bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intrauterine growth restriction-induced deleterious adaptations in endothelial progenitor cells: possible mechanism to impair endothelial function
Authors: Oliveira V. , de Souza L. V. , Fernandes T. , Junior S. D. S. , de Carvalho M. H. C. , Akamine E. H. , Michelini L. C. , de Oliveira E. M. , Franco M. d. C.
Published: July 2017

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) can induce deleterious changes in the modulatory ability of the vascular endothelium, contributing to an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases in the long term. However, the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. Emerging evidence has suggested the potential role of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in vascular health and repair. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effects of IUGR on vascular reactivity and EPCs derived from the peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM)in vitro. Pregnant Wistar rats were fed anad libitumdiet (control group) or 50% of thead libitumdiet (restricted group) throughout gestation. We determined vascular reactivity, nitric oxide (NO) concentration, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) protein expression by evaluating the thoracic aorta of adult male offspring from both groups (aged: 19–20 weeks). Moreover, the amount, functional capacity, and senescence of EPCs were assessedin vitro. Our results indicated that IUGR reduced vasodilation via acetylcholine in aorta rings, decreased NO levels, and increased eNOS phosphorylation at Thr495. The amount of EPCs was similar between both groups; however, IUGR decreased the functional capacity of EPCs from the PB and BM. Furthermore, the senescence process was accelerated in BM-derived EPCs from IUGR rats. In summary, our findings demonstrated the deleterious changes in EPCs from IUGR rats, such as reduced EPC function and accelerated senescencein vitro. These findings may contribute towards elucidating the possible mechanisms involved in endothelial dysfunction induced by fetal programming.
Coherent Selves, Viable States: Eastern Europe and the “Migration/Refugee Crisis”
Authors: Dzenovska Dace
Published: July 2017

This essay argues that what is at stake in debates about the difference between eastern and western Europe in the context of migration and asylum politics is the definition of a politically- and ethically-acceptable threshold of “too many,” which takes on concrete contours in relation to historically-formed understandings of coherent selves and viable polities. The argument derives from placing analysis of the alleged political and ethical failures of eastern Europe alongside those limits of refugee/migrant intake that are considered politically legitimate and ethically justifiable from the mainstream liberal democratic perspective. The essay proposes that in order to understand the European political landscape in relation to migration, it is necessary to undertake relational analysis of the different configurations of the Europe-wide tension between inclusion and exclusion, as well as analysis of the modes of power that differentiate between these configurations of inclusion and exclusion on moral grounds.
Ancient hydrothermal seafloor deposits in Eridania basin on Mars
Authors: Michalski Joseph R. , Dobrea Eldar Z. Noe , Niles Paul B. , Cuadros Javier
Published: July 2017

The Eridania region in the southern highlands of Mars once contained a vast inland sea with a volume of water greater than that of all other Martian lakes combined. Here we show that the most ancient materials within Eridania are thick (>400 m), massive (not bedded), mottled deposits containing saponite, talc-saponite, Fe-rich mica (for example, glauconite-nontronite), Fe- and Mg-serpentine, Mg-Fe-Ca-carbonate and probable Fe-sulphide that likely formed in a deep water (500–1,500 m) hydrothermal setting. The Eridania basin occurs within some of the most ancient terrain on Mars where striking evidence for remnant magnetism might suggest an early phase of crustal spreading. The relatively well-preserved seafloor hydrothermal deposits in Eridania are contemporaneous with the earliest evidence for life on Earth in potentially similar environments 3.8 billion years ago, and might provide an invaluable window into the environmental conditions of early Earth.
Instructing cells with programmable peptide DNA hybrids
Authors: Freeman Ronit , Stephanopoulos Nicholas , Álvarez Zaida , Lewis Jacob A , Sur Shantanu , Serrano Chris M , Boekhoven Job , Lee Sungsoo S. , Stupp Samuel I.
Published: July 2017

The native extracellular matrix is a space in which signals can be displayed dynamically and reversibly, positioned with nanoscale precision, and combined synergistically to control cell function. Here we describe a molecular system that can be programmed to control these three characteristics. In this approach we immobilize peptide-DNA (P-DNA) molecules on a surface through complementary DNA tethers directing cells to adhere and spread reversibly over multiple cycles. The DNA can also serve as a molecular ruler to control the distance-dependent synergy between two peptides. Finally, we use two orthogonal DNA handles to regulate two different bioactive signals, with the ability to independently up- or downregulate each over time. This enabled us to discover that neural stem cells, derived from the murine spinal cord and organized as neurospheres, can be triggered to migrate out in response to an exogenous signal but then regroup into a neurosphere as the signal is removed.
Controlled spatial separation of spins and coherent dynamics in spin-orbit-coupled nanostructures
Authors: Lo Shun-Tsung , Chen Chin-Hung , Fan Ju-Chun , Smith L. W. , Creeth G. L. , Chang Che-Wei , Pepper M. , Griffiths J. P. , Farrer I. , Beere H. E. , Jones G. A. C. , Ritchie D. A. , Chen Tse-Ming
Published: July 2017

The spatial separation of electron spins followed by the control of their individual spin dynamics has recently emerged as an essential ingredient in many proposals for spin-based technologies because it would enable both of the two spin species to be simultaneously utilized, distinct from most of the current spintronic studies and technologies wherein only one spin species could be handled at a time. Here we demonstrate that the spatial spin splitting of a coherent beam of electrons can be achieved and controlled using the interplay between an external magnetic field and Rashba spin–orbit interaction in semiconductor nanostructures. The technique of transverse magnetic focusing is used to detect this spin separation. More notably, our ability to engineer the spin–orbit interactions enables us to simultaneously manipulate and probe the coherent spin dynamics of both spin species and hence their correlation, which could open a route towards spintronics and spin-based quantum information processing.
The self-inhibitory nature of metabolic networks and its alleviation through compartmentalization
Authors: Alam Mohammad Tauqeer , Olin-Sandoval Viridiana , Stincone Anna , Keller Markus A. , Zelezniak Aleksej , Luisi Ben F. , Ralser Markus
Published: July 2017

Metabolites can inhibit the enzymes that generate them. To explore the general nature of metabolic self-inhibition, we surveyed enzymological data accrued from a century of experimentation and generated a genome-scale enzyme-inhibition network. Enzyme inhibition is often driven by essential metabolites, affects the majority of biochemical processes, and is executed by a structured network whose topological organization is reflecting chemical similarities that exist between metabolites. Most inhibitory interactions are competitive, emerge in the close neighbourhood of the inhibited enzymes, and result from structural similarities between substrate and inhibitors. Structural constraints also explain one-third of allosteric inhibitors, a finding rationalized by crystallographic analysis of allosterically inhibited L-lactate dehydrogenase. Our findings suggest that the primary cause of metabolic enzyme inhibition is not the evolution of regulatory metabolite–enzyme interactions, but a finite structural diversity prevalent within the metabolome. In eukaryotes, compartmentalization minimizes inevitable enzyme inhibition and alleviates constraints that self-inhibition places on metabolism.
Global mismatch between fishing dependency and larval supply from marine reserves
Authors: Andrello Marco , Guilhaumon François , Albouy Camille , Parravicini Valeriano , Scholtens Joeri , Verley Philippe , Barange Manuel , Sumaila U. Rashid , Manel Stéphanie , Mouillot David
Published: July 2017

Marine reserves are viewed as flagship tools to protect exploited species and to contribute to the effective management of coastal fisheries. Yet, the extent to which marine reserves are globally interconnected and able to effectively seed areas, where fisheries are most critical for food and livelihood security is largely unknown. Using a hydrodynamic model of larval dispersal, we predict that most marine reserves are not interconnected by currents and that their potential benefits to fishing areas are presently limited, since countries with high dependency on coastal fisheries receive very little larval supply from marine reserves. This global mismatch could be reversed, however, by placing new marine reserves in areas sufficiently remote to minimize social and economic costs but sufficiently connected through sea currents to seed the most exploited fisheries and endangered ecosystems.
SRGN-TGFβ2 regulatory loop confers invasion and metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer
Authors: Zhang Z , Deng Y , Zheng G , Jia X , Xiong Y , Luo K , Qiu Q , Qiu Ni , Yin J , Lu M , Liu H , Gu Y , He Z
Published: July 2017

Patients with triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) are at a high risk for a recurrent or metastatic disease, and the molecular mechanisms associated with this risk are unclear. Proteoglycan serglycin (SRGN) proteins are involved in tumor metastasis, but their role in TNBC has not yet been elucidated. This study investigates the SRGN gene expression and how it regulates TGFβ2 and the downstream signaling of TGFβ2 in TNBC cells and tissues. Our results show that SRGN mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly higher in TNBC cell lines and tumor tissues than that in non-TNBC cells and tissues. We inhibited SRGN expression and protein secretion using shRNA and we observed this inhibited the invasive motility of TNBC cancer cells in vitro and metastasis of TNBC cancer cells in vivo. SRGN protein treatment increased the expression and secretion of transforming growth factor-β2 (TGFβ2) by activating CD44/CREB1 signaling and promoted epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in TNBC cells. Moreover, TGFβ2 treatment increased the mRNA and protein expression of the SRGN gene by activating Smad3 to target the SRGN relative promoter domain in TNBC cells. Our findings demonstrate that SRGN interacts with TGFβ2 which regulates TNBC metastasis via the autocrine and paracrine routes. SRGN could serve as a potential target for development of agents or therapeutics for the TNBC.
Efficient protocol for qubit initialization with a tunable environment
Authors: Tuorila Jani , Partanen Matti , Ala-Nissila Tapio , Möttönen Mikko
Published: July 2017

We propose an efficient qubit initialization protocol based on a dissipative environment that can be dynamically adjusted. Here, the qubit is coupled to a thermal bath through a tunable harmonic oscillator. On-demand initialization is achieved by sweeping the oscillator rapidly into resonance with the qubit. This resonant coupling with the engineered environment induces fast relaxation to the ground state of the system, and a consecutive rapid sweep back to off resonance guarantees weak excess dissipation during quantum computations. We solve the corresponding quantum dynamics using a Markovian master equation for the reduced density operator of the qubit-bath system. This allows us to optimize the parameters and the initialization protocol for the qubit. Our analytical calculations show that the ground-state occupation of our system is well protected during the fast sweeps of the environmental coupling and, consequently, we obtain an estimate for the duration of our protocol by solving the transition rates between the low-energy eigenstates with the Jacobian diagonalization method. Our results suggest that the current experimental state of the art for the initialization speed of superconducting qubits at a given fidelity can be considerably improved.
Downregulation of blood serum microRNA 29 family in patients with Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Bai Xiaochen , Tang Yilin , Yu Mei , Wu Lei , Liu Fengtao , Ni Jianliang , Wang Zishan , Wang Jinghui , Fei Jian , Wang Wei , Huang Fang , Wang Jian
Published: July 2017

There is currently no reliable and easily applicable diagnostic marker for Parkinson’s disease (PD). The aims of the present study were to compare the expression profiles of the microRNA29 family (miR-29s) in blood serum from patients with PD with healthy controls and to clarify whether the expression of miR-29s is correlated with disease severity, duration or L-dopa therapy and whether expression depends on the gender and age of patients. The levels of blood serum miR-29s in 80 patients with PD and 80 unaffected controls were assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative real-time PCR. The PCR products were confirmed by cloning and sequencing. Additionally, the expression of miR-7 in the blood serum from PD patients and control subjects was assessed. Serum miR-29 levels were significantly downregulated in PD patients compared to healthy controls. The serum miR-29 levels in female PD patients were markedly higher than in male PD patients. The expression of serum miR-29a and miR-29c expression tended to decrease with disease severity. Moreover, we found that serum miR-7 levels did not differ between PD patients and control subjects. Therefore, the reduction of serum miR-29 levels, particularly miR-29a and miR-29c, warrants further investigation of its potential serving as biomarkers for PD.
Twins methods quantitatively explore the genetic impact on children and adolescents brain gray matter volume
Authors: Chen Xiao-Lu , Zhang Xiao-Wei , Hou Xiao , Li Xiao , Ma Xing-Shun , Hu Xiao-Mei , Meng Hua-Qing , He Qian , Zhao Lian-Sheng , Wang Ying-Cheng , Fu Yi-Xiao , Li Tao
Published: July 2017

The gray matter volumes of 58 pairs of twins ranging in age from 12 to 18 were measured by MRI to explore the genetic and environmental impacts on gray matter volume in twin children and adolescents. By means of A/C/E structural equation modeling, it was found that the gray matter volume in children and adolescents was jointly affected by genetic (A: 0.89) and environmental factors while genetic factors play a greater role. The gray matter volume in frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe and lateral temporal lobe was mainly affected by genetics (A: 0.7–0.89), where as the gray matter volume in medial temporal lobe and cingulate cortex was affected by both genetics and environment.
Intrinsic dynamics study identifies two amino acids of TIMP-1 critical for its LRP-1-mediated endocytosis in neurons
Authors: Verzeaux Laurie , Belloy Nicolas , Thevenard-Devy Jessica , Devy Jérôme , Ferracci Géraldine , Martiny Laurent , Dedieu Stéphane , Dauchez Manuel , Emonard Hervé , Etique Nicolas , Devarenne-Charpentier Emmanuelle
Published: July 2017

The tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) exerts inhibitory activity against matrix metalloproteinases and cytokine-like effects. We previously showed that TIMP-1 reduces neurite outgrowth in mouse cortical neurons and that this cytokine-like effect depends on TIMP-1 endocytosis mediated by the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 (LRP-1). To gain insight into the interaction between TIMP-1 and LRP-1, we considered conformational changes that occur when a ligand binds to its receptor. TIMP-1 conformational changes have been studied using biomolecular simulations, and our results provide evidence for a hinge region that is critical for the protein movement between the N- and C-terminal TIMP-1 domains.In silicomutants have been proposed on residues F12 and K47, which are located in the hinge region. Biological analyses of these mutants show that F12A or K47A mutation does not alter MMP inhibitory activity but impairs the effect of TIMP-1 on neurite outgrowth. Interestingly, these mutants bind to LRP-1 but are not endocytosed. We conclude that the intrinsic dynamics of TIMP-1 are not involved in its binding to LRP-1 but rather in the initiation of endocytosis and associated biological effects.
Children’s first handwriting productions show a rhythmic structure
Authors: Pagliarini Elena , Scocchia Lisa , Vernice Mirta , Zoppello Marina , Balottin Umberto , Bouamama Sana , Guasti Maria Teresa , Stucchi Natale
Published: July 2017

Although much research has been concerned with the development of kinematic aspects of handwriting, little is known about the development along with age of two principles that govern its rhythmic organization: Homothety and Isochrony. Homothety states that the ratio between the durations of the single motor events composing a motor act remains invariant and independent from the total duration of the movement. Isochrony refers to the proportional relationship between the speed of movement execution and the length of its trajectory. The current study shows that children comply with both principles since their first grade of primary school. The precocious adherence to these principles suggests that an internal representation of the rhythm of handwriting is available before the age in which handwriting is performed automatically. Overall, these findings suggest that despite being a cultural acquisition, handwriting appears to be shaped by more general constraints on the timing planning of the movements.
Computationally Informed Design of a Multi-Axial Actuated Microfluidic Chip Device
Authors: Gizzi Alessio , Giannitelli Sara Maria , Trombetta Marcella , Cherubini Christian , Filippi Simonetta , De Ninno Adele , Businaro Luca , Gerardino Annamaria , Rainer Alberto
Published: July 2017

This paper describes the computationally informed design and experimental validation of a microfluidic chip device with multi-axial stretching capabilities. The device, based on PDMS soft-lithography, consisted of a thin porous membrane, mounted between two fluidic compartments, and tensioned via a set of vacuum-driven actuators. A finite element analysis solver implementing a set of different nonlinear elastic and hyperelastic material models was used to drive the design and optimization of chip geometry and to investigate the resulting deformation patterns under multi-axial loading. Computational results were cross-validated by experimental testing of prototypal devices featuring the in silico optimized geometry. The proposed methodology represents a suite of computationally handy simulation tools that might find application in the design and in silico mechanical characterization of a wide range of stretchable microfluidic devices.
Genome-Wide Linkage Analysis of Large Multiple Multigenerational Families Identifies Novel Genetic Loci for Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Guo Yang , Wang Fan , Li Lin , Gao Hanxiang , Arckacki Stephen , Wang Isabel Z. , Barnard John , Ellis Stephen , Hubbard Carlos , Topol Eric J. , Chen Qiuyun , Wang Qing K.
Published: July 2017

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death, and genetic factors contribute significantly to risk of CAD. This study aims to identify new CAD genetic loci through a large-scale linkage analysis of 24 large and multigenerational families with 433 family members (GeneQuest II). All family members were genotyped with markers spaced by every 10 cM and a model-free nonparametric linkage (NPL-all) analysis was carried out. Two highly significant CAD loci were identified on chromosome 17q21.2 (NPL score of 6.20) and 7p22.2 (NPL score of 5.19). We also identified four loci with significant NPL scores between 4.09 and 4.99 on 2q33.3, 3q29, 5q13.2 and 9q22.33. Similar analyses in individual families confirmed the six significant CAD loci and identified seven new highly significant linkages on 9p24.2, 9q34.2, 12q13.13, 15q26.1, 17q22, 20p12.3, and 22q12.1, and two significant loci on 2q11.2 and 11q14.1. Two loci on 3q29 and 9q22.33 were also successfully replicated in our previous linkage analysis of 428 nuclear families. Moreover, two published risk variants, SNP rs46522 in UBE2Z and SNP rs6725887 in WDR12 by GWAS, were found within the 17q21.2 and 2q33.3 loci. These studies lay a foundation for future identification of causative variants and genes for CAD.
Core-shell NaGdF4@CaCO3 nanoparticles for enhanced magnetic resonance/ultrasonic dual-modal imaging via tumor acidic micro-enviroment triggering
Authors: Wei Zuwu , Lin Xiao , Wu Ming , Zhao Bixing , Lin Ruhui , Zhang Da , Zhang Yun , Liu Gang , Liu Xiaolong , Liu Jingfeng
Published: July 2017

For cancer diagnosis, a paramount challenge still exists in the exploring of methods that can precisely discriminate tumor tissues from their surrounding healthy tissues with a high target-to-background signal ratio. Here, we report a NaGdF4@CaCO3-PEG core-shell nanoparticle which has the tumor acidic microenvironment enhanced imaging signals of ultrasound and magnetic resonance. Under the acidic conditions, the CaCO3 shell will gradually dissolve which then facilitate the interaction of NaGdF4 with the external aqueous environment to enhance water proton relaxation. Meanwhile, the CO2 bubbles generated by the CaCO3 dissolvement will generate strong elastic echo for US detection. The core-shell structure of NaGdF4@CaCO3-PEG can be observed by TEM, and its composition can be determined by STEM. The acid triggered generation of CO2 bubbles and the enhancement of MRI signal could be demonstrated in vitro, and the excellent dual-modal magnetic resonance/ultrasonic cancer imaging abilities of NaGdF4@CaCO3-PEG could be also proved at the tumor site in vivo. The here described proof-of-concept nanoparticles with pH triggered magnetic resonance/ultrasonic dual-modal imaging enhancement, may serve as a useful guide to develop various molecular imaging strategies for cancer diagnosis in the future.
Exosomes derived from pancreatic cancer cells induce insulin resistance in C2C12 myotube cells through the PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 pathway
Authors: Wang Lantian , Zhang Bo , Zheng Wen , Kang Muxing , Chen Qing , Qin Wenjie , Li Chao , Zhang Yuefeng , Shao Yingkuan , Wu Yulian
Published: July 2017

Prospective epidemiological studies have consistently suggested that pancreatic cancer-associated new-onset diabetes mellitus (PC-DM) represents a potential platform for early diagnose of pancreatic cancer (PC). Despite the studies performed, the mechanism behind this phenomenon remains ambiguous. In this study, we explored the effects of two types of exosomes released by murine pancreatic cancer and ductal epithelial cells on murine skeletal muscle cells. The results show that PC-derived exosomes can readily enter C2C12 myotubes, triggering lipidosis and glucose intake inhibition. We also demonstrate that PC-derived exosomes can inhibit insulin and PI3K/Akt signalling, in which insulin-induced FoxO1 nuclear exclusion is preserved and Glut4 trafficking is impaired. Microarray and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses show that exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) probably play key roles in this process, an assumption that is corroborated by in vitro studies. These results confirm that the insulin resistance (IR) of skeletal muscle cells is governed by PC-derived exosomes through the insulin and PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signalling pathways, where exosomal miRNAs potentially contribute to this phenomenon. These novel findings pave the way towards a comprehensive understanding of the cancer theories: “metabolic reprogramming” and “metabolic crosstalk”.
Human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes cultured in 3D engineered heart tissue show physiological upstroke velocity and sodium current density
Authors: Lemoine Marc D. , Mannhardt Ingra , Breckwoldt Kaja , Prondzynski Maksymilian , Flenner Frederik , Ulmer Bärbel , Hirt Marc N. , Neuber Christiane , Horváth András , Kloth Benjamin , Reichenspurner Hermann , Willems Stephan , Hansen Arne , Eschenhagen Thomas , Christ Torsten
Published: July 2017

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CM) are a promising tool for drug testing and modelling genetic disorders. Abnormally low upstroke velocity is a current limitation. Here we investigated the use of 3D engineered heart tissue (EHT) as a culture method with greater resemblance to human heart tissue in comparison to standard technique of 2D monolayer (ML) format. INa was measured in ML or EHT using the standard patch-clamp technique. INa density was ~1.8 fold larger in EHT (−18.5 ± 1.9 pA/pF; n = 17) than in ML (−10.3 ± 1.2 pA/pF; n = 23; p < 0.001), approaching densities reported for human CM. Inactivation kinetics, voltage dependency of steady-state inactivation and activation of INa did not differ between EHT and ML and were similar to previously reported values for human CM. Action potential recordings with sharp microelectrodes showed similar upstroke velocities in EHT (219 ± 15 V/s, n = 13) and human left ventricle tissue (LV, 253 ± 7 V/s, n = 25). EHT showed a greater resemblance to LV in CM morphology and subcellular NaV1.5 distribution. INa in hiPSC-CM showed similar biophysical properties as in human CM. The EHT format promotes INa density and action potential upstroke velocity of hiPSC-CM towards adult values, indicating its usefulness as a model for excitability of human cardiac tissue.
Pressure-Induced Crystallization and Phase Transformation of Para-xylene
Authors: Bai Yanzhi , Yu Zhenhai , Liu Ran , Li Nana , Yan Shuai , Yang Ke , Liu Bingbing , Wei Dongqing , Wang Lin
Published: July 2017

Static pressure is an alternative method to chemical pressure for tuning the crystal structure, bonds, and physical properties of materials, and is a significant technique for the synthesis of novel materials and fundamental research. In this letter, we report the crystallization and phase transformation of p-xylene under high pressure. Our optical micrographic observations and the appearance of lattice modes in the Raman and infrared (IR) spectra indicated that p-xylene crystallizes at ∼0.1 GPa. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern at 0.84 GPa suggests that the crystallized p-xylene had a monoclinic phase with the Cc(9) space group. The sharp shrinkage of the lattice at ~13 GPa and the solid state of the decompressed sample we observed suggests a new crystalline phase of p-xylene. The in situ XRD showed that the new crystalline phase was still a monoclinic structure but with a different space group of C2(5), indicating that a phase transition occurred during further compression. The mass spectrometry experiment confirmed phase transition polymerization, with mainly trimer and tetramer polymers. Our findings suggest an easy and efficient method for crystallizing and polymerizing p-xylene under high pressure.
Genome-wide survey indicates diverse physiological roles of the barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) calcium-dependent protein kinase genes
Authors: Yang Yunqiang , Wang Qiuli , Chen Qian , Yin Xin , Qian Min , Sun Xudong , Yang Yongping
Published: July 2017

Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are crucial calcium sensors that play important roles in the regulation of plant growth and developmental processes, as well as protective responses to environmental stress. Here, we identified 28 CDPK genes from barley and cloned 5 new, full-length CDPK genes, MLOC_58648a, MLOC_19618a, MLOC_71733a, AK249361a and MLOC_4965a, using their expressed sequence tags. Phylogenetic and gene structural analyses revealed that the CDPK could be divided into four subgroups. Significant site-specific altered constraints and a high evolutionary rate may have contributed to the functional divergences among CDPK gene subfamilies. Expression profiles of different tissues and developmental stages suggested that several CDPK genes are involved in the functional development of plants. Different expression levels under a variety of abiotic stresses also indicated that the CDPK family underwent functional divergence during long-term evolution. Furthermore, several CDPK genes responded to single treatments and individual CDPK genes responded to multiple treatments, suggesting that barley CDPKs may be involved in mediating cross-talk among different signalling pathways. Our data provide an important foundation for the functional and evolutionary analyses of this important gene family in barley.
High Resolution Imaging of DNA Methylation Dynamics using a Zebrafish Reporter
Authors: Zhang Ranran , Liu Lian , Yao Yuxiao , Fei Fei , Wang Feng , Yang Qian , Gui Yonghao , Wang Xu
Published: July 2017

As one of the major epigenetic modifications, DNA methylation is constantly regulated during embryonic development, cell lineage commitment, and pathological processes. To facilitate real-time observation of DNA methylation, we generated a transgenic zebrafish reporter of DNA methylation (zebraRDM) via knockin of an mCherry-fused methyl-CpG binding domain (MBD) probe driven by the bactin2 promoter. The probe colocalized with heterochromatin, and its intensity was positively correlated with 5 mC immunostaining at a subcellular resolution in early embryos. Biochemical assays indicated that cells with stronger fluorescence maintained a higher level of DNA methylation, and time-lapse imaging at the blastula stage showed that the level of DNA methylation was transiently strengthened during mitosis. By crossing zebraRDM with other fluorescent transgenic lines, we demonstrate that the reporter can visually distinguish different cell lineages in organs like the heart. Our zebraRDM reporter therefore serves as a convenient and powerful tool for high-resolution investigation of methylation dynamics in live animals.
Analysis of mitochondrial organization and function in the Drosophila blastoderm embryo
Authors: Chowdhary Sayali , Tomer Darshika , Dubal Dnyanesh , Sambre Devashree , Rikhy Richa
Published: July 2017

Mitochondria are inherited maternally as globular and immature organelles in metazoan embryos. We have used the Drosophila blastoderm embryo to characterize their morphology, distribution and functions in embryogenesis. We find that mitochondria are relatively small, dispersed and distinctly distributed along the apico-basal axis in proximity to microtubules by motor protein transport. Live imaging, photobleaching and photoactivation analyses of mitochondrially targeted GFP show that they are mobile in the apico-basal axis along microtubules and are immobile in the lateral plane thereby associating with one syncytial cell. Photoactivated mitochondria distribute equally to daughter cells across the division cycles. ATP depletion by pharmacological and genetic inhibition of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) activates AMPK and decreases syncytial metaphase furrow extension. In summary, we show that small and dispersed mitochondria of the Drosophila blastoderm embryo localize by microtubule transport and provide ATP locally for the fast syncytial division cycles. Our study opens the possibility of use of Drosophila embryogenesis as a model system to study the impact of maternal mutations in mitochondrial morphology and metabolism on embryo patterning and differentiation.
Morphogenesis and Optoelectronic Properties of Supramolecular Assemblies of Chiral Perylene Diimides in a Binary Solvent System
Authors: Shang Xiaobo , Song Inho , Ohtsu Hiroyoshi , Tong Jiaqi , Zhang Haoke , Oh Joon Hak
Published: July 2017

Chiral supramolecular structures are attracting great attention due to their specific properties and high potential in chiral sensing and separation. Herein, supramolecular assembling behaviors of chiral perylene diimides have been systematically investigated in a mixed solution of tetrahydrofuran and water. They exhibit remarkably different morphologies and chiral aggregation behaviors depending on the mixing ratio of the solvents, i.e., the fraction of water. The morphogenesis and optoelectronic properties of chiral supramolecular structures have been thoroughly studied using a range of experimental and theoretical methods to investigate the morphological effects of chiral supramolecular assemblies on the electrical performances and photogenerated charge-carrier behaviors. In addition, chiral perylene diimides have been discriminated by combining vibrational circular dichroism with theoretical calculations, for the first time. The chiral supramolecular nanostructures developed herein strongly absorb visible spectral region and exhibit high photoresponsivity and detectivity, opening up new opportunities for practical applications in optoelectronics.
Netrin-1 promotes glioma growth by activating NF-κB via UNC5A
Authors: Chen Jing-Ying , He Xiao-Xiao , Ma Chi , Wu Xin-Min , Wan Xi-Lin , Xing Zhen-Kai , Pei Qing-Qing , Dong Xian-Ping , Liu Dong-Xu , Xiong Wen-Cheng , Zhu Xiao-Juan
Published: July 2017

Gliomas, a common type of brain tumor, are characterized by aggressive infiltration, making it difficultly to cure by surgery. Netrin-1, an extracellular guidance cue critical for neuronal axon path-finding, has been reported to play an important role in cell invasion and migration in several types of cancers. However, the role of netrin-1 in glioma remains largely unknown. Here, we provide evidence suggested that Netrin-1 has a critical role in glioma growth. We found that netrin-1 was significantly increased in glioma samples and positively correlated with cell proliferation, tumor grade and malignancy. Netrin-1 knockdown reduced cell proliferation and attenuated tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model. Further studies found that netrin-1 induced NF-κB p65ser536 phosphorylation and c-Myc expression in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, activation of NF-κB by netrin-1 was dependent on UNC5A receptor, because suppression of UNC5A significantly inhibited NF-κB p65ser536 phosphorylation, c-Myc up-regulation and reduced cell proliferation. Taken together, these results suggested netrin-1 promotes glioma cell proliferation by activating NF-κB signaling via UNC5A, netrin-1 may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of glioma.
Interface Adhesion and Structural Characterization of Rolled-up GaAs/In0.2Ga0.8As Multilayer Tubes by Coherent Phonon Spectroscopy
Authors: Brick D. , Engemaier V. , Guo Y. , Grossmann M. , Li G. , Grimm D. , Schmidt O. G. , Schubert M. , Gusev V. E. , Hettich M. , Dekorsy T.
Published: July 2017

We present a detailed experimental and theoretical study of the acoustic phonon modes in rolled-up multilayers with thickness of the layers in the nanometre and diameters in the micrometre range. We compare our results to planar, unrolled multilayers grown by molecular beam epitaxy. For the planar multilayers the experimentally obtained acoustic modes exhibit properties of a superlattice and match well to calculations obtained by the Rytov model. The rolled-up superlattice tubes show intriguing differences compared to the planar structures which can be attributed to the imperfect adhesion between individual tube windings. A transfer matrix method including a massless spring accounting for the imperfect adhesion between the layers yields good agreement between experiment and calculations for up to five windings. Areas with sufficient mechanical coupling between all windings can be distinguished by their acoustic mode spectrum from areas where individual windings are only partially in contact. This allows the spatially resolved characterization of individual tubes with micrometre spatial resolution where areas with varying interface adhesion can be identified.
Facile fabrication of superparamagnetic graphene/polyaniline/Fe3O4 nanocomposites for fast magnetic separation and efficient removal of dye
Authors: Mu Bin , Tang Jie , Zhang Long , Wang Aiqin
Published: July 2017

Using graphene as adsorbent for removal of pollutants from polluted water is commonly recognized to be costly because the graphene is usually produced by a very complex process. Herein, a simple and eco-friendly method was employed to fabricate efficient superparamagnetic graphene/polyaniline/Fe3O4 nanocomposites for removal of dyes. The exfoliation of graphite as nanosheets and the functionalization of nanosheets with polyaniline and Fe3O4 nanoparticles were simultaneously achieved via a one-pot reaction process combining the intercalation polymerization of aniline and the co-precipitation of the residual Fe3+ and the generated Fe2+. The obtained graphene/polyaniline/Fe3O4 nanocomposites exhibited excellent adsorption performance for Congo red, even in the presence of Brilliant green. The adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherms were well fitted with pseudo second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model, respectively. In a word, this method is simple and industrially feasible, which provides a new approach to fabricate highly efficient graphene-based adsorbents on large scale for removal of dyes. In addition, it also can be used to exfoliate other two-dimensional materials, such as boron nitride, carbon nitride and MoS2 for a range of possible applications.
The dental phenotype of hairless dogs with FOXI3 haploinsufficiency
Authors: Kupczik Kornelius , Cagan Alexander , Brauer Silke , Fischer Martin S.
Published: July 2017

Hairless dog breeds show a form of ectodermal dysplasia characterised by a lack of hair and abnormal tooth morphology. This has been attributed to a semi-dominant 7-base-pair duplication in the first exon of the forkhead box I3 gene (FOXI3) shared by all three breeds. Here, we identified this FOXI3 variant in a historical museum sample of pedigreed hairless dog skulls by using ancient DNA extraction and present the associated dental phenotype. Unlike in the coated wild type dogs, the hairless dogs were characterised in both the mandibular and maxillary dentition by a loss of the permanent canines, premolars and to some extent incisors. In addition, the deciduous fourth premolars and permanent first and second molars consistently lacked the distal and lingual cusps; this resulted in only a single enlarged cusp in the basin-like heel (talonid in lower molars, talon in upper molars). This molar phenotype is also found among several living and fossil carnivorans and the extinct order Creodonta in which it is associated with hypercarnivory. We therefore suggest that FOXI3 may generally be involved in dental (cusp) development within and across mammalian lineages including the hominids which are known to exhibit marked variability in the presence of lingual cusps.
Altered Brain Network Connectivity as a Potential Endophenotype of Schizophrenia
Authors: Li Peng , Fan Teng-Teng , Zhao Rong-Jiang , Han Ying , Shi Le , Sun Hong-Qiang , Chen Si-Jing , Shi Jie , Lin Xiao , Lu Lin
Published: July 2017

Abnormal functional brain connectivity could be considered an endophenotype of psychosis in schizophrenia. Identifying candidate endophenotypes may serve as a tool for elucidating its biological and neural mechanisms. The present study investigated the similarities and differences of features of brain network connectivity between patients and their first-degree relatives. Independent component analysis was conducted on imaging data collected from 34 healthy controls, 33 schizophrenia patients, and 30 unaffected first-degree relatives. The correlation between functional connectivity with neurocognitive performance and clinical symptoms were calculated. Abnormalities of between-network connectivity largely overlapped in patients and first-degree relatives, but the extent of such abnormalities was relatively minor in relatives. Negative connectivity between language networks and executive control networks was impaired in schizophrenia patients and their first-degree relatives, and this decreased connectivity was correlated with performance in language processing. Similar impairments were found in high-visual network and executive network coupling, and this decreased connection was correlated with the severity of positive symptoms in patients. The results indicated that abnormal functional connectivity within and between perceptual systems (i.e., high-visual and language) and executive control networks was related to the generic risk of schizophrenia, which makes it a potential endophenotype for schizophrenia.
Biological analysis of cancer specific microRNAs on function modeling in osteosarcoma
Authors: Wang Hao , Tang Min , Ou Liping , Hou Mengyi , Feng Tianyu , Huang Yu-E , Jin Yaqian , Zhang Heng , Zuo Guowei
Published: July 2017

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common bone tumor characterized with a high risk of amputation and malignant morbidity among teenagers and adolescents. However, relevant pathogenic/biological mechanisms underlying OS-genesis remains to be ambiguous. The aim of this study was to elucidate functional relationship about microRNAs-mRNAs networks and to identify potential molecular markers via a computational method. Gene expression profile (GSE70415) was recruited from Gene Expression Omnibus. 3856 differentially expressed genes and 250 significantly expressed microRNAs were identified by using GCBI. The results of GO and KEGG pathways associated proteomics analysis indicated that extracellular matrix organization, small molecule metabolic process, cell adhesion (GO IDs: 0030198, 0044281, 0007155) and pathways in cancer, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, metabolic pathways (pathway IDs: 5200, 4151, 1100) were significantly enriched. In addition, CKMT2, miR-93b-5p, miR-29b-3p were found to be positively/negatively correlated with TP53, EGFR, and MMP members mediated OS development, including angiogenesis, migration and invasion. Further visualization of collective effect of 1181 microRNAs-mRNAs pairs and protein-protein interactions was realized by applying with cytosacpe. In summary, our work provided a better understanding of non-coding regulatory mechanisms of transcriptomics and unraveled essential molecular biomarkers in osteosarcoma.
Deep Learning based Radiomics (DLR) and its usage in noninvasive IDH1 prediction for low grade glioma
Authors: Li Zeju , Wang Yuanyuan , Yu Jinhua , Guo Yi , Cao Wei
Published: July 2017

Deep learning-based radiomics (DLR) was developed to extract deep information from multiple modalities of magnetic resonance (MR) images. The performance of DLR for predicting the mutation status of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) was validated in a dataset of 151 patients with low-grade glioma. A modified convolutional neural network (CNN) structure with 6 convolutional layers and a fully connected layer with 4096 neurons was used to segment tumors. Instead of calculating image features from segmented images, as typically performed for normal radiomics approaches, image features were obtained by normalizing the information of the last convolutional layers of the CNN. Fisher vector was used to encode the CNN features from image slices of different sizes. High-throughput features with dimensionality greater than 1.6*104 were obtained from the CNN. Paired t-tests and F-scores were used to select CNN features that were able to discriminate IDH1. With the same dataset, the area under the operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the normal radiomics method was 86% for IDH1 estimation, whereas for DLR the AUC was 92%. The AUC of IDH1 estimation was further improved to 95% using DLR based on multiple-modality MR images. DLR could be a powerful way to extract deep information from medical images.
Alternative functions of Hd1 in repressing or promoting heading are determined by Ghd7 status under long-day conditions
Authors: Zhang Zhanyi , Hu Wei , Shen Guojing , Liu Haiyang , Hu Yong , Zhou Xiangchun , Liu Touming , Xing Yongzhong
Published: July 2017

Previous studies suggested thatHd1promoted heading under short-day conditions (SD) and delayed heading under long-day conditions (LD). However in this study,Hd1was demonstrated to consistently promote heading date in Zhenshan 97 (ZS97) background by upregulatingEhd1,Hd3aandRFT1expression under both SD and LD. While the high photoperiod sensitivity ofHd1was observed in Minghui 63 (MH63) background, with heading being suppressed in LD but promoted in SD. Comparative analysis of two sets of near isogenic lines ofHd1in MH63 and ZS97 backgrounds indicated that the alternative functions ofHd1in promoting or suppressing heading under LD are dependent on the previously cloned flowering repressor geneGhd7. The interaction between proteins Ghd7 and Hd1 occurred through binding of the CCT domain of Ghd7 to the transcription-activating domain of Hd1, resulting in suppression ofEhd1and florigen gene expression. The involvement of the transcription-activating domain of Hd1 in this protein-protein interaction probably blocked or weakened its transcriptional activity. These findings suggest thatHd1alone essentially acts as a promoter of heading date, and the protein interaction between Ghd7 and Hd1 determines photoperiod sensitivity and integratedHd1-mediated andEhd1-mediated flowering pathways in rice.
Triazophos (TAP) removal in horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (HSCWs) and its accumulation in plants and substrates
Authors: Wu Juan , Li Zhu , Wu Liang , Zhong Fei , Cui Naxin , Dai Yanran , Cheng Shuiping
Published: July 2017

Triazophos (TAP) is a widely used phosphorus pesticide in China that possesses a potential risk for water pollution. We have studied the removal efficiency of TAP using pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (HSCWs) as well as the contribution of plants, substrates and other pathways to its removal. For TAP concentrations of 0.12 ± 0.04 mg L−1, 0.79 ± 0.29 mg L−1 and 3.96 ± 1.17 mg L−1, the removal efficiencies were 94.2 ± 3.7%, 97.8 ± 2.9% and 84.0 ± 13.5%, respectively, at a hydraulic loading rate (HLR) of 100 mm d−1; at an HLR of 200 mm d−1, the removal efficiencies were 96.7 ± 1.3%, 96.2 ± 1.7% and 61.7 ± 11.1%, respectively. The isopleth maps of TAP along the direction of flow indicate that most of the TAP removal occurred in the front and middle regions, while the major removal region would move forward with increasing influent TAP. Plant and substrate accumulation accounted for 0.035 ± 0.034% and 4.33 ± 0.43% of the total removal, respectively, indicating that over 95% of the TAP removal was achieved through other mechanisms. Thus, these results suggest HSCWs can be an effective approach with which to treat TAP contaminated water. Furthermore, the longitudinal scale and hydraulic conditions, as well as the roles of plants, substrates and microbes and their interactions, should be further considered in the design and application of CWs for pesticide pollution control.