bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Optimizing production and evaluating biosynthesis in situ of a herbicidal compound, mevalocidin, from Coniolariella sp.
Authors: Sica Vincent P , Figueroa Mario , Raja Huzefa A , El-Elimat Tamam , Darveaux Blaise A , Pearce Cedric J , Oberlies Nicholas H 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
Mevalocidin is a fungal secondary metabolite produced by Coniolariella sp. It is a unique phytotoxin that demonstrates broad spectrum post-emergent herbicidal properties. With limited options for weed control, the commercialization of a natural product pesticide would be beneficial to organic farming. In this study, two mevalocidin-producing fungal strains, coded MSX56446 and MSX92917, were explored under a variety of growth conditions, including time, temperature, and media. The concentration of mevalocidin was quantitatively measured via LC–MS to determine the optimal setting for each condition. Maximum production was achieved for each condition at 20 days, at 30 °C, with YESD + agar, and with a media containing 2.5 % dextrose. Furthermore, an advanced surface sampling technique was incorporated to gain a better understanding of the fungal culture’s natural ability to biosynthesize and distribute this herbicide into its environment. It was shown that both fungi actively exude mevalocidin into their environment via liquid droplet formations known as guttates.

Graphical abstract
Caring for Surgical Patients With Piercings
Authors: Smith Francis Duval 
Published: May 2016

AbstractBody piercing, a type of body modification that is practiced in many cultures, creates an unnatural tract through tissue that is then held open by artificial means. Today, professional body piercing is often performed in piercing establishments that are subject to dissimilar forms of regulation. The most frequently reported medical complication of body piercing and similar body modifications, such as dermal implantation, is infection. Patients with piercings who undergo surgery may have additional risks for infection, electrical burns, trauma, or airway obstruction. The published research literature on piercing prevalence, complications, regulations, education, and nursing care is outdated. The purpose of this article is to educate nurses on topics related to nursing care for patients with piercings and similar body modifications, including the history, prevalence, motivations for, and perceptions of body piercings as well as possible complications, devices used, locations, healing times, regulations, patient education, and other health concerns.
The effect of social exclusion on consumer preference for anthropomorphized brands
Authors: Chen Rocky Peng , Wan Echo Wen , Levy Eric 
Published: May 2016

AbstractPrior research has mainly examined the effect of social exclusion on individuals' interactions with other people or on their product choices as an instrument to facilitate interpersonal connection. The current research takes a novel perspective by proposing that socially excluded consumers would be more motivated to establish a relationship with a brand (rather than using the brand to socially connect with other people) when the brand exhibits human‐like features. Based on this premise, we predict and find support in three studies that socially excluded consumers, compared with non‐excluded consumers, exhibit greater preference for anthropomorphized brands (studies 1–3). This effect is mediated by consumers' need for social affiliation and is moderated by the opportunity for social connection with other people (study 2). Furthermore, socially excluded consumers differ in the types of relationships they would like to build with anthropomorphized brands, depending on their attributions about the exclusion. Specifically, consumers who blame themselves (others) for being socially excluded show greater preference for anthropomorphized partner (fling) brands (study 3).
Testosterone and Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis
Authors: Lee Jun Ho , Lee Sung Won 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACT

Introduction
A recent study investigated the role of testosterone (T) in chronic prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). However, only a small amount of data is available to date, and the results are inconsistent.

Aims
To evaluate the relation between total T (TT) and CP/CPPS.

Methods
We conducted a propensity-matched study by identifying men with a TT level lower than 3.5 ng/mL among 8,336 men in their 40s and 50s. A control group of men with a TT level of at least 3.5 ng/mL matched for age, metabolic syndrome, and body mass index at a 5:1 ratio was selected for comparison. Using the same cohort and methods, another case group (TT &lt; 3.0 ng/mL) and control group (TT ≥ 3.0 ng/mL) were selected. The National Institutes of Health—Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) was administered. A χ2 test, a t-test and logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the relation between TT and prostatitis-like symptoms.

Main Outcome Measures
Association of TT with NIH-CPSI score.

Results
After propensity score matching, 948 cases (TT &lt; 3.5 ng/mL) and 4,740 controls (TT ≥ 3.5 ng/mL) were included. The ratio of mild and moderate to severe prostatitis-like symptoms was higher in the case group than in the control group (24.0% vs 27.4%, P = .001). The ratio of moderate to severe prostatitis-like symptoms also was higher in the case group than in the control group (6.2% vs 9.2%, P = .028). The pain domain of the NIH-CPSI, quality of life, and total NIH-CPSI scores also were higher in the case group. Ratios of severe lower urinary tract symptoms (12.6% vs 15.1%, P = .044) to maximal flow rate no higher than 10 mL/sec (3.8% vs 5.3%, P = .044) and postvoid residual urine volume of at least 100 mL (4.0% vs 5.6%, P = .035), which suggest high pressure in the prostate urethra, were higher in the case group. After adjusting for voided volume during uroflowmetry and total prostate volume, the relations of a TT level lower than 3.5 ng/mL to a maximal flow rate no higher than 10 mL/sec (odds ratio = 1.402, 95% CI = 1.017–1.934, P = .039) and to a postvoid residual urine volume of at least 100 mL (odds ratio = 1.410, 95% CI = 1.031–1.927, P = .031) were maintained. Using the cutoff TT value of 3.0 ng/mL, 437 cases (TT &lt; 3.0 ng/mL) and 2,185 controls (TT ≥ 3.0 ng/mL) were included. The result of the 3.0-ng/mL cutoff value for TT showed a higher incidence of prostatitis-like symptoms in the group with a TT level lower than 3.0 ng/mL, but this was not statistically significant.

Conclusion
Low TT level (&lt;3.5 ng/mL) was significantly correlated with prostatitis-like symptoms in this study.
Are Medieval Mya arenaria (Mollusca; Bivalvia) in the Netherlands also clams before Columbus?
Authors: Essink K. , Oost A.P. , Streurman H.J. , Van der Plicht J. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractDuring the Pleistocene, the coastal marine bivalve mollusc Mya arenaria became extinct in northwest Europe. The species remained present in North America. Datings of Mya shells found in northern Denmark and the southern Baltic Sea suggest that repopulation of northwest European coasts already occurred before Columbus’ discovery of America (1492), possibly facilitated by Viking (Norse) settlers at Greenland and northeast North America. In this paper we report on findings of M. arenaria at five locations in the coastal landscape of the Netherlands: polders reclaimed from the Wadden Sea and the former estuaries of Oer-IJ and Old Rhine. The shells from four of these locations also date before 1492 AD.
Ediacaran distributions in space and time: testing assemblage concepts of earliest macroscopic body fossils
Authors: Boag Thomas H. , Darroch Simon A. F. , Laflamme Marc 
Published: May 2016

AbstractThe mid-late Ediacaran Period (~579–541 Ma) is characterized by globally distributed marine soft-bodied organisms of unclear phylogenetic affinities colloquially called the “Ediacara biota.” Despite an absence of systematic agreement, previous workers have tested for underlying factors that may control the occurrence of Ediacaran macrofossils in space and time. Three taxonomically distinct “assemblages,” termed the Avalon, White Sea, and Nama, were identified and informally incorporated into Ediacaran biostratigraphy. After ~15 years of new fossil discoveries and taxonomic revision, we retest the validity of these assemblages using a comprehensive database of Ediacaran macrofossil occurrences. Using multivariate analysis, we also test the degree to which taphonomy, time, and paleoenvironment explain the taxonomic composition of these assemblages. We find that: (1) the three assemblages remain distinct taxonomic groupings; (2) there is little support for a large-scale litho-taphonomic bias present in the Ediacaran; and (3) there is significant chronostratigraphic overlap between the taxonomically and geographically distinct Avalonian and White Sea assemblages ca. 560–557 Ma. Furthermore, both assemblages show narrow bathymetric ranges, reinforcing that they were paleoenvironmental–ecological biotopes and spatially restricted in marine settings. Meanwhile, the Nama assemblage appears to be a unique faunal stage, defined by a global loss of diversity, coincident with a noted expansion of bathymetrically unrestricted, long-ranging Ediacara taxa. These data reinforce that Ediacaran biodiversity and stratigraphic ranges of its representative taxa must first statistically account for varying likelihood of preservation at a local scale to ultimately aggregate the Ediacaran macrofossil record into a global biostratigraphic context.
Nutrition and the circadian system
Authors: Potter Gregory D. M. , Cade Janet E. , Grant Peter J. , Hardie Laura J. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractThe human circadian system anticipates and adapts to daily environmental changes to optimise behaviour according to time of day and temporally partitions incompatible physiological processes. At the helm of this system is a master clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the anterior hypothalamus. The SCN are primarily synchronised to the 24-h day by the light/dark cycle; however, feeding/fasting cycles are the primary time cues for clocks in peripheral tissues. Aligning feeding/fasting cycles with clock-regulated metabolic changes optimises metabolism, and studies of other animals suggest that feeding at inappropriate times disrupts circadian system organisation, and thereby contributes to adverse metabolic consequences and chronic disease development. ‘High-fat diets’ (HFD) produce particularly deleterious effects on circadian system organisation in rodents by blunting feeding/fasting cycles. Time-of-day-restricted feeding, where food availability is restricted to a period of several hours, offsets many adverse consequences of HFD in these animals; however, further evidence is required to assess whether the same is true in humans. Several nutritional compounds have robust effects on the circadian system. Caffeine, for example, can speed synchronisation to new time zones after jetlag. An appreciation of the circadian system has many implications for nutritional science and may ultimately help reduce the burden of chronic diseases.
Social values and species conservation: the case of Baudin's and Carnaby's black-cockatoos
Authors: AINSWORTH GILLIAN B. , ASLIN HEATHER J. , WESTON MICHAEL A. , GARNETT STEPHEN T. 
Published: May 2016

SUMMARYWe investigated how the socio–political and ecological environment are associated with the conservation management strategies for two rare, endemic and almost identical Australian white-tailed black-cockatoos: Baudin's (Calyptorhynchus baudinii) and Carnaby's black-cockatoo (C. latirostris). Substantially less investment and action has occurred for Baudin's black-cockatoo. Interviews with key informants revealed that this disparity has probably arisen because Baudin's black-cockatoo has long been considered a pest to the apple industry, lives primarily in tall forests and has had little research undertaken on its biology and threats. By contrast, Carnaby's black-cockatoo has been the subject of one of the longest running research projects in Australia, is highly visible within the urban environment and does not appear to affect the livelihoods of any strong stakeholder group. We suggest the social context within which recovery efforts occur could be an important determinant in species persistence. We argue that social research is fundamental to a better understanding of the nature of efforts to conserve particular species, the factors associated with these efforts and their likelihood of success.
Molecular evidence of functional progesterone withdrawal in human myometrium
Authors: Nadeem Lubna , Shynlova Oksana , Matysiak-Zablocki Elzbieta , Mesiano Sam , Dong Xuesen , Lye Stephen 
Published: May 2016

AbstractProgesterone suppresses uterine contractility acting through its receptors (PRA/B). The mechanism by which human labour is initiated in the presence of elevated circulating progesterone has remained an enigma since Csapo first theorized of a functional withdrawal of progesterone in 1965. Here we report that in vitro progesterone-liganded nuclear PRB forms a complex including JUN/JUN homodimers and P54nrb/Sin3A/HDAC to repress transcription of the key labour gene, Cx43. In contrast, unliganded PRA paradoxically activates Cx43 transcription by interacting with FRA2/JUND heterodimers. Furthermore, we find that while nuclear progesterone receptor (PR) is liganded during human pregnancy, it becomes unliganded during both term and preterm labour as a result of increased expression of the progesterone-metabolizing enzyme 20α HSD and reduced nuclear progesterone levels. Our data provide a mechanism by which human labour can occur in the presence of elevated circulating progesterone and suggests non-metabolizable progestogen might represent an alternative new therapeutic approach to preterm birth prevention.
Cox process representation and inference for stochastic reaction–diffusion processes
Authors: Schnoerr David , Grima Ramon , Sanguinetti Guido 
Published: May 2016

AbstractComplex behaviour in many systems arises from the stochastic interactions of spatially distributed particles or agents. Stochastic reaction–diffusion processes are widely used to model such behaviour in disciplines ranging from biology to the social sciences, yet they are notoriously difficult to simulate and calibrate to observational data. Here we use ideas from statistical physics and machine learning to provide a solution to the inverse problem of learning a stochastic reaction–diffusion process from data. Our solution relies on a non-trivial connection between stochastic reaction–diffusion processes and spatio-temporal Cox processes, a well-studied class of models from computational statistics. This connection leads to an efficient and flexible algorithm for parameter inference and model selection. Our approach shows excellent accuracy on numeric and real data examples from systems biology and epidemiology. Our work provides both insights into spatio-temporal stochastic systems, and a practical solution to a long-standing problem in computational modelling.
Potential pest transfer mediated by international ornamental plant trade
Authors: Patoka Jiří , Bláha Martin , Kalous Lukáš , Vrabec Vladimír , Buřič Miloš , Kouba Antonín 
Published: May 2016

AbstractIn recent years, the keeping of ornamental freshwater animals and plants in garden ponds has been growing in popularity. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is one of the preferred macrophytes seasonally imported mainly from South-eastern Asia throughout the world. This constitutes a secondary introduction inasmuch as the species is native to South America. Although many assemblages of aquatic invertebrates have been described as associated with this plant in the wild, there has been no research focused on their potential introduction via the international plant trade. We examined 216 specimens of water hyacinths imported for ornamental purposes from Indonesia into the Czech Republic. Numerous meio- and macroinvertebrates belonging to at least 39 species were captured. On the total number of individuals, the highest prevalence was of Tubulinea and Rotifera. Most of these were still alive and vital, including a caterpillar of the Indo–Australian invasive moth Spodoptera litura. Water hyacinths are usually placed into outdoor ponds immediately after import, which facilitates the release of non-target alien species. The present paper aims to draw attention to “hitchhikers” associated with the ornamental trade.
All-Optical Implementation of the Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Hu Wenchao , Wu Kan , Shum Perry Ping , Zheludev Nikolay I. , Soci Cesare 
Published: May 2016

AbstractWe report all-optical implementation of the optimization algorithm for the famous “ant colony” problem. Ant colonies progressively optimize pathway to food discovered by one of the ants through identifying the discovered route with volatile chemicals (pheromones) secreted on the way back from the food deposit. Mathematically this is an important example of graph optimization problem with dynamically changing parameters. Using an optical network with nonlinear waveguides to represent the graph and a feedback loop, we experimentally show that photons traveling through the network behave like ants that dynamically modify the environment to find the shortest pathway to any chosen point in the graph. This proof-of-principle demonstration illustrates how transient nonlinearity in the optical system can be exploited to tackle complex optimization problems directly, on the hardware level, which may be used for self-routing of optical signals in transparent communication networks and energy flow in photonic systems.
Unique spectral markers discern recurrent Glioblastoma cells from heterogeneous parent population
Authors: Kaur Ekjot , Sahu Aditi , Hole Arti R. , Rajendra Jacinth , Chaubal Rohan , Gardi Nilesh , Dutt Amit , Moiyadi Aliasgar , Krishna C. Murali , Dutt Shilpee 
Published: May 2016

AbstractAn inability to discern resistant cells from bulk tumour cell population contributes to poor prognosis in Glioblastoma. Here, we compared parent and recurrent cells generated from patient derived primary cultures and cell lines to identify their unique molecular hallmarks. Although morphologically similar, parent and recurrent cells from different samples showed variable biological properties like proliferation and radiation resistance. However, total RNA-sequencing revealed transcriptional landscape unique to parent and recurrent populations. These data suggest that global molecular differences but not individual biological phenotype could differentiate parent and recurrent cells. We demonstrate that Raman Spectroscopy a label-free, non-invasive technique, yields global information about biochemical milieu of recurrent and parent cells thus, classifying them into distinct clusters based on Principal-Component-Analysis and Principal-Component-Linear-Discriminant-Analysis. Additionally, higher lipid related spectral peaks were observed in recurrent population. Importantly, Raman spectroscopic analysis could further classify an independent set of naïve primary glioblastoma tumour tissues into non-responder and responder groups. Interestingly, spectral features from the non-responder patient samples show a considerable overlap with the in-vitro generated recurrent cells suggesting their similar biological behaviour. This feasibility study necessitates analysis of a larger cohort of naïve primary glioblastoma samples to fully envisage clinical utility of Raman spectroscopy in predicting therapeutic response.
Risk scores for predicting incidence of type 2 diabetes in the Chinese population: the Kailuan prospective study
Authors: Wang Anxin , Chen Guojuan , Su Zhaoping , Liu Xiaoxue , Liu Xiangtong , Li Haibin , Luo Yanxia , Tao Lixin , Guo Jin , Liu Long , Chen Shuohua , Wu Shouling , Guo Xiuhua 
Published: May 2016

AbstractFew risk scores have been specifically developed to identify individuals at high risk of type 2 diabetes in China. In the present study, we aimed to develop such risk scores, based on simple clinical variables. We studied a population-based cohort of 73,987 adults, aged 18 years and over. After 5.35 ± 1.59 years of follow-up, 4,726 participants (9.58%) in the exploration cohort developed type 2 diabetes and 2,327 participants (9.44%) in the validation cohort developed type 2 diabetes. Age, gender, body mass index, family history of diabetes, education, blood pressure, and resting heart rate were selected to form the concise score with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.67. The variables in the concise score combined with fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and triglyceride (TG) or use of lipid-lowering drugs constituted the accurate score with an AUC value of 0.77. The utility of the two scores was confirmed in the validation cohort with AUCs of 0.66 and 0.77, respectively. In summary, the concise score, based on non-laboratory variables, could be used to identify individuals at high risk of developing diabetes within Chinese population; the accurate score, which also uses FPG and TG data, is better at identifying such individuals.
Network Signatures of IgG Immune Repertoires in Hepatitis B Associated Chronic Infection and Vaccination Responses
Authors: Chang Ya-Hui , Kuan Hui-Chung , Hsieh T. C. , Ma K. H. , Yang Chung-Hsiang , Hsu Wei-Bin , Tsai Shih-Feng , Chao Anne , Liu Hong-Hsing 
Published: May 2016

AbstractThe repertoire of IgG antibody responses to infection and vaccination varies depending on the characteristics of the immunogen and the ability of the host to mount a protective immune response. Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections are marked by persistent infection and immune tolerance to vaccination. This disease offers a unique opportunity to discover key repertoire signatures during infection and in response to vaccination. Complementarity determining region 3 of an antibody heavy chain (CDR-H3) has a major impact on the antigenic specificity of an antibody. We used next-generation sequencing to characterize the CDR-H3 sequences in paired siblings of 4 families in which only one member of each pair had chronic HBV infection. Blood samples were obtained before and 2 weeks after HBV vaccination. The analysis revealed a huge network of sequence-related CDR-H3 clones found almost exclusively among carriers. In contrast, vaccination induced significant increases of CDR-H3 cluster diversities among siblings without hepatitis B. Several vaccination-associated clone clusters were identified. Similar findings of vaccination-associated clone networks were observed in healthy adults receiving HBV boosters. These strategies can be used to identify signatures of other infectious diseases and accelerate discoveries of antibody sequences with important biomedical implications.
TMPyP4 promotes cancer cell migration at low doses, but induces cell death at high doses
Authors: Zheng Xiao-Hui , Nie Xin , Liu Hai-Ying , Fang Yi-Ming , Zhao Yong , Xia Li-Xin 
Published: May 2016

AbstractTMPyP4 is widely considered as a potential photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy and a G-quadruplex stabilizer for telomerase-based cancer therapeutics. However, its biological effects including a possible adverse-effect are poorly understood. In this study, whole genome RNA-seq analysis was used to explore the alteration in gene expression induced by TMPyP4. Unexpectedly, we find that 27.67% of changed genes were functionally related to cell adhesion. Experimental evidences from cell adhesion assay, scratch-wound and transwell assay indicate that TMPyP4 at conventional doses (≤0.5 μM) increases cell-matrix adhesion and promotes the migration of tumor cells. In contrast, a high dose of TMPyP4 (≥2 μM) inhibits cell proliferation and induces cell death. The unintended “side-effect” of TMPyP4 on promoting cell migration suggests that a relative high dose of TMPyP4 is preferred for therapeutic purpose. These findings contribute to better understanding of biological effects induced by TMPyP4 and provide a new insight into the complexity and implication for TMPyP4 based cancer therapy.