bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Snoozing through the storm: torpor use during a natural disaster
Authors: Nowack Julia , Rojas A. Daniella , Körtner Gerhard , Geiser Fritz 
Published: June 2015

AbstractAlthough storms provide an extreme environmental challenge to organisms and are predicted to increase in frequency and intensity due to climate change, there are no quantitative observations on the behaviour and physiology of animals during natural disasters. We provide the first data on activity and thermal biology of a free-ranging, arboreal mammal during a storm with heavy rain and category 1 cyclone wind speeds. We studied a population of sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps), a species vulnerable to bad weather due to their small body size and mode of locomotion, in a subtropical habitat during spring when storms are common. Although torpor is generally rare in this species, sugar gliders remained inactive or reduced foraging times during the storm and further minimized energy demands by entering deep torpor. All animals survived the storm and reverted to normal foraging activity during the following night(s). It thus appears that heterothermic mammals have a crucial adaptive advantage over homeothermic species as they can outlast challenging weather events, such as storms and floods, by reducing metabolism and thus energetic needs.
Self-association of Trimethylguanosine Synthase Tgs1 is required for efficient snRNA/snoRNA trimethylation and pre-rRNA processing
Authors: Boon Kum-Loong , Pearson Michael David , Koš Martin 
Published: June 2015

AbstractTrimethylguanosine Synthase catalyses transfer of two methyl groups to the m7G cap of RNA polymerase II transcribed snRNAs, snoRNAs and telomerase RNA TLC1 to form a 2,2,7-trimethylguanosine cap. While in vitro studies indicate that Tgs1 functions as a monomer and the dimethylation of m7G caps is not a processive reaction, partially methylated sn(o)RNAs are typically not detected in living cells. Here we show that both yeast and human Tgs1p possess a conserved self-association property located at the N-terminus. A disruption of Tgs1 self-association led to a strong reduction of sn(o)RNA trimethylation as well as reduced nucleolar enrichment of Tgs1. Self-association of Tgs1p and its catalytic activity were also prerequisite to bypass the requirement for its accessory factor Swm2p for efficient pre-rRNA processing and snRNA trimethylation. The ability to self-associate might enable Tgs1 to efficiently dimethylate the caps of the targeted RNAs in vivo.
The effect of BIM deletion polymorphism on intrinsic resistance and clinical outcome of cancer patient with kinase inhibitor therapy
Authors: Ying Hou-Qun , Chen Jie , He Bang-Shun , Pan Yu-Qin , Wang Feng , Deng Qi-Wen , Sun Hui-Ling , Liu Xian , Wang Shu-Kui 
Published: June 2015

AbstractA common deletion polymorphism within B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia-lymphoma like 11 gene (BIM) was deemed to be a genetic cause leading to compromised kinase inhibitor therapeutic efficacy in cancer individuals. However, the results reported were not consistent. Thus, a comprehensive meta-analysis containing 12 eligible studies including 1,532 Asian patients was conducted to investigate a steady and reliable conclusion. The results showed that BIM deletion polymorphism was significantly associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) clinical efficacy in term of response rate (Ph = 0.349, HR = 0.438, 95%CI = 0.274–0.699) and disease control rate (Ph = 0.941, HR = 0.370, 95%CI = 0.202–0.678) in EGFR-mutated NSCLC population, not in CML and HCC subgroups. Additionally, EGFR-mutated NSCLC patient harbored BIM deletion polymorphism was associated with a shorter progression-free survival (PFS) than those with BIM wild polymorphism (Ph = 0.580, adjusted HR = 2.194, 95%CI = 1.710–2.814). However, no significant association was examined between BIM deletion polymorphism and overall survival (OS) and toxic adverse events in EGFR-mutated NSCLC population and it was not associated with PFS and OS in HCC subgroup. These findings revealed that BIM deletion polymorphism might be a genetic cause of intrinsic resistance to TKI therapy and it could be emerged as an independent predictor to identify patients who would benefit from TKI targeted therapy in EGFR-mutated NSCLC.
Association between Int7G24A rs334354 polymorphism and cancer risk: a meta-analysis of case-control studies
Authors: Wu Weixiang , Tong Yeqing , Wei Xiaoyun , Zhao Qiang , Pan Xiaoqi , Yu Guangxia , Lu Qing 
Published: June 2015

AbstractAccumulating evidences have suggested the potential association between Int7G24A (rs334354) polymorphism and cancer risk. However, results from epidemiological studies are controversial. We thus conducted this meta-analysis to clarify the association. Relevant studies were identified on electronic databases according to the inclusion criteria. A total of 13 case-control studies containing 4092 cases and 5909 controls were included in our meta-analysis. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were applied to assess the association. The results of the overall population had suggested that Int7G24A polymorphism had an increased risk for cancer, reaching significant levels in the 2 genetic models (allele model, OR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.09-1.42,P = 0.001; dominant model, OR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.06-1.46,P < 0.008). Besides, significant association was found among Asian population (allele model, OR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.11-1.45,P < 0.001; dominant model, OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.11-1.49,P < 0.001), whereas there was non-significant relationship detected among Caucasian population (allele model, OR = 1.08, 95% CI 0.92-1.26,P = 0.352; dominant model, OR = 1.05, 95% CI 0.87-1.26,P = 0.639). The present meta-analysis had suggested that Int7G24A polymorphism of gene TGFBR1 involved in the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling pathway had a significantly increased risk for cancer development.
Integrated travel network model for studying epidemics: Interplay between journeys and epidemic
Authors: Ruan Zhongyuan , Wang Chaoqing , Ming Hui Pak , Liu Zonghua 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThe ease of travelling between cities has contributed much to globalization. Yet, it poses a threat on epidemic outbreaks. It is of great importance for network science and health control to understand the impact of frequent journeys on epidemics. We stress that a new framework of modelling that takes a traveller’s viewpoint is needed. Such integrated travel network (ITN) model should incorporate the diversity among links as dictated by the distances between cities and different speeds of different modes of transportation, diversity among nodes as dictated by the population and the ease of travelling due to infrastructures and economic development of a city and round-trip journeys to targeted destinations via the paths of shortest travel times typical of human journeys. An example is constructed for 116 cities in China with populations over one million that are connected by high-speed train services and highways. Epidemic spread on the constructed network is studied. It is revealed both numerically and theoretically that the traveling speed and frequency are important factors of epidemic spreading. Depending on the infection rate, increasing the traveling speed would result in either an enhanced or suppressed epidemic, while increasing the traveling frequency enhances the epidemic spreading.
Pedican: an online gene resource for pediatric cancers with literature evidence
Authors: Zhao Min , Ma Lei , Liu Yining , Qu Hong 
Published: June 2015

AbstractPediatric cancer (PC), that is cancer occurring in children, is the leading cause of death among children worldwide, with an incidence of 175,000 per year. Elucidating the genetic abnormalities and underlying cellular mechanisms may provide less toxic curative treatments. Therefore, it is important to understand the pathology of pediatric cancer at the genetic, genomic and epigenetic level. To unveil the cellular complexity of PC, we have developed a database of pediatric cancers (Pedican), the first literature-based pediatric gene data resource by comprehensive literature curation and data integration. In the current release, Pedican contains 735 human genes, 88 gene fusion and 24 chromosome abnormal events curated from 2245 PubMed abstracts. Pedican provides detailed annotations for each gene, such as Entrez gene information, involved pathways, protein–protein interactions, mutations, gene expression, methylation sites, TF regulation and post-translational modification. Additionally Pedican has a user-friendly web interface, which allows sophisticated text query, sequence searches and browsing by highlighted literature evidence and hundreds of cancer types. Overall, our curated pediatric cancer-related gene list maps the genomic and cellular landscape for various pediatric cancers, providing a valuable resource for further experiment design. The Pedican is available at http://pedican.bioinfo-minzhao.org/.
Network nanostructured polypyrrole hydrogel/Au composites as enhanced electrochemical biosensing platform
Authors: Rong Qinfeng , Han Hongliang , Feng Feng , Ma Zhanfang 
Published: June 2015

AbstractIn this work, a new network nanocomposite composed of polypyrrole hydrogel (PPy hydrogel) loaded gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was prepared. The PPy hydrogel was directly synthesized by mixing the pyrrole monomer and phytic acid and the mixed solution can be gelated to form hydrogel at once. The three-dimensional network nanostructured PPy hydrogel not only provided a greater effective surface area for increasing the quantity of immobilized biomolecules and facilitated the transport of electrons and ions, but also exhibited an improved conductivity. Meanwhile, the electrodeposited AuNPs on the PPy hydrogel can further increase the specific surface area to capture a large amount of antibodies as well as improve the capability of electron transfer. The network PPy hydrogel/Au nanocomposites were successfully employed for the fabrication of a sensitive label-free amperometric immunosensor. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was used as a model protein. The proposed immunosensor exhibited a wide linear detection range from 1 fg mL−1 to 200 ng mL−1 and an ultralow limit of detection of 0.16 fg mL−1 (S/N = 3) and it also possessed good selectivity. Moreover, the detection of CEA in ten human serums showed satisfactory accuracy compared with the data determined by ELISA, indicating that the immunosensor provided potential application for clinical diagnosis.
CancerHSP: anticancer herbs database of systems pharmacology
Authors: Tao Weiyang , Li Bohui , Gao Shuo , Bai Yaofei , Shar Piar Ali , Zhang Wenjuan , Guo Zihu , Sun Ke , Fu Yingxue , Huang Chao , Zheng Chunli , Mu Jiexin , Pei Tianli , Wang Yuan , Li Yan , Wang Yonghua 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThe numerous natural products and their bioactivity potentially afford an extraordinary resource for new drug discovery and have been employed in cancer treatment. However, the underlying pharmacological mechanisms of most natural anticancer compounds remain elusive, which has become one of the major obstacles in developing novel effective anticancer agents. Here, to address these unmet needs, we developed an anticancer herbs database of systems pharmacology (CancerHSP), which records anticancer herbs related information through manual curation. Currently, CancerHSP contains 2439 anticancer herbal medicines with 3575 anticancer ingredients. For each ingredient, the molecular structure and nine key ADME parameters are provided. Moreover, we also provide the anticancer activities of these compounds based on 492 different cancer cell lines. Further, the protein targets of the compounds are predicted by state-of-art methods or collected from literatures. CancerHSP will help reveal the molecular mechanisms of natural anticancer products and accelerate anticancer drug development, especially facilitate future investigations on drug repositioning and drug discovery. CancerHSP is freely available on the web at http://lsp.nwsuaf.edu.cn/CancerHSP.php.
Influence of reducing agents on the cytotoxic activity of platinum(iv) complexes: induction of G2/M arrest, apoptosis and oxidative stress in A2780 and cisplatin resistant A2780cis cell lines
Authors: Pichler Verena , Göschl Simone , Schreiber-Brynzak Ekaterina , Jakupec Michael A , Galanski Mathea S , Keppler Bernhard K 
Published: June 2015

Abstract
The concept of PtIV prodrug design is one advanced strategy to increase the selectivity for cancer cells and to reduce systemic toxicity in comparison to established platinum-based chemotherapy. PtIV complexes are thought to be activated by reduction via physiological reductants, such as ascorbic acid or glutathione. Nevertheless, only few investigations on the link between the reduction rate, which is influenced by the reductant, and the ligand sphere of the PtIV metal centre have been performed so far. Herein, we investigated a set of PtIV compounds with varying rates of reduction with respect to their cytotoxicity and drug accumulation in A2780 and A2780cis ovarian cancer cell lines, their influence on the cell cycle, efficiency of triggering apoptosis, and ability to interfere with plasmid DNA (pUC19). The effects caused by PtIV compounds were compared without or with extracellularly added ascorbic acid and glutathione (or its precursor N-acetylcysteine) to gain understanding of the impact of increased levels of the reductant on the activity of such complexes. Our results demonstrate that reduction is required prior to plasmid interaction. Furthermore, the rate of reduction is crucial for the efficiency of this set of PtIV compounds. The substances that are reduced least likely showed similar performances, whereas the fastest reducing substance was negatively affected by an increased extracellular level of reducing agents, with reduced cytotoxicity and lower efficiency in inducing apoptosis and G2/M arrest. These results confirm the connection between reduction and activity, and prove the strong impact of the reduction site on the activity of PtIV complexes.
Semiconductor optical amplifiers in negative‐exponential fading: regenerators and pre‐amplifiers
Authors: Sagias Nikos C. , Yiannopoulos Kostas , Boucouvalas Anthony C. 
Published: June 2015

In this study, the authors discuss the mitigation of negative‐exponential fading in optical wireless communication systems. The mitigation technique involves the utilisation of a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) that, depending on the link arrangement, acts either as regenerator or pre‐amplifier. As a regenerator, the SOA gain saturates during normal link operation and increases when the link experiences a fade. This unbalanced SOA operation serves towards the equalisation of the signal power at its output and fades become less severe and of reduced duration. The analytical results predict that the fade probability is reduced by over 90% and the scintillation index is improved by 75% for an optimal level of the received power. Moreover, the average duration of fades is also reduced by 68% for the same power level. As a pre‐amplifier, the SOA modifies the noise statistics at the receiver and provides a static sensitivity increase of at least 10 dB at 10 Gb/s, depending on the bit‐error‐rate (BER) target. The analytical results show that this sensitivity improvement imparts a reduction of one order of magnitude on the average BER, of at least 94% on the outage probability and of at least 78% on the average duration of fades.
The Effect of Polymethyl Methacrylate Augmentation on the Primary Stability of Cannulated Bone Screws in an Anterolateral Plate in Osteoporotic Vertebrae: A Human Cadaver Study
Authors: Rüger Matthias , Sellei Richard M. , Stoffel Marcus , von Rüden Christian 
Published: June 2015

Study Design Cohort study. Objective Expandable anterolateral plates facilitate the reduction of posttraumatic deformities of thoracolumbar spine injuries and are commonly used in cases of unstable injuries or compromised bone quality. In this in vitro study, the craniocaudal yield load of the osseous fixation of an anterior angular stable plate fixation system and the effect of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) screw augmentation on the primary stability of the screw–bone interface during kyphosis reduction was evaluated in 12 osteoporotic human thoracolumbar vertebrae. Methods The anterolateral stabilization device used for this study is comprised of two swiveling flanges and an expandable midsection. It facilitates the controlled reduction of kyphotic deformities in situ with a geared distractor. Single flanges were attached to 12 thoracolumbar vertebrae. Six specimens were augmented with PMMA by means of cannulated bone screws. The constructs were subjected to static, displacement-controlled craniocaudal loading to failure in a servohydraulic testing machine. Results The uncemented screws cut out at a mean 393 ± 66 N, whereas the cemented screws showed significantly higher yield load of 966 ± 166 N ( p < 0.02). We detected no significant correlation between bone mineral density and yield load in this setting. Conclusion Our results indicate that PMMA augmentation is an effective method to increase two- to threefold the primary stability of the screw–bone interface of an anterolateral spine stabilization system in osteoporotic bone. We recommend it in cases of severely compromised bone quality to reduce the risk of screw loosening during initial kyphosis correction and to increase long-term construct stability.
Trophic Ontogeny of Fluvial Bull Trout and Seasonal Predation on Pacific Salmon in a Riverine Food Web
Authors: Lowery Erin D. , Beauchamp David A. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractBull Trout Salvelinus confluentus are typically top predators in their host ecosystems. The Skagit River in northwestern Washington State contains Bull Trout and Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha populations that are among the largest in the Puget Sound region and also contains a regionally large population of steelhead O. mykiss (anadromous Rainbow Trout). All three species are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Our objective was to determine the trophic ecology of Bull Trout, especially their role as predators and consumers in the riverine food web. We seasonally sampled distribution, diets, and growth of Bull Trout in main‐stem and tributary habitats during 2007 and winter–spring 2008. Consumption rates were estimated with a bioenergetics model to (1) determine the annual and seasonal contributions of different prey types to Bull Trout energy budgets and (2) estimate the potential impacts of Bull Trout predation on juvenile Pacific salmon populations. Salmon carcasses and eggs contributed approximately 50% of the annual energy budget for large Bull Trout in main‐stem habitats, whereas those prey types were largely inaccessible to smaller Bull Trout in tributary habitats. The remaining 50% of the energy budget was acquired by eating juvenile salmon, resident fishes, and immature aquatic insects. Predation on listed Chinook Salmon and steelhead/Rainbow Trout was highest during winter and spring (January–June). Predation on juvenile salmon differed between the two study years, likely due to the dominant odd‐year spawning cycle for Pink Salmon O. gorbuscha. The population impact on ocean‐ and stream‐type Chinook Salmon was negligible, whereas the impact on steelhead/Rainbow Trout was potentially very high. Due to the ESA‐listed status of Bull Trout, steelhead, and Chinook Salmon, the complex trophic interactions in this drainage provide both challenges and opportunities for creative adaptive management strategies.
Characterization and Purification of Glutathione S-Transferase from the Liver and Gill Tissues of Ağrı Balık Lake Trout Salmo trutta labrax and the Effects of Heavy Metal Ions on Its Activity
Authors: Çomaklı Veysel , Kuzu Muslum , Demirdağ Ramazan 
Published: June 2015

Abstract
Glutathione S-transferase (GST) from the liver and gill tissues of Ağrı Balık Lake Trout (also known as Black Sea Trout) Salmo trutta labrax was characterized and purified, and the toxic effects of some heavy metal ions on the enzyme's activity were analyzed. Liver GST was purified 930 times, resulting in 56% yield using glutathione–agarose affinity chromatography and a specific activity of 60.87 endotoxin units (EU)/mg protein. Using the same procedure, gill GST was purified 576 times, resulting in a 60% yield and specific activity of 46.8 EU/mg protein. The purity check of the purified enzymes was determined with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Optimal pH, ionic strength, and stable pH were found for each tissue, and separate KM and Vmax values were determined for reduced glutathione and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene substrates. Heavy metal ions that have toxic effects on living organisms and are known to contribute to environmental pollution were selected, and their in vitro effects on enzyme activity were analyzed. The IC50 values and Ki constants of those metal ions showing an inhibitory effect on GST activity were determined.
Received November 24, 2014; accepted March 11, 2015
Alginate oligomer induces nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 cells: elucidation of the underlying intracellular signaling mechanism
Authors: Ueno Mikinori , Cho Kichul , Nakazono Satoru , Isaka Shogo , Abu Ryogo , Takeshita Satoshi , Yamaguchi Kenichi , Kim Daekyung , Oda Tatsuya 
Published: June 2015

Abstract
Alginate is an acidic linear polysaccharide with immune-modulating activities. In this study, we found that enzymatically digested alginate oligomer (AO) with various degrees of polymerization (DP; 2–5) induced a higher level of nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 cells than undigested alginate polymer (AP). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses revealed that the expression level of inducible NO synthase in AO-treated RAW264.7 cells was higher than that in AP-treated cells. AO induced nuclear translocation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB p65 subunit in RAW264.7 cells to a greater extent than AP. Although AO and AP induced similar extents of phosphorylation in three mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitor exhibited the most potent inhibitory effect on NO induction in AO- and AP-treated RAW264.7 cells, among three MAP kinase inhibitors that were tested.
Geometric spectral theory for compact operators
Authors: Chagouel Isaak , Stessin Michael , Zhu Kehe 
Published: June 2015

For annn-tupleA=(A1,⋯,An)\mathbb {A}=(A_1,\cdots ,A_n)of compact operators we define the joint point spectrum ofA\mathbb {A}to be the set\[σp(A)={(z1,⋯,zn)∈Cn:ker⁡(I+z1A1+⋯+znAn)≠(0)}.\sigma _p(\mathbb {A})=\{(z_1,\cdots ,z_n)\in \mathbb {C}^n:\ker (I+z_1A_1+\cdots +z_nA_n)\not =(0)\}.\]We prove in several situations that the operators inA\mathbb {A}pairwise commute if and only ifσp(A)\sigma _p(\mathbb {A})consists of countably many, locally finite, hyperplanes inCn\mathbb C^n. In particular, we show that ifA\mathbb {A}is annn-tuple ofN×NN\times Nnormal matrices, then these matrices pairwise commute if and only if the polynomial\[pA(z1,⋯,zn)=det(I+z1A1+⋯+znAn)p_{\mathbb {A}}(z_1,\cdots ,z_n)=\det (I+z_1A_1+\cdots +z_nA_n)\]is completely reducible, namely,\[pA(z1,⋯,zn)=∏k=1N(1+ak1z1+⋯+aknzn)p_{\mathbb {A}}(z_1,\cdots ,z_n)=\prod _{k=1}^N(1+a_{k1}z_1+\cdots +a_{kn}z_n)\]can be factored into the product of linear polynomials.