bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of crop plants on fitness costs associated with resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis toxins Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab in cabbage loopers
Authors: Wang Ran , Tetreau Guillaume , Wang Ping 
Published: February 2016

AbstractFitness costs associated with resistance toBacillus thuringiensis(Bt) toxins critically impact the development of resistance in insect populations. In this study, the fitness costs inTrichoplusia nistrains associated with two genetically independent resistance mechanisms to Bt toxins Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab, individually and in combination, on four crop plants (cabbage, cotton, tobacco and tomato) were analyzed, in comparison with their near-isogenic susceptible strain. The net reproductive rate (R0) and intrinsic rate of increase (r) of theT. nistrains, regardless of their resistance traits, were strongly affected by the host plants. TheABCC2gene-linked mechanism of Cry1Ac resistance was associated with relatively low fitness costs, while the Cry2Ab resistance mechanism was associated with higher fitness costs. The fitness costs in the presence of both resistance mechanisms inT. niappeared to be non-additive. The relative fitness of Bt-resistantT. nidepended on the specific resistance mechanisms as well as host plants. In addition to difference in survivorship and fecundity, an asynchrony of adult emergence was observed amongT. niwith different resistance mechanisms and on different host plants. Therefore, mechanisms of resistance and host plants available in the field are both important factors affecting development of Bt resistance in insects.
SOHLH2 is essential for synaptonemal complex formation during spermatogenesis in early postnatal mouse testes
Authors: Park Miree , Lee Youngeun , Jang Hoon , Lee Ok-Hee , Park Sung-Won , Kim Jae-Hwan , Hong Kwonho , Song Hyuk , Park Se-Pill , Park Yun-Yong , Ko Jung Jae , Choi Youngsok 
Published: February 2016

AbstractSpermatogenesis- and oogenesis-specific helix-loop-helix transcription factor 2 (SOHLH2) is exclusively expressed in germ cells of the gonads. Previous studies show that SOHLH2 is critical for spermatogenesis in mouse. However, the regulatory mechanism of SOHLH2 during early spermatogenesis is poorly understood. In the present study, we analyzed the gene expression profile of the Sohlh2-deficient testis and examined the role of SOHLH2 during spermatogenesis. We found 513 genes increased in abundance, while 492 genes decreased in abundance in 14-day-old Sohlh2-deficient mouse testes compared to wildtype mice. Gene ontology analysis revealed that Sohlh2 disruption effects the relative abundance of various meiotic genes during early spermatogenesis, including Spo11, Dmc1, Msh4, Prdm9, Sycp1, Sycp2, Sycp3, Hormad1, and Hormad2. Western blot analysis and immunostaining showed that SYCP3, a component of synaptonemal complex, was significantly less abundant in Sohlh2-deficient spermatocytes. We observed a lack of synaptonemal complex formation during meiosis in Sohlh2-deficient spermatocytes. Furthermore, we found that SOHLH2 interacted with two E-boxes on the mouse Sycp1 promoter and Sycp1 promoter activity increased with ectopically expressed SOHLH2. Taken together, our data suggest that SOHLH2 is critical for the formation of synaptonemal complexes via its regulation of Sycp1 expression during mouse spermatogonial differentiation.
Impacts of manure application on soil environment, rainfall use efficiency and crop biomass under dryland farming
Authors: Wang Xiaojuan , Jia Zhikuan , Liang Lianyou , Yang Baoping , Ding Ruixia , Nie Junfeng , Wang Junpeng 
Published: February 2016

AbstractBecause of inadequate nutrient and water supply, soils are often unproductive in Northwest China. We studied the effects of manure application at low (LM 7.5 t ha–1), medium (MM 15 t ha–1), and high (HM 22.5 t ha–1) rates combined with fixed levels of chemical fertilizers on maize growth and rainfall use efficiency compared with chemical fertilizers (CK) under semi-arid conditions over a three-year period. HM and MM treatments could significantly increase soil water storage (0–120 cm) at tasseling stage of maize compared with LM treatment and CK (P < 0.05). Dry matter accumulation and rainfall use efficiency increased as manure application rate increasing (P < 0.05). HM treatment significantly increased rainfall use efficiency by 6.5–12.7% at big trumpeting – tasseling stage compared with LM and MM treatments. HM and MM treatments increased rainfall use efficiency by 8.6–18.1% at tasseling – grain filling stage compared with CK. There was no significant difference on biomass between HM and MM treatments at grain filling and maturity stages of maize in 2009 and 2010.
Bioelectric modulation of macrophage polarization
Authors: Li Chunmei , Levin Michael , Kaplan David L. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractMacrophages play a critical role in regulating wound healing and tissue regeneration by changing their polarization state in response to local microenvironmental stimuli. The native roles of polarized macrophages encompass biomaterials and tissue remodeling needs, yet harnessing or directing the polarization response has been largely absent as a potential strategy to exploit in regenerative medicine to date. Recent data have revealed that specific alteration of cells’ resting potential (Vmem) is a powerful tool to direct proliferation and differentiation in a number of complex tissues, such as limb regeneration, craniofacial patterning and tumorigenesis. In this study, we explored the bioelectric modulation of macrophage polarization by targeting ATP sensitive potassium channels (KATP). Glibenclamide (KATP blocker) and pinacidil (KATP opener) treatment not only affect macrophage polarization, but also influence the phenotype of prepolarized macrophages. Furthermore, modulation of cell membrane electrical properties can fine-tune macrophage plasticity. Glibenclamide decreased the secretion and gene expression of selected M1 markers, while pinacidil augmented M1 markers. More interestingly, glibencalmide promoted macrophage alternative activation by enhancing certain M2 markers during M2 polarization. These findings suggest that control of bioelectric properties of macrophages could offer a promising approach to regulate macrophage phenotype as a useful tool in regenerative medicine.
Engineering a Carbohydrate-processing Transglycosidase into Glycosyltransferase for Natural Product Glycodiversification
Authors: Liang Chaoning , Zhang Yi , Jia Yan , Wenzhao Wang  , Li Youhai , Lu Shikun , Jin Jian-Ming , Tang Shuang-Yan 
Published: February 2016

AbstractGlycodiversification broadens the scope of natural product-derived drug discovery. The acceptor substrate promiscuity of glucosyltransferase-D (GTF-D), a carbohydrate-processing enzyme from Streptococcus mutans, was expanded by protein engineering. Mutants in a site-saturation mutagenesis library were screened on the fluorescent substrate 4-methylumbelliferone to identify derivatives with improved transglycosylation efficiency. In comparison to the wild-type GTF-D enzyme, mutant M4 exhibited increased transglycosylation capabilities on flavonoid substrates including catechin, genistein, daidzein and silybin, using the glucosyl donor sucrose. This study demonstrated the feasibility of developing natural product glycosyltransferases by engineering transglycosidases that use donor substrates cheaper than NDP-sugars, and gave rise to a series of α-glucosylated natural products that are novel to the natural product reservoir. The solubility of the α-glucoside of genistein and the anti-oxidant capability of the α-glucoside of catechin were also studied.
Magnetic field induced motion behavior of gas bubbles in liquid
Authors: Wang Keliang , Pei Pucheng , Pei Yu , Ma Ze , Xu Huachi , Chen Dongfang 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe oxygen evolution reaction generally exists in electrochemical reactions. It is a ubiquitous problem about how to control the motion of oxygen bubbles released by the reaction. Here we show that oxygen bubbles during oxygen evolution reaction exhibit a variety of movement patterns in the magnetic field, including directional migration and rotational motion of oxygen bubbles when the magnet in parallel with the electrode, and exclusion movement of oxygen bubbles when the magnet perpendicular to the electrode. The results demonstrate that the direction of oxygen bubbles movement is dependent upon the magnet pole near the electrode, and the kinetics of oxygen bubbles is mainly proportional to intensity of the electromagnetic field. The magnetic-field induced rotational motion of oxygen bubbles in a square electrolyzer can increase liquid hydrodynamics, thus solve the problems of oxygen bubbles coalescence, and uneven distribution of electrolyte composition and temperature. These types of oxygen bubbles movement will not only improve energy saving and metal deposition for energy storage and metal refinery, but also propel object motion in application to medical and martial fields.
Limits of Coherency and Strain Transfer in Flexible 2D van der Waals Heterostructures: Formation of Strain Solitons and Interlayer Debonding
Authors: Kumar Hemant , Dong Liang , Shenoy Vivek B. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractIn flexible 2D-devices, strain transfer between different van-der Waals stacked layers is expected to play an important role in determining their optoelectronic performances and mechanical stability. Using a 2D non-linear shear-lag model, we demonstrate that only 1-2% strain can be transferred between adjacent layers of different 2d-materials, depending on the strength of the interlayer vdW interaction and the elastic modulus of the individual layers. Beyond this critical strain, layers begin to slip with respect to each other. We further show that due to the symmetry of the periodic interlayer shear potential, stacked structures form strain solitons with alternating AB/BA or AB/AB stacking which are separated by incommensurate domain walls. The extent and the separation distance of these commensurate domains are found to be determined by the degree of the applied strain and their magnitudes are calculated for several 2D heterostructures and bilayers including MoS2/WS2, MoSe2/WSe2, Graphene/Graphene and MoS2/MoS2 using a multiscale method. As bilayer structures have been shown to exhibit stacking-dependent electronic bandgap and quantum transport properties, the predictions of our study will not only be crucial in determining the mechanical stability of flexible 2D devices but will also help to better understand optoelectronic response of flexible devices.
Cesium adsorption/desorption behavior of clay minerals considering actual contamination conditions in Fukushima
Authors: Mukai Hiroki , Hirose Atsushi , Motai Satoko , Kikuchi Ryosuke , Tanoi Keitaro , Nakanishi Tomoko M. , Yaita Tsuyoshi , Kogure Toshihiro 
Published: February 2016

AbstractCesium adsorption/desorption experiments for various clay minerals, considering actual contamination conditions in Fukushima, were conducted using the 137Cs radioisotope and an autoradiography using imaging plates (IPs). A 50 μl solution containing 0.185 ~ 1.85 Bq of 137Cs (10−11 ~ 10−9 molL−1 of 137Cs) was dropped onto a substrate where various mineral particles were arranged. It was found that partially-vermiculitized biotite, which is termed “weathered biotite” (WB) in this study, from Fukushima sorbed 137Cs far more than the other clay minerals (fresh biotite, illite, smectite, kaolinite, halloysite, allophane, imogolite) on the same substrate. When WB was absent on the substrate, the amount of 137Cs sorbed to the other clay minerals was considerably increased, implying that selective sorption to WB caused depletion of radiocesium in the solution and less sorption to the coexisting minerals. Cs-sorption to WB continued for about one day, whereas that to ferruginous smectite was completed within one hour. The sorbed 137Cs in WB was hardly leached with hydrochloric acid at pH 1, particularly in samples with a longer sorption time. The presence/absence of WB sorbing radiocesium is a key factor affecting the dynamics and fate of radiocesium in Fukushima.
The ion microscope as a tool for quantitative measurements in the extreme ultraviolet
Authors: Tsatrafyllis N. , Bergues B. , Schröder H. , Veisz L. , Skantzakis E. , Gray D. , Bodi B. , Kuhn S. , Tsakiris G. D. , Charalambidis D. , Tzallas P. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractWe demonstrate a tool for quantitative measurements in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectral region measuring spatially resolved atomic ionization products at the focus of an EUV beam. The ionizing radiation is a comb of the 11th–15th harmonics of a Ti:Sapphire femtosecond laser beam produced in a Xenon gas jet. The spatial ion distribution at the focus of the harmonics is recorded using an ion microscope. Spatially resolved single- and two-photon ionization products of Argon and Helium are observed. From such ion distributions single- and two-photon generalized cross sections can be extracted by a self-calibrating method. The observation of spatially resolved two-EUV-photon ionization constitutes an initial step towards future single-shot temporal characterization of attosecond pulses.
Expansion and stress responses of AP2/EREBP superfamily in Brachypodium Distachyon
Authors: Chen Lihong , Han Jiapeng , Deng Xiaomin , Tan Shenglong , Li Lili , Li Lun , Zhou Junfei , Peng Hai , Yang Guangxiao , He Guangyuan , Zhang Weixiong 
Published: February 2016

AbstractAPETALA2/ethylene-responsive element binding protein (AP2/EREBP) transcription factors constitute one of the largest and most conserved gene families in plant and play essential roles in growth, development and stress response. Except a few members, the AP2/EREBP family has not been characterized in Brachypodium distachyon, a model plant of Poaceae. We performed a genome-wide study of this family in B. distachyon by phylogenetic analyses, transactivation assays and transcript profiling. A total of 149 AP2/EREBP genes were identified and divided into four subfamilies, i.e., ERF (ethylene responsive factor), DREB (dehydration responsive element binding gene), RAV (related to ABI3/VP) and AP2. Tandem duplication was a major force in expanding B. distachyon AP2/EREBP (BdAP2/EREBP) family. Despite a significant expansion, genomic organizations of BdAP2/EREBPs were monotonous as the majority of them, except those of AP2 subfamily, had no intron. An analysis of transcription activities of several closely related and duplicated BdDREB genes showed their functional divergence and redundancy in evolution. The expression of BdAP2/EREBPs in different tissues and the expression of DREB/ERF subfamilies in B. distachyon, wheat and rice under abiotic stresses were investigated by next-generation sequencing and microarray profiling. Our results are valuable for further function analysis of stress tolerant AP2/EREBP genes in B. distachyon.
Electronic structures of greigite (Fe3S4): A hybrid functional study and prediction for a Verwey transition
Authors: Wu Min , Tse John S , Pan Yuanming 
Published: February 2016

AbstractGreigite (Fe3S4) is a ferrimagnetic mineral with vital functions in both the bio-geochemical cycle and novel technological applications. However, the ground state electronic structure of this material has not been fully characterized by either experiment or theory. In the present study, ab initio calculations using the hybrid functional method have been performed to investigate the electronic structure and magnetic properties. It is found that the cubic structure observed under ambient temperature is a half metal and is metastable. A more stable monoclinic structure slightly distorted from the cubic form is found. The structural distortion is induced by charge ordering and associated with a metal-to-insulator transition, resulting in a semiconductive ground state with a bandgap of ~0.8 eV and a magnetic moment of 4 μB per formula unit. The results predict, similar to the magnetite (Fe3O4), a Verwey transition may exist in greigite, although it has not yet been observed experimentally.
Anomalous magneto-elastic and charge doping effects in thallium-doped BaFe2As2
Authors: Sefat Athena S. , Li Li , Cao Huibo B. , McGuire Michael A. , Sales Brian , Custelcean Radu , Parker David S. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractWithin the BaFe2As2 crystal lattice, we partially substitute thallium for barium and report the effects of interlayer coupling in Ba1-xTlxFe2As2 crystals. We demonstrate the unusual effects of magneto-elastic coupling and charge doping in this iron-arsenide material, whereby Néel temperature rises with small x, and then falls with additional x. Specifically, we find that Néel and structural transitions in BaFe2As2 (TN = Ts = 133 K) increase for x = 0.05 (TN = 138 K, Ts = 140 K) from magnetization, heat capacity, resistivity, and neutron diffraction measurements. Evidence from single crystal X-ray diffraction and first principles calculations attributes the stronger magnetism in x = 0.05 to magneto-elastic coupling related to the shorter intraplanar Fe-Fe bond distance. With further thallium substitution, the transition temperatures decrease for x = 0.09 (TN = Ts = 131 K), and this is due to charge doping. We illustrate that small changes related to 3d transition-metal state can have profound effects on magnetism.
Multiple Imputation for General Missing Data Patterns in the Presence of High-dimensional Data
Authors: Deng Yi , Chang Changgee , Ido Moges Seyoum , Long Qi 
Published: February 2016

AbstractMultiple imputation (MI) has been widely used for handling missing data in biomedical research. In the presence of high-dimensional data, regularized regression has been used as a natural strategy for building imputation models, but limited research has been conducted for handling general missing data patterns where multiple variables have missing values. Using the idea of multiple imputation by chained equations (MICE), we investigate two approaches of using regularized regression to impute missing values of high-dimensional data that can handle general missing data patterns. We compare our MICE methods with several existing imputation methods in simulation studies. Our simulation results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed MICE approach based on an indirect use of regularized regression in terms of bias. We further illustrate the proposed methods using two data examples.
Gene expression profiling of white adipose tissue reveals paternal transmission of proneness to obesity
Authors: Morita Sumiyo , Nakabayashi Kazuhiko , Kawai Tomoko , Hayashi Keiko , Horii Takuro , Kimura Mika , Kamei Yasutomi , Ogawa Yoshihiro , Hata Kenichiro , Hatada Izuho 
Published: February 2016

AbstractPreviously, we found that C57BL/6J (B6) mice are more prone to develop obesity than PWK mice. In addition, we analyzed reciprocal crosses between these mice and found that (PWK × B6) F1 mice, which have B6 fathers, are more likely to develop dietary obesity than (B6 × PWK) F1 mice, which have B6 mothers. These results suggested that diet-induced obesity is paternally transmitted. In this study, we performed transcriptome analysis of adipose tissues of B6, PWK, (PWK × B6) F1, and (B6 × PWK) F1 mice using next-generation sequencing. We found that paternal transmission of diet-induced obesity was correlated with genes involved in adipose tissue inflammation, metal ion transport, and cilia. Furthermore, we analyzed the imprinted genes expressed in white adipose tissue (WAT) and obesity. Expression of paternally expressed imprinted genes (PEGs) was negatively correlated with body weight, whereas expression of maternally expressed imprinted genes (MEGs) was positively correlated. In the obesity-prone B6 mice, expression of PEGs was down-regulated by a high-fat diet, suggesting that abnormally low expression of PEGs contributes to high-fat diet-induced obesity in B6 mice. In addition, using single-nucleotide polymorphisms that differ between B6 and PWK, we identified candidate imprinted genes in WAT.
Influence of the season on vitamin D levels and regulatory T cells in patients with polymorphic light eruption
Authors: Schweintzger N. A. , Gruber-Wackernagel A. , Shirsath N. , Quehenberger F. , Obermayer-Pietsch B. , Wolf P. 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
The exact mechanisms of photohardening in polymorphic light eruption (PLE) are still unknown, but medical photohardening was shown to increase regulatory T cell (Treg) numbers in the blood of PLE patients, similar to natural hardening. Furthermore, oral vitamin D supplementation increased peripheral Tregs in healthy individuals. We herein report on a post hoc analysis of 26 screened PLE patients of a clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov No. NCT01595893), in which the influence of the progressing season was investigated on baseline CD4+CD25+FoxP3+CD127− Treg numbers by flow cytometry and Treg suppressive function by co-culture assays with T effector cells as a secondary endpoint, together with 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) serum levels at the study’s screening visit, taking place in the period from January to June. The mean 25(OH)D serum level of all patients was 33.2 ng ml−1. Ten of those patients (38.5%) were identified with low 25(OH)D levels (<30 ng ml−1). Significantly higher baseline 25(OH)D serum levels (plus 34.4%; P = 0.0182) as well as higher relative Treg percentages in CD4+ population (plus 62.8%; P = 0.0157) and in total lymphocyte population (plus 59.6%; P = 0.0372) and higher absolute Treg numbers (plus 100.2%; P = 0.0042) were observed in the late spring/early summer period (April to June) compared to the winter period (January to February). No significant relationship was observed when Treg numbers and function were correlated with 25(OH)D levels. These data indicate that in PLE patients Treg numbers and their suppressive function are independent of vitamin D serum levels and suggest that UV light and/or other seasonal factors may affect these cells via the non-vitamin D related pathway(s).
CD8+CD122+CD49dlowregulatory T cells maintain T-cell homeostasis by killing activated T cells via Fas/FasL-mediated cytotoxicity
Authors: Akane Kazuyuki , Kojima Seiji , Mak Tak W. , Shiku Hiroshi , Suzuki Haruhiko 
Published: February 2016

SignificanceOur study demonstrated that CD8+CD122+CD49dlowregulatory T cells induced apoptosis in target T cells depending on death receptor Fas (CD95)–FasL (CD178) interaction. This in vitro phenomenon reflected the regulatory activity of these cells in vivo, which was also reproducible in the in vivo experimental system of adoptive T-cell transfer. By using natural mutant mice of Fas or FasL and the gene-targeted mice of IL-10, we confirmed that the regulatory activity of CD8+CD122+CD49dlowcells was mediated by Fas–FasL but not by IL-10. In addition, the necessity of MHC class I molecules on the target T cells was also confirmed by analysis using CD8+T cells that lack β2-microglobulin and consequently class I MHC.