bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Biotrophy-necrotrophy switch in pathogen evoke differential response in resistant and susceptible sesame involving multiple signaling pathways at different phases
Authors: Chowdhury Supriyo , Basu Arpita , Kundu Surekha 
Published: December 2017

AbstractInfection stages of charcoal rot fungus Macrophomina phaseolina in sesame revealed for the first time a transition from biotrophy via BNS (biotrophy-to-necrotrophy switch) to necrotrophy as confirmed by transcriptional studies. Microscopy using normal and GFP-expressing pathogen showed typical constricted thick intercellular bitrophic hyphae which gave rise to thin intracellular necrotrophic hyphae during BNS and this stage was delayed in a resistant host. Results also show that as the pathogen switched its strategy of infection, the host tailored its defense strategy to meet the changing situation. Less ROS accumulation, upregulation of ROS signaling genes and higher antioxidant enzyme activities post BNS resulted in resistance. There was greater accumulation of secondary metabolites and upregulation of secondary metabolite-related genes after BNS. A total of twenty genes functioning in different aspects of plant defense that were monitored over a time course during the changing infection phases showed a coordinated response. Experiments using phytohormone priming and phytohormone inhibitors showed that resistance resulted from activation of JA-ET signaling pathway. Most importantly this defense response was more prompt in the resistant than the susceptible host indicating that a resistant host makes different choices from a susceptible host during infection which ultimately influences the severity of the disease.
Cytokines and chemokines measured in dried SLA-stimulated whole blood spots for asymptomatic Leishmania infantum and Leishmania donovani infection
Authors: Ibarra-Meneses A. V. , Mondal D. , Alvar J. , Moreno J. , Carrillo E. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractWhole blood stimulation with soluble Leishmania antigen (SLA), followed by plasma cytokine and chemokine determination, provides means of detecting subjects with asymptomatic Leishmania infection. This work examines the potential of Protein Saver 903 cards for the storage and transport of SLA-stimulated dried plasma spot samples. Blood was collected from asymptomatic and negative control subjects living in a Leishmania infantum- (Spain) and Leishmania donovani-endemic area (Bangladesh). After SLA-stimulation, three types of sample were prepared: frozen liquid plasma (−20 °C), and plasma dropped onto Protein Saver cards kept at −20 °C (DPS-FZ), and at ambient temperature (DPS-AT). The concentrations of IFN-γ, IL-2, CXCL10, CXCL9, CCL2 and CXCL8 in the thawed liquid plasma (TLP), DPS-FZ and DPS-AT samples were then determined. Strong correlations were seen between the TLP and DPS-FZ/AT samples for all the studied cytokines/chemokines in both the L. infantum and L. donovani areas. Protein Saver 903 cards would therefore appear to allow for the transport of SLA-stimulated plasma samples by courier at ambient temperature. The CXCL10 and CXCL9 detectable in these plasma spots provided robust markers for identifying asymptomatic subjects from both endemic areas. This easy procedure opens up new possibilities for field studies in resource-limited settings, which could help in Leishmania control.
Dissecting the Genetic Basis of Local Adaptation in Soybean
Authors: Bandillo Nonoy B. , Anderson Justin E. , Kantar Michael B. , Stupar Robert M. , Specht James E. , Graef George L. , Lorenz Aaron J. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractSoybean (Glycine max) is the most widely grown oilseed in the world and is an important source of protein for both humans and livestock. Soybean is widely adapted to both temperate and tropical regions, but a changing climate demands a better understanding of adaptation to specific environmental conditions. Here, we explore genetic variation in a collection of 3,012 georeferenced, locally adapted landraces from a broad geographical range to help elucidate the genetic basis of local adaptation. We used geographic origin, environmental data and dense genome-wide SNP data to perform an environmental association analysis and discover loci displaying steep gradients in allele frequency across geographical distance and between landrace and modern cultivars. Our combined application of methods in environmental association mapping and detection of selection targets provide a better understanding of how geography and selection may have shaped genetic variation among soybean landraces. Moreover, we identified several important candidate genes related to drought and heat stress, and revealed important genomic regions possibly involved in the geographic divergence of soybean.
Genome-wide and gene-based association mapping for rice eating and cooking characteristics and protein content
Authors: Wang Xiaoqian , Pang Yunlong , Zhang Jian , Wu Zhichao , Chen Kai , Ali Jauhar , Ye Guoyou , Xu Jianlong , Li Zhikang 
Published: December 2017

AbstractRice eating and cooking quality and protein content (PC) are important properties affecting consumers’ preferences, nutrition and health. Linkage QTL mapping and association studies are usually applied to genetically dissect related traits, which could be further facilitated by high density SNP markers and gene annotation based on reference genome to rapid identify candidate genes associated with interested traits. Here, we carried out an association study for apparent amylose content (AC), gel consistency (GC), gelatinization temperature (GT) and PC evaluated in two environments using a diverse panel of 258 accessions from 3 K Rice Genome Project. Wide phenotypic variations were observed in this panel. Genome-wide association study using 22,488 high quality SNPs identified 19 QTL affecting the four traits. Combining gene-based association study and haplotype analyses plus functional annotation allowed us to shortlist nine candidate genes for four important QTL regions affecting AC, GC and GT, including two cloned genes (Wx and ALK), and seven novels. The research suggested that GWAS and gene-based association analysis followed by haplotype analysis is an effective way to detect candidate genes. The identified genes and QTL provided valuable sources for future functional characterization and genetic improvement of rice eating and cooking quality and PC.
Prediction of genomic breeding values using new computing strategies for the implementation of MixP
Authors: Dong Linsong , Fang Ming , Wang Zhiyong 
Published: December 2017

AbstractMixP is an implementation that uses the Pareto principle to perform genomic prediction. This study was designed to develop two new computing strategies: one strategy for nonMCMC-based MixP (FMixP), and the other one for MCMC-based MixP (MMixP). The difference is that MMixP can estimate variances of SNP effects and the probability that a SNP has a large variance, but FMixP cannot. Simulated data from an international workshop and real data on large yellow croaker were used as the materials for the study. Four Bayesian methods, BayesA, BayesCπ, MMixP and FMixP, were used to compare the predictive results. The results show that BayesCπ, MMixP and FMixP perform better than BayesA for the simulated data, but all methods have very similar predictive abilities for the large yellow croaker. However, FMixP is computationally significantly faster than the MCMC-based methods. Our research may have a potential for the future applications in genomic prediction.
Functional analysis of human intrafusal fiber innervation by human γ-motoneurons
Authors: Colón A. , Guo X. , Akanda N. , Cai Y. , Hickman J. J. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractInvestigation of neuromuscular deficits and diseases such as SMA, as well as for next generation prosthetics, utilizing in vitro phenotypic models would benefit from the development of a functional neuromuscular reflex arc. The neuromuscular reflex arc is the system that integrates the proprioceptive information for muscle length and activity (sensory afferent), to modify motoneuron output to achieve graded muscle contraction (actuation efferent). The sensory portion of the arc is composed of proprioceptive sensory neurons and the muscle spindle, which is embedded in the muscle tissue and composed of intrafusal fibers. The gamma motoneurons (γ-MNs) that innervate these fibers regulate the intrafusal fiber’s stretch so that they retain proper tension and sensitivity during muscle contraction or relaxation. This mechanism is in place to maintain the sensitivity of proprioception during dynamic muscle activity and to prevent muscular damage. In this study, a co-culture system was developed for innervation of intrafusal fibers by human γ-MNs and demonstrated by morphological and immunocytochemical analysis, then validated by functional electrophysiological evaluation. This human-based fusimotor model and its incorporation into the reflex arc allows for a more accurate recapitulation of neuromuscular function for applications in disease investigations, drug discovery, prosthetic design and neuropathic pain investigations.
Reconfigurable Yagi-Uda antenna based on a silicon reflector with a solid-state plasma
Authors: Kim Da-Jin , Park Jang-Soon , Kim Cheol Ho , Hur Jae , Kim Choong-Ki , Cho Young-Kyun , Ko Jun-Bong , Park Bonghyuk , Kim Dongho , Choi Yang-Kyu 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis paper describes the fabrication and characterization of a reconfigurable Yagi-Uda antenna based on a silicon reflector with a solid-state plasma. The silicon reflector, composed of serially connected p-i-n diodes, forms a highly dense solid-state plasma by injecting electrons and holes into the intrinsic region. When this plasma silicon reflector is turned on, the front-realized gain of the antenna increases by more than 2 dBi beyond 5.3 GHz. To achieve the large gain increment, the structure of the antenna is carefully designed with the aid of semiconductor device simulation and antenna simulation. By using an aluminum nitride (AlN) substrate with high thermal conductivity, self-heating effects from the high forward current in the p-i-n diode are efficiently suppressed. By comparing the antenna simulation data and the measurement data, we estimated the conductivity of the plasma silicon reflector in the on-state to be between 104 and 105 S/m. With these figures, silicon material with its technology is an attractive tunable material for a reconfigurable antenna, which has attracted substantial interest from many areas, such as internet of things (IoT) applications, wireless network security, cognitive radio, and mobile and satellite communications as well as from multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems.
Numerical value biases sound localization
Authors: Golob Edward J. , Lewald Jörg , Getzmann Stephan , Mock Jeffrey R. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractSpeech recognition starts with representations of basic acoustic perceptual features and ends by categorizing the sound based on long-term memory for word meaning. However, little is known about whether the reverse pattern of lexical influences on basic perception can occur. We tested for a lexical influence on auditory spatial perception by having subjects make spatial judgments of number stimuli. Four experiments used pointing or left/right 2-alternative forced choice tasks to examine perceptual judgments of sound location as a function of digit magnitude (1–9). The main finding was that for stimuli presented near the median plane there was a linear left-to-right bias for localizing smaller-to-larger numbers. At lateral locations there was a central-eccentric location bias in the pointing task, and either a bias restricted to the smaller numbers (left side) or no significant number bias (right side). Prior number location also biased subsequent number judgments towards the opposite side. Findings support a lexical influence on auditory spatial perception, with a linear mapping near midline and more complex relations at lateral locations. Results may reflect coding of dedicated spatial channels, with two representing lateral positions in each hemispace, and the midline area represented by either their overlap or a separate third channel.
The genome sequence of Bipolaris cookei reveals mechanisms of pathogenesis underlying target leaf spot of sorghum
Authors: Zaccaron Alex Z. , Bluhm Burton H. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractBipolaris cookei (=Bipolaris sorghicola) causes target leaf spot, one of the most prevalent foliar diseases of sorghum. Little is known about the molecular basis of pathogenesis in B. cookei, in large part due to a paucity of resources for molecular genetics, such as a reference genome. Here, a draft genome sequence of B. cookei was obtained and analyzed. A hybrid assembly strategy utilizing Illumina and Pacific Biosciences sequencing technologies produced a draft nuclear genome of 36.1 Mb, organized into 321 scaffolds with L50 of 31 and N50 of 378 kb, from which 11,189 genes were predicted. Additionally, a finished mitochondrial genome sequence of 135,790 bp was obtained, which contained 75 predicted genes. Comparative genomics revealed that B. cookei possessed substantially fewer carbohydrate-active enzymes and secreted proteins than closely related Bipolaris species. Novel genes involved in secondary metabolism, including genes implicated in ophiobolin biosynthesis, were identified. Among 37 B. cookei genes induced during sorghum infection, one encodes a putative effector with a limited taxonomic distribution among plant pathogenic fungi. The draft genome sequence of B. cookei provided novel insights into target leaf spot of sorghum and is an important resource for future investigation.
A new method to evaluate floodwater for control/use in high-sediment rivers of Northwest China
Authors: Li Xungui 
Published: December 2017

AbstractEvaluating the quantity of flood season floodwater that is difficult to control or use in rivers with high sediment concentration is an important part of water resource evaluation and floodwater resource utilisation. This study proposes a method coupling water quantity and quality to evaluate such floodwater. The method divides floodwater into floodwater that is difficult to control (‘difficult-controllable’) and floodwater that is controllable but difficult to use (‘controllable but difficult-use’). A case study of the Bajiazui Reservoir in the Jing River in China’s Loess Plateau is presented. The average annual quantity of difficult-controllable floodwater is 10.4 million m3. The annual mean quantity of the difficult-controllable/-use floodwater is 38.1 million m3. The majority of that amount (78.21%) comprised controllable but difficult-use floodwater. An analysis of 64 combinations of factors influencing the quantity of the difficult-controllable/-use floodwater shows that the sediment concentration of run-off is the primary factor influencing the difficult-controllable/-use floodwater. The reservoir’s maximum flood release capacity and floodwater rejection coefficient are the primary factors affecting the difficult-controllable and controllable but difficult-use floodwater, respectively. The new evaluation method is superior to traditional methods and is suitable for evaluating difficult-controllable/-use floodwater in high-sediment rivers.
Voluntary modulation of mental effort investment: an fMRI study
Authors: Khachouf Omar T. , Chen Gang , Duzzi Davide , Porro Carlo A. , Pagnoni Giuseppe 
Published: December 2017

AbstractMental effort is a common phenomenological construct deeply linked to volition and self-control. While it is often assumed that the amount of exertion invested in a task can be voluntarily regulated, the neural bases of such faculty and its behavioural effects are yet insufficiently understood. In this study, we investigated how the instructions to execute a demanding cognitive task either “with maximum exertion” or “as relaxed as possible” affected performance and brain activity. The maximum exertion condition, compared to relaxed execution, was associated with speeded motor responses without an accuracy trade-off, and an amplification of both task-related activations in dorsal frontoparietal and cerebellar regions, and task-related deactivations in default mode network (DMN) areas. Furthermore, the visual cue to engage maximum effort triggered an anticipatory widespread increase of activity in attentional, sensory and executive regions, with its peak in the brain stem reticular activating system. Across individuals, this surge of activity in the brain stem, but also in medial wall cortical regions projecting to the adrenal medulla, positively correlated with increases in heart rate, suggesting that the intention to willfully modulate invested effort involves mechanisms related to catecholaminergic transmission and a suppression of DMN activity in favor of externally-directed attentional processes.
The evolution of phenotypic plasticity under global change
Authors: Gibbin Emma M. , Massamba N’Siala Gloria , Chakravarti Leela J. , Jarrold Michael D. , Calosi Piero 
Published: December 2017

AbstractMarine ecosystems are currently in a state of flux, with ocean warming and acidification occurring at unprecedented rates. Phenotypic plasticity underpins acclimatory responses by shifting the mean phenotype in a population, which may buffer the negative effects of global change. However, little is known about how phenotypic plasticity evolves across multiple generations. We tested this by reciprocally-transplanting the polychaeteOphryotrocha labronicabetween control and global change scenarios (ocean warming and acidification in isolation and combined) over five generations. By comparing the reaction norms of four life-history traits across generations, we show that juvenile developmental rate in the combined scenario was the only trait that changed its plastic response across generations when transplanted back to control conditions, and that adaptive plasticity was conserved in most traits, despite significant levels of selection and strong declines in individual fitness in the multi-generational exposure. We suggest the change in level of plasticity in the combined scenario is caused by differential allocation of energy between the mean and the plasticity of the trait along the multigenerational exposure. The ability to maintain within-generational levels of plasticity under global change scenarios has important eco-evolutionary and conservation implications, which are examined under the framework of assisted evolution programs.
Effect of Qianghuo Erhuang Decoction on T Regulatory and T Helper 17 Cells in Treatment of Adjuvant-induced Arthritis in Rats
Authors: Qian Can , Kuang Mei , Wang Yong 
Published: December 2017

AbstractQianghuoErhuang Decoction (QED) is an effective recipe in treating rheumatoid arthritis. The present study aimed to explore the effects of QED on Treg and Th17 in adjuvant arthritis (AA) model. The study included 6 group rats: normal control group, AA group, AA + methotrexate (MTX) group, AA + high, moderate, and low dose QED groups. The arthritis score was significantly decreased in the MTX and high-dose QED groups compared with the AA group on days 24 and 28 (P < 0.01), respectively. The synovial tissue inflammation was attenuated by histological observation, and the proliferation of splenocytes was significantly inhibited in MTX and high-dose QED groups (P < 0.01). High-dose QED can up-regulated the percentage of Treg cells (P < 0.01) and down-regulated the percentage of Th17 cells (P < 0.05). Notably, the serum levels of IL-6, IL-17 and TNF-α were significantly decreased, while TGF-β levels were apparently elevated compared with AA group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Interestingly, moderate and low-dose QED had no such similar effects. In summary, high-dose QED had a therapeutic effect against adjuvant arthritis and regulated the related cytokine levels in serum. The underlying mechanism might be mediated via restoration of the imbalance in CD4+ T lymphocyte subsets, Treg/Th17.
A translational model to determine rodent’s age from human foetal age
Authors: Ohmura Yoshiyuki , Kuniyoshi Yasuo 
Published: December 2017

AbstractTo understand the prenatal origin of developmental and psychiatric disorders, studies in laboratory animals are imperative. However, the developmental pace differs between humans and animals; hence, corresponding human ages must be estimated to infer the most vulnerable developmental timings in humans. Because rats and mice are extensively used as models in developmental research, a correspondence between human foetal ages and rodents’ ages must be precisely determined; thus, developing a translational model is of utmost importance. Optimizing a translational model involves classifying the brain regions according to developmental paces, but previous studies have conducted this classification arbitrarily. Here we used a clustering method and showed that the brain regions can be classified into two groups. To quantify the developmental pace, we gathered data for a range of development events in humans and rodents and created a linear mixed model that translates human developmental timings into the corresponding rat timings. We conducted an automatic classification of brain regions using an EM algorithm and obtained a model to translate human foetal age to rat age. Our model could predict rat developmental timings within 2.5 days of root mean squared error. This result provides useful information for designing animal studies and clinical tests.
GDF15 deficiency exacerbates chronic alcohol- and carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury
Authors: Chung Hyo Kyun , Kim Jung Tae , Kim Hyeon-Woo , Kwon Minjoo , Kim So Yeon , Shong Minho , Kim Koon Soon , Yi Hyon-Seung 
Published: December 2017

AbstractGrowth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) has recently been shown to have an important role in the regulation of mitochondrial function and in the pathogenesis of complex human diseases. Nevertheless, the role of GDF15 in alcohol-induced or fibrotic liver diseases has yet to be determined. In this study, we demonstrate that alcohol- or carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-mediated hepatic GDF15 production ameliorates liver inflammation and fibrosis. Alcohol directly enhanced GDF15 expression in primary hepatocytes, which led to increased oxygen consumption. Moreover, GDF15 reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in liver-resident macrophages, leading to an improvement in inflammation and fibrosis in the liver. GDF15 knockout (KO) mice had more TNF-α-producing T cells and more activated CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the liver than wild-type mice. Liver-infiltrating monocytes and neutrophils were also increased in the GDF15 KO mice during liver fibrogenesis. These changes in hepatic immune cells were associated with increased tissue inflammation and fibrosis. Finally, recombinant GDF15 decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and fibrotic mediators and prevented the activation of T cells in the livers of mice with CCl4-induced liver fibrosis. These results suggest that GDF15 could be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of alcohol-induced and fibrotic liver diseases.