bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of antibiotic on survival and development ofSpodoptera litura(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and its gut microbial diversity
Authors: Thakur A. , Dhammi P. , Saini H.S. , Kaur S. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractAddition of antibiotics to artificial diets of insects is a key component in the rearing of insects in the laboratory. In the present study an antimicrobial agent, streptomycin sulphate was tested for its influence on survival and fitness ofSpodoptera litura(Fabricus) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) as well as its gut microbial diversity. The antibiotic did not adversely affect the survival ofS. litura.Faster growth of larvae was recorded on diet amended with different concentrations of streptomycin sulphate (0.03, 0.07 and 0.15%) as compared to diet without streptomycin sulphate. The overall activity of various digestives enzymes increased on S+ diet while the activity of detoxifying enzymes significantly decreased. In addition, alteration in microbial diversity was found in the gut ofS. lituralarvae fed on diet supplemented with antibiotic (S+) and without antibiotic (S−).
Lending Relationships and the Effect of Bank Distress: Evidence from the 2007–2009 Financial Crisis
Authors: Carvalho Daniel , Ferreira Miguel A. , Matos Pedro 
Published: February 2016

AbstractWe study the transmission of bank distress to nonfinancial firms from 34 countries during the 2007–2009 financial crisis using systemic and bank-specific shocks. We find that bank distress is associated with equity valuation losses and investment cuts to borrower firms with the strongest lending relationships with banks. The losses are not offset by borrowers’ access to public debt markets and are concentrated in firms with the greatest information asymmetry problems and weakest financial positions. Our findings suggest that public debt markets do not mitigate the effects of relationship bank distress during financial crises.
Trading Patterns and Market Integration in Overlapping Experimental Asset Markets
Authors: Chelley-Steeley Patricia , Kluger Brian , Steeley James , Adams Paul 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThis paper examines trading patterns and market integration using laboratory asset markets. Our markets are designed to approximately correspond to the trading day for stocks cross-listed in markets in Europe and North America. Some of our markets feature timing restrictions so that participants cannot trade across markets except during a fully integrated overlap period. Comparison of markets with and without timing restrictions shows that restrictions reduce trading activity and shift transactions to the overlap period. When asset values are extreme, price discovery can be impeded when trading restrictions exist. The measurement of liquidity suggests that trading restrictions increase overall spreads.
Liquidity Biases and the Pricing of Cross-Sectional Idiosyncratic Volatility around the World
Authors: Han Yufeng , Hu Ting , Lesmond David A. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThis paper examines data from 45 world markets and shows that the previously documented relation between mean returns and idiosyncratic volatility arises because of biases in volatility estimates that we can attribute to the bid–ask bounce in trade prices. We show that no significant relation exists between mean returns and idiosyncratic volatility estimated from quote-midpoint returns. Further, there is no significant relation between mean returns and the portion of transaction-price-based idiosyncratic volatility that is orthogonal to bid–ask spreads. The pricing of idiosyncratic volatility is due to the negative pricing of the bid–ask spread.
‘A nation of town criers’: civic publicity and historical pageantry in inter-war Britain
Authors: HULME TOM 
Published: February 2016

ABSTRACTHistorical pageantry emerged in 1905 as the brainchild of the theatrical impresario Louis Napoleon Parker. Large casts of volunteers re-enacted successive scenes of local history, as crowds of thousands watched on, in large outdoor arenas. As the press put it, Britain had caught ‘pageant fever’. Towards the end of the 1920s, there was another outburst of historical pageantry. Yet, in contrast to the Edwardian period, when pageants took place in small towns, this revival was particularly vibrant in large industrial towns and cities. This article traces the popularity of urban pageantry to an inter-war ‘civic publicity’ movement. In doing so, it reassesses questions of local cultural decline; the role of local government; and the relationship of civic responsibility to popular theatre.
Rationally engineered Troponin C modulates in vivo cardiac function and performance in health and disease
Authors: Shettigar Vikram , Zhang Bo , Little Sean C. , Salhi Hussam E. , Hansen Brian J. , Li Ning , Zhang Jianchao , Roof Steve R. , Ho Hsiang-Ting , Brunello Lucia , Lerch Jessica K. , Weisleder Noah , Fedorov Vadim V. , Accornero Federica , Rafael-Fortney Jill A. , Gyorke Sandor , Janssen Paul M. L. , Biesiadecki Brandon J. , Ziolo Mark T. , Davis Jonathan P. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractTreatment for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the world, has progressed little for several decades. Here we develop a protein engineering approach to directly tune in vivo cardiac contractility by tailoring the ability of the heart to respond to the Ca2+signal. Promisingly, our smartly formulated Ca2+-sensitizing TnC (L48Q) enhances heart function without any adverse effects that are commonly observed with positive inotropes. In a myocardial infarction (MI) model of heart failure, expression of TnC L48Q before the MI preserves cardiac function and performance. Moreover, expression of TnC L48Q after the MI therapeutically enhances cardiac function and performance, without compromising survival. We demonstrate engineering TnC can specifically and precisely modulate cardiac contractility that when combined with gene therapy can be employed as a therapeutic strategy for heart disease.
FAT1 mutations cause a glomerulotubular nephropathy
Authors: Gee Heon Yung , Sadowski Carolin E. , Aggarwal Pardeep K. , Porath Jonathan D. , Yakulov Toma A. , Schueler Markus , Lovric Svjetlana , Ashraf Shazia , Braun Daniela A. , Halbritter Jan , Fang Humphrey , Airik Rannar , Vega-Warner Virginia , Cho Kyeong Jee , Chan Timothy A. , Morris Luc G. T. , ffrench-Constant Charles , Allen Nicholas , McNeill Helen , Büscher Rainer , Kyrieleis Henriette , Wallot Michael , Gaspert Ariana , Kistler Thomas , Milford David V. , Saleem Moin A. , Keng Wee Teik , Alexander Stephen I. , Valentini Rudolph P. , Licht Christoph , Teh Jun C. , Bogdanovic Radovan , Koziell Ania , Bierzynska Agnieszka , Soliman Neveen A. , Otto Edgar A. , Lifton Richard P. , Holzman Lawrence B. , Sibinga Nicholas E. S. , Walz Gerd , Tufro Alda , Hildebrandt Friedhelm 
Published: February 2016

AbstractSteroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) causes 15% of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Here we show that recessive mutations in FAT1 cause a distinct renal disease entity in four families with a combination of SRNS, tubular ectasia, haematuria and facultative neurological involvement. Loss of FAT1 results in decreased cell adhesion and migration in fibroblasts and podocytes and the decreased migration is partially reversed by a RAC1/CDC42 activator. Podocyte-specific deletion of Fat1 in mice induces abnormal glomerular filtration barrier development, leading to podocyte foot process effacement. Knockdown of Fat1 in renal tubular cells reduces migration, decreases active RAC1 and CDC42, and induces defects in lumen formation. Knockdown of fat1 in zebrafish causes pronephric cysts, which is partially rescued by RAC1/CDC42 activators, confirming a role of the two small GTPases in the pathogenesis. These findings provide new insights into the pathogenesis of SRNS and tubulopathy, linking FAT1 and RAC1/CDC42 to podocyte and tubular cell function.
Polarization Drift Channel Model for Coherent Fibre-Optic Systems
Authors: Czegledi Cristian B. , Karlsson Magnus , Agrell Erik , Johannisson Pontus 
Published: February 2016

AbstractA theoretical framework is introduced to model the dynamical changes of the state of polarization during transmission in coherent fibre-optic systems. The model generalizes the one-dimensional phase noise random walk to higher dimensions, accounting for random polarization drifts, emulating a random walk on the Poincaré sphere, which has been successfully verified using experimental data. The model is described in the Jones, Stokes and real four-dimensional formalisms and the mapping between them is derived. Such a model will be increasingly important in simulating and optimizing future systems, where polarization-multiplexed transmission and sophisticated digital signal processing will be natural parts. The proposed polarization drift model is the first of its kind as prior work either models polarization drift as a deterministic process or focuses on polarization-mode dispersion in systems where the state of polarization does not affect the receiver performance. We expect the model to be useful in a wide-range of photonics applications where stochastic polarization fluctuation is an issue.
Locating influential nodes via dynamics-sensitive centrality
Authors: Liu Jian-Guo , Lin Jian-Hong , Guo Qiang , Zhou Tao 
Published: February 2016

AbstractWith great theoretical and practical significance, locating influential nodes of complex networks is a promising issue. In this paper, we present a dynamics-sensitive (DS) centrality by integrating topological features and dynamical properties. The DS centrality can be directly applied in locating influential spreaders. According to the empirical results on four real networks for both susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) and susceptible-infected (SI) spreading models, the DS centrality is more accurate than degree,k-shell index and eigenvector centrality.
Crysalis: an integrated server for computational analysis and design of protein crystallization
Authors: Wang Huilin , Feng Liubin , Zhang Ziding , Webb Geoffrey I. , Lin Donghai , Song Jiangning 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe failure of multi-step experimental procedures to yield diffraction-quality crystals is a major bottleneck in protein structure determination. Accordingly, several bioinformatics methods have been successfully developed and employed to select crystallizable proteins. Unfortunately, the majority of existing in silico methods only allow the prediction of crystallization propensity, seldom enabling computational design of protein mutants that can be targeted for enhancing protein crystallizability. Here, we present Crysalis, an integrated crystallization analysis tool that builds on support-vector regression (SVR) models to facilitate computational protein crystallization prediction, analysis, and design. More specifically, the functionality of this new tool includes: (1) rapid selection of target crystallizable proteins at the proteome level, (2) identification of site non-optimality for protein crystallization and systematic analysis of all potential single-point mutations that might enhance protein crystallization propensity, and (3) annotation of target protein based on predicted structural properties. We applied the design mode of Crysalis to identify site non-optimality for protein crystallization on a proteome-scale, focusing on proteins currently classified as non-crystallizable. Our results revealed that site non-optimality is based on biases related to residues, predicted structures, physicochemical properties, and sequence loci, which provides in-depth understanding of the features influencing protein crystallization. Crysalis is freely available at http://nmrcen.xmu.edu.cn/crysalis/.
Time related variations in stem cell harvesting of umbilical cord blood
Authors: Mazzoccoli Gianluigi , Miscio Giuseppe , Fontana Andrea , Copetti Massimiliano , Francavilla Massimo , Bosi Alberto , Perfetto Federico , Valoriani Alice , De Cata Angelo , Santodirocco Michele , Totaro Angela , Rubino Rosa , di Mauro Lazzaro , Tarquini Roberto 
Published: February 2016

AbstractUmbilical cord blood (UCB) contains hematopoietic stem cells and multipotent mesenchymal cells useful for treatment in malignant/nonmalignant hematologic-immunologic diseases and regenerative medicine. Transplantation outcome is correlated with cord blood volume (CBV), number of total nucleated cells (TNC), CD34+ progenitor cells and colony forming units in UCB donations. Several studies have addressed the role of maternal/neonatal factors associated with the hematopoietic reconstruction potential of UCB, including: gestational age, maternal parity, newborn sex and birth weight, placental weight, labor duration and mode of delivery. Few data exist regarding as to how time influences UCB collection and banking patterns. We retrospectively analyzed 17.936 cord blood donations collected from 1999 to 2011 from Tuscany and Apulia Cord Blood Banks. Results from generalized multivariable linear mixed models showed that CBV, TNC and CD34+ cell were associated with known obstetric and neonatal parameters and showed rhythmic patterns in different time domains and frequency ranges. The present findings confirm that volume, total nucleated cells and stem cells of the UCB donations are hallmarked by rhythmic patterns in different time domains and frequency ranges and suggest that temporal rhythms in addition to known obstetric and neonatal parameters influence CBV, TNC and CD34+ cell content in UBC units.
Basin stability in delayed dynamics
Authors: Leng Siyang , Lin Wei , Kurths Jürgen 
Published: February 2016

AbstractBasin stability (BS) is a universal concept for complex systems studies, which focuses on the volume of the basin of attraction instead of the traditional linearization-based approach. It has a lot of applications in real-world systems especially in dynamical systems with a phenomenon of multi-stability, which is even more ubiquitous in delayed dynamics such as the firing neurons, the climatological processes and the power grids. Due to the infinite dimensional property of the space for the initial values, how to properly define the basin’s volume for delayed dynamics remains a fundamental problem. We propose here a technique which projects the infinite dimensional initial state space to a finite-dimensional Euclidean space by expanding the initial function along with different orthogonal or nonorthogonal basis. A generalized concept of basin’s volume in delayed dynamics and a highly practicable calculating algorithm with a cross-validation procedure are provided to numerically estimate the basin of attraction in delayed dynamics. We show potential applicabilities of this approach by applying it to study several representative systems of biological or/and physical significance, including the delayed Hopfield neuronal model with multistability and delayed complex networks with synchronization dynamics.
Development of Spexin-based Human Galanin Receptor Type II-Specific Agonists with Increased Stability in Serum and Anxiolytic Effect in Mice
Authors: Reyes-Alcaraz Arfaxad , Lee Yoo-Na , Son Gi Hoon , Kim Nam Hoon , Kim Dong-Kyu , Yun Seongsik , Kim Dong-Hoon , Hwang Jong-Ik , Seong Jae Young 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe novel neuropeptide spexin (SPX) was discovered to activate galanin receptor 2 (GALR2) and 3 (GALR3) but not galanin receptor 1 (GALR1). Although GALR2 is known to display a function, particularly in anxiety, depression, and appetite regulation, the further determination of its function would benefit from a more stable and selective agonist that acts only at GALR2. In the present study, we developed a GALR2-specific agonist with increased stability in serum. As galanin (GAL) showed a low affinity to GALR3, the residues in SPX were replaced with those in GAL, revealing that particular mutations such as Gln5 → Asn, Met7 → Ala, Lys11 → Phe, and Ala13 → Pro significantly decreased potencies toward GALR3 but not toward GALR2. Quadruple (Qu) mutation of these residues still retained potency to GALR2 but totally abolished the potency to both GALR3 and GALR1. The first amino acid modifications or D-Asn1 substitution significantly increased the stability when they are incubated in 100% fetal bovine serum. Intracerebroventricular administration of the mutant peptide with D-Asn1 and quadruple substitution (dN1-Qu) exhibited an anxiolytic effect in mice. Taken together, the GALR2-specific agonist with increased stability can greatly help delineation of GALR2-mediated functions and be very useful for treatments of anxiety disorder.
Cytotoxic and mutagenic potential of solutions exposed to cold atmospheric plasma
Authors: Boehm Daniela , Heslin Caitlin , Cullen Patrick J. , Bourke Paula 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe exposure of aqueous solutions to atmospheric plasmas results in the generation of relatively long-lived secondary products such as hydrogen peroxide which are biologically active and have demonstrated anti-microbial and cytotoxic activity. The use of plasma-activated solutions in applications such as microbial decontamination or anti-cancer treatments requires not only adequate performance on target cells but also a safe operating window regarding the impact on surrounding tissues. Furthermore the generation of plasma-activated fluids needs to be considered as a by-stander effect of subjecting tissue to plasma discharges. Cytotoxicity and mutagenicity assays using mammalian cell lines were used to elucidate the effects of solutions treated with di-electric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma. Plasma-treated PBS inhibited cell growth in a treatment time-dependent manner showing a linear correlation to the solutions’ peroxide concentration which remained stable over several weeks. Plasma-treated foetal bovine serum (FBS) acting as a model for complex bio-fluids showed not only cytotoxic effects but also exhibited increased mutagenic potential as determined using the mammalian HPRT assay. Further studies are warranted to determine the nature, causes and effects of the cyto- and genotoxic potential of solutions exposed to plasma discharges to ensure long-term safety of novel plasma applications in medicine and healthcare.
The Lungfish Transcriptome: A Glimpse into Molecular Evolution Events at the Transition from Water to Land
Authors: Biscotti Maria Assunta , Gerdol Marco , Canapa Adriana , Forconi Mariko , Olmo Ettore , Pallavicini Alberto , Barucca Marco , Schartl Manfred 
Published: February 2016

AbstractLungfish and coelacanths are the only living sarcopterygian fish. The phylogenetic relationship of lungfish to the last common ancestor of tetrapods and their close morphological similarity to their fossil ancestors make this species uniquely interesting. However their genome size, the largest among vertebrates, is hampering the generation of a whole genome sequence. To provide a partial solution to the problem, a high-coverage lungfish reference transcriptome was generated and assembled. The present findings indicate that lungfish, not coelacanths, are the closest relatives to land-adapted vertebrates. Whereas protein-coding genes evolve at a very slow rate, possibly reflecting a “living fossil” status, transposable elements appear to be active and show high diversity, suggesting a role for them in the remarkable expansion of the lungfish genome. Analyses of single genes and gene families documented changes connected to the water to land transition and demonstrated the value of the lungfish reference transcriptome for comparative studies of vertebrate evolution.
Production of hepatitis E virus-like particles presenting multiple foreign epitopes by co-infection of recombinant baculoviruses
Authors: Shima Ryoichi , Li Tian Cheng , Sendai Yutaka , Kataoka Chikako , Mori Yoshio , Abe Takayuki , Takeda Naokazu , Okamoto Toru , Matsuura Yoshiharu 
Published: February 2016

AbstractHepatitis E virus (HEV) causes not only endemics via a fecal-oral route but also sporadic cases via zoonotic transmission or blood transfusion. HEV-like particles (HEV-LP) produced by using a baculovirus expression system are considered a candidate for mucosal vaccines for HEV infection. In this study, we attempted to produce a chimeric HEV-LP presenting various foreign epitopes on its surface. Expression of the recombinant capsid proteins carrying a myc- or FLAG-tag inserted between amino acid residues 488 and 489, which are located in the exterior loop on the protruding domain of the HEV capsid, resulted in the production of recombinant HEV-LP. Although expression of the recombinant capsid protein carrying the HA-tag inserted at the same site failed to produce any particles, co-expression with the myc-tagged capsid protein successfully yielded a chimeric HEV-LP consisting of both recombinant capsid proteins. Immunoprecipitation analyses confirmed that the chimeric particles present these foreign epitopes on the surface. Similar results were obtained for the expression of the recombinant capsid proteins carrying neutralizing epitopes of Japanese encephalitis virus. These results suggest the chimeric HEV-LP system provides a novel vaccine carrier that can accommodate multiple neutralizing epitopes on its surface.
A label-free and portable graphene FET aptasensor for children blood lead detection
Authors: Wang Chenyu , Cui Xinyi , Li Ying , Li Hongbo , Huang Lei , Bi Jun , Luo Jun , Ma Lena Q. , Zhou Wei , Cao Yi , Wang Baigeng , Miao Feng 
Published: February 2016

AbstractLead is a cumulative toxicant, which can induce severe health issues, especially in children’s case due to their immature nervous system. While realizing large-scale monitoring of children blood lead remains challenging by utilizing traditional methods, it is highly desirable to search for alternative techniques or novel sensing materials. Here we report a label-free and portable aptasensor based on graphene field effect transistor (FET) for effective children blood lead detection. With standard solutions of different Pb2+ concentrations, we obtained a dose-response curve and a detection limitation below 37.5 ng/L, which is three orders lower than the safe blood lead level (100 μg/L). The devices also showed excellent selectivity over other metal cations such as, Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+, suggesting the capability of working in a complex sample matrix. We further successfully demonstrated the detection of Pb2+ ions in real blood samples from children by using our aptasensors and explored their potential applications for quantification. Our results underscore such graphene FET aptasensors for future applications on fast detection of heavy metal ions for health monitoring and disease diagnostics.