bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reconstruction of the enigmatic Late Cambrian

Climactichnites
Authors: Yochelson E.L. , Parrish M.
Published: January 2018

Climactichnites Logan, 1860, is known only from its large trail up to 20 cm in width, a trace superficially resembling a rope ladder. Prominent lateral ridges are parallel throughout the length of the trail; they may be smooth and hemispherical in cross-section or crenulated, much like a pie crust. Between these ridges is a series of raised dune-like bars and furrows dug into the substrate. The bars and furrows show considerable individual variation between trails and also variation along a trail. Ovoid impressions are known which occur at the start of trails. The posterior of these impressions is well rounded; the anterior is triangular, and for a short distance from the impression, the trail is developed on only one side. One exceptionally preserved impression shows curved, closely spaced, fine lines parallel to the posterior.

The trails are found only in sandstone, and where they are present, they are abundant. Slightly equivocable evidence indicates a Dresbachian (early Late Cambrian) age for the occurrences in New York, Missouri, and Wisconsin; trails in Ontario and Quebec are less certainly dated. Desiccation cracks and air escape hole suggest that the trail was fully exposed to the atmosphere.

From this data, a large number of sketches were made to reconstruct an animal able to make such a trail. Each attempt produced new speculation on the morphology. In the final rendition, the animal is bilaterally symmetrical, broad and low. The integument is tough, and the sole bears a subcentral mouth anteriorward. Lateral flaps scraped and compressed damp sand to make the parallel ridges. The anterior was strongly musculated and thin. This anterior flap grasped the sediment, alternating on either side of the animal to pull the form forward when the lateral flaps were relaxed. Curved rows of cilia on the posterior moved loose sand into dunes between the furrows formed by the anterior flaps.

This reconstruction is like that of no other animal known in the Vendian or the Phanerozoic.
Associations between body mass index and the risk of renal events in patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Mohammedi Kamel , Chalmers John , Herrington William , Li Qiang , Mancia Giuseppe , Marre Michel , Poulter Neil , Rodgers Anthony , Williams Bryan , Perkovic Vlado , Coresh Josef , Woodward Mark
Published: January 2018

Background/objectives

We aimed to evaluate the relationship between BMI and the risk of renal disease in patients with type 2 diabetes in the Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: PreterAx and DiamicroN Modified-Release Controlled Evaluation (ADVANCE) study.

Subjects/methods

Participants were divided into six baseline BMI categories: <18.5 (underweight, n = 58); ≥18.5 to <25 (normal, n = 2894); ≥25 to <30 (overweight, n = 4340); ≥30 to <35 (obesity grade 1, n = 2265); ≥35 to <40 (obesity grade 2, n = 744); and ≥40 kg/m2 (obesity grade 3, n = 294); those underweight were excluded. The composite outcome “major renal event” was defined as development of new macroalbuminuria, doubling of creatinine, end stage renal disease, or renal death. These outcomes and development of new microalbuminuria were considered individually as secondary endpoints.

Results

During 5-years of follow-up, major renal events occurred in 487 (4.6%) patients. The risk increased with higher BMI. Multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CIs), compared to normal weight, were: 0.91 (0.72–1.15) for overweight; 1.03 (0.77–1.37) for obesity grade 1; 1.42 (0.98–2.07) for grade 2; and 2.16 (1.34–3.48) for grade 3 (p for trend = 0.006). These findings were similar across subgroups by randomised interventions (intensive versus standard glucose control and perindopril-indapamide versus placebo). Every additional unit of BMI over 25 kg/m2 increased the risk of major renal events by 4 (1–6)%. Comparable results were observed with the risk of secondary endpoints.

Conclusions

Higher BMI is an independent predictor of major renal events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Our findings encourage weight loss to improve nephroprotection in these patients.
Biological rejuvenation of iron oxides in bioturbated marine sediments
Authors: Beam Jacob P , Scott Jarrod J , McAllister Sean M , Chan Clara S , McManus James , Meysman Filip J R , Emerson David
Published: January 2018

The biogeochemical cycle of iron is intricately linked to numerous element cycles. Although biological processes that catalyze the reductive side of the iron cycle are established, little is known about microbial oxidative processes on iron cycling in sedimentary environments—resulting in the formation of iron oxides. Here we show that a potential source of sedimentary iron oxides originates from the metabolic activity of iron-oxidizing bacteria from the class Zetaproteobacteria, presumably enhanced by burrowing animals in coastal sediments. Zetaproteobacteria were estimated to be a global total of 1026 cells in coastal, bioturbated sediments, and predicted to annually produce 8 × 1015 g of Fe in sedimentary iron oxides—55 times larger than the annual flux of iron oxides deposited by rivers. These data suggest that iron-oxidizing Zetaproteobacteria are keystone organisms in marine sedimentary environments—despite their low numerical abundance—yet exert a disproportionate impact via the rejuvenation of iron oxides.
Novel hydrogenases from deep-sea hydrothermal vent metagenomes identified by a recently developed activity-based screen
Authors: Adam Nicole , Perner Mirjam
Published: January 2018

Hydrogen is one of the most common elements on Earth. The enzymes converting molecular hydrogen into protons and electrons are the hydrogenases. Hydrogenases are ubiquitously distributed in all three domains of life where they play a central role in cell metabolism. So far, the recovery of hydrogenases has been restricted to culture-dependent and sequence-based approaches. We have recently developed the only activity-based screen for seeking H2-uptake enzymes from metagenomes without having to rely on enrichment and isolation of hydrogen-oxidizing microorganisms or prior metagenomic sequencing. When screening 14,400 fosmid clones from three hydrothermal vent metagenomes using this solely activity-based approach, four clones with H2-uptake activity were identified with specific activities of up to 258 ± 19 nmol H2/min/mg protein of partially purified membrane fractions. The respective metagenomic fragments exhibited mostly very low or no similarities to sequences in the public databases. A search with hidden Markov models for different hydrogenase groups showed no hits for three of the four metagenomic inserts, indicating that they do not encode for classical hydrogenases. Our activity-based screen serves as a powerful tool for the discovery of (novel) hydrogenases which would not have been identified by the currently available techniques. This screen can be ideally combined with culture- and sequence-based approaches to investigate the tremendous hydrogen-converting potential in the environment.
Oridonin exerts anticancer effect on osteosarcoma by activating PPAR-γ and inhibiting Nrf2 pathway
Authors: Lu Ying , Sun Yang , Zhu Jianwei , Yu Lisha , Jiang Xiubo , Zhang Jie , Dong Xiaochen , Ma Bo , Zhang Qi
Published: January 2018

Osteosarcoma is the most common high-grade human primary malignant bone sarcoma with lower survival in the past decades. Oridonin, a bioactive diterpenoid isolated from Rabdosia rubescens, has been proved to possess potent anti-cancer effects. However, its potential mechanism still remains not fully clear nowadays. In this study, we investigated the anticancer effect of oridonin on human osteosarcoma and illuminated the underlying mechanisms. In vitro, oridonin inhibited the cell viability of various osteosarcoma cells. We demonstrated that oridonin induced mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis by increasing Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), triggering reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and activating caspase-3 and caspase-9 cleavage in MG-63 and HOS cells. Moreover, we found that oridonin triggered ROS by inhibiting NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway and induced mitochondrial apoptosis via inhibiting nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation by activating Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ (PPAR-γ) in MG-63 and HOS cells. We further confirmed the results by PPAR-γ inhibitor GW9662, PPAR-γ siRNA as well as overexpression of PPAR-γ and Nrf2 in vitro. Furthermore, our in vivo study showed that oridonin inhibited tumor growth with high safety via inducing apoptosis through activating PPAR-γ and inhibiting Nrf2 activation in xenograft model inoculated HOS tumor. Taken together, oridonin exerted a dramatic pro-apoptotic effect by activating PPAR-γ and inhibiting Nrf2 pathway in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, oridonin may be a promising and effective agent for human osteosarcoma in the future clinical applications.
CKAMP44 modulates integration of visual inputs in the lateral geniculate nucleus
Authors: Chen Xufeng , Aslam Muhammad , Gollisch Tim , Allen Kevin , von Engelhardt Jakob
Published: January 2018

Relay neurons in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) receive excitatory inputs from retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Retinogeniculate synapses are characterized by a prominent short-term depression of AMPA receptor (AMPAR)-mediated currents, but the underlying mechanisms and its function for visual integration are not known. Here we identify CKAMP44 as a crucial auxiliary subunit of AMPARs in dLGN relay neurons, where it increases AMPAR-mediated current amplitudes and modulates gating of AMPARs. Importantly, CKAMP44 is responsible for the distinctive short-term depression in retinogeniculate synapses by reducing the rate of recovery from desensitization of AMPARs. Genetic deletion of CKAMP44 strongly reduces synaptic short-term depression, which leads to increased spike probability of relay neurons when activated with high-frequency inputs from retinogeniculate synapses. Finally, in vivo recordings reveal augmented ON- and OFF-responses of dLGN neurons in CKAMP44 knockout (CKAMP44−/−) mice, demonstrating the importance of CKAMP44 for modulating synaptic short-term depression and visual input integration.
Full-field thermal imaging of quasiballistic crosstalk reduction in nanoscale devices
Authors: Ziabari Amirkoushyar , Torres Pol , Vermeersch Bjorn , Xuan Yi , Cartoixà Xavier , Torelló Alvar , Bahk Je-Hyeong , Koh Yee Rui , Parsa Maryam , Ye Peide D. , Alvarez F. Xavier , Shakouri Ali
Published: January 2018

Understanding nanoscale thermal transport is of substantial importance for designing contemporary semiconductor technologies. Heat removal from small sources is well established to be severely impeded compared to diffusive predictions due to the ballistic nature of the dominant heat carriers. Experimental observations are commonly interpreted through a reduction of effective thermal conductivity, even though most measurements only probe a single aggregate thermal metric. Here, we employ thermoreflectance thermal imaging to directly visualise the 2D temperature field produced by localised heat sources on InGaAs with characteristic widths down to 100 nm. Besides displaying effective thermal performance reductions up to 50% at the active junctions in agreement with prior studies, our steady-state thermal images reveal that, remarkably, 1–3 μm adjacent to submicron devices the crosstalk is actually reduced by up to fourfold. Submicrosecond transient imaging additionally shows responses to be faster than conventionally predicted. A possible explanation based on hydrodynamic heat transport, and some open questions, are discussed.
Genome-wide association study in 79,366 European-ancestry individuals informs the genetic architecture of 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels
Authors: Jiang Xia , O’Reilly Paul F. , Aschard Hugues , Hsu Yi-Hsiang , Richards J. Brent , Dupuis Josée , Ingelsson Erik , Karasik David , Pilz Stefan , Berry Diane , Kestenbaum Bryan , Zheng Jusheng , Luan Jianan , Sofianopoulou Eleni , Streeten Elizabeth A. , Albanes Demetrius , Lutsey Pamela L. , Yao Lu , Tang Weihong , Econs Michael J. , Wallaschofski Henri , Völzke Henry , Zhou Ang , Power Chris , McCarthy Mark I. , Michos Erin D. , Boerwinkle Eric , Weinstein Stephanie J. , Freedman Neal D. , Huang Wen-Yi , Van Schoor Natasja M. , van der Velde Nathalie , Groot Lisette C. P. G. M. de , Enneman Anke , Cupples L. Adrienne , Booth Sarah L. , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Liu Ching-Ti , Zhou Yanhua , Ripatti Samuli , Ohlsson Claes , Vandenput Liesbeth , Lorentzon Mattias , Eriksson Johan G. , Shea M. Kyla , Houston Denise K. , Kritchevsky Stephen B. , Liu Yongmei , Lohman Kurt K. , Ferrucci Luigi , Peacock Munro , Gieger Christian , Beekman Marian , Slagboom Eline , Deelen Joris , Heemst Diana van , Kleber Marcus E. , März Winfried , de Boer Ian H. , Wood Alexis C. , Rotter Jerome I. , Rich Stephen S. , Robinson-Cohen Cassianne , den Heijer Martin , Jarvelin Marjo-Riitta , Cavadino Alana , Joshi Peter K. , Wilson James F. , Hayward Caroline , Lind Lars , Michaëlsson Karl , Trompet Stella , Zillikens M. Carola , Uitterlinden Andre G. , Rivadeneira Fernando , Broer Linda , Zgaga Lina , Campbell Harry , Theodoratou Evropi , Farrington Susan M. , Timofeeva Maria , Dunlop Malcolm G. , Valdes Ana M. , Tikkanen Emmi , Lehtimäki Terho , Lyytikäinen Leo-Pekka , Kähönen Mika , Raitakari Olli T. , Mikkilä Vera , Ikram M. Arfan , Sattar Naveed , Jukema J. Wouter , Wareham Nicholas J. , Langenberg Claudia , Forouhi Nita G. , Gundersen Thomas E. , Khaw Kay-Tee , Butterworth Adam S. , Danesh John , Spector Timothy , Wang Thomas J. , Hyppönen Elina , Kraft Peter , Kiel Douglas P.
Published: January 2018

Vitamin D is a steroid hormone precursor that is associated with a range of human traits and diseases. Previous GWAS of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations have identified four genome-wide significant loci (GC, NADSYN1/DHCR7, CYP2R1, CYP24A1). In this study, we expand the previous SUNLIGHT Consortium GWAS discovery sample size from 16,125 to 79,366 (all European descent). This larger GWAS yields two additional loci harboring genome-wide significant variants (P = 4.7×10−9 at rs8018720 in SEC23A, and P = 1.9×10−14 at rs10745742 in AMDHD1). The overall estimate of heritability of 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum concentrations attributable to GWAS common SNPs is 7.5%, with statistically significant loci explaining 38% of this total. Further investigation identifies signal enrichment in immune and hematopoietic tissues, and clustering with autoimmune diseases in cell-type-specific analysis. Larger studies are required to identify additional common SNPs, and to explore the role of rare or structural variants and gene–gene interactions in the heritability of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels.
Leptin resistance was involved in susceptibility to overweight in the striped hamster re-fed with high fat diet
Authors: Zhao Ying , Chen Li-Bing , Mao Si-Si , Min Hong-Xia , Cao Jing
Published: January 2018

Food restriction (FR) is the most commonly used intervention to prevent the overweight. However, the lost weight is usually followed by “compensatory growth” when FR ends, resulting in overweight. The present study was aimed to examining the behavior patterns and hormones mechanisms underpinning the over-weight. Energy budget and body fat content, and several endocrine markers related to leptin signals were examined in the striped hamsters under 20% FR refed by either low-fat diet (LF group) or high-fat diet (HF group). Body mass and fat content significantly regained when FR ended, and the hamsters in HF group showed 49.1% more body fat than in LF group (P < 0.01). Digestive energy intake was higher by 20.1% in HF than LF group, while metabolic thermogenesis and behavior patterns did not differed between the two groups. Gene expression of leptin receptor and anorexigenic peptides of pro-opiomelanocortin and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript in hypothalamus were significantly up-regulated in LF group, but down-regulated in HF group. It suggests that effective leptin signals to the brain were involved in attenuation of hyperphagia in hamsters refed with LF. However, “leptin resistance” probably occurred in hamsters refed with HF, which impaired the control of hyperphagia, resulting in development of over-weight.
PredCRP: predicting and analysing the regulatory roles of CRP from its binding sites in Escherichia coli
Authors: Tsai Ming-Ju , Wang Jyun-Rong , Yang Chi-Dung , Kao Kuo-Ching , Huang Wen-Lin , Huang Hsi-Yuan , Tseng Ching-Ping , Huang Hsien-Da , Ho Shinn-Ying
Published: January 2018

Cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP), a global regulator in Escherichia coli, regulates more than 180 genes via two roles: activation and repression. Few methods are available for predicting the regulatory roles from the binding sites of transcription factors. This work proposes an accurate method PredCRP to derive an optimised model (named PredCRP-model) and a set of four interpretable rules (named PredCRP-ruleset) for predicting and analysing the regulatory roles of CRP from sequences of CRP-binding sites. A dataset consisting of 169 CRP-binding sites with regulatory roles strongly supported by evidence was compiled. The PredCRP-model, using 12 informative features of CRP-binding sites, and cooperating with a support vector machine achieved a training and test accuracy of 0.98 and 0.93, respectively. PredCRP-ruleset has two activation rules and two repression rules derived using the 12 features and the decision tree method C4.5. This work further screened and identified 23 previously unobserved regulatory interactions in Escherichia coli. Using quantitative PCR for validation, PredCRP-model and PredCRP-ruleset achieved a test accuracy of 0.96 (=22/23) and 0.91 (=21/23), respectively. The proposed method is suitable for designing predictors for regulatory roles of all global regulators in Escherichia coli. PredCRP can be accessed at https://github.com/NctuICLab/PredCRP.
Phantom Acupuncture Induces Placebo Credibility and Vicarious Sensations: A Parallel fMRI Study of Low Back Pain Patients
Authors: Makary Meena M. , Lee Jeungchan , Lee Eunyoung , Eun Seulgi , Kim Jieun , Jahng Geon-Ho , Kim Kiok , Youn You-Suk , Lee Jun-Hwan , Park Kyungmo
Published: January 2018

Although acupuncture is an effective therapeutic intervention for pain reduction, the exact difference between real and sham acupuncture has not been clearly understood because a somatosensory tactile component is commonly included in the existing sham acupuncture protocols. In an event-related fMRI experiment, we implemented a novel form of sham acupuncture,phantom acupuncture, that reproduces the acupuncture needling procedure without somatosensory tactile stimulation while maintaining the credibility of the acupuncture treatment context. Fifty-six non-specific low back pain patients received either real (REAL) or phantom (PHNT) acupuncture stimulation in a parallel group study. The REAL group exhibited greater activation in the posterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex, reflecting the needling-specific components of acupuncture. We demonstrated that PHNT could be delivered credibly. Interestingly, the PHNT-credible group exhibited bilateral activation in SI/SII and also reported vicarious acupuncture sensations without needling stimulation. The PHNT group showed greater activation in the bilateral dorsolateral/ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC/vlPFC). Moreover, the PHNT group exhibited significant pain reduction, with a significant correlation between the subjective fMRI signal in the right dlPFC/vlPFC and a score assessing belief in acupuncture effectiveness. These results support an expectation-related placebo analgesic effect on subjective pain intensity ratings, possibly mediated by right prefrontal cortex activity.
House dust mite induced allergic airway disease is attenuated in CD11ccreIL-4Rα−/l°x mice
Authors: Nieuwenhuizen Natalie Eva , Kirstein Frank , Hoving Jennifer Claire , Brombacher Frank
Published: January 2018

The precise mechanisms leading to development of T helper type (Th)2-driven allergic responses are unknown. We aimed to determine how IL-4 receptor alpha (IL-4Rα) signaling on CD11c+cells influences allergen-induced Th2 responses in mice. CD11ccreIL-4Rα−/l°xmice, deficient in IL-4Rα on dendritic cells and alveolar macrophages, were compared to IL-4Rα−/l°xlittermate controls in models of allergic airway disease induced by OVA/alum, OVA alone or house dust mite. Cytokine responses, eosinophil and neutrophil infiltration into the lungs, airway hyperreactivity and mucus hypersecretion were evaluated after allergen challenge. In the OVA/alum model, CD11ccreIL-4Rα−/loxmice had similar airway hyperreactivity, eosinophil infiltration, Th2-type cytokine production and mucus hypersecretion to littermate controls. When alum was omitted during sensitization, CD11ccreIL-4Rα−/loxmice had similar airway hyperreactivity and mucus secretion but reduced Th2-type cytokine production and eosinophils, suggesting alum overrides the requirement for IL-4Rα signaling on CD11c+cells in enhancing Th2-type responses. In the house dust mite model, CD11ccreIL-4Rα−/loxmice showed similar mucus secretion, but reduced Th2 responses, eosinophils, neutrophils and airway hyperreactivity, unlike previously tested LysMcreIL-4Rα−/loxmice, which lack IL-4Rα on alveolar macrophages but not on dendritic cells. Therefore, our results indicate that IL-4Rα signaling on dendritic cells promotes allergen-induced Th2 responses and eosinophil infiltration into the lung.
Alanine mutation of the catalytic sites of Pantothenate Synthetase causes distinct conformational changes in the ATP binding region
Authors: Pandey Bharati , Grover Sonam , Goyal Sukriti , Kumari Anchala , Singh Aditi , Jamal Salma , Kaur Jagdeep , Grover Abhinav
Published: January 2018

The enzyme Pantothenate synthetase (PS) represents a potential drug target in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Its X-ray crystallographic structure has demonstrated the significance and importance of conserved active site residues including His44, His47, Asn69, Gln72, Lys160 and Gln164 in substrate binding and formation of pantoyl adenylate intermediate. In the current study, molecular mechanism of decreased affinity of the enzyme for ATP caused by alanine mutations was investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and free energy calculations. A total of seven systems including wild-type + ATP, H44A + ATP, H47A + ATP, N69A + ATP, Q72A + ATP, K160A + ATP and Q164A + ATP were subjected to 50 ns MD simulations. Docking score, MM-GBSA and interaction profile analysis showed weak interactions between ATP (substrate) and PS (enzyme) in H47A and H160A mutants as compared to wild-type, leading to reduced protein catalytic activity. However, principal component analysis (PCA) and free energy landscape (FEL) analysis revealed that ATP was strongly bound to the catalytic core of the wild-type, limiting its movement to form a stable complex as compared to mutants. The study will give insight about ATP binding to the PS at the atomic level and will facilitate in designing of non-reactive analogue of pantoyl adenylate which will act as a specific inhibitor for PS.
Incorporation of iloprost in phospholipase-resistant phospholipid scaffold enhances its barrier protective effects on pulmonary endothelium
Authors: Oskolkova Olga , Sarich Nicolene , Tian Yufeng , Gawlak Grzegorz , Meng Fanyong , Bochkov Valery N. , Berdyshev Evgeny , Birukova Anna A. , Birukov Konstantin G.
Published: January 2018

Correction of barrier dysfunction and inflammation in acute lung injury (ALI) represents an important problem. Previous studies demonstrate barrier-protective and anti-inflammatory effects of bioactive lipid prostacyclin and its stable analog iloprost (ILO). We generated a phospholipase resistant synthetic phospholipid with iloprost attached at the sn-2 position (ILO-PC) and investigated its biological effects. In comparison to free ILO, ILO-PC caused sustained endothelial cell (EC) barrier enhancement, linked to more prolonged activation of Rap1 and Rac1 GTPases and their cytoskeletal and cell junction effectors: cortactin, PAK1, p120-catenin and VE-cadherin. ILO and ILO-PC equally efficiently suppressed acute, Rho GTPase-dependent EC hyper-permeability caused by thrombin. However, ILO-PC exhibited more sustained barrier-protective and anti-inflammatory effects in the model of chronic EC dysfunction caused by bacterial wall lipopolysacharide (LPS). ILO-PC was also more potent inhibitor of NFκB signaling and lung vascular leak in the murine model of LPS-induced ALI. Treatment with ILO-PC showed more efficient ALI recovery over 3 days after LPS challenge than free ILO. In conclusion, this study describes a novel synthetic phospholipid with barrier-enhancing and anti-inflammatory properties superior to existing prostacyclin analogs, which may be used as a prototype for future development of more efficient treatment for ALI and other vascular leak syndromes.
Altered power spectral density in the resting-state sensorimotor network in patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1
Authors: Park Jin-Sung , Seo Jeehye , Cha Hyunsil , Song Hui-Jin , Lee Sang-Hoon , Jang Kyung Eun , Lee Hui Joong , Park Juyoung , Lee Ho-Won , Chang Yongmin
Published: January 2018

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a multisystemic disease that involves the brain with several neurological symptoms. Although there were few imaging studies on DM1, no studies have investigated functional alterations in the sensorimotor network at rest in patients with DM1. In the current study, a power spectral density (PSD) analysis of resting-state fMRI data was performed to assess possible alteration in spontaneous neural activity of the sensorimotor network in patients with DM1. Compared to healthy controls, patients with DM1 showed higher PSD responses in the orbitofrontal cortex, parahippocampus and basal ganglia (correctedP < 0.05). Patients with DM1 showed higher PSD responses in white matter structures associated with motor function (correctedP < 0.05). Furthermore, correlation analysis indicated that the brain regions showing PSD differences were correlated with measures of motor performance (P < 0.05). In gray matter, our findings suggest that motor disability in DM1 is not an isolated deterioration of the motor power but a multimodal dysfunction that also involves the visual system. In addition, the widespread PSD alteration in white matter structures suggest that motor deficits in DM1 involve motor movement structures as well as structures important for its coordination and regulation.
Methods and extractants to evaluate silicon availability for sugarcane
Authors: Crusciol Carlos Alexandre Costa , de Arruda Dorival Pires , Fernandes Adalton Mazetti , Antonangelo João Arthur , Alleoni Luís Reynaldo Ferracciú , Nascimento Carlos Antonio Costa do , Rossato Otávio Bagiotto , McCray James Mabry
Published: January 2018

The correct evaluation of silicon (Si) availability in different soil types is critical in defining the amount of Si to be supplied to crops. This study was carried out to evaluate two methods and five chemical Si extractants in clayey, sandy-loam, and sandy soils cultivated with sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids). Soluble Si was extracted using two extraction methods (conventional and microwave oven) and five Si extractants (CaCl2, deionized water, KCl, Na-acetate buffer (pH 4.0), and acetic acid). No single method and/or extractant adequately estimated the Si availability in the soils. Conventional extraction with KCl was no more effective than other methods in evaluating Si availability; however, it had less variation in estimating soluble Si between soils with different textural classes. In the clayey and sandy soils, the Na-acetate buffer (pH 4.0) and acetic acid were effective in evaluating the Si availability in the soil regardless of the extraction methods. The extraction with acetic acid using the microwave oven, however, overestimated the Si availability. In the sandy-loam soil, extraction with deionized water using the microwave oven method was more effective in estimating the Si availability in the soil than the other extraction methods.
Large-scale semi-arid afforestation can enhance precipitation and carbon sequestration potential
Authors: Yosef Gil , Walko Robert , Avisar Roni , Tatarinov Fedor , Rotenberg Eyal , Yakir Dan
Published: January 2018

Afforestation is an important approach to mitigate global warming. Its complex interactions with the climate system, however, makes it controversial. Afforestation is expected to be effective in the tropics where biogeochemical and biogeophysical effects act in concert; however, its potential in the large semi-arid regions remains insufficiently explored. Here, we use a Global Climate Model to provide a process-based demonstration that implementing measured characteristics of a successful semi-arid afforestation system (2000 ha, ~300 mm mean annual precipitation) over large areas (~200 million ha) of similar precipitation levels in the Sahel and North Australia leads to the weakening and shifting of regional low-level jets, enhancing moisture penetration and precipitation (+0.8 ± 0.1 mm d−1 over the Sahel and +0.4 ± 0.1 mm d−1 over North Australia), influencing areas larger than the original afforestation. These effects are associated with increasing root depth and surface roughness and with decreasing albedo. This results in enhanced evapotranspiration, surface cooling and the modification of the latitudinal temperature gradient. It is estimated that the carbon sequestration potential of such large-scale semi-arid afforestation can be on the order of ~10% of the global carbon sink of the land biosphere and would overwhelm any biogeophysical warming effects within ~6 years.
Procalcitonin as a Biomarker for Malignant Cerebral Edema in Massive Cerebral Infarction
Authors: Zhang Yan , Liu Gang , Wang Yuan , Su Yingying , Leak Rehana K. , Cao Guodong
Published: January 2018

The objective of this study is to explore whether procalcitonin (PCT) can serve as an early biomarker of malignant cerebral edema in patients with massive cerebral infarction (MCI). Ninety-three patients with acute MCI were divided into death or survival groups based on whether they died or survived within 1 week of cerebral herniation. Differences in laboratory parameters between these two groups were analyzed by univariate analysis, followed by multivariate logistic regression analyses if the influencing factors were significantly different. Compared with the survival group, the patients in the death group had a larger cerebral infarct area, higher body temperature, neutrophil counts, PCT level, and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) level within 48 h of onset. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed an odds ratio (OR) of 1.830 or 1.235 for PCT and neutrophil counts respectively, suggesting that PCT and neutrophil counts are two independent risk factors for death in MCI. The area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.754 for PCT, larger than that for neutrophil counts. Thus, both serum PCT levels and neutrophil counts can be used as biomarkers to predict malignant cerebral edema at the early stages after MCI, but PCT levels are superior predictors of malignant cerebral edema.
Fumarate-based metal-organic frameworks as a new platform for highly selective removal of fluoride from brick tea
Authors: Ke Fei , Peng Chuanyi , Zhang Tian , Zhang Mengran , Zhou Chengyan , Cai Huimei , Zhu Junfa , Wan Xiaochun
Published: January 2018

Adsorption and removal of fluoride from brick tea is very important but challenging. In this work, two fumarate-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were synthesized for the selective removal of fluoride from brick tea infusion. MOFs were examined for adsorption time, effect of dose, and uptake capacity at different initial concentrations and temperatures. Remarkably, over 80% fluoride removal was achieved by MOF-801 within 5 min at room temperature, while no significant adsorption occurred for the catechins and caffeine in the brick tea infusion. Further, with the use of the Langmuir equation, the maximum fluoride uptake capacity for the nontoxic calcium fumarate (CaFu) MOF was calculated to be as high as 166.11 mg g−1 at 373 K. As observed from FTIR, EDX and XPS results, hydroxyl group in MOFs were substituted by fluoride. This work demonstrates that the novel fumarate-based MOFs are promising materials for the selective removal of fluoride from brick tea infusion.
MicroRNA-145-5p and microRNA-320a encapsulated in endothelial microparticles contribute to the progression of vasculitis in acute Kawasaki Disease
Authors: Nakaoka Hideyuki , Hirono Keiichi , Yamamoto Seiji , Takasaki Ichiro , Takahashi Kei , Kinoshita Koshi , Takasaki Asami , Nishida Naonori , Okabe Mako , Ce Wang , Miyao Nariaki , Saito Kazuyoshi , Ibuki Keijiro , Ozawa Sayaka , Adachi Yuichi , Ichida Fukiko
Published: January 2018

Kawasaki Disease (KD) is an acute inflammatory disease that takes the form of systemic vasculitis. Endothelial microparticles (EMPs) have been recognized as an important transcellular delivery system. We hypothesized whether EMPs are involved in vasculitis in acute KD. Fifty patients with acute KD were enrolled, divided into two subgroups: those with coronary artery lesions (CAL) (n = 5) and those without CAL (NCAL) (n = 45). EMPs were measured using flow cytometry, and microRNA (miR) expression profiling was performed by microRNA array. The percentage of EMPs in acute KD was significantly higher than in controls (P < 0.0001). EMPs in patients with CAL rapidly increased after the initial treatment, and was significantly higher than those in NCAL (P < 0.001). In patients with CAL, we identified 2 specific miRs encapsulated in EMPs, hsa-miR-145-5p and hsa-miR-320a, which are predicted to affect monocyte function using in silico analysis, and were demonstrated to upregulate inflammatory cytokine mRNAs in THP-1 monocytes. In situ hybridization confirmed that hsa-miR-145-5p was preferentially expressed in CAL. EMPs may serve as a sensitive marker for the severity of vasculitis in acute KD. Moreover, these 2 specific miRs encapsulated in EMPs might be involved in inflammatory cytokine regulation and the pathogenesis of vasculitis in acute KD.
Interaction of smoking and metabolic syndrome in increasing the recurrence risk of colorectal cancer in a Chinese male cohort: a retrospective study
Authors: Chen Da-Zhi , Ji Fei-yang , Xu Qiao-Mai , Wu Xiao-Xin , Cai Chao , Zhang Ling-Jian , Li Lan-Juan
Published: January 2018

Whether smoking and metabolic syndrome (MetS) can affect colorectal carcinoma (CRC) prognosis remains debatable. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the individual and combined effects of smoking and MetS on the prognosis of patients with localized CRC, including stage I to III disease. The relationship among smoking status, MetS, and CRC was assessed in 838 Chinese male patients. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to evaluate CRC prognosis adjusted for clinicopathological variables. Relative excess risk of interaction (RERI), attributable proportion (AP), and synergy index (SI) were used to evaluate additive interactions between smoking and MetS. The presence of MetS was an independent risk factor for low rates of recurrence-free survival (RFS) but not for overall survival (OS). However, smoking was independently associated with both poor RFS and OS. Furthermore, the recurrence risk for current smokers with MetS was 1.62 times as high as the sum of risks in patients exposed to each risk factor alone. In conclusion, current smoking habit is a risk factor for both recurrence and cancer-specific mortality in CRC patients, while MetS is an independent predictor for CRC recurrence. Furthermore, these two factors have an additive effect on the recurrence risk of CRC.
Dopamine D3 receptor antagonist reveals a cryptic pocket in aminergic GPCRs
Authors: Ferruz Noelia , Doerr Stefan , Vanase-Frawley Michelle A. , Zou Yaozhong , Chen Xiaomin , Marr Eric S. , Nelson Robin T. , Kormos Bethany L. , Wager Travis T. , Hou Xinjun , Villalobos Anabella , Sciabola Simone , De Fabritiis Gianni
Published: January 2018

The recent increase in the number of X-ray crystal structures of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) has been enabling for structure-based drug design (SBDD) efforts. These structures have revealed that GPCRs are highly dynamic macromolecules whose function is dependent on their intrinsic flexibility. Unfortunately, the use of static structures to understand ligand binding can potentially be misleading, especially in systems with an inherently high degree of conformational flexibility. Here, we show that docking a set of dopamine D3 receptor compounds into the existing eticlopride-bound dopamine D3 receptor (D3R) X-ray crystal structure resulted in poses that were not consistent with results obtained from site-directed mutagenesis experiments. We overcame the limitations of static docking by using large-scale high-throughput molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and Markov state models (MSMs) to determine an alternative pose consistent with the mutation data. The new pose maintains critical interactions observed in the D3R/eticlopride X-ray crystal structure and suggests that a cryptic pocket forms due to the shift of a highly conserved residue, F6.52. Our study highlights the importance of GPCR dynamics to understand ligand binding and provides new opportunities for drug discovery.
Single plasmid systems for inducible dual protein expression and for CRISPR-Cas9/CRISPRi gene regulation in lactic acid bacterium Lactococcus lactis
Authors: Berlec Aleš , Škrlec Katja , Kocjan Janja , Olenic Maria , Štrukelj Borut
Published: January 2018

Lactococcus lactis is a food-grade lactic acid bacterium that is used in the dairy industry as a cell factory and as a host for recombinant protein expression. The nisin-controlled inducible expression (NICE) system is frequently applied in L. lactis; however new tools for its genetic modification are highly desirable. In this work NICE was adapted for dual protein expression. Plasmid pNZDual, that contains two nisin promoters and multiple cloning sites (MCSs), and pNZPolycist, that contains a single nisin promoter and two MCSs separated by the ribosome binding site, were constructed. Genes for the infrared fluorescent protein and for the human IgG-binding DARPin were cloned in all possible combinations to assess the protein yield. The dual promoter plasmid pNZDual enabled balanced expression of the two model proteins. It was exploited for the development of a single-plasmid inducible CRISPR-Cas9 system (pNZCRISPR) by using a nisin promoter, first to drive Cas9 expression and, secondly, to drive single guide RNA transcription. sgRNAs against htrA and ermR directed Cas9 against genomic or plasmid DNA and caused changes in bacterial growth and survival. Replacing Cas9 by dCas9 enabled CRISPR interference-mediated silencing of the upp gene. The present study introduces a new series of plasmids for advanced genetic modification of lactic acid bacterium L. lactis.
The Significant Role of c-Abl Kinase in Barrier Altering Agonists-mediated Cytoskeletal Biomechanics
Authors: Wang X. , Wang L. , Garcia J. G. N. , Dudek S. M. , Shekhawat G. S. , Dravid V. P.
Published: January 2018

Exploration of human pulmonary artery endothelial cell (EC) as a prototypical biomechanical system has important pathophysiologic relevance because this cell type plays a key role in the development of a wide variety of clinical conditions. The complex hierarchical organization ranging from the molecular scale up to the cellular level has an intimate and intricate relationship to the barrier function between lung tissue and blood. To understand the innate molecule-cell-tissue relationship across varied length-scales, the functional role of c-Abl kinase in the cytoskeletal nano-biomechanics of ECs in response to barrier-altering agonists was investigated using atomic force microscopy. Concurrently, the spatially specific arrangement of cytoskeleton structure and dynamic distribution of critical proteins were examined using scanning electron microscopy and immunofluorescence. Reduction in c-Abl expression by siRNA attenuates both thrombin- and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P)-mediated structural changes in ECs, specifically spatially-defined changes in elastic modulus and distribution of critical proteins. These results indicate that c-Abl kinase is an important determinant of cortical actin-based cytoskeletal rearrangement. Our findings directly bridge the gap between kinase activity, structural complexity, and functional connectivity across varied length-scales, and suggest that manipulation of c-Abl kinase activity may be a potential target for the treatment of pulmonary barrier disorders.
Neural substrates of purely endogenous, self-regulatory control of attention
Authors: Han Suk Won , Shin Hyunji , Jeong Dahee , Jung Shinyoung , Bae Eunhee , Kim Joo Yeon , Baek Hyeon-Man , Kim Kyoheon
Published: January 2018

Stimulus-driven orienting of attention toward a novel, salient stimulus is a highly adaptive behavior. In an opposing vein, it is also crucial to endogenously redirect attention to other stimuli of behavioral significance if the attended stimulus was evaluated to be unimportant. This stimulus-driven orienting and subsequent reorienting of attention are known to be mediated by similar neural substrates. However, this might be because reorienting was triggered by a sensory transition exogenously capturing attention, such as an abrupt onset of a new stimulus. Here, we used fMRI to measure the human brain’s activity when attention captured by a salient distractor is endogenously reoriented toward the concurrent main task, without any exogenous shifting of attention. As results, the transient activity of the anterior insula (AI) signaled such endogenous reorienting, predicting behavioral performance. This finding points to the central role of the AI in purely endogenous, self-regulatory control of attention.
Waste Windshield-Derived Silicon/Carbon Nanocomposites as High-Performance Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes
Authors: Choi Mingu , Kim Jae-Chan , Kim Dong-Wan
Published: January 2018

Silicon has emerged as the most promising high-capacity material for lithium-ion batteries. Waste glass can be a potential low cost and environmentally benign silica resource enabling production of nanosized silicon at the industry level. Windshields are generally made of laminated glass comprising two separate glass bonded together with a layer of polyvinyl butyral sandwiched between them. Herein, silicon/carbon nanocomposites are fabricated from windshields for the first time via magnesiothermic reduction and facile carbonization process using both waste glass and polyvinyl butyral as silica and carbon sources, respectively. High purity reduced silicon has unique 3-dimensional nanostructure with large surface area. Furthermore, the incorporation of carbon in silicon enable to retain the composite anodes highly conductive and mechanically robust, thus providing enhanced cycle stability.
Effect of light-delignification on mechanical, hydrophobic, and thermal properties of high-strength molded fiber materials
Authors: Wang Quanliang , Xiao Shengling , Shi Sheldon Q. , Cai Liping
Published: January 2018

This study developed a high-strength molded fiber material (HMFM) using pulp fibers, which could be a good substitute for plastic and solid wood materials. The surface composition, microstructure and thermal properties of HMFM were investigated by XPS, SEM and DSC, respectively. The SEM observations showed that the obvious adhesive substances and agglomeration appeared among fibers, and the inter-fiber contact area and binding tightness increased after the light-delignification. The XPS examination showed that the oxygen-rich composition on the outer surface of HMFM were reduced, and the outer surface coverage of lignin increased from 70.05% to 90.15% after the light-delignification. The DSC observation showed that the thermal stability of HMFM decreased, the temperature for the maximum rate of mass loss decreased from 370 °C to 345.6 °C, and the enthalpy value required for decomposition was reduced from 110.8 J/g to 68.0 J/g after the light-delignification. The mechanical and hydrophobic properties of HMFM were obviously improved after the light-delignification. When the content of lignin decreased from 24.9% to 11.45%, the density of HMFM increased by 6.0%, the tensile strength increased by 22.0%, the bending strength increased by 23.9%, and the water contact angle increased from 64.3°–72.7° to 80.8°–84.3°.
Metal-free magnetism, spin-dependent Seebeck effect, and spin-Seebeck diode effect in armchair graphene nanoribbons
Authors: Tang Xiao-Qin , Ye Xue-Mei , Tan Xing-Yi , Ren Da-Hua
Published: January 2018

Metal-free magnetism and spin caloritronics are at the forefront of condensed-matter physics. Here, the electronic structures and thermal spin-dependent transport properties of armchair graphene nanoribbons (N-AGNRs), where N is the ribbon width (N = 5–23), are systematically studied. The results show that the indirect band gaps exhibit not only oscillatory behavior but also periodic characteristics with E
3p
 > E3p+1 > E3p+2 (E
3p
, E3p+1 and E3p+2 are the band gaps energy) for a certain integer p, with increasing AGNR width. The magnetic ground states are ferromagnetic (FM) with a Curie temperatures (T
C
) above room temperature. Furthermore, the spin-up and spin-down currents with opposite directions, generated by a temperature gradient, are almost symmetrical, indicating the appearance of the perfect spin-dependent Seebeck effect (SDSE). Moreover, thermally driven spin currents through the nanodevices induced the spin-Seebeck diode (SSD) effect. Our calculation results indicated that AGNRs can be applied in thermal spin nanodevices.
Detection of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in human saliva using an ultra-sensitive nanocomposite of graphene nanoplatelets with diblock-co-polymers and Au electrodes
Authors: Khan M. S. , Dighe K. , Wang Z. , Srivastava I. , Daza E. , Schwartz-Dual A. S. , Ghannam J. , Misra S. K. , Pan D.
Published: January 2018

Non-invasive detection of PSA in human saliva.
A novel multicommuted flow analysis strategy for the spectrophotometric determination of cadmium in water at μg L−1 levels without using a preconcentration step
Authors: da Silva Magalhães Ticiane , Reis Boaventura F.
Published: January 2018

An automated flow analysis approach for the photometric determination of cadmium in water with improved sensitivity is described.
Thermodynamic evidence of flexibility in H2O and CO2 absorption of transition metal ion exchanged zeolite LTA
Authors: Guo Xin , Wu Lili , Navrotsky Alexandra
Published: January 2018

Absorption thermodynamics on the framework flexibility of TMI-exchanged zeolite LTA driven by water/CO2 molecules.
Chemical-bond effect on epitaxial strain in perovskite sodium niobate
Authors: Yao L. , Inkinen S. , Pacherova O. , Jelinek M. , van Dijken S. , Tyunina M.
Published: January 2018

In epitaxial sodium niobate films, the lattice relaxes through octahedral tilting independently of substrate induced misfit because of large internal strain.
Heterometallic hexanuclear Ni4M2 (M = Dy, Y) complexes: structure and single-molecule magnet for the Dy(iii) derivative
Authors: Pei Shaomin , Hu Zhaobo , Chen Zilu , Yu Shui , Li Bo , Liang Yuning , Liu Dongcheng , Yao Di , Liang Fupei
Published: January 2018

We report here a 3d–4f heterometallic hexanuclear Ni4Dy2 single-molecule magnet with an S-shaped double-pocket skeleton.
Catalytic N–Si coupling as a vehicle for silane dehydrocoupling via α-silylene elimination
Authors: Erickson Karla A. , Cibuzar Michael P. , Mucha Neil T. , Waterman Rory
Published: January 2018

Zirconium compounds appear to promote the liberation of silylene fragments via an N–Si coupling event.
The structures, water stabilities and photoluminescence properties of two types of iodocuprate(i)-based hybrids
Authors: Liu Guang-Ning , Zhao Ruo-Yu , Xu Hong , Wang Zi-Han , Liu Qi-Sheng , Shahid Malik Zeeshan , Miao Jin-Ling , Chen Guozhu , Li Cuncheng
Published: January 2018

The effects of aromatic and aliphatic cations on the structure, water stability and photoluminescence of iodocuprate(i)-based materials were disclosed.