bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Definitive Radiotherapy for Older Patients with Prostate Cancer: Experience of a Medical Center in Taiwan
Authors: Wu Yuan-Hung , Yang Wan-Chin , Hu Yu-Wen , Hsieh Chuen-Mei , Yang Kai-Lin , Lai I.-Chun , Hsu Chen-Xiong , Wang Ti-Hao , Lai Tzu-Yu , Chen Kuan-Ting , Kang Yu-Mei , Liu Yu-Ming
Published: October 2017

Whether age predicts treatment outcome of prostate cancer remains controversial. With the aging of the world population, properly understanding the effect of age may facilitate both treatment decision-making and defining the natural history of prostate cancer. Consecutive 581 patients with locally-confined adenocarcinoma of the prostate who received radical definitive radiotherapy(RT) (76–78 Gy) between 2004 and 2015 at a medical center in Taiwan were reviewed retrospectively. Median age was 78 years. The median follow-up was 66 months. The 5-year biochemical failure-free survival(BFFS), distant metastasis-free survival(DMFS), disease-specific survival(DSS), and overall survival(OS) rates were 84.9%, 93.8%, 97.8%, and 86.6%, respectively, for all patients. Comparing those above and below the age of 80, no difference in 5-year BFFS, DMFS, or DSS was found. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that tumor stage, Gleason score, initial PSA, and latency before RT were significant risk factors of BFFS. The latency before RT was significantly longer in the older group than in the under 80 group. Delay to start RT might explain the previous finding of inferior disease control in older patients in other studies. With the exception of OS, no other differences in outcomes or toxicities were observed in older patients.
Adaptive combination of Bayes factors as a powerful method for the joint analysis of rare and common variants
Authors: Lin Wan-Yu , Chen Wei J. , Liu Chih-Min , Hwu Hai-Gwo , McCarroll Steven A. , Glatt Stephen J. , Tsuang Ming T.
Published: October 2017

Multi-marker association tests can be more powerful than single-locus analyses because they aggregate the variant information within a gene/region. However, combining the association signals of multiple markers within a gene/region may cause noise due to the inclusion of neutral variants, which usually compromises the power of a test. To reduce noise, the “adaptive combination of P-values” (ADA) method removes variants with larger P-values. However, when both rare and common variants are considered, it is not optimal to truncate variants according to their P-values. An alternative summary measure, the Bayes factor (BF), is defined as the ratio of the probability of the data under the alternative hypothesis to that under the null hypothesis. The BF quantifies the “relative” evidence supporting the alternative hypothesis. Here, we propose an “adaptive combination of Bayes factors” (ADABF) method that can be directly applied to variants with a wide spectrum of minor allele frequencies. The simulations show that ADABF is more powerful than single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-set kernel association tests and burden tests. We also analyzed 1,109 case-parent trios from the Schizophrenia Trio Genomic Research in Taiwan. Three genes on chromosome 19p13.2 were found to be associated with schizophrenia at the suggestive significance level of 5 × 10−5.
Rapid on-site evaluation of the development of resistance to quinone outside inhibitors in Botrytis cinerea
Authors: Hu X. R. , Dai D. J. , Wang H. D. , Zhang C. Q.
Published: October 2017

Botrytis cinerea, a typical “high-risk” pathogenic fungus that rapidly develops resistance to fungicides, affects more than 1,000 species of 586 plant genera native to most continents and causes great economic losses. Therefore, a rapid and sensitive assay of fungicide resistance development in B. cinerea populations is crucial for scientific management. In this study, we established a Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) system for the monitoring and evaluation of the risk of development of B. cinerea resistance to QoI fungicides; the method uses two LAMP assays. The first assay detects G143A mutants of B. cinerea, which are highly resistance to QoI fungicides. BCbi143/144 introns in B. cinerea are then detected by the second assay. HNB acts as a visual LAMP reaction indicator. The optimum reaction conditions of the LAMP assays were 61 °C for 50 min, and the detection limit of the LAMP assays was 100 × 10−4 ng/μl. We directly pre-treated the field samples by using All-DNA-Fast-Out to extract DNA within ten minutes, then performed the LAMP assay to achieve one-step rapid detection. In conclusion, we established a rapid and sensitive LAMP assay system for resistance risk assessment and for monitoring QoI-resistance of B. cinerea in the field.
Unusual isothermal multimerization and amplification by the strand-displacing DNA polymerases with reverse transcription activities
Authors: Wang Guoping , Ding Xiong , Hu Jiumei , Wu Wenshuai , Sun Jingjing , Mu Ying
Published: October 2017

Abstarct

Existing isothermal nucleic acid amplification (INAA) relying on the strand displacement activity of DNA polymerase usually requires at least two primers. However, in this paper, we report an unusual isothermal multimerization and amplification (UIMA) which only needs one primer and is efficiently initiated by the strand-displacing DNA polymerases with reverse transcription activities. On electrophoresis, the products of UIMA present a cascade-shape band and they are confirmed to be multimeric DNAs with repeated target sequences. In contrast to current methods, UIMA is simple to product multimeric DNA, due to the independent of multiple primers and rolling circle structures. Through assaying the synthesized single-stranded DNA targets, UIMA performs high sensitivity and specificity, as well as the universality. In addition, a plausible mechanism of UIMA is proposed, involving short DNA bending, mismatch extension, and template slippage. UIMA is a good explanation for why nonspecific amplification easily happens in existing INAAs. As the simplest INAA till now, UIMA provides a new insight for deeply understanding INAA and opens a new avenue for thoroughly addressing nonspecific amplification.
Associations between genetic risk variants for kidney diseases and kidney disease etiology
Authors: Wunnenburger Sebastian , Schultheiss Ulla T. , Walz Gerd , Hausknecht Birgit , Ekici Arif B. , Kronenberg Florian , Eckardt Kai-Uwe , Köttgen Anna , Wuttke Matthias
Published: October 2017

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health problem with a genetic component. Genome-wide association studies have identified variants associated with specific CKD etiologies, but their genetic overlap has not been well studied. This study examined SNP associations across different CKD etiologies and CKD stages using data from 5,034 CKD patients of the German Chronic Kidney Disease study. In addition to confirming known associations, a systemic lupus erythematosus-associated risk variant at TNXB was also associated with CKD attributed to type 1 diabetes (p = 2.5 × 10−7), a membranous nephropathy-associated variant at HLA-DQA1 was also associated with CKD attributed to systemic lupus erythematosus (p = 5.9 × 10−6), and an IgA risk variant at HLA-DRB1 was associated with both CKD attributed to granulomatosis with polyangiitis (p = 2.0 × 10−4) and to type 1 diabetes (p = 4.6 × 10−11). Associations were independent of additional risk variants in the respective genetic regions. Evaluation of CKD stage showed a significant association of the UMOD risk variant, previously identified in population-based studies for association with kidney function, for advanced (stage ≥G3b) compared to early-stage CKD (≤stage G2). Shared genetic associations across CKD etiologies and stages highlight the role of the immune response in CKD. Association studies with detailed information on CKD etiology can reveal shared genetic risk variants.
A quantitative model of the phytochrome-PIF light signalling initiating chloroplast development
Authors: Dubreuil Carole , Ji Yan , Strand Åsa , Grönlund Andreas
Published: October 2017

The components required for photosynthesis are encoded in two separate genomes, the nuclear and the plastid. To address how synchronization of the two genomes involved can be attained in early light-signalling during chloroplast development we have formulated and experimentally tested a mathematical model simulating light sensing and the following signalling response. The model includes phytochrome B (PhyB), the phytochrome interacting factor 3 (PIF3) and putative regulatory targets of PIF3. Closed expressions of the phyB and PIF3 concentrations after light exposure are derived, which capture the relevant timescales in the response of genes regulated by PIF3. Sequence analysis demonstrated that the promoters of the nuclear genes encoding sigma factors (SIGs) and polymerase-associated proteins (PAPs) required for expression of plastid encoded genes, contain the cis-elements for binding of PIF3. The model suggests a direct link between light inputs via PhyB-PIF3 to the plastid transcription machinery and control over the expression of photosynthesis components both in the nucleus and in the plastids. Using a pluripotent Arabidopsis cell culture in which chloroplasts develop from undifferentiated proplastids following exposure to light, we could experimentally verify that the expression of SIGs and PAPs in response to light follow the calculated expression of a PhyB-PIF3 regulated gene.
Structural basis for the bacterial membrane insertion of dermcidin peptide, DCD-1L
Authors: Nguyen Van Sang , Tan Kang Wei , Ramesh Karthik , Chew Fook Tim , Mok Yu Keung
Published: October 2017

Human dermcidin (DCD) is an antimicrobial peptide secreted constitutively by sweat glands. The anionic derivative, DCD-1L, comprises of the N-terminal 47 residues of DCD and one additional leucine residue. A previous NMR structure of DCD-1L in 50% TFE showed a partial helical conformation, and its crystal structure in the presence of Zn2+ outlined a hexameric linear α-helical bundle. Three different models to describe membrane insertion were proposed but no conclusion was drawn. In the current study, the NMR structure of DCD-1L in SDS micelles showed an “L-shaped” molecule with three fully formed α-helices connected by flexible turns. Formation of these helices in DCD-1L in the presence of POPG vesicles suggests that the acidic C-terminal region of DCD-1L can suppress the binding of DCD-1L to POPG vesicles at basic but not acidic pH. Mutation of charged residues on the N-terminal and C-terminal regions of DCD-1L cause differences in POPG binding, suggesting distinct functional roles for these two regions. Charged residues from these two regions are also found to differentially affect Zn2+ coordination and aggregation of DCD-1L in the absence or presence of SDS, as monitored by 1D NMR. Our data agrees with one of the three models proposed.
miR-204 is associated with an endocrine phenotype in human pancreatic islets but does not regulate the insulin mRNA through MAFA
Authors: Marzinotto Ilaria , Pellegrini Silvia , Brigatti Cristina , Nano Rita , Melzi Raffaella , Mercalli Alessia , Liberati Daniela , Sordi Valeria , Ferrari Maurizio , Falconi Massimo , Doglioni Claudio , Ravassard Philippe , Piemonti Lorenzo , Lampasona Vito
Published: October 2017

miR-204 has been proposed to modulate insulin expression in human pancreatic islets by regulating the expression of the MAFA transcript, and in turn insulin transcription. We investigated miR-204 expression in pancreatic endocrine tumors (PET), a panel of human tissues, tissues derived from pancreatic islet purification, and in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) differentiated towards a pancreatic endocrine phenotype by quantitative real time RT-PCR or droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). In addition, we evaluated the effect of miR-204 up- or down-regulation in purified human islets and in the EndoC-βH1 cell line, as an experimental model of human pancreatic β cells. Our results confirm that miR-204 was enriched in insulin producing PET, in β cells within healthy pancreatic islets, and highly expressed in EndoC-βH1 cells. Moreover, in iPSCs miR-204 increased stepwise upon stimulated differentiation to insulin producing cells. However, up- or down-regulation of miR-204 in human islets and in EndoC-βH1 cells resulted in modest and not significant changes of the MAFA and INS mRNAs measured by ddPCR or c-peptide release. Our data confirm the association of miR-204 with a β cell endocrine phenotype in human pancreatic islets, but do not support its direct role in regulating the levels of insulin mRNA through MAFA.
Ghrelin rescues skeletal muscle catabolic profile in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington’s disease
Authors: Sjögren Marie , Duarte Ana I. , McCourt Andrew C. , Shcherbina Liliya , Wierup Nils , Björkqvist Maria
Published: October 2017

Accumulating evidence suggests altered energy metabolism as a key feature in Huntington’s disease (HD) pathology. Hyper-catabolism, including weight loss and muscle atrophy, is seen in HD patients and HD mouse models. Metabolic hormones are key players, not only in energy metabolism, but also in neurodegenerative processes. Ghrelin, a gut peptide-hormone, plays an important role in regulating energy metabolism, stimulating appetite, and affects brain function and increases neuronal survival. The R6/2 mouse model of HD has previously been shown to exhibit progressive weight loss, dysregulated glucose metabolism, skeletal muscle atrophy and altered body composition. In this study, we targeted energy metabolism in R6/2 mice using ghrelin administration, with the primary aim to delay weight loss and reduce muscle atrophy. We also evaluated glucose metabolism and behaviour. We here demonstrate that ghrelin administration (subcutaneous 150 μg/kg daily injections) for 4 weeks, reversed the catabolic gene expression profile (increased expression of Caspase 8, Traf-5 and Creb1) seen in R6/2 mouse skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle morphology was also improved with ghrelin, and importantly, ghrelin administration normalized behavioural deficits in R6/2 mice. Taken together, our findings encourage further studies targeting metabolism in HD.
Incidence and Risk Factors of in-hospital mortality from AKI after non-cardiovascular operation: A nationwide Survey in China
Authors: Pan Yu , Wang Wenji , Wang Jinwei , Yang Li , Ding Feng ,   ISN AKF 0by25 China Consortium, Zhou Minjie , Zhao Minghui , Wang Hanyan , Xing Guolan , Liu Zhangsuo , Wang Li , Wang Fang , Wu Yonggui , Huang Dan , Li Suhua , Wang Shu , Xu Gang , Ge Shuwang , He Qiang , Shen Quanquan , Chen Jianghua , Zhang Ping , Chen Menghua , Wu Lihua , Liu Xiaohua , Pan Miao , Zhu Zaizhi , Zou Qianting , Yang Lin , Zhu Ping , Lian Xiyan , Zhao Jintao , Li Yun , Yang Lin , Wang Huamin , Hu Wenping , Wang Jianqin , Wang Jing , Wang Rong , Liu Bing , Mei Changlin , Zhang Tong , Xu Jixian , Han Jianxin , Li Rongshan , Wen Tao , Cao Juan , Zhang Liang , Wang Yan , Xu Jinhua , Bao Beiyan , Liu Bicheng , Chen Hongyu , Li Shaomei , Zha Yan , Luo Qiong , Chen Dongchen , Shen Yulan , Liao Yunhua , Zhang Zhengrong , Wang Xianqiu , Zhang Kun , Liu Luojin , Mao Peiju , Guo Chunxiang , Li Jiangang , Wang Zhenfu , Bai Shoujun , Shi Shuangjie
Published: October 2017

This study aimed to describe the mortality and risk factors of in-hospital mortality from acute kidney injury (AKI) after non-cardiovascular operation in China based on a nationwide survey about AKI. The study sample was drawn from ISN AKF 0by25 China Consortiums, which is a nationwide, cross-sectional survey from 22 provinces in mainland China. AKI after non-cardiovascular operation was identified according to the 2012 KDIGO AKI creatinine criteria or expanded criteria. In total, 3468 cases were identified as hospital-acquired AKI (HA-AKI). Of these, 1059 cases were defined as AKI after major non-cardiovascular surgery. Post-operative AKI and non-operative AKI were similar in aetiology and in the need for RRT intervention. The all-cause in-hospital mortality was 17.0% (180 of 1059) among patients with AKI after a major surgery. Older age (OR = 1.14, p = 0.046), more severe comorbidities (OR = 9.29, p < 0.001), a history of CVD (OR = 1.85, p = 0.007), more severe peak AKI stage, and being located in the northwest region of China (OR = 2.47, p = 0.012) were all significantly associated with increased in-hospital mortality risk in AKI patients who underwent an operation. AKI after a non-cardiovascular operation has become a huge medical burden in China. The features of operative AKI varied substantially in different regions of China. Increased attention must be paid to the occurrence of potential intrinsic renal AKI when patients are exposed to nephrotoxic factors or comorbidities.
C19, a C-terminal peptide of CKLF1, decreases inflammation and proliferation of dermal capillaries in psoriasis
Authors: Zheng Yi , Wang Yixuan , Zhang Xuan , Tan Yaqi , Peng Shiguang , Chen Le , He Yanling
Published: October 2017

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease with undefined etiology. Chemokine-like factor 1 (CKLF1), a human cytokine that is a functional ligand for CCR4, displays chemotactic activities in a wide spectrum of leukocytes and plays an important role in psoriasis development. In previous study, our laboratory found that the expression of CKLF1 increased in psoriatic lesions. C19 as a CKLF1’s C-terminal peptide has been reported to exert inhibitory effects on a variety of diseases. However, the protective roles of C19 in endothelial cells proliferation and inflammatory cells chemotaxis remain elusive in psoriasis. In this study we examined the protective effect of C19 on both the cellular model and the animal model. The effects of C19 on endothelial cells proliferation and inflammatory cells chemotaxis were investigated in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and imiquimod-induced psoriasiform inflammation of BALB/c mice based on techniques including immunohistochemical analysis, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), western blot, transwell, and EdU assay. This study shows that CKLF1-C19 significantly protects against psoriasis by inhibiting the infiltration of inflammatory cells and proliferation of microvascular cells, possibly via inhibiting MAPK pathways.
Blue-light induced biosynthesis of ROS contributes to the signaling mechanism of Arabidopsis cryptochrome
Authors: El-Esawi Mohamed , Arthaut Louis-David , Jourdan Nathalie , d’Harlingue Alain , Link Justin , Martino Carlos F. , Ahmad Margaret
Published: October 2017

Cryptochromes are evolutionarily conserved blue light receptors with many roles throughout plant growth and development. They undergo conformational changes in response to light enabling interaction with multiple downstream signaling partners. Recently, it has been shown that cryptochromes also synthesize reactive oxygen species (ROS) in response to light, suggesting the possibility of an alternate signaling mechanism. Here we show by fluorescence imaging and microscopy that H202and ROS accumulate in the plant nucleus after cryptochrome activation. They induce ROS-regulated transcripts including for genes implicated in pathogen defense, biotic and abiotic stress. Mutant cryptochrome alleles that are non-functional in photomorphogenesis retain the capacity to induce ROS-responsive phenotypes. We conclude that nuclear biosynthesis of ROS by cryptochromes represents a new signaling paradigm that complements currently known mechanisms. This may lead to novel applications using blue light induced oxidative bursts to prime crop plants against the deleterious effects of environmental stresses and toxins.
Unusual Electromagnetic Signatures of European North Atlantic Winter Thunderstorms
Authors: Santolík Ondřej , Kolmašová Ivana
Published: October 2017

All lightning strokes generate electromagnetic pulses –atmospherics– which can travel over distances of thousands of kilometers. Night-side atmospherics show typical frequency dispersion signatures caused by sub-ionospheric propagation. Their analysis can be used to determine the distance to the source lightning, and therefore it represents a safe tool for investigation of distant thunderstorms, as well as for indirect observations of the lower ionosphere. However, such analysis has never been done on the dayside. Here we present the first results which show unusual daytime atmospherics with dispersion signatures originating from strong thunderstorms which occurred during winter months 2015 in the North Atlantic region. Using newly developed analysis techniques for 3-component electromagnetic measurements we are able to determine the source azimuth and to attribute these rare atmospherics to both positive and negative lightning strokes in northern Europe. We consistently find unusually large heights of the reflective ionospheric layer which are probably linked to low fluxes of solar X rays and which make the dayside subionospheric propagation possible. Although the atmospherics are linearly polarized, their dispersed parts exhibit left handed polarization, consistent with the anticipated continuous escape of the right-hand polarized power to the outer space in the form of whistlers.
Functional classification of protein toxins as a basis for bioinformatic screening
Authors: Negi Surendra S. , Schein Catherine H. , Ladics Gregory S. , Mirsky Henry , Chang Peter , Rascle Jean-Baptiste , Kough John , Sterck Lieven , Papineni Sabitha , Jez Joseph M. , Pereira Mouriès Lucilia , Braun Werner
Published: October 2017

Proteins are fundamental to life and exhibit a wide diversity of activities, some of which are toxic. Therefore, assessing whether a specific protein is safe for consumption in foods and feeds is critical. Simple BLAST searches may reveal homology to a known toxin, when in fact the protein may pose no real danger. Another challenge to answer this question is the lack of curated databases with a representative set of experimentally validated toxins. Here we have systematically analyzed over 10,000 manually curated toxin sequences using sequence clustering, network analysis, and protein domain classification. We also developed a functional sequence signature method to distinguish toxic from non-toxic proteins. The current database, combined with motif analysis, can be used by researchers and regulators in a hazard screening capacity to assess the potential of a protein to be toxic at early stages of development. Identifying key signatures of toxicity can also aid in redesigning proteins, so as to maintain their desirable functions while reducing the risk of potential health hazards.
Persistent elevation of postoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio: A better predictor of survival in gastric cancer than elevated preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio
Authors: Min Kyueng-Whan , Kwon Mi Jung , Kim Dong-Hoon , Son Byoung Kwan , Kim Eun-Kyung , Oh Young Ha , Wi Young Chan
Published: October 2017

Postoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio change (NLRc) reflects the dynamic change of balance between host inflammatory response and immune response after treatment. In gastric cancer, an elevated initial NLR (iNLR) is reported to be a prognostic predictor, but the clinical application of the NLRc remains unclear. The NLRc was assessed in 734 patients undergoing total/subtotal gastrectomy and endoscopic submucosal dissection for gastric adenocarcinoma. The iNLR and NLRc were recorded within 10 days of the first diagnosis and 3–6 months after surgery, respectively. Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, we investigated the relationship between NLRc or iNLR and patient survival. The analysis revealed a higher predictive power for correlating patient survival with the NLRc compared with iNLR. NLRc was defined as negative (lower than iNLR) and positive (higher than iNLR). A positive NLRc was frequently observed in patients with advanced AJCC stage, local recurrence, distant metastasis, perineural invasion, and adjuvant chemotherapy (allp < 0.05). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed a significant relationship between patient survival and NLRc (allp < 0.05) but no association between survival and iNLR. The NLRc could be a better indicator than iNLR for predicting survival in patients with gastric cancer.
Nanoscale Dynamics of Protein Assembly Networks in Supersaturated Solutions
Authors: Matsushita Y. , Sekiguchi H. , Wong C. Jae , Nishijima M. , Ikezaki K. , Hamada D. , Goto Y. , Sasaki Y. C.
Published: October 2017

Proteins in solution are conventionally considered macromolecules. Dynamic microscopic structures in supersaturated protein solutions have received increasing attention in the study of protein crystallisation and the formation of misfolded aggregates. Here, we present a method for observing rotational dynamic structures that can detect the interaction of nanoscale lysozyme protein networks via diffracted X-ray tracking (DXT). Our DXT analysis demonstrated that the rearrangement behaviours of lysozyme networks or clusters, which are driven by local density and concentration fluctuations, generate force fields on the femtonewton to attonewton (fN – aN) scale. This quantitative parameter was previously observed in our experiments on supersaturated inorganic solutions. This commonality provides a way to clarify the solution structures of a variety of supersaturated solutions as well as to control nucleation and crystallisation in supersaturated solutions.
Soloxolone methyl inhibits influenza virus replication and reduces virus-induced lung inflammation
Authors: Markov Andrey V. , Sen’kova Alexandra V. , Warszycki Dawid , Salomatina Oksana V. , Salakhutdinov Nariman F. , Zenkova Marina A. , Logashenko Evgeniya B.
Published: October 2017

Highly pathogenic influenza viruses pose a serious public health threat to humans. Although vaccines are available, new antivirals are needed to efficiently control disease progression and virus transmission due to the emergence of drug-resistant viral strains. In this study, we describe the anti-viral properties of Soloxolone methyl (SM) (methyl 2-cyano-3,12-dioxo-18βH-olean-9(11),1(2)-dien-30-oate, a chemical derivative of glycyrrhetinic acid) against the flu virus. Anti-flu efficacy studies revealed that SM exhibits antiviral activity against the H1N1 influenza A virus in a dose-dependent manner causing a more than 10-fold decrease in virus titer and a reduction in the expression of NP and M2 viral proteins. In a time-of-addition study, SM was found to act at an early stage of infection to exhibit an inhibitory effect on both the attachment step and virus uptake into cells. Also, in infected cells SM downregulates the expression of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α. In infected mice, SM administered intranasally prior to and after infection significantly decreases virus titers in the lung and prevents post-challenge pneumonia. Together, these results suggest that Soloxolone methyl might serve as an effective therapeutic agent to manage influenza outbreaks and virus-associated complications, and further preclinical and clinical investigation may be warranted.
Highlighting the crucial role of Hangzhou in HIV-1 transmission among men who have sex with men in Zhejiang, China
Authors: Zhang Jiafeng , Guo Zhihong , Pan Xiaohong , Zhang Wenjun , Yang Jiezhe , Ding Xiaobei , Xu Yun , Xia Yan , Jiang Jianmin
Published: October 2017

In recent years, the population of men who have sex with men (MSM) constitute a major group for HIV transmission in China. A total of 340 newly reported HIV-infected MSM were recruited proportionally from ten prefectures across Zhejiang province between January and December in 2013. Partial pol gene was amplified and sequenced. Phylogenetic relationship, transmission network and genotypic drug resistance analyses were performed on 311 sequences. HIV-1 subtypes including CRF01_AE (55.9%), CRF07_BC (37.6%), subtype B (1.9%), CRF55_01B (1.3%), CRF68_01B (0.3%), CRF08_BC (0.3%) and URFs (2.6%) were identified. A higher proportion of CRF07_BC and other subtypes existed in the >35 years group, while a higher proportion of CRF01_AE was present in the young group (<35 years). Low prevalence of transmitted drug resistance was found (3.9%, 12/311). Strains with Hangzhou imprints were diffused across the full phylogenetic tree. Moreover, Hangzhou represented the dominant proportion of local HIV transmission (72.0%) and cross-regional transmission (62.4%) based on the provincial transmission network and possessed the largest number of nodes with ≥50 edges, accounting for 50.0% (10/20). The complexity of HIV subtypes and an intertwined network was noticed in MSM in Zhejiang province. Hangzhou likely plays a central regional role in the intra-provincial spread of HIV.
Evaluation of Ga-DOTA-(D-Asp)n as bone imaging agents: D-aspartic acid peptides as carriers to bone
Authors: Ogawa Kazuma , Ishizaki Atsushi , Takai Kenichiro , Kitamura Yoji , Makino Akira , Kozaka Takashi , Kiyono Yasushi , Shiba Kazuhiro , Odani Akira
Published: October 2017

67Ga-DOTA-(L-Asp)11 and 67Ga-DOTA-(L-Asp)14, which have been developed as bone imaging agents, showed a high accumulation in bone and a rapid blood clearance in mice. However, peptides composed of D-amino acids are more stable in vivo than those composed of their L-equivalents. In this study, 67Ga-DOTA-(D-Asp)n (n = 2, 5, 8, 11, or 14) were synthesized using the Fmoc-based solid-phase methodology and evaluated. In hydroxyapatite binding assay, binding of 67Ga-DOTA-(D-Asp)n tended to increase with increasing length of the amino acid chain. 67Ga-DOTA-(D-Asp)11 and 67Ga-DOTA-(D-Asp)14 caused a high accumulation of radioactivity in the bones of the mice. However, the results for 67Ga-DOTA-(D-Asp)n and 67Ga-DOTA-(L-Asp)n were comparable. In urine analyses, the proportion of intact complex after injection of 67Ga-DOTA-(D-Asp)14 was significantly higher than that of 67Ga-DOTA-(L-Asp)14. Although 67Ga-DOTA-(D-Asp)14 was more stable than 67Ga-DOTA-(L-Asp)14, the properties of 67Ga-DOTA-(D-Asp)n and 67Ga-DOTA-(L-Asp)n as bone imaging agents may be comparable.
Dynamic measurement of near-field radiative heat transfer
Authors: Lang S. , Sharma G. , Molesky S. , Kränzien P. U. , Jalas T. , Jacob Z. , Petrov A. Yu. , Eich M.
Published: October 2017

Super-Planckian near-field radiative heat transfer allows effective heat transfer between a hot and a cold body to increase beyond the limits long known for black bodies. Until present, experimental techniques to measure the radiative heat flow relied on steady-state systems. Here, we present a dynamic measurement approach based on the transient plane source technique, which extracts thermal properties from a temperature transient caused by a step input power function. Using this versatile method, that requires only single sided contact, we measure enhanced radiative conduction up to 16 times higher than the blackbody limit on centimeter sized glass samples without any specialized sample preparation or nanofabrication.
Canine dorsal root ganglia satellite glial cells represent an exceptional cell population with astrocytic and oligodendrocytic properties
Authors: Tongtako W. , Lehmbecker A. , Wang Y. , Hahn K. , Baumgärtner W. , Gerhauser I.
Published: October 2017

Dogs can be used as a translational animal model to close the gap between basic discoveries in rodents and clinical trials in humans. The present study compared the species-specific properties of satellite glial cells (SGCs) of canine and murine dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in situ and in vitro using light microscopy, electron microscopy, and immunostainings. The in situ expression of CNPase, GFAP, and glutamine synthetase (GS) has also been investigated in simian SGCs. In situ, most canine SGCs (>80%) expressed the neural progenitor cell markers nestin and Sox2. CNPase and GFAP were found in most canine and simian but not murine SGCs. GS was detected in 94% of simian and 71% of murine SGCs, whereas only 44% of canine SGCs expressed GS. In vitro, most canine (>84%) and murine (>96%) SGCs expressed CNPase, whereas GFAP expression was differentially affected by culture conditions and varied between 10% and 40%. However, GFAP expression was induced by bone morphogenetic protein 4 in SGCs of both species. Interestingly, canine SGCs also stimulated neurite formation of DRG neurons. These findings indicate that SGCs represent an exceptional, intermediate glial cell population with phenotypical characteristics of oligodendrocytes and astrocytes and might possess intrinsic regenerative capabilities in vivo.
Cardamonin inhibits colonic neoplasia through modulation of MicroRNA expression
Authors: James Shirley , Aparna Jayasekharan S. , Paul Aswathy Mary , Lankadasari Manendra Babu , Mohammed Sabira , Binu Valsalakumari S. , Santhoshkumar Thankayyan R. , Reshmi Girijadevi , Harikumar Kuzhuvelil B.
Published: October 2017

Colorectal cancer is currently the third leading cause of cancer related deaths. There is considerable interest in using dietary intervention strategies to prevent chronic diseases including cancer. Cardamonin is a spice derived nutraceutical and herein, for the first time we evaluated the therapeutic benefits of cardamonin in Azoxymethane (AOM) induced mouse model of colorectal cancer. Mice were divided into 4 groups of which three groups were given six weekly injections of AOM. One group served as untreated control and remaining groups were treated with either vehicle or Cardamonin starting from the same day or 16 weeks after the first AOM injection. Cardamonin treatment inhibited the tumor incidence, tumor multiplicity, Ki-67 and β-catenin positive cells. The activation of NF-kB signaling was also abrogated after cardamonin treatment. To elucidate the mechanism of action a global microRNA profiling of colon samples was performed. Computational analysis revealed that there is a differential expression of miRNAs between these groups. Subsequently, we extend our findings to human colorectal cancer and found that cardamonin inhibited the growth, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cell lines. Taken together, our study provides a better understanding of chemopreventive potential of cardamonin in colorectal cancer.
Effect of population, collection year, after-ripening and incubation condition on seed germination of Stipa bungeana
Authors: Zhang Rui , Baskin J. M. , Baskin C. C. , Mo Qing , Chen Lijun , Hu Xiaowen , Wang Yanrong
Published: October 2017

Knowledge of the germination behavior of different populations of a species can be useful in the selection of appropriate seed sources for restoration. The aim of this study was to test the effect of seed population, collection year, after-ripening and incubation conditions on seed dormancy and germination ofStipa bungeana, a perennial grass used for revegetation of degraded grasslands on the Loess Plateau, China. FreshS. bungeanaseeds were collected from eight locally-adapted populations in 2015 and 2016. Dormancy and germination characteristics of fresh and 6-month-old dry-stored seeds were determined by incubating them over a range of alternating temperature regimes in light. Effect of water stress on germination was tested for fresh and 6-month-old dry-stored seeds. Seed dormancy and germination ofS. bungeanadiffered with population and collection year. Six months of dry storage broke seed dormancy, broadened the temperature range for germination and increased among-population differences in germination percentage. The rank order of germination was not consistent in all germination tests, and it varied among populations. Thus, studies on comparing seed dormancy and germination among populations must consider year of collection, seed dormancy states and germination test conditions when selecting seeds for grassland restoration and management.
A platform for efficient identification of molecular phenotypes of brain-wide neural circuits
Authors: Jiang Tao , Long Ben , Gong Hui , Xu Tonghui , Li Xiangning , Duan Zhuonan , Li Anan , Deng Lei , Zhong Qiuyuan , Peng Xue , Yuan Jing
Published: October 2017

A neural circuit is a structural-functional unit of achieving particular information transmission and processing, and have various inputs, outputs and molecular phenotypes. Systematic acquisition and comparative analysis of the molecular features of neural circuits are crucial to elucidating the operating mechanisms of brain function. However, no efficient, systematic approach is available for describing the molecular phenotypes of specific neural circuits at the whole brain scale. In this study, we developed a rapid whole-brain optical tomography method and devised an efficient approach to map brain-wide structural and molecular information in the same brain: rapidly imaging and sectioning the whole brain as well as automatically collecting all slices; conveniently selecting slices of interest through quick data browsing and then performing post hoc immunostaining of selected slices. Using this platform, we mapped the brain-wide distribution of inputs to motor, sensory and visual cortices and determined their molecular phenotypes in several subcortical regions. Our platform significantly enhances the efficiency of molecular phenotyping of neural circuits and provides access to automation and industrialization of cell type analyses for specific circuits.
Interfacial Reactions in the Li/Si diffusion couples: Origin of Anisotropic Lithiation of Crystalline Si in Li–Si batteries
Authors: Choi Yong-Seok , Park Jun-Hyoung , Ahn Jae-Pyoung , Lee Jae-Chul
Published: October 2017

As opposed to the common understanding that diffusion into a cubic-structured single crystal is independent of its crystalline orientation, the diffusion of Li to crystalline Si (c-Si) is anisotropic, which acts as the major cause for the fracture of Si anodes in Li-ion batteries. Here, by conducting comprehensive/multi-scale simulation studies based on molecular dynamics and density functional theory, we elucidate how and why Li diffusion in c-Si is anisotropic. We found that Li ions diffuse to c-Si by following a particular atomic-scale space corresponding to the lowest value of the valence orbital in c-Si, causing Li ions to take a tortuous diffusion pathway. The degree of the tortuosity of the pathway differs depending on the crystallographic orientation of Si, and it acts as the major cause for anisotropic lithiation. We also develop a structural parameter that can quantitatively evaluate the orientation dependency of the lithiation of c-Si.
Long tailed trions in monolayer MoS2: Temperature dependent asymmetry and resulting red-shift of trion photoluminescence spectra
Authors: Christopher Jason W. , Goldberg Bennett B. , Swan Anna K.
Published: October 2017

Monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has emerged as a model system for studying many-body physics because the low dimensionality reduces screening leading to tightly bound states stable at room temperature. Further, the many-body states possess a pseudo-spin degree of freedom that corresponds with the two direct-gap valleys of the band structure, which can be optically manipulated. Here we focus on one bound state, the negatively charged trion. Unlike excitons, trions can radiatively decay with non-zero momentum by kicking out an electron, resulting in an asymmetric trion photoluminescence (PL) peak with a long low-energy tail and peak position that differs from the zero momentum trion energy. The asymmetry of the trion PL peak and resulting peak red-shift depends both on the trion size and a temperature-dependent contribution. Ignoring the trion asymmetry will result in over estimating the trion binding energy by nearly 20 meV at room temperature. We analyze the temperature-dependent PL to reveal the effective trion size, consistent with the literature, and the temperature dependence of the band gap and spin-orbit splitting of the valence band. This is the first time the temperature-dependence of the trion PL has been analyzed with such detail in any system.
Treatment of Necrotic Teeth by Apical Revascularization: Meta-analysis
Authors: He Ling , Zhong Juan , Gong Qimei , Kim Sahng G. , Zeichner Samuel J. , Xiang Lusai , Ye Ling , Zhou Xuedong , Zheng Jinxuan , Liu Yongxing , Guan Chenyu , Cheng Bin , Ling Junqi , Mao Jeremy J.
Published: October 2017

Each year ~5.4 million children and adolescents in the United States suffer from dental infections, leading to pulp necrosis, arrested tooth-root development and tooth loss. Apical revascularization, adopted by the American Dental Association for its perceived ability to enable postoperative tooth-root growth, is being accepted worldwide. The objective of the present study is to perform a meta-analysis on apical revascularization. Literature search yielded 22 studies following PRISMA with pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated to account for inter-examiner variation. Following apical revascularization with 6- to 66-month recalls, root apices remained open in 13.9% cases (types I), whereas apical calcification bridge formed in 47.2% (type II) and apical closure (type III) in 38.9% cases. Tooth-root lengths lacked significant postoperative gain among all subjects (p = 0.3472) or in subgroups. Root-dentin area showed significant increases in type III, but not in types I or II cases. Root apices narrowed significantly in types II and III, but not in type I patients. Thus, apical revascularization facilitates tooth-root development but lacks consistency in promoting root lengthening, widening or apical closure. Post-operative tooth-root development in immature permanent teeth represents a generalized challenge to regenerate diseased pediatric tissues that must grow to avoid organ defects.
Functional characterization of the PHT1 family transporters of foxtail millet with development of a novel Agrobacterium-mediated transformation procedure
Authors: Ceasar S. Antony , Baker Alison , Ignacimuthu S.
Published: October 2017

Phosphate is an essential nutrient for plant growth and is acquired from the environment and distributed within the plant in part through the action of phosphate transporters of the PHT1 family. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is an orphan crop essential to the food security of many small farmers in Asia and Africa and is a model system for other millets. A novel Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and direct plant regeneration procedure was developed from shoot apex explants and used to downregulate expression of 3 members of the PHT1 phosphate transporter family SiPHT1;2 SiPHT1;3 and SiPHT1;4. Transformants were recovered with close to 10% efficiency. The downregulation of individual transporters was confirmed by RT-PCR. Downregulation of individual transporters significantly reduced the total and inorganic P contents in shoot and root tissues and increased the number of lateral roots and root hairs showing they have non-redundant roles. Downregulation of SiPHT1;2 had the strongest effect on total and inorganic P in shoot and root tissues. Complementation experiments in S. cerevisiae provide evidence for the ability of SiPHT1;1, 1;2, 1;3, 1;7 and 1;8 to function as high affinity Pi transporters. This work will aid development of improved millet varieties for global food security.
Split GFP technologies to structurally characterize and quantify functional biomolecular interactions of FTD-related proteins
Authors: Foglieni Chiara , Papin Stéphanie , Salvadè Agnese , Afroz Tariq , Pinton Sandra , Pedrioli Giona , Ulrich Giorgio , Polymenidou Magdalini , Paganetti Paolo
Published: October 2017

Protein multimerization in physiological and pathological conditions constitutes an intrinsic trait of proteins related to neurodegeneration. Recent evidence shows that TDP-43, a RNA-binding protein associated with frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, exists in a physiological and functional nuclear oligomeric form, whose destabilization may represent a prerequisite for misfolding, toxicity and subsequent pathological deposition. Here we show the parallel implementation of two split GFP technologies, the GFP bimolecular and trimolecular fluorescence complementation (biFC and triFC) in the context of TDP-43 self-assembly. These techniques coupled to a variety of assays based on orthogonal readouts allowed us to define the structural determinants of TDP-43 oligomerization in a qualitative and quantitative manner. We highlight the versatility of the GFP biFC and triFC technologies for studying the localization and mechanisms of protein multimerization in the context of neurodegeneration.
Enhanced larval supply and recruitment can replenish reef corals on degraded reefs
Authors: Cruz Dexter W. dela , Harrison Peter L.
Published: October 2017

Reef-building corals have essential roles in reef ecosystems but are highly susceptible to disturbances. Increasing anthropogenic disturbances are eroding coral community resilience, leading to declining reef ecosystem function and status globally. Successful reproduction and recruitment are essential for restoring coral populations but recruitment-limitation can constrain recovery. We supplied ~400,000 Acropora tenuis larvae in fine-mesh enclosures on each of four larval-enhancement plots, comprising natural reef substrata and ten settlement tiles, on degraded reef areas in the northwestern Philippines. Initial mean total settlement on tiles in larval-enhancement plots was high (255.3 ± 68.6), whereas no larvae settled in natural control plots. Recruit survivorship began stabilising after five months, with juveniles becoming visible by eye at nine months. After three years a mean of 2.3 m−2 colonies survived within each larval-enhancement plot. Most colonies grew rapidly (16.1 ± 0.7 cm mean diameter) and spawned successfully at three years, thereby quickly re-establishing a breeding population. In contrast, natural recruitment failed to produce any new visible A. tenuis colonies. These results demonstrate that mass larval settlement can rapidly enhance recruitment and coral recovery on degraded reef areas, and provides an important option for active reef restoration where larval supply and recruitment success are limiting.
Language lateralization during the Chinese semantic task relates to the contralateral cerebra-cerebellar interactions at rest
Authors: Gao Qing , Tao Zhongping , Cheng Lintao , Leng Jinsong , Wang Junping , Yu Chunshui , Chen Huafu
Published: October 2017

Aiming to investigate whether handedness-related language lateralization is related to the intrinsic resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) pattern within the language network, the present study integrated the information of functional activations during a semantic task of Chinese characters and FC in resting-state based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data of healthy left handers (LH) and right handers (RH). RSFC was calculated on a voxel-based level between the seed regions chosen from functional activations during the task and the rest of the brain. The results demonstrated that LH had significantly stronger RSFC than RH between the cerebellum and supratentorial areas of the frontal, parietal and temporal lobe, and between the occipital lobe and frontal/parietal lobe. Correlation analysis showed that RSFC values between right MFG and left cerebellum_crus2, between SMA and right cerebellum_crus2, and between the right cerebellum_crus1 and left MFG were negatively correlated with cerebral laterality index in LH and RH groups. Our results highlight key nodes of Chinese language brain network processing in the cerebellum, and suggest that atypical language dominance relates to stronger crossed reciprocal RSFC in the frontal-cerebellar system. The findings provide new insights into the intrinsic FC substrates underlying the atypical language lateralization of LH.
Morphological diversity of supramolecular polymers of DNA-containing oligopyrenes – formation of chiroptically active nanosheets
Authors: Vyborna Y. , Altunbas S. , Vybornyi M. , Häner R.
Published: October 2017

Supramolecular polymerization of chimeric DNA-pyrene oligomers leads to 1D and 2D objects depending on the length of the DNA. A single guanosine induces supramolecular chirality in the self-assembled nanosheets.
Graphene membranes with nanoslits for seawater desalinationviaforward osmosis
Authors: Dahanayaka Madhavi , Liu Bo , Hu Zhongqiao , Pei Qing-Xiang , Chen Zhong , Law Adrian Wing-Keung , Zhou Kun
Published: October 2017

A slit-pore stacked graphene membrane shows promising forward osmosis performance with high water flux and ion rejection.