bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Suppression of Fusarium wilt of cucumber by ammonia gas fumigation via reduction of Fusarium population in the field
Authors: Zhao Jun , Mei Zhong , Zhang Xu , Xue Chao , Zhang Chenzhi , Ma Tengfei , Zhang Shusheng 
Published: February 2017

AbstractCucumber plants subjected to consecutive monoculture for 9 years were found to suffer from severe Fusarium wilt disease, caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Cucumerinum J. H. Owen. In the present study, greenhouse experiments were performed to evaluate the influence of ammonia gas fumigation on Fusarium wilt suppression, fungal abundance and fungal community composition. Results showed that ammonia gas fumigation remarkably reduced disease incidence from 80% to 27%, resulting in a four-fold increase in yield, compared to the control. Total fungal abundance declined dramatically after fumigation and reached the lowest level at day 32, at 243 times lower than the control. Moreover, fumigation significantly increased soil fungal diversity, though it also decreased considerably coinciding with cucumber growth. Fumigation also significantly altered soil fungal community composition, relative to the control. Fusarium was strongly inhibited by fumigation in both relative abundance (3.8 times lower) and targeted quantification (a decrease of 167 fold). Collectively, the application of ammonia gas fumigation to control Fusarium wilt of cucumber resulted in a re-assembly of the fungal community to resemble that of a non-disease conducive consortium. Additional strategies, such as bioorganic fertilizer application, may still be required to develop sustainable disease suppression following fumigation.
Highly sensitive and adaptable fluorescence-quenched pair discloses the substrate specificity profiles in diverse protease families
Authors: Poreba Marcin , Szalek Aleksandra , Rut Wioletta , Kasperkiewicz Paulina , Rutkowska-Wlodarczyk Izabela , Snipas Scott J. , Itoh Yoshifumi , Turk Dusan , Turk Boris , Overall Christopher M. , Kaczmarek Leszek , Salvesen Guy S. , Drag Marcin 
Published: February 2017

AbstractInternally quenched fluorescent (IQF) peptide substrates originating from FRET (Förster Resonance Energy Transfer) are powerful tool for examining the activity and specificity of proteases, and a variety of donor/acceptor pairs are extensively used to design individual substrates and combinatorial libraries. We developed a highly sensitive and adaptable donor/acceptor pair that can be used to investigate the substrate specificity of cysteine proteases, serine proteases and metalloproteinases. This novel pair comprises 7-amino-4-carbamoylmethylcoumarin (ACC) as the fluorophore and 2,4-dinitrophenyl-lysine (Lys(DNP)) as the quencher. Using caspase-3, caspase-7, caspase-8, neutrophil elastase, legumain, and two matrix metalloproteinases (MMP2 and MMP9), we demonstrated that substrates containing ACC/Lys(DNP) exhibit 7 to 10 times higher sensitivity than conventional 7-methoxy-coumarin-4-yl acetic acid (MCA)/Lys(DNP) substrates; thus, substantially lower amounts of substrate and enzyme can be used for each assay. We therefore propose that the ACC/Lys(DNP) pair can be considered a novel and sensitive scaffold for designing substrates for any group of endopeptidases. We further demonstrate that IQF substrates containing unnatural amino acids can be used to investigate protease activities/specificities for peptides containing post-translationally modified amino acids. Finally, we used IQF substrates to re-investigate the P1-Asp characteristic of caspases, thus demonstrating that some human caspases can also hydrolyze substrates after glutamic acid.
Lanthanide-Doped KLu2F7 Nanoparticles with High Upconversion Luminescence Performance: A Comparative Study by Judd-Ofelt Analysis and Energy Transfer Mechanistic Investigation
Authors: Xu Dekang , Li Anming , Yao Lu , Lin Hao , Yang Shenghong , Zhang Yueli 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe development, design and the performance evaluation of rare-earth doped host materials is important for further optical investigation and industrial applications. Herein, we successfully fabricate KLu2F7 upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) through hydrothermal synthesis by controlling the fluorine-to-lanthanide-ion molar ratio. The structural and morphological results show that the samples are orthorhombic-phase hexagonal-prisms UCNPs, with average side length of 80 nm and average thickness of 110 nm. The reaction time dependent crystal growth experiment suggests that the phase transformation is a thermo-dynamical process and the increasing F−/Ln3+ ratio favors the formation of the thermo-dynamical stable phase - orthorhombic KLu2F7 structure. The upconversion luminescence (UCL) spectra display that the orthorhombic KLu2F7:Yb/Er UCNPs present stronger UCL as much as 280-fold than their cubic counterparts. The UCNPS also display better UCL performance compared with the popular hexagonal-phase NaREF4 (RE = Y, Gd). Our mechanistic investigation, including Judd-Ofelt analysis and time decay behaviors, suggests that the lanthanide tetrad clusters structure at sublattice level accounts for the saturated luminescence and highly efficient UCL in KLu2F7:Yb/Er UCNPs. Our research demonstrates that the orthorhombic KLu2F7 is a promising host material for UCL and can find potential applications in lasing, photovoltaics and biolabeling techniques.
A novel physiological role for cardiac myoglobin in lipid metabolism
Authors: Hendgen-Cotta Ulrike B. , Esfeld Sonja , Coman Cristina , Ahrends Robert , Klein-Hitpass Ludger , Flögel Ulrich , Rassaf Tienush , Totzeck Matthias 
Published: February 2017

AbstractContinuous contractile activity of the heart is essential and the required energy is mostly provided by fatty acid (FA) oxidation. Myocardial lipid accumulation can lead to pathological responses, however the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. The role of myoglobin in dioxygen binding in cardiomyocytes and oxidative skeletal muscle has widely been appreciated. Our recent work established myoglobin as a protector of cardiac function in hypoxia and disease states. We here unravel a novel role of cardiac myoglobin in governing FA metabolism to ensure the physiological energy production through β-oxidation, preventing myocardial lipid accumulation and preserving cardiac functions. In vivo1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy unveils a 3-fold higher deposition of lipids in mouse hearts lacking myoglobin, which was associated with depressed cardiac function compared to wild-type hearts as assessed by echocardiography. Mass spectrometry reveals a marked increase in tissue triglycerides with preferential incorporation of palmitic and oleic acids. Phospholipid levels as well as the metabolome, transcriptome and proteome related to FA metabolism tend to be unaffected by myoglobin ablation. Our results reveal a physiological role of myoglobin in FA metabolism with the lipid accumulation-suppressing effects of myoglobin preventing cardiac lipotoxicity.
Knock-in human FGFR3 achondroplasia mutation as a mouse model for human skeletal dysplasia
Authors: Lee Yi-Ching , Song I-Wen , Pai Ya-Ju , Chen Sheng-De , Chen Yuan-Tsong 
Published: February 2017

AbstractAchondroplasia (ACH), the most common genetic dwarfism in human, is caused by a gain-of function mutation in fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3). Currently, there is no effective treatment for ACH. The development of an appropriate human-relevant model is important for testing potential therapeutic interventions before human clinical trials. Here, we have generated an ACH mouse model in which the endogenous mouse Fgfr3 gene was replaced with human FGFR3G380R (FGFR3ACH) cDNA, the most common mutation in human ACH. Heterozygous (FGFR3ACH/+) and homozygous (FGFR3ACH/ACH) mice expressing human FGFR3G380R recapitulate the phenotypes observed in ACH patients, including growth retardation, disproportionate shortening of the limbs, round head, mid-face hypoplasia at birth, and kyphosis progression during postnatal development. We also observed premature fusion of the cranial sutures and low bone density in newborn FGFR3G380R mice. The severity of the disease phenotypes corresponds to the copy number of activated FGFR3G380R, and the phenotypes become more pronounced during postnatal skeletal development. This mouse model offers a tool for assessing potential therapeutic approaches for skeletal dysplasias related to over-activation of human FGFR3, and for further studies of the underlying molecular mechanisms.
TubZ filament assembly dynamics requires the flexible C-terminal tail
Authors: Fuentes-Pérez Maria E. , Núñez-Ramírez Rafael , Martín-González Alejandro , Juan-Rodríguez David , Llorca Oscar , Moreno-Herrero Fernando , Oliva Maria A. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractCytomotive filaments are essential for the spatial organization in cells, showing a dynamic behavior based on nucleotide hydrolysis. TubZ is a tubulin-like protein that functions in extrachromosomal DNA movement within bacteria. TubZ filaments grow in a helical fashion following treadmilling or dynamic instability, although the underlying mechanism is unclear. We have unraveled the molecular basis for filament assembly and dynamics combining electron and atomic force microscopy and biochemical analyses. Our findings suggest that GTP caps retain the filament helical structure and hydrolysis triggers filament stiffening upon disassembly. We show that the TubZ C-terminal tail is an unstructured domain that fulfills multiple functions contributing to the filament helical arrangement, the polymer remodeling into tubulin-like rings and the full disassembly process. This C-terminal tail displays the binding site for partner proteins and we report how it modulates the interaction of the regulator protein TubY.
Pentose sugars inhibit metabolism and increase expression of an AgrD-type cyclic pentapeptide in Clostridium thermocellum
Authors: Verbeke Tobin J. , Giannone Richard J. , Klingeman Dawn M. , Engle Nancy L. , Rydzak Thomas , Guss Adam M. , Tschaplinski Timothy J. , Brown Steven D. , Hettich Robert L. , Elkins James G. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractClostridium thermocellum could potentially be used as a microbial biocatalyst to produce renewable fuels directly from lignocellulosic biomass due to its ability to rapidly solubilize plant cell walls. While the organism readily ferments sugars derived from cellulose, pentose sugars from xylan are not metabolized. Here, we show that non-fermentable pentoses inhibit growth and end-product formation during fermentation of cellulose-derived sugars. Metabolomic experiments confirmed that xylose is transported intracellularly and reduced to the dead-end metabolite xylitol. Comparative RNA-seq analysis of xylose-inhibited cultures revealed several up-regulated genes potentially involved in pentose transport and metabolism, which were targeted for disruption. Deletion of the ATP-dependent transporter, CbpD partially alleviated xylose inhibition. A putative xylitol dehydrogenase, encoded by Clo1313_0076, was also deleted resulting in decreased total xylitol production and yield by 41% and 46%, respectively. Finally, xylose-induced inhibition corresponds with the up-regulation and biogenesis of a cyclical AgrD-type, pentapeptide. Medium supplementation with the mature cyclical pentapeptide also inhibits bacterial growth. Together, these findings provide new foundational insights needed for engineering improved pentose utilizing strains of C. thermocellum and reveal the first functional Agr-type cyclic peptide to be produced by a thermophilic member of the Firmicutes.
MiRNA-21 mediates the antiangiogenic activity of metformin through targeting PTEN and SMAD7 expression and PI3K/AKT pathway
Authors: Luo Mao , Tan Xiaoyong , Mu Lin , Luo Yulin , Li Rong , Deng Xin , Chen Ni , Ren Meiping , Li Yongjie , Wang Liqun , Wu Jianbo , Wan Qin 
Published: February 2017

AbstractMetformin, an anti-diabetic drug commonly used for type 2 diabetes therapy, is associated with anti-angiogenic effects in conditions beyond diabetes. miR-21 has been reported to be involved in the process of angiogenesis. However, the precise regulatory mechanisms by which the metformin-induced endothelial suppression and its effects on miR-21-dependent pathways are still unclear. Bioinformatic analysis and identification of miR-21 and its targets and their effects on metformin-induced antiangiogenic activity were assessed using luciferase assays, quantitative real-time PCR, western blots, scratch assays, CCK-8 assays and tubule formation assays. In this study, miR-21 was strikingly downregulated by metformin in a time- and dose-dependent manner. miR-21 directly targeted the 3′-UTR of PTEN and SMAD7, and negatively regulated their expression. Overexpression of miR-21 abrogated the metformin-mediated inhibition of endothelial cells proliferation, migration, tubule formation and the TGF-β-induced AKT, SMAD- and ERK-dependent phosphorylations, and conversely, down-regulation of miR-21 aggravated metformin’s action and revealed significant promotion effects. Our study broadens our understanding of the regulatory mechanism of miR-21 mediating metformin-induced anti-angiogenic effects, providing important implications regarding the design of novel miRNA-based therapeutic strategies against angiogenesis.
Effect of input noise on phase coherence in a lattice of memristors acting as a voltage divider
Authors: Frasca Marco , Farina Alfonso , Griffiths Hugh 
Published: February 2017

It is known that Fibonacci numbers emerge from a network of voltage dividers comprising just resistors. The authors find that the same happens to a lattice of memristors as recently devised. Between the memristor dividers there is a phase coherence with respect to a sinusoidal input signal. Interestingly, they show that the effect of Gaussian distributed random noise, which adds to the voltage signal at the input of the memristor lattice, may affect the coherence. It is shown that when the signal‐to‐noise ratio goes below 3 dB and the number of dividers in the lattice is ten there is an abrupt reduction of phase coherence typical of non‐linear systems. This behaviour does not happen with a lattice of normal resistors. A tolerance analysis of the classical resistor components as well as of the memristor parameters is also presented.
2,6-Lactones as a New Entry in Stereoselective Glycosylations
Authors: Sasaki Kaname , Hashimoto Yusuke 
Published: February 2017

The advantages of glycosyl donors bearing a 2,6-lactone moiety in 1,2-cis-β-glycosylation reactions are discussed in the context of recent comprehension on the SN2–SN1 borderline. The 2,6-lactone structure increases the likelihood of the SN2-like reaction, analogous to 4,6-tethered structures or 2-O-electron-deficient substituents, which are known to mound the energetic barrier to SN1 reactions. Furthermore, the glycosyl cation generated from the 2,6-lactone donor seems to direct β-glycosides similar to the torsional and flipped cations generated from 4,6-tethered donors and mannuronate or 3,6-lactone donors, respectively. Overall, 2,6-lactones are suitable for use in 1,2-cis-β-glycosylations, and this novel class of donors is expected to help deepen our global understanding of glycosylation reactions.1	Introduction2	Stereoinversion (SN2-Like) Reactions3	Conformational Control of Glycosyl Cations4	Conclusions
The Effect of Birth Order on Neonatal Morbidity and Mortality in Very Preterm Twins
Authors: Mei-Dan Elad , Shah Jyotsna , Lee Shoo , Shah Prakesh , Murphy Kellie ,   for the Canadian Neonatal Network Investigators
Published: February 2017

Objective  This retrospective cohort study examined the effect of birth order on neonatal morbidity and mortality in very preterm twins.
Study Design Using 2005 to 2012 data from the Canadian Neonatal Network, very preterm twins born between 24 0/7 and 32 6/7 weeks of gestation were included. Odds of morbidity and mortality of second-born cotwins compared with first-born cotwins were examined by matched-pair analysis. Outcomes were neonatal death, severe brain injury (intraventricular hemorrhage grade 3 or 4 or persistent periventricular echogenicity), bronchopulmonary dysplasia, severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) (> stage 2), necrotizing enterocolitis (≥ stage 2), and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Multivariable analysis was performed adjusting for confounders.
Result There were 6,636 twins (3,318 pairs) included with a mean gestational age (GA) of 28.9 weeks. A higher rate of small for GA occurred in second-born twins (10 vs. 6%). Mortality was significantly lower for second-born twins (4.3 vs. 5.3%; adjusted odds ratio: 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59–0.95). RDS (66 vs. 60%; adjusted odds ratio: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.29–1.52) and severe retinopathy (9 vs. 7%; adjusted odds ratio: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.07–2.01) were significantly higher in second-born twins.
Conclusion Thus, while second-born twins had reduced odds of mortality, they also had increased odds of RDS and ROP.
Consuming for an Imagined Future: Middle-Class Consumer Lifestyle and Exploratory Experiences in the Transition to Adulthood
Authors: Weinberger Michelle F , Zavisca Jane R , Silva Jennifer M 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
This study examines middle-class consumption and lifestyle during the transition to adulthood in the United States. Based on analysis of qualitative data from interviews with emerging adults between adolescence and settled adulthood, we argue that middle-class emerging adulthood is marked by a focus on exploratory experience consumption: the consumption of novel experiences with cultural capital potential. This tacit, embodied orientation is rooted in a habitus developed during entitled childhoods but is also shaped by an anticipated shortage of opportunities for exploration after they marry and have children. Accordingly, middle-class emerging adults voraciously consume exploratory experiences in the present with their imagined future selves in mind. The class basis for this orientation is examined through our analysis of interviews with working-class emerging adults whose lifestyles are characterized not by exploratory experience consumption but by a desire for the familiar, a fear of the unknown, and a longing for stability. The discussion focuses on how the middle-class consumer orientation toward exploratory experiences reinforces class (dis)advantage, life trajectories, and inequality.
Accelerated senescence in skin in a murine model of radiation-induced multi-organ injury
Authors: McCart Elizabeth A , Thangapazham Rajesh L , Lombardini Eric D , Mog Steven R , Panganiban Ronald Allan M , Dickson Kelley M , Mansur Rihab A , Nagy Vitaly , Kim Sung-Yop , Selwyn Reed , Landauer Michael R , Darling Thomas N , Day Regina M 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
Accidental high-dose radiation exposures can lead to multi-organ injuries, including radiation dermatitis. The types of cellular damage leading to radiation dermatitis are not completely understood. To identify the cellular mechanisms that underlie radiation-induced skin injury in vivo, we evaluated the time-course of cellular effects of radiation (14, 16 or 17 Gy X-rays; 0.5 Gy/min) in the skin of C57BL/6 mice. Irradiation of 14 Gy induced mild inflammation, observed histologically, but no visible hair loss or erythema. However, 16 or 17 Gy radiation induced dry desquamation, erythema and mild ulceration, detectable within 14 days post-irradiation. Histological evaluation revealed inflammation with mast cell infiltration within 14 days. Fibrosis occurred 80 days following 17 Gy irradiation, with collagen deposition, admixed with neutrophilic dermatitis, and necrotic debris. We found that in cultures of normal human keratinocytes, exposure to 17.9 Gy irradiation caused the upregulation of p21/waf1, a marker of senescence. Using western blot analysis of 17.9 Gy–irradiated mice skin samples, we also detected a marker of accelerated senescence (p21/waf1) 7 days post-irradiation, and a marker of cellular apoptosis (activated caspase-3) at 30 days, both preceding histological evidence of inflammatory infiltrates. Immunohistochemistry revealed reduced epithelial stem cells from hair follicles 14–30 days post-irradiation. Furthermore, p21/waf1 expression was increased in the region of the hair follicle stem cells at 14 days post 17 Gy irradiation. These data indicate that radiation induces accelerated cellular senescence in the region of the stem cell population of the skin.
Assessment of Transvaginal Ultrasound Cervical Length Image Quality
Authors: Boelig Rupsa C. , Feltovich Helen , Spitz Jean Lea , Toland Gregory , Berghella Vincenzo , Iams Jay D. ,   on Behalf of the Perinatal Quality Foundation
Published: February 2017

OBJECTIVE:
To use data from the Cervical Length Education and Review program to evaluate the quality of transvaginal cervical length ultrasonography by trained imagers (ie, ultrasonographers, radiologists, perinatologists).

METHODS:
This is a retrospective observational study of data from the Cervical Length Education and Review program. Candidates underwent an online lecture series, examination, and submitted a batch of images for review. For a candidate’s batch of images to pass, all images must meet at least seven of the nine criteria assessed, the overall batch score needs to be 80% or greater, correct caliper placement must be met for all images, and the same criterion cannot be consistently missed. We also examined a subset of these criteria-appropriate image acquisitions, defined as an image that demonstrated both internal and external os and visualization of the entire endocervical canal. Primary outcome was the overall initial candidate pass rate; secondary outcomes included distribution of criteria missed in images and percentage of images that was inadequately acquired.

RESULTS:
Six hundred eighty-seven candidates submitted 3,748 images between June 10, 2012, and August 18, 2016. Eighty-five percent of candidates were ultrasonographers. Of the 687 initial batches submitted, 105 (15%) did not pass. Eight hundred thirty-seven images (22%) of all images failed at least one criterion; the most common image deficiencies were in “anterior width of cervix equals the posterior width” (33%), “failure to visualize” the internal or external os (29%), “cervix occupies 75% of image and bladder area visible” (33%), and incorrect caliper placement (24%). Two hundred fifty-six (7%) of all images failed to meet our criteria for adequate image acquisition.

CONCLUSION:
Fifteen percent of trained imagers failed to obtain appropriate cervical length imaging. This highlights the importance of a standardized cervical length training and certification program.