bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
How promoting consumption of traditional African vegetables affects household nutrition security in Tanzania
Authors: Ochieng Justus , Afari-Sefa Victor , Karanja Daniel , Kessy Radegunda , Rajendran Srinivasulu , Samali Silvest 
Published: January 2017

AbstractTraditional African vegetables have recently received considerable attention for their contribution to food and nutrition security and opportunities for enhancing smallholder livelihoods. Promoting the production and consumption of traditional vegetables is expected to enhance household nutrition among urban and rural households. The Good Seed Initiative (GSI) program promoted production and consumption of nutrient-dense traditional African vegetables in Arusha region in Tanzania to reduce malnutrition through diet diversification. We estimated the impact of promotion activities on households, women, and children's dietary diversity. The study used cross-sectional data from 258 and 242 households in intervention and control regions, respectively, and applied matching techniques and inverse probability weighting to control for unobserved heterogeneity and selection bias, which could otherwise bias the outcome estimates. We found that households benefiting from traditional vegetable promotion and demand creation activities had significantly higher dietary diversity of children under 5 yr and women in reproductive age. We found no significant impact of promotion activities on households’ dietary diversity. The policy implication is that scaling up promotional and demand creation activities to encourage consumers to grow and eat traditional African vegetables would be an important element in initiatives to increase dietary diversity, particularly for children under 5 and women in Tanzania.
Starved epithelial cells uptake extracellular matrix for survival
Authors: Muranen Taru , Iwanicki Marcin P. , Curry Natasha L. , Hwang Julie , DuBois Cory D. , Coloff Jonathan L. , Hitchcock Daniel S. , Clish Clary B. , Brugge Joan S. , Kalaany Nada Y. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractExtracellular matrix adhesion is required for normal epithelial cell survival, nutrient uptake and metabolism. This requirement can be overcome by oncogene activation. Interestingly, inhibition of PI3K/mTOR leads to apoptosis of matrix-detached, but not matrix-attached cancer cells, suggesting that matrix-attached cells use alternate mechanisms to maintain nutrient supplies. Here we demonstrate that under conditions of dietary restriction or growth factor starvation, where PI3K/mTOR signalling is decreased, matrix-attached human mammary epithelial cells upregulate and internalize β4-integrin along with its matrix substrate, laminin. Endocytosed laminin localizes to lysosomes, results in increased intracellular levels of essential amino acids and enhanced mTORC1 signalling, preventing cell death. Moreover, we show that starved human fibroblasts secrete matrix proteins that maintain the growth of starved mammary epithelial cells contingent upon epithelial cell β4-integrin expression. Our study identifies a crosstalk between stromal fibroblasts and epithelial cells under starvation that could be exploited therapeutically to target tumours resistant to PI3K/mTOR inhibition.
Integrating mass spectrometry with MD simulations reveals the role of lipids in Na+/H+ antiporters
Authors: Landreh Michael , Marklund Erik G. , Uzdavinys Povilas , Degiacomi Matteo T. , Coincon Mathieu , Gault Joseph , Gupta Kallol , Liko Idlir , Benesch Justin L. P. , Drew David , Robinson Carol V. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractNa+/H+ antiporters are found in all kingdoms of life and exhibit catalysis rates that are among the fastest of all known secondary-active transporters. Here we combine ion mobility mass spectrometry and molecular dynamics simulations to study the conformational stability and lipid-binding properties of the Na+/H+ exchanger NapA from Thermus thermophilus and compare this to the prototypical antiporter NhaA from Escherichia coli and the human homologue NHA2. We find that NapA and NHA2, but not NhaA, form stable dimers and do not selectively retain membrane lipids. By comparing wild-type NapA with engineered variants, we show that the unfolding of the protein in the gas phase involves the disruption of inter-domain contacts. Lipids around the domain interface protect the native fold in the gas phase by mediating contacts between the mobile protein segments. We speculate that elevator-type antiporters such as NapA, and likely NHA2, use a subset of annular lipids as structural support to facilitate large-scale conformational changes within the membrane.
Organization of high-level visual cortex in human infants
Authors: Deen Ben , Richardson Hilary , Dilks Daniel D. , Takahashi Atsushi , Keil Boris , Wald Lawrence L. , Kanwisher Nancy , Saxe Rebecca 
Published: January 2017

AbstractHow much of the structure of the human mind and brain is already specified at birth, and how much arises from experience? In this article, we consider the test case of extrastriate visual cortex, where a highly systematic functional organization is present in virtually every normal adult, including regions preferring behaviourally significant stimulus categories, such as faces, bodies, and scenes. Novel methods were developed to scan awake infants with fMRI, while they viewed multiple categories of visual stimuli. Here we report that the visual cortex of 4–6-month-old infants contains regions that respond preferentially to abstract categories (faces and scenes), with a spatial organization similar to adults. However, precise response profiles and patterns of activity across multiple visual categories differ between infants and adults. These results demonstrate that the large-scale organization of category preferences in visual cortex is adult-like within a few months after birth, but is subsequently refined through development.
Agrp neuron activity is required for alcohol-induced overeating
Authors: Cains Sarah , Blomeley Craig , Kollo Mihaly , Rácz Romeo , Burdakov Denis 
Published: January 2017

AbstractAlcohol intake associates with overeating in humans. This overeating is a clinical concern, but its causes are puzzling, because alcohol (ethanol) is a calorie-dense nutrient, and calorie intake usually suppresses brain appetite signals. The biological factors necessary for ethanol-induced overeating remain unclear, and societal causes have been proposed. Here we show that core elements of the brain’s feeding circuits—the hypothalamic Agrp neurons that are normally activated by starvation and evoke intense hunger—display electrical and biochemical hyperactivity on exposure to dietary doses of ethanol in brain slices. Furthermore, by circuit-specific chemogenetic interference in vivo, we find that the Agrp cell activity is essential for ethanol-induced overeating in the absence of societal factors, in single-housed mice. These data reveal how a widely consumed nutrient can paradoxically sustain brain starvation signals, and identify a biological factor required for appetite evoked by alcohol.
Photo-reduced Cu/CuO nanoclusters on TiO2 nanotube arrays as highly efficient and reusable catalyst
Authors: Jin Zhao , Liu Chang , Qi Kun , Cui Xiaoqiang 
Published: January 2017

AbstractNon-noble metal nanoparticles are becoming more and more important in catalysis recently. Cu/CuO nanoclusters on highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays are successfully developed by a surfactant-free photoreduction method. This non-noble metal Cu/CuO-TiO2 catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic activity and stability for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) with the presence of sodium borohydride (NaBH4). The rate constant of this low-cost Cu/CuO based catalyst is even higher than that of the noble metal nanoparticles decorated on the same TiO2 substrate. The conversion efficiency remains almost unchanged after 7 cycles of recycling. The recycle process of this Cu/CuO-TiO2 catalyst supported by Ti foil is very simple and convenient compared with that of the common powder catalysts. This catalyst also exhibited great catalytic activity to other organic dyes, such as methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO). This highly efficient, low-cost and easily reusable Cu/CuO-TiO2 catalyst is expected to be of great potential in catalysis in the future.
The PPE2 protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis translocates to host nucleus and inhibits nitric oxide production
Authors: Bhat Khalid Hussain , Srivastava Shruti , Kotturu Sandeep Kumar , Ghosh Sudip , Mukhopadhyay Sangita 
Published: January 2017

AbstractMycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, is one of the most successful pathogens of humans. It has evolved several adaptive skills and evasion mechanisms to hijack the immunologically educated host to suit its intracellular lifestyle. Here, we show that one of the unique PPE family member proteins ofM. tuberculosis, PPE2, can limit nitric oxide (NO) production by inhibitinginosgene transcription. PPE2 protein has a leucine zipper DNA-binding motif and a functional nuclear localization signal. PPE2 was translocated into the macrophage nucleusviathe classical importin α/β pathway where it interacted with a GATA-binding site overlapping with the TATA box ofinospromoter and inhibited NO production. PPE2 prolonged intracellular survival of a surrogate bacteriumM. smegmatis in vitroas well asin vivo. This information are likely to improve our knowledge of host-pathogen interactions duringM. tuberculosisinfection which is crucial for designing effective anti-TB therapeutics.
Molecularly Imprinted Biodegradable Nanoparticles
Authors: Gagliardi Mariacristina , Bertero Alice , Bifone Angelo 
Published: January 2017

AbstractBiodegradable polymer nanoparticles are promising carriers for targeted drug delivery in nanomedicine applications. Molecu- lar imprinting is a potential strategy to target polymer nanoparticles through binding of endogenous ligands that may promote recognition and active transport into specific cells and tissues. However, thelock-and-keymechanism of molecular imprinting requires relatively rigid cross-linked structures, unlike those of many biodegradable polymers. To date, no fully biodegradable molecularly imprinted particles have been reported in the literature. This paper reports the synthesis of a novel molecularly- imprinted nanocarrier, based on poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and acrylic acid, that combines biodegradability and molec- ular recognition properties. A novel three-arm biodegradable cross-linker was synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of glycolide and lactide initiated by glycerol. The resulting macromer was functionalized by introduction of end-functions through reaction with acryloyl chloride. Macromer and acrylic acid were used for the synthesis of narrowly-dispersed nanoparticles by radical polymerization in diluted conditions in the presence of biotin as template molecule. The binding capacity of the imprinted nanoparticles towards biotin and biotinylated bovine serum albumin was twentyfold that of non-imprinted nanoparti- cles. Degradation rates and functional performances were assessed inin vitrotests and cell cultures, demonstrating effective biotin-mediated cell internalization.
Diel-scale temporal dynamics recorded for bacterial groups in Namib Desert soil
Authors: Gunnigle Eoin , Frossard Aline , Ramond Jean-Baptiste , Guerrero Leandro , Seely Mary , Cowan Don A. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractMicrobes in hot desert soil partake in core ecosystem processes e.g., biogeochemical cycling of carbon. Nevertheless, there is still a fundamental lack of insights regarding short-term (i.e., over a 24-hour [diel] cycle) microbial responses to highly fluctuating microenvironmental parameters like temperature and humidity. To address this, we employed T-RFLP fingerprinting and 454 pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA-derived cDNA to characterize potentially active bacteria in Namib Desert soil over multiple diel cycles. Strikingly, we found that significant shifts in active bacterial groups could occur over a single 24-hour period. For instance, members of the predominant Actinobacteria phyla exhibited a significant reduction in relative activity from morning to night, whereas many Proteobacterial groups displayed an opposite trend. Contrary to our leading hypothesis, environmental parameters could only account for 10.5% of the recorded total variation. Potential biotic associations shown through co-occurrence networks indicated that non-random inter- and intra-phyla associations were ‘time-of-day-dependent’ which may constitute a key feature of this system. Notably, many cyanobacterial groups were positioned outside and/or between highly interconnected bacterial associations (modules); possibly acting as inter-module ‘hubs’ orchestrating interactions between important functional consortia. Overall, these results provide empirical evidence that bacterial communities in hot desert soils exhibit complex and diel-dependent inter-community associations.
Neural codes of seeing architectural styles
Authors: Choo Heeyoung , Nasar Jack L. , Nikrahei Bardia , Walther Dirk B. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractImages of iconic buildings, such as the CN Tower, instantly transport us to specific places, such as Toronto. Despite the substantial impact of architectural design on people’s visual experience of built environments, we know little about its neural representation in the human brain. In the present study, we have found patterns of neural activity associated with specific architectural styles in several high-level visual brain regions, but not in primary visual cortex (V1). This finding suggests that the neural correlates of the visual perception of architectural styles stem from style-specific complex visual structure beyond the simple features computed in V1. Surprisingly, the network of brain regions representing architectural styles included the fusiform face area (FFA) in addition to several scene-selective regions. Hierarchical clustering of error patterns further revealed that the FFA participated to a much larger extent in the neural encoding of architectural styles than entry-level scene categories. We conclude that the FFA is involved in fine-grained neural encoding of scenes at a subordinate-level, in our case, architectural styles of buildings. This study for the first time shows how the human visual system encodes visual aspects of architecture, one of the predominant and longest-lasting artefacts of human culture.
In situ Characterization of Nanoparticles Using Rayleigh Scattering
Authors: Santra Biswajit , Shneider Mikhail N. , Car Roberto 
Published: January 2017

AbstractWe report a theoretical analysis showing that Rayleigh scattering could be used to monitor the growth of nanoparticles under arc discharge conditions. We compute the Rayleigh scattering cross sections of the nanoparticles by combining light scattering theory for gas-particle mixtures with calculations of the dynamic electronic polarizability of the nanoparticles. We find that the resolution of the Rayleigh scattering probe is adequate to detect nanoparticles as small as C60 at the expected concentrations of synthesis conditions in the arc periphery. Larger asymmetric nanoparticles would yield brighter signals, making possible to follow the evolution of the growing nanoparticle population from the evolution of the scattered intensity. Observable spectral features include characteristic resonant behaviour, shape-dependent depolarization ratio, and mass-dependent line shape. Direct observation of nanoparticles in the early stages of growth with unobtrusive laser probes should give insight on the particle formation mechanisms and may lead to better-controlled synthesis protocols.
Sinonasal Delivery of Resveratrol via Mucoadhesive Nanostructured Microparticles in a Nasal Polyp Mouse Model
Authors: Lee Mingyu , Park Chun Gwon , Huh Beom Kang , Kim Se-Na , Lee Seung Ho , Khalmuratova Roza , Park Jong-Wan , Shin Hyun-Woo , Choy Young Bin 
Published: January 2017

AbstractResveratrol (RSV) has been shown to effectively suppress chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps in a mouse model; however, when locally administered to the sinonasal cavity, bolus RSV is limited by low drug bioavailability owing to its low aqueous solubility and relatively rapid clearance from the administration site. To address this limitation, we propose mucoadhesive nanostructured microparticles (PLGA/PEG NM) as a potential carrier for the sinonasal delivery of RSV. In this study, PLGA/PEG NM released RSV in a sustained manner. Owing to the enlarged specific surface area of the nanostructures, PLGA/PEG NM had synergistically enhanced mucoadhesiveness and thus showed improvedin vivoretention properties in the sinonasal cavity. Therefore, when tested in a mouse nasal polyp model, PLGA/PEG NM mitigated polyp formation and restored epithelial integrity better than the control treatments. The therapeutic effect was similar at half the dose of PLGA/PEG NM, suggesting improved local bioavailability of RSV in the sinonasal cavity.
IK acts as an immunoregulator of inflammatory arthritis by suppressing TH17 cell differentiation and macrophage activation
Authors: Park Hye-Lim , Lee Sang-Myeong , Min Jun-Ki , Moon Su-Jin , Kim Inki , Kang Kyung-Won , Park Sooho , Choi SeulGi , Jung Ha-Na , Lee Dong-Hee , Nam Jae-Hwan 
Published: January 2017

AbstractPathogenic T helper cells (TH) and macrophages have been implicated in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which can lead to severe synovial inflammation and bone destruction. A range of therapies have been widely used for RA, including specific monoclonal antibodies and chemical inhibitors against inflammatory cytokines produced by these cells. However, these have not been sufficient to meet the medical need. Here, we show that in transgenic mice expressing truncated IK (tIK) cytokine, inflammatory arthritis symptoms were ameliorated as the result of suppression of the differentiation of TH1 and TH17 cells and of macrophage activation. During inflammatory responses, tIK cytokine systemically regulated macrophage functions and TH17 cell differentiation through inactivation of the MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Interestingly, the level of tIK cytokine was higher in synovial fluid of RA patients compared with that in osteoarthritis (OA) patients. Our observations suggest that tIK cytokine can counterbalance the induction of inflammatory cells related to RA and thus could be a new therapeutic agent for the treatment of RA.
Assessment of phospholipid synthesis related biomarkers for perinatal asphyxia: a piglet study
Authors: Sánchez-Illana Ángel , Solberg Rønnaug , Lliso Isabel , Pankratov Leonid , Quintás Guillermo , Saugstad Ola Didrik , Vento Máximo , Kuligowski Julia 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThe prompt and reliable identification of infants at risk of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy secondary to perinatal asphyxia in the first critical hours is important for clinical decision-making and yet still remains a challenge. This work strives for the evaluation of a panel of metabolic biomarkers that have been associated with the hypoxic-ischemic insult in the perinatal period. Plasma and urine samples from a consolidated newborn piglet model of hypoxia and withdrawn before and at different time points after a hypoxic insult were analyzed and compared to a control group. Time-dependent metabolic biomarker profiles were studied and observed patterns were similar to those of lactate levels, which are currently considered the gold standard for assessing hypoxia. Class prediction performance could be improved by the use of a combination of the whole panel of determined metabolites in plasma as compared to lactate values. Using a multivariate model including lactate together with the studied metabolic biomarkers allowed to improve the prediction performance of duration of hypoxia time, which correlates with the degree of brain damage. The present study evidences the usefulness of choline and related metabolites for improving the early assessment of the severity of the hypoxic insult.
Tryptophan and Non-Tryptophan Fluorescence of the Eye Lens Proteins Provides Diagnostics of Cataract at the Molecular Level
Authors: Gakamsky Anna , Duncan Rory R. , Howarth Nicola M. , Dhillon Baljean , Buttenschön Kim K. , Daly Daniel J. , Gakamsky Dmitry 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThe chemical nature of the non-tryptophan (non-Trp) fluorescence of porcine and human eye lens proteins was identified by Mass Spectrometry (MS) and Fluorescence Steady-State and Lifetime spectroscopy as post-translational modifications (PTM) of Trp and Arg amino acid residues. Fluorescence intensity profiles measured along the optical axis of human eye lenses with age-related nuclear cataract showed increasing concentration of fluorescent PTM towards the lens centre in accord with the increased optical density in the lens nucleolus. Significant differences between fluorescence lifetimes of “free” Trp derivatives hydroxytryptophan (OH-Trp), N-formylkynurenine (NFK), kynurenine (Kyn), hydroxykynurenine (OH-Kyn) and their residues were observed. Notably, the lifetime constants of these residues in a model peptide were considerably greater than those of their “free” counterparts. Fluorescence of Trp, its derivatives and argpyrimidine (ArgP) can be excited at the red edge of the Trp absorption band which allows normalisation of the emission spectra of these PTMs to the fluorescence intensity of Trp, to determine semi-quantitatively their concentration. We show that the cumulative fraction of OH-Trp, NFK and ArgP emission dominates the total fluorescence spectrum in both emulsified post-surgical human cataract protein samples, as well as in whole lenses and that this correlates strongly with cataract grade and age.
Independent Aftereffects of Fat and Muscle: Implications for neural encoding, body space representation, and body image disturbance
Authors: Sturman Daniel , Stephen Ian D. , Mond Jonathan , Stevenson Richard J , Brooks Kevin R. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractAlthough research addressing body size misperception has focused on socio-cognitive processes, such as internalization of the “ideal” images of bodies in the media, the perceptual basis of this phenomenon remains largely unknown. Further, most studies focus on body size per se even though this depends on both fat and muscle mass – variables that have very different relationships with health. We tested visual adaptation as a mechanism for inducing body fat and muscle mass misperception, and assessed whether these two dimensions of body space are processed independently. Observers manipulated the apparent fat and muscle mass of bodies to make them appear “normal” before and after inspecting images from one of four adaptation conditions (increased fat/decreased fat/increased muscle/decreased muscle). Exposure resulted in a shift in the point of subjective normality in the direction of the adapting images along the relevant (fat or muscle) axis, suggesting that the neural mechanisms involved in body fat and muscle perception are independent. This supports the viability of adaptation as a model of real-world body size misperception, and extends its applicability to clinical manifestations of body image disturbance that entail not only preoccupation with thinness (e.g., anorexia nervosa) but also with muscularity (e.g., muscle dysmorphia).