephalus and renal cystic disease in both humans and rodent models. The precise pathogenic mechanisms remain undetermined. Herein it is reported for the first time that a point mutation of TMEM67 leads to a gene dose-dependent hydrocephalic phenotype in the Wistar polycystic kidney (Wpk) rat. Animals with TMEM67 heterozygous mutations manifest slowly progressing hydrocephalus, observed during the postnatal period and continuing into adulthood. These animals have no overt renal phenotype. The TMEM67 homozygous mutant rats have severe ventriculomegaly as well as severe polycystic kidney disease and die during the neonatal period. Protein localization in choroid plexus epithelial cells indicates that aquaporin 1 and claudin-1 both remain normally polarized in all genotypes. The choroid plexus epithelial cells may have selectively enhanced permeability as evidenced by increased Na+, K+ and Cl− in the cerebrospinal fluid of the severely hydrocephalic animals. Collectively, these results suggest that TMEM67 is required for the regulation of choroid plexus epithelial cell fluid and electrolyte homeostasis. The Wpk rat model, orthologous to human MKS3, provides a unique platform to study the development of both severe and mild hydrocephalus.
Graphene/semi-insulating single crystal CdTe Schottky-type heterojunction X- and γ-Ray Radiation Detectors
Authors: Brus V. V. , Maslyanchuk O. L. , Solovan M. M. , Maryanchuk P. D. , Fodchuk I. , Gnatyuk V. A. , Vakhnyak N. D. , Melnychuk S. V. , Aoki T. 
Published: January 2019

AbstractWe developed a new concept of X- and γ-ray radiation semiconductor detectors based on a large area graphene/semi-insulating single crystal CdTe Schottky-type heterojunction. These two terminal electronic devices can be easily fabricated by forming a Van der Waals contact between large area chemical vapor deposited graphene and CdTe substrates in air and at room temperature. This approach significantly reduces the fabrication cost and improves the reproducibility and stability of electrical properties. A detailed analysis of their AC and DC electrical properties was carried out in order to determine the width of the space charge region and dominant charge transport mechanisms at reverse bias. The unoptimized graphene/CdTe heterojunction detectors exhibited a promising spectral resolution of 241Am (59 keV) and 137Cs (662 keV) isotope radiation at room temperature.
Multivariate Analysis on the Effects of Diabetes and related Clinical Parameters on Cervical Cancer Survival Probability
Authors: Gillani Syed Wasif , Zaghloul Hisham A. , Ansari Irfan Altaf , Abdul Mohi Iqbal Mohammad , Sulaiman Syed Azhar Syed , Baig Mirza R. , Rathore Hassaan Anwar 
Published: January 2019

AbstractWe aimed to evaluate and determine the effect of diabetes mellitus (DM) on overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in early stage cervical cancer (CC) patients. Patients with primary cervical cancer and newly diagnosed were selected from ten different cancer specialist hospitals of Malaysia. Patients’ demographic and clinical data were obtained for the prognostic analysis. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate patients’ survival time (CSS and OS) with DM status and values were compared using the log-rank test. A total of 19,785 newly diagnosed CC patients were registered during 2010–2016, among them only 16,946 (85.6%) with primary CC tumor. There was no difference in treatment modality between DM and non-DM patients. However intergroup assessment showed that type 2DM have significantly higher rate of mortality in both overall mortality (28.3%) and CC-specific (11.7%) as compared to Type 1DM (17.3%; 5.5%) and non DM patients (12.7%; 9.1%) (p < 0.001). Within group assessments showed that Type 2DM patients have better quality of life (mean 7.13 ± 3.67) (p < 0.001) and less distress levels (mean 2.41 ± 0.63) (p < 0.011) as compared to type1 DM (meant 10.54 ± 2.11; 3.19 ± 1.07). This study concluded that T2DM prognostic effect still remained after adjusting demographic and clinical parameters. Type 1 diabetes mellitus showed better OS and CSS then type2 DM.
Sibling sex, but not androgens, shapes phenotypes in perinatal common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)
Authors: Frye Brett M. , Rapaport Lisa G. , Melber Talia , Sears Michael W. , Tardif Suzette D. 
Published: January 2019

AbstractWhen offspring share a womb, interactions among fetuses can impart lasting impressions on phenotypic outcomes. Such intrauterine interactions often are mediated by sex steroids (estrogens and androgens) produced by the developing fetuses. In many mammals, intrauterine interactions between brothers and sisters lead to masculinization of females, which can induce fitness consequences. Many litter-bearing primates, though, seem to escape androgen-mediated litter effects, begging why? Here, we investigated how the sex composition (i.e., same- or mixed-sex) of litters influences perinatal outcomes in the common marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus), using a combination of physiological, morphological, and behavioural assays. We hypothesized that androgens from male fetuses would mediate developmental differences across litter types. We found that newborns (24–36 hours old) from same- and mixed-sex litters were indistinguishable by urinary androgen profiles, birth weights, morphometrics, and behaviour. However, monkeys born into same- and mixed-sex litters exhibited subtle morphological and neurobehavioral differences later in the perinatal period, independent of their androgen profiles. Our findings suggest that while androgens from male fetuses likely do not organize their siblings’ phenotypes, perinatal stimuli may initiate divergent developmental trajectories among siblings, which, in turn, promotes inter-individual variability within families.
High resolution mapping of a cold water coral mound
Authors: Conti Luis A. , Lim Aaron , Wheeler Andrew J. 
Published: January 2019

AbstractCold-water coral (CWC) mounds are biogenic, long-lived morphostructures composed primarily by scleractinian CWC’s and hemipelagic sediments that form complex deep-sea microhabitats found globally but specifically along the European-Atlantic margin. In this work, high-resolution mapping was applied to identify individual organismal distribution and zonation across a CWC Piddington Mound within the Porcupine Seabight, Ireland Margin. Marine Object-Based Image Analysis (MOBIA) and different machine learning classification methods (decision tree, logistic regression, and deep neural network) were applied to a high-resolution (2 mm) reef-scale video mosaic and ROV-mounted multibeam data in order to provide new insights into the spatial organization of coral frameworks and environmental factors on CWC mounds. The results showed an accurate quantification of the amount of Coral Framework (14.5%; ~2% live and ~12.5% dead) and sponges (~3.5%) with heterogeneous distribution, restricted to a certain portion of the mound. This is the first object level quantification of live and dead coral framework facies and individual sponges across an entire CWC mound. This approach has application for habitat and conservation studies, provides a quantification tool for carbon budget assessments and can provide a baseline to assess CWC mound change. The approach can also be modified for application in other habitats.
Colloidal Gels with Tunable Mechanomorphology Regulate Endothelial Morphogenesis
Authors: Nair Smruti K. , Basu Sukanya , Sen Ballari , Lin Meng-Hsuan , Kumar Arati N. , Yuan Yuan , Cullen Paul J. , Sarkar Debanjan 
Published: January 2019

AbstractEndothelial morphogenesis into capillary networks is dependent on the matrix morphology and mechanical properties. In current 3D gels, these two matrix features are interdependent and their distinct roles in endothelial organization are not known. Thus, it is important to decouple these parameters in the matrix design. Colloidal gels can be engineered to regulate the microstructural morphology and mechanics in an independent manner because colloidal gels are formed by the aggregation of particles into a self-similar 3D network. In this work, gelatin based colloidal gels with distinct mechanomorphology were developed by engineering the electrostatic interaction mediated aggregation of particles. By altering the mode of aggregation, colloidal gels showed either compact dense microstructure or tenuous strand-like networks, and the matrix stiffness was controlled independently by varying the particle fraction. Endothelial Cell (EC) networks were favored in tenuous strand-like microstructure through increased cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions, while compact dense microstructure inhibited the networks. For a given microstructure, as the gel stiffness was increased, the extent of EC network was reduced. This result demonstrates that 3D matrix morphology and mechanics provide distinct signals in a bidirectional manner during EC network formation. Colloidal gels can be used to interrogate the angiogenic responses of ECs and can be developed as a biomaterial for vascularization.
Antibody-free digital influenza virus counting based on neuraminidase activity
Authors: Tabata Kazuhito V. , Minagawa Yoshihiro , Kawaguchi Yuko , Ono Mana , Moriizumi Yoshiki , Yamayoshi Seiya , Fujioka Yoichiro , Ohba Yusuke , Kawaoka Yoshihiro , Noji Hiroyuki 
Published: January 2019

AbstractThere is large demand for a quantitative method for rapid and ultra-sensitive detection of the influenza virus. Here, we established a digital influenza virus counting (DIViC) method that can detect a single virion without antibody. In the assay, a virion is stochastically entrapped inside a femtoliter reactor array device for the fluorogenic assay of neuraminidase, and incubated for minutes. By analyzing 600,000 reactors, the practical limit of detection reached the order of 103 (PFU)/mL, only 10-times less sensitive than RT-PCR and more than 1000-times sensitive than commercial rapid test kits (RIDTs). Interestingly, neuraminidase activity differed among virions. The coefficient of variance was 30–40%, evidently broader than that of alkaline phosphatase measured as a model enzyme for comparison, suggesting the heterogeneity in size and integrity among influenza virus particles. Sensitivity to oseltamivir also differed between virions. We also tested DIViC using clinical gargle samples that imposes less burden for sampling while with less virus titre. The comparison with RIDTs showed that DIViC was largely superior to RIDTs in the sensitivity with the clinical samples although a few false-positive signals were observed in some clinical samples that remains as a technical challenge.
CRISPR/Cas9 editing of endogenous banana streak virus in the B genome of Musa spp. overcomes a major challenge in banana breeding
Authors: Tripathi Jaindra N. , Ntui Valentine O. , Ron Mily , Muiruri Samwel K. , Britt Anne , Tripathi Leena 
Published: January 2019

AbstractPresence of the integrated endogenous banana streak virus (eBSV) in the B genome of plantain (AAB) is a major challenge for breeding and dissemination of hybrids. As the eBSV activates into infectious viral particles under stress, the progenitor Musa balbisiana and its derivants, having at least one B genome, cannot be used as parents for crop improvement. Here, we report a strategy to inactivate the eBSV by editing the virus sequences. The regenerated genome-edited events of Gonja Manjaya showed mutations in the targeted sites with the potential to prevent proper transcription or/and translational into functional viral proteins. Seventy-five percent of the edited events remained asymptomatic in comparison to the non-edited control plants under water stress conditions, confirming inactivation of eBSV into infectious viral particles. This study paves the way for the improvement of B genome germplasm and its use in breeding programs to produce hybrids that can be globally disseminated.
Omeprazole prevents CDX2 and SOX9 expression by inhibiting hedgehog signaling in Barrett’s esophagus cells
Authors: Huang Jiao , Liu Hua , Sun Tiantian , Fang Jing-Yuan , Wang Jilin , Xiong Hua 
Published: January 2019

Abstract
Activation of hedgehog (Hh) signaling contributes to the progression of Barrett’s esophagus (BE), which increases the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Recent clinical studies revealed that proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) but not H2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) were associated with a decreased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. We would like to know whether PPIs interfere with BE progression during BE treatment. Here, we explored the role of omeprazole on Hh signaling and expression of two crucial biomarkers of BE, SOX9 and CDX2. We demonstrated that bile acids elevated expression of Hh pathway target genes, such as GLI1 and PTCH1, and induced SOX9 and CDX2 up-regulation in both CP-A and CP-B cells. Omeprazole, but not famotidine, down-regulated these genes induced by bile acids. In addition, omeprazole-induced down-regulation of SOX9 and CDX2 was mediated by Hh signaling. To explore the mechanisms by which omeprazole inhibits Hh signaling, we performed luciferase assay but did not find any effects of omeprazole on the activity of GLI1 promoter, the critical transcription factor of Hh signaling. Therefore, we used miRNA sequencing and a bioinformatics tool in our study to identify the differently expressed miRNAs in BE organoids treated with or without omeprazole, and we identified miR-2116-3p was involved in omeprazole-mediated inhibition of Hh signaling and subsequent down-regulation of SOX9 and CDX2. Collectively, our data indicate omeprazole inhibits Hh signaling and subsequent SOX9 and CDX2 expression via up-regulating miR-2116-3p. We have demonstrated a novel acid-independent mechanism of omeprazole that might yield valuable insight into clinical management of BE progression, irrespective of acid reflux symptoms.
Activation of G protein–coupled estrogen receptor protects intestine from ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice by protecting the crypt cell proliferation
Authors: Chai Shiquan , Liu Kaixuan , Feng Wanbing , Liu Tiantian , Wang Qian , Zhou Rong , Chen Shiming , Wang Liyan , Chen Guanyu , Ming Tian , Zhao Jiandong , Liu Chuanyong , Xue Bing 
Published: January 2019

AbstractThe intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a common clinical event related with high mortality in patients undergoing surgery or trauma. Estrogen exerts salutary effect on intestinal I/R injury, but the receptor type is not totally understood. We aimed to identify whether the G protein–coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) could protect the intestine against I/R injury and explored the mechanism. Adult male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to intestinal I/R injury by clamping (45 min) of the superior mesenteric artery followed by 4 h of intestinal reperfusion. Our results revealed that the selective GPER blocker abolished the protective effect of estrogen on intestinal I/R injury. Selective GPER agonist G-1 significantly alleviated I/R-induced intestinal mucosal damage, neutrophil infiltration, up-regulation of TNF-α and cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) expression, and restored impaired intestinal barrier function. G-1 could ameliorate the impaired crypt cell proliferation ability induced by I/R and restore the decrease in villus height and crypt depth. The up-regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression after I/R treatment was attenuated by G-1 administration. Moreover, selective iNOS inhibitor had a similar effect with G-1 on promoting the proliferation of crypt cells in the intestinal I/R model. Both GPER and iNOS were expressed in leucine-rich repeat containing G-protein coupled receptor 5 (Lgr5) positive stem cells in crypt. Together, these findings demonstrate that GPER activation can prompt epithelial cell repair following intestinal injury, which occurred at least in part by inhibiting the iNOS expression in intestinal stem cells (ISCs). GPER may be a novel therapeutic target for intestinal I/R injury.
Effects of Task Difficulty on Neural Processes Underlying Semantics: An Event-Related Potentials Study
Authors: Kemp Amy , Eddins David , Shrivastav Rahul , Hampton Wray Amanda 
Published: January 2019

Purpose
Improving the ability to listen efficiently in noisy environments is a critical goal for hearing rehabilitation. However, understanding of the impact of difficult listening conditions on language processing is limited. The current study evaluated the neural processes underlying semantics in challenging listening conditions.

Method
Thirty adults with normal hearing completed an auditory sentence processing task in 4-talker babble. Event-related brain potentials were elicited by the final word in high- or low-context sentences, where the final word was either highly expected or not expected, followed by a 4-alternative forced-choice response with either longer (1,000 ms), middle (700 ms), or shorter (400 ms) response time deadlines (RTDs).

Results
Behavioral accuracy was reduced, and reactions times were faster for shorter RTDs. N400 amplitudes, reflecting ease of lexical access, were larger when elicited by target words in low-context sentences followed by shorter compared with longer RTDs.

Conclusions
These results reveal that more neural resources are allocated for semantic processing/lexical access when listening difficulty increases. Differences between RTDs may reflect increased attentional allocation for shorter RTDs. These findings suggest that situational listening demands can impact the demands for cognitive resources engaged in language processing, which could significantly impact listener experiences across environments.
Secondary Voice Outcomes of a Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Two Head/Neck Strengthening Exercises in Healthy Older Adults: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Fujiki Robert Brinton , Oliver Abby J. , Sivasankar M. Preeti , Craig Bruce A. , Malandraki Georgia A. 
Published: January 2019

Purpose
The aim of this study was to investigate secondary voice outcomes and detraining effects of 2 head and neck strengthening exercises, which have been used in swallowing rehabilitation, that is, the head-lift exercise (HLE) and the recline exercise (RE), in healthy older adults.

Method
Twenty-seven healthy older adults (between 60 and 85 years of age) were randomized to perform either the RE or the HLE for a 6-week period. Isometric and isokinetic portions of the exercise were performed 3 times daily. Patients were evaluated at baseline, postexercise, and following a 6-week detraining period. Acoustic outcome measures included the highest and lowest frequencies of vocal range on pitch glides (measured in hertz) and cepstral peak prominence on sustained vowels and connected speech. Self-perceptual measures included perceived phonatory effort.

Results

Twenty-two individuals completed their assigned exercise regimen. No significant differences between exercise groups were observed at baseline for age, body mass index, or body fat percentage. A significant postexercise increase was seen in the highest frequency of vocal range on pitch glide,
t
(2, 56.79) = −10.28,
p
≤ .0001, for both groups. This increase was not fully maintained following the 6-week detraining period; however, data remained significantly above baseline at this time point,
t
(2, 57.01) = −4.70,
p
≤ .0001. Seventeen of the individuals who made postexercise gains were followed postdetraining. On average, these 17 individuals maintained 51% of their postexercise gains in the highest frequency of vocal range. No differences were observed between exercise groups. In addition, no significant changes in the lowest frequency of vocal range, cepstral peak prominence on sustained vowels or connected speech, or perceived phonatory effort were observed following the exercise regimens.

Conclusions
Both the HLE and the RE produced gains in the highest frequency of vocal range in healthy older adults. This finding is promising; however, further research is required to understand how suprahyoid muscle strengthening influences upper pitch range and whether this relationship has potential clinical implications for patients with dysphonia.