bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The potential impact of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) restrictions on expenditures: a systematic review
Authors: Cuffey Joel , Beatty Timothy KM , Harnack Lisa 
Published: December 2015

AbstractObjectiveTo systematically review the potential impact of reducing the set of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-eligible foods (e.g. not allowing purchase of sugar-sweetened beverages with SNAP benefits) on expenditures for restricted foods.DesignThe impact on food expenditures of a $US 1 reduction in available SNAP benefits can be used to estimate the impact of restrictions on SNAP-eligible foods. An electronic search of EconPapers, AgEcon Search, EconLit, WorldCat, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, PubMed and NALDC, and a snowball search were conducted to obtain a sample of studies up to March 2015 that estimate the impacts of SNAP and other income on household food expenditures. The studies were classified according to study population, study design and whether they attempted to correct for major study design biases.SettingEstimates were extracted from fifty-nine published and unpublished studies.SubjectsUS households.ResultsFifty-nine studies were found, yielding 123 estimates of the impact of SNAP benefits on food expenditures and 117 estimates of the difference in impacts between SNAP benefits and other income. Studies correcting for or mitigating study design biases had less estimate variation. Estimates indicate that expenditures on the restricted item would decrease by $US 1·6 to $US 4·8 if $US 10 of SNAP benefits would have otherwise been spent, with a median overall impact of $US 3.ConclusionsThe present literature suggests that restrictions on SNAP-eligible items may result in a small but potentially meaningful decrease in SNAP expenditures for restricted items. Further research is needed to evaluate whether this would translate into improvements in diet quality.
TAK1 modulates satellite stem cell homeostasis and skeletal muscle repair
Authors: Ogura Yuji , Hindi Sajedah M. , Sato Shuichi , Xiong Guangyan , Akira Shizuo , Kumar Ashok 
Published: December 2015

AbstractSatellite cells are resident adult stem cells that are required for regeneration of skeletal muscle. However, signalling mechanisms that regulate satellite cell function are less understood. Here we demonstrate that transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) is important in satellite stem cell homeostasis and function. Inactivation of TAK1 in satellite cells inhibits muscle regeneration in adult mice. TAK1 is essential for satellite cell proliferation and its inactivation causes precocious differentiation. Moreover, TAK1-deficient satellite cells exhibit increased oxidative stress and undergo spontaneous cell death, primarily through necroptosis. TAK1 is required for the activation of NF-κB and JNK in satellite cells. Forced activation of NF-κB improves survival and proliferation of TAK1-deficient satellite cells. Furthermore, TAK1-mediated activation of JNK is essential to prevent oxidative stress and precocious differentiation of satellite cells. Collectively, our study suggests that TAK1 is required for maintaining the pool of satellite stem cells and for regenerative myogenesis.
Conformational gating of DNA conductance
Authors: Artés Juan Manuel , Li Yuanhui , Qi Jianqing , Anantram M. P. , Hihath Joshua 
Published: December 2015

AbstractDNA is a promising molecule for applications in molecular electronics because of its unique electronic and self-assembly properties. Here we report that the conductance of DNA duplexes increases by approximately one order of magnitude when its conformation is changed from the B-form to the A-form. This large conductance increase is fully reversible, and by controlling the chemical environment, the conductance can be repeatedly switched between the two values. The conductance of the two conformations displays weak length dependencies, as is expected for guanine-rich sequences, and can be fit with a coherence-corrected hopping model. These results are supported by ab initio electronic structure calculations that indicate that the highest occupied molecular orbital is more disperse in the A-form DNA case. These results demonstrate that DNA can behave as a promising molecular switch for molecular electronics applications and also provide additional insights into the huge dispersion of DNA conductance values found in the literature.
Unfavorable Individuals in Social Gaming Networks
Authors: Zhang Yichao , Chen Guanrong , Guan Jihong , Zhang Zhongzhi , Zhou Shuigeng 
Published: December 2015

AbstractIn social gaming networks, the current research focus has been on the origin of widespread reciprocal behaviors when individuals play non-cooperative games. In this paper, we investigate the topological properties of unfavorable individuals in evolutionary games. The unfavorable individuals are defined as the individuals gaining the lowest average payoff in a round of game. Since the average payoff is normally considered as a measure of fitness, the unfavorable individuals are very likely to be eliminated or change their strategy updating rules from a Darwinian perspective. Considering that humans can hardly adopt a unified strategy to play with their neighbors, we propose a divide-and-conquer game model, where individuals can interact with their neighbors in the network with appropriate strategies. We test and compare a series of highly rational strategy updating rules. In the tested scenarios, our analytical and simulation results surprisingly reveal that the less-connected individuals in degree-heterogeneous networks are more likely to become the unfavorable individuals. Our finding suggests that the connectivity of individuals as a social capital fundamentally changes the gaming environment. Our model, therefore, provides a theoretical framework for further understanding the social gaming networks.
Suppression of established hepatocarcinoma in adjuvant only immunotherapy: alum triggers anti-tumor CD8+ T cell response
Authors: Wang Bo , Wang Xuanyi , Wen Yumei , Fu Jing , Wang Hongyang , Ma Zhangmei , Shi Yan , Wang Bin 
Published: December 2015

AbstractDendritic cell-based immunotherapy is a new weapon in our battle against malignancies in human. Recent trials in human and research work in model animals have shown various degrees of success, suggesting its great potential for clinical use. While protocols vary, a common scheme in this category of treatment involves activation of dendritic cells, with the purpose of increasing antigen presentation and cellular immunity. Therefore, proper use of immune adjuvant is a central subject of study. We report here an unexpected finding that injection of alum, the most widely used human adjuvant, into mice carrying H22 hepatocarcinoma resulted in a significant reduction of tumor growth with extended animal survival. This effect was associated with an increased specific CD8+ T cell activation and an inflammatory environment, yet with minimal overt side effects. Our finding suggests that use of adjuvant alone in certain established tumors can invoke protective host immune activation against the same target, which may be of value in our development of new cancer immunotherapies.
REST mediates resolution of HIF-dependent gene expression in prolonged hypoxia
Authors: Cavadas Miguel A. S. , Mesnieres Marion , Crifo Bianca , Manresa Mario C. , Selfridge Andrew C. , Scholz Carsten C. , Cummins Eoin P. , Cheong Alex , Taylor Cormac T. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is a key regulator of the cellular response to hypoxia which promotes oxygen delivery and metabolic adaptation to oxygen deprivation. However, the degree and duration of HIF-1α expression in hypoxia must be carefully balanced within cells in order to avoid unwanted side effects associated with excessive activity. The expression of HIF-1α mRNA is suppressed in prolonged hypoxia, suggesting that the control of HIF1A gene transcription is tightly regulated by negative feedback mechanisms. Little is known about the resolution of the HIF-1α protein response and the suppression of HIF-1α mRNA in prolonged hypoxia. Here, we demonstrate that the Repressor Element 1-Silencing Transcription factor (REST) binds to the HIF-1α promoter in a hypoxia-dependent manner. Knockdown of REST using RNAi increases the expression of HIF-1α mRNA, protein and transcriptional activity. Furthermore REST knockdown increases glucose consumption and lactate production in a HIF-1α- (but not HIF-2α-) dependent manner. Finally, REST promotes the resolution of HIF-1α protein expression in prolonged hypoxia. In conclusion, we hypothesize that REST represses transcription of HIF-1α in prolonged hypoxia, thus contributing to the resolution of the HIF-1α response.
Low-Temperature, Dry Transfer-Printing of a Patterned Graphene Monolayer
Authors: Cha Sugkyun , Cha Minjeong , Lee Seojun , Kang Jin Hyoun , Kim Changsoon 
Published: December 2015

AbstractGraphene has recently attracted much interest as a material for flexible, transparent electrodes or active layers in electronic and photonic devices. However, realization of such graphene-based devices is limited due to difficulties in obtaining patterned graphene monolayers on top of materials that are degraded when exposed to a high-temperature or wet process. We demonstrate a low-temperature, dry process capable of transfer-printing a patterned graphene monolayer grown on Cu foil onto a target substrate using an elastomeric stamp. A challenge in realizing this is to obtain a high-quality graphene layer on a hydrophobic stamp made of poly(dimethylsiloxane), which is overcome by introducing two crucial modifications to the conventional wet-transfer method – the use of a support layer composed of Au and the decrease in surface tension of the liquid bath. Using this technique, patterns of a graphene monolayer were transfer-printed on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate and MoO3, both of which are easily degraded when exposed to an aqueous or aggressive patterning process. We discuss the range of application of this technique, which is currently limited by oligomer contaminants and possible means to expand it by eliminating the contamination problem.
SMARCAL1 Negatively Regulates C-Myc Transcription By Altering The Conformation Of The Promoter Region
Authors: Sharma Tapan , Bansal Ritu , Haokip Dominic Thangminlen , Goel Isha , Muthuswami Rohini 
Published: December 2015

AbstractSMARCAL1, a member of the SWI2/SNF2 protein family, stabilizes replication forks during DNA damage. In this manuscript, we provide the first evidence that SMARCAL1 is also a transcriptional co-regulator modulating the expression of c-Myc, a transcription factor that regulates 10–15% genes in the human genome. BRG1, SMARCAL1 and RNAPII were found localized onto the c-myc promoter. When HeLa cells were serum starved, the occupancy of SMARCAL1 on the c-myc promoter increased while that of BRG1 and RNAPII decreased correlating with repression of c-myc transcription. Using Active DNA-dependent ATPase A Domain (ADAAD), the bovine homolog of SMARCAL1, we show that the protein can hydrolyze ATP using a specific region upstream of the CT element of the c-myc promoter as a DNA effector. The energy, thereby, released is harnessed to alter the conformation of the promoter DNA. We propose that SMARCAL1 negatively regulates c-myc transcription by altering the conformation of its promoter region during differentiation.
Formation of crystal-like structures and branched networks from nonionic spherical micelles
Authors: Cardiel Joshua J. , Furusho Hirotoshi , Skoglund Ulf , Shen Amy Q. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractCrystal-like structures at nano and micron scales have promise for purification and confined reactions and as starting points for fabricating highly ordered crystals for protein engineering and drug discovery applications. However, developing controlled crystallization techniques from batch processes remain challenging. We show that neutrally charged nanoscale spherical micelles from biocompatible nonionic surfactant solutions can evolve into nano- and micro-sized branched networks and crystal-like structures. This occurs under simple combinations of temperature and flow conditions. Our findings not only suggest new opportunities for developing controlled universal crystallization and encapsulation procedures that are sensitive to ionic environments and high temperatures, but also open up new pathways for accelerating drug discovery processes, which are of tremendous interest to pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries.
Energetics of Endotoxin Recognition in the Toll-Like Receptor 4 Innate Immune Response
Authors: Paramo Teresa , Tomasio Susana M. , Irvine Kate L. , Bryant Clare E. , Bond Peter J. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBacterial outer membrane lipopolysaccharide (LPS) potently stimulates the mammalian innate immune system and can lead to sepsis, the primary cause of death from infections. LPS is sensed by Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in complex with its lipid-binding coreceptor MD-2, but subtle structural variations in LPS can profoundly modulate the response. To better understand the mechanism of LPS-induced stimulation and bacterial evasion, we have calculated the binding affinity to MD-2 of agonistic and antagonistic LPS variants including lipid A, lipid IVa and synthetic antagonist Eritoran and provide evidence that the coreceptor is a molecular switch that undergoes ligand-induced conformational changes to appropriately activate or inhibit the receptor complex. The plasticity of the coreceptor binding cavity is shown to be essential for distinguishing between ligands, whilst similar calculations for a model bacterial LPS bilayer reveal the “membrane-like” nature of the protein cavity. The ability to predict the activity of LPS variants should facilitate the rational design of TLR4 therapeutics.
Specific quorum sensing-disrupting activity (AQSI) of thiophenones and their therapeutic potential
Authors: Yang Qian , Aamdal Scheie Anne , Benneche Tore , Defoirdt Tom 
Published: December 2015

AbstractDisease caused by antibiotic resistant pathogens is becoming a serious problem, both in human and veterinary medicine. The inhibition of quorum sensing, bacterial cell-to-cell communication, is a promising alternative strategy to control disease. In this study, we determined the quorum sensing-disrupting activity of 20 thiophenones towards the quorum sensing model bacterium V. harveyi. In order to exclude false positives, we propose a new parameter (AQSI) to describe specific quorum sensing activity. AQSI is defined as the ratio between inhibition of quorum sensing-regulated activity in a reporter strain and inhibition of the same activity when it is independent of quorum sensing. Calculation of AQSI allowed to exclude five false positives, whereas the six most active thiophenones (TF203, TF307, TF319, TF339, TF342 and TF403) inhibited quorum sensing at 0.25 μM, with AQSI higher than 10. Further, we determined the protective effect and toxicity of the thiophenones in a highly controlled gnotobiotic model system with brine shrimp larvae. There was a strong positive correlation between the specific quorum sensing-disrupting activity of the thiophenones and the protection of brine shrimp larvae against pathogenic V. harveyi. Four of the most active quorum sensing-disrupting thiophenones (TF 203, TF319, TF339 and TF342) were considered to be promising since they have a therapeutic potential of at least 10.
Magnetic fluctuations driven insulator-to-metal transition in Ca(Ir1−xRux)O3
Authors: Gunasekera J. , Harriger L. , Dahal A. , Heitmann T. , Vignale G. , Singh D. K. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractMagnetic fluctuations in transition metal oxides are a subject of intensive research because of the key role they are expected to play in the transition from the Mott insulator to the unconventional metallic phase of these materials and also as drivers of superconductivity. Despite much effort, a clear link between magnetic fluctuations and the insulator-to-metal transition has not yet been established. Here we report the discovery of a compelling link between magnetic fluctuations and the insulator-to-metal transition in Ca(Ir1−xRux)O3 perovskites as a function of the substitution coefficient x. We show that when the material turns from insulator to metal, at a critical value of x ~ 0.3, magnetic fluctuations tend to change their character from antiferromagnetic, a Mott insulator phase, to ferromagnetic, an itinerant electron state with Hund’s orbital coupling. These results are expected to have wide-ranging implications for our understanding of the unconventional properties of strongly correlated electrons systems.
Symptomatic Triple-Region Spinal Stenosis Treated with Simultaneous Surgery: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Schaffer Joseph C. , Raudenbush Brandon L. , Molinari Christine , Molinari Robert W. 
Published: December 2015

Study Design Case report. Objectives Symptomatic triple-region spinal stenosis (TRSS), defined as spinal stenosis in three different regions of the spine, is extremely rare. To our knowledge, treatment with simultaneous decompressive surgery is not described in the literature. We report a case of a patient with TRSS who was treated successfully with simultaneous decompressive surgery in three separate regions of the spine. Methods A 50-year-old man presented with combined progressive cervical and thoracic myelopathy along with severe lumbar spinal claudication and radiculopathy. He underwent simultaneous decompressive surgery in all three regions of his spine and concomitant instrumented fusion in the cervical and thoracic regions. Results Estimated blood loss for the procedure was 600 mL total (250 mL cervical, 250 mL thoracic, 100 mL lumbar) and operative time was ∼3.5 hours. No changes were noted on intraoperative monitoring. The postoperative course was uncomplicated. The patient was discharged to inpatient rehabilitation on postoperative day (POD) 7 and discharged home on POD 11. At 6-month follow-up, his gait and motor function was improved and returned to normal in all extremities. He remains partially disabled due to chronic back pain. Conclusions This report is the first of symptomatic TRSS treated with simultaneous surgery in three different regions of the spine. Simultaneous triple region stenosis surgery appears to be an effective treatment option for this rare condition, but may be associated with prolonged hospital stay after surgery.
Gut bacteria mediate aggregation in the German cockroach
Authors: Wada-Katsumata Ayako , Zurek Ludek , Nalyanya Godfrey , Roelofs Wendell L. , Zhang Aijun , Schal Coby 
Published: December 2015

SignificanceThere is great interest in elucidating the diverse roles of microbes in biology, in general and, specifically, in mediating animal communication. We demonstrate that the gut bacterial community plays a pivotal role in production of aggregation pheromones in the German cockroach. The feces of normal and gut bacteria-inoculated cockroaches emits highly attractive volatile carboxylic acids (VCAs) that elicit aggregation whereas bacteria-free feces contains few VCAs and is relatively unattractive. VCAs may reflect the gut microbiota and, in turn, the cockroach's local environment, explaining why divergent chemical structures have been proposed as aggregation pheromones. This new insight emphasizes the importance of gut microbes in insect–insect communication and highlights the plasticity of the chemistry and function of fecal aggregation pheromones.
Detecting long-term metabolic shifts using isotopomers: CO2-driven suppression of photorespiration in C3plants over the 20th century
Authors: Ehlers Ina , Augusti Angela , Betson Tatiana R. , Nilsson Mats B. , Marshall John D. , Schleucher Jürgen 
Published: December 2015

SignificanceDecadal-scale metabolic responses of plants to environmental changes, including the magnitude of the “CO2fertilization” effect, are a major knowledge gap in Earth system models, in agricultural models, and for societal adaptation. We introduce intramolecular isotope distributions (isotopomers) as a methodology for detecting shifts in plant carbon metabolism over long times. Trends in a deuterium isotopomer ratio allow quantification of a biogeochemically relevant shift in the metabolism of C3plants toward photosynthesis, driven by increasing atmospheric CO2since industrialization. Isotopomers strongly increase the information content of isotope archives, and may therefore reveal long-term acclimation or adaptations to environmental changes in general. The metabolic information encoded in isotopomers of plant archives bridges a fundamental gap between experimental plant science and paleoenvironmental studies.
Continuous 1.3-million-year record of East African hydroclimate, and implications for patterns of evolution and biodiversity
Authors: Lyons Robert P. , Scholz Christopher A. , Cohen Andrew S. , King John W. , Brown Erik T. , Ivory Sarah J. , Johnson Thomas C. , Deino Alan L. , Reinthal Peter N. , McGlue Michael M. , Blome Margaret W. 
Published: December 2015

Significance
Lake Malawi is one of the world’s oldest and deepest lakes, with >1,000 species of endemic cichlid fish; its water bottom anoxia prevents bioturbation of deep-water sediments, which preserve exceptional paleoclimate signals. The Lake Malawi Drilling Project recovered the first continuous 1.3-My record of past climates of the African interior. These sediments show that the catchment experienced 24 dry periods over that time, when lake levels dropped more than 200 m. After ∼800,000 years ago, the lake was commonly deeper and overflowing, indicating wetter conditions, but lowstand intervals became more prolonged and extreme. These changes promoted the evolution of the endemic cichlid fishes, through shifting of habitats, and through isolation and restriction of populations.
Repeatable and adjustable on-demand sciatic nerve block with phototriggerable liposomes
Authors: Rwei Alina Y. , Lee Jung-Jae , Zhan Changyou , Liu Qian , Ok Meryem T. , Shankarappa Sahadev A. , Langer Robert , Kohane Daniel S. 
Published: December 2015

Significance
We demonstrate an injectable drug-delivery system that would allow patients to adjust the timing, duration, and intensity of local anesthesia in painful parts of the body. Such on-demand analgesia could greatly enhance the management of a variety of pain states. Light-sensitive liposomes containing the potent local anesthetic tetrodotoxin induced sensory and motor nerve block in vivo upon irradiation with a 730-nm laser. The timing, duration, and intensity of the nerve blockade were adjustable by the timing, irradiance, and duration of irradiation. Tissue reaction to the formulation and associated irradiation was benign.
Endohedral gallide cluster superconductors and superconductivity in ReGa
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Authors: Xie Weiwei , Luo Huixia , Phelan Brendan F. , Klimczuk Tomasz , Cevallos Francois Alexandre , Cava Robert Joseph 
Published: December 2015

Significance
The prediction of new superconductors remains an elusive goal. It is often chemists who find new superconductors, although it is difficult to translate the physics of superconductivity into chemical requirements for discovering new superconducting compounds. There are many strategies for finding new superconductors, one being to postulate that superconductivity runs in structural families. Here we show that a previously unappreciated structural family, the endohedral gallium cluster phases, is favored for superconductivity, and then use the understanding we develop to find a superconductor. More broadly, our work shows that molecule-based electron counting and stability rules can provide a useful chemistry-based design paradigm for finding new superconductors. Using these ideas to search for new superconductors will be of significant future interest.