bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identification of N-linked glycans as specific mediators of neuronal uptake of acetylated α-Synuclein
Authors: Birol Melissa , Wojcik Slawomir P. , Miranker Andrew D. , Rhoades Elizabeth 
Published: September 2018

AbstractCell-to-cell transmission of toxic forms of α-Synuclein (αS) is thought to underlie disease progression in Parkinson’s disease. αS in humans is constitutively N-terminally acetylated (αSacetyl), although the impact of this modification is relatively unexplored. Here we report that αSacetylis more effective at inducing intracellular aggregation in primary neurons than unmodified αS (αSun). We identify complex N-linked glycans as binding partners for αSacetyl, and demonstrate that cellular internalization of αSacetylis reduced significantly upon cleavage of extracellular N-linked glycans, but not other carbohydrates. We verify binding of αSacetylto N-linked glycansin vitro, using both isolated glycans and cell-derived proteoliposomes. Finally, we identify neurexin lβ, a neuronal glycoprotein, as capable of driving glycan-dependent uptake of αSacetyl. Importantly, our results are specific to αSacetylas αSundoes not demonstrate sensitivity for N-linked glycans. Our study identifies extracellular N-linked glycans, and neurexin lβ specifically, as key modulators of neuronal uptake of physiological αSacetyldrawing attention to the potential therapeutic value of αSacetyl-glycan interactions.
Insights into the molecular features of the von Hippel-Lindau like protein
Authors: Quaglia Federica , Minervini Giovanni , Tabaro Francesco , Tosatto Silvio C.E. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractWe present an in silico characterization of the von Hippel-Lindau like protein (VLP), the only known human paralogue of the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein (pVHL). Phylogenetic investigation showed VLP to be mostly conserved in upper mammals and specifically expressed in brain and testis. Structural analysis and molecular dynamics simulation show VLP to be very similar to pVHL three-dimensional organization and binding dynamics. In particular, conservation of elements at the protein interfaces suggests VLP to be a functional pVHL homolog potentially possessing multiple functions beyond HIF-1α-dependent binding activity. Our findings show that VLP may share at least seven interactors with pVHL, suggesting novel functional roles for this under-studied human protein. These may occur at precise hypoxia levels where functional overlap with pVHL may permit a finer modulation of pVHL functions.
New cheloniellid arthropod with large raptorial appendages from the Silurian of Wisconsin, USA
Authors: Wendruff Andrew J. , Babcock Loren E. , Mikulic Donald G. , Kluessendorf Joanne 
Published: September 2018

AbstractCheloniellids comprise a small, distinctive group of Paleozoic arthropods of whose phylogenetic relationships within the Arthropoda remain unresolved. A new form,Xus yus, n. gen, n. sp. is reported from the Waukesha Lagerstatte in the Brandon Bridge Formation (Silurian: Telychian), near Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA. Exceptionally preserved specimens show previously poorly known features including biramous appendages; this is the first cheloniellid to show large, anterior raptorial appendages. We emend the diagnosis of Cheloniellida; cephalic appendages are uniramous and may include raptorial appendages; trunk appendages are biramous.
The effect of varied exercise intensity on antioxidant function, and aortic endothelial cell function and serum lipids in a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease rats
Authors: Ruan Ling , Neil.A. Smart , Li Fanghui 
Published: September 2018

AbstractExercise and diet may improve cardio-metabolic health in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, but the optimal exercise prescription remains unclear. We aimed to compare the effects of diet and exercise at different intensities on antioxidant function, and aortic endothelial cell function and serum lipids in a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease rats. Fifty Sprague Dawley rats (180-220g) were randomly divided into two experimental groups and fed either standard rodent chow diet or a high-fat diet. After16 weeks, these animals that received the HFD were randomly separated into a high fat control group or three exercise training groups: HF and low intensity exercise, HF and moderate intensity exercise, HF and incremental intensity exercise, these experimental rats keep sedentary or training for the next 6 weeks. Markers of Aortic Oxidative stress were detected using assay kit. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to determine the expression level of eNOS and ET-1. Lipid metabolism parameters were detected with an automatic analyzer. Exercise at different intensities improved lipid metabolism, enhanced anti-oxidation function, reduced MDA, increased NO, and improved the expression of eNOS and ET-1 protein levels. Decreased blood lipids were exhibited in all exercise groups. Notably, moderate intensity exercise demonstrated more effect on increasing GSH contents, and decreased the expression of ET-1 protein levels.
RAFTS3G – An efficient and versatile clustering software to analyses in large protein datasets
Authors: Lima Nichio Bruno Thiago de , de Oliveira Aryel Marlus Repula , de Pierri Camilla Reginatto , Costa Santos Leticia Graziela , Vialle Ricardo Assunção , Marchaukoski Jeroniza Nunes , Oliveira Pedrosa Fabio de , Raittz Roberto Tadeu 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe need to develop computational tools and techniques that can predict efficiently consistent groups of family proteins in large volume of biological information is still a great perspective in Bioinformatic studies. Besides that, it is difficult to increase speed demanding low computational processing to minimize the information complexity. Tools already consolidated as the CD-HIT and UCLUST generates very compact data that makes the Data Mining difficult and have low efficiency when used for detect homology among proteins requiring manual intervention, therefore it is necessary a tool that is also efficient in low similarity. Here we present a new approach for the Data Mining and analysis of homology in large dataset of protein sequences, the RAFTS3G. We used the UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot database with the most popular clustering tools and RAFTS3G proved to be more than 10 times faster than CD-HIT and its strategy increases the performance in low similarity to detect protein families.Contact:raittz@ufpr.br
Sex Differences in Aggression: Differential Roles of 5-HT2, Neuropeptide F and Tachykinin
Authors: Bubak Andrew N. , Watt Michael J. , Renner Kenneth J. , Luman Abigail A. , Costabile Jamie D. , Sanders Erin J. , Grace Jaime L. , Swallow John G. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractDespite the conserved function of aggression across taxa in obtaining critical resources such as food and mates, serotonin’s (5-HT) modulatory role on aggressive behavior appears to be largely inhibitory for vertebrates but stimulatory for invertebrates. However, critical gaps exist in our knowledge of invertebrates that need to be addressed before definitively stating opposing roles for 5-HT and aggression. Specifically, the role of 5-HT receptor subtypes are largely unknown, as is the potential interactive role of 5-HT with other neurochemical systems known to play a critical role in aggression. Similarly, the influence of these systems in driving sex differences in aggressive behavior of invertebrates is not well understood. Here, we investigated these questions by employing complementary approaches in a novel invertebrate model of aggression, the stalk-eyed fly. A combination of altered social conditions, pharmacological manipulation and 5-HT2receptor knockdown by siRNA revealed an inhibitory role of this receptor subtype on aggression. Additionally, we provide evidence for 5-HT2’s involvement in regulating neuropeptide F activity, a suspected inhibitor of aggression. However, this function appears to be stage-specific, altering only the initiation stage of aggressive conflicts. Alternatively, pharmacologically increasing systemic concentrations of 5-HT significantly elevated the expression of the neuropeptide tachykinin, which did not affect contest initiation but instead promoted escalation via production of high intensity aggressive behaviors. Notably, these effects were limited solely to males, with female aggression and neuropeptide expression remaining unaltered by any manipulation that affected 5-HT. Together, these results demonstrate a more nuanced role for 5-HT in modulating aggression in invertebrates, revealing an important interactive role with neuropeptides that is more reminiscent of vertebrates. The sex-differences described here also provide valuable insight into the evolutionary contexts of this complex behavior.Significance StatementSerotonin’s (5-HT) modulatory role in aggression is generally reported as inhibitory in vertebrates but stimulatory in invertebrates. Using a novel invertebrate model system, we provide evidence of common pathways of aggression at the 5-HT receptor subtype level as well as 5-HT’s interactive role with other neurochemical systems namely neuropeptide F and tachykinin. Additionally, we found that these effects were sex-dependent as well as stage-dependent affecting either the initiation or escalation stage of an aggressive contest. Our results reveal the impressive level of conservation with respect to neurochemical mechanisms among species as diverse as vertebrates and invertebrates, and highlights the need to consider multiple factors when determining potential taxonomic differences in how 5-HT mediates aggression.
Absence of SIV-specific CD8+ T cells in germinal centers may set the stage for persistent infection
Authors: Li Shengbin , Folkvord Joy M. , Kovacs Katalin J , Wagstaff Reece K. , Mwakalundwa Gwantwa , Rendahl Aaron K. , Rakasz Eva G. , Connick Elizabeth , Skinner Pamela J. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractCD8+ T cells play an important role in controlling of HIV and SIV infections. However, these cells are largely excluded from B cell follicles where HIV and SIV producing cells concentrate during chronic infection. It is not known, however, if antigen-specific CD8+ T cells are excluded gradually as pathogenesis progresses from early to chronic phase, or this phenomenon occurs from the beginning infection. In this study we determined that SIV-specific CD8+ T cells were largely excluded from follicles during early infection, we also found that within follicles, they were entirely absent in 60% of the germinal centers (GCs) examined. Furthermore, levels of SIV-specific CD8+ T cells in follicular but not extrafollicular areas significantly correlated inversely with levels of viral RNA+ cells. In addition, subsets of follicular SIV-specific CD8+ T cells were activated and proliferating and expressed the cytolytic protein perforin. These studies suggest that a paucity of SIV-specific CD8+ T cells in follicles and complete absence within GCs during early infection may set the stage for the establishment of persistent chronic infection.Author SummaryA paucity of SIV-specific CD8+ T cells in lymphoid follicles and complete absence within most follicular germinal centers during early infection may set the stage for the establishment of persistent chronic infection.
A structural equation model for enhancing effectiveness of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) major projects
Authors: Aldhaheri Mohamed , Bakchan Amal , Sandhu Maqsood Ahmad 
Published: September 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to define and analyze causal factors shaping the effectiveness of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) major projects in meeting the product objectives, from the end-user’s perspective.

Design/methodology/approach
An online survey questionnaire was developed and administered to end-users working in major oil and gas projects. Data collection process was initiated on, around 275 end-users, and 213 responses were received, achieving a high response rate of 77 percent.

Findings
The results indicate that both alignment of objectives and end-user’s engagement factors exhibit a positive influence on effectiveness of EPC, with the former having higher contribution than the latter. In this context, the product success triangle reveals higher preference of the end-user’s team toward quality than schedule and cost objectives.

Research limitations/implications
Shifting the efforts of involving the end-user forward in time, starting from the planning stage, alleviates the adverse impacts of design changes as well as increases the ability to save cost, improve performance and increase end-user’s satisfaction.

Practical implications
The model raises the awareness of oil and gas industry practitioners toward the critical factors influencing the project effectiveness and proposes useful techniques for maintaining proper alignment between project and product objectives as well as facilitating end-user’s engagement at the site level. As such, it can serve as a motivation tool for aligning the objectives and acknowledging the engagement, with the aim of achieving the product success.

Originality/value
The effectiveness of EPC structural model was developed and tested using PLS–structural equation modeling statistical technique. The interpretation of the structural model demonstrated that both end-user’s engagement and alignment of objectives are essential to successfully achieve project effectiveness.
The fabric of digital life
Authors: Iliadis Andrew , Pedersen Isabel 
Published: September 2018

Purpose
This paper aims to examine how metadata taxonomies in embodied computing databases indicate context (e.g. a marketing context or an ethical context) and describe ways to track the evolution of the embodied computing industry over time through digital media archiving.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors compare the metadata taxonomies of two embodied computing databases by providing a narrative of their top-level categories. After identifying these categories, they describe how they structure the databases around specific themes.

Findings
The growing wearables market often hides complex sociotechnical tradeoffs. Marketing products like Vandrico Inc.’s Wearables Database frame wearables as business solutions without conveying information about the various concessions users make (about giving up their data, for example). Potential solutions to this problem include enhancing embodied computing literacy through the construction of databases that track media about embodied computing technologies using customized metadata categories. Databases such as FABRIC contain multimedia related to the emerging embodied computing market – including patents, interviews, promotional videos and news articles – and can be archived through user-curated collections and tagged according to specific themes (privacy, policing, labor, etc.). One of the benefits of this approach is that users can use the rich metadata fields to search for terms and create curated collections that focus on tradeoffs related to embodied computing technologies.

Originality/value
This paper describes the importance of metadata for framing the orientation of embodied computing databases and describes one of the first attempts to comprehensively track the evolution of embodied computing technologies, their developers and their diverse applications in various social contexts through media archiving.
Decomposing Human Blood: Canine Detection Odor Signature and Volatile Organic Compounds
Authors: Rendine Marcello , Fiore Carmela , Bertozzi Giuseppe , De Carlo Dania , Filetti Vera , Fortarezza Palmira , Riezzo Irene 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe admissibility of human “odor mortis” discrimination in courts depends on the lack of comprehension of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the human decay process and of the lack in standardized procedures in training cadaver dogs. Blood was collected from four young people who died from traffic accidents and analyzed using HS‐SPME/GC‐MS at different decompositional stages. Two dogs, professionally trained, were tested to exactly locate blood samples, for each time point of the experiment. We found a long list of VOCs which varied from fresh to decomposed blood samples, showing differences in specific compounds. Dog performance showed a positive predictive value between 98.96% and 100% for DOG A, and between 99.47% and 100% for DOG B. Our findings demonstrated that decomposing human blood is a good source of VOCs and a good target for canine training.
Emotional Communication in Long‐Term Abstained Alcoholics
Authors: Harmsworth Chelsea , Paulmann Silke 
Published: September 2018

BackgroundAlcoholism is associated with difficulties in perceiving emotions through nonverbal channels including prosody. The question whether these difficulties persist to long‐term abstinence has, however, received little attention.MethodsIn a 2‐part investigation, emotional prosody production was investigated in long‐term abstained alcoholics and age‐ and education‐matched healthy controls. First, participants were asked to produce semantically neutral sentences in different emotional tones of voice. Samples were then acoustically analyzed. Next, naïve listeners were asked to recognize the emotional intention of speakers from a randomly collected subset. Voice quality indicators were also assessed by the listeners.ResultsFindings revealed emotional prosody production differences between the 2 groups. Differences were particularly apparent when looking at pitch use. Alcoholics’ mean and variability of pitch differed significantly from controls’ use. The use of loudness was affected to a lesser extent. Crucially, naïve raters confirmed that the intended emotion was more difficult to recognize from exemplars produced by alcoholics. Differences between the 2 groups were also found with regard to voice quality.ConclusionsThese results suggest that emotional communication difficulties can persist long after alcoholics have quit drinking.
Prevalence and socio‐economic correlates of insomnia among older people in Anhui, China
Authors: Ma Ying , Hu Zhi , Qin Xia , Chen Ruoling , Zhou Yanfei 
Published: September 2018

ObjectiveTo measure the prevalence of insomnia and identify the socio‐economic correlates of insomnia among older people of Anhui Province of China.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted among 3045 randomly selected consenting residents aged 60 and older from Anhui Province during 2013. Insomnia was assessed using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). Data collected included: (i) demographics; (ii) socio‐economic status; (iii) social support; (iv) social contact; and (v) social capital.ResultsOverall, 24% were found to have insomnia and 9% were found to have suspected insomnia according to the AIS score. After adjusting for potential confounders, participants having no fixed income, less social contact, less social capital and living alone were more likely to suffer from insomnia.ConclusionsA high prevalence of insomnia was found among older people in Anhui Province of China. Socio‐economic determinants should be addressed in devising policies aimed at improving sleep quality for older people in this region.
Mycobacterium abscessus infection following penetrations through wetsuits
Authors: Dickison Philippa , Howard Vicki , O'Kane Gabrielle , Smith Saxon D 
Published: September 2018

AbstractMycobacterium abscessus is a rapidly growing mycobacterium which is reportedly increasing in prevalence. Infection of the skin and soft tissue with M. abscessus is rare but typically associated with trauma. We present two cases of M. abscessus infection linked by penetration through wetsuits.
Effects of dietary coated‐oleum cinnamomi supplementation on the immunity and intestinal integrity of broiler chickens
Authors: Guo Shuangshuang , Cheng Qiang , Li Yehan , Duan Rui , Hou Yongqing , Yi Dan , Ding Binying 
Published: September 2018

AbstractOleum cinnamomi (OCM) is increasingly used as a feed additive in animal diets. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with coated‐OCM (cOCM) on the immunity and intestinal integrity of broiler chickens. A total of 396 one‐day‐old chicks were randomly assigned into six groups. The basal diets were supplemented with 50 mg/kg of flavomycin (positive control) as well as 0 (control), 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg of cOCM. Compared with the control, both positive control and cOCM treatments did not improve the growth performance. Serum immunoglobulin (Ig) Y levels were decreased by flavomycin and 50 mg/kg of cOCM treatments (p < 0.05). Dietary cOCM decreased ileal secretory IgA contents at d 21 and commonly down‐regulated duodenal and ileal mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)‐1β and IL‐8 at d 42 (p < 0.05). The 300 mg/kg of cOCM increased jejunal ratio of villus height to crypt depth and upregulated intestinal claudin‐1 expression (p < 0.05). Jejunal (at d 21) and duodenal (at d 42) mucin‐2 expression was up and downregulated by both 50 and 300 mg/kg of cOCM, respectively (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary cOCM addition helped to maintain noninflammatory states of humoral and mucosal immunity, and improved the intestinal integrity of broiler chickens.
Community patterns and environmental drivers in hyper‐diverse kwongan scrub vegetation of Western Australia
Authors: Tsakalos James L. , Renton Michael , Dobrowolski Mark P. , Feoli Enrico , Macintyre Paul D. , Veneklaas Erik J. , Mucina Ladislav 
Published: September 2018

AbstractQuestionsThe community patterns in kwongan, a mediterranean‐type scrub on nutrient‐poor soils occurring in Western Australia, are poorly understood due to only few, focused studies using disparate sampling designs. We aimed to determine whether (a) classification of the kwongan vegetation of the Eneabba Sandplains leads to an ecologically informative classification scheme, and (b) we could identify environmental drivers underpinning the plant community patterns.LocationTownship of Eneabba (29°82′S, 115°27′E), approximately 250 km north of Perth, Western Australia, covering 1,210 km2.MethodsWe used a data set consisting of 512 relevés, collected following the standard field methodology of the Braun‐Blanquet approach, and accompanied by an extensive set of environmental data consisting of 94 variables representing climate, fire, soil and terrain properties across 189 relevés. The data were classified and ordinated by a series of multivariate analyses. OptimClass assisted in the selection of the most robust classification procedure. Distance‐based redundancy analysis (db‐RDA) inferred the major ecological drivers of the vegetation patterns.ResultsNumerical classification, nonmetric multidimensional scaling, and syntaxonomic tabular analysis revealed two major community groups (MCGA and B), eight community groups, and 17 communities in the kwongan vegetation of the study area. All vegetation units are characterised in terms of floristic composition and position along major ecological gradients in the studied area. TheMCGs separated along a composite gradient of soil‐texture and exchangeable cations. The first two db‐RDAaxes explained 21% of the total variance which is very low, considering the high number of environmental variables used.ConclusionsOur study provides a comprehensive insight into the high variability of vegetation types in hyper‐diverse kwongan scrub at a landscape spatial scale; it is the first syntaxonomic account of the Western Australian kwongan vegetation, presenting a complete tabular comparative analysis. The studied major community groups segregate along a soil‐texture and an exchangeable‐cation content gradient. At a community scale, environmental filtering explained a small fraction of the vegetation–environment relationship. We suggest that the unexplained portion of the vegetation‐environment relationship might be a product of slow‐acting neutral processes in this hyper‐diverse system; this assertion is amenable to rigorous future testing.