bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
New conodont records of the Los Sombreros Formation (Cambrian–Ordovician) from the Western Precordillera, Argentina: biostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental implications
Authors: Torre Gabriela , Albanesi Guillermo L. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe presence of a carbonate platform that interfingers towards the west with slope facies allows for the identification of an ancient lower Palaeozoic continental margin in the Western Precordillera of Argentina. The Los Sombreros Formation is essential for the interpretation of the continental slope of the Precordillera, which accreted to Gondwana as part of the Cuyania Terrane in the early Palaeozoic. The age of these slope deposits is controversial; therefore, a precise biostratigraphic scheme is critical to reveal the evolution of the South American continental margin of Gondwana. The study of lithic deposits of two sections of the Los Sombreros Formation, the El Salto and Los Túneles sections, provides important information for further understanding the depositional history of the slope. At El Salto section, the conodonts recovered from an allochthonous block refer to theCordylodus proavusZone (upper Furongian). The conodonts recovered from the matrix of a calclithite bed of the Los Sombreros Formation in the Los Túneles section are assigned to theLenodus variabilisZone (early Darriwilian), providing a minimum age for this stratigraphic unit. In addition, clasts from this sample yielded conodonts from thePaltodus deltifer−Macerodus dianaezones (upper Tremadocian). The contrasting conodont colour alterations and preservation states from the elements of two latter records, coming from the same sample, argue the reworked clasts originated in the carbonate platform and later transported to the slope during the accretion process of the Precordilleran Terrane to the South American Gondwanan margin during the Middle–Late Ordovician.
Modulation of feed composition is able to make hens less attractive to the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae
Authors: El Adouzi Marine , Arriaga-Jiménez Alfonsina , Dormont Laurent , Barthes Nicolas , Labalette Agathe , Lapeyre Benoît , Bonato Olivier , Roy Lise 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe poultry red mite (PRM) is an obligatory haematophagous pest that causes substantial economic losses in poultry worldwide. The PRM does not live on the host but in the bird's environment and must find its host remotely. Hence, manipulating chicken odours is of interest. Several crude plant-originating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have already been shown as repellent to Dermanyssus gallinae. We aimed to test whether these VOCs can interfere with PRM host-seeking behaviour by their oral administration to the poultry. The objectives were to determine (1) if hen odours are modified by supplemented feed ingestion and (2) if such treatment makes hens less attractive to the PRM. Chemical characterization by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry of the hen odour was conducted before and after the hens ingested the supplemented feed. The chromatograms obtained show that hen odour was substantially modified after the hens consumed it. Among the molecules recurrently detected from the supplemented hens, 26% were nearly absent in the unsupplemented hens. Behavioural choice tests to compare the effect of the modified and unmodified-host odours on the PRM show that some of the plant-originating emitted VOCs and the modified whole-hen odours were repellent to the PRM.
Impact of the caregiver burden on the effectiveness of a home-based palliative care program: A mediation analysis
Authors: Pereira-Morales Angela J. , Valencia Luis Enrique , Rojas Luis 
Published: September 2019

AbstractObjectiveThe growing aging population and the high prevalence of several concomitant chronic diseases have contributed to the elevated rates of caregiver burden and suffering in patients. In turn, intending to relieve unnecessary pain in patients, there has been a rapid growth of outpatient palliative care programs. However, little has been studied about caregiver burden as a relevant factor potentially affecting the effectiveness of these programs. This study aimed to determine the extent of caregiver burden as a possible mediator on the effectiveness of a home-based palliative care program.MethodSixty-six palliative patients (56% women; mean age + SD = 71, 6 ± 17.7) and their caregivers were assessed with measures for physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms before and 1 month after the start of a home-based palliative care program.ResultsThe association between caregiver burden and palliative outcomes was corroborated with a categorical regression model (p < 0.01). Caregiver burden was found to be a significant mediator in the relationship between outcome measures for palliative care at baseline and after 1 month of enrollment in the program.Significance of resultsTo our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the role of caregiver burden in the effectiveness of a home-based palliative care program. Although further work is required, the results indicate that a patient-focused intervention does not have the same beneficial effect if the caregiver burden is not addressed. Future home-based palliative care programs should focus on caregivers as well as patients, with particular attention to psychosocial intervention on caregivers.
TIME for Kids to Learn Gender Stereotypes: Analysis of Gender and Political Leadership in a Common Social Studies Resource for Children
Authors: Lay J. Celeste , Holman Mirya R. , Bos Angela L. , Greenlee Jill S. , Oxley Zoe M. , Buffett Allison 
Published: September 2019

AbstractWhile early gendered messages mold children's expectations about the world, we know relatively little about the depictions of women in politics and exposure to gender stereotypes in elementary social studies curricula. In this article, we examine the coverage of political leaders in the children's magazine TIME for Kids, a source commonly found in elementary school classrooms. Coding all political content from this source over six years, we evaluate the presence of women political leaders and rate whether the leaders are described as possessing gender-stereotypic traits. Our results show that although TIME for Kids covers women leaders in greater proportion than their overall representation in politics, the content of the coverage contains gendered messages that portray politics as a stereotypically masculine field. We show that gendered traits are applied differently to men and to women in politics: feminine and communal traits are more likely to be applied to women leaders, while men and women are equally described as having masculine and agentic traits. Portrayals of women political leaders in stereotype-congruent ways is problematic because early messages influence children's views of gender roles.
Soluble RAGE attenuates AngII-induced endothelial hyperpermeability by disrupting HMGB1-mediated crosstalk between AT1R and RAGE
Authors: Jeong Jisu , Lee Jiye , Lim Juyeon , Cho Soyoung , An Soyoung , Lee Myungeun , Yoon Nara , Seo Miran , Lim Soyeon , Park Sungha 
Published: September 2019

Abstract
Increased endothelial permeability, one of the earliest signs of endothelial dysfunction, is associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and atherosclerosis. Recent studies suggest that the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) regulates endothelial permeability in inflammation. In the present study, we investigated the regulatory mechanism of RAGE in endothelial hyperpermeability induced by angiotensin II (Ang II), a well-known inflammatory mediator, and the potential therapeutic effect of soluble RAGE (sRAGE), a decoy receptor for RAGE ligands. For in vitro studies, Ang II-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with siRNA specific to either RAGE or sRAGE to disrupt RAGE-mediated signaling. Endothelial permeability was estimated using FITC-labeled dextran 40 and a resistance meter. To evaluate intercellular junction disruption, VE-cadherin expression was examined by western blotting and immunocytochemistry. Ang II increased the expression of the Ang II type 1 receptor (AT1R) and RAGE, and this increase was inhibited by sRAGE. sRAGE prevented Ang II-induced VE-cadherin disruption in HUVECs. For in vivo studies, Ang II-infused, atherosclerosis-prone apolipoprotein E knockout mice were utilized. Endothelial permeability was assessed by Evans blue staining of the aorta. Ang II increased endothelial barrier permeability, and this effect was significantly attenuated by sRAGE. Our data demonstrate that blockade of RAGE signaling using sRAGE attenuates Ang II-induced endothelial barrier permeability in vitro and in vivo and indicate the therapeutic potential of sRAGE in controlling vascular permeability under pathological conditions.
PFKFB3 inhibition reprograms malignant pleural mesothelioma to nutrient stress-induced macropinocytosis and ER stress as independent binary adaptive responses
Authors: Sarkar Bhattacharya Sayantani , Thirusangu Prabhu , Jin Ling , Roy Debarshi , Jung Deokbeom , Xiao Yinan , Staub Julie , Roy Bhaskar , Molina Julian R. , Shridhar Viji 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe metabolic signatures of cancer cells are often associated with elevated glycolysis. Pharmacological (PFK158 treatment) and genetic inhibition of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3), a critical control point in the glycolytic pathway, decreases glucose uptake, ATP production, and lactate dehydrogenase activity and arrests malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) cells in the G0/G1 phase to induce cell death. To overcome this nutrient stress, inhibition of PFKFB3 activity led to an escalation in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) activity and aggravated ER stress mostly by upregulating BiP and GADD153 expression and activation of the endocytic Rac1-Rab5-Rab7 pathway resulting in a unique form of cell death called “methuosis” in both the sarcomatoid (H28) and epithelioid (EMMeso) cells. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed the formation of nascent macropinocytotic vesicles, which rapidly coalesced to form large vacuoles with compromised lysosomal function. Both immunofluorescence microscopy and co-immunoprecipitation analyses revealed that upon PFKFB3 inhibition, two crucial biomolecules of each pathway, Rac1 and Calnexin interact with each other. Finally, PFK158 alone and in combination with carboplatin-inhibited tumorigenesis of EMMeso xenografts in vivo. Since most cancer cells exhibit an increased glycolytic rate, these results provide evidence for PFK158, in combination with standard chemotherapy, may have a potential in the treatment of MPM.
Multiple measurements of the urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio strongly related home hypertension: TMM Cohort Study
Authors: Kogure Mana , Hirata Takumi , Nakaya Naoki , Tsuchiya Naho , Nakamura Tomohiro , Narita Akira , Miyagawa Ken , Koshimizu Hiroshi , Obara Taku , Metoki Hirohito , Uruno Akira , Kikuya Masahiro , Sugawara Junichi , Kuriyama Shinichi , Tsuji Ichiro , Kure Shigeo , Hozawa Atsushi 
Published: September 2019

AbstractPrevious studies have reported a positive association between the urinary sodium-to-potassium (Na/K) ratio and hypertension, and multiple measurements of the casual urinary Na/K ratio are more strongly correlated with the 24-h urinary Na/K ratio than a single measurement. Multiple measurements of the urinary Na/K ratio might be more strongly associated with hypertension. We aimed to determine the association between multiple measurements of the casual urinary Na/K ratio and home hypertension compared with a single measurement. A population-based cross-sectional study was performed in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Subjects were over 20 years old and participated in the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Cohort Study. We targeted 3273 subjects who borrowed home blood pressure (HBP) monitors and urinary Na/K ratio monitors for 10 consecutive days. The association between the urinary Na/K ratio and home hypertension (HBP ≥ 135/85 mmHg or under treatment for hypertension) was examined using multiple logistic regression models. To compare the prediction of home hypertension using multiple measurements with that using a single measurement, we calculated the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Multiple measurements of the urinary Na/K ratio strongly related to home hypertension were better than 1 or 2 days of measurement (adjusted odds ratio of home hypertension per unit increase in urinary Na/K ratio over 6 days: 1.13–1.15). The AUROC of the urinary Na/K ratio measurement for home hypertension was stable after 5 days (AUROC = 0.779). In conclusion, multiple measurements of the urinary Na/K ratio are strongly related to home hypertension. This finding suggests that multiple measurements of the urinary Na/K ratio are useful for evaluating home hypertension.
Structural puzzles in virology solved with an overarching icosahedral design principle
Authors: Twarock Reidun , Luque Antoni 
Published: September 2019

AbstractViruses have evolved protein containers with a wide spectrum of icosahedral architectures to protect their genetic material. The geometric constraints defining these container designs, and their implications for viral evolution, are open problems in virology. The principle of quasi-equivalence is currently used to predict virus architecture, but improved imaging techniques have revealed increasing numbers of viral outliers. We show that this theory is a special case of an overarching design principle for icosahedral, as well as octahedral, architectures that can be formulated in terms of the Archimedean lattices and their duals. These surface structures encompass different blueprints for capsids with the same number of structural proteins, as well as for capsid architectures formed from a combination of minor and major capsid proteins, and are recurrent within viral lineages. They also apply to other icosahedral structures in nature, and offer alternative designs for man-made materials and nanocontainers in bionanotechnology.
Miro clusters regulate ER-mitochondria contact sites and link cristae organization to the mitochondrial transport machinery
Authors: Modi Souvik , López-Doménech Guillermo , Halff Elise F. , Covill-Cooke Christian , Ivankovic Davor , Melandri Daniela , Arancibia-Cárcamo I. Lorena , Burden Jemima J. , Lowe Alan R. , Kittler Josef T. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractMitochondrial Rho (Miro) GTPases localize to the outer mitochondrial membrane and are essential machinery for the regulated trafficking of mitochondria to defined subcellular locations. However, their sub-mitochondrial localization and relationship with other critical mitochondrial complexes remains poorly understood. Here, using super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, we report that Miro proteins form nanometer-sized clusters along the mitochondrial outer membrane in association with the Mitochondrial Contact Site and Cristae Organizing System (MICOS). Using knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts we show that Miro1 and Miro2 are required for normal mitochondrial cristae architecture and Endoplasmic Reticulum-Mitochondria Contacts Sites (ERMCS). Further, we show that Miro couples MICOS to TRAK motor protein adaptors to ensure the concerted transport of the two mitochondrial membranes and the correct distribution of cristae on the mitochondrial membrane. The Miro nanoscale organization, association with MICOS complex and regulation of ERMCS reveal new levels of control of the Miro GTPases on mitochondrial functionality.
Predictions of the mechanical properties of unidirectional fibre composites by supervised machine learning
Authors: Pathan M. V. , Ponnusami S. A. , Pathan J. , Pitisongsawat R. , Erice B. , Petrinic N. , Tagarielli V. L. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractWe present an application of data analytics and supervised machine learning to allow accurate predictions of the macroscopic stiffness and yield strength of a unidirectional composite loaded in the transverse plane. Predictions are obtained from the analysis of an image of the material microstructure, as well as knowledge of the constitutive models for fibres and matrix, without performing physically-based calculations. The computational framework is based on evaluating the 2-point correlation function of the images of 1800 microstructures, followed by dimensionality reduction via principal component analysis. Finite element (FE) simulations are performed on 1800 corresponding statistical volume elements (SVEs) representing cylindrical fibres in a continuous matrix, loaded in the transverse plane. A supervised machine learning (ML) exercise is performed, employing a gradient-boosted tree regression model with 10-fold cross-validation strategy. The model obtained is able to accurately predict the homogenized properties of arbitrary microstructures.
Domain and Switching Control of the Bulk Photovoltaic Effect in Epitaxial BiFeO3 Thin Films
Authors: Knoche David S. , Yun Yeseul , Ramakrishnegowda Niranjan , Mühlenbein Lutz , Li Xinye , Bhatnagar Akash 
Published: September 2019

AbstractAbsence of inversion symmetry is the underlying origin of ferroelectricity, piezoelectricity, and the bulk photovoltaic (BPV) effect, as a result of which they are inextricably linked. However, till now, only the piezoelectric effects (inverse) have been commonly utilized for probing ferroelectric characteristics such as domain arrangements and resultant polarization orientation. The bulk photovoltaic effect, despite sharing same relation with the symmetry as piezoelectricity, has been mostly perceived as an outcome of ferroelectricity and not as a possible analytical method. In this work, we investigate the development of BPV characteristics, i.e. amplitude and angular dependency of short-circuit current, as the ferroelastic domain arrangement is varied by applying electric fields in planar devices of BiFeO3 films. A rather sensitive co-dependency was observed from measurements on sample with ordered and disordered domain arrangements. Analysis of the photovoltaic response manifested in a mathematical model to estimate the proportion of switched and un-switched regions. The results unravel the potential utility of BPV effect to trace the orientation of the polarization vectors (direction and amplitude) in areas much larger than that can be accommodated in probe-based techniques.
Nano-fibre Integrated Microcapsules: A Nano-in-Micro Platform for 3D Cell Culture
Authors: Khanal Shalil , Bhattarai Shanta R. , Sankar Jagannathan , Bhandari Ramji K. , Macdonald Jeffrey M. , Bhattarai Narayan 
Published: September 2019

AbstractNano-in-micro (NIM) system is a promising approach to enhance the performance of devices for a wide range of applications in disease treatment and tissue regeneration. In this study, polymeric nanofibre-integrated alginate (PNA) hydrogel microcapsules were designed using NIM technology. Various ratios of cryo-ground poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanofibres (CPN) were incorporated into PNA hydrogel microcapsule. Electrostatic encapsulation method was used to incorporate living cells into the PNA microcapsules (~500 µm diameter). Human liver carcinoma cells, HepG2, were encapsulated into the microcapsules and their physio-chemical properties were studied. Morphology, stability, and chemical composition of the PNA microcapsules were analysed by light microscopy, fluorescent microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The incorporation of CPN caused no significant changes in the morphology, size, and chemical structure of PNA microcapsules in cell culture media. Among four PNA microcapsule products (PNA-0, PNA-10, PNA-30, and PNA-50 with size 489 ± 31 µm, 480 ± 40 µm, 473 ± 51 µm and 464 ± 35 µm, respectively), PNA-10 showed overall suitability for HepG2 growth with high cellular metabolic activity, indicating that the 3D PNA-10 microcapsule could be suitable to maintain better vitality and liver-specific metabolic functions. Overall, this novel design of PNA microcapsule and the one-step method of cell encapsulation can be a versatile 3D NIM system for spontaneous generation of organoids with in vivo like tissue architectures, and the system can be useful for numerous biomedical applications, especially for liver tissue engineering, cell preservation, and drug toxicity study.
Effects of Model, Method of Collection, and Topography on Chemical Elements and Metals in the Aerosol of Tank-Style Electronic Cigarettes
Authors: Williams Monique , Li Jun , Talbot Prue 
Published: September 2019

AbstractOur purpose was to examine the effect of model, puffing topography (voltage, air-flow, puff interval), and method of collection on 19 elements/metals in aerosols from six tank-style electronic cigarettes (EC). Aerosols were collected from six brands using a cold trap or impinger and various puffing topographies. 19 elements were quantified using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. 16 elements/metals were present and quantified in the aerosols. The total concentrations of elements/metals ranged from 43 to 3,138 µg/L with the impinger method of collection and 226 to 6,767 µg/L with the cold trap method. The concentrations of individual elements were often similar across brands and across topographies. Some elements (e.g., zinc) were present in most aerosols, while others (e.g., cadmium, titanium, vanadium) were rarely found. Concentrations of some elements (e.g., lead) increased in aerosols as voltage/power increased. The model with fewest metal parts in the atomizer had the fewest metals in its aerosols. Most elements/metals in the aerosols have been found previously in the atomizers of EC. All tank-style aerosols had elements/metals that appeared to originate in the atomizers, and concentrations increased with increasing power. Concentrations of some elements were high enough to be a health concern.
Feeding Dimorphism in a Mycophagous Nematode, Bursaphelenchus sinensis
Authors: Kanzaki Natsumi , Ekino Taisuke , Giblin-Davis Robin M. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractPhenotypic plasticity has been widely reported in animals and can drive investment in new biological characters that engender ecological adaptability. The nematode family Diplogastridae, especially Pristionchus pacificus with its dramatic stomatal (feeding) dimorphism, has become an important model system to analyze the evolutionary and developmental aspects of polyphenism. However, this plasticity has not been confirmed in other nematode groups. In the present study, we experimentally examined the feeding dimorphism of a fungal feeding free-living nematode, Bursaphelenchus sinensis. In a laboratory culturing experiment, the nematode expressed dimorphism, i.e., a small proportion of the population manifested as a predatory form. This form only occurred in females and was not clearly influenced by the presence of potential prey species. In addition, the ratio of the predatory form to the mycophagous form varied among different fungal food species grown in monoculture on different culture media. The predatory form of B. sinensis was typologically similar to the monomorphic (specialized) predators belonging to the same family. However, some essential morphological characters were slightly different from the specialized predators, and their behaviours were clearly disparate, suggesting that predation in B. sinensis is derived from a different phylogenetic origin than that of the specialized predators.