bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Transcriptome analysis of Streptococcus gordonii Challis DL1 indicates a role for the biofilm‐associated fruRBA operon in response to Candida albicans
Authors: Jesionowski A.M. , Mansfield J.M. , Brittan J.L. , Jenkinson H.F. , Vickerman M.M. 
Published: August 2015

SummaryMultiple levels of interkingdom signaling have been implicated in maintaining the ecological balance between Candida albicans and commensal streptococci to assure a state of oral health. To better understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the initial streptococcal response to the presence of C. albicans that can initiate oral surface colonization and biofilm formation, hypha‐forming cells were incubated with Streptococcus gordonii cells for 30 min to assess the streptococcal transcriptome response. A genome‐wide microarray analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction validation of S. gordonii transcripts identified a number of genes, the majority of which were involved in metabolic functions that were differentially expressed in the presence of hyphae. The fruR, fruB, and fruA genes encoding the transcriptional regulator, fructose‐1‐phosphate kinase, and fructose‐specific permease, respectively, of the phosphoenolpyruvate‐dependent fructose phosphotransferase system, were consistently upregulated. An S. gordonii mutant in which these genes were deleted by allelic replacement formed an architecturally distinct, less robust biofilm with C. albicans than did parental strain cells. Complementing the mutant with plasmid borne fruR, fruB, and fruA genes caused phenotype reversion, indicating that the genes in this operon played a role in dual‐species biofilm formation. This genome‐wide analysis of the S. gordonii transcriptional response to C. albicans has identified several genes that have potential roles in interkingdom signaling and responses.
Plastic responses in the metabolome and functional traits of maize plants to temperature variations
Authors: Sun C. X. , Gao X. X. , Li M. Q. , Fu J. Q. , Zhang Y. L. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractEnvironmentally inducible phenotypic plasticity is a major player in plant responses to climate change. However, metabolic responses and their role in determining the phenotypic plasticity of plants that are subjected to temperature variations remain poorly understood. The metabolomic profiles and metabolite levels in the leaves of three maize inbred lines grown in different temperature conditions were examined with a nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomic technique. The relationship of functional traits to metabolome profiles and the metabolic mechanism underlying temperature variations were then explored. A comparative analysis showed that during heat and cold stress, maize plants shared common plastic responses in biomass accumulation, carbon, nitrogen, sugars, some amino acids and compatible solutes. We also found that the plastic response of maize plants to heat stress was different from that under cold stress, mainly involving biomass allocation, shikimate and its aromatic amino acid derivatives, and other non‐polar metabolites. The plastic responsiveness of functional traits of maize lines to temperature variations was low, while the metabolic responsiveness in plasticity was high, indicating that functional and metabolic plasticity may play different roles in maize plant adaptation to temperature variations. A linear regression analysis revealed that the maize lines could adapt to growth temperature variations through the interrelation of plastic responses in the metabolomes and functional traits, such as biomass allocation and the status of carbon and nitrogen. We provide valuable insight into the plastic response strategy of maize plants to temperature variations that will permit the optimisation of crop cultivation in an increasingly variable environment.
Astaxanthin Normalizes Epigenetic Modifications of Bovine Somatic Cell Cloned Embryos and Decreases the Generation of Lipid Peroxidation
Authors: Li R , Wu H , Zhuo WW , Mao QF , Lan H , Zhang Y , Hua S 
Published: August 2015

ContentsAstaxanthin is an extremely common antioxidant scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and blocking lipid peroxidation. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of astaxanthin supplementation on oocyte maturation, and development of bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos. Cumulus–oocyte complexes were cultured in maturation medium with astaxanthin (0, 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 mg/l), respectively. We found that 0.5 mg/l astaxanthin supplementation significantly increased the proportion of oocyte maturation. Oocytes cultured in 0.5 mg/l astaxanthin supplementation were used to construct SCNT embryos and further cultured with 0, 0.5, 1.0 or 1.5 mg/l astaxanthin. The results showed that the supplementation of 0.5 mg/l astaxanthin significantly improved the proportions of cleavage and blastulation, as well as the total cell number in blastocysts compared with the control group, yet this influence was not concentration dependent. Chromosomal analyses revealed that more blastomeres showed a normal chromosomal complement in 0.5 mg/l astaxanthin treatment group, which was similar to that in IVF embryos. The methylation levels located on the exon 1 of the imprinted gene H19 and IGF2, pluripotent gene OCT4 were normalized, and global DNA methylation, H3K9 and H4K12 acetylation were also improved significantly, which was comparable to that in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos. Moreover, we also found that astaxanthin supplementation significantly decreased the level of lipid peroxidation. Our findings showed that the supplementation of 0.5 mg/l astaxanthin to oocyte maturation medium and embryo culture medium improved oocyte maturation, SCNT embryo development, increased chromosomal stability and normalized the epigenetic modifications, as well as inhibited overproduction of lipid peroxidation.
Energy Status Characteristics of Porcine Oocytes During In Vitro Maturation is Influenced by Their Meiotic Competence
Authors: Milakovic I , Jeseta M , Hanulakova S , Knitlova D , Hanzalova K , Hulinska P , Machal L , Kempisty B , Antosik P , Machatkova M 
Published: August 2015

ContentsThe characteristics of energy status in porcine oocytes as related to their meiotic competence and in vitro maturation were studied. Cycling pubertal gilts in the early luteal to early follicular phases of the ovarian cycle were used as oocyte donors. The oocytes recovered from medium (MF) or small follicles (SF) were considered meiotically more or less competent, respectively. A half of oocytes from each category was matured by the standard protocol. The oocytes were examined before or after maturation by confocal microscopy, a bioluminescent cell assay and Western blotting. Four experiments, each in triplicate, were performed to assess both SF and MF oocytes in terms of metabolic units formed by mitochondria and lipids, ATP and lipid consumption and lipid droplets with adipose differentiation‐related protein (ADRP) expression. The proportion of oocytes with metabolic units, the mean ATP content and the number of lipid droplets per oocyte, and the relative number of lipid droplets with ADRP expression were significantly higher in the MF compared to SF oocytes before maturation. On the other hand, after maturation, there was an increase in the proportion of oocytes with metabolic units and the relative number of lipid droplets with ADRP expression in the SF compared to MF oocytes. In conclusion, specific differences in energy characteristics between porcine oocytes with different meiotic competence were found. Meiotically more competent oocytes are more advanced in terms of energy reserves before maturation, while meiotically less competent oocytes are more active in replenishing energy stores during maturation.
Ingredients of institutional reputations and citizen engagement with regulators
Authors: Capelos Tereza , Provost Colin , Parouti Maria , Barnett Julie , Chenoweth Jonathan , Fife‐Schaw Chris , Kelay Tanika 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to examine the link between the reputational components of efficacy and moral reliability of institutions, and citizens' compliance with institutional recommendations. Research on bureaucratic reputations highlights the significance of positive political reputations based on credibility and legitimacy, but the impact of these components is not systematically isolated and studied. We draw insights from political psychology to move beyond a positive‐negative valence‐based approach of reputation, and highlight the different effect of efficacy and moral reliability components of reputation on citizens' cooperation, engagement in water saving activities, and levels of complaints. We use theCypriotWaterAuthority as a case study and inquire how its institutional reputation influencesCypriot citizens' behavior regarding water use. Our data was collected via a representative national survey administered to a random sample of 800Cypriots in the spring of 2009 and show that favorable perceptions of particular components of institutional reputation shape the levels of satisfaction with specific organizational outputs.
Enhanced growth rate and lipid production of freshwater microalgae by adopting two‐stage cultivation system under diverse light and nutrients conditions
Authors: Rashid Naim , Rehman Muhammad S. U. , Han Jong‐In 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThis study aims to investigate the growth behaviour and lipid production of Chlorella vulgaris (a microalga) by manipulating the effect of light and nutrients. In our presumptive two‐staged growth model, C. vulgaris was first grown under low levels of light and nutrients in stage 1 and then in stage 2 under several combinations of light and nutrients, Nt−/Lt− minimum nutrients and minimum light as control; Nt+/Lt+ maximum light and maximum nutrients; Nt+/Lt− maximum nutrients and minimum light, and Nt−/Lt+ minimum nutrients and maximum light. Doubling time reduced from 46.8 ± 02 hours in control (Nt−/Lt−) to 36.1 ± 04 in Nt−/Lt+ and 37.7 ± 0.9 in Nt+/Lt− and further down to 25.2 ± 03 h in Nt+/Lt+. The highest lipid contents were found in Nt−/Lt+ (9.5 ± 0.14%) followed by Nt+/Lt+ (8.6 ± 0.2%), Nt+/Lt− (6.4 ± 0.12%) and Nt−/Lt− (6.1 ± 0.22%), respectively. The maximum biomass (909 mg/L) was found in Nt+/Lt+ likely suggesting that limited growth in control was attributed to the limitation of nutrients and light. Incremental addition of light and nutrients is suggested for enhanced growth rate, biomass and lipid production.
Glutamate cycling may drive organic anion transport on the basal membrane of human placental syncytiotrophoblast
Authors: Lofthouse Emma M. , Brooks Suzanne , Cleal Jane K. , Hanson Mark A. , Poore Kirsten R. , O'Kelly Ita M. , Lewis Rohan M. 
Published: August 2015

Key points
The placenta removes waste products, drugs and environmental toxins from the fetal circulation and two of the transport proteins responsible for this are OAT4 and OATP2B1 localised to the basal membrane of placental syncytiotrophoblast.
We provide evidence that OAT4 and OATP2B1 mediate glutamate efflux when expressed in Xenopus oocytes and that in the perfused placenta, bromosulphothalein (an OAT4 and OATP2B1 substrate) stimulates glutamate efflux.
Furthermore the efflux of glutamate can only be seen in the presence of aspartate, which will block glutamate reuptake by the placenta, consistent with cycling of glutamate across the basal membrane.
We propose that glutamate efflux down its transmembrane gradient drives placental uptake via OAT4 and OATP2B1 from the fetal circulation and that reuptake of glutamate maintains this driving gradient.
AbstractThe organic anion transporter OAT4 (SLC22A11) and organic anion transporting polypeptide OATP2B1 (SLCO2B1) are expressed in the basal membrane of the placental syncytiotrophoblast. These transporters mediate exchange whereby uptake of one organic anion is coupled to efflux of a counter‐ion. In placenta, these exchangers mediate placental uptake of substrates for oestrogen synthesis as well as clearing waste products and xenobiotics from the fetal circulation. However, the identity of the counter‐ion driving this transport in the placenta, and in other tissues, is unclear. While glutamate is not a known OAT4 or OATP2B1 substrate, we propose that its high intracellular concentration has the potential to drive accumulation of substrates from the fetal circulation. In the isolated perfused placenta, glutamate exchange was observed between the placenta and the fetal circulation. This exchange could not be explained by known glutamate exchangers. However, glutamate efflux was trans‐stimulated by an OAT4 and OATP2B1 substrate (bromosulphothalein). Exchange of glutamate for bromosulphothalein was only observed when glutamate reuptake was inhibited (by addition of aspartate). To determine if OAT4 and/or OATP2B1 mediate glutamate exchange, uptake and efflux of glutamate were investigated in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Our data demonstrate that in Xenopus oocytes expressing either OAT4 or OATP2B1 efflux of intracellular [14C]glutamate could be stimulated by conditions including extracellular glutamate (OAT4), estrone‐sulphate and bromosulphothalein (both OAT4 and OATP2B1) or pravastatin (OATP2B1). Cycling of glutamate across the placenta involving efflux via OAT4 and OATP2B1 and subsequent reuptake will drive placental uptake of organic anions from the fetal circulation.
Morphological and molecular changes in the murine placenta exposed to normobaric hypoxia throughout pregnancy
Authors: Matheson Hannah , Veerbeek Jan H. W. , Charnock‐Jones D. Stephen , Burton Graham J. , Yung Hong Wa 
Published: August 2015

Key points
Exposure of pregnant mice to chronic hypoxia at 13% O2 induces fetal growth restriction but increases placental weight.
Sex dimorphism induces differential responses in placental weight to hypoxia. The male placenta is heavier than the female and is associated with less severe fetal growth restriction.
Increases in maternal arterial/venous blood spaces and higher protein kinase B (Akt)‐mechanistic target of rapamycin growth signalling could contribute to the heavier hypoxic placenta.
Placental endoplasmic reticulum stress is elevated equally in both sexes in response to hypoxia. In comparison, oxidative stress is only apparent in female placentas.
Chronic hypoxia induces down‐regulation of placental mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes protein subunits but does not cause intracellular energy depletion.
AbstractChronic hypoxia is a common complication of pregnancy, arising through malperfusion of the placenta or pregnancy at high altitude. The present study investigated the effects of hypoxia on the growth of the placenta, which is the organ that interfaces between the mother and her fetus. Mice were housed in an hypoxic environment for the whole of gestation. An atmosphere of 13% oxygen induced fetal growth restriction (1182 ± 9 mg, n = 90 vs. 1044 ± 11 mg, n = 62, P < 0.05) but enhanced placental weight (907 ± 11 mg, n = 90 vs. 998 ± 15 mg, n = 62,P < 0.05). Stereological analyses revealed an increase in the volume of maternal blood spaces in the placenta, consistent with increased flow. At the molecular level, we observed activation of the protein kinase B (Akt)‐mechanistic target of rapamycin growth and proliferation pathway. Chronic hypoxia also triggered mild endoplasmic reticulum stress, a conserved homeostatic response that mediates translational arrest through phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 subunit α. Surprisingly, although subunits of the mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes were reduced at the protein level, there was no evidence of intracellular energy depletion. Finally, we demonstrated sex‐specific placental responses to chronic hypoxia. Placentas from male fetuses were heavier (1082 ± 2 mg, n = 30 vs. 928 ± 2 mg, n = 34, P < 0.05) and less susceptible to hypoxia‐induced oxidative stress than those from females. Their capacity to adapt may explain why male fetuses were significantly less growth restricted at embryonic day 18.5 than their female counterparts. These findings are consistent with the concept that male fetuses are more aggressive with respect to their nutrient demands, which may place them at greater risk of adverse outcomes under limiting conditions.
Image‐guided spatial localization of heterogeneous compartments for magnetic resonance
Authors: An Li , Shen Jun 
Published: August 2015

Purpose:Image‐guided localization SPectral Localization Achieved by Sensitivity Heterogeneity (SPLASH) allows rapid measurement of signals from irregularly shaped anatomical compartments without using phase encoding gradients. Here, the authors propose a novel method to address the issue of heterogeneous signal distribution within the localized compartments.Methods:Each compartment was subdivided into multiple subcompartments and their spectra were solved by Tikhonov regularization to enforce smoothness within each compartment. The spectrum of a given compartment was generated by combining the spectra of the components of that compartment. The proposed method was first tested using Monte Carlo simulations and then applied to reconstructing in vivo spectra from irregularly shaped ischemic stroke and normal tissue compartments.Results:Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that the proposed regularized SPLASH method significantly reduces localization and metabolite quantification errors. In vivo results show that the intracompartment regularization results in ∼40% reduction of error in metabolite quantification.Conclusions:The proposed method significantly reduces localization errors and metabolite quantification errors caused by intracompartment heterogeneous signal distribution.
The Shrinking Presence of Black Female Student-Athletes at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Authors: Theune Felecia 
Published: August 2015

Despite the tremendous growth in female sports participation opportunities under Title IX, black females have not benefited to the same degree as their white female counterparts. While gender complaints about female athletes still lagging behind males in participatory opportunities, scholarships, facilities and equipment are being discussed, larger structural inequities associated with being black and female remain absent from the Title IX conversation, demonstrating the dual invisibility of black females. Not only is this true at predominantly white institutions, it’s also true at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), academic institutions which have been sources of educational and athletic opportunities for black females long before the passage of Title IX prohibited sex discrimination in any federally funded educational programs and activities.Malgré l’importante croissance d’opportunités de participation en sport féminin grâce à Title IX, les femmes noires n’ont pas bénéficié autant que les femmes blanches. Alors que les plaintes au sujet des femmes athlètes étaient encore à la traîne des hommes en ce qui concerne les opportunités de participation, les bourses, les installations et l’équipement font l’objet de discussions, les plus grandes injustices structurales associées au fait d’être noire et d’être une femme demeurent absentes de la conversation au sujet de Title IX, démontrant la double invisibilité des femmes noires. Non seulement estce vrai dans les établissements à prédominance blanche, cela est également vrai dans les collèges et universités historiquement noirs, des établissements scolaires qui ont été des sources d’opportunités éducationnelles et athlétiques bien avant que Title IX ne vienne interdire la discrimination en fonction du sexe dans tous les programmes et activités éducationnels financés par le gouvernement fédéral.
Phonemic and Tonal Analysis of the Pianding Dialect of Naxi (Dadong County, Lijiang Municipality)
Authors: Michaud Alexis , Likun 和丽昆 He 
Published: August 2015

This article sets out a phonemic and tonal analysis of the second author’s native language: the (heretofore undescribed) Naxi dialect spoken in the village of Pianding (Dadong County, Lijiang Municipality, Yunnan). A distributional inventory brings out two pairs of phonemes that are of special interest to Naxi dialectology: (i) two apicalized vowels, /ɿ̟/and /ɿ̠/, and (ii) two rhotic vowels, /ɚ/ and /ɯ˞/, instead of only one apicalized vowel and one rhotic vowel in Old Town Naxi, the best-described dialect to date. These observations confirm and complement reports from other dialects; information on the lexical distribution of these conservative oppositions enriches the empirical basis for comparative–historical studies within the Naish subgroup of Sino–Tibetan. In the course of the discussion, observations about the Pianding dialect are placed in cross-dialect perspective; this article can thus serve as an introduction to key aspects of Naxi phonemics.  Cet article présente une analyse des phonèmes et des tons de la langue maternelle du second auteur: le dialecte naxi (non décrit jusqu’ici) du village de Pianding (comté de Dadong, municipalité de Lijiang, Yunnan). Un inventaire distributionnel fait ressortir deux paires de phonèmes qui présentent un intérêt particulier pour la dialectologie naxi: deux voyelles apicales, /ɿ̟/ et /ɿ̠/, et deux voyelles rhotiques, /ɚ/ et /ɯ˞/, là où le dialecte de la vieille ville de Lijiang (Dayanzhen) – le dialecte le mieux décrit à ce jour – ne présente qu’une voyelle apicalisée et une voyelle rhotique. La distribution lexicale de ces oppositions conservatrices, qui avaient déjà été signalées dans d’autres dialectes, est ici exposée en détail, ce qui consolide la base empirique nécessaire à l’étude de la phonologie historique du groupe des langues naish. Au fil de l’exposé, les caractéristiques du parler de Pianding sont comparées à celles d’autres dialectes, de sorte que le présent article peut servir d’introduction aux problématiques centrales de la phonologie du naxi.
Bidimensional expressions of fractions in Chinese
Authors: Anicotte Rémi 
Published: August 2015

A generic pattern of expression for fractions accounts for numerators and denominators, thus generally producing bidimensional numerical expressions. In Qin–Han mathematical texts, fractions were constructed as predicative phrases: the monodimensional expression ‘denominator’s name + fēn’ of a unit fraction 1/n acted as subject, and the numerator’s name acted as predicate. The morpheme zhī could be used as an optional marker of this predicative relation. Later evolutions were not linear, and reveal the effects of language planning and of free linguistic invention, finally giving rise to the inseparable fraction names of Contemporary Chinese. Un schéma générique pour dire les fractions rend compte des numérateurs et dénominateurs produisant des expressions numériques bidimensionnelles. Dans les textes mathématiques Qin–Han, elles étaient construites comme des énoncés prédicatifs où la désignation monodimensionnelle « nom du dénominateur + fēn » d’une fraction unitaire 1/n servait de sujet et le numérateur de prédicat. Le morphème zhī était utilisé facultativement comme marqueur de cette relation prédicative. Les évolutions de ces expressions n’ont pas été linéaires et révèlent l’action d’inventions et de normalisations linguistiques pour aboutir aux appellations insécables des fractions en chinois contemporain.