bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Female age at maturity and fecundity in Atlantic Striped Bass
Authors: Brown Simon C. , Giuliano Angela M. , Versak Beth A. 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Objective
Female age at maturity and fecundity for the Atlantic stock of Striped Bass Morone saxatilis were estimated using histological methods and image analysis.

Methods
Ovaries were obtained from surveys encompassing the spring spawning season (March–July; n = 343), primarily from the Chesapeake Bay, and in the fall months (September–December; n = 85), primarily from the Atlantic coast. Histological examination of oocytes revealed some Striped Bass in intermediate stages of maturation during the spawning season. These individuals were identified as undergoing pubertal development, defined as the transition from the juvenile stage to first sexual maturity. Pubertal development was characterized by ovaries containing a population of enlarged, lipid-filled oocytes but noticeably lacking vitellogenin-derived yolk globules during the spawning season, and those ovaries were classified as immature. Toward the end of the spawning season, increasing proportions of Striped Bass with unspawned ovaries and oocytes undergoing total atresia were observed.

Result
The female age and length at 50% maturity in Atlantic Striped Bass based on spring samples were 5.5 years and 609 mm total length, respectively. Fecundity was determined gravimetrically via image analysis of ovarian tissue samples from spawning capable individuals (n = 67). Potential annual fecundity was found to exhibit hyperallometric scaling with respect to body size. Specifically, the scaling exponent for the length–fecundity relationship was 3.24, which was greater than the scaling exponent of 3.05 for the length–body mass relationship. This indicates that large females possess a disproportionately greater reproductive capacity with respect to body mass than the equivalent biomass of smaller females.

Conclusion
Compared with previous studies spanning over a half-century, age at 50% maturity and fecundity were found to be relatively invariant, although variation found between contemporary studies may represent methodological and interpretive differences. Reproductive-related life history traits of female Atlantic Striped Bass are apparently robust to long-term decadal changes in fishing intensity, stock size, habitat alterations, and environmental conditions.
The communication effect of promotion strategies, altruism, and egoism in the context of omnichannel cause‐related marketing: An experimental study
Authors: Lin Hsin‐Hui , Chen Jia‐Yun , Yang Jih‐Hua 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThis study investigates the effect of promotion strategies, altruism, and egoism on consumers' digital participation, attitudinal loyalty, and behavioral loyalty within the context of omnichannel cause‐related marketing. A scenario simulation method with a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial design is used to investigate the impact of the three promotion strategy types (celebrity endorsement, expert endorsement, and co‐branding), two altruism types (social donation and economic donation), and two egoism types (social incentives and economic incentives). The moderating effect of brand identification on the influence of strategies, altruism, and egoism on consumer digital participation, attitudinal loyalty, and behavioral loyalty is also tested.
Rheological consolidation analysis of saturated clay ground under cyclic loading based on the fractional order Kelvin model
Authors: Wang Lian , Chen Hui , Liu Shengwei , Yu Yunyan 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBased on Biot porous medium theory, considering the coupled reaction of soil skeleton rheology and pore pressure dissipation, the present work investigates the dynamic consolidation characteristics of saturated clay ground under cyclic loading. First, the rheological behavior of the soil skeleton was described by the fractional order Kelvin model. The dynamic consolidation governing equations for the saturated clay were established theoretically in a three‐dimensional axisymmetric coordinate system. Second, the transform domain analytical solution of the dynamic consolidation of saturated clay was obtained using the Hankel–Laplace coupled transform method, and the solution in the time–space domain was further obtained through numerical inversion. Finally, the rheological consolidation behavior of saturated clay under cyclic loading and the influences of parameters were analyzed. The results show that the rheology of the soil skeleton had an inhibitory effect on pore water permeability; compared with elastic skeleton soil, the rheological clay had a slower settlement rate in the primary consolidation stage, a faster rate in the secondary consolidation stage, and greater long‐term settlement. In addition, under cyclic loading, the pore pressure response in saturated clay lags behind the effective stress, and a larger viscous order is associated with faster development of cumulative settlement.
Novel use of contrast enhanced ultrasonography with urodynamics in children: A comparison study to fluoroscopy
Authors: Kennady Emmett , Hutchison Dylan , Corbett Sean T. , Leroy Susan , Morgan Kathryn , Daugherty Reza , Kapral Nicole , Kern Nora G. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractIntroductionVideo urodynamics (UDS) has classically been performed using fluoroscopy (fluoro). Contrast enhanced voiding ultrasonography (ceVUS) has rarely been reported for use with UDS. This is the first study to compare the imaging characteristics of ceVUS versus fluoro UDS.MethodsChildren were enrolled for ceVUS UDS who previously underwent fluoro UDS. Demographics, imaging data for ceVUS and fluoro UDS, time between studies, and clinical data between studies were recorded. Changes in clinical status included implantation/cessation of catheterization or anticholinergic medications, leakage between, urinary tract infections, hydronephrosis and neurologic changes. Comparison testing was performed using McNemar's Chi‐Squared and Wilcoxon matched‐pairs signed rank test.ResultsSeventy‐five children were recruited. Median time between studies was 1.3 years (IQR 0.9−2.9). There were no differences for bladder shape (p = 0.59), vesicoureteral reflux (p = 0.10), bladder neck (p = 0.59) or urethra (p = 1.0) between studies. In 5 cases, the bladder neck could not be visualized adequately due to layering of the microbubble contrast against urine. Benefits to ceVUS included ability to visualize the exact moment the bladder neck opened. Following exclusion of patients with clinical changes that might affect imaging findings, an analysis of 28 patients demonstrated no differences between the two studies.ConclusionsCeVUS can be used adequately in conjunction with UDS. Limitations to ceVUS include more granular imaging for bladder shape versus fluoro and inability to visualize bladder neck if residual urine is in the bladder, mitigated by bladder emptying. Benefits include ability to visualize the dynamic activity of the bladder neck due to constant imaging with ceVUS.
Evolutionary topology optimization approach to design multiphase soundproof systems with poroelastic media
Authors: Pereira Rodrigo L. , Anaya‐Jaimes Lidy M. , Pavanello Renato 
Published: February 2024

SummaryWith the constant development of cities, noise sources have become increasingly present inside and outside living environments. Consequently, soundproof systems comprised of porous materials have been widely adopted as filling fabric of closed‐space structures, such as in the components of buildings, airplanes or automobiles. However, in many situations, simply filling spaces may not be the most effective approach. In that scenario, this work introduces a multiphase acoustic topology optimization methodology to design closed‐space structures for sound attenuation. Based on the Bi‐directional Evolutionary Structural Optimization (BESO) algorithm, the proposed approach combines Biot's poroelasticity equations, expressed in the mixed /p form, and the Unified Multiphase (UMP) technique to fully describe the multiphysics involved in the acoustic, poroelastic and elastic model relations. An objective function contemplating different combinations of structural, viscous and thermal dissipated powers is maximized over multiple frequencies. Volume constraints in each material phase and a novel material interpolation scheme are also considered. The resultant topologies present enhanced dissipated power levels and manufacturability, even when compared with various baseline configurations of similar volume fractions.
Effects of chronic haloperidol treatment on the expression of fear memory and fear memory extinction in the cued fear‐conditioned rats
Authors: Enomoto Kosuke , Shibata Kazuro , Muraoka Hiroyuki , Kawano Masahiko , Inada Ken , Ishigooka Jun , Nishimura Katsuji , Oshibuchi Hidehiro 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAimImpairments in emotional memory are frequently observed in several mental disorders, highlighting their significance as potential therapeutic targets. Recent research on the cued fear conditioning model has elucidated the neural circuits involved in fear memory processing. However, contradictory findings have been reported concerning the role of dopamine and the impact of dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) antagonists. There is notably limited knowledge regarding the clinical utility of chronic D2R antagonist treatments. This study aimed to uncover how such treatments affect fear memory processing.MethodsWe utilized a cued fear conditioning rat model and conducted chronic haloperidol treatment for 14 days. Subsequently, to investigate the effect of chronic haloperidol treatment on fear‐conditioned memory expression and extinction, we observed freezing behavior under exposure to a conditioned stimulus for 14 days.ResultsChronic haloperidol treatment suppressed freezing time on the fear memory expression. In contrast, a single haloperidol administration enhanced the freezing time on fear memory expression and delayed extinction.ConclusionThe results of this study suggest that chronic administration of antipsychotic drugs affects fear memory processing differently from single‐dose administration. This indicates that the effects of chronic D2R antagonist treatment are distinct from the nonspecific effects of the drugs. This study provides fundamental insights that may contribute to our understanding of therapeutic mechanisms for fear memory disorders related to D2R in the future.
Giftedness characteristic identification among Kazakhstani school children
Authors: Mambetalina Aliya , Lawrence Kehinde , Amangossov Assanali , Mukhambetkalieva Karima , Demissenova Shnar 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe need to identify and recognize school going children with giftedness remains a concern of the Republic of Kazakhstan's government. This concern motivated this study to examine the internal structure of the giftedness characteristic identification scale (GCIS) for use by Kazakhstan's school children. Exploratory quantitative research approach, and its design was grounded within the exploratory type. The GCIS is a self‐report scale to identify the four characteristics of giftedness including contextual, intellectual, creative, and social giftedness. A total of 1176 elementary and middle school students were sampled for the study. The students were in grades and aged between 12 and 16 years. Most of the participants were 65% female; and 35% male. The data collected was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis. The findings established a relatively high‐reliability Cronbach alpha coefficient of 89.7%. No statistical difference was found between the Kazakh and Russian languages of instruction, based on the gifted characteristics of the participants. Emphasis was placed on the fact that the GCIS was a reliable tool to identify giftedness among schoolchildren in Kazakhstan, but much future work is needed to determine its validity.
Accounting for nonuniformity of bulk‐solvent: A mosaic model
Authors: Afonine Pavel V. , Adams Paul D. , Sobolev Oleg V. , Urzhumtsev Alexandre G. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractA flat mask‐based model is almost universally used in macromolecular crystallography to account for disordered (bulk) solvent. This model assumes any voxel of the crystal unit cell that is not occupied by the atomic model is occupied by the solvent. The properties of this solvent are assumed to be exactly the same across the whole volume of the unit cell. While this is a reasonable approximation in practice, there are a number of scenarios where this model becomes suboptimal. In this work, we enumerate several of these scenarios and describe a new generalized approach to modeling the bulk‐solvent which we refer to as mosaic bulk‐solvent model. The mosaic bulk‐solvent model allows nonuniform features of the solvent in the crystal to be accounted for in a computationally efficient way. It is implemented in the computational crystallography toolbox and the Phenix software.
Controlling the incorporation of fluorinated amino acids in human cells and its structural impact
Authors: Costantino Azzurra , Pham Lan B. T. , Barbieri Letizia , Calderone Vito , Ben‐Nissan Gili , Sharon Michal , Banci Lucia , Luchinat Enrico 
Published: February 2024

AbstractFluorinated aromatic amino acids (FAAs) are promising tools when studying protein structure and dynamics by NMR spectroscopy. The incorporation FAAs in mammalian expression systems has been introduced only recently. Here, we investigate the effects of FAAs incorporation in proteins expressed in human cells, focusing on the probability of incorporation and its consequences on the 19F NMR spectra. By combining 19F NMR, direct MS and x‐ray crystallography, we demonstrate that the probability of FAA incorporation is only a function of the FAA concentration in the expression medium and is a pure stochastic phenomenon. In contrast with the MS data, the x‐ray structures of carbonic anhydrase II reveal that while the 3D structure is not affected, certain positions lack fluorine, suggesting that crystallization selectively excludes protein molecules featuring subtle conformational modifications. This study offers a predictive model of the FAA incorporation efficiency and provides a framework for controlling protein fluorination in mammalian expression systems.
The C‐terminus is essential for the stability of the mycobacterial channel protein MspA
Authors: Pavlenok Mikhail , Nair Rashmi Ravindran , Hendrickson R. Curtis , Niederweis Michael 
Published: February 2024

AbstractOuter membrane proteins perform essential functions in uptake and secretion processes in bacteria. MspA is an octameric channel protein in the outer membrane of Mycobacterium smegmatis and is structurally distinct from any other known outer membrane protein. MspA is the founding member of a family with more than 3000 homologs and is one of the most widely used proteins in nanotechnological applications due to its advantageous pore structure and extraordinary stability. While a conserved C‐terminal signal sequence is essential for folding and protein assembly in the outer membrane of Gram‐negative bacteria, the molecular determinants of these processes are unknown for MspA. In this study, we show that mutation and deletion of methionine 183 in the highly conserved C‐terminus of MspA and mutation of the conserved tryptophan 40 lead to a complete loss of protein in heat extracts of M. smegmatis. Swapping these residues partially restores the heat stability of MspA indicating that methionine 183 and tryptophan 40 form a conserved sulfur‐π electron interaction, which stabilizes the MspA monomer. Flow cytometry showed that all MspA mutants are surface‐accessible demonstrating that oligomerization and membrane integration in M. smegmatis are not affected. Thus, the conserved C‐terminus of MspA is essential for its thermal stability, but it is not required for protein assembly in its native membrane, indicating that this process is mediated by a mechanism distinct from that in Gram‐negative bacteria. These findings will benefit the rational design of MspA‐like pores to tailor their properties in current and future applications.
Crystal structure of the tegument protein UL82 (pp71) from human cytomegalovirus
Authors: Eberhage Jan , Bresch Ian P. , Ramani Ramya , Viohl Niklas , Buchta Thalea , Rehfeld Christopher L. , Hinse Petra , Reubold Thomas F. , Brinkmann Melanie M. , Eschenburg Susanne 
Published: February 2024

AbstractHuman cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an opportunistic pathogen that infects a majority of the world population. It may cause severe disease in immunocompromised people and lead to pregnancy loss or grave disabilities of the fetus upon congenital infection. For effective replication and lifelong persistence in its host, HCMV relies on diverse functions of its tegument protein UL82, also known as pp71. Up to now, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the multiple functions of this crucial viral protein. Here, we describe the X‐ray structure of full‐length UL82 to a resolution of 2.7 Å. A single polypeptide chain of 559 amino acids mainly folds into three ß‐barrels. We show that UL82 forms a dimer in the crystal as well as in solution. We identify point mutations that disturb the dimerization interface and show that the mutant protein is monomeric in solution and upon expression in human cells. On the basis of the three‐dimensional structure, we identify structural homologs of UL82 from other herpesviruses and analyze whether their functions are preserved in UL82. We demonstrate that UL82, despite its structural homology to viral deoxyuridinetriphosphatases (dUTPases), does not possess dUTPase activity. Prompted by the structural homology of UL82 to the ORF10 protein of murine herpesvirus 68 (MHV68), which is known to interact with the RNA export factor ribonucleic acid export 1 (Rae1), we performed coimmunoprecipitations and demonstrated that UL82 indeed interacts with Rae1. This suggests that HCMV UL82 may play a role in mRNA export from the nucleus similar to ORF10 encoded by the gammaherpesviruses MHV68.
The anti‐inflammatory activity of flavonoids and alkaloids from Sophora flavescens alleviates psoriasiform lesions: Prenylation and methoxylation beneficially enhance bioactivity and skin targeting
Authors: Lin Chwan‐Fwu , Lin Ming‐Hsien , Hung Chi‐Feng , Alshetaili Abdullah , Tsai Yung‐Fong , Jhong Cai‐Ling , Fang Jia‐You 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe herb Sophora flavescens displays anti‐inflammatory activity and can provide a source of antipsoriatic medications. We aimed to evaluate whether S. flavescens extracts and compounds can relieve psoriasiform inflammation. The ability of flavonoids (maackiain, sophoraflavanone G, leachianone A) and alkaloids (matrine, oxymatrine) isolated from S. flavescens to inhibit production of cytokine/chemokines was examined in keratinocytes and macrophages. Physicochemical properties and skin absorption were determined by in silico molecular modeling and the in vitro permeation test (IVPT) to establish the structure‐permeation relationship (SPR). The ethyl acetate extract exhibited higher inhibition of interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐8, and CXCL1 production in tumor necrosis factor‐α‐stimulated keratinocytes compared to the ethanol and water extracts. The flavonoids demonstrated higher cytokine/chemokine inhibition than alkaloids, with the prenylated flavanones (sophoraflavanone G, leachianone A) led to the highest suppression. Flavonoids exerted anti‐inflammatory effects via the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase, p38, activator protein‐1, and nuclear factor‐κB signaling pathways. In the IVPT, prenylation of the flavanone skeleton significantly promoted skin absorption from 0.01 to 0.22 nmol/mg (sophoraflavanone G vs. eriodictyol). Further methoxylation of a prenylated flavanone (leachianone A) elevated skin absorption to 2.65 nmol/mg. Topical leachianone A reduced the epidermal thickness in IMQ‐treated mice by 47%, and inhibited cutaneous scaling and cytokine/chemokine overexpression at comparable levels to a commercial betamethasone product. Thus, prenylation and methoxylation of S. flavescens flavanones may enable the design of novel antipsoriatic agents.
Yifei Sanjie formula alleviates lung cancer progression via regulating PRMT6‐YBX1‐CDC25A axis
Authors: Tang Jie , Yin Chenyan , Chen Meiyun , Dong Mengjia , Xu Youqi 
Published: February 2024

AbstractLung cancer (LC) is the most prevalent cancer type, with a high mortality rate worldwide. The current treatment options for LC have not been particularly successful in improving patient outcomes. Yifei Sanjie (YFSJ), a well‐applicated traditional Chinese medicine formula, is widely used to treat pulmonary diseases, especially LC, yet little is known about its molecular mechanisms. This study was conducted to explore the molecular mechanism by which YFSJ ameliorated LC progression. The A549, NCI‐H1975, and Calu‐3 cells were treated with the YFSJ formula and observed for colony number, apoptosis, migration, and invasion properties recorded via corresponding assays. The PRMT6‐YBX1‐CDC25A axis was tested and verified through luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays and rescue experiments. Our results demonstrated that YFSJ ameliorated LC cell malignant behaviors by increasing apoptosis and suppressing proliferation, migration, and invasion processes. We also noticed that the xenograft mouse model treated with YFSJ significantly reduced tumor growth compared with the control untreated group in vivo. Mechanistically, it was found that YFSJ suppressed the expression of PRMT6, YBX1, and CDC25A, while the knockdown of these proteins significantly inhibited colony growth, migration, and invasion, and boosted apoptosis in LC cells. In summary, our results suggest that YFSJ alleviates LC progression via the PRMT6‐YBX1‐CDC25A axis, confirming its efficacy in clinical use. The findings of our study provide a new regulatory network for LC growth and metastasis, which could shed new insights into pulmonary medical research.
Ellagic acid protects against angiotensin II‐induced hypertrophic responses through ROS‐mediated MAPK pathway in H9c2 cells
Authors: Lee Ya‐Che , Jou Yeong‐Chin , Chou Wan‐Ching , Tsai Kun‐Ling , Shen Cheng‐Huang , Lee Shin‐Da 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe early myocardial response of hypertension is an elevation of angiotensin‐II (Ang‐II) concentration, leading to heart failure and cardiac hypertrophy. This hypertrophic event of the heart is mediated by the interaction of Ang type 1 receptors (AT‐R1), thereby modulating NADPH oxidase activity in cardiomyocytes, which alters redox status in cardiomyocytes. Ellagic acid (EA) has anti‐inflammatory and anti‐oxidative capacities. Thus, EA has potential preventive effects on cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. In the last decades, because the protective effect of EA on Ang‐II‐induced hypertrophic responses is unclear, this study aims to investigate the protective effect of EA in cardiomyocytes. H9c2 cells were treated to Ang‐II 1 μM for 24 h to induce cellular damage. We found that EA protected against Ang‐II‐increased cell surface area and pro‐hypertrophic gene expression in H9c2. EA reduced Ang‐II‐caused AT‐R1 upregulation, thereby inhibiting oxidative stress NADPH oxidase activation. EA mitigated Ang‐II‐enhanced p38 and extracellular‐signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation. Moreover, EA treatment under Ang‐II stimulation also reversed NF‐κB activity and iNOS expression. This study shows that EA protects against Ang‐II‐induced myocardial hypertrophy and attenuates oxidative stress through reactive oxygen species‐mediated mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling pathways in H9c2 cells. Thus, EA may be an effective compound for preventing Ang‐II‐induced myocardial hypertrophy.