bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resveratrol Treatment after Status Epilepticus Restrains Neurodegeneration and Abnormal Neurogenesis with Suppression of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation
Authors: Mishra Vikas , Shuai Bing , Kodali Maheedhar , Shetty Geetha A. , Hattiangady Bharathi , Rao Xiaolan , Shetty Ashok K.
Published: December 2015

Antiepileptic drug therapy, though beneficial for restraining seizures, cannot thwart status epilepticus (SE) induced neurodegeneration or down-stream detrimental changes. We investigated the efficacy of resveratrol (RESV) for preventing SE-induced neurodegeneration, abnormal neurogenesis, oxidative stress and inflammation in the hippocampus. We induced SE in young rats and treated with either vehicle or RESV, commencing an hour after SE induction and continuing every hour for three-hours on SE day and twice daily thereafter for 3 days. Seizures were terminated in both groups two-hours after SE with a diazepam injection. In contrast to the vehicle-treated group, the hippocampus of animals receiving RESV during and after SE presented no loss of glutamatergic neurons in hippocampal cell layers, diminished loss of inhibitory interneurons expressing parvalbumin, somatostatin and neuropeptide Y in the dentate gyrus, reduced aberrant neurogenesis with preservation of reelin + interneurons, lowered concentration of oxidative stress byproduct malondialdehyde and pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha, normalized expression of oxidative stress responsive genes and diminished numbers of activated microglia. Thus, 4 days of RESV treatment after SE is efficacious for thwarting glutamatergic neuron degeneration, alleviating interneuron loss and abnormal neurogenesis and suppressing oxidative stress and inflammation. These results have implications for restraining SE-induced chronic temporal lobe epilepsy.
Infectious Progeny of 2009 A (H1N1) Influenza Virus Replicated in and Released from Human Neutrophils
Authors: Zhang Zhang , Huang Tao , Yu Feiyuan , Liu Xingmu , Zhao Conghui , Chen Xueling , Kelvin David J. , Gu Jiang
Published: December 2015

Various reports have indicated that a number of viruses could infect neutrophils, but the multiplication of viruses in neutrophils was abortive. Based on our previous finding that avian influenza viral RNA and proteins were present in the nucleus of infected human neutrophils in vivo, we investigated the possibility of 2009 A (H1N1) influenza viral synthesis in infected neutrophils and possible release of infectious progeny from host cells. In this study we found that human neutrophils in vitro without detectable level of sialic acid expression could be infected by this virus strain. We also show that the infected neutrophils can not only synthesize 2009 A (H1N1) viral mRNA and proteins, but also produce infectious progeny. These findings suggest that infectious progeny of 2009 A (H1N1) influenza virus could be replicated in and released from human neutrophils with possible clinical implications.
High-density lipoprotein contribute to G0-G1/S transition in Swiss NIH/3T3 fibroblasts
Authors: Angius Fabrizio , Spolitu Stefano , Uda Sabrina , Deligia Stefania , Frau Alessandra , Banni Sebastiano , Collu Maria , Accossu Simonetta , Madeddu Clelia , Serpe Roberto , Batetta Barbara
Published: December 2015

High density lipoproteins (HDLs) play a crucial role in removing excess cholesterol from peripheral tissues. Although their concentration is lower during conditions of high cell growth rate (cancer and infections), their involvement during cell proliferation is not known. To this aim, we investigated the replicative cycles in synchronised Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts in different experimental conditions: i) contact-inhibited fibroblasts re-entering cell cycle after dilution; ii) scratch-wound assay; iii) serum-deprived cells induced to re-enter G1 by FCS, HDL or PDGF. Analyses were performed during each cell cycle up to quiescence. Cholesterol synthesis increased remarkably during the replicative cycles, decreasing only after cells reached confluence. In contrast, cholesteryl ester (CE) synthesis and content were high at 24 h after dilution and then decreased steeply in the successive cycles. Flow cytometry analysis of DiO-HDL, as well as radiolabeled HDL pulse, demonstrated a significant uptake of CE-HDL in 24 h. DiI-HDL uptake, lipid droplets (LDs) and SR-BI immunostaining and expression followed the same trend. Addition of HDL or PDGF partially restore the proliferation rate and significantly increase SR-BI and pAKT expression in serum-deprived cells. In conclusion, cell transition from G0 to G1/S requires CE-HDL uptake, leading to CE-HDL/SR-BI pathway activation and CEs increase into LDs.
A synthetic modular approach for modeling the role of the 3D microenvironment in tumor progression
Authors: Singh S. P. , Schwartz M. P. , Tokuda E. Y. , Luo Y. , Rogers R. E. , Fujita M. , Ahn N. G. , Anseth K. S.
Published: December 2015

Here, we demonstrate the flexibility of peptide-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels for modeling tumor progression. The PEG hydrogels were formed using thiol-ene chemistry to incorporate a matrix metalloproteinase-degradable peptide crosslinker (KKCGGPQG↓IWGQGCKK) permissive to proteolytic remodeling and the adhesive CRGDS peptide ligand. Tumor cell function was investigated by culturing WM239A melanoma cells on PEG hydrogel surfaces or encapsulating cells within the hydrogels and either as monocultures or indirect (non-contact) cocultures with primary human dermal fibroblasts (hDFs). WM239A cluster size and proliferation rate depended on the shear elastic modulus for cells cultured on PEG hydrogels, while growth was inhibited by coculture with hDFs regardless of hydrogel stiffness. Cluster size was also suppressed by hDFs for WM239A cells encapsulated in PEG hydrogels, which is consistent with cells seeded on top of hydrogels. Notably, encapsulated WM239A clusters and single cells adopted invasive phenotypes in the hDF coculture model, which included single cell and collective migration modes that resembled invasion from human melanoma patient-derived xenograft tumors encapsulated in equivalent PEG hydrogels. Our combined results demonstrate that peptide-functionalized PEG hydrogels provide a useful platform for investigating aspects of tumor progression in 2D and 3D microenvironments, including single cell migration, cluster growth and invasion.
Characterization of the 26S proteasome network in Plasmodium falciparum
Authors: Wang Lihui , Delahunty Claire , Fritz-Wolf Karin , Rahlfs Stefan , Helena Prieto Judith , Yates John R. , Becker Katja
Published: December 2015

In eukaryotic cells, the ubiquitin-proteasome system as a key regulator of protein quality control is an excellent drug target. We therefore aimed to analyze the 26S proteasome complex in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which still threatens almost half of the world’s population. First, we established an affinity purification protocol allowing for the isolation of functional 26S proteasome complexes from the parasite. Subunit composition of the proteasome and component stoichiometry were studied and physiologic interacting partners were identified via in situ protein crosslinking. Furthermore, intrinsic ubiquitin receptors of the plasmodial proteasome were determined and their roles in proteasomal substrate recognition were analyzed. Notably, PfUSP14 was characterized as a proteasome-associated deubiquitinase resulting in the concept that targeting proteasomal deubiquitinating activity in P. falciparum may represent a promising antimalarial strategy. The data provide insights into a profound network orchestrated by the plasmodial proteasome and identified novel drug target candidates in the ubiquitin-proteasome system.
Fragmentation of Fast Josephson Vortices and Breakdown of Ordered States by Moving Topological Defects
Authors: Sheikhzada Ahmad , Gurevich Alex
Published: December 2015

Topological defects such as vortices, dislocations or domain walls define many important effects in superconductivity, superfluidity, magnetism, liquid crystals and plasticity of solids. Here we address the breakdown of the topologically-protected stability of such defects driven by strong external forces. We focus on Josephson vortices that appear at planar weak links of suppressed superconductivity which have attracted much attention for electronic applications, new sources of THz radiation and low-dissipative computing. Our numerical simulations show that a rapidly moving vortex driven by a constant current becomes unstable with respect to generation of vortex-antivortex pairs caused by Cherenkov radiation. As a result, vortices and antivortices become spatially separated and accumulate continuously on the opposite sides of an expanding dissipative domain. This effect is most pronounced in thin film edge Josephson junctions at low temperatures where a single vortex can switch the whole junction into a resistive state at currents well below the Josephson critical current. Our work gives a new insight into instability of a moving topological defect which destroys global long-range order in a way that is remarkably similar to the crack propagation in solids.
Evolutionary conserved brainstem circuits encode category, concentration and mixtures of taste
Authors: Vendrell-Llopis Nuria , Yaksi Emre
Published: December 2015

Evolutionary conserved brainstem circuits are the first relay for gustatory information in the vertebrate brain. While the brainstem circuits act as our life support system and they mediate vital taste related behaviors, the principles of gustatory computations in these circuits are poorly understood. By a combination of two-photon calcium imaging and quantitative animal behavior in juvenile zebrafish, we showed that taste categories are represented by dissimilar brainstem responses and generate different behaviors. We also showed that the concentration of sour and bitter tastes are encoded by different principles and with different levels of sensitivity. Moreover, we observed that the taste mixtures lead to synergistic and suppressive interactions. Our results suggest that these interactions in early brainstem circuits can result in non-linear computations, such as dynamic gain modulation and discrete representation of taste mixtures, which can be utilized for detecting food items at broad range of concentrations of tastes and rejecting inedible substances.
The orphan response regulator EpsW is a substrate of the DifE kinase and it regulates exopolysaccharide in Myxococcus xanthus
Authors: Black Wesley P. , Wang Lingling , Davis Manli Y. , Yang Zhaomin
Published: December 2015

Here we attempted to identify the downstream target of the DifE histidine kinase in the regulation of exopolysaccharide (EPS) production in the Gram-negative bacterium Myxococcus xanthus. This bacterium is an important model system for the studies of Type IV pilus (T4P) because it is motile by social (S) motility which is powered by T4P retraction. EPS is critical for S motility because it is the preferred anchor for T4P retraction in this bacterium. Previous studies identified the Dif chemosensory pathway as crucial for the regulation of EPS production. However, the downstream target of the DifE kinase in this pathway was unknown. In this study, EpsW, an orphan and single-domain response regulator (RR), was identified as a potential DifE target first by bioinformatics. Subsequent experiments demonstrated that epsW is essential for EPS biosynthesis in vivo and that EpsW is directly phosphorylated by DifE in vitro. Targted mutagenesis of epsW suggests that EpsW is unlikely the terminal RR of the Dif pathway. We propose instead that EpsW is an intermediary in a multistep phosphorelay that regulates EPS in M. xanthus.
The Origin of The Acheulean: The 1.7 Million-Year-Old Site of FLK West, Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania)
Authors: Diez-Martín F. , Sánchez Yustos P. , Uribelarrea D. , Baquedano E. , Mark D. F. , Mabulla A. , Fraile C. , Duque J. , Díaz I. , Pérez-González A. , Yravedra J. , Egeland C. P. , Organista E. , Domínguez-Rodrigo M.
Published: December 2015

The appearance of the Acheulean is one of the hallmarks of human evolution. It represents the emergence of a complex behavior, expressed in the recurrent manufacture of large-sized tools, with standardized forms, implying more advance forethought and planning by hominins than those required by the precedent Oldowan technology. The earliest known evidence of this technology dates back toc. 1.7 Ma. and is limited to two sites (Kokiselei [Kenya] and Konso [Ethiopia]), both of which lack functionally-associated fauna. The functionality of these earliest Acheulean assemblages remains unknown. Here we present the discovery of another early Acheulean site also dating toc. 1.7 Ma from Olduvai Gorge. This site provides evidence of the earliest steps in developing the Acheulean technology and is the oldest Acheulean site in which stone tools occur spatially and functionally associated with the exploitation of fauna. Simple and elaborate large-cutting tools (LCT) and bifacial handaxes co-exist at FLK West, showing that complex cognition was present from the earliest stages of the Acheulean. Here we provide a detailed technological study and evidence of the use of these tools on the butchery and consumption of fauna, probably by earlyHomo erectus sensu lato.
Dielectric behaviors of Aurivillius Bi5Ti3Fe0.5Cr0.5O15 multiferroic polycrystals: Determining the intrinsic magnetoelectric responses by impedance spectroscopy
Authors: Bai Wei , Chen Chao , Yang Jing , Zhang Yuanyuan , Qi Ruijuan , Huang Rong , Tang Xiaodong , Duan Chun-Gang , Chu Junhao
Published: December 2015

Bismuth layer ferroelectrics (BLFs) pioneered by Aurivillius about sixty years ago have been revived recently because of the fatigue- and lead-free behaviors and high Curie temperature and especially the robust magnetoelectric (ME) effect. However, discerning the intrinsic ME nature and the inherence between charged defect dipole induced relaxation and spin-related behaviors are still an arduous task. Here, we report a quantitative analysis to reveal the intrinsic spin-lattice coupling in Aurivillius Cr-doped Bi5Ti3FeO15 (BTFCO) multiferroic polycrystals. Dielectric responses are systemically investigated by the temperature-dependent dielectric, module, impedance spectroscopy and equivalent circuit model and two different dielectric relaxation processes occurred in grain interior of Aurivillius BTFCO polycrystals are clarified. One relaxation is proposed to associate with localized transfer of electrons between Fe3+ and Fe2+ while another one arises from the competition interaction of localized hopping of electrons between Fe3+ and Fe2+ and short-range migration of holes between Cr3+ and Cr6+. The variation of the intrinsic permittivity unambiguously confirms the coupling between spin and dipolar orderings in BTFCO polycrystals. These results offer a vital avenue for identifying the intrinsic and extrinsic signals of the electric and ME responses and will give significant impetus to exploring the ME electronic devices of Aurivillius materials.
The effect of temperature on organic carbon degradation in marine sediments
Authors: Malinverno Alberto , Martinez Ernesto A.
Published: December 2015

The degradation of sedimentary particulate organic carbon (POC) is a key carbon cycle process that fuels the deep subseafloor biosphere. The reactivity of POC is expected to decrease with increasing sediment age, severely restricting the energy available to microorganisms. Conversely, increasing temperatures during burial have been proposed to stimulate POC degradation, possibly supplying significant energy to the deep biosphere. To test the importance of temperature, we assembled POC measurements in two global sets of drill sites where sediments underwent either relatively low or high temperatures during burial, which should have resulted in different rates of POC degradation. For ages 5–10 Ma, the decrease of the average POC content with burial is clearly more pronounced in the sites with high temperature histories. Our results support the hypothesis that temperature is one of the fundamental controls on the rate of POC degradation within deeply buried marine sediments.
Genetic diversity and antimicrobial susceptibility of Nocardia species among patients with nocardiosis
Authors: Hashemi-Shahraki Abodolrazagh , Heidarieh Parvin , Bostanabad Saeed Zaker , Hashemzadeh Mohamad , Feizabadi Mohamad Mehdi , Schraufnagel Dean , Mirsaeidi Mehdi
Published: December 2015

The aim of this multicenter study was to determine the genetic diversity and antibiotic susceptibility of clinically isolated Nocardia species. One hundred twenty-seven patients with nocardiosis were randomly selected from 5 provinces of Iran. Molecular diagnosis of Nocardia species was performed using multilocus sequence analysis of gyrase B of the β subunit of DNA topoisomerase (gyrB) and 16S rRNA and subunit A of SecA preproteintranslocase (secA1). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed following the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute recommendations. Thirty-five N. cyriacigeorgica, 30 N. asteroides, 26 N. farcinica, 12 N. otitidiscaviarum, and 10 N. abscessus cultures were studied. All isolates were susceptible to linezolid. All isolates of N. cyriacigeorgica, N. asteroides, N. abscessus and N. otitidiscaviarum were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, while 8% of N. farcinica isolates were resistant to this drug. All N. otitidiscaviarum isolates were highly resistant to imipenem, but N. cyriacigeorgica, N. asteroides, N. farcinica and N. abscessus were only moderate resistant. The susceptibility patterns vary with different species of Nocardia. Resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in Iran is low and this drug should be first line therapy, unless drug susceptibility testing shows resistance. Linezolid also covers Nocardia well and could be a second line agent.
Climate and soil properties limit the positive effects of land use reversion on carbon storage in Eastern Australia
Authors: Rabbi S.M.F. , Tighe Matthew , Delgado-Baquerizo Manuel , Cowie Annette , Robertson Fiona , Dalal Ram , Page Kathryn , Crawford Doug , Wilson Brian R. , Schwenke Graeme , Mcleod Malem , Badgery Warwick , Dang Yash P. , Bell Mike , O’Leary Garry , Liu De Li , Baldock Jeff
Published: December 2015

Australia’s “Direct Action” climate change policy relies on purchasing greenhouse gas abatement from projects undertaking approved abatement activities. Management of soil organic carbon (SOC) in agricultural soils is an approved activity, based on the expectation that land use change can deliver significant changes in SOC. However, there are concerns that climate, topography and soil texture will limit changes in SOC stocks. This work analyses data from 1482 sites surveyed across the major agricultural regions of Eastern Australia to determine the relative importance of land use vs. other drivers of SOC. Variation in land use explained only 1.4% of the total variation in SOC, with aridity and soil texture the main regulators of SOC stock under different land uses. Results suggest the greatest potential for increasing SOC stocks in Eastern Australian agricultural regions lies in converting from cropping to pasture on heavy textured soils in the humid regions.
Coordinated loss of microRNA group causes defenseless signaling in malignant lymphoma
Authors: Yamagishi Makoto , Katano Harutaka , Hishima Tsunekazu , Shimoyama Tatsu , Ota Yasunori , Nakano Kazumi , Ishida Takaomi , Okada Seiji , Watanabe Toshiki
Published: December 2015

Biological robustness is exposed to stochastic perturbations, which should be controlled by intrinsic mechanisms; the promiscuous signaling network without appropriate alleviation is the true nature of cancer cells. B cell receptor (BCR) signaling is a major source of gene expression signature important for B cell. It is still unclear the mechanism by which the expression of functionally important genes is continuously deregulated in malignant lymphomas. Using RISC-capture assay, we reveal that multiple BCR signaling factors are persistently regulated by microRNA (miRNA) in human B cells. Clinical samples from patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL, n = 83) show loss of an essential miRNA set (miR-200c, miR-203, miR-31). Conventional screening and RISC profiling identify multiple targets (CD79B, SYK, PKCβII, PLCγ1, IKKβ, NIK, MYD88, PI3K class I (α/β/δ/γ), RasGRP3); signaling network habitually faces interference composed by miRNA group in normal B cells. We demonstrate that simultaneous depletion of the key miRNAs enhances translation of the multiple targets and causes chronic activation of NF-κB, PI3K-Akt and Ras-Erk cascades, leading to B cell transformation. This study suggests that compensatory actions by multiple miRNAs rather than by a single miRNA ensure robustness of biological processes.
Production and application of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against Spiroplasma eriocheiris
Authors: Zhang Ying , Bao Haixun , Miao Fengqin , Peng Yaqin , Shen Yuqing , Gu Wei , Meng Qingguo , Wang Wen , Zhang Jianqiong
Published: December 2015

A new species of spiroplasma, Spiroplasma eriocheiris (S. eriocheiris), was identified as a lethal pathogen of tremor disease (TD) in Chinese mitten crab recently. In order to acquire appropriate biological and diagnostic tools for characterizing this newly discovered pathogen, 5 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and a polyclonal antibody (pAb) against S. eriocheiris were produced. Among the mAbs, 6F5, 7C8 and 12H5 lead to the deformation of S. eriocheiris. A peptide sequence, YMRDMQSGLPRY was identified as a mimic motif of MreB that is the cell shape determining protein of S. eriocheiris interacting with 3 mAbs. Furthermore, a double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) for detection of S. eriocheiris was established using the mAb and pAb we prepared. It detected as low as 0.1 μg/mL of S. eriocheiris. No cross-reaction was observed with three other common bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis) and the hemolymph samples of healthy Eriocheir sinensis. Collectively, our results indicated that the mAbs and pAb we prepared could be used in the analysis of S. eriocheiris membrane proteins mimotope and development of a diagnostic kit for S. eriocheiris infections.
Scalable lithography from Natural DNA Patterns via polyacrylamide gel
Authors: Qu JieHao , Hou XianLiang , Fan WanChao , Xi GuangHui , Diao HongYan , Liu XiangDon
Published: December 2015

A facile strategy for fabricating scalable stamps has been developed using cross-linked polyacrylamide gel (PAMG) that controllably and precisely shrinks and swells with water content. Aligned patterns of natural DNA molecules were prepared by evaporative self-assembly on a PMMA substrate and were transferred to unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) to form a negative replica. The negative was used to pattern the linear structures onto the surface of water-swollen PAMG and the pattern sizes on the PAMG stamp were customized by adjusting the water content of the PAMG. As a result, consistent reproduction of DNA patterns could be achieved with feature sizes that can be controlled over the range of 40%–200% of the original pattern dimensions. This methodology is novel and may pave a new avenue for manufacturing stamp-based functional nanostructures in a simple and cost-effective manner on a large scale.
Systematic comparison of variant calling pipelines using gold standard personal exome variants
Authors: Hwang Sohyun , Kim Eiru , Lee Insuk , Marcotte Edward M.
Published: December 2015

The success of clinical genomics using next generation sequencing (NGS) requires the accurate and consistent identification of personal genome variants. Assorted variant calling methods have been developed, which show low concordance between their calls. Hence, a systematic comparison of the variant callers could give important guidance to NGS-based clinical genomics. Recently, a set of high-confident variant calls for one individual (NA12878) has been published by the Genome in a Bottle (GIAB) consortium, enabling performance benchmarking of different variant calling pipelines. Based on the gold standard reference variant calls from GIAB, we compared the performance of thirteen variant calling pipelines, testing combinations of three read aligners—BWA-MEM, Bowtie2 and Novoalign—and four variant callers—Genome Analysis Tool Kit HaplotypeCaller (GATK-HC), Samtools mpileup, Freebayes and Ion Proton Variant Caller (TVC), for twelve data sets for the NA12878 genome sequenced by different platforms including Illumina2000, Illumina2500 and Ion Proton, with various exome capture systems and exome coverage. We observed different biases toward specific types of SNP genotyping errors by the different variant callers. The results of our study provide useful guidelines for reliable variant identification from deep sequencing of personal genomes.
Tuning the properties of polyhydroxybutyrate films using acetic acid via solvent casting
Authors: Anbukarasu Preetam , Sauvageau Dominic , Elias Anastasia
Published: December 2015

Biodegradable polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) films were fabricated using acetic acid as an alternative to common solvents such as chloroform. The PHB films were prepared using a solvent casting process at temperatures ranging from 80 °C to 160 °C. The crystallinity, mechanical properties and surface morphology of the films cast at different temperatures were characterized and compared to PHB films cast using chloroform as a solvent. Results revealed that the properties of the PHB film varied considerably with solvent casting temperature. In general, samples processed with acetic acid at low temperatures had comparable mechanical properties to PHB cast using chloroform. This acetic acid based method is environmentally friendly, cost efficient and allows more flexible processing conditions and broader ranges of polymer properties than traditional methods.
Long-term Impact of Childhood Adiposity on Adult Metabolic Syndrome Is Modified by Insulin Resistance: The Bogalusa Heart Study
Authors: Zhang Huijie , Zhang Tao , Li Shengxu , Li Ying , Hussain Azad , Fernandez Camilo , Harville Emily , Bazzano Lydia A. , He Jiang , Chen Wei
Published: December 2015

Childhood adiposity and insulin resistance are well-known risk factors for adult metabolic syndrome (MetS). This study aims to examine whether the association between childhood adiposity and adult MetS is modified by insulin resistance. The cohort consisted of 1,593 black and white subjects, aged 19–50 years at follow-up, who were examined 19 years apart on average as children and adults for MetS variables. The prevalence of adult MetS was compared between the insulin-sensitive obesity and insulin-resistant obesity groups in childhood. Adult MetS prevalence was higher in the insulin-resistant obesity group than in the insulin-sensitive obesity group (34.9% vs. 24.3%, p = 0.008). In multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, race, gender and follow-up years, individuals with insulin-resistant obesity in childhood were 1.7 times (p = 0.011) more likely to have MetS 19 years later on average than those with insulin-sensitive obesity in childhood. Odds ratio did not differ significantly between blacks and whites (p = 0.724). ORs for the association of childhood BMI with adult MetS significantly increased with increasing tertiles of childhood HOMA (p < 0.001 for trend). These findings suggest that insulin resistance amplifies the association between childhood adiposity and adult MetS and underscore the importance of preventing both adiposity and insulin resistance in early life.
mRNA Levels of Imprinted Genes in Bovine In Vivo Oocytes, Embryos and Cross Species Comparisons with Humans, Mice and Pigs
Authors: Jiang Zongliang , Dong Hong , Zheng Xinbao , Marjani Sadie L. , Donovan David M. , Chen Jingbo , Tian Xiuchun
Published: December 2015

Twenty-six imprinted genes were quantified in bovine in vivo produced oocytes and embryos using RNA-seq. Eighteen were detectable and their transcriptional patterns were: largely decreased (MEST and PLAGL1); first decreased and then increased (CDKN1C and IGF2R); peaked at a specific stage (PHLDA2, SGCE, PEG10, PEG3, GNAS, MEG3, DGAT1, ASCL2, NNAT and NAP1L5); or constantly low (DIRAS3, IGF2, H19 and RTL1). These patterns reflect mRNAs that are primarily degraded, important at a specific stage, or only required at low quantities. The mRNAs for several genes were surprisingly abundant. For instance, transcripts for the maternally imprinted MEST and PLAGL1, were high in oocytes and could only be expressed from the maternal allele suggesting that their genomic imprints were not yet established/recognized. Although the mRNAs detected here were likely biallelically transcribed before the establishment of imprinted expression, the levels of mRNA during these critical stages of development have important functional consequences. Lastly, we compared these genes to their counterparts in mice, humans and pigs. Apart from previously known differences in the imprinting status, the mRNA levels were different among these four species. The data presented here provide a solid reference for expression profiles of imprinted genes in embryos produced using assisted reproductive biotechnologies.
CD147 monoclonal antibody mediated by chitosan nanoparticles loaded with α-hederin enhances antineoplastic activity and cellular uptake in liver cancer cells
Authors: Zhu Rong , Zhang Chun-ge , Liu Yang , Yuan Zhi-qiang , Chen Wei-liang , Yang Shu-di , Li Ji-zhao , Zhu Wen-jing , Zhou Xiao-feng , You Ben-gang , Zhang Xue-nong
Published: December 2015

An antibody that specifically interacts with an antigen could be applied to an active targeting delivery system. In this study, CD147 antibody was coupled with α-hed chitosan nanoparticles (α-Hed-CS-NPs). α-Hed-CS-CD147-NPs were round and spherical in shape, with an average particle size of 148.23 ± 1.75 nm. The half-maximum inhibiting concentration (IC50) of α-Hed-CS-CD147-NPs in human liver cancer cell lines HepG2 and SMMC-7721 was lower than that of free α-Hed and α-Hed-CS-NPs. α-Hed-induced cell death was mainly triggered by apoptosis. The increase in intracellular accumulation of α-Hed-CS-CD147-NPs was also related to CD147-mediated internalization through the Caveolae-dependent pathway and lysosomal escape. The higher targeting antitumor efficacy of α-Hed-CS-CD147-NPs than that α-Hed-CS-NPs was attributed to its stronger fluorescence intensity in the tumor site in nude mice.
Outcome Assessments of Patients with Posttraumatic “Ultra-Time Vascular Injuries” of the Extremities
Authors: Sun Yi-Feng , Fang Qiong-Xuan , Zhan Hong-Yan , Wang Fan , Cao Wei , Zhao Gang
Published: December 2015

The management of posttraumatic vascular injury that presents after 8 h, or “ultra-time vascular injury”, is daunting and inciting recognition of this injury is vital. We retrospectively analyzed 29 patients with ultra-time vascular injuries to determine the patients’ demographic characteristics and identify the determinants for amputation and disability. The age distribution of the high-risk population was from 18 years to 40 years, which indicated that these patients had plenty of productive life remaining. Injuries to the lower limbs (79.31%) were over four times more common than injuries to the upper limbs (17.24%) and open and blunt injuries occurred most commonly. The overall rate of limb salvage was 82.76% (24/29) and limb function is excellent in 45.83% (11/24) of the patients. The remaining patients experienced different degrees of disability in their limbs, which was determined by the anatomic location of the injury and the presence of a combined arterial and venous injury, nerve injury and complex soft tissue injury, as well as the occurrence of compartment syndrome. Hence, we recommend limb-salvage treatment for patients with traumatic ultra-time vascular injuries, particularly for those aged between 18 years and 40 years. Furthermore, we encourage the development of limb-salvage techniques for ultra-time vascular injuries.
The RIFLE versus AKIN classification for incidence and mortality of acute kidney injury in critical ill patients: A meta-analysis
Authors: Xiong Jiachuan , Tang Xi , Hu Zhangxue , Nie Ling , Wang Yiqin , Zhao Jinghong
Published: December 2015

The sensitivity and accuracy of the Risk/Injury/Failure/Loss/End-stage (RIFLE) versus acute kidney injury Network (AKIN) criteria for acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill patients remains uncertain. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the incidence and prognostic value of the RIFLE versus AKIN criteria for AKI in critically ill patients. Literatures were identified by searching Medline, Embase, PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database. Nineteen studies with 171,889 participants were included. The pooled estimates of relative risk (RR) were analyzed. We found that the RIFLE and AKIN criteria is different for the incidence of AKI in intensive care unit (ICU) patients (P = 0.02, RR = 0.88), while not for cardiac surgery patients (P = 0.30, RR = 0.93). For AKI-related hospital mortality, the AKIN criteria did not show a better ability in predicting hospital mortality in either ICU (P = 0.19, RR = 1.01) or cardiac surgery patients (P = 0.61, RR = 0.98) compared to RIFLE criteria. Our findings supported that the AKIN criteria can identify more patients in classifying AKI compared to RIFLE criteria, but not showing a better ability in predicting hospital mortality. Moreover, both RIFLE and AKIN criteria for AKI in cardiac surgery patients had better predictive ability compared with the ICU patients.
The Dynamics and Regulatory Mechanism of Pronuclear H3k9me2 Asymmetry in Mouse Zygotes
Authors: Ma Xue-Shan , Chao Shi-Bin , Huang Xian-Ju , Lin Fei , Qin Ling , Wang Xu-Guang , Meng Tie-Gang , Zhu Cheng-Cheng , Schatten Heide , Liu Hong-Lin , Sun Qing-Yuan
Published: December 2015

H3K9 methylation is an important histone modification that is correlated with gene transcription repression. The asymmetric H3K9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) pattern between paternal and maternal genomes is generated soon after fertilization. In the present study, we carefully determined the dynamics of H3K9me2 changes in mouse zygotes and investigated the regulatory mechanisms. The results indicated that histone methyltransferase G9a, but not GLP, was involved in the regulation of asymmetric H3K9me2 and G9a was the methyltransferase that induced the appearance of H3K9me2 in the male pronucleus of the zygote treated with cycloheximide. We found that there were two distinct mechanisms that regulate H3K9me2 in the male pronucleus. Before 8 h of in vitro fertilization (IVF), a mechanism exists that inhibits the association of G9a with the H3K9 sites. After 10 h of IVF the inhibition of G9a activity depends on yet unknown novel protein(s) synthesis. The two mechanisms of transfer take place between 8–10 h of IVF and the novel protein failed to inhibit G9a activity in time, resulting in the appearance of a low level de novo H3K9me2 in the male pronucleus.
SUN2 exerts tumor suppressor functions by suppressing the Warburg effect in lung cancer
Authors: Lv Xiao-bin , Liu Lijuan , Cheng Chun , Yu Bentong , Xiong Longxin , Hu Kaishun , Tang Jianjun , Zeng Lei , Sang Yi
Published: December 2015

SUN2, a key component of LINC (linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton) complex located at the inner nuclear membrane, plays unknown role in lung cancer. We found that SUN2 expression was decreased in lung cancer tissue compared with paired normal tissues and that higher SUN2 levels predicted better overall survival and first progression survival. Overexpression of SUN2 inhibits cell proliferation, colony formation and migration in lung cancer, whereas knockdown of SUN2 promotes cell proliferation and migration. Additionally, SUN2 increases the sensitivity of lung cancer to cisplatin by inducing cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, we showed that SUN2 exerts its tumor suppressor functions by decreasing the expression of GLUT1 and LDHA to inhibit the Warburg effect. Finally, our results provided evidence that SIRT5 acts, at least partly, as a negative regulator of SUN2.Taken together, our findings indicate that SUN2 is a key component in lung cancer progression by inhibiting the Warburg effect and that the novel SIRT5/SUN2 axis may prove to be useful for the development of new strategies for treating the patients with lung cancer.
PDGFRα plays a crucial role in connective tissue remodeling
Authors: Horikawa Shinjiro , Ishii Yoko , Hamashima Takeru , Yamamoto Seiji , Mori Hisashi , Fujimori Toshihiko , Shen Jie , Inoue Ran , Nishizono Hirofumi , Itoh Hiroshi , Majima Masataka , Abraham David , Miyawaki Toshio , Sasahara Masakiyo
Published: December 2015

Platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) plays a pivotal role in the remodeling of connective tissues. Emerging data indicate the distinctive role of PDGF receptor-α (PDGFRα) in this process. In the present study, the Pdgfra gene was systemically inactivated in adult mouse (α-KO mouse) and the role of PDGFRα was examined in the subcutaneously implanted sponge matrices. PDGFRα expressed in the fibroblasts of Pdgfra-preserving control mice (Flox mice), was significantly reduced in the sponges in α-KO mice. Neovascularized areas were largely suppressed in the α-KO mice than in the Flox mice, whereas the other parameters related to the blood vessels and endothelial cells were similar. The deposition of collagen and fibronectin and the expression of collagen 1a1 and 3a1 genes were significantly reduced in α-KO mice. There was a significantly decrease in the number and dividing fibroblasts in the α-KO mice and those of macrophages were similar between the two genotypes. Hepatocyte growth factor (Hgf) gene expression was suppressed in Pdgfra-inactivated fibroblasts and connective tissue. The findings implicate the role of PDGFRα-dependent ECM and HGF production in fibroblasts that promotes the remodeling of connective tissue and suggest that PDGFRα may be a relevant target to regulate connective tissue remodeling.
Gender differences in the association between cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and depressive symptoms: a cross-sectional study among Chinese adolescents
Authors: Yue Yue , Hong Lingyao , Guo Lan , Gao Xue , Deng Jianxiong , Huang Jinghui , Huang Guoliang , Lu Ciyong
Published: December 2015

The aim of this study was to examine the association between cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and depressive symptoms among adolescents, with a particular focus on gender differences. A total of 19,578 middle and high school students in Chongqing Province were surveyed. Self-reported cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, depressive symptoms and family- and school-related factors were assessed. A total of 8.8% adolescents reported smoking cigarettes. Tobacco use by boys (16.5%) was significantly higher than by girls (1.9%). Approximately 23.5% of adolescents reported alcohol consumption. Consumption in boys (31.5%) was significantly higher than in girls (16.2%). Depressive symptoms were prevalent in 9.1% of the sample. Girls reported significantly more symptoms (10.4%) than boys (7.7%). Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that the association between alcohol consumption and depressive symptoms was stronger among girls (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.8–2.5) than boys (AOR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.4–2.1). A significant association (AOR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.6–3.4) between cigarette smoking and depressive symptoms was revealed in girls only. The significant gender differences found above may provide a basis for the early identification of individuals at high risk for depression.
Functional characteristics of the Staphylococcus aureus δ-toxin allelic variant G10S
Authors: Cheung Gordon Y. C. , Yeh Anthony J. , Kretschmer Dorothee , Duong Anthony C. , Tuffuor Kwame , Fu Chih-Lung , Joo Hwang-Soo , Diep Binh A. , Li Min , Nakamura Yuumi , Nunez Gabriel , Peschel Andreas , Otto Michael
Published: December 2015

Staphylococcus aureus δ-toxin is a member of the phenol-soluble modulin (PSM) peptide family. PSMs have multiple functions in staphylococcal pathogenesis; for example, they lyse red and white blood cells and trigger inflammatory responses. Compared to other PSMs, δ-toxin is usually more strongly expressed but has only moderate cytolytic capacities. The amino acid sequences of S. aureus PSMs are well conserved with two exceptions, one of which is the δ-toxin allelic variant G10S. This variant is a characteristic of the subspecies S. argenteus and S. aureus sequence types ST1 and ST59, the latter representing the most frequent cause of community-associated infections in Asia. δ-toxin G10S and strains expressing that variant from plasmids or the genome had significantly reduced cytolytic and pro-inflammatory capacities, including in a strain background with pronounced production of other PSMs. However, in murine infection models, isogenic strains expressing the two δ-toxin variants did not cause measurable differences in disease severity. Our findings indicate that the widespread G10S allelic variation of the δ-toxin locus has a significant impact on key pathogenesis mechanisms, but more potent members of the PSM peptide family may overshadow that impact in vivo.
Proteomic analysis of symbiotic proteins of Glomus mosseae and Amorpha fruticosa
Authors: Song Fuqiang , Qi Dandan , Liu Xuan , Kong Xiangshi , Gao Yang , Zhou Zixin , Wu Qi
Published: December 2015

Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) can colonize the roots of Amorpha fruticosa, a perennial leguminous woody shrub and form arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM). AMF have significant promoting effects on A. fruticosa growth as the intensity of fungal colonization increases. Taking AMF-A. fruticosa symbionts as the experimental material, gel-free isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) coupled with two-dimensional liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were used to investigate the expression of A. fruticosa mycorrhizal proteins at the maturation stage. A total of 3,473 proteins were identified, of which 77 showed dramatic changes in their root expression levels; 33 increased and 44 decreased. We also found nine AMF proteins that were expressed with AMF treatment. The 77 proteins were classified according to function. Plant proteins were assigned into 11 categories: metabolism-related (32%), protein folding and degradation-related (22%), energy-related (10%), protein synthesis-related (8%), stress and defense-related (24%), transcription-related (6%), membrane and transport-related (4%), cellular structure-related (2.5%), signaling transduction-related (11%) and unknown proteins (5%). The results of the study provide a foundation for further investigation of the metabolic characteristics and molecular mechanisms of AM.
Stronger warming effects on microbial abundances in colder regions
Authors: Chen Ji , Luo Yiqi , Xia Jianyang , Jiang Lifen , Zhou Xuhui , Lu Meng , Liang Junyi , Shi Zheng , Shelton Shelby , Cao Junji
Published: December 2015

Soil microbes play critical roles in regulating terrestrial carbon (C) cycle and its feedback to climate change. However, it is still unclear how the soil microbial community and abundance respond to future climate change scenarios. In this meta-analysis, we synthesized the responses of microbial community and abundance to experimental warming from 64 published field studies. Our results showed that warming significantly increased soil microbial abundance by 7.6% on average. When grouped by vegetation or soil types, tundras and histosols had the strongest microbial responses to warming with increased microbial, fungal and bacterial abundances by 15.0%, 9.5% and 37.0% in tundra and 16.5%, 13.2% and 13.3% in histosols, respectively. We found significant negative relationships of the response ratios of microbial, fungal and bacterial abundances with the mean annual temperature, indicating that warming had stronger effects in colder than warmer regions. Moreover, the response ratios of microbial abundance to warming were positively correlated with those of soil respiration. Our findings therefore indicate that the large quantities of C stored in colder regions are likely to be more vulnerable to climate warming than the soil C stored in other warmer regions.
Dioscin alleviates alcoholic liver fibrosis by attenuating hepatic stellate cell activation via the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway
Authors: Liu Min , Xu Youwei , Han Xu , Yin Lianhong , Xu Lina , Qi Yan , Zhao Yanyan , Liu Kexin , Peng Jinyong
Published: December 2015

The present work aimed to investigate the activities and underlying mechanisms of dioscin against alcoholic liver fibrosis (ALF). In vivo liver fibrosis in mice was induced by an alcoholic liquid diet and in vitro studies were performed on activated HSC-T6 and LX2 cells treated with lipopolysaccharide. Our results showed that dioscin significantly attenuated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation, improved collagen accumulation and attenuated inflammation through down-regulating the levels of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α by decreasing Toll-like receptor (TLR)4 expression both in vivo and in vitro. TLR4 overexpression was also decreased by dioscin, leading to the markedly down-regulated levels of MyD88, NF-κB, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and type I collagen (COL1A1) in cultured HSCs. Suppression of cellular MyD88 by ST2825 or abrogation of NF-κB by pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate eliminated the inhibitory effects of dioscin on the levels of TGF-β1, α-SMA and COL1A1. In a word, dioscin exhibited potent effects against ALF via altering TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway, which provided novel insights into the mechanisms of this compound as an antifibrogenic candidate for the treatment of ALF in the future.
Balancing bulk gas accumulation and gas output before and during lava fountaining episodes at Mt. Etna
Authors: Carbone Daniele , Zuccarello Luciano , Messina Alfio , Scollo Simona , Rymer Hazel
Published: December 2015

We focus on a sequence of 9 lava fountains from Etna that occurred in 2011, separated by intervals of 5 to 10 days. Continuous measurements allowed to discover the occurrence of gravity decreases before the onset of most fountaining episodes. We propose that the gravity changes are due to the pre-fountaining accumulation of a foam layer at shallow levels in the plumbing system of the volcano. Relying on the relationship between amount of gas trapped in the foam and amount of gas emitted during each episode, we develop a conceptual model of the mechanism controlling the passage from Strombolian to lava fountaining activity. Gas leakage from the foam layer during the late stages of its accumulation increases the gas volume fraction at upper levels, thus inducing a decrease of the magma-static pressure in the trapping zone and a further growth of the foam. This feedback mechanism eventually leads to the collapse of the foam layer and to the onset of lava fountaining. The possibility to detect the development of a foam layer at depth and to set quantitative constraints on the amount of trapped gas is important because of the implications for forecasting explosive eruptions and predicting their intensity.