bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Factors related to quality of life among older adults in Bangladesh: A cross sectional survey
Authors: Uddin Mohammad Abbas , Soivong Pratum , Lasuka Duangruedee , Juntasopeepun Phanida 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThis cross‐sectional design study aimed to describe quality of life and examine factors related to quality of life among older adults in Bangladesh. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 280 older adults from ten villages in two southern districts. The results demonstrate that the majority of the participants reported an overall moderate score of quality of life. Moreover, participants' sleep problems, depression, religiosity, and activities of daily living were negatively correlated with quality of life whereas social support and health service availability were positively correlated with quality of life. Implementing intervention programs upon the significant related factors to improve older adults' quality of life is recommended.
Elevated CO2 increases R gene‐dependent resistance of Medicago truncatula against the pea aphid by up‐regulating a heat shock gene
Authors: Sun Yucheng , Guo Huijuan , Yuan Erliang , Ge Feng 
Published: November 2017

Summary

Resistance against pathogens and herbivorous insects in many plant results from the expression of resistance (R) genes. Few reports, however, have considered the effects of elevated CO2 on R gene‐based resistance in plants.

The current study determined the responses of two near isogenic Medicago truncatula genotypes (Jester has an R gene and A17 does not) to the pea aphid and elevated CO2 in open‐top chambers in the field.

Aphid abundance, mean relative growth rate and feeding efficiency were increased by elevated CO2 on A17 plants but were reduced on Jester plants. According to proteomic and gene expression data, elevated CO2 enhanced pathogen‐associated molecular pattern (PAMP)‐triggered immunity (PTI) but decreased the effector‐triggered immunity (ETI) in aphid‐infested A17 plants. For aphid‐infested Jester plants, by contrast, elevated CO2 enhanced the ETI‐related heat shock protein (HSP) 90 and its co‐chaperones, the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway, and ubiquitin‐mediated proteolysis. In a loss‐of‐function experiment, silencing of the HSP90 gene in Jester plants impaired the JA signaling pathway and ubiquitin‐mediated proteolysis against the aphid under ambient CO2, and negated the increased resistance against the aphid under elevated CO2.

Our results suggest that increases in expression of HSP90 are responsible for the enhanced resistance against the aphid under elevated CO2.
Circular RNAs mediated by transposons are associated with transcriptomic and phenotypic variation in maize
Authors: Chen Lu , Zhang Pei , Fan Yuan , Lu Qiong , Li Qing , Yan Jianbing , Muehlbauer Gary J. , Schnable Patrick S. , Dai Mingqiu , Li Lin 
Published: November 2017

Summary

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are covalently closed RNA molecules. Recent studies have shown that circRNAs can arise from the transcripts of transposons. Given the prevalence of transposons in the maize genome and dramatic genomic variation driven by transposons, we hypothesize that transposons in maize may be involved in the formation of circRNAs and further modulate phenotypic variation.

We performed circRNA‐Seq on B73 seedling leaves and uncovered 2804 high‐confidence maize circRNAs, which show distinct genomic features.

Comprehensive analyses demonstrated that sequences related to LINE1‐like elements (LLEs) and their Reverse Complementary Pairs (LLERCPs) are significantly enriched in the flanking regions of circRNAs. Interestingly, as the number of LLERCPs increase, the accumulation of circRNAs varies, whereas that of linear transcripts decreases. Furthermore, genes with LLERCP‐mediated circRNAs are enriched among loci that are associated with phenotypic variation. These results suggest that circRNAs are likely to be involved in the modulation of phenotypic variation by LLERCPs.

Further, we showed that the presence/absence variation of LLERCPs was associated with expression variation of circRNA‐circ1690 and was related to ear height, potentially through the interplay between circRNAs and functional linear transcripts. Our first study of maize circRNAs uncovers a potential new way for transposons to modulate transcriptomic and phenotypic variations.
Indirect effects of supportive communication during conversations about coping with relational transgressions
Authors: PEDERSON JOSHUA R. , MCLAREN RACHEL M. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractResearchers investigating relational transgressions have minimally explored the role of third‐party personal network members in the coping process. It is argued that supportive messages during conversations about coping with relational transgressions are associated with transgressed individuals' perceived stress and feelings about the transgression. Results from a study involving conversations between 50 pairs of personal network members suggest that participants' perceptions of stress and negative emotions decreased from pre‐ to postinteraction. By testing an indirect effects model, it was found that emotion support had a negative indirect association with participants' perceptions of stress, anger, and dejection related to the transgression because of quality of support. The theoretical implications of the findings are discussed, and directions for extending research on communicative coping are provided.
What kind of love is love at first sight? An empirical investigation
Authors: ZSOK FLORIAN , HAUCKE MATTHIAS , DE WIT CORNELIA Y. , BARELDS DICK P. H. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractLove at first sight (LAFS) is a commonly known phenomenon, but has barely been investigated scientifically. Major psychological theories of love predict that LAFS is marked by high passion. However, it could also be a memory confabulation construed by couples to enhance their relationship. We investigated LAFS empirically by assessing feelings of love at the moment participants met potential partners for the first time. Data were collected from an online study, a laboratory study, and three dating events. Experiences of LAFS were marked neither by high passion, nor by intimacy, nor by commitment. Physical attraction was highly predictive of reporting LAFS. We therefore suggest that LAFS is not a distinct form of love, but rather a strong initial attraction that some label as LAFS, either in the moment of first sight or retrospectively.
Identification and expression profiling of Pht1 phosphate transporters in wheat in controlled environments and in the field
Authors: Grün A. , Buchner P. , Broadley M. R. , Hawkesford M. J. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractPhosphorus (P) is an important macronutrient with critical functions in plants. Phosphate (Pi) transporters, which mediate Pi acquisition and Pi translocation within the plant, are key factors in Pi deficiency responses. However, their relevance for adaptation to long‐term Pi limitation under agronomic conditions, particularly in wheat, remains unknown.Here, we describe the identification of the complete Pi transporter gene family (Pht1) in wheat (Triticum aestivum). Gene expression profiles were compared for hydroponic and field‐grown plant tissues of wheat at multiple development stages.Cis‐element analysis of selected Pht1 promoter regions was performed.A broad range of expression patterns of individualTaPht1genes was observed in relation to tissue specificity and the nutrient supply in the soil or in liquid culture, as well as an influence of the experimental system.The expression patterns indicate the involvement of specific transporters in Pi uptake, and in Pi transport and remobilisation within the plant, at different growth developmental stages. Specifically, the influence of Pi nutrition indicates a complex regulatory pattern ofTaPht1gene transcript abundances as a response to low Pi availability in different culture systems, correlating with the existence of differentcis‐acting promoter elements.
Loneliness and acute stress reactivity: A systematic review of psychophysiological studies
Authors: Brown Eoin G. , Gallagher Stephen , Creaven Ann‐Marie 
Published: November 2017

AbstractPhysiological reactivity to acute stress has been proposed as a potential biological mechanism by which loneliness may lead to negative health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease. This review was conducted to investigate the association between loneliness and physiological responses to acute stress. A series of electronic databases were systematically searched (PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL Plus, EBSCOhost, PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Science Direct) for relevant studies, published up to October 2016. Eleven studies were included in the review. Overall, the majority of studies reported positive associations between loneliness and acute stress responses, such that higher levels of loneliness were predictive of exaggerated physiological reactions. However, in a few studies, loneliness was also linked with decreased stress responses for particular physiological outcomes, indicating the possible existence of blunted relationships. There was no clear pattern suggesting any sex‐ or stressor‐based differences in these associations. The available evidence supports a link between loneliness and atypical physiological reactivity to acute stress. A key finding of this review was that greater levels of loneliness are associated with exaggerated blood pressure and inflammatory reactivity to acute stress. However, there was some indication that loneliness may also be related to blunted cardiac, cortisol, and immune responses. Overall, this suggests that stress reactivity could be one of the biological mechanisms through which loneliness impacts upon health.
Does the Motivation for Market‐Based Reform Matter? The Case of Responsibility‐Centered Management
Authors: Rutherford Amanda , Rabovsky Thomas 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
Organizational theorists have long examined the implications of market‐oriented policies for public agencies. Current research often aims to understand the effects of policies imposed on organizations by external stakeholder groups, but few studies have attempted to gain a better understanding of what mechanisms cause agencies to select into these strategies. The purpose of this article is to understand, first, which factors make an organization more likely to adopt a decentralized, market‐based budgeting system—termed “responsibility‐centered management (RCM)—and, second, whether this type of system has implications for organizational performance. Using data on doctorate‐granting public and private nonprofit four‐year universities in the United States, the authors find that mission, resource dependence, and state party control influence the take‐up of RCM. In terms of effects, RCM creates winners for graduation rates (white students) and degree production (science, technology, engineering, and math departments), which raises questions of equity across groups.
Energy dissipation differs between females with and without chronic ankle instability
Authors: McCann R. S. , Terada M. , Kosik K. B. , Gribble P. A. 
Published: November 2017

Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is associated with altered energy dissipation patterns, but comparisons to lateral ankle sprain (LAS) copers have not been explored. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in relative sagittal plane energy dissipation during a single‐leg landing between female CAI and LAS coper participants. We separated 33 females (23.6 ± 4.6 years, 164.3 ± 6.2 cm, 69.4 ± 13.7 kg) into CAI (n = 17) and LAS coper (n = 16) groups. Participants completed 5 single‐leg landings followed by a 5‐second stabilization. We collected sagittal plane kinematics and joint moments at the ankle, knee, hip, and proximal joints (knee and hip) combined then calculated each joint's energy dissipation at 50, 100, 150, and 200 ms post‐landing. We compared the percentage of total energy dissipated by the ankle, knee, hip, and proximal joints during each interval utilizing independent t tests and Cohen's d effect sizes. Statistical significance was set a priori at P < .05. The CAI group had lower relative energy dissipation from the ankle at 50 (24.7 ± 11.5% vs 39.2 ± 11.8%, P < .01, d = 1.25 [0.47, 1.95]), 100 (66.9 ± 19.4% vs 77.7 ± 6.5%, P = .04, d = 0.74 [0.01, 1.42]), and 150 ms (70.7 ± 17.8% vs 81.0 ± 5.7%, P = .03, d = 0.77 [0.04, 1.46]) compared to LAS copers. The CAI group had a greater hip contribution through 150 ms (17.9 ± 10.7% vs 11.7 ± 4.4%, P = .04, d =‐0.75 [‐1.44, ‐0.03]) and the proximal joints at 50 (75.3 ± 11.5% vs 60.8 ± 11.8%, P < .01, d = ‐1.25 [‐1.96, ‐0.47]), 100 (33.1 ± 19.4% vs 22.3 ± 6.5%, P = .04, d = ‐0.74 [‐1.42, ‐0.01]), and 150 ms (29.3 ± 17.8 vs 19.0 ± 5.7%, P = .03, d =‐0.77 [‐1.46, ‐0.04]) compared to LAS copers. Females with CAI may benefit from therapeutic exercises designed to correct a single‐leg energy dissipation strategy that relies less on the ankle joint.
Epidemiology of donors and recipients: lessons from the SCANDAT database
Authors: Edgren G. , Hjalgrim H. 
Published: November 2017

SUMMARYWith the development of several ‘vein‐to‐vein’ databases, which capture data on the entire donor–recipient continuum and link this data to health outcomes, there has been an increasing number of studies investigating the health effects of all aspects of the practice of transfusion medicine. The Scandinavian Donations and Transfusions (SCANDAT) database is one of several such databases, which includes all electronically available data on blood donors, donations and transfusions since the late 1960s in Sweden and the early 1980s in Denmark. The SCANDAT database has been used to characterise disease occurrence among blood donors and transfused patients, as well as to investigate possible health effects of blood donations, aspects of transfusion care and possible transfusion transmission of disease. Recent publications include studies on recipient mortality associated with the storage lesion, studies on the effects of donor demographics on patient mortality and health effects of frequent blood donation. Although this research approach is clearly very powerful, the appropriate analysis of such real‐world data is complex and requires close methodological attention. The purpose of this review is to present some of the research conducted within the SCANDAT collaboration. We hope more international collaboration may help improve our understanding of the important remaining questions about donor and recipient health.
A Contrast‐Based Computational Model of Surprise and Its Applications
Authors: Macedo Luis , Cardoso Amílcar 
Published: November 2017

AbstractWe review our work on a contrast‐based computational model of surprise and its applications. The review is contextualized within related research from psychology, philosophy, and particularly artificial intelligence. Influenced by psychological theories of surprise, the model assumes that surprise‐eliciting events initiate a series of cognitive processes that begin with the appraisal of the event as unexpected, continue with the interruption of ongoing activity and the focusing of attention on the unexpected event, and culminate in the analysis and evaluation of the event and the revision of beliefs. It is assumed that the intensity of surprise elicited by an event is a nonlinear function of the difference or contrast between the subjective probability of the event and that of the most probable alternative event (which is usually the expected event); and that the agent's behavior is partly controlled by actual and anticipated surprise. We describe applications of artificial agents that incorporate the proposed surprise model in three domains: the exploration of unknown environments, creativity, and intelligent transportation systems. These applications demonstrate the importance of surprise for decision making, active learning, creative reasoning, and selective attention.
A
cheZ
-Like Gene in Azorhizobium caulinodans Is a Key Gene in the Control of Chemotaxis and Colonization of the Host Plant
Authors: Liu Xiaolin , Liu Wei , Sun Yu , Xia Chunlei , Elmerich Claudine , Xie Zhihong 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

Chemotaxis can provide bacteria with competitive advantages for survival in complex environments. The CheZ chemotaxis protein is a phosphatase, affecting the flagellar motor in
Escherichia coli
by dephosphorylating the response regulator phosphorylated CheY protein (CheY∼P) responsible for clockwise rotation. A
cheZ
gene has been found in
Azorhizobium caulinodans
ORS571, in contrast to other rhizobial species studied so far. The CheZ protein in strain ORS571 has a conserved motif similar to that corresponding to the phosphatase active site in
E. coli
. The construction of a
cheZ
deletion mutant strain and of
cheZ
mutant strains carrying a mutation in residues of the putative phosphatase active site showed that strain ORS571 participates in chemotaxis and motility, causing a hyperreversal behavior. In addition, the properties of the
cheZ
deletion mutant revealed that ORS571 CheZ is involved in other physiological processes, since it displayed increased flocculation, biofilm formation, exopolysaccharide (EPS) production, and host root colonization. In particular, it was observed that the expression of several
exp
genes, involved in EPS synthesis, was upregulated in the
cheZ
mutant compared to that in the wild type, suggesting that CheZ negatively controls
exp
gene expression through an unknown mechanism. It is proposed that CheZ influences the
Azorhizobium
-plant association by negatively regulating early colonization via the regulation of EPS production. This report established that CheZ in
A. caulinodans
plays roles in chemotaxis and the symbiotic association with the host plant.

IMPORTANCE
Chemotaxis allows bacteria to swim toward plant roots and is beneficial to the establishment of various plant-microbe associations. The level of CheY phosphorylation (CheY∼P) is central to the chemotaxis signal transduction. The mechanism of the signal termination of CheY∼P remains poorly characterized among
Alphaproteobacteria
, except for
Sinorhizobium meliloti
, which does not contain CheZ but which controls CheY∼P dephosphorylation through a phosphate sink mechanism.
Azorhizobium caulinodans
ORS571, a microsymbiont of
Sesbania rostrata
, has an orphan
cheZ
gene besides two
cheY
genes similar to those in
S. meliloti
. In addition to controlling the chemotaxis response, the CheZ-like protein in strain ORS571 is playing a role by decreasing bacterial adhesion to the host plant, in contrast to the general situation where chemotaxis-associated proteins promote adhesion. In this study, we identified a CheZ-like protein among
Alphaproteobacteria
functioning in chemotaxis and the
A. caulinodans
-
S. rostrata
symbiosis.
The Tape Measure Protein Is Involved in the Heat Stability of Lactococcus lactis Phages
Authors: Geagea Hany , Labrie Simon J. , Subirade Muriel , Moineau Sylvain 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

Virulent lactococcal phages are still a major risk for milk fermentation processes as they may lead to slowdowns and low-quality fermented dairy products, particularly cheeses. Some of the phage control strategies used by the industry rely on heat treatments. Recently, a few
Lactococcus lactis
phages were found to be highly thermo-resistant. To identify the genetic determinant(s) responsible for the thermal resistance of lactococcal phages, we used the virulent phage CB14 (of the
Lactococcus lactis
936 [now
Sk1virus
] phage group) to select for phage mutants with increased heat stability. By treating phage CB14 to successive low and high temperatures, we were able to select two CB14 derivatives with increased heat stability. Sequencing of their genome revealed the same nucleotide sequences as the wild-type phage CB14, except for a same-sized deletion (120 bp) in the gene coding for the tape measure protein (TMP) of each phage mutant, but at a different position. The TMP protein sequences of these mutant phages were compared with their homologues in other wild-type
L. lactis
phages with a wide diversity in heat stability. Comparative analysis showed that the same nucleotide deletion appears to have also occurred in the gene coding for the TMP of highly thermo-resistant lactococcal phages P1532 and P680. We propose that the TMP is, in part, responsible for the heat stability of the highly predominant lactococcal phages of the
Sk1virus
group.

IMPORTANCE
Virulent lactococcal phages still represent a major risk for milk fermentation as they may lead to slowdowns and low-quality fermented dairy products. Heat treatment is one of the most commonly used methods to control these virulent phages in cheese by-products. Recently, a few
Lactococcus lactis
phages, members of the
Sk1virus
group, have emerged with high thermal stability. To our knowledge, the genetic determinant(s) responsible for this thermal resistance in lactococcal phages is unknown. A better understanding of the thermal stability of these emerging virulent lactococcal phages is needed to improve industrial control strategies. In this work, we report the identification of a phage structural protein that is involved in the heat stability of a virulent
Sk1virus
phage. Identifying such a genetic determinant for heat stability is a first step in understanding the emergence of this group of thermostable phages.
Biological Containment of Genetically Modified Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Hosseini Siamand , Curilovs Alex , Cutting Simon M. 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

Genetic manipulation of bacterial spores of the genus
Bacillus
has shown potential for vaccination and for delivery of drugs or enzymes. Remarkably, proteins displayed on the spore surface retain activity and generally are not degraded. The heat stability of spores, coupled with their desiccation resistance, makes them suitable for delivery to humans or to animals by the oral route. Despite these attributes, one regulatory obstacle has remained regarding the fate of recombinant spores shed into the environment as viable spores. We have addressed the biological containment of GMO spores by utilizing the concept of a thymineless death, a phenomenon first reported 6 decades ago. Using
Bacillus subtilis
, we have inserted chimeric genes in the two thymidylate synthase genes,
thyA
and
thyB
, using a two-step process. Insertion is made first at
thyA
and then at
thyB
whereby resistance to trimethoprim enables selection of recombinants. Importantly, this method requires introduction of no new antibiotic resistance genes. Recombinant spores have a strict dependence on thymine (or thymidine), and in its absence cells lyse and die. Insertions are stable with no evidence for suppression or reversion. Using this system, we have successfully created a number of spore vaccines as well as spores displaying active enzymes.

IMPORTANCE
Genetic manipulation of bacterial spores offers a number of exciting possibilities for public and animal health, including their use as heat-stable vehicles for delivering vaccines or enzymes. Despite this, one remaining problem is the fate of recombinant spores released into the environment where they could survive in a dormant form indefinitely. We describe a solution whereby, following genetic manipulation, the bacterium is rendered dependent on thymine. As a consequence, spores if released would produce bacteria unable to survive, and they would exhibit a thymineless death due to rapid cessation of metabolism. The method we describe has been validated using a number of exemplars and solves a critical problem for containing spores of GMOs in the environment.