bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neurobehavioural Correlates of Obesity are Largely Heritable
Authors: Vainik Uku , Baker Travis , Dadar Mahsa , Zeighami Yashar , Michaud Andréanne , Zhang Yu , García Alanis José C. , Misic Bratislav , Collins D. Louis , Dagher Alain 
Published: October 2017

AbstractRecent molecular genetic studies have shown that the majority of genes associated with obesity are expressed in the central nervous system. Obesity has also been associated with neurobehavioural factors such as brain morphology, cognitive performance, and personality. Here, we tested whether these neurobehavioural factors were associated with the heritable variance in obesity measured by body mass index (BMI) in the Human Connectome Project (N=895 siblings). Phenotypically, cortical thickness findings supported the “right brain hypothesis” for obesity. Namely, increased BMI associated with decreased cortical thickness in right frontal lobe and increased thickness in the left frontal lobe, notably in lateral prefrontal cortex. In addition, lower thickness and volume in entorhinal-parahippocampal structures, and increased thickness in parietal-occipital structures in participants with higher BMI supported the role of visuospatial function in obesity. Brain morphometry results were supported by cognitive tests, which outlined a negative association between BMI and visuospatial function, verbal episodic memory, impulsivity, and cognitive flexibility. Personality-BMI correlations were inconsistent. We then aggregated the effects for each neurobehavioural factor for a behavioural genetics analysis and estimated each factor’s genetic overlap with BMI. Cognitive test scores and brain morphometry had 0.25 - 0.45 genetic correlations with BMI, and the phenotypic correlations with BMI were 77-89% explained by genetic factors. Neurobehavioural factors also had some genetic overlap with each other. In summary, obesity as measured by BMI has considerable genetic overlap with brain and cognitive measures. This supports the theory that obesity is inherited via brain function, and may inform intervention strategies.Significance StatementObesity is a widespread heritable health condition. Evidence from psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and genetics has proposed links between obesity and the brain. The current study tested whether the heritable variance in body mass index (BMI) is explained by brain and behavioural factors in a large brain imaging cohort that included multiple related individuals. We found that the heritable variance in BMI had genetic correlations 0.25 - 0.45 with cognitive tests, cortical thickness, and regional brain volume. In particular, BMI was associated with frontal lobe asymmetry and differences in temporal-parietal perceptual systems. Further, we found genetic overlap between certain brain and behavioural factors. In summary, the genetic vulnerability to BMI is expressed in the brain. This may inform intervention strategies.
Movement of moths through riparian reserves within oil palm plantations
Authors: Gray Ross E. J. , Slade Eleanor M. , Chung Arthur Y. C. , Lewis Owen T. 
Published: October 2017

ABSTRACTTropical forests are becoming increasingly fragmented through conversion to agriculture, with negative consequences for biodiversity. Movement of individuals among the remaining fragments is critical to allow populations of forest-dependent taxa to persist. In SE Asia, conversion of forests to oil palm plantations is a particular threat. Many oil palm dominated landscapes retain forested riparian reserves along streams and rivers, but the extent to which these riparian reserves are used for movement, relative to the oil palm matrix, is poorly understood. We used mark-release-recapture methods to investigate the movement of five moth taxa in riparian reserves connected to a continuous forest area within oil palm matrix in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Moths were recaptured on average 68m from the release point, and the mean time to recapture was between 2 and 3 days. Moths showed a significant tendency to move within forested riparian reserves than into adjacent oil palm. When moving within riparian reserves moths also showed a tendency to orient their movement away from the continuous forest into the riparian reserve rather than towards continuous forest or into oil palm. Overall, our results show a role for riparian reserves as movement corridors through oil palm plantations for some invertebrate species, strengthening the case for their retention and re-establishment.
Reconstruction of atomistic structures from coarse-grained models for protein-DNA complexes
Authors: Shimizu Masahiro , Takada Shoji 
Published: October 2017

ABSTRACTWhile coarse-grained (CG) simulations have widely been used to accelerate structure sampling of large biomolecular complexes, they are unavoidably less accurate and thus the reconstruction of all-atom (AA) structures and the subsequent refinement is of desire. In this study we developed an efficient method to reconstruct AA structures from sampled CG protein-DNA complex models, which attempts to model protein-DNA interface accurately. First we developed a method to reconstruct atomic details of DNA structures from a 3-site per nucleotide CG model, which uses a DNA fragment library. Next, for the protein-DNA interface, we referred to the sidechain orientations in the known structure of the target interface when available. The other parts are modeled by existing tools. We confirmed the accuracy of the protocol in various aspects including the structure deviation in the self-reproduction, the base pair reproducibility, atomic contacts at the protein-DNA interface, and feasibility of the posterior AA simulations.
Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy Study of Effects of Neonicotinoids on Forager Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Fat Bodies and Their Connection to Colony Collapse Disorder
Authors: Feng Yuzheng , Luthra Aryan , Ding Kaiwen , Yang Yang , Savage Jordan , Wei Xinrui , Moeschter Roland , Ahuja Sachin , Villegas Victor , Torbina Bogdana , Ahooja Anjuli , Ellis Tom , Ellis Tom , Boechler Anna-Maria , Roberts Andrew 
Published: October 2017

AbstractThis study investigated the negative effects of neonicotinoid pesticides on honey bees in environment surrounding areas of pesticide use. The aim of the experiment is to identify possible contributors to the sudden decrease in honey bee population over the past 60 years, a phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder. Analysis was performed on three sets of bees: the control group which was not in contact with pesticides, the infected dead group which was a set of bees suspected to have died due to neonicotinoids, and the infected alive group which was suspected to be under the influence of neonicotinoids. After dissecting the bee samples and extracting their fat bodies, the chemical composition and protein structures of the samples were analyzed using Mid-Infrared Beamline at the Canadian Light Source. Results from the spectra of bee samples exposed to neonicotinoids demonstrated possible residual pesticide chemicals within fat bodies. Several spectral peaks were also correlated with a possible change in protein secondary structures from primarily β-sheet to α-helix within fat bodies of neonicotinoid-affected bees. It is likely that the pesticides caused the growth of additional α-helical structures, which is consistent with consequences of the inhibition of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) a current pathway of harm of Colony Collapse Disorder as identified in past literature.
Title: Single-molecule diffusion-based estimation of ligand effects on G protein-coupled receptors
Authors: Yanagawa Masataka , Hiroshima Michio , Togashi Yuichi , Abe Mitsuhiro , Yamashita Takahiro , Shichida Yoshinori , Murata Masayuki , Ueda Masahiro , Sako Yasushi 
Published: October 2017

AbstractG protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are major drug targets and have high potential for drug discovery. The development of a method for measuring the activities of GPCRs is essential for pharmacology and drug screening. However, it is difficult to measure the effects of a drug by monitoring the receptor on the cell surface, and changes in the concentrations of downstream signaling molecules, which depend on signaling pathway selectivity of the receptor, are used as an index of the receptor activity. Here, we show that single-molecule imaging analysis provides an alternative method for assessing ligand effects on GPCR. We monitored the dynamics of the diffusion of metabotropic glutamate receptor 3 (mGluR3), a class C GPCR, under various ligand conditions by using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM). The single-molecule tracking analysis demonstrates that changes in the average diffusion coefficient of mGluR3 quantitatively reflect the ligand-dependent activity. Then, we reveal that the diffusion of receptor molecules is altered by the common physiological events associated with GPCRs, including G protein binding or accumulation in clathrin-coated pits, by inhibition experiments and dual-color single-molecule imaging analysis. We also confirm the generality of agonist-induced diffusion change in class A and B GPCRs, demonstrating that the diffusion coefficient is a good index for estimating the ligand effects on many GPCRs regardless of the phylogenetic groups, chemical properties of the ligands, and G protein-coupling selectivity.One Sentence Summary:Single-molecule imaging for evaluating ligand effects on GPCRs by monitoring the diffusion dynamics on the cell surface.
The small molecule KHS101 induces bioenergetic dysfunction in glioblastoma cells through inhibition of mitochondrial HSPD1
Authors: Polson Euan S. , Kuchler Verena B. , Abbosh Christopher , Ross Edith M. , Mathew Ryan K. , Beard Hester A. , Chuntharpursat-Bon Eulashini , Williams Jennifer , Silva Bárbara Da , Shao Hao , Patel Anjana , Davies Adam J. , Droop Alastair , Griffiths Hollie B.S. , Chumas Paul , Short Susan C. , Lorger Mihaela , Gestwicki Jason , Roberts Lee D. , Bon Robin S. , Allison Simon J. , Zhu Shoutian , Markowetz Florian , Wurdak Heiko 
Published: October 2017

AbstractPharmacological inhibition of uncontrolled cell growth with small molecule inhibitors is a potential strategy against glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most malignant primary brain cancer. Phenotypic profiling of the neurogenic small molecule KHS101 revealed the chemical induction of lethal cellular degradation in molecularly-diverse GBM cells, independent of their tumor subtype, whereas non-cancerous brain cells remained viable. Mechanism-of-action (MOA) studies showed that KHS101 specifically bound and inhibited the mitochondrial chaperone HSPD1. In GBM but not non-cancerous brain cells, KHS101 elicited the aggregation of an enzymatic network that regulates energy metabolism. Compromised glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) resulted in the metabolic energy depletion in KHS101-treated GBM cells. Consistently, KHS101 induced key mitochondrial unfolded protein response factor DDIT3in vitroandin vivo, and significantly reduced intracranial GBM xenograft tumor growth upon systemic administration, without discernible side effects. These findings suggest targeting of HSPD1-dependent oncometabolic pathways as an anti-GBM therapy.
Population-based analysis of ocularChlamydia trachomatisin trachoma-endemic West African communities identifies genomic markers of disease severity
Authors: Last AR , Pickering H , Roberts Ch , Coll F , Phelan J , Burr SE , Cassama E , Nabicassa M , Seth-Smith HMB , Hadfield J , Cutcliffe LT , Clarke IN , Mabey DCW , Bailey RL , Clark TG , Thomson NR , Holland MJ 
Published: October 2017

ABSTRACTChlamydia trachomatis(Ct) is the most common infectious cause of blindness and bacterial sexually transmitted infection worldwide. UsingCtwhole genome sequences obtained directly from conjunctival swabs, we studiedCtgenomic diversity and associations betweenCtgenetic polymorphisms with ocular localization and disease severity in a treatment-naïve trachoma-endemic population in Guinea Bissau, West Africa. All sequences fall within the T2 ocular clade phylogenetically. This is consistent with the presence of the characteristic deletion intrpAresulting in a truncated non-functional protein and the ocular tyrosine repeat regions present intarPassociated with ocular tissue localization. We have identified twenty-oneCtnon-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with ocular localization, including SNPs withinpmpD(OR=4.07,p*=0.001) andtarP(OR=0.34,p*=0.009). Eight SNPs associated with disease severity were found inyjfH (rlmB)(OR=0.13,p*=0.037),CTA0273(OR=0.12,p*=0.027),trmD(OR=0.12,p*=0.032),CTA0744(OR=0.12,p*=0.041),glgA(OR=0.10,p*=0.026),alaS(OR=0.10,p*=0.032),pmpE(OR=0.08,p*=0.001) and the intergenic regionCTA0744-CTA0745(OR=0.13,p*=0.043). This study demonstrates the extent of genomic diversity within a naturally circulating population of ocularCt, and the first to describe novel genomic associations with disease severity. These findings direct investigation of host-pathogen interactions that may be important in ocularCtpathogenesis and disease transmission.
A fast immune priming that confers a complete infection resistance on silkworm (Bombyx mori)
Authors: Miyashita Atsushi 
Published: October 2017

AbstractI have previously reported an immune priming in silkworm triggered by peptidoglycans, which is long-lasting but slow-acting. Here I report a faster immune priming, which can be triggered by an injection of gelatin or collagen, that confers a complete infection resistance to Gram-negative bacteria on silkworms. Gelatin-injected silkworms showed 100% viability in a lethal dose of a Gram-negative bacterial infection within two hours after the gelatin injection. Injection of collagen showed a similar effect. Whereas, an injection of non-gelatin protein (bovine serum albumin) solution did not induce such reaction. These results suggest that the silkworm possesses a fast and gelatin-inducible pathway that confers infection resistance to Gram-negative bacteria, which may act as a front-line defense. This finding highlights the potency of gelatin as a tool for investigating the primed immune responses in insect species.
Changes in corticospinal excitability associated with motor learning by observing
Authors: McGregor Heather R. , Vesia Michael , Rinchon Cricia , Chen Robert , Gribble Paul L. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractWhile many of our motor skills are acquired through physical practice, we can also learn how to make movements by observing others. For example, individuals can learn how to reach in novel dynamical environments (‘force fields’, FF) by observing the movements of a tutor. Previous neurophysiology and neuroimaging studies in humans suggest a role for the motor system in motor learning by observing. Here we tested the role of primary motor cortex (M1) in motor learning by observing. We used single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to elicit motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in right hand muscles at rest. MEPs were elicited before and after participants observed either a video adapting her reaches to a FF or a control video showing a tutor performing reaches in an unlearnable FF. We predicted that observing motor learning would increase M1 excitability to a greater extent than observing movements that did not involve learning. We found that observing FF learning increased MEP amplitudes recorded from right first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and right abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscles. There were no changes in MEP amplitudes for control participants who observed a tutor performing reaches in an unlearnable, randomly varying FF. The observed MEP changes can thus be specifically linked to observing motor learning. These results are consistent with the idea that observing motor learning produces functional changes in M1, or corticospinal networks or both.
Analytic combinatorics for bioinformatics I: seeding methods
Authors: Filion Guillaume J. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractSeeding heuristics are the most widely used strategies to speed up sequence alignment in bioinformatics. Such strategies are most successful if they are calibrated, so that the speed-versus-accuracy trade-off can be properly tuned. In the widely used case of read mapping, it has been so far impossible to predict the success rate of competing seeding strategies for lack of a theoretical framework. Here I present an approach to estimate such quantities based on the theory of analytic combinatorics. In a nutshell, the strategy is to specify a combinatorial construction of reads where the seeding heuristic fails, translate this specification into a generating function using formal rules, and finally extract the probabilities of interest from the singularities of the generating function. I use this approach to construct simple estimators of the success rate of the seeding heuristic under different types of sequencing errors. I also show how the analytic combinatorics strategy can be used to compute the associated type I and type II error rates (mapping the read to the wrong location, or being unable to map the read). Finally, I show how analytic combinatorics can be used to estimate average quantities such as the expected number of errors in reads where the seeding heuristic fails. Overall, this work introduces a theoretical and practical framework to find the success rate of seeding heuristics and related problems in bioinformatics.
Default Mode Network in Temporal Lobe epilepsy: interactions with memory performance
Authors: Zanão Tamires Araujo , Martins Lopes Tátila , Machado de Campos Brunno , Nogueira Mateus Henrique , Yasuda Clarissa Lin , Cendes Fernando 
Published: October 2017

ABSTRACTObjectiveto investigate abnormal functional connectivity in the resting-state default mode network (DMN) and its relation to memory impairments in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy with and without hippocampal sclerosis (HS)Methodwe enrolled 122 MTLE patients divided into right-HS (n=42), left-HS (n=49), MRI-negative MTLE (n=31) and controls (n=69). All underwent resting-state seed-based connectivity fMRI, with a seed placed at the posterior cingulate cortex, an essential node for the DMN. In addition, patients and 41 controls were tested for verbal and visual memory, estimated intelligence coefficient and delayed recall.ResultsBoth right-HS and MRI-negative group presented the poorest visual memory scores, and right-HS and left-HS had a worse performance in verbal memory compared to controls and MRI-negative groups. As expected, hippocampus was less connected than controls in all groups of patients. Although EEGs indicated that 64.5% of MRI-negative patients were lateralized to the left, this group showed activations similar to the right-HS.ConclusionOur data suggest that there is a disruption of the normal pattern of DMN in MTLE. Patients with left and right-HS presented similar, increased and decreased connectivity in the ipsilateral hemisphere; however, left-HS had abnormal decreased connectivity in the contralateral hemisphere. Per neuropsychological examination, the presence of HS in the left hemisphere had more impact on verbal memory, which was not found when the seizure focus is in the left hemisphere in the absence of HS. The absence of hippocampal atrophy seems to yield a less prominent disruption in both functional connectivity and neuropsychological performance.
Minimization of muscle activation costs demanded from mechanical work and power accounts for selection of duty factor in human gaits
Authors: Sobota Grzegorz , Usherwood James R. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractDuty factor DF – the proportion of a stride a foot is in contact with the ground – is of fundamental mechanical importance, and is often viewed as a defining kinematic parameter distinguishing walking (DF>0.5) from running (DF<0.5). However, the mechanical and/or physiological considerations that determine duty factor are not well understood. Here, a model is proposed that focuses on the interaction between mechanical and muscle costs to account for duty factor in human gaits. It minimizes the activation costs associated with mechanical work or power demand during muscle contraction (whichever is the more demanding). Empirical observations match model predictions using initial muscle parameters over a range of speeds within gaits. However, a better match is achieved – and a better account for the walk-run transition – with tuned muscle parameters. The tuned model is validated with responses in duty factor to walking at a range of imposed, unnatural step frequencies.
DNA-stabilized silver nanoclusters as specific, ratiometric fluorescent dopamine sensors
Authors: Del Bonis-O’Donnell Jackson T. , Thakrar Ami , Wain Hirschberg Jeremy , Vong Daniel , Queenan Bridget N. , Fygenson Deborah K. , Pennathur Sumita 
Published: October 2017

ABSTRACTNeurotransmitters are small molecules that orchestrate complex patterns of brain activity. Unfortunately, there exist few sensors capable of directly detecting individual neurotransmitters. Those sensors that do exist are either unspecific or fail to capture the temporal or spatial dynamics of neurotransmitter release. DNA-stabilized silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) are a new class of biocompatible, fluorescent nanostructures that have recently been demonstrated to offer promise as biosensors. In this work, we identify two different DNA sequences which form dopamine-sensitive nanoclusters. We demonstrate that each sequence supports two distinct DNA-AgNCs capable of providing specific, ratiometric fluorescent sensing of dopamine concentration in vitro. DNA-Ag nanoclusters therefore offer a novel, low-cost approach to quantification of dopamine, creating the potential for real-time monitoring in vivo.
Exploring differences between private and public organizations in business excellence models
Authors: Raharjo Hendry , Eriksson Henrik 
Published: October 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the differences between public and private organizations in the paths of business excellence models and to identify the key drivers for creating business results and customer satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThe partial least squares structural equation modeling technique is used to compare the path coefficients and to identify the key driver constructs for creating business results.FindingsThe variation in endogenous constructs is found to be more difficult to explain or predict for private organizations than for public organizations, despite the fact that the performance of private organizations is almost always higher than or equal to the performance of public ones in all criteria. The effect of “leadership” on “management of processes” is significantly higher in public organizations than in private ones. However, “management of processes” in public organizations does not seem to translate into “results.” The effect of “strategic planning” on creating business “results” is negative for public organizations and remains inconclusive, due to insufficient evidence, for private organizations.Research limitations/implicationsThe results may not be generally applicable to other countries. However, they do support the move toward more tailor-made models for specific sectors.Practical implicationsIt is necessary to review the national business excellence model in order to fit specific sectors.Originality/valueThis is the first study to investigate the differences between private and public organizations in the Swedish business excellence model.