bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The path from mitochondrial ROS to aging runs through the mitochondrial permeability transition pore
Authors: Rottenberg Hagai , Hoek Jan B. 
Published: July 2017

SummaryExcessive production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) is strongly associated with mitochondrial and cellular oxidative damage, aging, and degenerative diseases. However, mROS also induces pathways of protection of mitochondria that slow aging, inhibit cell death, and increase lifespan. Recent studies show that the activation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), which is triggered by mROS and mitochondrial calcium overloading, is enhanced in aged animals and humans and in aging‐related degenerative diseases. mPTP opening initiates further production and release of mROS that damage both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, proteins, and phospholipids, and also releases matrix NAD that is hydrolyzed in the intermembrane space, thus contributing to the depletion of cellular NAD that accelerates aging. Oxidative damage to calcium transporters leads to calcium overload and more frequent opening of mPTP. Because aging enhances the opening of the mPTP and mPTP opening accelerates aging, we suggest that mPTP opening drives the progression of aging. Activation of the mPTP is regulated, directly and indirectly, not only by the mitochondrial protection pathways that are induced by mROS, but also by pro‐apoptotic signals that are induced by DNA damage. We suggest that the integration of these contrasting signals by the mPTP largely determines the rate of cell aging and the initiation of cell death, and thus animal lifespan. The suggestion that the control of mPTP activation is critical for the progression of aging can explain the conflicting and confusing evidence regarding the beneficial and deleterious effects of mROS on health and lifespan.
New species of gall midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) damaging flower buds of ornamental Alstroemeria plants
Authors: Kolesik Peter , Baker Greg , Hill Kelly , Manners Andrew G , Dijkstra Eddy 
Published: July 2017

AbstractAlstroemeria (Liliales: Alstroemeriaceae) is a plant genus native to South America with many interspecific hybrids cultivated as ornamentals worldwide. Several yellow larvae of an undescribed gall midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) were found feeding inside flower buds of Alstroemeria plants grown in production greenhouses in South Australia in 2013; Queensland, Australia, in 2015 and the Netherlands in 2016. Infested buds became malformed, did not produce flowers and turned necrotic later. In Queensland and the Netherlands, the necrotised buds became additionally infected by a saprophytic fungus Cladosporium sp. With up to 80% of flower buds infested, the new gall midge decreased the value of plants aimed for the cut flower market and reduced seed of reproduction plants. The new species, named Contarinia jongi Kolesik sp. nov., is described, and a segment of its Cytochrome Oxidase unit I mitochondrial gene is sequenced. This is the first gall midge known to feed on a host plant from the family Alstroemeriaceae. Previously, Alstroemeria cut flowers imported from Australia and New Zealand to Japan were found to contain viable larvae of the new species, demonstrating that the new species can spread with the flower trade. It is possible that Contarinia jongi is native to South America, the homeland of its host plant.
How Do Interest Groups Seek Access to Committees?
Authors: Fouirnaies Alexander , Hall Andrew B. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractConcerns that interest groups use their financial resources to distort the democratic process are long‐standing. Surprisingly, though, firms spend little money on political campaigns, and roughly 95% of publicly traded firms in the United States have never contributed to a political campaign. Do interest groups seek political access through their modest contributions, or are these contributions only a minor and forgettable part of the political process? In this article, we present comprehensive evidence that interest groups are extremely sophisticated in the way they make campaign contributions. We collect a new data set on U.S. state legislative committee assignments and legislator procedural powers from 1988 to 2014, merged with campaign finance data, in order to analyze over 440,000 candidate–committee observations across 99 legislatures. Using a series of difference‐in‐differences designs based on changes in individual legislators' positions in the legislature, we not only show that interest groups seek out committee members, but we also show that they value what we call indirect access. When a legislator gains procedural powers, interest groups reallocate considerable amounts of money to her. The results reveal how interest groups in a wide range of democratic settings seek to influence the policy process not only by seeking direct access to policy makers but by seeking indirect access to legislative procedure as well.
Morphometric age and survival following kidney transplantation
Authors: Terjimanian Michael N. , Underwood Patrick W. , Cron David C. , Augustine Joshua J. , Noon Kelly A. , Cote Devan A. , Wang Stewart C. , Englesbe Michael J. , Woodside Kenneth J. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackgroundAs patients with chronic kidney disease become older, there is greater need to identify who will most benefit from kidney transplantation. Analytic morphomics has emerged as an objective risk assessment tool distinct from chronologic age. We hypothesize that morphometric age is a significant predictor of survival following transplantation.MethodsA retrospective cohort of 158 kidney transplant patients from 2005 to 2014 with 1‐year preoperative imaging was identified. Based on a control population comprising of trauma patients and kidney donors, morphometric age was calculated using the validated characteristics of psoas area, psoas density, and abdominal aortic calcification. The primary outcome was post‐transplant survival.ResultsCox regression showed morphometric age was a significant predictor of survival (hazard ratio, 1.06 per morphometric year [95% confidence interval, 1.03‐1.08]; P < .001). Chronological age was not significant (hazard ratio, 1.03 per year [0.98‐1.07]; P = .22). Among the chronologically oldest patients, those with younger morphometric age had greater survival rates compared to those with older morphometric age.ConclusionsMorphometric age predicts survival following kidney transplantation. Particularly for older patients, it offers improved risk stratification compared to chronologic age. Morphomics may improve the transplant selection process and provide a greater assessment of prospective survival benefits.
Adaptation of the pine fungal pathogen Grosmannia clavigera to monoterpenes: Biochemical mechanisms revealed by RNA‐seq analysis
Authors: Kligun E. , Ostretsov B. , Titievsky A. , Farkov M. , Alamouti S. M. , Brodsky L. 
Published: July 2017

SummaryThe blue stain fungus Grosmannia clavigera (G. clavigera) is a pathogen of pines that can tolerate monoterpenes in oleoresin. Grosmannia clavigera has developed several mechanisms to cope with the host's monoterpene defence: a monoterpene efflux system mediated by an ABC transporter and enzymes that utilize or modify monoterpenes. In this study, we integrated two expression data sets based on a match between their multi‐dimensional distributions. The data sets are raw RNA‐seq and already processed transcriptome expression data with partially matching biological conditions. As a result, several new regulatory mechanisms, including the upregulation of the stress response and the developmental process at early‐time‐point terpene treatment, were involved in the adaptation of G. clavigera to monoterpenes and were supported by both data sets. In addition, several genes related to terpenoid modification were upregulated within 36 h (in rich media) and 7 days (in poor media) of terpene treatment. These results led us to the assumption that G. clavigera used terpenes as an energy source within 7 days when no other energy source was available, while within 36 h of terpene treatment on rich media these genes took part in terpene detoxification. As the G. clavigera genome is not well annotated, we performed detection of new putative transcripts as genome fragments enriched by read mapping. Several newly detected transcripts annotated as putative retrotransposons were upregulated mostly under early‐time‐point terpene treatment, while others annotated as putative ribonuclease and protease were downregulated mostly during early‐time‐point terpene treatment. Based on these results, it can be hypothesized that these new transcripts could play a role in previously unidentified G. clavigera terpene response regulatory mechanisms. Overall, this study identified gene expression regulations supported by two data sets as well as new putative transcripts related to new processes that might be important for G. clavigera tolerance to terpenes.
Energy‐based fatigue failure characteristics of materials under random bending loading in elastic‐plastic range
Authors: Macek Wojciech , Łagoda Tadeusz , Mucha Norbert 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThis article presents selected aspects connected to the methods of identification of strain energy density that are used to calculate the fatigue strength of materials. The authors focus on selected methods for determination of energy‐based (stress‐strain) characteristics of the fatigue life of materials (Wa − Nf), including a new approach for the determination of strain energy density parameter Wa. The paper also contains description and evaluation of models for determining the stress amplitudes σa in the elastic‐plastic range, for bending. The developed procedure should give new capabilities in fatigue life calculations.
Discordant rapid HIV tests: lessons from a low‐resource community
Authors: Adetunji AA , Kuti MA , Audu RA , Muyibi SA , Imhansoloeva M , Mosuro OA , Solanke EA , Akpa OM , Irabor AE , Ladipo MMA , Berzins B , Robertson K , Ogunniyi A , Adewole IF , Taiwo BO 
Published: July 2017

ObjectivesHIV rapid antibody tests are widely used in Africa, but dual testing sometimes produces discordant results. It is not clear if discordant rapid HIV tests should always heighten suspicion by frontline health workers that early HIV infection is present. Some studies have reported that discordant rapid tests have value for identifying early HIV infection in high HIV prevalence populations. It is not known if rapid test performance influenced this conclusion, or if this observation will hold true for low HIV prevalence populations. We therefore explored the occurrence of discordant rapid HIV tests in a low‐resource community.MethodsA cross‐sectional sample of HIV status‐unaware adults with recent exposure to unsafe sex was assessed using a validated risk‐based tool (University of North Carolina (UNC)‐Malawi Risk Screening Score) for acute HIV infection. Participants received rapid testing with Determine™ HIV 1/2 and Uni‐Gold™ HIV assays, plus plasma HIV‐1 antigen testing with the COBAS® Ampliprep/COBAS® Taqman® HIV‐1 assay, followed by western blot in those with detected HIV‐1 antigen.ResultsOf 408 participants, 1.0% were confirmed to have established HIV infection. The discordance between rapid tests at initial screening was 2.45 and 2.94% when the two assays were used sequentially and simultaneously, respectively. Discordant rapid tests were strongly associated with risk scores > 2 [odds ratio (OR) 10.88; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.35–50.43], and with detected HIV‐1 RNA (OR 26.06; 95% CI 3.91–173.60).ConclusionsWhen the sample occurrence of discordance between the first and second tests is below 5%, discordant rapid tests in an adult with sexual risk behaviour should trigger strong suspicion of early HIV infection in low HIV prevalence populations.
American Bail and the Tinting of Criminal Justice
Authors: DABNEY DEAN A. , PAGE JOSHUA , TOPALLI VOLKAN 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThis article analyses the history of bail in the United States in an effort to situate this institution within the general narrative of criminal justice transformation during the 19th and 20th Centuries. We identify core characteristics of American bail (commercialisation, risk assessment, and community supervision) that developed relatively early in the institution's history. Although the structure and processes of American bail was reshaped considerably over time, the spread of neoconservative and neoliberal rationalities did not radically transform the core identity of the institution. Instead, these political logics had a ‘tinting effect’ on bail, intensifying and altering that which already existed. As such, we frame the case of bail not as a flip from the ‘old’ to the ‘new’ penology, but rather of the fusing and reshaping as old practices with new goals, justifications,and methods.
Piezoelectric properties of (Na1−xKx)NbO3‐based lead‐free piezoelectric ceramics and their application in knocking sensor
Authors: Kim Dae‐Hyeon , Lee Tae‐Gon , Cho Sung‐Hoon , Lee Ku‐Tak , Kang Chong‐Yun , Lee Won‐Kyoung , Lee Chung‐Kook , Nahm Sahn 
Published: July 2017

AbstractPiezoelectric knocking sensors with a dense microstructure were fabricated at 960°C for 2 hours using various CuO‐added (Na0.5K0.5)NbO3 (NKN)‐based piezoelectric ceramics. The practical sensitivity (SP) of the knocking sensor, which is the ability to detect the knocking of a car engine, was influenced by the g33 × kp value of the piezoelectric ceramics, indicating that the g33 × kp can be considered a figure of merit of the piezoelectric ceramics used in the knocking sensor. The knocking sensor synthesized using the CuO‐added 0.95(Na0.5K0.5)(Nb0.95Sb0.05)O3–0.05CaTiO3 (CNKNS–CT) ceramic, which showed a g33 of 25.7 Vm/N and kp of 0.46, exhibited a high SP of 119 mV/g at the resonance frequency. The SP of the commercial knocking sensor, which was synthesized using the Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT)‐based ceramic, was 112 mV/g at the resonance frequency. Hence, the knocking sensor fabricated using the CNKNS–CT piezoelectric ceramic can be used to replace the commercial PZT‐based knocking sensor.
Reconstruction method as an independent risk factor for postoperative bone mineral density loss in gastric cancer
Authors: Imamura Taisuke , Komatsu Shuhei , Ichikawa Daisuke , Kosuga Toshiyuki , Kubota Takeshi , Okamoto Kazuma , Konishi Hirotaka , Shiozaki Atsushi , Fujiwara Hitoshi , Otsuji Eigo 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackground and AimNo study has compared the incidence of postoperative bone metabolic disorders between Billroth‐I (B‐I) and Roux‐en‐Y (R‐Y) reconstructions after distal gastrectomy (DG) for gastric cancer (GC). In this study, we wished to examine the impact of reconstruction method on postoperative bone mineral density (BMD) loss.MethodsWe investigated a total of 148 consecutive patients who underwent DG with B‐I or R‐Y reconstruction for stage I GC between 2008 and 2012. We retrospectively assessed the BMD data using computed tomography attenuation values of the first lumbar vertebra after surgery.ResultsIn multivariate analysis for the whole study series, R‐Y reconstruction was identified as an independent risk factor for BMD loss after DG (P < 0.0001; OR = 5.60; 95% CI = 2.38–13.98). Propensity score match analysis was used to overcome bias because of the different covariates for the two groups; even though the 37 patients in the B‐I group and the 37 patients in the R‐Y group had no significant difference among characteristics, B‐I reconstruction was validated to have superiority over R‐Y reconstruction for preventing BMD loss in the first 3 years after DG. The cumulative hazard ratio of osteoporosis after gastrectomy was significantly higher in the R‐Y group than in the B‐I group (P = 0.0427).ConclusionsBillroth‐I reconstruction might be a preferable method for preventing BMD loss after gastrectomy in GC patients.
Effects of donor and acceptor's fluorescence lifetimes on the method of applying Förster resonance energy transfer in STED microscopy
Authors: DENG SUHUI , CHEN JIANFANG , GAO ZHAOSHUAI , FAN CHUNHAI , YAN QIURONG , WANG YUHAO 
Published: July 2017

SummaryFörster resonance energy transfer (FRET) probes being used to improve the resolution of stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy are numerically discussed. Besides the FRET efficiency and the excitation intensity, the fluorescence lifetimes of donor and acceptor are found to be another key parameter for the resolution enhancement. Using samples of FRET pairs with shorter donor lifetime and longer acceptor lifetime enhances the nonlinearity of the donor fluorescence, which leads to an increased resolution. The numerical simulation shows that a double resolution improvement of STED microscopy can be achieved by using Cy3–Atto647N samples when compared with that of using standard Cy3‐only samples.
Delivery of cytoplasmic and apoplastic effectors from Phytophthora infestans haustoria by distinct secretion pathways
Authors: Wang Shumei , Boevink Petra C. , Welsh Lydia , Zhang Ruofang , Whisson Stephen C. , Birch Paul R. J. 
Published: July 2017

Summary

The potato blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans secretes effector proteins that are delivered inside (cytoplasmic) or can act outside (apoplastic) plant cells to neutralize host immunity. Little is known about how and where effectors are secreted during infection, yet such knowledge is essential to understand and combat crop disease.

We used transient Agrobacterium tumefaciens‐mediated in planta expression, transformation of P. infestans with fluorescent protein fusions and confocal microscopy to investigate delivery of effectors to plant cells during infection.

The cytoplasmic effector Pi04314, expressed as a monomeric red fluorescent protein (mRFP) fusion protein with a signal peptide to secrete it from plant cells, did not passively re‐enter the cells upon secretion. However, Pi04314‐mRFP expressed in P. infestans was translocated from haustoria, which form intimate interactions with plant cells, to accumulate at its sites of action in the host nucleus. The well‐characterized apoplastic effector EPIC1, a cysteine protease inhibitor, was also secreted from haustoria. EPIC1 secretion was inhibited by brefeldin A (BFA), demonstrating that it is delivered by conventional Golgi‐mediated secretion. By contrast, Pi04314 secretion was insensitive to BFA treatment, indicating that the cytoplasmic effector follows an alternative route for delivery into plant cells.

Phytophthora infestans haustoria are thus sites for delivery of both apoplastic and cytoplasmic effectors during infection, following distinct secretion pathways.
High‐resolution synchrotron imaging shows that root hairs influence rhizosphere soil structure formation
Authors: Koebernick Nicolai , Daly Keith R. , Keyes Samuel D. , George Timothy S. , Brown Lawrie K. , Raffan Annette , Cooper Laura J. , Naveed Muhammad , Bengough Anthony G. , Sinclair Ian , Hallett Paul D. , Roose Tiina 
Published: July 2017

Summary

In this paper, we provide direct evidence of the importance of root hairs on pore structure development at the root–soil interface during the early stage of crop establishment.

This was achieved by use of high‐resolution (c. 5 μm) synchrotron radiation computed tomography (SRCT) to visualise both the structure of root hairs and the soil pore structure in plant–soil microcosms. Two contrasting genotypes of barley (Hordeum vulgare), with and without root hairs, were grown for 8 d in microcosms packed with sandy loam soil at 1.2 g cm−3 dry bulk density. Root hairs were visualised within air‐filled pore spaces, but not in the fine‐textured soil regions.

We found that the genotype with root hairs significantly altered the porosity and connectivity of the detectable pore space (> 5 μm) in the rhizosphere, as compared with the no‐hair mutants. Both genotypes showed decreasing pore space between 0.8 and 0.1 mm from the root surface. Interestingly the root‐hair‐bearing genotype had a significantly greater soil pore volume‐fraction at the root–soil interface.

Effects of pore structure on diffusion and permeability were estimated to be functionally insignificant under saturated conditions when simulated using image‐based modelling.
Mechanisms of action of nonpeptide hormones on resveratrol‐induced antiproliferation of cancer cells
Authors: Lin Hung‐Yun , Hsieh Meng‐Ti , Cheng Guei‐Yun , Lai Hsuan‐Yu , Chin Yu‐Tang , Shih Ya‐Jung , Nana André Wendindondé , Lin Shin‐Ying , Yang Yu‐Chen S.H. , Tang Heng‐Yuan , Chiang I‐Jen , Wang Kuan 
Published: July 2017

AbstractNonpeptide hormones, such as thyroid hormone, dihydrotestosterone, and estrogen, have been shown to stimulate cancer proliferation via different mechanisms. Aside from their cytosolic or membrane‐bound receptors, there are receptors on integrin αvβ3 for nonpeptide hormones. Interaction between hormones and integrin αvβ3 can induce signal transduction and eventually stimulate cancer cell proliferation. Resveratrol induces inducible COX‐2–dependent antiproliferation via integrin αvβ3. Resveratrol and hormone‐induced signals are both transduced by activated extracellular‐regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2); however, hormones promote cell proliferation, while resveratrol induces antiproliferation in cancer cells. Hormones inhibit resveratrol‐stimulated phosphorylation of p53 on Ser15, resveratrol‐induced nuclear COX‐2 accumulation, and formation of p53–COX‐2 nuclear complexes. Subsequently, hormones impair resveratrol‐induced COX‐2–/p53‐dependent gene expression. The inhibitory effects of hormones on resveratrol action can be blocked by different antagonists of specific nonpeptide hormone receptors but not integrin αvβ3 blockers. Results suggest that nonpeptide hormones inhibit resveratrol‐induced antiproliferation in cancer cells downstream of the interaction between ligand and receptor and ERK1/2 activation to interfere with nuclear COX‐2 accumulation. Thus, the surface receptor sites for resveratrol and nonpeptide hormones are distinct and can induce discrete ERK1/2‐dependent downstream antiproliferation biological activities. It also indicates the complex pathways by which antiproliferation is induced by resveratrol in various physiological hormonal environments.